The Swanton825

Personally, I think try to compete with WWE is a no-win situation. Either you fail due to WWE's deep rooted foundation, or you win and now you become the standard-bearer of pro wrestling in the US and eventually stagnate and decline just like WWE is doing now. The better choice would be to strive to be an alternative, not a competitor to them. Using a fast food example, Popeyes, despite offering a similar menu, is not a direct competitor to KFC, as both give focus to different things, KFC builds around their secret recipe and Popeyes focuses on spicy Cajun foods. While this still puts them in slight competition with each other (as there's always overlap), there's no war over the exact same audience and usually winds up making both companies strive to be better. If NJPW tried to expand into the US, I think their best bet would be to focus on how much more grounded Puro is compared to Sports Entertainment and try to get a highlight show on a sports network. Which would allow them to not only tap into the pool of people sick of WWE and TNA, but also potentially MMA fans as well.

Correction, they're petty and stupid because Vince won't let them be anything else.

I remember something like that on one of the Smackdown vs. Raw games. I think it was 2006.

You're right, I guess I just got blinded by his two total wins as champion against criticized choices for contenders and the fact that he won the title from a man in his mid-forties. When you put it in perspective like that, even a non-MMA fan like me can realize his mistakes. I hope you can forgive me one day.

I think Lesnar was a crap mixed martial artist as well. TBH, I don't get this obsession some wrestlers have about "proving" themselves in MMA. You're a stuntman/crappy actor. Why are you trying to prove you're a fighter? The inverse thought applies to MMA guys too, see Shamrock, Ken (and he actually learned how to wrestle first).

Because that worked so well for him before...

And as a Nigel fanboy, I not only urge you to watch this masterpiece, but also to support his LA Fights Kickstarter if you can.

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="djthefunkchris" data-cite="djthefunkchris" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>The one thing I took from the Steve Austin Podcast with McMahon was his feelings on the belt. My take from that was that the belts weren't important, that it's the story that is important. He even went so far as to say the story was more important than the wrestling.<p> </p><p> Now, while I agree on the surface, I totally disagree with the lack of importance to both the belts and the in ring work. To me, the belts should always be the main stories, and the wrestling should be a part of the story, in the ring. If that's what he meant it was totally lost in translation, at least to me. </p><p> </p><p> I brought this up because of crownsy's comment, and also to let Swanton know that none of my posts were directed at him personally, and actually understand the points made by him and others. I just wanted to throw in the obvious flip side of the coin.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'm of the opinion that the entire purpose of stories are to give fantastic ring work meaning. I think it should be approached similarly to Dragon Ball (just without as much stalling) in that you tease the fight for long enough that the audience is chomping at the bit to see it and then you give them an awesome payoff. Sure, you aren't <em>required</em> to put on good matches, you already have their money at that point after all, but if you want to keep them watching for much longer, the fight they're paying for has to deliver.</p><p> </p><p> Also, to your point about cheap heat, I'm not much of a fan of that either, but it's mostly used by heels to warm up the crowd before hitting them with the good stuff. Kind of like how a comedian starts with a consistent joke before pulling out the riskier material. It bugs me more that Lana can do an entire promo built on cheap heat in the fake as hell accent and the crowd actually buys into it. It amazes me how easy it is to get heat with WWE crowds just by insulting America in any way. And how morons will chant "USA! USA!" even in a Rusev match where he's fighting someone who isn't American either. It makes me wonder why any heel even puts any effort in when all they have to do is say "America sucks!".</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Timber" data-cite="Timber" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="28397" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Steam, tell me of this ancient way to get games. I have literately no experience on it. How much of a system hog is it, is it worth getting? I really have no clue about it. Any info would be helpful.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> If you have a halfway decent gaming PC, it shouldn't be a hog at all. It's essentially just a browser/game launcher. You buy games from the store, they are then put into your library to be downloaded whenever you want. I've been a Steam user since Half-Life 2 came out and it has definitely matured into a great digital gaming platform. Community's about 75% poison though. Then again, it is a gaming community, so that's about 20% less poison than most.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="djthefunkchris" data-cite="djthefunkchris" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>For people to post things like "Remind me why he is a bad guy again?" is seriously bonkers, and completely ignoring the story lines that are actually working.<p> </p><p> IF the WWE can get a guy that never cheats, always wins legitimately, yet the whole crowd boos him... and that's how they want it, well, they are doing something really good.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> No, it just means that Americans are the same xenophobic shitheads that they've been all my life, it reminds me why I'm ashamed to be American, and it proves Vince's belief that the fans are idiots who will buy into anything he does.</p><p> </p><p> EDIT: BTW, it's Rusev, with an E.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="RKOwnage" data-cite="RKOwnage" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Bleh. It's a shame. I hope they turn them heel. They can even keep the same gimmick.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> If they do that, then they should ally with Bo Dallas and become the Bo Day. Of course, that would be entertaining, so that won't happen.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="The Final Countdown" data-cite="The Final Countdown" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I just turned on Raw. Is Jimmy Jacobs dancing with a bunny right now? Am I actually seeing this? Is this real life?</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I do believe so. Shame this is the furthest we'll ever see the Zombie Princess make it in a major company.</p>

Jaysin to the rescue! <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

So when are they just going to put "future endeavored soon" on the New Day's outfits?

By mods I assume you mean saves where players made WWE, WCW, ECW, etc. guys and rings. You can get those pretty much anywhere, I used GameFaqs for instance, though I have no clue if you can even transfer PS2 saves onto the PS3.

It is...there's no word to describe it. Schmooblydong? That's not it, but it's close. But yes, I would say it's quite a good deal.

It works until they talk. They have (well, had) a good look, an awesome entrance and, IMO, work good brawling matches. Like it has been said before in this thread, what they really needed was a manager or some other kind of mouthpiece. If nothing else, they could have had a decent WCW!KroniK-like run. EDIT: BTW, can someone explain how Rusev is a heel anymore? He's prideful about Russia, yes, but he doesn't cheat, Lana doesn't involve herself in the matches and his whole intent is just to win the match to prove that his country produces better wrestlers. Switch the Russian flag for an American one and you have your standard "mom and apple pie" babyface. Add to that Swagger's desire to snap Rusev's ankle, with the heel commentator cheering for such an act and I just can't understand what I'm expected to think of Rusev.

He's right everyone. Pack up shop, a third-tier December PPV was the decider, we're done with all of pro wrestling for the rest of our lives. If you need me, I'll be trying out the Brony camp.

What a waste of three hours. I could have been earning Steam trading cards or playing Dragon Age or working on my novel. Ziggler and Harper was the only really good match, I also learned that TLC matches don't work well for brawlers.

Well, they may have a bright future as Chikara's Campeonatos de Parejas. Or more likely "Oh my God, Taz! What are the Descension doing on Impact, live on Destination America, brought to you by Bellator MMA somehow?"

You're giving Vince too much credit. This is the guy who had never head of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in 2005.

Oh come on! I said they reminded, reminded me of the Road Warriors, not that I wanted them to be the Road Warriors!

It's not what it has, it's what "Creative" thinks it needs to have. And that is cross-market appeal. It's why they've tried to win over the UFC crowd before and it's why we get asinine celebrity guests, WWE seems convinced that in order to be successful, wrestling fans must only be part of the crowd. And the people who could have a say in such things are too scared (for good reason) that Vince will fire them for disagreeing with him to say a thing.

Of course it won't actually happen. But it's not like anything interesting (barring a death) is going to happen anytime soon in wrestling.

Wouldn't it be awesome if one of these times Hunter snaps like Punk did and just walks out and takes half of NXT to make his own company?