Poll: Ask a Wrestling fan, for Non-Fans

[Shockolate]

Not much of a question, more of an opinion I'd like to have another's thoughts on.

I think that WWE is trying to "test the waters" with a John Cena heel turn without trying to jump the gun.

He slapped Roddy Piper, got humiliated by Mick Foley, and completely shown up by The Rock. I think they're trying to make people hate him, but his still such a huge draw and still sells so much merchandise despite half the crowd (and a lot of smarks) hating him.

They don't know what to do with him.

Just my thoughts.

1) Why does Michael Cole exist? Why is he still around? WHY GOD WHY?!

I had a few thoughts on this just last night. My thoughts:

Michael Cole has been a huge butt monkey for years, and even now, some of the shit he has to put up with is terrible. But fact is, Cole is a heel commentator. He roots for the bad guys, mocks the good guys, and shits on the smark's favorites.

He's a bad guy. Bad guy's are supposed to make people hate them. And you have to admit, Cole does a fantastic job of it.

I still like JR more though. Just musing on why they keep Cole around.

 

[imei2011]

Not much of a question, my of an opinion I'd like to have another's thoughts on.

I think that WWE is trying to "test the waters" with a John Cena heel turn without trying to jump the gun.

He slapped Roddy Piper, got humiliated by Mick Foley, and completely shown up by The Rock. I think they're trying to make people hate him, but his still such ahuge draw and still sells so much merchandise despite half the crowd (and a lot of smarks) hating him.

They don't know what to do with him.

Just my thoughts.

1) Why does Michael Cole exist? Why is he still around? WHY GOD WHY?!

I had a few thoughts on this just last night. My thoughts:

Michael Cole has been a huge butt monkey for years, and even now, some of the shit he has to put up with is terrible. But fact is, Cole is a heel commentator. he roots for the bad guys, mocks the good guys, and shits on the smark's favorites.

He's a bad guy. Bad guy's are supposed to make people hate them. And you have to admit, Cole does a fantastic job of it.

Agreed I think it works Cole and The King commenting granted I have a brief foray into matches commentating work for Good Ole J.R. Conflict is great in television, and there is probably some people out there who like Awesome Truth, and John Lorenitous (or however the hell is spelled).

 

[SadakoMoose]

1) Why does Michael Cole exist? Why is he still around? WHY GOD WHY?!
2) Why is the undertaker's wrestlemania streak glorified? A good majority of his wrestlemania matches are against chumps and were actually fairly bad/boring.
3) Do you think Cena will ever turn heel, and if so do you think it will actually work?
4) Do you tend to prefer face runs or heel runs?
5) Why does the WWE keep talking about twitter? There is no money to be made there and yet all they talk about is X many people tweeted this, twitter is on fire talking about Y. I just posted on twitter Z.

Because someone thinks that Heel commentator is a good idea.

Well, it makes for a good way to make the undertaker seem like more of an obstacle or a threat. That, and one show is BASICALLY what Mark is down being able to do without risking a full on hip/knee/back blow out.

A Cena heel turn MIGHT work, if there are any credible faces for him go up against. Unfortunately, there are only 4 or so people in the company who I can see Creative allowing to get to that point, and they're all people John has worked with a million times already.

Because social media is the new thing, and Vince thinks it's magic or something.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

I'm a wrestling fan myself, and I have only one question.

What the fuck is the appeal of Randy Orton? Dude is boring on the mic, terrible in the ring, has zero charisma, poops in women's bags... All he can do is flair his nostrils.

And don't give me the answer, "the women love him because he's attractive". I know plenty of straight males who like him.

I've pondered this for years, and no one can give me an answer other than, "I don't know, I just do."

 

[SadakoMoose]

I'm a wrestling fan myself, and I have only one question.

What the fuck is the appeal of Randy Orton? Dude is boring on the mic, terrible in the ring, has zero charisma, poops in women's bags... All he can do is flair his nostrils.

And don't give me the answer, "the women love him because he's attractive". I know plenty of straight males who like him.

I've pondered this for years, and no one can give me an answer other than, "I don't know, I just do."

I think some people see INKLINGS of Harley Race in him.
He has a good knowledge of the basics, but nothing that keeps him from being just a total CAW template in human form.
I can see how his occasional "snake like" mannerisms could be "cool", but he doesn't do them enough for them to mean much.
Some people remember Evolution, or back when he looked like he had some promise, but now I think it's because he's been pushed so much, that maybe everyone's just lying back an accepting it.
At the end of the day, though, having guys like him at the helm of what basically amounts to the public perception of wrestling in not only the US but also in foreign markets WITHOUT strong locally made pro wrestling (Scandinavia, China, South America etc) is bad for the image of wrestling as a whole. He makes it looks TOO easy, like any personal trainer with a scowl could work a match. Bryan Danielson on the other hand can actually work a damn match, and that means far more than just kind of sort of looking like a "character".
Randy Orton only THINKS he has a gimmick.

 

[LetalisK]

I'm a wrestling fan myself, and I have only one question.

What the fuck is the appeal of Randy Orton? Dude is boring on the mic, terrible in the ring, has zero charisma, poops in women's bags... All he can do is flair his nostrils.

And don't give me the answer, "the women love him because he's attractive". I know plenty of straight males who like him.

I've pondered this for years, and no one can give me an answer other than, "I don't know, I just do."

Lemme take a stab at this one.

Because he's an asshole. But he's an asshole against other assholes, thus allowing people to have a face that isn't afraid to do some otherwise horrible shit to heels that people want to see horrible shit happen to. Also, Orton has gotten better the last few months. He's actually gained a lot more personality in the ring and doesn't use the whole "cold brooding killer" persona as such a crutch anymore.

 

[Kolby Jack]

Here's my question: The Rock and John Cena promised a championship match at the next Wrestlemania. What with CM Punk becoming rather popular again and Cena losing a bit of the limelight, what do you think the chances of this happening are now?

 

[SadakoMoose]

Here's my question: The Rock and John Cena promised a championship match at the next Wrestlemania. What with CM Punk becoming rather popular again and Cena losing a bit of the limelight, what do you think the chances of this happening are now?

After so much promotion and anticipation, it basically HAS to happen now, or otherwise become a complete blunder. After that, Cena will probably be pushed aside for a little while. How much bigger can you get after beating The Rock? Eventually, he may have to turn heel, just to stay fresh. That alone has a lot of potential.

 

[PixelKing]

How could WWE get out of the downward spiral they are in right now? Same question for TNA.
I mean really, Cena squashes the roster, They don't let people work (Imagine CM Punk V Bryan Danielson, 40/60 minute match), The angles don't appeal to sense (Zack ryder wins, US title shot. Cena wins, WWE title shot. Wouldn't zack say 'Wait, can I have a WWE title shot, not a US?'), The new talent is wasted mostly (The entire nexus V Cena, I'm sure Cena won.)
As for TNA, its fucked all over.

 

[AbyssalSanhedrin]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the deathmatch style both in the US and Japan.

I'm aware that the style attracts a lot of negative opinion on dedicated wrestling forums but I'm of the feeling that if these lunatics are stupid enough to do that stuff to themselves then I'm sure as hell ghoulish and voyeuristic enough to watch it, as stomach-churning as it can get.

Conversely I think CZW have been on a roll since they pared down the amount "ultraviolent" matches they hold. It has made the gimmick matches that much more special when on a card of straight-up wrestling matches, even if this year's Cage of Death was pretty lacklustre.

What's your opinion?

 

[OrionHardy]

1) Why does Michael Cole exist? Why is he still around? WHY GOD WHY?!

I had a few thoughts on this just last night. My thoughts:

Michael Cole has been a huge butt monkey for years, and even now, some of the shit he has to put up with is terrible. But fact is, Cole is a heel commentator. He roots for the bad guys, mocks the good guys, and shits on the smark's favorites.

He's a bad guy. Bad guy's are supposed to make people hate them. And you have to admit, Cole does a fantastic job of it.

I still like JR more though. Just musing on why they keep Cole around.

Michael Cole isn't a good heel. A good heel makes you want to see him get beaten up, Michael Cole just makes me want to mute the sound or change the channel if he's on screen. He relies purely on cheap heat to get a reaction. He's nothing on the Jerry Lawler when he was the heel commentator.

The only reason Michale Cole is still around is because he's a massive kiss ass, who will say anything Vince feeds to him over the mic.

 

[-Samurai-]

1) Why does Michael Cole exist? Why is he still around? WHY GOD WHY?!

I think that his heel angle is hilarious. I'm actually a fan of the guy. He's been around forever, and while his heel personal isn't believable in the slightest, it's entertaining, which is the main point in the show.

Also; A few weeks ago when Lawler lost his voice, and they had Booker T step in, it was pretty obvious that Michael Cole is still a very good commentator. He mostly put aside the heel persona and called the matches, and did a very good job. The guy is a legitimate commentator with a goofy persona.

Anyway, OT:

Should the WWE pull out the the PG rating and move back into its original form?

I feel that from an entertainment view, it'd be the right move to go back to how it was. There's very little that can be done with the PG rating. The matches are getting pretty stale without the occasional chair shot, the promos and microphone work is appalling(it's like they don't know what to say), and even some of the moves had to be renamed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for blood and guts all over the place, but the show just feels lacking right now. It's getting hard to watch.

WWE was built on violent entertainment, balsy moves and foul language. The show is basically a kids show now.

 

[Soxafloppin]

I haven't watched Wrestling in years but I'l join in!

Who do you consider to be an underused talent in WWE? I'd say Shelton Benjamin, That guy could fly but I can't recall him ever being a "Main eventer".

 

[SadakoMoose]

How could WWE get out of the downward spiral they are in right now? Same question for TNA.
I mean really, Cena squashes the roster, They don't let people work (Imagine CM Punk V Bryan Danielson, 40/60 minute match), The angles don't appeal to sense (Zack ryder wins, US title shot. Cena wins, WWE title shot. Wouldn't zack say 'Wait, can I have a WWE title shot, not a US?'), The new talent is wasted mostly (The entire nexus V Cena, I'm sure Cena won.)
As for TNA, its fucked all over.

In both cases, it's by pushing young talent, ie people that can work.
In TNA's case, they've been relying on being WCW 2.0 for way too long, when they COULD have been like a big budget ROH.

In WWE's case, it's that they keep picking guys with good "looks" to be the stars, rather than push people that know how to wrestle. That plan may have worked in the 80's, but nowadays, people want substance over aesthetic. Sure, you should LOOK like a wrestler, but at the end of the day you still have to be an athlete. Not just look like one.

That, and the booking style needs to change. The idea of wrestling as a "soap opera" just doesn't work anymore. If anything, it's one of the things people make fun of the most. Companies like ROH and Chikara have it right, with their more modern and meaningful booking style. With the WWE, nothing feels like it really matters. There's no suspense anymore.

With TNA, nothing makes any sense.

Anyway, OT:

Should the WWE pull out the the PG rating and move back into its original form?

I feel that from an entertainment view, it'd be the right move to go back to how it was. There's very little that can be done with the PG rating. The matches are getting pretty stale without the occasional chair shot, the promos and microphone work is appalling(it's like they don't know what to say), and even some of the moves had to be renamed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for blood and guts all over the place, but the show just feels lacking right now. It's getting hard to watch.

WWE was built on violent entertainment, balsy moves and foul language. The show is basically a kids show now.

Maybe, or perhaps a PG-13 light approach. Remember, around the end of the attitude era in the early 2000's, they got really REALLY burned out on that stuff. Once they got over reliant on shock and awe, they started doing really embarrassing things, like that Mae West incident, and even the public got tired of it.
If they were to give the program just a little more edge, maybe make the stakes feel a little higher, or make things a little more dangerous and unpredictable, it would go a ways to helping their stale/safe product.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the deathmatch style both in the US and Japan.

I'm aware that the style attracts a lot of negative opinion on dedicated wrestling forums but I'm of the feeling that if these lunatics are stupid enough to do that stuff to themselves then I'm sure as hell ghoulish and voyeuristic enough to watch it, as stomach-churning as it can get.

Conversely I think CZW have been on a roll since they pared down the amount "ultraviolent" matches they hold. It has made the gimmick matches that much more special when on a card of straight-up wrestling matches, even if this year's Cage of Death was pretty lacklustre.

What's your opinion?

The real difference between Japanese and American deathmatch wrestlers comes down to crutch vs. attribute. A lot of CZW/IWA MS probably couldn't work at any style other than death matches. Sure, some of them can be good High flyers or brawlers, but can you really imagine necro butcher doing lucha libre? Compare to the BJW lockeroom. Ryuji Ito, Jun Kasai, Jaki Numazawa, could all probably do decent strong style, WITHOUT the use of weapons.
Just look at how BJW trains people:
But yeah, I like it better now that CZW is changing to be more like BJW. It'll be better in the long run. A lot's been done to hurt the image of Death match wrestling in the US, almost all of it the fault of Ian Rotten and the ICP, but it definitely has a place in the world of wrestling. I'm a big BJW myself, so yeah.

On an unrelated note, has anyone seen Emeraldrafael? he's usually on page 1 whenever I make a wrestling thread...
While we're at it, where's Mr. Prickly?

 

[SadakoMoose]

I haven't watched Wrestling in years but I'l join in!

Who do you consider to be an underused talent in WWE? I'd say Shelton Benjamin, That guy could fly but I can't recall him ever being a "Main eventer".

Kofi Kingston, Matt Sydal, really.
Kofi's a likeable guy with a great moveset, that can really make a crowd go wild, and Matt's work as a heel on WSX was great.

 

[SadakoMoose]

Michael Cole isn't a good heel. A good heel makes you want to see him get beaten up, Michael Cole just makes me want to mute the sound or change the channel if he's on screen. He relies purely on cheap heat to get a reaction. He's nothing on the Jerry Lawler when he was the heel commentator.

The only reason Michale Cole is still around is because he's a massive kiss ass, who will say anything Vince feeds to him over the mic.

Have to agree with you there, although now Jerry lacks the bite that he used to. Frankly I got tired of him when he started doing that thing where he pretend to lose his marbles over any reference to Divas.
"Omg JR, divas divas divas! Hahaha!"
It was embarrassing for a man of his age...

 

[SadakoMoose]

Seriously, British Escapists?
No questions at all about this guy?
I'm sure you've heard your "gran" talk about World of Sport before.
Aren't you the LEAST bit curious who THIS guy is?

 

[OutcastBOS]

So how about "Kane" eh? I'm not gonna lie, he totally looks like the Undertaker behind that new mask.

 

[Varrdy]

I have to admit I am coming back to liking wrestling after a long time of not being bothered but being English with only terrestrial TV to watch, I can only catch WWE on YouTube, which is hit and miss.

I have to admit that I am an Undertaker fan and not just because we share the same birthday!

Wardy

 

[KefkaCultist]

-snips-

Do you think Christ Jericho will be coming back soon? Y2J stands for January 2nd 2012 which just so happens to be a monday, so I really hope so because he was one of my favorites when I used to watch and I may start watching again if he does.