Random Wrasslin' thoughts.....

DEFTLEFTHAND

It's a sh1t gimmick that you can't pull off on National television, just like the Mafia influenced (ECW) Full Blooded Italians didn't work when they tried it in WWE, anything they'd do would always come off as tame in comparison to the real thing. The 1% MC scene stateside is similar in some respects. It's cringeworthy to watch some of TNAs antics at times.

Especially when they try and sell Bully as their main guy. An overweight forty something midcarder.

Omackeral

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

It's a sh1t gimmick that you can't pull off on National television, just like the Mafia influenced (ECW) Full Blooded Italians didn't work when they tried it in WWE, anything they'd do would always come off as tame in comparison to the real thing. The 1% MC scene stateside is similar in some respects. It's cringeworthy to watch some of TNAs antics at times.

Especially when they try and sell Bully as their main guy.An overweight forty something midcarder.

This smacks of a vendetta. Overweight? Bully is buff these days. For a comparsion, check him out in 1996/97 in ECW, that's overweight. He's got into great nick. And 95% of talent is midcard until they are pushed, this is his breakout, and it was slowly and logically built up. What more do you want? Who should lead the group? Some punk kid?

DEFTLEFTHAND

Omackeral wrote: »

This smacks of a vendetta. Overweight? Bully is buff these days. For a comparsion, check him out in 1996/97 in ECW, that's overweight. He's got into great nick. And 95% of talent is midcard until they are pushed, this is his breakout, and it was slowly and logically built up. What more do you want? Who should lead the group? Some punk kid?

He's not in good shape, he still looks as bad as he ever did, he offers nothing in the ring, he has a big loud mouth and massive opinion of himself that's got him somewhere in a small organisation. Do you think Vince would have elevated this guy to a maineventer?

gnfnrhead

Bully Ray is one of the best things in wrestling. Anyone who doesnt give him the credit he deserves hasnt a clue.

Omackeral

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

He's not in good shape, he still looks as bad as he ever did, he offers nothing in the ring, he has a big loud mouth and massive opinion of himself that's got him somewhere in a small organisation. Do you think Vince would have elevated this guy to a maineventer?

You're judging him on his out of ring merits by saying he's a load mouth and self publicist. So was Hogan. Besides, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. His heel work has been brilliant since the brief face run/rouse. Fans and experts alike would agree. As for pushing him as a main eventer. Few would've thought Bradshaw or Edge would've been main eventers when they were in the same spot as Bully. So who knows.

Also, laughable to say he looks as bad as ever. He sure is in awful shape!

jaykhunter

Hashtag_HEEL wrote: »

Just watching through OSW today and I realised, Jake was a right cnut with Damien! [...] I'm surprised that there wasn't ever peta protests at the shows!

Ha! there probably would be if the gimmick was in the current era. jake was done in for animal cruelty in the early 2000s, one of his snakes died after forgetting to feed it for a while.

leggo

Sorry to resurrect a dead debate, but I've just seen the PED/steroid discussion, it was very interesting and having wrestled and actually known lads who've juiced...I think I've something to add:

To compare and write off lads based on steroid use in wrestling is unfair. In wrestling, steroids are typically used to achieve an aesthetic look and for muscle repair (when you talk WWE guys because of how hectic their schedule is on their bodies). A lot of lads just use to keep up with the rest in certain areas, but it doesn't make you a better performer.

The reason for this, as opposed to the likes of Lance Armstrong etc, is because you don't judge wrestling based on competitive edges as you would sports stars. When you're comparing the best, you're judging it as you would art: the great matches they had, their body of work etc. So, at that level, the best is almost decided by what's in their mind as opposed to how hard they trained. Which is why to say 'Daniel Bryan is better than Benoit because Benoit was found to use steroids' is a bit harsh because:

1) We've no way to know what Daniel Bryan is or isn't putting into his body and,
2) Steroids wouldn't have been what made Benoit stand out.

Just thought it was worth throwing in there.

And, by the way, from what I've seen of him I think Bully Ray is phenomenal in his new gimmick. Someone mentioned JBL and, I completely agree with that comparison: it's a case of him being a talented midcarder for most of his career then finding his place in the autumn of his days, and only THEN people saw him for the main event talent he could be.

Ando's Saggy Bottom

I'd say Bully is almost certainly juicing to have achieved such a dramatic change in body shape. Its not like TNA give a rats ass what he takes.

jaykhunter

Triple H is a horrendous on-screen COO. Threatening to fire doctors so he can compete, always putting personal vendettas ahead of his job, having his employees (sorry, independent contractors) walk out on him, and putting down others like saying the world title (during feud w/Taker) and Curtis axel are beneath him. It's funny how his character is a selfish prick

DM_7

Like most WWE faces he is a complete dick!

Sheamus is a bully every week. Cena is always making childish insults, on Monday Del Rio attacked Ziggler from behind for no real reason, Jericho smacked Heyman in the face with an interviewers microphone on Smackdown.

Heels are straight up, they say they will beat you up and then they do it!

Lord TSC

In a way, I think that's why Bryan is getting over so much; he's the top face who isn't a bully.

He's a guy who has confidence issues and wants to prove himself. He doesn't resort to cheap shots or picking on people weaker than him. He just goes out and fights fair fights, wanting to prove himself.

In a way, it's why I worry about Punk coming back tonight; as much as I love him, I really don't want another jerk face....

DM_7

I don;t mind a face that is a jerk or cocky once they admit those flaws. Promos/Interviews etc that just revolve around people calling others fat or stupid, coming up with awful per names like Walrus, Goat face etc are terrible.

Punk can talk to a heel without just making petty insults about someones appearance. He can talk about actions instead of characteristics.

His words to Jericho last year for example:

"And I'm listening. But I think everybody else is sick of listening. So I'm gonna go ahead... Look, Chris, I know how good you are. These people know how good you are. My problem I have with you is you coming out here and insinuating that I've stolen anything from you. No. I've never plagiarized anything in my life. Everything that I have I fought for and I've earned. It's right here. You think you invented saying that you are the best? Are you kiddin' me? There is a guy I remember watching when I was a kid. You probably watched him when you were a kid, too. His name is Bret Hitman Hart. The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Did you invent that? Did you give that to him when you were what, two years old? He's Canadian, too. Did you invent him being Canadian? Did you invent Canada?"

"You know, you keep saying that. And your words just scream superiority, but I watch you and the way you walk out here and the inflection in your voice. And certainly your body language. It screams inferiority. Who you're trying to prove? You're trying to prove to me that you're the best? Are you trying to prove to these people that you're the best? Or are you trying to prove to yourself that you're the best? See, I say that I'm the best in the world. And yeah, that's a little cocky. But confidence is nothing that I've ever lacked. And it's nothing that I thought you lacked. But now that confidence, Chris, it seems to be replaced with jealousy.

So you look at me and you see a guy that emerged from the same shadows you did. He came from the same places you did. He overcame the same obstacles you did. But now he surpassed everything you did, didn't he? Because, sure, you beat legends. You beat Stone Cold and you beat The Rock in the same night ten years ago and that made you the WWE Champion. But you were never really the man like how I'm the man, were you? And that just bothers you a little bit, doesn't it. You have a Napoleon complex because of it. So you come back and you try to point fingers and place the blame. The blame is only on you.

See, you say that you're the best in the world at what you do. And I say that I'm the best wrestler in the world. The distinction to me is very simple. This is nothing I chose. I was born this way. This is who I am. This is what I do while you chose to leave and write books and have a radio show and be on game shows. And you chose to be a rock star. And all the while I'm here on top, swimming with sharks while you're dancing with stars."

I'm not so keen on when it resorts to goat face:
To D Bryan so hopefully he avoids that!

We used to be similar. You, like me, well you shattered the glass ceiling, didn't you? But ever since you did, you've become a self-absorbed, arrogant, insecure, obnoxious, goat-faced moron. Which is fine, because you know what? The WWE is always in need for self-absorbed, arrogant, insecure, obnoxious, goat-faced morons. So that's gonna be your new thing, more power to you. It's a little bit worthy for a T-Shirt, but I wish you well. Whether you like it or not... [Fans chant "goat face"] Whether you like it or not goat face, Sunday, at No Way Out, I'm giving you a wake up-call. Ironically enough when I put you to sleep."

Cianan2

I watched Wrestling Road Diaries yesterday, and having never seen any of Bryans indy work, it makes me wonder how he feels about CM Punk using the "Best in the World" thing for the last year...

GTR63

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Bully Ray is one of the best things in wrestling. Anyone who doesnt give him the credit he deserves hasnt a clue.

Thank you for that shred of common sense. I doubt he juices either all I think he did was diet and hit the weights (there are FAR more sceptical bodies in both Tna and wwe at present). He kinda had to get in better shape as a singles competitor he had to improve his cardio, his bumping was always a lot better than most guys his shape anyway.

Max Power1

downonthefarm wrote: »

at the mo aj is the only reasin to watch...and those two black birds wo come out with broadus

And the bellas

Looper007

Cianan2 wrote: »

I watched Wrestling Road Diaries yesterday, and having never seen any of Bryans indy work, it makes me wonder how he feels about CM Punk using the "Best in the World" thing for the last year...

Bryan's a humble guy and I don't think he really cares and probably wishes Punk the best. I say Punk knows himself that Bryan is the real "Best In The World".

DM_7

Losing so much body fat and bulking up at his age looks suspicious. I don't think anyone other than himself can really comment on it with any certainty.

gnfnrhead

DM-ICE wrote: »

Losing so much body fat and bulking up at his age looks suspicious. I don't think anyone other than himself can really comment on it with any certainty.

It wasnt a sudden change, it's taken years to get to where he is now.

DM_7

gnfnrhead wrote: »

It wasnt a sudden change, it's taken years to get to where he is now.

I don't remember saying otherwise.

gnfnrhead

DM-ICE wrote: »

I don't remember saying otherwise.

So how does it look suspicious? If it took a few weeks, fair enough. But it took him years.

DM_7

His age and the complete transformation as per my original post. The industry he works in has a poor track record as well. Drugs don't provide instant change to people that are out of shape. You still have to lift the weights and drop body fat over time. But they will help you build muscle when your older, testosterone levels falling.

I have no idea or particular interest in if he took anything. But I can see why people would question his change (see above) or others would give him credit for a natural change - (plenty of time on his hands to make that type of change with TNA schedule etc). That is not based on the before photo posted here either.

Ando's Saggy Bottom

Like cycling anyone making a big change in shape in wrestling will be viewed with suspicion. Nature if the beast. I thought exactly the same when Masato Tanaka had a similar transformation a few years back.

jaykhunter

Why does The Rock get guff for returning to wrestling? Austin said in various interviews stemming from about 2 years ago that he's 100%. Here's a tweet from SCSA dated March 2010 :
"…the neck is fine. after my surgery in 2000 I'm good to go. c3-4 fusion. it is 100%."
How come Austin doesn't get any grief for not returning? Is it because people don't know that, or are they annoyed about Rock's success in the movie industry?

DM_7

I think people were not impressed with the predictability of his second mania match - Cena again, the matches with Punk in the lead up were assumed wins long before they happened so it lacked a spark maybe?

gnfnrhead

jaykhunter wrote: »

Why does The Rock get guff for returning to wrestling? Austin said in various interviews stemming from about 2 years ago that he's 100%. Here's a tweet from SCSA dated March 2010 :
"…the neck is fine. after my surgery in 2000 I'm good to go. c3-4 fusion. it is 100%."
How come Austin doesn't get any grief for not returning? Is it because people don't know that, or are they annoyed about Rock's success in the movie industry?

You want people to be complaining because he didn't come back, in the same way people complain about Rock coming back?

That makes very little sense to me.

jaykhunter

gnfnrhead wrote: »

You want people to be complaining because he didn't come back, in the same way people complain about Rock coming back? That makes very little sense to me.

HA HA HA I mean why does Rock get abuse - He's the guy who has come back to help out WWE & is taking a paycut doing so. While Austin hasn't come back despite a clean bill of health, instead he faffs around on his microphone & remakes the same direct-to-DVD movie 10 times over. I mean complaining about Rock (whilst loving Austin) seems quite hypocritical.

gnfnrhead

I think it's exactly because Austin didn't come back. He isn't taking up air time, main event spots etc like Rock was despite being nowhere close to his best.

Rock should have been one and done, hardly anyone would complain then. Alternatively, if he was sticking around longer he should have interacted with more people. Was Bryan the only one to get any real air time outside of Cena and Punk? Can't remember anyone else doing much with him. He took up a main event spot and added nothing to the vast majority of the roster.

jaykhunter

Ok, that sounds reasonable, that people were annoyed WWE did what's best business-wise (main event Rock vs Cena/Punk). Do you think everyone'd be happy if Rock came back to feud with, say, Bryan, Sheamus and Ryback? (Or would they complain he's being wasted in lower feuds?)

Have to remember, Austin will be 49 at the end of the year, so even in 2010 when he sent that tweet, he was no spring chicken.


I'm glad Austin hasn't returned as he would have to be too watered down, to fit in with the current product. You see even when he makes the odds guest appearance, he just isn't the same. I think he realised this too, and probably extinguished any lingering desires to give it another go.

I think the reason The Rock gets so much flak, is because they rebuilt the company around his return. While he was away for extended breaks, the other guys were on the road, yet he still gets the headline spot, at Mania.

Announcing the Mania matches a year in advance was absolutely dreadful, in my opinion.

gnfnrhead

Doing Cena first made sense. But the fact he did fcuk all then until he was handed a title match is probably what draws a lot of the dislike. No reason he couldn't have had a feud with someone like Sheamus leading into the Rumble. Then have a Wrestlemania match against someone like Bryan. Instead of wasting those four or so months by having him face the two full timers who needed it the least. Doesn't even matter who wins, just being involved with the Rock would have helped them big time. Wrestlemania sells itself, they didn't need to waste another year with a rematch against Cena.

The odd tag match on Raw wouldn't have gone amiss either.