The Wrestling Thread Has More Hype Than WrestleMania XXIX - Part 91

[I'm Venom]

I found these on NoDQ.com and just thought they were interesting, and some are funny.

- Chris Benoit left the company as WCW Champion. He offered to lose the title to whoever they wanted, but was told instead to just leave. Those backstage who questioned the move were told that Benoit was a vanilla midget who would never draw. Guerrero, Malenko, and Saturn were all granted unconditional releases as well. Despite being mid-carders most of their WCW careers, their RAW debut drew a 6.59 rating to Nitro's 2.79. The peak of RAW's ratings was during the main event, featuring - you guessed it - Benoit, Malenko, Guerrero, and Saturn, AKA The "Vanilla Midgets." Their match drew a rating of 8.1.

- In a segment said to be hilarious live, Elix Skipper was talking trash and challenging Goldberg. Goldberg came out behind Skipper. Skipper kept turning, and Goldberg kept adjusting his position so Skipper couldn't see him. All of this was on the big screen, which Skipper was looking right at and could see Goldberg behind him, but because they didn't consider this when making the angle, he had to pretend.

- WCW booked an Inferno Match between Sting and Vampiro. The match ended with a stunt double dressed as Sting plummeting off the big movie screen and through a hole in the ramp which was filled with foam. WCW's commentary team then proceeded to basically rehash the commentary from JR and Jerry Lawler after Owen Hart's accident. The comapny subsequently received tousands and thousands of letters complaining about the distatseful nature of the incident.

- WCW claimed that Three Count's album (which didn't exist) had gone Platinum. Evan Karagious also claimed their second album would be even bigger and go Gold. (For those who aren't aware, Platinum CDs > Gold CDs).

- WCW paid James Brown $25,000 to show up and dance for 2 minutes at SuperBrawl 2000 without advertising his appearance at all. He was paid $25,000 because they felt he could draw viewers, but nobody knew he was going to be there.

- WCW rigged the polls on their website. For example, if people voted for Billy Kidman/Rey Mysterio, the vote would actually go to Hulk Hogan/Sid. Hogan used this as evidence that Kidman "couldn't headline a wrestling show at a flea market."

 

[Kaleb]

I found these on NoDQ.com and just thought they were interesting, and some are funny.

I believe Nash was responsible for the term ''Vanilla midget''.

 

[sweetre15]

I believe Nash was responsible for the term ''Vanilla midget''.

What also amuses me is that Nash recently had said Something along the lines of seeing Guerrero and Benoit as champions respectively made him feel like wrestling was dead because of not being "larger-than-life" personas from those type of wrestlers. He also critiqued CM Punk and Danielson with those sentiments.

It's hypocritical of him to say something like that considering that Shawn Michaels, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall are ALL smaller wrestlers. I also doubt he'd such things about Bret Hart, Ric Flair or Macho Man.

 

[Slushy]

Maria was over (kind of baffled they never gave her because of it), but I used to trash talk her because she wasn't good in the ring. After watching Kelly Kelly, I owe Maria an apology.

The mystery diva is Melina. Her and Maria didn't get along.




Re: Del Rio

They have no choice, but to push him. Rey's on his last legs and Sin Cara was a bust. Besides, if they can shove talentless hoss like Ryback into the main event, Alberto, who is a million times better performer, is more deserving to keep his spot.

 

[Metallo]

Originally Posted by I'm Venom
I found these on NoDQ.com and just thought they were interesting, and some are funny

- Chris Benoit left the company as WCW Champion. He offered to lose the title to whoever they wanted, but was told instead to just leave. Those backstage who questioned the move were told that Benoit was a vanilla midget who would never draw. Guerrero, Malenko, and Saturn were all granted unconditional releases as well. Despite being mid-carders most of their WCW careers, their RAW debut drew a 6.59 rating to Nitro's 2.79. The peak of RAW's ratings was during the main event, featuring - you guessed it - Benoit, Malenko, Guerrero, and Saturn, AKA The "Vanilla Midgets." Their match drew a rating of 8.1.

This has always been hilarious to me. Never heard the part about Benoit offering to drop the belt to anyone though. I always wondered if he just left since even the belt wasn't enough to keep him around. If this is all true WCW has managed to look even worse in my eyes.

This is the same company that let Flair go without even working out a deal to drop the belt years before so I shouldn't be surprised. Its also the same company that saw nothing in Austin either. Its just hilarious that WCW kept getting proven wrong over and over at the expense of Nitros ratings.

Damn Nash. For all the good work he's done he's behind sh** like this. It was awful for WCW to give him any kind of booking power or influence.

- In a segment said to be hilarious live, Elix Skipper was talking trash and challenging Goldberg. Goldberg came out behind Skipper. Skipper kept turning, and Goldberg kept adjusting his position so Skipper couldn't see him. All of this was on the big screen, which Skipper was looking right at and could see Goldberg behind him, but because they didn't consider this when making the angle, he had to pretend.

Par for the course back then. I mean...seriously...crap like this used to happen on a pretty regular basis near the end.

- WCW booked an Inferno Match between Sting and Vampiro. The match ended with a stunt double dressed as Sting plummeting off the big movie screen and through a hole in the ramp which was filled with foam. WCW's commentary team then proceeded to basically rehash the commentary from JR and Jerry Lawler after Owen Hart's accident. The company subsequently received tousands and thousands of letters complaining about the distatseful nature of the incident.

I hated this. I mean I just thought it was SOOO bad. Just f***ing awful. I was looking forward to the Sting/Vampiro feud at first but it ended up being one of the most awful things Stings ever been involved in...and I remember Sting vs Abyss in TNA!

I didn't even think about Owen when Sting fell. I just thought he whole stunt and the angle was so damn dumb. It was even more dumb when the announcers played it up like such a big deal. It was just embaressing. It was an obvious stunt guy too. NWO Sting was more convincing for God's sake.

- WCW paid James Brown $25,000 to show up and dance for 2 minutes at SuperBrawl 2000 without advertising his appearance at all. He was paid $25,000 because they felt he could draw viewers, but nobody knew he was going to be there.

I remember this. Wasn't he used with Ernest Miller back then? These were the typical kinds of screw ups that put WCW under. They would do things big things or big returns and not even advertise them.

- WCW rigged the polls on their website. For example, if people voted for Billy Kidman/Rey Mysterio, the vote would actually go to Hulk Hogan/Sid. Hogan used this as evidence that Kidman "couldn't headline a wrestling show at a flea market."

I remember their "feud' and I can believe it. Its just the kind of thing Hogan would do and him working with Kidman that time never made any sense to me either. I always felt Hogan was working a different kind of behind the scenes angle there.

 

[Metallo]

Originally Posted by Slushy
Maria was over (kind of baffled they never gave her because of it), but I used to trash talk her because she wasn't good in the ring. After watching Kelly Kelly, I owe Maria an apology.

The mystery diva is Melina. Her and Maria didn't get along.

You mean the mystery diva that Maria was talking about in her shoot or the mystery diva who was asked back to work Wrestlemania but refused to work with Maria? If so how do you know she was asked back and that she was the only one? Sounds like there was more than one.

Originally Posted by sweetre15
What also amuses me is that Nash recently had said Something along the lines of seeing Guerrero and Benoit as champions respectively made him feel like wrestling was dead because of not being "larger-than-life" personas from those type of wrestlers. He also critiqued CM Punk and Danielson with those sentiments.

That just makes Nash look like an even bigger fool years later. None of his comebacks have been as sucessful as Benoit and Guererros main event runs. His last two WWE runs have been duds. Especially the last one. He and Triple H stunk it up...in two seperate feuds.

With Punk I have to wonder if that was him stirring the pot to stay relevant once Punk got a big push. He loves doing that on twitter. He also said he wanted to work with Punk. He went back and fourth on saying that then being critical of him. He had to know it would rile some fans up so I think some of what he was saying was him working to get a spot. Eventually he did get to work with Punk too.

I think he meant what he said about their looks but he had to know Punk wasn't vanilla real quick.

It's hypocritical of him to say something like that considering that Shawn Michaels, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall are ALL smaller wrestlers. I also doubt he'd such things about Bret Hart, Ric Flair or Macho Man.

Halls smaller than Nash but he's NOT a small guy. He had to be at least 6'4" back then. He had the kind of size people in the business usually look for. He was never super jacked up like Batista or anybody similar but at the time the NWO started he certainly wasn't any smaller than Hogan. He could move pretty well for a guy his size though and he could work.

What gets me more than anything is Shawns buddies of all people being critical of smaller or more average sized wrestlers. Shawn may have been the smallest WWF champion of the 90s but his size was never a negative factor in his work back then. He got even lighter when he came back and he was still great. He was a LOT leaner than Benoit in the 2000's.

Thats a good point about Savage in particular. He pretty much shattered that New York idea of bigger always being better a decade before Nash hit it big with the NWO and Savage was even IN WCW at that time. I can understand the "vanilla" criticisms but the "midget" thing didn't hold any water by the late 90s. Guys didn't need to be giants to get over. Austin was in great shape but he wasn't 6'4" and up.

 

[TheFuture]

The Punk/Taker build up absolutely sucks. Punk was actually aimlessly rambling on Raw.

As for Cena/Rock, Cena actually came across as psychotic. Surely this isn't the start of a Cena heel turn?

 

[Metallo]

Probably not...but it was a refreshing tease. I don't even need to see him turn heel he just needs to show some more realistic human emotion and flaws. Be more serious.

I'd be fine with him as a face if he didn't blow off every wrong done to him with an "awe shucks" attitude or "rise above the hate" speech every time. Get a little angry and slefish sometimes, Cena. Even Hogan did when he was a babyface. Hogan wasn't averse to cheating if someone cheated against him first.

Cena can just be such a vanilla f***ing Oissie and Harriet robot sometimes that he's not relatable or human.

 

[Slushy]

Because Melina is the only one Maria has gone on record to have a problem with. Not like Melina has anything else better to do now.

I heard That One Guy left WCW because he knew he only got the title as a means to get him to stay and with Kevin Sullivan in charge, his reign was going to be booked to sh**.

As for Nash, the guy is a giant troll. He'll saying anything to get attention since he loves getting smarks all worked up.

 

[Kaleb]

Because Melina is the only one Maria has gone on record to have a problem with. Not like Melina has anything else better to do now.

I heard That One Guy left WCW because he knew he only got the title as a means to get him to stay and with Kevin Sullivan in charge, his reign was going to be booked to sh**.

As for Nash, the guy is a giant troll. He'll saying anything to get attention since he loves getting smarks all worked up.

Benoit and Sullivan never got on from what I recall

 

[Metallo]

Originally Posted by Slushy
Because Melina is the only one Maria has gone on record to have a problem with. Not like Melina has anything else better to do now.

Like I asked before...do you mean in the shoot or who refused to work with Maria at Wrestlemania?

According to reports, if true, it was MORE than one woman who refused to work with Maria. And Melinas name never came up among women asked to come back. It was usually, Kelly, Maryse, Eve, Beth, and The Bellas. The Bellas of course did return.

If it was only Melina they could have told her they didn't want her and got Maria instead. Melina had heat with some of these women too so shouldn't they both had had issues with other women when asked back? Melina alone wouldn't have been worth holding up the planned old divas vs new divas match...especially since she herself had heat with managment during the Trish/Snookie thing at Mania. Even Michelle McCool alluded to Melinas issues with some other women. If anyone would have people not wanting to work with them it would be Melina.

The heat in this return fuss supposedly stemmed from something Maria said in an interview after she left WWE.

 

[NDX]

That was an impressive feat of strength by Hernandez there.

I've also been knowing that Chavo's had hair replacement surgery and is the only one in the ring with a head of hair.

 

[Metallo]

I see Impact started off with Anderson worked shooting on Hardy. I wonder if Jeff can pull a halfway decent match out of kenny tonight? Damn he looks so out of place in Aces & Eights.

Originally Posted by NDX
That was an impressive feat of strength by Hernandez there.

I've also been knowing that Chavo's had hair replacement surgery and is the only one in the ring with a head of hair.

His was pretty obvious because I remember him thinning for years. And in WWE he had like..two hairs in front for a while. Not that I care what he did but yeah its noticable.

I'm surprised Sting hasn't had his thinning hair touched up. I don't think he'd need nearly as much work done as Chavo. Guess some wrestlers aren't as worried about it.

 

[Metallo]

I guess Tara is Gails back up in this feud. Makes sense since she'd need help against Velvet and Taryn. Gail and Tara would make for a pretty good female tag team with Jesse as their...uh...sorta kinda "Meat" or "Kip" or whatever.

 

[NDX]

Scrap Iron could get a TNA contract? I'd approve of that.

I thought that was Scorpio Sky or whatever his name was at first. Who is Magno?

 

[NDX]

Dammit I might have to start following Hall on twitter

That deserves a

That's the biggest ****ing UFO I have ever seen. Castagnoli is the beastliest of beasts!

 

[OnTheAir]

I remember this. Wasn't he used with Ernest Miller back then? These were the typical kinds of screw ups that put WCW under. They would do things big things or big returns and not even advertise them.

Yes, I remember them hooking James Brown up with Ernest Miller. With no build-up. Genius.

WCW was a trainwreck down the stretch. But damn, I miss them. The Monday Night War was among my favorite eras in wrestling. The business is SO much more interesting with two (or more) companies on equal footing.

Halls smaller than Nash but he's NOT a small guy. He had to be at least 6'4" back then. He had the kind of size people in the business usually look for. He was never super jacked up like Batista or anybody similar but at the time the NWO started he certainly wasn't any smaller than Hogan. He could move pretty well for a guy his size though and he could work.

Hall was billed as being 6'6" or 6'7", so he was probably slightly under that. Definitely not a "vanilla midget."

Hall is one of my all-time favorites. Had the talent and charisma to be a world champion. I'm heartbroken that he has never really been able to overcome his substance abuse isses.

 

[Metallo]

Good speech by Storm. I especially like the "open hands of beers and talking vs closed fists and fighting" bit.

I really like what they are doing with AJ Styles. In some ways it IS similar to what Sting did over 15 years ago but its also different enough that it feels interesting. The look AJ is sporting is a nice update with the hair, the beard, the hood, and the leather jacket. Very cool. I imagine he won't go through the exact same kind of tests Sting set up either. Its more that stoicism thats so familiar. TNA's doing just enough to make this AJ's own thing. I hope it pays off.

I gotta say I dig what Festus is doing as DOC but damn those other two jobbers just don't help Aces & Eights look good at all. DOC is HUGE and I buy him as biker muscle but not those other two. Especially not Baby Bischoff. He looks like a kid play acting (badly).

 

[Metallo]

Whoa...Petey Williams! I'd love to see him come back for the X-Division.

Roode looks like he was born to carry a championship belt. He always makes em look good.

That Lockdown recap was awesome. They even made Hogans bit sound cool.

 

[OnTheAir]

Scrap Iron could get a TNA contract? I'd approve of that.

How sad is it that a 5-time NWA champion gets thrown into Gut Check? Back in the day, having that on your resume would have guaranteed you a spot on the roster AND a push!

It's astonishing how far the world title held by greats like Thesz, Brisco, Funk, Race, Rhodes and Flair has fallen. And, again, sad.

 

[OnTheAir]

I really like what they are doing with AJ Styles. In some ways it IS similar to what Sting did over 15 years ago but its also different enough that it feels interesting. The look AJ is sporting is a nice update with the hair, the beard, the hood, and the leather jacket. Very cool. I imagine he won't go through the exact same kind of tests Sting set up either. Its more that stoicism thats so familiar. TNA's doing just enough to make this AJ's own thing. I hope it pays off.

It really is fitting that AJ is in this Sting-like storyline. Much like Sting was "the franchise" of WCW, AJ has been "the franchise" of TNA.

 

[OnTheAir]

Whoa...Petey Williams! I'd love to see him come back for the X-Division.

Roode looks like he was born to carry a championship belt. He always makes em look good.

That Lockdown recap was awesome. They even made Hogans bit sound cool.

Looking forward to seeing Petey. As contrived as it is, I am a total mark for the Canadian Destroyer!

Roode definitely has "the look." I didn't always recognize it, but dude is a star.

 

[JabarR]

Whoa...Petey Williams! I'd love to see him come back for the X-Division.

He's in Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors now

http://www.hulu.com/lucha-libre-usa-masked-warriors

 

[NDX]

Looking forward to seeing Petey. As contrived as it is, I am a total mark for the Canadian Destroyer!

Roode definitely has "the look." I didn't always recognize it, but dude is a star.

I hate the Canadian Destroyer. Except for when it happens from the middle or top ropes. That's when I find it believable enough to enjoy. Otherwise, I just think it's ********.

 

[Metallo]

I like Petey...but its a terrible godd*** move. I mean it looks flashy but its just absurd. Its the worse kind of wrestling move that just totally takes you out of it. They may as well flash a neon sign above the ring that says "fake."