WWE General Discussion - February 2008

[goldengreek 0]

ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THAT RANDY ORTON LOOKS TO HAVE LOST NEARLY 20 POUNDS OF MUSCLE LATELY ?

[JaMarcus Russell's #1 Caucasian Fan 0]

NO I DIDN"T REALLY NOTICE. ITS NICE OF YOU TO POINT THAT OUT. THANKS.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

LOUD NOISES

[Enigma 0]

The Rock already said he'd never, ever work with Shawn Michaels. He's never wrestling another match again, but if he did, Shawn Michaels would be nowhere on the list.

[Scroby 0]

LOUD NOISES

translation: CAPS LOCK!

[Guest cheetoe]

The Rock already said he'd never, ever work with Shawn Michaels. He's never wrestling another match again, but if he did, Shawn Michaels would be nowhere on the list.

 

 

I recall the first Smackdown I ever saw ( it may have been the first Smackdown ) Michaels was the special ref in a HHH vs Rock match? I think? My memory is clouded by the many drugs i've done over the years , ( clean and sober now ) but if it serves me correctly, Michaels superkicked Rocky and HHH won the match.

 

I remember seeing something about Michaels trying to get Brett Hart to squash Rock when he was an rising star or something like that? I assume that's the reason why he wouldn't want to work with him?

 

 

 

[Enigma 0]

The Rock already said he'd never, ever work with Shawn Michaels. He's never wrestling another match again, but if he did, Shawn Michaels would be nowhere on the list.

 

 

I recall the first Smackdown I ever saw ( it may have been the first Smackdown ) Michaels was the special ref in a HHH vs Rock match? I think? My memory is clouded by the many drugs i've done over the years , ( clean and sober now ) but if it serves me correctly, Michaels superkicked Rocky and HHH won the match.

 

I remember seeing something about Michaels trying to get Brett Hart to squash Rock when he was an rising star or something like that? I assume that's the reason why he wouldn't want to work with him?

 

 

 

Yeah. Bret even talks about it in his book. At the beginning of Bret's heel run, Bret and Rocky were working together on a house show. HHH and HBK tried to convince Bret that Rocky was a talentless punk that was only getting pushed because of his father and grandfather. They told Bret to sandbag him, squash him, and all-around just make him look bad. In defiance, Hart gave Rocky a competitive 15-20 minute match and let Rocky have a lot of the offense. Rock got wind of the story, most likely from Bret, and has carried it with him. This is why Rock says he'll never work a match with Michaels.

[mfn 0]

The Rock already said he'd never, ever work with Shawn Michaels. He's never wrestling another match again, but if he did, Shawn Michaels would be nowhere on the list.

 

 

I recall the first Smackdown I ever saw ( it may have been the first Smackdown ) Michaels was the special ref in a HHH vs Rock match? I think? My memory is clouded by the many drugs i've done over the years , ( clean and sober now ) but if it serves me correctly, Michaels superkicked Rocky and HHH won the match.

 

I remember seeing something about Michaels trying to get Brett Hart to squash Rock when he was an rising star or something like that? I assume that's the reason why he wouldn't want to work with him?

 

 

 

Yeah. Bret even talks about it in his book. At the beginning of Bret's heel run, Bret and Rocky were working together on a house show. HHH and HBK tried to convince Bret that Rocky was a talentless punk that was only getting pushed because of his father and grandfather. They told Bret to sandbag him, squash him, and all-around just make him look bad. In defiance, Hart gave Rocky a competitive 15-20 minute match and let Rocky have a lot of the offense. Rock got wind of the story, most likely from Bret, and has carried it with him. This is why Rock says he'll never work a match with Michaels.

 

As much as I love HBK's in ring work, I don't think he has ever been near the entertainer that The Rock was.

 

[Guest cheetoe]

Wow. So in a way, HHH and HBK ended up almost costing the WWE millions ( and Millions!! ) of dollars by trying to sabotage Rocks career. Simply because they were jealous? I can't even imagine what wrestling would have been like during that period without him. I know that HBK has since ( suposedly ) had a change of heart as far as backstage politics, but HHH still seems to be more interested in costing the company money and future stars. Had they succeeded in burying The Rock, HHH would have lost a major rival over a good portion of his career thru the late 90's and early 00's... and cost the company alot of buyrates, and PPV payoffs for himself.

 

Insane.

 

God, now i'm really starting to worry about Marvins multiple HHH pedigrees Hardy predictions.

[mfn 0]

oh and i still think Paul Heyman was the greatest thing to happen to wrestling in the 90s.

[Mike wanna be 0]

Thing is, they knew the spot could and would be filled by someone else. The main event spots are numbered, and they always have the same amount. If making somebody with a lot of talent/charisma look like shit means a worker that's less talented and less charismatic than you gets into the main event instead, thereby giving you tons of chances to get victories over them as a result of that lack of talent/charisma, then that's what many wrestlers will do.

[The Niggardly King 0]

The Rock already said he'd never, ever work with Shawn Michaels. He's never wrestling another match again, but if he did, Shawn Michaels would be nowhere on the list.

 

Besides, I'd rather see him work the programs he's most interested in, with Cena and Rey.

[Black Lushus 0]

Yet he'd work numerous matches with Triple H?

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

The Rock already said he'd never, ever work with Shawn Michaels. He's never wrestling another match again, but if he did, Shawn Michaels would be nowhere on the list.

 

 

I recall the first Smackdown I ever saw ( it may have been the first Smackdown ) Michaels was the special ref in a HHH vs Rock match? I think? My memory is clouded by the many drugs i've done over the years , ( clean and sober now ) but if it serves me correctly, Michaels superkicked Rocky and HHH won the match.

 

I remember seeing something about Michaels trying to get Brett Hart to squash Rock when he was an rising star or something like that? I assume that's the reason why he wouldn't want to work with him?

 

 

 

Yeah. Bret even talks about it in his book. At the beginning of Bret's heel run, Bret and Rocky were working together on a house show. HHH and HBK tried to convince Bret that Rocky was a talentless punk that was only getting pushed because of his father and grandfather. They told Bret to sandbag him, squash him, and all-around just make him look bad. In defiance, Hart gave Rocky a competitive 15-20 minute match and let Rocky have a lot of the offense. Rock got wind of the story, most likely from Bret, and has carried it with him. This is why Rock says he'll never work a match with Michaels.

 

Was it a house show or the match on Raw where Hart got DQd for putting Rocky in the ring post figure four? I thought it was the TV one.

[haws bah gawd 0]

Yet he'd work numerous matches with Triple H?

 

All in the name of making $$$. Though it does seem like quite the double-standard. Maybe he was just trying to score points with upper-management at the time by having some quality matches with the boss's daughter's boyfriend?

[Guest Shylock]

Yet he'd work numerous matches with Triple H?

What's your point? It seems that Michaels is the main person he has a beef with, since he was the main one lobbying for Hunter to get the push over Rock. Michaels is the only one that would benefit from a feud/match with Rock. And after Shawn's behavior with the whole Hogan thing I doubt Rock would want to set himself up for something like that.

[Black Lushus 0]

What benefit would Michaels get out of it? He got no benefit out of the Hogan feud, a feud he lost to a barely even part-time performer.

 

The WWE would benefit financially, Michaels doesn't need any rub a match with the Rock would give.

[JPopStarKami 0]

Wow. So in a way, HHH and HBK ended up almost costing the WWE millions ( and Millions!! ) of dollars by trying to sabotage Rocks career. Simply because they were jealous? I can't even imagine what wrestling would have been like during that period without him. I know that HBK has since ( suposedly ) had a change of heart as far as backstage politics, but HHH still seems to be more interested in costing the company money and future stars. Had they succeeded in burying The Rock, HHH would have lost a major rival over a good portion of his career thru the late 90's and early 00's... and cost the company alot of buyrates, and PPV payoffs for himself.

 

Insane.

 

God, now i'm really starting to worry about Marvins multiple HHH pedigrees Hardy predictions.

 

I dunno where you heard that, but if HHH was gonna bury him, he wouldn't have put him over at Armageddon.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

The Rock HAD to work with HHH back then as a contracted worker. He doesn't have to work with HBK now as a special guest. There's a difference.

[Black Lushus 0]

I think we all know by now the most over wrestlers in the company don't always HAVE to do anything.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Rock was always put over as a professional as an active wrestler. Yes he "had" to, in relative terms of who he was and how unselfish he was. If you want a better example of the Rock's dislike for HHH now, just look at how nervous Rock gets about putting people over only to have HHH squash that momentum.

[Black Lushus 0]

Right, I know Rock's not the type of person to NOT do the job when it made sense, but I would imagine he had more than enough clout to pull a few "I'm not feeling its" if he really wanted to.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Rock was always put over as a professional as an active wrestler. Yes he "had" to, in relative terms of who he was and how unselfish he was. If you want a better example of the Rock's dislike for HHH now, just look at how nervous Rock gets about putting people over only to have HHH squash that momentum.

 

Yeah, like that mysterious Booker T match that got canceled... that they hyped like crazy right before his title shot against HHH at Mania.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

I wish peope would get off HHH's back when he put over your boy Jeff Hardy a month ago completely clean and was the biggest factor in Batista not being the equivalent of A-Train and in John Cena being the biggest star this decade.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

I wish peope would get off HHH's back when he put over your boy Jeff Hardy a month ago completely clean

That victory was presented as a fluke. And directly after the match HHH was even LAUGHING about it to show it didn't matter to him, which made Jeff look even more weak.

 

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I wish peope would get off HHH's back when he put over your boy Jeff Hardy a month ago completely clean

That victory was presented as a fluke. And directly after the match HHH was even LAUGHING about it to show it didn't matter to him, which made Jeff look even more weak.

Add to that HHH not even talking about it the next night on Raw. I don't think Jeff even mentioned it, either. I know Jeff was being pushed towards Orton, but if it was that big of a deal, why wasn't Hunter talking about or at least acting like he was upset over losing to Hardy? If HHH didn't think losing to Jeff was a big deal, why should we?

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

Add to that he only put over Hardy because he was pissed at the Jericho rehiring and instant top guy push and had said that Jeff Hardy is better to push than rehiring Jericho. Basically Hardy's current push is an FU to Jericho and those who wanted him back so desperately. Jericho's return was lacklustre and he's currently in a midcard nothing feud with JBL.

[Silence 0]

Add to that he only put over Hardy because he was pissed at the Jericho rehiring and instant top guy push and had said that Jeff Hardy is better to push than rehiring Jericho. Basically Hardy's current push is an FU to Jericho and those who wanted him back so desperately. Jericho's return was lacklustre and he's currently in a midcard nothing feud with JBL.

 

Any chance that Jericho's next feud with either be "soiling" William Regal's tea again or spilling coffee on someone else besides Kane?

[Mecca 0]

Source: PWInsider.com

 

Add former ROH star Ace Steele to the list of those fired from WWE's developmental territory today.

 

WWE has released the following developmental wrestlers:

 

- George "G-Rilla" Murdoch

- Antoni Polaski a.k.a. "ECW Original" Amish Roadkill

- "Badseed" Shawn Osborne (Shawn McGrath)

- Robert Anthony

- Cassidy Riley

- Ace Steele

 

So that's 2 more....bye Ace.

 

 

There is a ton of fear amongst WWE developmental talents that there will be more releases today. Everyone knew that releases were coming because it is that time of year and WWE had everyone film a video, giving their background and how long that they have been in the system. No one in the system believes that yesterday was it for the cuts.

 

This is also a little late given Lashley has been released now but I figure it's worth the post..

 

Bobby Lashley has been sent a release by WWE but has yet to sign it. A number of people are still expecting him to wind up back with WWE due to the lengthy non-compete clause that would come into effect. WWE is also hopeful of negotiating another release clause that would prevent him from discussing his departure in public or disparaging the company. John Laurinaitis has been getting some heat over the Lashley situation, which comes after many other top wrestlers have left the company in a negative manner, with many people noting that Jim Ross never had such problems when he was managing talent relations. Michael Hayes' name has also been mentioned as a major factor in Lashley's unhappiness, which is perhaps in relation to supposed 'racial overtones' of the planned angle for Lashley's girlfriend, Kristal Marshall, which would have seen her and Edge become an on-screen couple. Whilst numerous people doubt it would have been an issue, there are still a number of old-school people with old-fashioned opinions about 'mixed race' couples and the way they are portrayed. Lashley was also feeling the fatigue of the busy travel schedule, to the extent that he was becoming a difficult person for public relations to handle. He was also unhappy about his WrestleMania 23 pay-off of $250,000, feeling that as the winner of the biggest-drawing match in WrestleMania history he was entitled to more. According to Dave Meltzer, Lashley earned around $1,000,000 in 2007 alone even without selling a lot of merchandise. Additionally, Lashley was good friends with Booker T, who of course became so frustrated with WWE for various reasons, some of which also reportedly involve Michael Hayes, that he quit last summer.

 

 

wrestling observer newsletter

 

Lashley sounds like a real mature guy...

[Papacita 0]

On the Rock/HBK/HHH situation, Rock had much more to gain from fighting HHH in 98-00 than he does fighting HBK now. Professionalism aside, considering how over DX was in 98, he'd have been stupid to pass on a feud with HHH over petty differences. Plus once he became the face of the company in 2000, he needed strong opposition to keep people interested, and he didn't have whole lot else to choose from; HHH was far and away the best option for him. Right now, Rock's secure enough in his career and status that there's no benefit to coming back just to face Michaels. It's probably not even the most marketable match they could offer and it's not like Shawn's got so much of a future that he's worth giving a rub to, so what's the point in doing it?