Hunter's Torn Quad

New Japan would be hard pressed to not be the biggest Japanese promotion in the world, seeing as they're the biggest in terms of roster, star power, and area of operations. Not to mention they don't have any real competition for the spot. And I won't point out that their Osaka Dome show last month didn't even draw half-full house, or the fact that their IWGP Title was booked into oblivion for most of the year. Oh wait. I just did.

At least JBL had the guts to write a letter to someone this time. Usually, he bashes people in his columns on WWE.com, and hides behind the "I'm just playing a character" line when he offends somebody.

Keller replied to the letter:

His ego imploded.

They messed up with pulling the trigger, so I can see them either pulling the plug on Orton v HHHawkeye at Mania, or at least cooling off on it. I think if Batista v HHHawkeye isn't the planned Mania main event right now, it's at least the main event that Vince and/or HHHawkeye want, and are laying the groundwork for so they can say they have to do it because the fans want it. Once they screwed up the Orton angle, I think it was obvious that Batista was likely to get a shot at the WM main event, purely because of his look. Vince, and HHHawkeye, are marks for physiques, and Batista has the juiced up look they like. Batista is homegrown as well, which works on his favor, so I'd say all signs point to HHHawkeye v Batista at WM, with maybe Orton getting a look in as part of a possible three-way main event, or something like that. Whatever the case, I don't think Orton is their main focus anymore regarding long term plans, at least as far as the WM main event is concerned.

So, RR will see yet another match where the heel champion has to fight against the odds as he retains his title. It's funny how both SD and Raw's top heels are being booked like top faces. Well, not funny, because it's sad really, but it is amusing.

I really enjoyed Jerry's work in Law and Order. Lennie Briscoe was definitely my favorite, with his mixture of dry humor, and strong morale character. I don't know if anyone remembers, but he was in the season 2 episode, The Wages Of Love, playing a defence attorney. Going back to watch it, after he'd been in the later seasons as Briscoe, was really weird. I also remember him from the movie F/X: Murder By Illusion, and he was great in that too.

What makes you so sure? Apart from logic, common sense, and the realities of business ?

Where did you get that figure? The only figure I've seen quoted is ten years at ten million. The Observer and a bunch of other places. I've not once read a report that had his salary at $1m per year.

I remember this from 'back in the day'. It seemed more like Wade had an ax to grind than trying to put out a story. I'd also like to point out that Wade Keller is a self-righteous little shit who is about as impartial as an unimpartial person could be.

HBK won't have to do anything to take the focus away from everyone else; his being in the match at all does that. Dollars to donuts says this means one of two things: 1: Hunter isn't walking out of EC with the Raw Title, and his losing will be down to Shawn, so the focus will be on Shawn costing Hunter the match, and not on the guy who just pinned Hunter to win the Raw Title. This then will allow for Hunter v Shawn to be built up for WM XXI, because you know they want to have a singles match at WM, despite the fact that nobody gives a flying fuck about their self-masturbatory feud. And, as with Benoit, the Raw Champion will be reduced to second-tier status 2: Hunter is walking out of EC, with Shawn accidentally costing someone else the match, which means the main focus of Raw will, for the bajillionth time, Hunter v Shawn. This then will allow for Hunter v Shawn to be built up for WM XXI, because you know they want to have a singles match at WM, despite the fact that nobody gives a flying fuck about their self-masturbatory feud.

Raven's promo's would have gotten him over big in the WWF, if only because they aren't the standard cookie cutter stuff that almost everybody else churns out. Being different from the rest helps you stand out just as much, if not more, than being better than the rest.

Henry's contract is a no-cut one, so he can't be fired. When he kept getting put in those stupid sex angles, like having a transvestite go down on him, most felt it was the WWF's way of trying to get him to quit, so they'd be out from the deal.

Mark Henry is not making $1 million a year. His contract was a 10-year deal for $2.5 million, which is $250,000 per year.

Why are people still feeding the troll ?

Bret talked about how he had to fight just to get this one angle to get through. I forgot where but I also remembering his saying how Bishoff had to talk to Hogan about something before they could go through with this angle (can't remember if it was this one or a different angle he was talking about). Than when Hogan apparantly approved Bishoff had the biggest sigh of relief ever on his face. Interesting stuff. Bret talks about that in his second RF Shoot. Eric wanted Hogan to enter the ring after Goldberg was down, pretend like he was pleased with what Bret did, and then suckerpunch him and beat Bret up. Bret refused, pointing that, not only did it make no sense for that to happen, but that Eric had already agreed to the angle as is. Kevin Nash also wanted in on the angle. As a way to bury Bret, but presented as otherwise, obviously, Nash wanted to lay Bret out, and do an angle playing off of Nash being a heel booker. Bret shoot that down, again pointing out that it didn't make sense and that they'd already agreed on what was going to happen.

A Kurt Angle DVD should have his Hair v Hair match with Edge on it. It would at least show why he is bald now. Plus the match itself was kickass.

Your custom is more of a gimmick than mine.

Only if you gimmick posters lead the way.

Bad Awards WORST SERIOUS THREAD OF THE YEAR: Girl With No Face WORST "FUNNY" THREAD OF THE YEAR: n/a SLIMIEST POSTER OF THE YEAR: Jason WIMPIEST POSTER OF THE YEAR: curry_man2002 BIGGEST NERD POSTER OF THE YEAR: curry_man2002 ANGLESAULT AWARD: MOST ANNOYING POSTER OF THE YEAR: krazykat72 BIGGEST "TRIES TO BE COOL" POSTER OF THE YEAR: LoonyTune MOST RETARDED POSTER OF THE YEAR: Jason BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR: n/a MOST EVIL POSTER OF THE YEAR: n/a MOST PATHETIC POSTER: Jason BIGGEST BOARD IDIOT OF THE YEAR: Jason POSTER YOU WOULD LEAST LIKE TO MEET IN REAL LIFE: fanofcoils MOST HATED POSTER OF THE YEAR: n/a WORST POSTER OF THE YEAR: Jason Good/Bad Awards BANNED POSTER OF THE YEAR: Anglesault MOST INFLUENTIAL POSTER OF THE YEAR: n/a Good Awards BEST SERIOUS THREAD OF THE YEAR: n/a BEST FUNNY THREAD OF THE YEAR: The Chyna Sex Tape thread POSTER YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET IN REAL LIFE: Loss BIGGEST EXPERT POSTER: MUSIC: n/a BIGGEST EXPERT POSTER: MOVIES & TV: n/a BIGGEST EXPERT POSTER: WRESTLING: Loss/Tim Cooke tie BIGGEST EXPERT POSTER: STREET SMARTS/GENERAL: n/a BIGGEST EXPERT POSTER: CURRENT EVENTS & WORLD NEWS: NoCalMike MOST EASY TO TALK TO/FRIENDLIEST POSTER OF THE YEAR: Loss COOLEST POSTER OF THE YEAR: Loss MOST IMPROVED POSTER OF THE YEAR: n/a SMARTEST POSTER OF THE YEAR: n/a MOST INTIMIDATING POSTER OF THE YEAR: n/a MOST FUNNY POSTER OF THE YEAR: n/a BEST FLAMER OF THE YEAR: Ravishing Rick Rudo POSTER'S CHOICE: FAVORITE POSTER OF THE YEAR: Loss WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT YOU?: BOARD MVP: AoO RENAISSANCE POSTER AWARD: BEST ALL-AROUNDER: Loss BEST POSTER OF THE YEAR: Loss

The best part of NBR is Konnan on commentary during the four-corner tag title match. He buries Kronic, Jindrak, O'Haire, Palumbo and Stasiak.

That's a good point about the Hart-Goldberg deal, that a lot of people either don't see or refuse to see. A lot of the damage to Hart was his own fault, simply because he never went to the doctor to get checked out. Head problems are the one kind you simply don't try to gut out, and this is a fine example of why. I'm a big Bret fan, but he has to carry some of the blame for his career ending problems.

I believe the actual story on that one is that Gunn was never going to win, but was rather going to lose via interference of some kind, but because he pissed someone off, the finish was changed to a clean submission loss.

The stupid part about the Raw title deal, is that on the night that Hunter was given the title, he beat Ric Flair right after. Was it that hard to do an angle where just as Hunter is taking the belt, Ric Flair interrupts and says that a real champion wins a title in the ring, and set up a match between the two where the winner becomes the first Raw Champion ? At least then the first Raw Champion would have won the title in an actual match.