Truly

In what ways if any does having promotions under your control via Developmental conflict with having them a part of a user-created Alliance? Is there any conflict in gameplay at all? I'm trying to set a game world up to my liking with the backstory being that my character after 15+ years in the business had finally built their company up to a respectable product capable of being a solid alternative to the WWE. Wanting to ensure that the future of pro-wrestling remains strong however the owner secures the purchases of several wrestling companies and has them all operate under their own alliance banner similar to the NWA, while giving each child-company a slot on the parent-company's wrestling network to ensure they receive adequate exposure.

Can't seem to find the answer in any of the past TEW help guides, but what's the order of worker relationships from most positive to most negative? I would assume Married/Loyalty are tied for top-most positive and Hatred/Family Feud being tied for top-most negative, but what about in between? Can't tell if Best Friend really outweighs Strong Friendship in the game.

I swear it seems I'm the only promotion out of my alliance that makes use of the Alliance Titles. I have the frequency on each title set to Often yet I'm three months into playing and no other member of the alliance has bother to book the alliance champions except me. Is this normal??

A question from someone who has never played as WWE before in RW mods: wouldn't the WWE Network conflict with other broadcasters? Like say I have Monday Night Raw airing on USA Network, TEW 10 and TEW13 wouldn't have allowed another broadcaster like the WWE Network for the fact that they both air in a similiar region.

I forget, does it incur any expense if you own a developmental company? Not including any developmental workers I send down myself, what are the expenses if any of owning a developmental?

I felt the main thing that held the film back was it's length. If it were given maybe an additional 30-45 minutes of runtime I feel that would've been enough to fully flesh out the plot and its character development to a satisfactory level. I'm sure Disney wasn't discouraged that much by the first film though, as it did manage to make gross over its production budget by a $100 million (total global gross of $335,154,643, reported budget was in the range of $150-$200 million). I think the fact that it hadn't made up for the gross domestically in the States was a bit disappointing to them, but surely they still see the international potential in such a potential franchise.

<p>A hell of a great article from TNAsylum, worth the long read.</p><p> </p><p> <a href="http://www.tnasylum.com/2014/05/we-are-all-wrestlings-biggest-enemy.html" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tnasylum.com/2014/05/we-are-all-wrestlings-biggest-enemy.html</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="TNAsylum" data-cite="TNAsylum" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Saturday, May 24, 2014<p> <strong>We Are All Wrestling's Biggest Enemy</strong></p><p> </p><p> By Mortimer Plumtree</p><p> </p><p> "Are people serious with these comments?" </p><p> </p><p> "I'm afraid so." </p><p> </p><p> "And you wonder why wrestling is looked at the way it is"</p><p> </p><p> This was the mini conversation a good friend and I had via text messaging after he read some of the Facebook comments under TNA Wrestling's post of the new faction of MVP, Kenny King, and Bobby Lashley. This friend, a wrestling fan of the 80's and 90's who occasionally watches pro wrestling today here and there, was actually intrigued by the group. He's usually indifferent to all products. A blossomed fruit of wrestling's past fandom, he'll get hooked in for periods and to any company if things are interesting enough, but doesn't share the overwhelming passion that most of us on this site do.</p><p> </p><p> "Maybe this faction is a good thing. Maybe it does draw in casual fans", I thought to myself. After all, he tuned in on a random Thursday night with most network television wrapping up or done for the season, and had legit interest in returning for next week. He seemed excited bout the product. This had to be a positive, right? </p><p> </p><p> "No offense bro, but hardcore wrestling fans are the worst type of fans"</p><p> </p><p> "Non taken" </p><p> </p><p> Ouch. I love being a pro wrestling fan. It's who I am. "Non taken?!" Of course I take offense to that! He doesn't get it. We're the most passionate fanbase there is.</p><p> </p><p> Then it hit me. He's absolutely right. 100% right. Damn, he's completely correct! Only in pro wrestling do fans watch a program with such judgement and cynicism. Only in pro wrestling do we intentionally look for plot holes, logical gaps, and seek explanation of reoccurring or similar story lines. Only in pro wrestling are we so locked into comparing everything to another product, brand, or time period. Only pro wrestling fans volunteer - willingly - and gladly give negative feedback to deter others on products and brands they have no interest in. </p><p> </p><p> We tear down our love too much. We tear our own genre down too often. We keep others away from this passion which we all love so much because of our silliness and overbearing and outrageous passion. </p><p> </p><p> After all, no fan of "24" watches and says, "They did this last year". No fan of (fill in your favorite band or artist here) willingly makes an attempt to launch an all out assault on other forms of music - they simply don't listen to it and ignore it (Huh, imagine that?). No fan of films and movies complain that Movie A is a blatant rip off of Movie B, even when said movie is a remake. No fan of a TV show dissects the entire product or its overarching story line by each specific show. No fan of a sports team finds it to be an issue when their team goes with younger talent for the future. </p><p> </p><p> Look, I get pro wrestling is the happy medium among all of those outlets mentioned above. I really do. In my opinion, it's what makes it enjoyable. But why are we, a group of fans already behind the eight ball in terms of ostracism and stereotypes by mainstream entities and society, furthering that by hurting the growth of what we love so much?</p><p> </p><p> From the ridiculous comments left on fanpages to the thinking we've developed, it seems that we as an overall fanbase are terrible in sharing, attracting others, and promoting this love. Regardless, if it is the "IWC" or whatever, whomever, those comments wholly represents us all as wrestling fans. Even MMA fans, who share a similarity in the aspect that their niche genre has multiple companies - large, small, independents, and international - do not reach to the depths of negativity as we, wrestling fans do. And just look how their sport has evolved and flourished because of that support, especially among casual fans. </p><p> </p><p> I fully expect many to disagree with this, or even find this piece to be that of myself getting up on a soap box right now, but bear with me and further assess afterwards. </p><p> </p><p> Somewhere along the way, when we all learned about the insider terms and all of the secrets that were protected in pro wrestling, we narrowed our thinking, shrunk our imagination, and developed this weird fixation of thinking from the other end of the entertainment vacuum. I know what you're thinking, blame the writers, bookers, creative, etc. for pro wrestling's recent position, right? While a valid argument can be made for that, as a fanbase, we've become conditioned to using that excuse to complain or gripe about, well, everything. We've become conditioned about pro wrestling negativity and what we expect from it because of this reverse thinking. </p><p> </p><p> We consistently ask said companies to innovate and create, yet, we seem to complain about little things that rub against the traditional ways in which wrestling is presented. Again, being honest, it drives me nuts when others claim what a "heel ought to do", or a "face should do", or "how a current feud should play out", or even why a gimmick match HAS to be the last match in a feud? By staying along these lines, aren't we staying in line with the norm, thus promoting the norm and eliminating the chance to be different? Aren't we asking for essentially the opposite of what we're begging for as a fan base?</p><p> </p><p> This of course crosses over into our latest phenomenon of comparing everything. Everything is copying everything. Rather than focus on the uniqueness that makes each faction, each storyline, each wrestler, and each product different, we seek what looks, feels, or might be a stretch (or a huuuuuuge stretch) in being similar. "They're copying..." is often heard and read these days in reviews, point of views, and comment sections. Again, such reasoning leaves little doubt to why when we see three wrestlers who happen to be black form a group, our narrow mindedness and conditioning immediately hearkens to the last time black wrestlers grouped together in pro wrestling. Of course, "they're copying...".</p><p> </p><p> Furthering my point, is our need to over think, over-analyze, and dissect this love of ours. Again, maybe I'm different or just out of the loop from many, but I watch pro wrestling for the complete opposite of serious logic. I look to be entertained. I enjoy the wackiness once in a while just as much as the seriousness it provides. I want to suspend my disbelief for a few hours and let my imagination roam that a wrestler can invade another person's home, or that he or she can be punched repeatedly in the head for a ten minute match, or that these folks only settle their differences every Thursday night at 9pm on Spike TV. Sure, like many of you debate frequently, I want things to at least be coherent and somewhat make sense in the mix, but I'm not looking for a Schindler's List or a Shawshank Redemption experience from pro wrestling. After all, using that thinking, no one should ever believe an Irish whip is a useful tactic to defend themselves in a fight or contest. </p><p> </p><p> We've seen child custody battles in pro wrestling. Men thrown in jail for the night for losing a match. Girlfriends put on the line in a match. C'mon, there are proverbial "wrestling weddings"! And numerous other silly things that make pro wrestling, pro wrestling. </p><p> </p><p> This all lends to the "booking" sinkhole we all fall into. Again, someone needs to clearly define "good booking" because everyone, every single one of us, touts their mighty fists in the air proclaiming this golden diatribe against wrestling today with no - none whatsoever - substance at all. </p><p> </p><p> But again, we're so conditioned in what "should be". We're conditioned at this point to a certain mode of thinking. And, again being honest, there are some who are so deep in this line of thinking that they enjoy complaining about pro wrestling moreso than, well, pro wrestling! The classic goalpost movers. I truly believe that. You know who they are. We all do. They're very easy to spot.</p><p> </p><p> Others simply head into any wrestling program with this negative and often cold mindset that prevents them from truly enjoying the product, or at the very least, part of the product. </p><p> </p><p> It's time for us to look in the mirror. It's really time for us to figure out what we're truly arguing, bickering, and complaining about in pro wrestling. Why do we attack the very genre we love. Why do we attack the companies within it? Heck, why do we attack one another?! Really, what is our cause in all of this? What are our reasons? What defines our issues with pro wrestling? The time is now to understand the damage we do to our fanhood, the industry, and to those who ay want to join in on the awesomeness that is pro wrestling which we all already can be offered. Let's find a solution to the real problems that irks us all and cease our continued and pointless attack on the very thing we all claim to love. </p><p> </p><p> "I think that's drastic. Hardcore wrestling fans are passionate"</p><p> </p><p> "Are you kidding me? They are the only fanbase that consistently promotes and tear down their interest on their own. One minute, something is awesome, the next they are complaining about out what should've happened instead" </p><p> </p><p> "ahhh, true" </p><p> </p><p> True indeed. He's right...again.</p><p> </p><p> After all, as I learned from stepping back from it all for a different perspective, we are indeed the worst thing going in pro wrestling. Again, we consistently complain for change, yet criticize when companies deviate from the norm. We watch programs awaiting for the first moment of disgust so we can gripe about it. And we can't seem to get out of our own way in comparing everything, thus devaluing what a company is attempting to create - for us to enjoy - in the process. </p><p> </p><p> We are worse than any terrible gimmick, story line, or company you can imagine. We are worse than Shockmaster's debut, than Vince Russo's perceived reputation, than a Punjabi prison match, than Robocop's debut, than the Aces and Eights, or anything else we can complain about. </p><p> </p><p> It's often said, we, the fans, are wrestling's lifeblood. </p><p> </p><p> Yet, what we've become is also, the pro wrestling industry's biggest enemy. </p><p> </p><p> How scary is that?</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Random Rhetoric</strong></p><p> </p><p> Anyone else find it insanely hilarious how many assume TNA was going for an all-black faction gimmick just because all three men are of color? </p><p> </p><p> With that logic, is the Managerie an all-white faction gimmick? And with that said, how ridiculous is our logic? </p><p> </p><p> Speaking of logic, I'm no ROH hater,I actually enjoy it, but what's the deal with ROH fans throwing stones at TNA lately? </p><p> </p><p> I thought everyone says TNA should worry about themselves and not WWE. Shouldn't this logic apply to ROH in pursuit of #2, TNA? </p><p> </p><p> Okay, enough with the logic stuff...</p><p> </p><p> Isn't heel MVP so much better? </p><p> </p><p> And hasn't he been tremendous since coming to TNA? </p><p> </p><p> How great is Kenny King's latest deal as a loose cannon? </p><p> </p><p> And with the talk of Money, Power, Respect, wouldn't it be great if TNA somehow got the licensing rights for their theme song to be that of "Money, Power, Respect" by The Lox? </p><p> </p><p> How about TNA squeezing, twisting, crushing, and wringing the sponge that is now Frankie Kazarian before he heads to ROH? </p><p> </p><p> Anyone else ready and excited for a Wolves vs. King/Lashley match? </p><p> </p><p> How great was Austin Aries' return? </p><p> </p><p> Alot of wrestler perform the spear maneuver, but isn't Lashley's one of the best since, well, possibly Goldberg? </p><p> </p><p> Doesn't Bram pull off the whole "crazy" thing without having to shout, act weird, or be over the top, really well? </p><p> </p><p> How AWESOME was that Eddie Edwards/Kenny King fight? </p><p> </p><p> Don't you love how everyone seriously just wants to kick everyone else's ass right now in TNA? </p><p> </p><p> Well, except for Gunner and Shaw. Are you perplexed by this as well?</p><p> </p><p> Maybe it was a mistake or a run-of-the-mill comment by Taz, but isn't "big ass elbow" a pretty funny and catchy name for his elbow drop finisher, which probably is the best in wrestling right now? </p><p> </p><p> How dominant does Lashley look after tonight's show? </p><p> </p><p> And finally...</p><p> </p><p> Wasn't there a great deal of energy in tonight's show that really had a "next level" vibe to it? </p><p> </p><p> As always, your comments and appreciation is well appreciated. Feel free to follow me over at </p><div class="ipsEmbeddedOther"> <iframe data-embedid="c61cee8b92ee5e8ea0c1a467f0a89374" allowfullscreen="" data-embed-src="<___base_url___>/index.php?app=core&module=system&controller=embed&url=http://www.twitter.com/domepondering"></iframe> </div> to discuss wrestling or just about anything else.</div></blockquote>

Starting to watch the anime "Attack On Titan" after hearing about it for the past year. Never read the manga so I was completely unprepared for what I was getting myself into... HOLY S**T. I'm usually numb to any violence, blood and gore of any sort from movies and tv shows; be it animated or live-action, it rarely EVER fazes me. After watching Attack On Titan however I'm just so unsettled though... I gotta keep watching though, this anime has received critical praise for a reason after all. The storyline and the atmosphere just captures you! An excellent mix of what 18th century gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe defined as horror versus terror: "one is physical, making you want to look away, and the other is intellectual, making you want to know what's going to happen next."

<p> </p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QIdl7_a3_q4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business Trailer"></iframe></div></div><p> </p><p> I've got to be honest, can't recall the last comic/graphic novel I picked up and read but this one has really piqued up my interest. It'd be great if they brought this to the live action big screen in a future Amazing Spider-Man sequel; Peter Parker having an older sister with government connections and what-not certainly seems pretty cool.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsJygxDnlEo" rel="external nofollow">#IMPACT365 Rockstar Spud Bickers with a Little Kid</a></p><p> </p><p> I'm finally seeing what it is about Spud that so many people love about him. The guy is gold! Like someone else said, give this guy a faction where he can be their mouthpiece.</p>

I'm confused, a few months prior would mean before, this documentary shows footage of the Montreal Screwjob and the aftermath however. Even shows some footage backstage where Bret's wife confronts HHH to see if he was in on it the shortly after it had happened. Near the end of the vid at the 1:32:20 mark it says "Bret now works for Ted Turner's WCW", so that seems to clarify he was in WCW at the time of documentary's release. Maybe there was something in his contract we were not aware of between Bret and the WWE that allowed the footage to be released despite his departure. Nonetheless, still the best wrestling doc I've watched by far, I can't think of any others where the wrestler allowed you to get such a deep and personal look into his/her life.

<p>Hands down this has to be the best wrestling doc I've seen so far. Was this really released during Bret's time in WCW? I find it hard to believe, considering all of the WWF/E footage, it shouldn't have seen the light of day if Vince had a say in it.</p><p> </p><p> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQm5dhyPKv4" rel="external nofollow">"Hitman Hart Wrestling With Shadows</a></p>

A couple of notable full-length matches that have been added for viewing on TNA's Official Youtube channel: Sacrifice 2005: Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles in the 2005 Super X Cup final Sacrifice 2006: Christian Cage vs. Abyss for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Full Metal Mayhem Match Watching Styles and Joe, I don't understand why TNA didn't give the ball more often than they had to the both of them. :/

<p>Cool find I stumbled upon; I sincerely thought The Rock had no territorial experience whatsoever before joining the WWE in 1996. Can anyone tell me what year this was? :/ I have a hunch it happened in the same year he debuted but who knows how long he sported that haircut. <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="150" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Y0SEitEkK98?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="The Rock's first TV pro wrestling match"></iframe></div></div>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="24Wrestling.com" data-cite="24Wrestling.com" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div> At Thursday’s WWE investor conference call, Vince McMahon made his first public comments about CM Punk’s status with the company, noting that Punk is on sabbatical.<p> </p><p> According to sources in WWE, the general feeling backstage that Vince McMahon will eventually be able to talk CM Punk into returning.</p><p> </p><p> While it’s unlikely that Punk will be back on television by the March 3rd episode of WWE RAW from Chicago, it’s very possible that Punk will attend the show and meet with Vince.</p><p> </p><p> - Rener Gracie posted the following photo on Instagram of himself and CM Punk hanging out after last night’s UFC 170 pay-per-view from Las Vegas:</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://distilleryimage7.ak.instagram.com/3408cb289c5811e38a3712f5df62fd43_8.jpg</span></p><p> </p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> Ahhh, that smile is great to see. <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> The ball is obviously in his court, Phil will let Vince know when the Second City Saint is ready to return or not and I think McMahon actually respects that despite how close WM is. J.R noted how Punk contrasted with the docile and non-competitive current-day WWE locker room and how he would have fit in perfectly with guys during the late '90s and early '00s with their driven and bold attitudes. McMahon and Punk haven’t always got on. Even last year Punk and Vince had a clash over the way the Taker feud was handled. Yet Vince has always liked this passion; much like Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin would just directly speak to Vince and make demands, Punk is much the same, and Vince respects that. Only Punk and Cena really have this relationship with Vince and ability to talk to him on a level. It's common knowledge now that when Punk first came in he wasn’t much liked at all, but from pretty early on he built up a relationship with Vince where he wasn’t fazed to speak to the boss and be honest. While at first this may have caused friction, in the long run it has opened up a level of communication and ease that has served Punk well. In 2013 CM Punk and Vince McMahon were on the same wave length, atleast for the most part, and this hopefully means an inevitable and exciting WM30 CM Punk return.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was asked about the status of CM Punk during the WWE quarterly earnings call today with investors. Vince said, <strong>"He's on a sabbatical. Let me just put it that way."</strong><p> </p><p> So basically, no new info. Thanks for the enlightenment Vinnie Mac.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> <img alt="1897965_659302160774903_2146228680_n.jpg" data-src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1897965_659302160774903_2146228680_n.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><p> Surprised we even got that much from Vince's mouth at all to be honest. <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> Wish we could get a glimpse inside the man's head, know what his views are on the situation.</p>

Can't lie, I'm really intrigued by this new persona Jeff Hardy is playing. Booked creatively, Willow can make for some interesting tv.

Plus I think being burnt out and keeping to one's self kind of go hand in had, no matter how vocal you are. Punk needs as much as an effective LOA from anything wrestling related to be able to recharge and rekindle his old passionate self. Being away from social media would certainly help.

<p>Very good read:</p><p> </p><p> Jim Ross Speaks On Recent Events In His Career, CM Punk’s WWE Departure, Current WWE Locker Room</p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Newsweek" data-cite="Newsweek" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Jim Ross' boyhood heroes were fellow Oklahomans Will Rogers and Mickey Mantle. The irony in idolizing a playwright and a sports icon, then earning legendary status in the profession that combines both -- pro wrestling -- is hard to ignore.<p> </p><p> But there's a different throughline that Ross observes.</p><p> </p><p> "Both those men, in their books and their comments and when they were interviewed, that'll tell you how big a thrill it was to do their profession in New York City," Ross said of Mantle's reign in centerfield at Yankee Stadium and Rogers' works dotting the Great White Way. "So I couldn't think of a better place to start for an Okie who's had a long journey from his farm to New York City."</p><p> </p><p> WWE Hall of Fame announcer Ross is speaking of "Ringside: An Evening With Jim Ross," a one-man spoken-word tour that kicks off with a pair of performances at Manhattan's Gramercy Theatre on March 1 before hitting other parts of the country.</p><p> Ross is juggling his stage work with a weekly Podcast One project launching soon, and he just signed with FoxSports.com for a regular column opining on wrestling and likely his other loves, mixed martial arts and football.</p><p> </p><p> He says the Fox Sports deal could expand into other projects, but until then, he'll have more than enough to do by blogging about the squared circle, gridiron and octagon.</p><p> "For somebody that was supposed to slow down, I haven't got that slow-down gear in me, I don't think," Ross said.</p><p> He's speaking of his "retiring" from WWE, an announcement suddenly posted on WWE.com last Sept. 11. It's a subject that will undoubtedly spur many queries during the "no holds barred" Q&A session of his "Ringside" tour.</p><p> </p><p> Ross has already started to open up more about the circumstances that led to his departure from WWE. They center around his appearance at a "30 Years of WrestleMania" symposium last Aug. 17, the day before the SummerSlam pay-per-view. The event was intended to promote the "WWE 2K14" video game.</p><p> As Ross explains it, "The wheels came off a wagon I didn't build."</p><p> </p><p> A panel moderated by Ross veered from the symposium subject on several occasions, often initiated by "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.</p><p> "I knew that when it was over, a lot of the top WWE officials were very anxious to get Ric Flair out of the facility," Ross recalls. "So I knew there was some concern there, but I didn't know that the concern involved me. A story started out of misinformation that I had been drinking with Flair all day. And the issue was that if they [WWE officials] had checked their schedule, I had been booked all day with WWE activities and SummerSlam that had nothing to do with Ric Flair."</p><p> </p><p> Flair and Ross were briefly in a ring together hours before the symposium during a public Fan Axxess event. Ross was co-hosting when Flair hit the ring to confront Damien Sandow as part of the show.</p><p> </p><p> Ross said 2K Sports, not WWE, produced the event and hired him to moderate.</p><p> </p><p> "I knew before we started, we didn't have any script, we had no prompter, we didn't have a producer in my ear," Ross said. "And we had a panelist that was obviously impaired that should not have been on the panel. So you know that things have a chance, now, to not be the smoothest rides one has been on."</p><p> Publicists for Flair and the WWE have yet to respond to emails seeking comment.</p><p> </p><p> Flair told "Stone Cold" Steve Austin the next day as part of Austin's podcast that officials with the video game company were happy with the event and that he was "dumbfounded" by WWE's displeasure.</p><p> </p><p> Flair has since returned to the company's good graces, starring on an "Old School" episode of "Monday Night Raw" and having his surprise appearance at a San Francisco 49ers team meeting the night before their playoff game against the Green Bay Packers heavily promoted on WWE.com.</p><p> </p><p> As for Ross, he admits that the situation involving "a handful of misguided, misinformed WWE people" kept him from possibly going out on a more poignant note, like calling one last WrestleMania match. But he added that the freedom couldn't have come at a better time and that the circumstances even provided a necessary nudge.</p><p> </p><p> "My job was to keep the rudder in the water," Ross said. "I didn't do that. And so, the decision was made that we part ways. And to be honest with you, and this is not looking back, or trying to cover somebody's tracks, or cover my own [behind], I was really looking for an opportunity to move on. I wanted to get into the podcast business, I wanted to get into one-man show stuff . . . I wanted to look at other opportunities, like this Fox Sports thing that I'm doing now. And I knew I couldn't do those things while I was under contract to the WWE. But to be honest, to be totally frank with you, I had such a loyalty to that company, and I still do, that after 20 years I didn't know how I was going to say goodbye."</p><p> </p><p> The whole SummerSlam saga highlights the juxtaposition of today's more corporately tinged WWE, which is trying to capture the same success as the late-1990s Attitude Era minus the very irreverence that made it such a juggernaut. The recent real-life departure of disgruntled free spirit CM Punk is unfortunate, said Ross, considering he's what the company needs.</p><p> </p><p> "This whole locker room has a different feel to it, and a different -- they're not as edgy as the Attitude Era locker room," said Ross, also the former vice president of talent relations for WWE. "They're not as competitive. I don't know that they're as hungry. But now, CM Punk is different. [Compared with] today's corporate wrestler, CM Punk is a little bit of a rogue. And I don't mean that in a negative way.</p><p> </p><p> "Over the last two of three years, he's been my favorite WWE performer to watch in the ring, without question. He would've been a huge star in the Attitude Era, without question. Here's the deal: He's a very cerebral guy, who has an old-school spirit, that really cares about every aspect of the business. I think that he needed time off, ample time off, to recharge his batteries. I think he has, for lack of a better term, a major case of burnout. And I think the problem should have been recognized and addressed much earlier than letting it get to a head and him being so frustrated and such a sense of hopelessness that he decided to go home. Walking away from a problem is never a solution. Never. Solve the problem."</p><p> </p><p> Ross says Punk may benefit by taking a "season" off to enjoy his native Chicago sports teams and mend his body and mind. If afterward he can't find common ground with WWE, he may not face the same dearth of alternatives other grapplers have faced.</p><p> </p><p> "At some point, he is going to want to get back into a game. Where that game is, I don't know," said Ross. "Who's gonna be playing in that game, good question. But I would be surprised to see him wrestle anywhere other than WWE on any ongoing basis. But I can certainly see him, if somebody had a new promotion, and they wanted someone with a bright mind and a fresh mind, who understood the product and who could communicate well, which he can do, he might be a great fit in a new promotion: upper management, creative, working with talent. He may be perfect for that.</p><p> </p><p> Then the famous broadcaster offered the ultimate job reference.</p><p> "Let me tell you what I think he would be perfect at. I think if he doesn't come back to WWE, which I do hope happens, I think he would be an amazing MMA broadcaster," said Ross of Punk.</p><p> </p><p> Punk has trained in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and even was promoted by Rener Gracie in an interview with FoxSports.com last week as having the potential for an in-cage MMA career.</p><p> "He's glib, he's intelligent, he's well-spoken, he understands infinitely the product, and he knows how to entertain," Ross said of Punk. "He has everything that an MMA company would desire. And I think he would just be phenomenal."</p><p> </p><p> Ross seems content in putting over Punk for a broadcast gig, comfortable in where his own future lies. After all, for "Good ol' J.R.," being able to adapt to new challenges has been not only helpful, but essential.</p><p> </p><p> And it has given him confidence that he'll have more than enough unique stories to satisfy the crowd on March 1.</p><p> "I've done everything," Ross said of a career that started in the 1970s with Mid-South Wrestling. "I've been ring crew, I've been driver for a blind promoter, I've been a valet, I've been a referee, I've been a ring announcer, I've been a corporate officer, play-by-play man, blah, blah, blah. No one has been on my journey."</p></div></blockquote>

<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>Did Austin <em>ever</em> beat Bret? If he did, I don't remember. Not like it mattered, because losing that I Quit match the way he did did more for him than winning it possibly could have.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Wikipedia" data-cite="Wikipedia" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Austin eventually got his revenge on Hart in the main event of In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker, in a match to determine the number-one contender to The Undertaker's WWF Championship. Austin won when Hart was disqualified due to assistance from The British Bulldog, earning him a title match against The Undertaker at In Your House 15: A Cold Day In Hell. Austin faced Hart once again in a street fight on the April 21 episode of Raw, injuring his opponent's leg with a steel chair during the bout. The match was ultimately awarded to Austin when Hart refused to tap out of the Sharpshooter. He proceeded to beat Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> By the way, Austin lost the title match against Taker via interference from Pillman. The way they developed Stone Cold's character, carefully booking when he would go over someone or not, really maximized the effect of his climb to the top in my opinion. Would he have had the same impact if he was just hotshotted to the top? I honestly don't think so. The way WWE is handling the Bryan situation is the right way to go about it if history has a say in it.</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>Someone posted a while ago here, that they heard WWE plans things out to at least six months away. You just described them doing a one year plan for Bret, around what... almost 20 years ago? <p> </p><p> This is why I 'try' not to get upset with stuff in the here and now. The WWE has been known to think long term since back in the 80's, and although plans get changed on the fly, a show here and there gets re-wrote, the over all long term plans are still in motion. I say 'try', because I'm not always as patient as I'd like to think I am.</p><p> </p><p> I don't take any of the "WWE is doomed/They are burying Daniel Bryan" stuff seriously at all. He gets more average screen time then any two other stars, which is the opposite of burying. Spoilers said they had big long term plans for him a few months back, Long term isn't a few months. Spoilers also read that they felt they could elevate his popularity by having him have to chase the title. It's definitely worked so far. He is going to be even more popular then he is already, by the time this is through.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> You're absolutely right. If history is anything to go by, take Austin as another example. Even with his meteoric rise following the genesis of the 3:16, it took nearly, what, a year and a half from his KOTR victory before he won the big one against HBK at WM14. During that Austin feuded with Bret for nearly a year, not scoring a victory over Hart until after their WM13 match.A tag title, ic title run, and a Bret Hart departure later, it's apparent that Austin was on the cusp of officially being "The Man". A long development but it was needed.</p>

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">LONG WINDED RAMBLE ALERT</span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> I recently gave WWE 2k14 a try after seeing that it was available for rent through Redbox. I dabbled in a few areas of the game but the main feature that held my attention was 30 Years of Wrestlemania mode and I was pleasantly surprised by how it had drawn me in. WM9's ending however caught me completely off-guard.</p><p> </p><p> I'm not nearly one to claim to be a true pro wrestling historian, the first match that Shelton Benjamin and Triple H had together back in '04 was what really sparked me into becoming an actual fan. As I got older and more appreciative of the form of entertainment, I looked for older videos that gave me an idea of how the Monday Night Wars were, what made ECW the revolutionary underground phenomena it was, and just how big of an impact WWF's Attitude Era had on the boom in the late '90s.</p><p> </p><p> I never looked back further than that however. Not to discount or disrespect the legendary greats, but I just never saw a reason or had an urge to look further back than the '90s as I thought it could get no better than that. Boy was I impressed. As I started playing the 30 years of Wrestlemania Mode what immediately hit me as I started out in the period of Hulkamania were simply the characters and their larger than life, over the top personas that just screamed "unforgettable".I can't lie and say I had seen a lot of Macho Man Randy Savage videos prior to playing the game; in all honesty more than 75% of my knowledge of him I had learned was from this game itself via the cutscenes and the promo vignettes (the promo they show Savage delivering prior to his match with Hogan in WM5 was masterful).</p><p> </p><p> Fast-forward, I really balked at how the ending of WM9 turned out (my WM knowledge is kind of foggy before WMXII), I was shocked to see Hart lose the title to Yokozuna only for Hogan to immediately be challenged by Mr. Fuji and the outcome being Hogan's the new champion afterwards! I was thinking to myself, "Wow, Hogan's ego had to be out of this world for management to make that happen", but eventually from a business perspective and after some online research I could see how it made sense. With the company in a transition stage, management knew Hulk Hogan was on his way out and the WWE was left without a legitimate top guy. Bret Hart may have been the champion going into Mania 9 but he won the title at a house show and hadn't defended the title against any big names. He was the world champion but not really an established top guy that the WWE could ride with.</p><p> </p><p> The only way that a new set of main eventers could be established would be for Hogan to help create them because at the time he was the only guy in the company capable of doing that. Yokozuna was establishing himself as a dominant heel but defeating a 1 time World Champion who held the title for 6 months with no major defenses wasn't going to make him the unbeatable monster that the company wanted him to be. Bret Hart had the potential to be a top guy but he needed to defeat someone that would get him over as a legitimate top guy.</p><p> </p><p> Cue the Mania 9 ending. Yokozuna with a little help from Mr Fuji defeats Bret Hart for the title. Hulk Hogan comes to check on Bret and the cocky champion's manager issues a challenge to the Hulkster for an impromptu title match. A very tired and worn down Yoko is then caught off guard early and Hogan comes away with a quick victory. This did not bury Yoko. He had just been through a grueling match and then the greatest champion in WWE history came out fresh and got a quick, kind of fluke victory over him. This also allowed the fans to go home happy which up until the Attitude Era was the case at every single Wrestlemania. It wasn't until Mania 16 that a heel would be victorious to close Wrestlemania.</p><p> </p><p> A couple moths later in a one on one match with both men fresh Yokozuna defeated Hulk Hogan. He kicked out of a leg drop and got the victory in a one on one match up against the greatest WWE superstar of all time. Hogan left the WWE after this and Yokozuna basically became the guy who ended Hulkamania. If that isn't getting someone over as a top, domiannt heel then I don't know what is. Just beating Bret at Mania would not have had nearly the same effect.</p><p> </p><p> This not only helped Yoko but also Bret Hart. As the story goes, Hogan did not want to lose the title to Bret because he didn't want to be pinned cleanly by another face. The only other way to get Bret over as a top guy would be to have him pin a seemingly unpinnable superstar. At Wrestlemania 10 Bret did just that. Yokozuna had been WWE Champion for nearly a year, he was known as the guy who ended Hulkamania, and he had never been pinned before. Bret pinning him in the main event at Mania was the big win he needed to truly establish himself as "the man."</p><p> </p><p> I know this was a lot of rambling but basically what I'm getting at is that while the Mania 9 ending may have seemed awful it really wasn't that bad and it did exactly what it was supposed to do in the long run. If the ending doesn't happen that way then the fans go home pissed, Yoko doesn't become as dominant as a heel because he may not have ended Hulkamania a few months later, and Bret isn't able to get that huge victory to truly establish himself at the top.</p>

<p>God, has anyone seen that promo Ziggler delivered that was featured on the WWE App?</p><p> </p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOxFGrnZ4Dc" rel="external nofollow">Dolph Ziggler's Best WWE Promo. (2014)</a></p><p> </p><p> Had no idea Ziggler could cut a promo like this. He broke kayfabe a bit but the passion and emotion he exuded still blew me away! Why don't they allow everyone to perform interview segments this way; mostly everyone typically come off as robotic and abit too tamed at times nowadays.</p>

I seriously hope for the love of god that this is indeed a work, he may not be the biggest draw for mainstream or casual fans but for hardcore wrestling fans CM Punk was a fresh breath of alternative air to be had during this era. Really hope we're just being played here. <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/frown.png.e6b571745a30fe6a6f2e918994141a47.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Watching those matches only furthers my curiosity of the international scene; this KENTA guy is great! Non-thread-related question: if I were to start watching a wrestling product outside of the States and outside of Mexico where should I start?