Hunter's Torn Quad

What I remember about the 1997 Rumble is Phineas Godwin throwing some of the worst punches in the history of wrestling. You really have to see them to see how bad they were.

I'd like to see if Bubba wants to try his tough guy act with Rick Steiner, or if he'll respond should Rick start really laying in with the punches.

These won't even be worked shoots in the sense of trying to make it look like a real fight. I think the idea is the wrestlers try to be as spectacular as they can in order to score points and when the time is up the judges decide who wins based on their points. I think. It's just a nonsensical idea to begin with.

Bill DeMott's replacement in DSW is Tom Prichard.

Angle had the concussion. It's just a typo.

How do they explain the premise of the 'shoot' X-Division matches in a way that gets over the idea behind the concept, without suggesting that the rest of the matches on the show, which are meant to be real, are in fact worked? Can you even work the matches in such a manner that can both work within the concept of both guys trying to 'score points' to win and also not expose the rest of the matches on the card? Mixing works and shoots, or even works and worked shoots or whatever this 'shoot' X-Division deal is meant to be, is never a good idea for the US. Did nobody learn from the Brawl-For-All disaster??

The match was **** but the whole scenario was ***** of off the charts greatness. The match, a Loser Leaves OVW match, was built up so well and the entire two-year plus storyline of Doug trying to take over OVW from his Uncle, Danny Davis, was just tremendous. The match and the conclusion generated the kind of emotion from the fans that you almost never see anywhere. With both Damaja and Machine being such integral parts of the feud, they more than carried their end of things and it really destroys the myth that they're somehow 'average'.

It was closed because Bam Bam has had no association with WWE for many years, and the thread is more suited for the General Wrestling folder, which is where it is now.

Add Stevie Richards to that list.

It does make you wonder why they hired him in the first place.

They've probably forgotten he even exists. I think he's the OVW champion.......he's one of those guys with a ton of talent that was basically hosed then given a dumb gimmick, why am I not surprised. The Basham's were the same. Nobody who saw them in WWE would believe it, but they were great in the ring and great on the mic.

They've probably forgotten he even exists.

I guess they felt he was dragging Elijah Burke down.

In a heartbeat.

Who'll be next? Sabu?

They'll probably wait until Danny Basham is fit before releasing him.

Rating this week was a 4.1, which was expected with this being the first week with no football competition. Though, you can bet that Vince will spin the ratings boost as being down to something he did.

Coulda made better? Sure. Completely ruined? Absolutely not. Russo took a feud with incredible potential, that could have put TNA on that map, and not only did he rush through it in three months, and not only did it get diminishing returns each time out, but by the time it was over both guys had been turned from something special into just two more guys on the rosters who meant a whole lot less when the feud was over than when it began. That fits any reasonable definition of "completely ruined".

If someone is going to take the time to look up something like that, then it's a pretty safe bet they already know about TNA.

An Introduction to TNA type show is a good idea, in theory. The problem is that instead of taking the time to introduce just they key players in TNA, you'll probably get a rush job as they try to fit everyone on the roster into the show, and nothing will get any time to sink in. I would have high hopes for an Angle/Steiner feud, but after the way Joe/Angle was handled I just can't see it doing as well as it could. At this point, I'd rather Jericho just stay at home for now. He can't do anything new in WWE, and if he goes to TNA now he'll go from something special to just another wrestler in record time.

I wonder if people who make that statement ever stop to think what they're actually saying.

The order of entry is pre-determined, obviously. Key spots, major eliminations and important angles are laid out ahead of time, but the general flow of a Rumble is ad-libbed, but allowing for the key moments to take place when they're meant to.

Shame you can't say the same thing about PPV buys, which is where the money is made.

When?

Asking them to go to OVW was a nice way of telling them to quit.