Stennick Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I actually enjoyed this time period right after the brand split. You had Batista, Orton, Cena all getting called up. Dvon gets a gimmick change, Bubba Ray gets a mini singles push on RAW. Smackdown wasn't available in my area at the time but I really enjoyed a lot of the new things they were doing around that time plus the influx of all the new guys coming in. Its pretty incredible just how many guys that were brought up and debut in television within six months that went onto become fairly big stars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazorbeak Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Yeah I mean it's at least in part because they did permanent damage to the business and killed their only competition, but that 2002 roster might be the all-time greatest in the history of wrestling, top to bottom. From having a feeder system giving them future top guys (Lesnar, Orton, Cena, and Batista all debut), to a midcard full of guys that are incredibly talented, to a still-in-their-prime group of main eventers, to bringing Hogan, Flair and Michaels back, it's probably got even mid-80's "raid everything" WWF rosters beat in terms of having all the wrestling talent in the world in one company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stennick Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 <p>Yeah I agree that and 98 WCW were staggeringly awesome as far as talent goes. </p><p> </p><p> 98 WCW you had Flair, Hogan, Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, Ultimate Warrior, The Outsiders, Sting, all of the cruiserweights, a hell of a tag team division. I remember a random Nitro that featured Hart/Hogan vs. Warrior/Sting which should have done monster business if the WCW wasn't in free fall by then. But yeah the most stacked rosters of all time are without a doubt </p><p> </p><p> WWF in the late 80's</p><p> WCW in 97/98 </p><p> WWF 2002</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterded Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Stennick" data-cite="Stennick" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Yeah I agree that and 98 WCW were staggeringly awesome as far as talent goes. <p> </p><p> 98 WCW you had Flair, Hogan, Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, Ultimate Warrior, The Outsiders, Sting, all of the cruiserweights, a hell of a tag team division. I remember a random Nitro that featured Hart/Hogan vs. Warrior/Sting which should have done monster business if the WCW wasn't in free fall by then. But yeah the most stacked rosters of all time are without a doubt </p><p> </p><p> WWF in the late 80's</p><p> WCW in 97/98 </p><p> WWF 2002</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I don't know about WCW 98 the main eventers you named were past their primes as a in-ring performer. Sure a few of them were still able to perform at a high level (Bret and Sting), but for the most part the wrestling was the worst part of their performances. In 98 I think Nash was the only one who wasn't 40 yet and I think he was 39. </p><p> </p><p> On a somewhat related point. I was watching the main event of Bash at the Beach 94 Hogan vs. Flair on the network recently. The first thing I thought about is that they both looked so old at the time even though they were only 41 and 45. This was made funny with the way the announcers talked about how good they looked. The other thing that stood out was how boring the match was. It reminded me of how I never liked Ric Flair as a child. I think it all comes down to me starting to watch wresting in 1990 and by that point everyone of his matches seemed to be a paint by number affair that lacked any exiting moments or spots to look forward to. I have/had no problem with a paint by numbers match but I needed some type of moment to get exited for be it hulking up or a cool move and Flair just didn't have any.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Actually Lita vs. Trish wasn't the last Divas Raw Main Event. July 5, 2010 Alicia Fox vs. Eve Torres Yeah. This wasn't that much of the argument so i guess that i can post this here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milamber Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 <p>Not sure if it's been posted yet. Cesaro could be a great babyface, delivering foreign language promos on the Network when it launches in Europe and headlining European tours.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/knayuj_qroE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Cesaro interviews Hulk Hogan"></iframe></div></div> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milamber Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 <p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Smackdown Review:</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Ziggler vs Sandow</strong> - Good match won by Ziggler. I like that the midcard is getting some focus because of the Battle Royale. Sandow and Ziggler need more mic time.</p><p> <strong>Fandango vs Fernando</strong> - OK match with a fun finish. El Torito chased Summer (who was wearing a red dress) around the ring and Fernando won.</p><p> <strong>Shield vs 3MB vs Rybaxel vs Real Americans (#1 Contender)</strong> - Good match that proves the tag division is still strong (for now). The Shield were starting to dominate but Kane got involved. The NAO helped Kane beat down Reigns. Rybaxel, the Real Americans and Kane all hit finishers on the Shield. Kane rewarded them all by making a WM30 Fatal Fourway Tag Title match.</p><p> <strong>Del Rio vs Big E</strong> - Short but solid match. Del Rio won.</p><p> <strong>Natalya & Summer vs The Bellas</strong> - Summer looked good. Natalya (heel for the night) and Summer miscommunicated so the Bellas won. AJ was commentary.</p><p> <strong>Cena vs Harper</strong> - Cena won of course but it was a good match.</p><p> </p><p> <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>Verdict:</strong></span> Good show.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickymex Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Smasher1311" data-cite="Smasher1311" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Actually Lita vs. Trish wasn't the last Divas Raw Main Event.<p> </p><p> July 5, 2010</p><p> Alicia Fox vs. Eve Torres</p><p> </p><p> Yeah. This wasn't that much of the argument so i guess that i can post this here.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> If you consider the Raw Main Event to be the last match of the night then this has happened quite a few times the past years when the Divas match is followed by a ending promo such as a contract signing or something similar.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stennick Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="masterded" data-cite="masterded" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I don't know about WCW 98 the main eventers you named were past their primes as a in-ring performer. Sure a few of them were still able to perform at a high level (Bret and Sting), but for the most part the wrestling was the worst part of their performances. In 98 I think Nash was the only one who wasn't 40 yet and I think he was 39. <p> </p><p> On a somewhat related point. I was watching the main event of Bash at the Beach 94 Hogan vs. Flair on the network recently. The first thing I thought about is that they both looked so old at the time even though they were only 41 and 45. This was made funny with the way the announcers talked about how good they looked. The other thing that stood out was how boring the match was. It reminded me of how I never liked Ric Flair as a child. I think it all comes down to me starting to watch wresting in 1990 and by that point everyone of his matches seemed to be a paint by number affair that lacked any exiting moments or spots to look forward to. I have/had no problem with a paint by numbers match but I needed some type of moment to get exited for be it hulking up or a cool move and Flair just didn't have any.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Yeah but they were still all draws in 98. There could have been a TON of money in Warrior/Sting as a tag team, Warrior vs. Hogan, even Warrior vs. Sting down the road. They were all well into their 40's but they were all making money. Hell 1998 was the most profitable year by a professional wrestling company in history making like an 80 million dollar profit or some non sense like that. </p><p> </p><p> I mean its not like anyone is paying to see those guys put on 5 star classics so being able to "go" was pretty irrelevant. They were huge draws and if it wasn't for just absolute terrible booking they could have done even more (even though again it was the most profitable year in wrestling ever and I would imagine its still insanely high)</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delv213 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 <p>I just watched the little highlights WWE puts for Main Event on their YouTube page. I think everyone's going to be pleasantly surprised with how The Undertaker looks for a 49 year old man... Also taking a quick glance on the comments on YouTube, everyone seems to think he looks in the best shape in years. Now if Sting could get in shape for next year... They'd sure look great at Wrestlemania 31!</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/3hko1xHkqW0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="The Undertaker sends message to Brock Lesnar: WWE Main Event, March 18"></iframe></div></div><p> </p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/3hko1xHkqW0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="The Undertaker sends message to Brock Lesnar: WWE Main Event, March 18"></iframe></div></div> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 <p>Yes I'd love a match between a guy who hasn't been consistently good since 96 and the one guy that is a constant bright spot at Mania.</p><p> </p><p> Sure the match will suck, but imagine the stare downs!</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stennick Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 <p>I never even got why the dream match up is Taker vs. Sting? I would think the money would be in like Sting vs. Shawn Michaels, Franchise vs. Franchise, or John Cena vs. Sting because Cena especially early in his career was built and looked a lot like a younger Sting. Or hell even do Triple H vs. Sting since Triple H has been "mentored" by Flair and with Sting being his greatest rival maybe Triple H wants to get in on that action. With Undertaker its all like "hey Sting wore a trench coat and was all dark like in 97". My dream match ups with Sting has always been Shawn Michaels. </p><p> </p><p> Taker might look in great shape but again the guy is 50 years old and wrestles once a year. I'm really of the belief that Taker's not going to have a great match this year. Again the last five years its been HBK, HHH and Punk bumping around for the guy. He's been a bright spot at Mania because the guys working him have busted their asses to make him that bright spot at Mania. I'm not sure that works for Lesnar's character. Since if anything Lesnar should be dominating and bumping Taker all around the ring and the whole story should be "Can the Undertaker rise up and conqueror this beast of a human being". When in the past the story has been "can the guy facing the Undertaker rise up and beat the streak". Two very different narratives that require two very different things from Taker. </p><p> </p><p> I think they should do Taker vs. Cena at WM31 and then call it a day.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 People loved the HHH matches and I didn't but those matches were about HHH destroying Taker until he finally overcame him. If Brock and Taker get a no DQ stipulation I don't see why his match wouldn't be similar to the HHH match. The Punk match was an actual match though and didn't need hundreds of weapons or finishers so I doubt that he could pull it off with Brock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I don't get the interest in Sting vs. Taker either. In 2002 or 2003, it would've been a big match. But in addition to both guys being 50 or thereabout and Sting wrestling in a t-shirt, I think there's another pretty big problem: would the younger portion of WWE's fan base even know who Sting is? A lot of the kids in Cena shirts weren't even <em>alive</em> when WCW closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hive Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 <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 don't get the interest in Sting vs. Taker either. In 2002 or 2003, it would've been a big match. But in addition to both guys being 50 or thereabout and Sting wrestling in a t-shirt, I think there's another pretty big problem: would the younger portion of WWE's fan base even know who Sting is? A lot of the kids in Cena shirts weren't even <em>alive</em> when WCW closed.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'm sure some clever use of old WCW footage in video packages would do wonders for Sting. They could have him win a few high-profile matches against top stars first, to show the fans that he's "the real deal".</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 <p>Would it be worth it having Sting who is noticeably out of shape and washed up to even be facing top guys, let alone beating them?</p><p> </p><p> With the pretty evident youth movement going on it's pretty damn counter productive.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazorbeak Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 <p>I'm not sure there's any "top stars" that Sting would really deserve to go over. Brock's part time and saved for top level stuff, Batista's got his movie to promote, HHH would never willingly put over Sting... who does that leave? Jericho? Big Show? Ric Flair's ghost? I just don't see it happening. I'm sure if he really wanted to he could've worked something out circa 2005, but neither side would get much out of a 2014 Sting run other than putting out some dvds. </p><p> </p><p> Heck, WWE should sign him just to promote dvds and be on a panel for some kind of Monday Night War show that the network promised but hasn't given us yet.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delv213 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 So nobody thinks that WWE couldn't pull off a Wrestlemania X-8 Hogan vs Rock style match with Taker and Sting? The buildup should be phenomenal regardless of what anyone says. Both guys aren't regular wrestlers so they could easily get themselves in shape for the big match next year and if they both look good, I doubt anyone cares that Taker carries Sting through a 15 minute match with a likely NO-DQ stipulation added so that weapons could make up for lack of actual chemistry. This is Sting vs Undertaker, everyone was going bananas 3 years ago for those 2.21.11 promos, so much so that WWE actually approached Sting for a contract, and Sting was actually close to signing according to him. The match has been a dream match for many people for over the last 15 years and if they put it at Wrestlemania, it'll have a big fight feel regardless of who can/can't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Hogan/Rock was between two of the three biggest names in history (other being Austin) and was Hogan's first WWE run in nearly a decade (9 years) against Rock at the peak of his popularity. Sting has been floundering in TNA for nearly a decade and both Sting and Taker are way past their primes to the point that Sting just looks sad trying to wrestle, and no Undertaker can't carry 50 year old Sting when he has had to be helped greatly by elite opponents in his last few matches. He had a decent (far better than Sting) HHH and an awesome story to go with it to mask how terrible the actual match was. Outside of both being dark-ish characters Taker and Sting really doesn't make any sense and there would be no story despite what people want to think. Where do they go? The over a decade old WCW vs WWF in the 90s story? Really? And then add to the fact that we are supposed to believe that Sting can conceivably end the streak and yeah no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delv213 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Hogan/Rock was between two of the three biggest names in history (other being Austin) and was Hogan's first WWE run in nearly a decade (9 years) against Rock at the peak of his popularity. Sting has been floundering in TNA for nearly a decade and both Sting and Taker are way past their primes to the point that Sting just looks sad trying to wrestle, and no Undertaker can't carry 50 year old Sting when he has had to be helped greatly by elite opponents in his last few matches. He had a decent (far better than Sting) HHH and an awesome story to go with it to mask how terrible the actual match was. Outside of both being dark-ish characters Taker and Sting really doesn't make any sense and there would be no story despite what people want to think. Where do they go? The over a decade old WCW vs WWF in the 90s story? Really? And then add to the fact that we are supposed to believe that Sting can conceivably end the streak and yeah no Answer this, how many people really watch TNA? Is that number really similar to how many people watched WCW 2000 compared to the WWF at the time? Hogan was not a draw in 2000 at all, he was also considered washed up and buyrates/tv ratings for his headlined events post 1999 agreed with that statement. Fast forward two years and suddenly he's getting cheered over The Rock who's suddenly getting booed. The Rock vs Hogan really had no backstory, unless you consider Hogan laughing that his son's favorite wrestler was The Rock lol. Sting's been off major TV for over a decade, if WWE highlights how cool the Crow character was, he'll get over. He was really their franchise player during their era of putting on a good product and kicking The WWF's butt TV rating's/PPV buyrate wise. Sting was a gigantic draw during his run against the nWo in 1997/1998, 1.9 buyrate for Starrcade 1997. Averaging a 4.5 TV rating for his reign as top babyface/champion post Starrcade. The guy drew money, infact ratings died the week after he lost the title at Spring Stampede and Hogan regained the belt from Savage on the April 20,1998 match. Pretty sure the April 27,1998 show had the first WWF ratings win as well in a long time. (Austin vs McMahon) Plus how awesome would it be if Sting suddenly started descending from the rafters/watching people from the rafters, that's the kind of stuff that got him over as The Crow Sting and it's hard to argue that his character hasn't been drastically different from what it was in TNA then in WCW. And the some big names live the test of time, look at Goldberg still getting chants, directed at Ryback no less lol, but still it's been 10 years after his final match in the WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 So do you also think a Goldberg match would draw in 2014 because people ironically chant his name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delv213 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 So do you also think a Goldberg match would draw in 2014 because people ironically chant his name? Maybe, we don't really know unless he was given the chance to draw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hive Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 So do you also think a Goldberg match would draw in 2014 because people ironically chant his name? I think the point is that they remember him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 People remember Sting too, that doesn't mean he would draw to a degree that you should put him in a marquee spot on WM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbergey_2005 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Sting vs Taker would just be an awful match. The outcome would be obvious and Sting isnt even an attraction that most would even care about anymore. What could the WWE possibly sell about him that would make anyone even think he was a threat to any top WWE star? Maybe Vince Russo could come up with something creative for this;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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