WWE General Discussion - October 2008

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

So to help JR deal with Kane backstage, Steve Austin goes....out to the ring?

 

Watching a few of the Austin/Kane videos just confused the fuck out of me... I really don't remember any of that shit. I can remember the awesome times of Maven as a heel or battling Evolution.

 

Cool to see the Stunner no sold... Once Austin was making his comeback I was wondering how this didn't hurt Kane's unstoppable monster heel turn right out of the gates.

 

I think during that time, Austin couldn't strike other wrestlers unless he was struck 1st. There was some rule made about that or some shit.

[Enigma 0]

-- Disproving the theory that there is an embargo against mentioning Randy Savage in anything WWE related, Savage turning on Hogan is #3 in WWE.Com's "Hardest Hitting Betrayals".

 

-- PWInsider is reporting that a live report sent in claims signs saying "I Miss Benoit...RIP", "I am CM Punk's Drug Dealer" & "4Skin" were confiscated by security in Tacoma, WA for Raw.

 

-- The Ultimate Warrior's ex-wife, Shari Tyree, has written a memoir entitled "Behind the Paint: My Life with Wrestling's Ultimate Warrior". She is pitching it in an effort to get it published. The book was co-written by Steve Anderson, who worked with Bobby Heenan on his autobiographies. This is the pitch for the book:

 

For the very first time, the wife of a professional wrestling star speaks out. Shari Tyree was married for ten years to Jim Hellwig, known as the Ultimate Warrior, and saw him through his meteoric rise, and bizarre fall from the pinnacle of WWE.

 

Warrior packed the aisles, and was a merchandising boom to pro wrestling. Fans, known as 'Little Warriors' screamed and cheered, and then were left baffled by his abrupt disappearance at the height of his success. Only Shari Tyree knows the stunning truth behind the Warrior's face paint. Hellwig was a man possessed by demons, abusing steroids to achieve his massive, muscular frame, and then pain medications and anti-anxiety drugs to quell his fears, who had led a secretive double life that filled his marriage with turmoil and doubts about his fidelity, and even his sexuality. The avowed anti-homosexual avenger and anti-drug advocate battled with his own duality, and became the engine of his own destruction.

 

Behind the Paint chronicles Helwig's early career as a bodybuilder, and his stunning rise in pro wrestling, the excesses of success beyond imagination, his battles with Vince McMahon and the private life no fan could have guessed at.

 

Hellwig continues to be a media personality, even outside the wrestling ring, making frequent personal appearances to espouse his anti-gay, anti-drug ideals.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

-- Disproving the theory that there is an embargo against mentioning Randy Savage in anything WWE related, Savage turning on Hogan is #3 in WWE.Com's "Hardest Hitting Betrayals".

 

And Savage is also featured in the IC Title DVD.

[Chazz 0]

So to help JR deal with Kane backstage, Steve Austin goes....out to the ring?

 

Watching a few of the Austin/Kane videos just confused the fuck out of me... I really don't remember any of that shit. I can remember the awesome times of Maven as a heel or battling Evolution.

 

Cool to see the Stunner no sold... Once Austin was making his comeback I was wondering how this didn't hurt Kane's unstoppable monster heel turn right out of the gates.

 

I think during that time, Austin couldn't strike other wrestlers unless he was struck 1st. There was some rule made about that or some shit.

 

 

That and the fact that J.R. and Kane were "live from WWE Studios" while Austin was at whatever arena Raw was in that week.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Here's something I wanted to get people's opinion on.

 

Does anyone here besides me think that Jericho's hairdo kinda contradicts his serious persona that he has?

 

I mean, I could understand that if he was still acting Y2Jish or such...but now it kinda seems...off.

 

Maybe I just don't understand cause I'm bald, I dunno.

[Steviekick 0]

I think it works, he kind of looks like that hipster dickhead with the cool job and lots of money that everyone hates.

[zappafrank 0]

So it appears that in order to vote for Cyber Sunday, you have to text your choices. You can't vote online anymore.

 

That's *really* lame. I was all prepared to vote for the epic showdown b/w Santino and The Honky Tonky Man.

[cabbageboy 0]

I know they probably want HTM to win that poll but does anyone in their right mind think fans would ever vote for Honky over Piper? The people left that do remember him hated his guts in the 80s. I think WWE will eventually do that match, but fans won't vote to see it.

[zappafrank 0]

Does anyone know what (if any) Vince's beef with JJ Dillon is? I know that Dillon was present for Flair's send-off, and he was featured prominently in the Horsemen DVD, but according to a friend of mine, JJ is one of only a few people with whom Jakks (or whoever is doing the figures) is strictly forbidden doing business. You can sign either a Legends deal with WWE and get a figure (good money but certain appearance are required, I think), or you can work out your own deal with Jakks outside of WWE (this is why someone like Bruno has a figure, even though he has nothing to do with WWE). However, there are a few select people - like Dillon, Savage, and I think Warrior - that are forbidden by WWE's contract with Jakks from doing business with Jakks.

 

I've heard the rumors about the booking of Summer 96 having to be changed since Dillon jumped to WCW after working in the offices at WWF, and people like Foley don't have kind words for Dillon, but I've never heard anything bad about him, really. Does anyone know?

[Steviekick 0]

Does anyone know what (if any) Vince's beef with JJ Dillon is? I know that Dillon was present for Flair's send-off, and he was featured prominently in the Horsemen DVD, but according to a friend of mine, JJ is one of only a few people with whom Jakks (or whoever is doing the figures) is strictly forbidden doing business. You can sign either a Legends deal with WWE and get a figure (good money but certain appearance are required, I think), or you can work out your own deal with Jakks outside of WWE (this is why someone like Bruno has a figure, even though he has nothing to do with WWE). However, there are a few select people - like Dillon, Savage, and I think Warrior - that are forbidden by WWE's contract with Jakks from doing business with Jakks.

 

I've heard the rumors about the booking of Summer 96 having to be changed since Dillon jumped to WCW after working in the offices at WWF, and people like Foley don't have kind words for Dillon, but I've never heard anything bad about him, really. Does anyone know?

 

Where did you hear about this? I thought they've just passed on Dillon because he's not as marketable a figure.

[zappafrank 0]

Where did you hear about this? I thought they've just passed on Dillon because he's not as marketable a figure.

 

 

Why wouldn't he be marketable? They have all the Horsemen, and there are die-hard collectors who will buy anything. Hell, Lillian Garcia has a figure!

[alfdogg 0]

FWIW, Charlie Haas wrestled the dark match at RAW dressed as Roddy Piper, according to cawthon's site.

[Steviekick 0]

Where did you hear about this? I thought they've just passed on Dillon because he's not as marketable a figure.

 

 

Why wouldn't he be marketable? They have all the Horsemen, and there are die-hard collectors who will buy anything. Hell, Lillian Garcia has a figure!

 

I know what you mean, but with someone like Windham they can make multiple figures. I'd imagine they would only put out one as a single, maybe a second as a manager in a two pack. That said, I would still want one. Maybe Dillon just won't sign off on it?

[zappafrank 0]

Where did you hear about this? I thought they've just passed on Dillon because he's not as marketable a figure.

 

 

Why wouldn't he be marketable? They have all the Horsemen, and there are die-hard collectors who will buy anything. Hell, Lillian Garcia has a figure!

 

I know what you mean, but with someone like Windham they can make multiple figures. I'd imagine they would only put out one as a single, maybe a second as a manager in a two pack. That said, I would still want one. Maybe Dillon just won't sign off on it?

 

I was going to use Jimmy Hart as an example of a manager, but he can have different figs, can't he? One for Hulkamania Jimmy and one for Dungeon of Doom Jimmy. Are there any single manager figs? Harvey Whippleman, maybe? Heenan? Slick?

 

The reason I've noticed is b/c my friend has a really nice display of the '87/88 Horsemen (Flair in a suit, Windham, Arn, Tully), and it seems weird without Dillon.

[Steviekick 0]

It's a valid question. The only single managers that they have made are Jimmy Hart and Paul Bearer, but I'm assuming that is because the classics line is fairly WWE centric.

[Enigma 0]

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Dillion was on the Raw after WM24, saying goodbye to Ric Flair.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I was checking out Google Trends this morning and Nancy Benoit was the 6th hottest search of the day. Weird.

[zappafrank 0]

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Dillion was on the Raw after WM24, saying goodbye to Ric Flair.

 

Well, like I said, the info came from a friend of mine who is extremely knowledgeable about the figure aspect of wrestling, and he said that Jakks can't cut a deal with JJ. It's not that they just haven't gotten around to it, legally they're not allowed to if they want the WWE license. And he acknowledged that it makes no sense given Dillon's recent involvement with Flair-related activities.

[Jericholic82 0]

The latest WWE Mag (OCT 08) has part 2 of a piece on FCW, in it they talk about several of their top prospects, even some who have since debuted on WWE, like Jake Hager (Jack Swagger), Jay Bradley (the jobberrific Ryan Braddock), and Afa Jr. (Manu). So not only are they showing real names since gimmicked, but they also talk about the Bella Twins. OOPS.

I know it's not a big secret, but they haven't admitted it on tv yet. Odd, but I suppose they wrote this months back. And the first part of the piece was in the Sept issue, which came out before Brie even debuted.

I know that was lame, but at least relevant to the thread topic.

[Boxer 0]

D'lo Brown. Do they have any plans with him?

 

Seems he's just there, but no specific plan for him.

 

Send him to Smackdown or ECW if the Raw roster is too packed.

[Joseph2112 0]

I was checking out Google Trends this morning and Nancy Benoit was the 6th hottest search of the day. Weird.

 

I would say it is because of this.

 

Nancy Benoit lawsuit story

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

From the Thursday F4Wonline/WO daily update:

 

Kelly Kelly said that she will not be posing in Playboy

 

Swerve?

[stringerbell 0]

Jim Ross new blog entry

 

On today's wrestlers' priorities: Listening to some young wrestlers talk amongst themselves recently, I was shocked to hear of the variety of subject matters they so "profoundly" discussed. IPods, IPhones, "I" period but nothing about wrestling, counters, submissions, paying their taxes, saving their money, hiring a financial planner, preparing for their future....you get the picture. It is easy for many of today's wrestlers to bitch and moan about their position in their chosen profession or lack thereof and provide an overall woe is me version of their lives to whomever will listen but change for the better, or worse, starts with looking in the mirror. I walked away from this inadvertent eavesdropping shaking my head but thinking that young wrestlers are no different than young stockbrokers (bad analogy), young professionals, etc. All company's can do a better job in putting the right tools in the hands of their people but only the people themselves can make the tools work for them. Broke and seemingly helpless wrestlers from any era can largely blame themselves for not having the common sense or discipline to prepare for their futures.

[Enigma 0]

Ross prefaced that blog with "and random thoughts that hopefully won't get me fired".

[Boxer 0]

From the Thursday F4Wonline/WO daily update:

 

Kelly Kelly said that she will not be posing in Playboy

 

Swerve?

 

 

I wanted the Extreme Expose in the magazine last year and that didn't happen.

 

Don't say no again Kelly.

[TheFranchise 0]

I love Kelly.

[The Truthiness 0]

It’s been years since WWE was involved in a real promotional war. In the U.S., they’ve been the dominant promotion and TNA never really offered up much of a challenge.

 

In North America, there hasn’t been a well-known alternative since 2001 and real competition probably since WCW destroyed itself in 1999. WWE has never taken the tact that they are in competition with overseas promotions, even in Japan.

 

However, new WWE Mexico president Bosco Attolini Pesqueira said this past week that they are looking at signing many of the biggest names in Mexico. He noted the company now has its own offices in Mexico and its television on Televisa and TV Azteca gives them equal, if not better exposure, than both AAA and CMLL. He noted the new TV deals with make WWE bigger and they are looking to entice talent to sign.

 

The first signing is Dos Caras Jr., who has been in talks with the company for months and had been close to signing a few months back before temporarily not going.

 

Caras Jr. said he ended up leaving on bad terms with CMLL, although when he said it he still had a few bookings left with his last night apparently being 10/10 at Arena Mexico, and in the main event, no less. Caras Jr. holds the CMLL world heavyweight title and even though it has been known for months that he may be leaving, they never set up a program for him to drop the title, and now he’s leaving without having lost.

 

He said one of the reasons he left is that CMLL never cared if he left or not and that after WWE made him his offer, they never came to him to try and convince him to stay. He said the only reason he’s worked there since is because he’s a professional and honored his contract until it expired. He said he thinks CMLL is in bad shape, citing unhappy wrestlers and lower attendance. He said he will vacate the title and said that CMLL thought he would take the title belt to WWE. But WWE isn’t going to recognize the title of a different organization they don’t have a working relationship with, so if anyone at CMLL really thought he’d show up wearing the belt, they don’t really understand how WWE does its business.

 

In Mexico, everyone knows this is the biggest story to hit Mexican wrestling since the business started coming back strong four years ago. And like in the U.S., how it plays out over the long run will determine the future of Lucha Libre.

 

WON...

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

So they couldn't leave well enough alone with destroying wrestling in the United States. Now they want to ruin Mexico, too?

[The Truthiness 0]

Sorry about that.

 

 

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

C/Ping the entire WON is not allowed. Check with Venk before you do it again.