WWE General Discussion for July 2007

[Perfection 0]

Lashley is actually drawing fans in the same way Cena does thanks to that push. Anywhere from 200,000 to a million a segment.

 

I find that hard to believe considering he often gets the least amount of pop when another face is around....matter of fact he often doesn't get much pop at all. Some yes but nothing special. I'd have to see some decent proof to believe that over a long period of time. The lashley/mcmahon fued could have had more to do with mcmahon and not lashley. Likewise with the constant talk of steroids these last few weeks, its hard for me to believe that a program that is centered around the most roided up guy on the roster who shows little charisma, ring skills, and his horrible on the mic, would not see some negative feedback.

 

If he does somehow draw....man that is just fucking depressing.

[The Buzz 0]

Cena just grew on me this year to the point where I'm watching all his older matches and current work. I really think he's a good worker with a limited arsenal. Nothing wrong with that...however Lashley...I don't know. I don't see anything there, but at the same time I'm not running a multi-million dollar company.

[BorneAgain 0]

I don't doubt how over Lashley is, but the guy is still better off in regards to matches by working with vetss like Regal, Finlay, and Booker, rather than most of his ECW stint which didn't help as much.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Lashley is actually drawing fans in the same way Cena does thanks to that push. Anywhere from 200,000 to a million a segment.

 

I find that hard to believe considering he often gets the least amount of pop when another face is around....matter of fact he often doesn't get much pop at all. Some yes but nothing special. I'd have to see some decent proof to believe that over a long period of time. The lashley/mcmahon fued could have had more to do with mcmahon and not lashley. Likewise with the constant talk of steroids these last few weeks, its hard for me to believe that a program that is centered around the most roided up guy on the roster who shows little charisma, ring skills, and his horrible on the mic, would not see some negative feedback.

 

If he does somehow draw....man that is just fucking depressing.

 

You have to remember that pops with live audience don't mean anything when it comes to TV. The guys who are usually the most over... established acts (Taker, HHH, HBK, etc.) usually lose ratings... they don't lost that many people to where it's a big dent.

 

Fans like Lashley when he gets a good heel to work with and no other factors (McMahons) bringing down the match.

 

And it's amazing that when Lashley debuted, he was bigger than he is right now.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I don't doubt how over Lashley is, but the guy is still better off in regards to matches by working with vetss like Regal, Finlay, and Booker, rather than most of his ECW stint which didn't help as much.

 

Bingo. I could watch him vs. Finlay all day. That feud he had with him last year was so great.

[mysterious_w 0]

I've been on thsi board months and I still don't know, what does OAO stand for?

[Cran Da Maniac 0]

I've been on thsi board months and I still don't know, what does OAO stand for?

 

 

One and Only

[haVoc 0]

Edge has an undisclosed injury that he is telling people isn't serious. He said it took place during the segment that airs tonight at the end of the show. At this point he's still scheduled for the Great American Bash.

 

Credit: Dave

[King Cucaracha 0]

I find that hard to believe considering he often gets the least amount of pop when another face is around....matter of fact he often doesn't get much pop at all. Some yes but nothing special. I'd have to see some decent proof to believe that over a long period of time. The lashley/mcmahon fued could have had more to do with mcmahon and not lashley. Likewise with the constant talk of steroids these last few weeks, its hard for me to believe that a program that is centered around the most roided up guy on the roster who shows little charisma, ring skills, and his horrible on the mic, would not see some negative feedback.

 

If he does somehow draw....man that is just fucking depressing.

 

I know the internet is full of subtleties, but... you don't like Lashley much, do you?

 

I mean, it's hard to tell.

[haVoc 0]

Just for the heck of it. I found this over on WO.

 

A look at Chris Benoit as the first wrestler ever to be a guest on Wrestling Observer Live

 

by Name withheld

 

On Friday, October 8, 1999, I was working for a company called Covad, nervously and anxiously waiting on hold in my cubicle to speak to Chris Benoit on Dave Meltzer's brand new show, Wrestling Observer Live. Here now is a rundown of Benoit's 50-minute appearance on that fateful Friday afternoon.

 

Dave welcomes Chris Benoit to the show. Chris had just come off a 30-minute classic with Bret Hart on Monday Nitro, held in Missouri and dedicated to Owen Hart, who had just died half a year ago. Long matches were rare in the late 90s Monday night wars, and this match was the talk of the industry for several weeks.

 

Dave asks if Chris felt pressure in the match with Bret. None at all, and says it was more emotional than anything, and calls is the most emotional match of his career.

 

Dave asks if Chris saves his matches on tape. Some of them he does, and says he'll definitely keep this one. Dave says he knows people who have an unedited copy (w/o commercials), and Chris would love to get a copy of that.

 

Chris said the most meaningful show he ever did was the tribute for Brian Hildebrand, but the Bret match was the most meaningful individual match. Dave says both Chris and Bret were phenomenal in the match. Chris said he and Bret went over the match beforehand and decided to be selfish and just do the match for them and Owen and not worry about what anyone else thought. Both were very proud with how it turned out.

 

Caller Leon from Brooklyn wants to know Chris' training regimen. Says he trains as much as he can, depending how he feels on the road. Tries to make it to the gym at least 5 times a week. Dave asks about cardio and diet. Says he does cardio 2-3 times a week, but does weights more than cardio. As for diet, he doesn't follow a strict diet and just sticks to common sense, low-fat foods, and has 2-3 protein shakes a day.

 

Leon asks if we can ever go back to the day of 30-minute matches, and Chris says we just saw one on Monday. Says to never say never, but that you might see them more on PPV instead of TV.

 

Dave says the Bret-Benoit match felt nostalgic at the end, reminiscent of the 80s matches with Flair, Windham, and Steamboat where one match took up the whole TV show. Dave thought it was refreshing and good that it got over because people always say fans don't have the attention span for long matches. Chris said he sensed the fans in the arena felt the match was dedicated to Owen, too.

 

John in New York calls Chris the most solid athlete out there right now, and wonders why he didn't jump to WWF during his contract negotiations last year. Chris says he came pretty close. He sat down with Bischoff and expressed his frustration with the storylines and how he felt he wasn't contributing the way he felt he did in New Japan. Bischoff promised him things would change, and since Chris' good friends were also in WCW, he decided to stay.

 

John asks how Chris feels about Vince Russo. Said he doesn't know him personally but heard he is into developing characters, which is what he wants to work on because he feels he himself is weak on interviews and personality. Said the younger guys are excited Russo is coming in because they hated the inconsistencies in WCW's storylines. The irony here is amazing.

 

John says all wrestlers seem to have their best matches with Chris, and who Chris feels has taken him to the limit the most? No one stands out to him, but that it takes two and that he's only as good as the guy in the ring with him. He hates guys who have an ego and want to look strong in matches all the time. He's looking forward to sitting down with Russo and developing his character, and that people tell him all the time to watch Clint Eastwood movies because his character is similar.

 

Dave asks about Japan, and Chris said he leaves Wednesday for a 10-day tour, and that he hasn't been there in a couple of years. He was 19 when he first went there.

 

Dave says Chris was a mid-carder in New Japan, along with Eddy & Malenko, and yet no one was unhappy. Here in the U.S., all the mid-carders are unhappy, so what is the difference. Chris said it's all about morale. He never worked for a company with as much bad morale as WCW the last several months. . In Japan, he was happy and felt appreciated and on top of the world. He was having good matches and respected, and in WCW, he is talked down to all the time.

 

Luke from Arcadia said the match between Chris and Bret was the best match he saw all year, and Chris was very appreciative of the compliment. Luke is excited about Russo and Ferrara coming in and asks Chris what WCW needs to do to compete with WWF. Chris said the problem is lack of leadership with too many guys making decisions, and no clear direction.

 

Jason in Nashville calls to say he felt Chris was good on interviews when given the chance, especially during his feud with Kevin Sullivan. Jason asks if Chris had any time in Japan to get to know any of the Japanese wrestlers. Chris said the language barrier made it hard, and that while he didn't have time at the arena, he got to know a lot of them very well when he lived in the dojo.

 

Jason remembers when Chris did a headbutt to the outside floor in Japan and if he took any precautions. Dave chuckles while Chris said No, it was something crazy he did and that he was less careful back then than how he is now. Says he'll never do it again because he blew his shoulder out.

 

Dave asks if Chris talked to Harley Race in Kansas City. Briefly, yes, along with Harley's wife. Dave said Harley was the first person he ever saw use the diving headbutt in the U.S.

 

Dave asks if Funaki trained with Chris. Dave thought he'd be a huge star but that he chose a different direction. Chris said his first match ever in Japan was against Funaki, and that he was the most athletic and talented guy in the dojo with him. Dave thinks he should come back to wrestling to save his body, and Chris would love to see him come back because he picked things up so quickly in the dojo.

 

Jason asks what the worst injury was that Chris ever had. Says he landed on his shoulder during a huracanrana with Sabu in Japan which put him on the sidelines for a couple of weeks. Dave brings up the elbow injury from 1998, and Chris said he was out 2 months with that.

 

Steve in Brooklyn says Chris is the best wrestler out there right now and that the match on Monday was so good he didn't want it to end. How about working with Vampiro? Chris said he'd love the opportunity because he loves working different styles. Steve says Chris should be elevated to championship level, which Chris appreciates.

 

Dave says that among people who follow wrestling closely, they love Chris' style and appreciate his hard word. Dave said Chris and Owen wrestled in more different places successfully than anyone else, including Mexico, Canada, Japan, Germany, and the U.S. Chris says he loved Japan but now he feels challenged in the U.S. trying to develop his promos and personality.

 

Yours truly calls in and asks if Chris is concerned about ending up like his hero, the Dynamite Kid. Chris says No, because it's an accumulation of injuries and bumps, and he takes care of himself with supplements and nursing injuries. Barring a freak injury, he says he won't end up like Dynamite.

 

Speaking of freak injuries, Dave asks about Drozdov. Chris doesn't know him but says his thoughts are with him. Said you try to be safe at all times, but things happen. Dave thinks it's a testament to wrestlers that more injuries like that don't happen more often, and worries about backyard kids who didn't train for years in Canada and Japan like Chris did. Chris reveals that when he was a teenager, he did backyard wrestling with his friends, copying the snap suplexes and piledrivers he saw on Stampede.

 

I asked Chris if he felt slighted that WCW didn't make a bigger deal of his recent headbutt off the top of the cage, which I felt was just as impressive as the famed Mick Foley bump off the cage. Chris said he didn't feel slighted, but did think it was wrong of the production people not to exploit the bump more. Says he hates it when guys are having great matches on Nitro and the announcers are talking about something else, but it's beyond his control/

 

Dave asks about ECW, and Chris said he did have tryouts with WWF back then. He decided to go to WCW instead because they have a relationship with New Japan, and Eric assured him he could go to Japan a few times a year.

 

Dave asks Chris for his favorite match. Said it's too hard to say because he had awesome matches with people like Guerrero on small spot shows in Japan that were never televised. He looks for things that mean something to him emotionally, and therefore picked the Bret Hart match, but as far as pure wrestling goes, he can't pick just one.

 

Dave asks if Chris met Rey Mysterio Jr in Mexico. Says No, he first met him Japan at the Super J Cup when he wrestled Psicosis, and he was immediately impressed. Dave says when he first saw Rey, it was outside the ring, and thought someone was ribbing him (side note: I saw Rey at a hotel in Philly in 1995 without his mask, and no one knew who he was without the mask, and when someone told us, we thought we were being ribbed too). Did Chris feel the same way? Says No, he doesn't judge by size, but by ability/ Said he has been a fan of Rey and Psicosis ever since that night and feels they have great chemistry together. Dave had similar feelings about Super Astro. Chris said he wrestled him and that Mexico overall was a huge learning experience for him.

 

Dave brings up Brian Hildebrand. Chris called Brian the most inspirational person ever, and that he never complained once, loved life, lived life, and that he much respect and admiration for people like that. Said some people whine and complain about everything, but Brian never did. Dave echoes those thoughts, saying the tribute show was one of the great nights in wrestling because it wasn't about politics or money, but a good cause.

 

Scott in Philadelphia asks how Chris would feel trading wins with guys like Kidman, Mysterio, Guerrero, Malenko, etc. Chris said absolutely he would, which Scott said proves his point that Chris isn't worried about his ego the way some guys are who never want to lose. Chris believes that if you are given enough time in the ring to showcase your ability, it doesn't matter who wins. Says he learned that in Japan, and that in the U.S., if you're given good, long storylines, it doesn't matter who wins either.

 

Scott brought up how Russo said no wrestling hold should last more than 15 seconds and hopes longer matches can happen. Says Chris knows how to work long matches that are still fast paced. Chris says the matches, long or short, have to fit the storyline.

 

Scott asks about one of my favorites, Brad Armstrong. Chris calls him extremely talented and underused, but may have lost faith in himself after being beaten down so much on TV. He still thinks there is something great in Brad, and eerily says that there's something within him waiting to explode.

 

Dave says most matches 10 years ago weren't long but they still threw long ones in every once in awhile. Dave said the Bret-Chris match was the most talked about thing in wrestling all week because it was a break from the norm. Chris agrees.

 

Otta (sp?) in Baltimore asks for Chris' thoughts on Russo and Ferrara coming to WCW. Chris said he feels WCW needs change and is glad to see them come, but doesn't know them personally. Otta's biggest concern, which turned out to be true, is that they will make WCW more of an entertainment product instead of a wrestling product. Chris said (funny in hindsight) that Vince and Ed are smart enough to just fine tune WCW to where it can work and is looking forward to meeting them and sitting down with them.

 

Steve from Calgary, the first international caller ever on WOL, says he has followed Chris from the early Stampede days and is impressed with everything Chris has accomplished. Asks about an altercation Chris had at World's Gym with Johnny Smith. Chris doesn't remember and says that never happened, which Steve has a hard time believing, but accepts the answer. Steve, whose dad was a mechanic for Stu Hart in the 60s, says he hopes WCW comes to Calgary. Chris said he banged his head against the wall trying to figure out why WCW never toured Canada after they signed Bret, especially since house shows are down in the U.S. right now. He called it virgin territory for WCW.

 

Dave asks if Chris saw Wrestling with Shadow. Yes, many times, and will watch it many times again. Dave said it was the first movie to capture the true essence, good and bad, of wrestling. Chris liked it and thinks people who aren't wrestling fans would like it, too.

 

Dave asks what brought Chris to Japan. Said his first match was at 18, trained at 17, and went to Japan at 19. He started before Owen and was in Japan when Pillman and Owen broke in. Said Tokyo Joe and Badnews Allen arranged the opportunity in Japan for him, which he jumped at.

 

Dave says Russo was on the show yesterday and spoke well of Benoit. Dave thanks Chris for being on the show, and Chris politely appreciates all the compliments.

 

I don't know where you guys are at personally, but I enjoyed the read.

[Enigma 0]

Edge has an undisclosed injury that he's telling people isn't serious. It happened during the Smackdown tapings that will air tonight on The CW. He is still in-line to work his World Heavyweight Title match against Kane at the Great American Bash.

[claydude14 0]

... and NEW, World Heavyweight Champion, KANE~!

[Kizzo 0]

USA Network is crazy.. they do know that ESPN's MNF(which broke cable ratings last season) is debuting in a few weeks??

[Mike wanna be 0]

USA Network is crazy.. they do know that ESPN's MNF(which broke cable ratings last season) is debuting in a few weeks??

Maybe they're confused and are hoping Eric Bischoff will come on at 8:57 to announce the MNF result.

[Perfection 0]

I know the internet is full of subtleties, but... you don't like Lashley much, do you?

 

I mean, it's hard to tell.

 

lol..I don't hate him but he just bores me to death from a wrestling and a character standpoint.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

USA Network is crazy.. they do know that ESPN's MNF(which broke cable ratings last season) is debuting in a few weeks??

Maybe they're confused and are hoping Eric Bischoff will come on at 8:57 to announce the MNF result.

 

lol I liked it

[mysterious_w 0]

I'm watching a RAW from almost exactly 9 years ago, with HBK doing colour commentary. When asked by JR when he would be returning to the ring, he said that was for the man upstairs to decide. Does anyone know when HBK converted to Christianity, because I thought it was after this.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Maybes he meant Vince? I'm not sure - I do remember the Raw after RR where he cried in the ring and said goodbye to the fans, that was nice.

[Hawk 34 0]

Here is a good gauge of how important the ECW title is for WWE, the ECW title is actually used as storyline set up in OVW. Granted, it's to promote the amusement park show and though Nitro and Punk are local, it remains to be said. It'd seem to be a better idea to have the CW title visit OVW, since it should fit in more.

 

Meanwhile, OVW has slowly gotten decent again after the huge fall it took when Heyman left.

[The Niggardly King 0]

You know, I've enjoyed ECW now that they're building the shows based around the championship.

[Mecca 0]

Nick Sinn or The Original Sinn has been given a WWE development deal, he has been working in OVW for quite awhile.

[cd213 0]

Does anyone know when Heyman's contract is up? It would be interesting to see him go over to TNA once his contract is over and help them out with their problems, especially if RVD comes to TNA as well.

[The Buzz 0]

I think the word was that Heyman had a year or two left on his contract, and was going to focus on getting some deals in Hollywood going for scripts he had written. I also heard he wasn't really into writing wrestling and only had a passing interest in starting an MMA fed. So unless all of that was bullshit I think we've seen the last of Heyman in creative.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

Would anyone here go see a movie just because Paul Heyman wrote it?

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

I'd be curious enough to give it some serious consideration... but then I'd just download it (allegedly)

[Atticus Chaos 0]

At a time when Hollywood is full of sequels, remakes and comic adaptions, Heyman could probably come up with something mildly original.

[Guest Toddiwod]

So Triple H is probably going to come back at SummerSlam. At least, that's the impression that I get. My question is, to everyone, because I'm really curious what everyone's guess would be. But, do you think he'll come back as a heel or a face? I could personally see either one.

 

I've heard so many rumors (and they very well may just be that, rumors), but that Triple H wants to finish out his career as a face. But I have to admit on a personal level, I think another full-blown heel run would be more entertaining.

 

Also, does anyone think DX is done for good this time?

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Surely HHH will be face by proxy for the first few shows - just like he was when he first came back. People are so happy to see him again they cheer.

[RedJed 0]

He will be a face for awhile, I think. But rest assured, much like Flair, he will go back and forth on roles for a long time before he retires.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

 

Apparantly, Batista is looking to get into the music scene now.