Slim Jim

Anyone else think Vince McMahon wouldn't give a flying flip about "higher-ups"? In relation to him, they aren't higher-ups, they're lower-downs.

Pretty sure it's only going to be a sort of training thread for rookie posters to get some experience, so chances are he'll appear sparingly if at all. Aaaaanyway, since we're on the topic of internet-based wrestling shenanigans, has anyone been keeping up with Matt Hardy's recent craziness? Seems like a tie-in with the McIntyre feud from what I've seen, though it is all kind of hinty-hinty that he's on the brink of leaving. And what really caught my attention was a freaky, whacked out video he did where he seemed like he'd been at Jeff's stash and was repeatedly thanking his fans for their support.

Undertaker gets the occasional "Un-der ta-ker" chants. Had absolutely no bearing on his success either way, of course, but his name is chantable and he has had it chanted. Think Hennig having a chantable name or not really isn't going to have any impact at all on his success. Hell, Hennig doesn't even come off as easily as a chant as other two syllable names like Ce-na and Or-ton, at least not to me.

The "running the ropes" and SES talk leads me quite nicely to something I was pondering the other day while watching Smackdown... does anyone else think Luke Gallows moves weirdly? It isn't just the way he hits the ropes either, his general movement just seems odd. I used to think it was part of the Festus gimmick, and thought it was impressive that he'd managed to encorporate that into the gimmick but since he's been "saved" by Punk, he still moves that way... with the conclusion being he does just move in a manner unlike any other wrestler ever. Anyone else notice that or am I the crazy one?

http://fast1.onesite.com/fans.wwe.com/user/universeliveblogs/647208c60afd4ce3984db7ddd5cd04e7.jpg Classy. Actually been focusing on getting grades for Uni, and only coming online when I'm procrastinating... like now, when I should be doing coursework. And to keep it on topic, the wait between getting offers in January and starting University in October, while having to finish pointless qualifications in the meantime, grinds my gears.

I was busy sponsoring Wrestlemania.

http://www.stablesbar.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/red-neck.jpg http://levgartman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/redneck.jpg

Big Show is great for a guy his size. Bits the heck out of Khali or Giant Gonzalez, or other freakishly big attractions like Yokozuna from way back when. There was a time when Show could perform a moonsault, or so I've heard through wrestling folklore Being massive/impressive looking makes it much, much easier to get over initially. Staying over long term isn't that much easier though. Once someone overcomes an unstoppable force, that aura often fades. Khali, Umaga, Goldberg even. That's why I think it's worth putting the effort into getting someone like Daniel Bryan over, because he has the in ring talent to sustain the highest level without some sort of weird mystique, unlike Khali, who faded pretty spectacularly once he'd been beaten a couple of times because people realised 1) he's beatable and 2) he's pretty damn poor.

Tony Schiavone. Mankind. Butts in seats.

Almost no one does, though. So you challenge that assumption through good booking. They could quite comfortably make Bryan out to be the next Angle/Benoit that has such incredible technical prowess, he can take down guys bigger than him. Extending that to the biggest on the roster would be more difficult but still doable. Just don't book him the way they booked Mysterio's title reign and make him look like a chump. I'm bigger than most of UFC's middleweights and lower by a head or more, and I don't for a second believe I'd stand a chance against them unless they weren't paying attention and I caught them with a very, very luck shot. With something made of metal. Eh, point taken, but if Mysterio can get enough momentum to have at least one title reign, Bryan definitely can. Just needs to find the right death to exploit... Copy and paste that onto Bryan and run with it. He debuted at the end of the summer in '99, won a few IC titles, won the WCW World Title about two years later, before becoming the first Undisputed Champion. That was with The Rock, Austin, Mankind, Undertaker, a good Kane, Triple H, Kurt Angle and Big Show all already on the roster when he joined. That's very quick for ANY new guy to win the title. DDP was very close to Bischoff, and Booker T was in the right place at the right time (and a year after Jericho had left anyway). Goldberg was just a freak that fitted the mold perfectly for a role WCW wanted to push. But yeah, I don't think anyone is saying Bryan will DEFINITELY be a star, or that he is the most likely person to be a star, or that wrestling on the whole doesn't prefer bigger, badder looking guys. But to dismiss him because he isn't over six foot is silly. He can be a star, with the right treatment and a bit of luck. Especially with the state of wrestling now having a very negative view on steroids. Right now, it's probably easier than ever for a smaller guy to get over in the 'E because they are stopping guys juicing. Just listen out for the weights of the wrestlers and compare them to five years ago. Guys are dropping tens of pounds off their billing. Even if he's a perennial Main Eventer that helps the latest monster heel get over, he can work a pretty solid cycle of chasing the big bad monster, making him look incredible, overcoming him with his talent to get a short title run, rinse and repeat. Would get stale for most viewers but is definitely something I could see the 'E doing, hell it's a pretty stock story anyway. Don't know why I'm getting so involved; I'm not even that big a fan of Daniel Bryan

Given that the argument was whether or not he could be a star/Main Eventer/etc., yeah, they do help that argument. They weren't that big, yet were still credible champions, and Eddie and Benoit shared one of the best Wrestlemania moments ever to boot. Might not be believable as a champion in a lot of people's eyes but he is very over and has been even moreso. He pulls in some of the highest merchandise sales on the roster. So again, a smaller guy being a proper star. Benoit didn't really have a character beyond being incredible in the ring. And it usually takes a while for someone to settle into a gimmick/character that fits. You can look at pretty much anyone of any size, and they'll have gone through a few tries that didn't work to greater or lesser degree before striking something. IF he finds that character that just clicks, he has the in-ring skill to back it up. He's billed at 6'1. He doesn't look much over 6'0, if he even is, and he's an example of someone that definitely doesn't have "the look", in terms of the stereotypical WWE Main Eventer. And sure, ask Jericho, the six time World Champion. He was made to be a big deal in WWF right from the start. Alright, he slipped down for a little while because they only had one title and a shedload of established stars that had to be kept happy, but it only took a couple of years to beat the two biggest names in the company in one night. Not having success in WCW was not because of his size; it's because of who he was, or more accurately who he wasn't. I didn't say WWE don't prefer bigger guys. Of course they do, that's plain to see. But you don't HAVE to be over 6'0, or built like a Greek god to ascend to the top of the card there. And when Jericho wrestled Bryan on NXT, he was barely two inches taller despite wearing huge lifts in his boots. Give Bryan those some lifts, he'd be at least as tall. 1) Definitely not a smark. I can't sit through an ROH show. I need the WWE storyline factor, and if I'm rewatching a show on youtube, I often fast forward the matches. I'm also a huge sucker for production values 2) If WWE want to make him a star, they can make him a star, provided there are no horrific botches along the road. He isn't the complete package, 100% guaranteed to be a star, but he's got in ring skill in abundance and good enough everything else to be at the top of the card. Is he going to step up and fill the gap left by HBK? Almost certainly not. Doesn't mean he won't end up as a World Champ.

Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk... the size point is just silly. With Angle and HBK, who Remi just mentioned, you have a list of guys with a huge range of styles that aren't much bigger (if not smaller) than Bryan, who have all been WWE champions in the last decade. They can change his look if they feel they need to (new hairstyle, or attire, or whatever) but the point remains, if they want to, they can make him a viable championship contender. Sure, he might not be a Hogan, Austin or Cena that they can build the company on but that doesn't mean he can't be a legitimate Main Eventer.

From her twitter: "Alright guys let's talk. I did not ask for my release. I was released." She goes on to say more stuff after that like she wish she'd held the title, and it sucks to miss going to Mania then thanks fans/friends/etc. and says she's going to focus on singing, dancing and whatnot. It does seem an odd release, though. I mean... Maria before the Bella twins? Or Savannah? Or... quite a few of the other divas...

In addition to this, which channel is TNA currently aired on?

And on top of that, their biggest star is going around saying Smackdown near enough every time he has a mic in his hand. So you have Rock saying Smackdown, a show called Smackdown, a game called Smackdown... that isn't lazy or coincedental; it's building a brand. It would have been silly to not use an established name for their video games. The show not so much but it was certainly easier to use something that was already established within WWE/F.

Recent Raw house show in New York drew 9000 fans. NY is a pretty easy area for WWE to draw a crowd, and they still didn't get the 10000 you claim TNA can get with the right advertising. (by the by, on the same night TNA drew 900 fans in Montreal) Suggesting that TNA could get 10000 fans to a house show, when WWE don't even pull that many implies you think TNA are the bigger company... which is just so obviously wrong.

Should go watch an Orton match then

Really great job on the update, very high quality as always. Thanks a lot.

I would also like the latest release please. Slim_Jim_11 -at- hotmail.com

Thanks a lot Socko

I really want to download this scenario again. I had it once before but when I got a new computer I lost it as I forgot to copy the data. However, now when I go to the download site the links I need to click are just white boxes with a red cross in them and aren't clickable. On the left hand side of the site the first three supposed links are like this, with the first visible one being the KM sign. If anyone has the data and is willing to send it to me through MSN my address is Slim_Jim_11@hotmail.com.