Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:06 am  

Had it for a bit when it first launched over here.

I enjoy it, but I let it go because I'm not so fussed about ploughing back through the archives. Watched the Nitros when Hall and Nash debuted, and on a couple of months after Hogan's heel turn but that was my interest in the past episodes done.

I don't care about most PPVs. Rumble, WM and Summer Slam are all I watch, and I'm used to stealing them rather than paying for them. I will pay a tenner though so this is now how I do the PPVs I'm interested in. I pay up a few times through the year, maybe watch a few docs and any extra out of the ring content that shows up while I have it but then cancel and let the month run out.

I like NXT, and it's a shame it receded to network only but it's not worth a tenner every month to me. And neither are most of the PPVs.

I would probably pay £50 a week for true stories from the life of Vince McMahon though. TBH, I would not be surprised if the time I spend listening to wrestling podcasts and old wrestler's stories actually exceeds the amount of time I spend watching wrestling.

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Tue Dec 01, 2015 11:08 am  

I've been watching Raw on FF lately, since I got Foxtel. Painful. They've really backed themselves into a corner with the usage of old part-timers haven't they? The current crop just cannot draw, never mind PPVs but even on weeklies. Who would have thought a year ago that Kofi Kingston would be holding the show together? They desperately need a miraculous recovery from Daniel Bryan.

I think the most obvious way to rejuvenate interest in the product is a Cena heel turn once he returns. I don't know if Reigns can be the victim of another screwjob or not, but they have to shake it up somehow.

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Wed Dec 16, 2015 1:09 pm  

I've been watching a show on YouTube called Wrestling With Wregret. The guy that hosts it, Brian Zane, came up with a really good idea for WWE and that would be an off-season.
Or rather grouping up sets of guys together and having them run on a four year cycle so everyone gets some time off through the year meaning that guys have time to get over injuries/burnout and everyone still gets a chance to get a Wrestlemania payday. It's kind of hard to explain the lay out in just text, but the video has graphs and charts showing the breakdown of when people would be off and on.

I thought it was a really good idea as it would help freshen up the product and force WWE to invest in the whole roster rather than just the 2 or 3 guys they were using

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Mon Jan 18, 2016 9:33 pm  

richardviking wrote:

I've been watching Raw on FF lately, since I got Foxtel. Painful. They've really backed themselves into a corner with the usage of old part-timers haven't they? The current crop just cannot draw, never mind PPVs but even on weeklies. Who would have thought a year ago that Kofi Kingston would be holding the show together? They desperately need a miraculous recovery from Daniel Bryan.

I think the most obvious way to rejuvenate interest in the product is a Cena heel turn once he returns. I don't know if Reigns can be the victim of another screwjob or not, but they have to shake it up somehow.

The fact that they let Lesnar win the title and then not show up for 3 months was frankly appauling.

I also lay part of the blame at Cena for taking 3 promising heels in Wyatt, Rusev and Owens and reducing them to nothing more than common mid card fodder

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Mon Feb 01, 2016 1:45 pm  

Liam666 wrote:

The fact that they let Lesnar win the title and then not show up for 3 months was frankly appauling.

I also lay part of the blame at Cena for taking 3 promising heels in Wyatt, Rusev and Owens and reducing them to nothing more than common mid card fodder

Lesnar winning the title and not being on every show, I didn't mind. In fact, I thought it was quite a good idea as it made seeing the champion an event rather than an every day occurance.

And you can't blame Cena completely for Wyatt, Rusev and Owens. After all, it's not Cena who books the show

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Fri Mar 04, 2016 8:34 pm  

vbfg wrote:

TBH, I would not be surprised if the time I spend listening to wrestling podcasts and old wrestler's stories actually exceeds the amount of time I spend watching wrestling.

This is now the truest fact about me.

FWIW, I was a fan of Lesnar's run. Of all the matches we know are booked for Wrestlemania him and Ambrose is the one I'm actually looking forward to.

His whole shtick atm is the unstoppable beast. Everyone knows he's legit. In kayfabe he's the top guy, irrespective of who holds the title. Something pisses him off enough to turn up, and then he he either kicks ass or shenanigans happen and he loses. But only through shenanigans, cos nobody on that roster can beat him for real and everyone knows it. In kayfabe he doesn't show because he has no need to patronise these people. He's just above them all, and it's believable because even in his 40s it's still actually true.

That whole run set up Rollins' cash in. The best heel champ they'd had for years imo. He was whiny before and he was whiny after, but that cash in at that moment made him believable. He'd still be on top now if he hadn't knacked himself on the European tour

They obviously have to get Reigns out of their systems. I fear they're going to swerve us again and he loses, and then one year we're all expecting a swerve and they swerve that by putting him over. I'm hoping they just do it and let their face champion be booed out of every building from Dallas until eternity. Then they have to turn him and be done with it.

Eventually Rollins comes back. As a face. Crossfit Jesus, who shattered his knee for our sins, will save us all.

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Thu Mar 10, 2016 3:07 am  

Rollins is the new Michaels if they let him be. His move-set is sensational, too good to be heel. They should turn him face and have Roman heel. No brainer. At the moment though its hard not to get invested in Ambrose, he's really the only good regular fixture on the upper-reaches of the card in terms of likability. I hope the match with Lesnar is the making of him, even though I don't think he should go over.

Shane v Taker could be a great bump-fest if the boss' son still has it in him to take them. The rest of the card doesn't really interest me.

I got the Network before the Rumble and will probably cancel after Mania. Watched a few Monday Night Wars, which are ok but are dragged out. Going to try work through breaking ground before Mania as that looks a good show. Anything else worth a watch?

Luckily we have NXT on TV in Australia!

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:22 am  

richardviking wrote:

Anything else worth a watch?

I enjoy Table for Three when I see them. Three different wrestlers each time with some connection or other having a conversation. The one with William Regal is gold. Anything with William Regal telling stories in it is gold.

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:58 am  

It doesn't help that I basically have dial up internet but I will cancel the network now. Good for PPVs though.

I actually ordered Wrestlemania on PPV.

I have been reading a few forums and there seems outcry about the whole thing. Here are my thoughts:
- Ambrose got sold a dud really. Should have been made to look stronger or take more punishment at least. I was hoping he would win a rematch down the road if not tonight.
- Divas...sorry should I say Womens Title...was absolutely fantastic stuff. I think its the most credible division at the moment.
- Title match was dull. But it didn't help that it was was at the end of a 5 hour show....7 hours if you count the pre-show!
- Loved the undercard.
- Shane is a maniac. Really didn't want him to go all the way to the top of the cell...hasn't been done in 18 years! I Hope he is OK. I can't see him sticking around but it was fun while it lasted.
- The Rock segment was pretty good. Wish they'd taken the opportunity for the heel turn from Cena though.
- Apalled that Austin is treated like any other old-timer...he deserves as much individual screen time as Rocky. HBK was in ridiculously good shape.

I am now on a complete downer that Mania is all over. This happens every year. I'll probably watch for two more weeks then forget about the squared circle until Summerslam.

Re: Men in Lycra - the Wrestling thread : Tue Apr 05, 2016 12:01 am  

Loved the women's match. Love the dropping of the Diva branding. Beyond past time for that, but at least they're not completely out of touch. Rumour is there are big plans for them coming up, and they're surely bringing Bayley up from NXT soon too. Shame AJ Lee isn't there to be part of it, because if anyone started this "revolution"...

The IC match at the beginning was amazing. I was actually stood up out of my seat on at least three separate occasions for that. Cheering Owens' heeling, bouncing at the thought of Zayn doing it and over the moon for Zack Ryder after what they did to him before - which apparently included telling him he was going over on one RAW, him getting his entire family down for it only for them to change the finish five minutes before the show and he got squashed in about thirty seconds. Cruel, but that's sometimes Vince's idea of a rib. So nice that he got to win something at Mania with his dad hugging him in the ring.

I was listening to the Cheap Heat podcast at the weekend and they mentioned Cesaro was up and about and looking really well. They predicted a surprise appearance for him, which didn't happen.

Here's my prediction: Cesaro returns on RAW tonight and wins the IC belt off Ryder. Ryder winning was the nod to the crowd. Over now, he gave us something to be happy about and so did his job.

I wouldn't be surprised if Reigns isn't on RAW tonight. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they try to make him look strong by having him turn up to squash someone and then get him off the air for a few weeks, like they do with Lesnar (who is actually legit and everyone knows it, so it works). Reigns as champ until Summerslam with two or three defences at most until then. Calling it now.

Don't get me started on Shane v Taker. Enjoyed the match, but to dangle that story and then snatch it away. WTFing F.