RavishingRickRudo

3. Benoit wants to win the title. No, Benoit doesn't want to win the title. If he wanted to with "the title" then he would have stayed on Smackdown. Benoit wants to be "the best" and he wants to be recognized as "the best" at Wrestlemania. That's the _whole basis_ for him jumping. If we are to believe now that he just i)wants the title, and ii)is happy winning it where ever, then either it is a lie, or his reason from jumping to RAW was a lie. People keep on confusing this for whatever reason. Edit: I personally would rather Benoit be belt-happy. That means he would have stayed on Smackdown and continued the kick-ass feud with Brock which got him a lot more heat than anything he has done on RAW.

I think it's time for OLYPICO GOLD ( Goodear ) ~!

No idea, I haven't seen it. Here's the full card. They'll probably show 3-5 matches. Only one match went to a decision, the rest were either by KO, Submission, Corner Stoppage, TKO, or Cut. UFC 21 - Return of the Champions July 16, 1999 Cedar Rapids, Iowa Travis Fulton vs. David Dodd Andre Roberts vs. Ron Waterman Eugene Jackson vs. Royce Alger Tsuyoshi Kohsaka vs. Tim Lajcik Paul Jones vs. Flavio Luiz Moura Jeremy Horn vs. Daiju Takase Pat Miletich vs. Andre Pederneiras Maurice Smith vs. Marco Ruas It'll be cool to see Smith vs. Ruas and Takase vs. Horn. Roberts vs. Waterman was a slugfest and they'll probably show it. Don't know about the others. Maybe someone can help fill us in. Paging Dr. Tong, Dr. Lei Tong, you are needed in the infirMMAry.

I believe they are showing UFC 21 (which features the return of Marco Ruas). If you ever have the chance to see these big 2 hour shows DO SO. They're pretty rare footage considering you won't find any of them in the video stores. I know I'm enjoying them. I believe it's on at Midnight, though check your tv guide to make sure.

It's a brilliant angle. It explains all of Kurt Angles turns in a rational manner. It explains how Kurt can go from being the complete dork to being the competitive hero. It explains Kurts irrational decision to befriend Eddie and then to turn on him (Since every time he turns he loses a piece of himself -ie: MEMORY- so he doesn't remember ever feuding with Eddie or having an issue with him. It plays up his history in the Olympics (c'mon, any impact strong enough to break someones neck is strong enough to rattle some screws, ya know?). By using historical footage (incidences where the suspected "point of impact" occured) it helps back up the claim of the doctor. Now, there may be a problem of suspension of disbelief, however, when you throw in truths like i)breaking neck at olympics, ii)the multiple personalities, iii)the multiple turns, iv)the multiple impacts to the head, the lie because a lot easier to swallow. It also plays into the psychology of the feud and the match. Eddie _has to_ face Kurt at WM since Bad Kurt refuses to stay home and is #1 contender. However, Eddie knows that he could potentially kill Good Kurt in that match if he goes too hard. It becomes Eddies Choice. Does he help out this poor guy who can't help but be insane, or does he help himself and fight to keep his title? How does this man of little morality deal with this huge burden? And, if you notice, this plays off of the real life angle from WM 19 where Kurt went into the match with an injured neck and really shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Unless you want to run with the "Kurt Angle is insane" angle, which stems from him getting his neck broken in the 96 olympics where it created a chemical imbalance in his brain. He had it under control for a while, but then he got into wrestling. 99% of the bumps he takes in the ring completely uneffect his mind, but there's always that 1% that triggers Insane Angle (or "Insangle" or "Bad Kurt"). This explains all of his heel turns, as they all come from a bump suffered in the ring. They can bring in a doctor to substantiate this claim and speculate where the cause of his last bump took place. The doctor not only finds out when the bump occured (which they show on TV) but also discovers a shocking twist - every time Kurt makes the transition from good to bad (and bad to good) he loses a piece of himself. The doctor speculates that one more bump could kill him. So now the dilemma is to keep Insane Kurt who will probably hurt a lot of the locker room, or attempt to bring back Good Kurt who might die in the process.

WHOOSH Well, that was random.

I'm sorry, I clearly meant glass-holder. Hmm, looking back on it, it is rather odd that I made that mistake. How ass-baring.

There *is* an edit button you could have used to fix that mistake, you asshole.

Up here on SPACE every time Angel is on, the commercial lead-in ("Angel, up next, on SPACE") is Angel and Wes dancing. It never gets tired. And Nathan Fillion IS god, gorram it..

But how could you make it, what with the Dildo's in your eyes? Doncha need to see to post it and take pictures and see what the pictures look like and read peoples response to it and stuff? And let's not even get into the potential brain damage such an act would cause. Maybe a spoken word account would be better.

Let's just say you're focusing on the wrong thing in that transaction.

He still is a lil bit rough around the edges, but generally yes, Brock has greatly improved and I enjoy listening to him speak. He's developed a personality behind the mic and is (more) comfortable behind it (though he still seems nervous).

You have to earn episodes like Smile Time, you just can't go into them cold on the show. Half the enjoyment is seeing Angel & co. react to what happened, not just the novelty of puppets cursing and being bad.

Tell Dames that a wrestler (say, Edge) started to post here and it was verified with a phone call by Dr. Tom.

But can you make a thread about it?

Oh come on! That thread was awesome. Not my comments, which were horrible and meant to be that way cause the topic itself was horrible and that's what I do in bad threads, but Downhome posting Angle humping Big Show was BRILLIANT. And I don't even like Downhome. But it's brilliance cannot be denied. Stuff like that (the topic) should be put in its own thread. There should be a minor news thread where the "little stuff" gets posted, and the major news threads can get their own topics. If you want to know what a classic thread looks like, read the Buffy Season 7 thread. Seriously, it's not like those rumours of people going mad trying to read it all are true or anything. ... and more threads should have wrap parties.

Actually, you're the one working from that assumption. We've seen a Benoit push begin and we've seen an Eddy push begin, but instead of celebrating that it has happened, you're upset that they weren't pushed sooner. The past can not be changed. Only the future can be. I'd rather not waste my time complaining about things that have no chance of being changed in the future. WWE is getting it right. No. The past often dictates what the future will bring. If they don't remember their past, who is to say that the present (and future) won't be forgotten as well? Why bother watching then if what you watch doesn't matter? I am not the one saying that by being consistent with your storylines that it's impossible to create new stars. You have one storyline end, have the opponents go their separate ways, and they feud with two new guys separately. Their paths cross once again, they use history to help build up the heat as well as put some on the two new guys, they do a match, the new guys can separate and fight each other on their own with a rub from the older guys. Or you can not have them cross paths at all. That has not happened. Why has that happened? Because Benoit moved to RAW? Please, we've been over that. Because Benoit did a job to HBK? Come on! Because they ruined a perfectly good storyline in Brock vs. Benoit, one that was *working*, to put him on RAW just so HBK and HHH can have their fun. He's been fucked over because those 19 years have been built up for a lie. That finish, based on the result they're trying to get, was the only logical thing they could do. If Benoit would have pinned HBK, it would have cropped Shawn out of the picture when they're obviously trying to keep him in the picture. It also would have lessened the impact of Benoit defeating him at Backlash, which all signs point to happening. IT WASN'T THE ONLY LOGICAL THING TO DO! IT'S THE ONLY THINK *YOU* CAN THINK OF! There were three weeks between pay-per-views. Eddy did not get laid out during that time period. He won a nearly 40-minute #1 Contenders match, got the best of an in-ring confrontation with Brock and PINNED HIM on the last Smackdown before the PPV. That shows a genuine effort to get away from 50/50 booking. And Goldberg coming in and spearing Brock was what...? Eddy has been getting more TV time over the past few months and has been put in the show-ending spot on many occasions. He's been a US champion and he has now done the impossible and won the World title. He has overcome his family turning on him and an amazing size difference and done what few thought he could. Gaaaaaaaleeeeeeeeee, US Champ, you say?! They could have done it better. They should have started off in the spring time of 03 when Eddie was over HUGE with the C2W gimmick and built him up to the ME spot for 04. They didn't. They kept him in the midcard and just brought him up. Say what you will about how many times he ended the show off, he still didn't face the calibre of opponents that would have given him a more secure run on top. I wish there could have been more time between the PPVs. You could argue that it was rushed. But it was the 100% right buildup. I disagree. I think they should have actually SHOWN Guerreros struggles. I also think that Guerrero should have had a buffer feud before getting into the Main Event spot. That doesn't make it 100% right. Damage control that has been in effect since November. At this point, it's booking long term, pushing new talent and creating fresh matches on top. Meanwhile, their storylines are still poor, they still misuse their time, they still poorly build up their shows, they still ignore the "brand split", they still rely heavily on the Authority figure, the same people are still in top spots, their secondary titles are still worthless, their secondary shows are still worthless, their house shows aren't worth going to... the negatives still greatly outweigh the positives, and their postives still have negatives attached to them. Does that mean you're going to ignore any improvement at all you see until they've gotten to a point where they're perfect? It took them a long time to get in the position they're in; it'll take a long time to fix it. I don't expect perfect. You've misconstrued "They have lots of flaws" with "flawless". Even the best shows I watch aren't perfect. They can come close, they can be 95% there, and I love them even more for it. And they don't have the resources the WWE does. What the WWE is giving us is MAYBE 30%, I want at least 70%. How long does this rebuilding process take? They've been at it for almost 3 years now; at least, that's what they say. The company does not suck right now. They have a long way to go toward being at their full potential, but things are *far* better than they were at this point in 2003. And 2002. No, they do suck. I could make swiss cheese out of 90% of their storylines. For every 1 good wrestling match you'll get 10 bad. The promos and skits are still poor. Just, to you, they suck less than before and you mistake that with being good. None is totally inaccurate. Even if they never live up to their full potential, if they are moving toward giving the audience what they want to see and pushing the right guys in the right positions, they are doing their jobs. Vince McMahon is a promoter, not a novelist in the fantasy genre. They don't have hundreds of millions at their disposal? They couldn't get any wrestler they wanted to? They don't dominate the wrestling industry? They don't have the ability to greatly increase the quality of their product? I forgot, he doesn't have an obligation to put out a good product. Just gotta swindle those marks~! Would you rather crop Eddy, Angle and Goldberg out of high-profile positions at Wrestlemania when simply moving Benoit to RAW ensures that they'll all have meaningful matches, all while Benoit loses nothing? That doesn't seem like good business to me. 1. Benoit on Smackdown doesn't hold back any of them. 2. Benoit loses a lot on RAW. Particularly the last 4 years of his career, as well as a potentially awesome storyline where he doesn't have to look like an idiot week-in and week-out.

House shows, PPV buys and television ratings have been dropping. What is the response? Push McMahons and the stars they built up when they were successful. Well, at least, that's been the strategy for the past 2 years. Didn't really do anything productive for the company, though. Oh, you mean recently? Oops. Elevate Chris Benoit Elevated in 2000, 2001, and 2003. They're using him now because they simply have no one left. and Eddy Guerrero Yes, one minute he's in the midcard the next he has won the WWE title. If they really cared about elevating him in a way that would keep him up there they wouldn't have made his road to the title 3 weeks long. turn John Cena face since the crowds want to cheer him Did they really "turn" him face? I can recall him beating up Albert and then just facing more heel opponents, but did anything really change? He's just pandering to the audience more now (which he did as a heel, but not so much). But you're acting as this is some grand realization and the company has taken great steps in implementing the epic and momentous John Cena face turn. Ok, I'm putting those words in your mouth but it was a silly statement in the first place. place minorities in more high-profile roles to draw in new viewers By that you mean... Eddie Guerrero? Is Goldberg a minority? Let's see the matches at Mania... HHH/HBK/Benoit, Lesnar/Goldberg, Kane/Taker, Cena/Show... Eddie/Angle. And if you want to bring up NWO with Rey Mysterio being a focus, that was one of the worst hyped PPVs ever. I don't disagree with you that they are attempting to penetrate the market, I am just saying they aren't doing a good job nor are they making a great effort to do so. It's a half-hearted attempt because, simply put, they've run out of their traditional options (cept for Celebrity involvement, which surprises me they haven't done) and use the Jericho/Christian/Trish storyline to draw in a female audience. And Stacy/Jackie are supposed to do what, to turn them away? By moving Benoit to RAW, they allowed high-profile openings for Eddy Guerrero, Kurt Angle and Bill Goldberg on the Wrestlemania card, all of whom would have been left in the cold had 'Mania been headlined by Lesnar v Benoit and HHH v HBK. I never said Lesnar/Benoit Mania. I said Lesnar/Benoit at rumble. Eddie or Angle would be at Mania. And they didn't have to move Benoit to make an opening, it's not like there's a certain finite number of ME'rs you can have. They could have had Benoit/Eddie, Goldberg/Brock, Angle/HBK, HHH/Cena. The result? Benoit's storyline is still intact because he's still wrestling for the world title at Wrestlemania. By storyline you mean... ? Eddy Guerrero and Kurt Angle are now in a World title match when they were both directionless months ago. By "months" you mean "weeks", right? Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar get to do the dream match before Goldberg leaves for good. Which still could have been done. It makes *so much sense* from a business perspective. And there are other ways to *make sense* from a business perspective as well as offering good, sensible, storylines without having the viewer jump the grand canyon that is their plotholes and/or suspension of disbelief. And honestly, if one is incapable of separating what they want as a fan from what WWE should do as a business, they probably should stick to talking about wrestling like it's real because blending the two is taking two points of view that shouldn't and aren't consistent and coming up with a solution that is impossible. I can, very easily actually. Given that I am a wrestling fan AND a business student. It just happens to be good business to have a good product and not to insult your consumers. It was a smart move because it allowed for more movement in the main event scene, allowed for more people to have high-profile matches, and as a result, no one is being left behind. Why you can not see that when it's right in front of you is beyond me. Could have been done in other *better* ways. It just takes effort. If you can't see that, well then, you should work for the WWE. They could use people like you.

Are we talking about the same guy who used his brother as a fake against Undertaker and Brock Lesnar?

Why wouldn't he help Chavo win the WWE title? I mean, Chavo *is* the easier guy to beat, and all.

SIMON COWELL Simon Cowell’s music career is now infamous having, over the past 20 years, shaped what we consider to be modern pop music today. In the last 10 years, Simon, a BMG Record Executive, has been making and breaking records. Cowell has achieved sales of over 25 million albums, over 70 top 30 records and 17 number 1 singles. He has worked and developed groups and individuals such as Westlife, the pop siren Sinitta and Robson & Jerome. Simon became a celebrity in his own right for reducing a string of teenage wannabes to tears while serving as a judge on the UK version of the show, "Pop Idol." ------------------ I think Randy is a bit underestimated... Randy Jackson is a twenty-year music industry veteran. For eight years, he was the V.P. of A&R at Columbia Records followed by four years as Senior V.P. of A&R at MCA Records. Randy has recorded, toured and performed with the likes of: *NSYNC, Madonna, Elton John, Destiny's Child and many more. Randy has worked on over one thousand gold and multi-platinum albums. With his amazing talent, immense studio knowledge, performing, touring and record company experience, Randy has become one of today's most highly sought-after music industry experts.

Know about what? Oh, you mean that guy who fucking owned on that show which fucking owned on Angel? Yeah, I kinda knew about that

When has a company with this much money at their disposal and this much talent existed? Once. WCW. Dead.

You ignore the main point -- if they were being consistent with the last three horrendous years of booking, there would be NO ELEVATION. There wouldn't be a way for it to make sense and it would take another two years before we saw the guys we wanted to see entering the main event scene. And you're working from the assumption that nothing can end and nothing can begin. WWE realized their mistakes, I'd say around Survivor Series. Since then, they have placed Eddy Guerrero and Chris Benoit in main event storylines and they are making better use of the roster as a whole. Wrestlemania XX has better hype for every match, top to bottom, than ANY Wrestlemania has since Wrestlemania XIV. How did they realize their mistake when they just out-of-the-blue elevated Eddie to the main event scene and completely fucked over Benoit? They're building up Mania, ok, but what of No Way Out? THERE WAS BARELY ANY BUILD FOR THE MAIN EVENT! They haven't "realized their mistaks", they're doing what they always do. Fuck up, and then try and do damage control. The company is still not where I want them to be. But it frustrates me when a certain few ignore any strides they are making in the name of "being right" all along. Do you want the company to fail? No, I want the company to be good. They aren't. And it frustrates me when a certain few ignore the plot holes they are making in the name of... shit, I don't even know. Do you want the company to continue to suck? Because it sure seems like it. Try, just once, looking at WWE as a business instead of using standards for a wrestling company that no wrestling company ever in the history of pro wrestling has ever used. They also have one of the most rich rosters along with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal and dominance over the wrestling industry. Just once, try looking at the WWE as they really are; a company living up to none of their potential. And I _do_ look at wrestling as a business, and what they're doing is not smart business. ... got a test right now...