The Wrestling Thread Is Full, But We Hear TNA Is Hiring! - Part 250

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Ciampa's heel game is off the charts :applaud:lmao:
After some deep reflection, I have come to the conclusion that Tommaso Ciampa transcends the sport of professional wrestling. Truth be told, I am insulted when people define me as a “wrestler”

I am a Sports Entertainer.

I am Tommy Entertainment.
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From his twitter
 
Aleister Black's waistcoats outfit made him look like a pro snooker player.
 
People are giving Cena **** for having Nikki sign a contract when she moved in, but I think it was really smart. Imagine buying a mansion, and finding out that your live-in girlfriend who you never married suddenly gets to own half of it.
 
Around this time of year, with WrestleMania just done, I like to think ahead to what could be potential marquee matches at NEXT year's WrestleMania. So, provided the build is done right, here are the pairings which I feel have the potential to headline WrestleMania 35...

RAW

SETH ROLLINS VS ROMAN REIGNS
Yes, I think Raw's best prospect for a hot main event is having Roman Reigns headlining for a 5th consecutive year, even after 3 of his previous attempts were unmitigated disasters. Here's the thing, I don't hate Roman Reigns. I actually think he's a consistently good, sometimes even great performer, who at this point has probably had more quality big matches in WWE than Dean Ambrose, if we're comparing Shield members. He has plenty of potential to be a top guy for years to come... and WWE are ruining it, and doing serious damage to him, because they won't let him be a heel. Even as someone who always resisted the calls to turn Cena heel, with Reigns I say it's the only choice to preserve his main event career at this point. Some of his best matches, like the ones he had against AJ Styles, have had him in the big bully heel role, plus out of the ring he just has this smarmy, arrogant demeanor which suits a heel more than a face. The problem isn't that Roman sucks. The problem is that WWE have 2000 Triple H on their hands, and are trying to push him like 1997 Steve Austin.

If you let Reigns be the monster heel champion he was meant to be, then suddenly all that stagnation in the Universal Title scene goes away, and a whole bunch of exciting scenarios open up to crown a mega babyface by setting them up against him. And, for me, thinking about who the best possible guy to set up as his arch rival and flagship Raw babyface, the answer is Seth Rollins. He too has suffered from WWE's obsession with making Roman The Guy. He was ready-made to be top babyface in the company when he came back from his injury, but they insisted on keeping him heel at first before the Triple H double-cross and eventual subsequent face turn, which stalled his momentum. But after some recent performances he's got that momentum back, and I think face Rollins VS heel Reigns could become a defining rivalry for both guys that makes both bigger stars, if handled correctly.

ROMAN REIGNS VS BRAUN STROWMAN
The Roman scenario is the same as above, only here the scenario is you use him to set up BRAUN~! as the top babyface. I think Rollins would be the stronger choice, but I like BRAUN~! too, and can't deny his popularity. Plus, here you could work in the history between Reigns and Strowman in setting up the match.

SAMI ZAYN VS KEVIN OWENS
This is maybe more a "match I'd like to see at WrestleMania" than "a match WWE would like to see at WrestleMania," but I still think if done right it could be huge. Zayn and Owens are both prime candidates to snatch up a Money in the Bank briefcase this year, if you ask me, and I think there could be a great slow-boil story out of one of them cashing in and winning the title, and the other growing jealous and eventually turning on them. Given their history, Owens probably makes the most sense to do the turning. From there, the video package building on their shared history alone could set this up to feel very dramatic. Still, I see this being the Raw marquee match on a Mania where they opt for a Smackdown main event.

FINN BALOR VS ROMAN REIGNS
This is one I'm less confident about than the other three, but for me there's still a big untold story in Finn Balor making a serious play for the Universal Title which he never really lost. He's not brought out the Demon for a good long while either, so doing it at Mania could make for a huge moment as well. And again, the most natural heel opponent I can think of to set him against would be Roman Reigns.


SMACKDOWN

DANIEL BRYAN VS THE MIZ
If I'm WWE, and I have a whiteboard with a header up top reading "MONEY MATCHES," then right now I'm taking a marker and writing out "Daniel Bryan VS The Miz" underneath it. These two have a storied rivalry going back to 2010, one which has had twists and turns and seen both wrestlers end up in very different positions. It officially got white hot about 18 months ago, after Miz's infamous Talking Smack tirade against Bryan, and at that point it became the hottest feud in all of WWE, even with Bryan retired and no apparent payoff for it in sight. And since then, it's been kept going with all Miz's digs at Bryan and him stealing the Yes Kicks. Now that Bryan is cleared, there's no reason this can't be built up as an event showdown, a culmination of years of drama. The audience is gonna be WHITE HOT for this, like this to me would be WWE's best shot at creating a Gargano/Ciampa atmosphere in a WrestleMania stadium setting. The only reason I can think of not to run this at Mania would be that the story is TOO hot to sit on it, and they might have to blow it off by SummerSlam at the latest.

AJ STYLES VS SAMOA JOE
Much like Shinsuke Nakamura VS AJ Styles was a dream match for Mania at this year's WrestleMania, as it involved revisiting an acclaimed NJPW encounter on the grandest of WWE stages, a showdown with Samoa Joe would do the same thing, only playing off the pair's TNA history. I'd say bringing these two back together would be an even bigger deal for me, if anything, as Joe/Styles from Turning Point 2005 and the Unbreakable 3-way with them and Christopher Daniels are still among my all-time favourite matches, and were huge matches for me in my own personal wrestling history, cementing both as favourites of mine to this day. Having them clash at Mania over a decade after those first encounters, therefore, would have this huge "full circle" feeling for me. Plus I think both do superior character work now than they did then, so the match would have a feeling of gravitas to draw in a wider audience, too.

SAMOA JOE VS DANIEL BRYAN
As is the case with Bryan/Miz, I'm not sure if they can hold off on Styles/Joe until Mania, and they might be tempted to run it at Summerslam. I can actually see Joe being set up to have a lengthy title reign and be an incumbent champion heading into WrestleMania. If so, I can't think of a more exciting babyface to dethrone him there than Daniel Bryan. He's the most over face on the roster, and this would be the perfect place to complete his rise back to the top, 5 years after first reaching the pinnacle. Plus the match would be off the charts excellent.

JOHN CENA VS AJ STYLES
For 3 years now, WWE have been playing with this story of how the one thing Cena is striving for, that one last thing eluding him in his career, is to get more World Title wins than Ric Flair. And while the whole conversation of whether he should be allowed to surpass Flair is something to have elsewhere, if you're gonna do it, WrestleMania would be the place to do it. I think Samoa Joe could also be a worthwhile opponent to set him against in this situation, but I went for Styles, as perhaps Cena's best opponent in recent years. Give Cena his landmark title win at Mania, and set up what I imagine will be his swansong run in the company as he preps to move more and more into the movie world.


INTER-BRAND

CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS RONDA ROUSEY
This might be the most likely candidate of all to headline WrestleMania. I think it's time to put the women on top of the card. I actually think, with better build, Asuka/Charlotte could have headlined this year, and given it was the best match on the card it would have had a better shot at sending the crowd home happy than they stinker they left us with instead. But Charlotte/Ronda would be even bigger, and draw some mainstream press too, I imagine. I'm still not a fan of transphobic Sandy Hook truther Ronda Rousey, and so not overly keen on including her in such a landmark moment in WWE history. But if she's still around by next year and still as insanely over, then she'll have proven she has staying power, and it would be leaving money on the table not to feature her here and make this match the biggest marquee it could possibly be.

What about you guys? Based on the current rosters, what do you see as potential Mania marquee matches?
 
TheVileOne said:
You seem to have it out for Big Cass, Dr. Evil ;)
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I don't think he's all that good at anything. I enjoy big guys in wrestling too and three of my favorites currently are Keith Lee, Walter and Jeff Cobb. I enjoy the work of Lars Sullivan and I get a big smile when Braun destroys stuff. I always liked Mark Henry. My issue with Big Cass is that they have done nothing with him that makes him stand out. I do hope that things will be different this time around. Right now, he's a younger version of Big Show except without any titles.
 
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Keyser Soze said:
Yeah, especially with that segment they set up in last night's show, a great follow-up would be presenting Nikki as someone who does not give a damn and who is not scared in the slightest of Shayna.
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When Nikki appears, the crowd in NXT massively pops for her. She is great. It may be why she wasn't called up. 0% chance that Nikki follows Shayna's ground rules from last night.

Also, what exactly is Kona Reeves gimmick?
 
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And the pawnshop rope in question.

DbF6Th1WsAAyU0D.jpg
 
Samoa Joe is a great addition to Smackdown Live. He is also a friend of Daniel Bryan, so he will protect Daniel when these two meet.
 
Reigns shouldn't even try unscripted trash talking samoa Joe. Roman isn't on Joe's level in that department.

Luke Harper is a good big man wrestler in the WWE.

I didn't hate Big Cass solo run when Enzo was injured on NXT. Wasn't a big fan of his heel run on Raw.
 
All Joe does is spit fire. Wonder what he's got in his arsenal to explain his pending loss at Backlash?
 
I an excited for a second season of Edge and Christian, the UK tapings and the second Mae Young Classic.
 
Keyser Soze said:
Around this time of year, with WrestleMania just done, I like to think ahead to what could be potential marquee matches at NEXT year's WrestleMania. So, provided the build is done right, here are the pairings which I feel have the potential to headline WrestleMania 35...

RAW

SETH ROLLINS VS ROMAN REIGNS
Yes, I think Raw's best prospect for a hot main event is having Roman Reigns headlining for a 5th consecutive year, even after 3 of his previous attempts were unmitigated disasters. Here's the thing, I don't hate Roman Reigns. I actually think he's a consistently good, sometimes even great performer, who at this point has probably had more quality big matches in WWE than Dean Ambrose, if we're comparing Shield members. He has plenty of potential to be a top guy for years to come... and WWE are ruining it, and doing serious damage to him, because they won't let him be a heel. Even as someone who always resisted the calls to turn Cena heel, with Reigns I say it's the only choice to preserve his main event career at this point. Some of his best matches, like the ones he had against AJ Styles, have had him in the big bully heel role, plus out of the ring he just has this smarmy, arrogant demeanor which suits a heel more than a face. The problem isn't that Roman sucks. The problem is that WWE have 2000 Triple H on their hands, and are trying to push him like 1997 Steve Austin.

If you let Reigns be the monster heel champion he was meant to be, then suddenly all that stagnation in the Universal Title scene goes away, and a whole bunch of exciting scenarios open up to crown a mega babyface by setting them up against him. And, for me, thinking about who the best possible guy to set up as his arch rival and flagship Raw babyface, the answer is Seth Rollins. He too has suffered from WWE's obsession with making Roman The Guy. He was ready-made to be top babyface in the company when he came back from his injury, but they insisted on keeping him heel at first before the Triple H double-cross and eventual subsequent face turn, which stalled his momentum. But after some recent performances he's got that momentum back, and I think face Rollins VS heel Reigns could become a defining rivalry for both guys that makes both bigger stars, if handled correctly.

ROMAN REIGNS VS BRAUN STROWMAN
The Roman scenario is the same as above, only here the scenario is you use him to set up BRAUN~! as the top babyface. I think Rollins would be the stronger choice, but I like BRAUN~! too, and can't deny his popularity. Plus, here you could work in the history between Reigns and Strowman in setting up the match.

SAMI ZAYN VS KEVIN OWENS
This is maybe more a "match I'd like to see at WrestleMania" than "a match WWE would like to see at WrestleMania," but I still think if done right it could be huge. Zayn and Owens are both prime candidates to snatch up a Money in the Bank briefcase this year, if you ask me, and I think there could be a great slow-boil story out of one of them cashing in and winning the title, and the other growing jealous and eventually turning on them. Given their history, Owens probably makes the most sense to do the turning. From there, the video package building on their shared history alone could set this up to feel very dramatic. Still, I see this being the Raw marquee match on a Mania where they opt for a Smackdown main event.

FINN BALOR VS ROMAN REIGNS
This is one I'm less confident about than the other three, but for me there's still a big untold story in Finn Balor making a serious play for the Universal Title which he never really lost. He's not brought out the Demon for a good long while either, so doing it at Mania could make for a huge moment as well. And again, the most natural heel opponent I can think of to set him against would be Roman Reigns.


SMACKDOWN

DANIEL BRYAN VS THE MIZ
If I'm WWE, and I have a whiteboard with a header up top reading "MONEY MATCHES," then right now I'm taking a marker and writing out "Daniel Bryan VS The Miz" underneath it. These two have a storied rivalry going back to 2010, one which has had twists and turns and seen both wrestlers end up in very different positions. It officially got white hot about 18 months ago, after Miz's infamous Talking Smack tirade against Bryan, and at that point it became the hottest feud in all of WWE, even with Bryan retired and no apparent payoff for it in sight. And since then, it's been kept going with all Miz's digs at Bryan and him stealing the Yes Kicks. Now that Bryan is cleared, there's no reason this can't be built up as an event showdown, a culmination of years of drama. The audience is gonna be WHITE HOT for this, like this to me would be WWE's best shot at creating a Gargano/Ciampa atmosphere in a WrestleMania stadium setting. The only reason I can think of not to run this at Mania would be that the story is TOO hot to sit on it, and they might have to blow it off by SummerSlam at the latest.

AJ STYLES VS SAMOA JOE
Much like Shinsuke Nakamura VS AJ Styles was a dream match for Mania at this year's WrestleMania, as it involved revisiting an acclaimed NJPW encounter on the grandest of WWE stages, a showdown with Samoa Joe would do the same thing, only playing off the pair's TNA history. I'd say bringing these two back together would be an even bigger deal for me, if anything, as Joe/Styles from Turning Point 2005 and the Unbreakable 3-way with them and Christopher Daniels are still among my all-time favourite matches, and were huge matches for me in my own personal wrestling history, cementing both as favourites of mine to this day. Having them clash at Mania over a decade after those first encounters, therefore, would have this huge "full circle" feeling for me. Plus I think both do superior character work now than they did then, so the match would have a feeling of gravitas to draw in a wider audience, too.

SAMOA JOE VS DANIEL BRYAN
As is the case with Bryan/Miz, I'm not sure if they can hold off on Styles/Joe until Mania, and they might be tempted to run it at Summerslam. I can actually see Joe being set up to have a lengthy title reign and be an incumbent champion heading into WrestleMania. If so, I can't think of a more exciting babyface to dethrone him there than Daniel Bryan. He's the most over face on the roster, and this would be the perfect place to complete his rise back to the top, 5 years after first reaching the pinnacle. Plus the match would be off the charts excellent.

JOHN CENA VS AJ STYLES
For 3 years now, WWE have been playing with this story of how the one thing Cena is striving for, that one last thing eluding him in his career, is to get more World Title wins than Ric Flair. And while the whole conversation of whether he should be allowed to surpass Flair is something to have elsewhere, if you're gonna do it, WrestleMania would be the place to do it. I think Samoa Joe could also be a worthwhile opponent to set him against in this situation, but I went for Styles, as perhaps Cena's best opponent in recent years. Give Cena his landmark title win at Mania, and set up what I imagine will be his swansong run in the company as he preps to move more and more into the movie world.


INTER-BRAND

CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS RONDA ROUSEY
This might be the most likely candidate of all to headline WrestleMania. I think it's time to put the women on top of the card. I actually think, with better build, Asuka/Charlotte could have headlined this year, and given it was the best match on the card it would have had a better shot at sending the crowd home happy than they stinker they left us with instead. But Charlotte/Ronda would be even bigger, and draw some mainstream press too, I imagine. I'm still not a fan of transphobic Sandy Hook truther Ronda Rousey, and so not overly keen on including her in such a landmark moment in WWE history. But if she's still around by next year and still as insanely over, then she'll have proven she has staying power, and it would be leaving money on the table not to feature her here and make this match the biggest marquee it could possibly be.

What about you guys? Based on the current rosters, what do you see as potential Mania marquee matches?
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I would never want Vince to go with Balor as the top guy. I don't buy for a second that he would be comfortable with Finn in that role, and if Vince doesn't buy it then it's going to suck for the fans. He`s going to be back there hemming and hawing the whole time and Finn's push would be half-hearted and just lead to hurt feelings from his fans.

Rollins I could see MAYBE but Strowman seems like the best middle ground in my opinion. We can want who we want, but if Vince isn't digging them too we`re out of luck.
 
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Ember Moon and AoP finishing up with NXT this weekend.

Also, former American Ninja Warrior Kacy Catanzaro debuted at tonight's NXT Live event, which surprised me a bit.
 
Doug_Moore said:
30712650_10212450677889895_7347955609070731264_n.jpg


Something Else To Wrestle With, what did you guys think?
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I enjoyed it. The most interesting bit was a side story about Shane McMahon wanting to run WCW himself out of Atlanta. I'd take that alternate timeline any day over that crap we got.
 
Wheels said:
I enjoyed it. The most interesting bit was a side story about Shane McMahon wanting to run WCW himself out of Atlanta. I'd take that alternate timeline any day over that crap we got.
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I enjoyed it too, but I don't think it's going to last long.
 
Dr. Evil said:
Because I can see the WWE trying to interfere in what Prichard and Thompson has to say. I hope not.
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Bruce knows how to work with WWE. Besides the original podcast is still running on Fridays.
 
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