If The Wrestling Thread Keeps Changing Titles, Thread Manager Gets A Brogue Kick

[Nightmare]

DDP and The Road Dogg are two nice additions to WWE' 12 if true.

Wonder what type of theme theyre going for? The attitude era? Along with wcw?

 

[AndrewGilkison]

With the roster being as thin as it is (guys like HHH and Undertaker are out of the World title pictures with their part time schedules now, and Edge and HBK are both retired), I am not sure how the "we need two World titles so guys like Christian and Mark Henry can get a shot at getting one" argument really holds up anymore. With the lack of depth on the roster, those guys still have a shot at getting one even with just one World title.

 

[TX85]

DDP and The Road Dogg are two nice additions to WWE' 12 if true.

Wonder what type of theme theyre going for? The attitude era? Along with wcw?

It'd be for WWE'13,Rumor is it'll be Attitude era themed as WCW is for'12,But they'll likely have stuff for all eras like in WWE'12 where they have titles/logos/&people from different eras!!!

 

[Daniel Thompson]

Two world titles gives guys a chance who possibly never would have gotten one. I seriously doubt Christian and Mark Henry would have become world champs if there was only one title.

Even before that there was a long list of guys...we all know some of them wouldn't have gotten to have a title run if there was only one belt. Some deserved it and some didn't.

It also allows two brands to tour instead of one because most people will want to go the the show the champion is wrestling on. Even if the brand split completely ends we're probably always going to have the two shows doing the house show tour separately and the champion can't be in two places at once.

It also gives the top guys more rest. They don't have to work as hard. In this age of higher impact higher risk wrestling they'd get even more wear and tear if they had to do TWO shows a week instead of one.

As far as I'm concerned the World Heavyweight championship is just a continuation of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship....which has a lineage just as impressive as the WWE titles. WWE owns the rights to it. Thats one reason why I don't mind there being two world titles. I didn't mind it 15 years ago.




Its the booking and the quality of the wrestlers that makes the titles matter more than anything.

Theres only one womens title and it means nothing right now. There is only one set of tag titles and they mean nothing right now.

True it sounds better when a guy can say he is THE world champion but even a boxer can hold TWO world titles.

I remember when WWF (yes F) had more midcard titles than they do right now and they ALL meant more than the two midcard titles in WWF today.

I did not take note of all the touring and extra stuff so it makes sense now to have 2 world titles. But glad Vince is saying the brand extension is done because it was stupid still having it go on when raw and smackdown wrestlers would appear on each other shows everyweek.

 

[Daniel Thompson]

Agreed. On everything.

On the subject of midcard titles, do you guys remember this..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQEoErNbH00&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Rock got him back by throwing HIM over a bridge?

Awesome stuff, lol. I swear that's one the last times the IC Title felt important.

Pre Attitude Era, RAW was good that year, which it was like that now. WWE should look at 1996/1997 and build young stars now like they did back then.

 

[Van Petrol]

Agreed. On everything.

On the subject of midcard titles, do you guys remember this..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQEoErNbH00&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Rock got him back by throwing HIM over a bridge?

Awesome stuff, lol. I swear that's one the last times the IC Title felt important.

Oh yeah, back then we used to even have awesome feuds just for the mid-card titles.

 

[Metallo]

With the roster being as thin as it is (guys like HHH and Undertaker are out of the World title pictures with their part time schedules now, and Edge and HBK are both retired), I am not sure how the "we need two World titles so guys like Christian and Mark Henry can get a shot at getting one" argument really holds up anymore. With the lack of depth on the roster, those guys still have a shot at getting one even with just one World title.

Just because those guys you mentioned are retired or part timers doesn't mean Vince isn't going to have guys he wants to push to the main event even though there are other people more deserving. People got moved up in those guys places they just don't have credibility.

Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio are BOTH former champions. Think about that. Del Rio didn't even deserve one yet but he's a former TWO TIME world champ. Miz is a former wold champ. Christian was far more deserving of a title run. So was Mark Henry. But Del Rio got early it despite those two putting years in WWE. Same applies for Swagger and Miz. They weren't ready for that but Vince gave it to them.

Even if they didn't deserve it Del Rio and Miz would have gotten that ME push anyway and it wasn't because of their skills or their character development. The roster is thin on top level talent....but Vince doesn't really care enough about that. If he did he would have done things to rectify the problem FIVE YEARS AGO.

And right now Cena and Orton are out off the title picture. You know its bound to get more competitive when they get back into it.

With two weekly shows there's more talent. Not everybody who deserves a shot is going to get their shot with one belt...unless you want the title to change hands once a week. Thats one of the things that devalued world titles in the first place.

TNA has always had one world title but its been devalued over the years just like WWE's two. Same was true for ECW's one world title at the end. or the AWA's one world title at the end.

The title looks good by making it and the champion look important.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

By having one world champ it makes the title mean something even more.

Yup, this.

Everybody always says "with only one belt, guys like Christian, Mark Henry, and Daniel Bryan would never get a world title" - and that's exactly the point.

2 belts means that guys who aren't the best of the best are world champions, and it ultimately devalues the title when guys like Christian, Mark Henry, and Daniel Bryan are the regular mainstays for world titles.

*waits for Metallo to respond by attacking my fandom of The Miz*

 

[venom892]

Mark Henry got an opportunity to be one of the best heels of the last five years with his world title push. Bryan was able to break out of his shell with his MITB victory. Christian was Orton's best opponent in years. You think with one title they would have had that opportunity to put forth their best work? It would only be endless variations of Orton/Cena/Del Rio/Sheamus/Punk.

 

[Metallo]

Yup, this.

Everybody always says "with only one belt, guys like Christian, Mark Henry, and Daniel Bryan would never get a world title" - and that's exactly the point.

2 belts means that guys who aren't the best of the best are world champions, and it ultimately devalues the title when guys like Christian, Mark Henry, and Daniel Bryan are the regular mainstays for world titles.

*waits for Metallo to respond by attacking my fandom of The Miz*

I don't need to attack your fandom of the Miz. The WCW meant jack and sh** in early 2001 despite there only being ONE belt. Its problems had zero to do with quantity. The WWE titles problems have zero to do with quantity.

People here and at WWE said the Tag titles would be improved by having ONE set of belts. Same is true for the womens title. They're worse now than they've ever been.

The times have changed. The way WWE builds its stars have changed. The way they do creative has changed. The way the talent works has changed. Their presentation priorities have changed. The entire wrestling landscape has changed.

Even if there is just ONE belt guess what its not going mean what it used to mean. When Vince McMahon doesn't want most of his talent to get over as individuals them having one belt isn't gonna mean sh**. Thats the problem.

When most of the people fighting over the belt don't matter IT doesn't matter as much. Hogans ONE belt mattered because the guys fighting him for it were over and he was over. There could be one belt or ten belts. They simply don't matter to Vince.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Just because those guys you mentioned are retired or part timers doesn't mean Vince isn't going to have guys he wants to push to the main event even though there are other people more deserving. People got moved up in those guys places they just don't have credibility.

Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio are BOTH former champions. Think about that. Del Rio didn't even deserve one yet but he's a former TWO TIME world champ. Miz is a former wold champ. Christian was far more deserving of a title run. So was Mark Henry. But Del Rio got early it despite those two putting years in WWE. Same applies for Swagger and Miz. They weren't ready for that but Vince gave it to them.

Even if they didn't deserve it Del Rio and Miz would have gotten that ME push anyway and it wasn't because of their skills or their character development. The roster is thin on top level talent....but Vince doesn't really care enough about that. If he did he would have done things to rectify the problem FIVE YEARS AGO.

I'd argue that even with only one World title, those guys would've probably still have gotten a run. Why? Because of the lack of depth in the roster when guys like HBK and Edge retire and guys like Taker and HHH are winding down their in-ring careers and doing one or two matches a year.

Even if that wasn't the case, that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It meant way more when you won the WWE title back in the days where there was only one World title because when you won it, you KNEW you were the main event. You were the guy.

I'd gladly do without guys like Christian and Mark Henry winning a title if it meant the World title match was a bigger deal because there is only one and you can't **** around with it and be lazy and do half-assed MITB cash-ins.

And right now Cena and Orton are out off the title picture. You know its bound to get more competitive when they get back into it.

Is that really a bad thing? That just means guys would have to work a little harder to get there, and getting there means more and is more special because there is only one spot at the top of the mountain.

A more competitive title picture with one World title also means that guys like Cena and Orton would have to work a little more harder too, to stay in that spot, so it works both ways.

With two weekly shows there's more talent. Not everybody who deserves a shot is going to get their shot with one belt...unless you want the title to change hands once a week. Thats one of the things that devalued world titles in the first place.

I'd argue that with talent from Smackdown appearing every week on RAW, with that show becoming a "Super Show", that these days, two shows doesn't mean there is more talent. If they had more talent, they wouldn't have paired their Tag and Women's division titles to just one belt.

 

[Metallo]

I'd argue that even with only one World title, those guys would've probably still have gotten a run. Why? Because of the lack of depth in the roster when guys like HBK and Edge retire and guys like Taker and HHH are winding down their in-ring careers and doing one or two matches a year.

You're missing the point. "DEPTH" means quality talent. The roster has plenty of wrestlers. Vince is going to give title runs to certain people whether they are quality talent or not. Khali sucks. Everybody knows he sucks. But McMahon is going to give someone like him runs over much more talented wrestlers for particular reasons.

Some of the guys he does push don't even get the traditional build up anymore. Del Rio didn't. McMahon doesn't put that kind of quality into wrestlers ascension anymore. Thats why there is no depth. He doesn't care. he doesn't think that way. And he thinks his audience will think the way he tells them too.

Its not the wrestlers drawing anymore its the WWE experience and the WWE brand name. Thats the way Vince wants it. He's selling the WWE brand like he wants it beyond wrestling. Thats why its on things like movies now.

Even if that wasn't the case, that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It meant way more when you won the WWE title back in the days where there was only one World title because when you won it, you KNEW you were the main event. You were the guy.

The entire cultivation of talent and the way they are brought up and pushed has changed. WWE has no clue how to make them better because THEY didn't do most of the work in getting the talent that good in the first place. ALL thats changed.

Even if someone has something OR get themselves over that means nothing in most cases now. Zack Ryder did EXACTLY what you're talking about and look where he is now? WWE pushes who they want too push most of the time Not necessarily those who deserve it. Swagger does not deserve the US belt but he has it.

I'd gladly do without guys like Christian and Mark Henry winning a title if it meant the World title match was a bigger deal because there is only one and you can't **** around with it and be lazy and do half-assed MITB cash-ins.

Even if there was one world title we'd still have MITB cash ins. WWE would still be lazy with it. None of the belts matter to WWE like they used to.

Is that really a bad thing? That just means guys would have to work a little harder to get there, and getting there means more and is more special because there is only one spot at the top of the mountain

Working harder means little when the entire game has changed. You're talking in 1980's/1990's terms when its not that time or situation anymore. How does someone work harder when they don't even get the opportunity to showcase it?

A more competitive title picture with one World title also means that guys like Cena and Orton would have to work a little more harder too, to stay in that spot, so it works both ways.

No they wouldn't. they are the chosen guys with the most stroke. Ortons been a golden boy since the day he walked into WWE. Did Hogan have to work harder to keep his spot? Vince chooses his top guys and as long as they perform well enough the spot is secure. He has a certain type of star he wants to push.

Even if Cena and Orton wanted other guys moved up the ladder it wouldn't be as competitive as you think because WWE would push who they want. They only want a select few to get over because they want the stronger bargaining posture. They aren't pushing the stars like they used to. Just what do most of the wrestlers have to bargain with these days? Speak up too loud and you get fired.

Nattie Neidhart is one of THE best female wrestlers on the roster yet she's treated like a joke by WWE. If what you were saying is true her talent and hard work would put her at the top. She's not.

I'd argue that with talent from Smackdown appearing every week on RAW, with that show becoming a "Super Show", that these days, two shows doesn't mean there is more talent. If they had more talent, they wouldn't have paired their Tag and Women's division titles to just one belt.

McMahon has said he wanted to make Smackdown look "better" for years. When they moved to MNTV and SYFY they built Smackdown up to be stronger only to let it wither away again.

They cut Tag teams and womens wrestlers AFTER they merged the belts. Not before. They paired the tag and womens divisions down because they don't care about them. They had the talent and the teams. They just broke them up or fired them. The roster now is STILL bigger than most other periods in WWE's history.

They have more talent because they have two shows. Thats not going to change unless Smackdown goes away. If they launch the WWE network they may hire MORE talent.

Thats not even including WWE developmental. They also count as WWE talent. Even some of them are used on NXT and may be used even more on the WWE network. There WAS no WWE developmental the way we think of it now 15 plus years ago. SMW was the closest I can think of and Memphis after that.

 

[Daniel Thompson]

I don't need to attack your fandom of the Miz. The WCW meant jack and sh** in early 2001 despite there only being ONE belt. Its problems had zero to do with quantity. The WWE titles problems have zero to do with quantity.

People here and at WWE said the Tag titles would be improved by having ONE set of belts. Same is true for the womens title. They're worse now than they've ever been.

The times have changed. The way WWE builds its stars have changed. The way they do creative has changed. The way the talent works has changed. Their presentation priorities have changed. The entire wrestling landscape has changed.

Even if there is just ONE belt guess what its not going mean what it used to mean. When Vince McMahon doesn't want most of his talent to get over as individuals them having one belt isn't gonna mean sh**. Thats the problem.

When most of the people fighting over the belt don't matter IT doesn't matter as much. Hogans ONE belt mattered because the guys fighting him for it were over and he was over. There could be one belt or ten belts. They simply don't matter to Vince.

The titles should matter, they are the main attraction in Pro Wrestling. What would be the point in having wrestling matches if the titles did not mean anything. Guys would be fighting just to be fighting and that would be stupid and get real boring after awhile.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Agreed. On everything.

On the subject of midcard titles, do you guys remember this..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQEoErNbH00&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Rock got him back by throwing HIM over a bridge?

Awesome stuff, lol. I swear that's one the last times the IC Title felt important.

I liked that feud better than their 3 main event feuds, this was Rock at his best IMO and featured my favourite segment between the two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziSZW1cFz30

I don't need to attack your fandom of the Miz. The WCW meant jack and sh** in early 2001 despite there only being ONE belt. Its problems had zero to do with quantity. The WWE titles problems have zero to do with quantity.

People here and at WWE said the Tag titles would be improved by having ONE set of belts. Same is true for the womens title. They're worse now than they've ever been.

The times have changed. The way WWE builds its stars have changed. The way they do creative has changed. The way the talent works has changed. Their presentation priorities have changed. The entire wrestling landscape has changed.

Even if there is just ONE belt guess what its not going mean what it used to mean. When Vince McMahon doesn't want most of his talent to get over as individuals them having one belt isn't gonna mean sh**. Thats the problem.

When most of the people fighting over the belt don't matter IT doesn't matter as much. Hogans ONE belt mattered because the guys fighting him for it were over and he was over. There could be one belt or ten belts. They simply don't matter to Vince.

As HBK said, the Man makes the belt, the belt doesn't make the man.

 

[The Sage]

Standing on top of the World

By Rob Burns
The Daily World

Bryan Danielson never thought the day would come, but his life and professional wrestling career changed forever in December.

When Danielson stood atop the World Wrestling Entertainment announcer’s table in Baltimore, Md., holding the World Heavyweight Championship title belt above his head for the first time in his career, it signaled the Aberdeen native’s ascent to the top of the professional wrestling world.

On April 1, Danielson — known professionally as Daniel Bryan — will take part in one of two championship title matches in the WWE’s yearly signature event, Wrestlemania XXVIII, in Miami.

The match against Sheamus for his World Heavyweight Championship will be Danielson’s biggest of his career and it’ll highlight the long road the 30-year-old traveled to get atop that announcer’s table and to Miami.

“It was crazy,” Danielson said of his championship night. “I’ve been doing this for 12 years and a lot of people thought I couldn’t succeed at this. It was vindication, that I reached the top. When people are doubting you that much, sometimes you doubt yourself. It was more retrospective — I can’t believe I went through all of that and I’m at this moment.”

The road for Danielson, who stands 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds and is known as a submission specialist, started out 12 years ago when he left Aberdeen for San Antonio, Texas. The road began in his family’s backyard in Central Park.

The Backyard Championship Wrestling was a friendly wrestling league between Danielson and his middle and high school friends — Evan and Kristof Aho, Tony Sajec, Skyler Parker and Mike and Jake Dove — that allowed them to wrestle each other and create pro wrestling personas before they watched televised wrestling shows every Monday night in the 1990s.

The Central Park home doesn’t have the holes he and his friends created during their matches anymore, but the memories are still there.

“There used to be a huge hole that Bryan created with his back, more of an egg-shaped gap,” Kristof Aho said. “There were holes where someone’s heel would go through and other scrapes. It was a lot of fun. It is fun to watch (tapes) again, seeing all of the spots where we’d wrestle. How (Danielson’s mother, Betty) would let us do that for so long, I don’t know.”

Once Danielson graduated from Aberdeen in 1999, he had already convinced his mother that it would work out for him to travel to San Antonio and train at the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy. He worked two jobs to pay for the school and other expenses.

“All of us talked about being professional wrestlers, but no one was serious; we were more worried about (college),” Aho said. “Then, all of a sudden, Bryan told us he was going to Shawn Michaels’ school. After our senior all-night party, he loaded up his car and drive to San Francisco, then to San Antonio.”

From there, it was a quick start in the ring — training at the Academy and wrestling in the Academy’s house shows in the Texas Wrestling Alliance, then working out in front of WWE scouts after a trip to Japan and a tour with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling as the “American Dragon.”

Danielson eventually signed a developmental deal with the WWE at the end of his time at the Academy and was on his way — until the pro wrestling industry downsized.

Detours on the road

In early 2001, WWE bought Atlanta-based World Championship Wrestling from Turner Broadcasting, ending pro wrestling’s biggest modern rivalry and consolidating the top of the industry into one company.

With an overflow of wrestlers from both promotions, Danielson was released.

“I moved back to Aberdeen, started going to school and working two jobs, one of them at Video Tonight,” Danielson said. “I figured that I would go to school, prepare for life outside of wrestling and be able to work on the weekends, get in some shows in the Northwest and in Canada.”

One of the independent wrestling shows Danielson worked on was in Hayward, Calif. — All-Pro Wrestling’s “King of the Indies” tournament in 2001. The promoter, Roland Alexander, paired Danielson with Lacey native Brian Kendrick in the first round and the duo put on a wrestling display that impressed pro wrestling legend Nick Bockwinkel, who was in attendance.

“I wasn’t supposed to win the match, but we put on such a good match that Nick went up to Roland and told him that ‘that kid should win this tournament,’” Danielson said. “Roland offered me a job to wrestle and train (at APW), gave me a good salary on top of that and the flexibility to do my indy bookings.”

It was the break Danielson needed. In 2002, he joined up with Pennsylvania-based promotion Ring of Honor, which is considered the world’s third largest wrestling company, and set out as a globe-trotting wrestler.

Lessons on and off the road

With Ring of Honor, Danielson traveled around the world, especially to Japan and England. He eventually moved to Las Vegas and also purchased his mother’s home in Central Park, allowing him to come back for short trips to unwind and get away.

“He’s the same exact guy from 12 years ago,” Aho said. “He’s a little more outgoing than what he was, but hey, he’s a professional wrestler. He’s a small-town guy.

“He reads a lot; there are stacks of books around the house,” Aho added. “At home, he works out, reads, plays with his dog, Asparagus. That’s what he does here, even chops wood for the house and works in the yard. It is pretty simple.”

On the road, Danielson crafted his wrestling style in front of both intimate and large crowds in small venues.

“Confidence, I’ve been in just about every possibility imaginable in the ring,” Danielson said of what he learned as an indy wrestler. “What (those matches) do is instill in you confidence that you can go out there and do your job and perform. I’ve been in the ring when a wrestler snapped his leg during a match. I’ve been in the ring when a fan runs in, with no security and the only one there to help you is your opponent.

“I’m confident now, because I’m really good at what I do and that is so important,” he added. “I’ve evolved into a pretty good wrestler and it wasn’t always that way. I realized that I was tough enough to stick it out and work at it.”

Danielson considers himself lucky that during his career, he hasn’t suffered a long-term injury that could have kept him out of the ring for a long period of time.

If he did have a long-term injury as an independent wrestler, it could have been a career-ending situation. There’s no money to be made when you are injured, he noted.

However, there is a steady paycheck and medical crews on site to help out the WWE wrestlers.

“I’ve been very fortunate in that respect,” Danielson said. “There were years when I’d wrestle more matches than guys in the WWE. In England, you’d have 6-7 shows a week. In Japan, five shows a week. If you get a minor injury, you wrestle through it, because you don’t want to spend the money to go to the doctor. You don’t know when you’d get paid again.

“On site (in the WWE), there’s a doctor and trainer, who’ll stretch us out before and after the matches,” he added. “That’s the biggest difference. I’m 30 years old now and I have to do more stretching, more yoga, just to keep my body healthy. It is interesting, because my body feels better than what it did in 2009. When you are at this level and your income improves, I’ve been able to take care of myself better. You have the people and the money to do that.

“Financially, I did well in the indies, but when you are hurt, you have to make those kinds of decisions.”

Back in the WWE

Danielson noted to his family that if nothing went right for him by the end of his Ring of Honor contract in 2009, he would step away and begin his post-wrestling life.

He had a tryout with the WWE in 2008, but nothing materialized. At the end of his Ring of Honor contract, he was contacted again by the WWE and this time was signed in September, 2009.

In a pre-contract physical examination, Danielson learned that he had some significant health problems that needed to be taken care of — including high cholesterol and elevated liver enzymes.

“I had always eaten pretty well, lots of vegetables and lean meats,” he said. “But then, all of a sudden, I had all of these issues. One of the best things to take care of that, my doctor told me, was to become a vegan.

“When you do it smart, you’ll miss out on some vitamins, but you are healthy,” he added. “I feel great. I’m eating foods that are easy for the body to digest and I use all of the spare energy.”

The revelation would also feed into his in-ring persona as a bad guy (aka a heel, in wrestling terms).

One of Danielson’s strengths is his connection to the fans, to get them to cheer or boo him in order to advance the storyline. Danielson morphed into a heel, touting his health to being a vegan and, with a bit of arrogance, how much of a better person he is.

“I never thought (being a vegan) would turn me into a bad guy,” Danielson said. “‘Hey, this guy doesn’t eat meat.’ The way we’ve (incorporated it) it has been kind of fun. It is the personality that makes people hate me — winning my matches by disqualification, cheap ways to win, claiming I’m a role model because I don’t eat meat. It all gets under people’s skins.

“I’ve always loved being a bad guy; there’s something more fun about it,” he added. “It always makes me smile. Now, I’ll hear my music and (the crowd) instantly starts booing. I have to keep myself from laughing, because it makes me happy.”

Wrestlemania and beyond

On April 1, Danielson will step out onto the elevated stage in front of several thousands of people at Sun Life Stadium in Miami and to millions of fans on television.

Last year, Danielson and Sheamus were supposed to meet in one of the opening matches at Wrestlemania. However, the match was moved off the pay-per-view schedule, thus giving this upcoming match a bit more urgency.

“I’m not nervous about the match, but I’m excited about the experience,” Danielson said. “We’re not afraid to hit each other. Some guys like to fight. I like to fight. Sheamus was a bouncer for years. There’s something about being in front of a large crowd and getting hit. It fires you up.

“We want to steal the show, even with Rock vs. Cena (on the card),” he added.

In the ring, Danielson wants to stay where he’s at, headlining shows and working in storylines that create public reactions.

“I’d like to stay at this level, but become a (John) Cena or a (Randy) Orton — one of the faces of the company,” Danielson said. “I have to transcend the guy who is there at the moment to being ‘The Guy.’ I want to be that guy, like CM Pink is becoming.”

Aho gave a little glimpse as to what Danielson would like to do once he’s done in the ring.

“He told me one time that when he’s done wrestling, he wants to pick strawberries for a living,” Aho noted. “He doesn’t want to do it at any pace, just whatever pace he wants. He wants to come home and fix the yard, come back to Aberdeen and just live his life.”

For now, Danielson is leading the company as one of its two main champions. The other champion is CM Punk, who wrestled with Danielson in ROH and shared the ring many times.

In fact, Danielson has a picture of himself with the World Heavyweight Championship belt and CM Punk and his WWE Championship belt from that night in December.

“I joked with him that the two of us wrestled for 45 minutes in front of 30 fans in Florida in 2004,” Danielson said. “We’ve wrestled in front of minuscule crowds before this and now, we’re two of the biggest champions in the WWE.”


http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/sports/local/standing-top-world.html

 

[Daniel Thompson]

I don't need to attack your fandom of the Miz. The WCW meant jack and sh** in early 2001 despite there only being ONE belt. Its problems had zero to do with quantity. The WWE titles problems have zero to do with quantity.

People here and at WWE said the Tag titles would be improved by having ONE set of belts. Same is true for the womens title. They're worse now than they've ever been.

The times have changed. The way WWE builds its stars have changed. The way they do creative has changed. The way the talent works has changed. Their presentation priorities have changed. The entire wrestling landscape has changed.

Even if there is just ONE belt guess what its not going mean what it used to mean. When Vince McMahon doesn't want most of his talent to get over as individuals them having one belt isn't gonna mean sh**. Thats the problem.

When most of the people fighting over the belt don't matter IT doesn't matter as much. Hogans ONE belt mattered because the guys fighting him for it were over and he was over. There could be one belt or ten belts. They simply don't matter to Vince.

I for some reason enjoyed wCw in 2000. Sure it was a trainwreck but in a fun and entertaining way like a good bad comedy film.

 

[Metallo]

The titles should matter, they are the main attraction in Pro Wrestling. What would be the point in having wrestling matches if the titles did not mean anything. Guys would be fighting just to be fighting and that would be stupid and get real boring after awhile.

Hey I agree but Vince doesn't see it that way. He DOES have guys fighting just to fight. And even those aren't that meaningful anymore. To Vince its the spectacle thats the main attraction in pro wrestling. Thats true but the spectacle SHOULD be built around the titles but thats not how he sees it. They are props now more than ever. Thats why Cena vs Rock is the main event at WM28. Spectacle. It used to be a mix of things. The spectacle was the selling point while the faux sport was backdrop and foundation it was built on.

Years ago he'd NEVER think of having his fathers WWWF/WWF/WWE title in a curtain jerker.

WWE is just a brand to Vince now...where wrestling isn't even seen as important as it once was despite it being the foundation of his empire.

I for some reason enjoyed wCw in 2000. Sure it was a trainwreck but in a fun and entertaining way like a good bad comedy film.

That was the only way to enjoy it. It didn't last long after that.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Great piece on Bryan, he really has done amazingly well and I'd say he is a worthy champion whether there were one or two belts, he is massively over as a heel right now, does anyone bar Vickie have more heat?

It's interesting that he seems to be doing more promotional stuff for Mania than Sheamus, given that Sheamus is the face.

 

[Van Petrol]

Great piece on D-Bry!

 

[Van Petrol]

Great piece on Bryan, he really has done amazingly well and I'd say he is a worthy champion whether there were one or two belts, he is massively over as a heel right now, does anyone bar Vickie have more heat?

It's interesting that he seems to be doing more promotional stuff for Mania than Sheamus, given that Sheamus is the face.

Funkhouser.


...and Cena.

 

[Daniel Thompson]

Hey I agree but Vince doesn't see it that way. He DOES have guys fighting just to fight. And even those aren't that meaningful anymore. To Vince its the spectacle thats the main attraction in pro wrestling. Thats true but the spectacle SHOULD be built around the titles but thats not how he sees it. They are props now more than ever. Thats why Cena vs Rock is the main event at WM28. Spectacle. It used to be a mix of things. The spectacle was the selling point while the faux sport was backdrop and foundation it was built on.

Years ago he'd NEVER think of having his fathers WWWF/WWF/WWE title in a curtain jerker.

WWE is just a brand to Vince now...where wrestling isn't even seen as important as it once was despite it being the foundation of his empire.




That was the only way to enjoy it. It didn't last long after that.

Well even it just being a spectacle won't last very long eventually. And if the titles really mean **** to him he mind aswell not have them.

 

[Metallo]

Taker without the hood.

Spoiler

 

[The Sage]

That is going to be so weird when it's revealed...

 

[Pink Ranger]

Taker without the hood.

Spoiler

It's not so much the baldness that I find disturbing, but it's his "awesome-smiley-face." awesome I don't think the Undertaker in character has ever smiled.

 

[TX85]

It's not so much the baldness that I find disturbing, but it's his "awesome-smiley-face." awesome I don't think the Undertaker in character has ever smiled.

Well he has as American Bad-A**,I find it interesting that in that pic he looks like maskless Kane with the shaved head and even the shirt makes him look a bit chubby..While Kane now has long hair and got in shape!!