Professional Wrestling Thread

[claud3]

Some news for you all to know

CM Punk To Sing At MLB Game, WWE-ESPN, TNA Event Tonight


CM PunkWWE

---

---

All Sports Rumors & News >

-- CM Punk will sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch of a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field on May 8. The Cubs tweeted Punk about the opportunity and he replied: "uh. Let me check my scheduleYESIWILLDOIT."

-- ESPN.com and Grantland.com columnist Bill Simmons wrote that WWE was missing a golden opportunity by not cashing in on the NFL scandal surrounding former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is currently banned from coaching in the NFL due to a bounty program. He wrote: "That reminds me, where was the WWE during this Gregg Williams saga? How did they not create a wrestling manager/Williams parody who keeps 'crossing the line,' offers bounties for his wrestlers to injure other wrestlers, stirs up an ongoing moral dilemma and comes out to the entrance song, 'Kill the Head (and the Body Will Die)?' How long do we have to wait?"

-- Tonight, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla will be at Reseda, California for their annual DDT4 tag tournament. The winning teams will get a future PWG Tag Team Championship shot against Super Dragon & Kevin Steen.

The tag tournament will consist of seven matches with eight teams scheduled to be involved. The first round match-ups are:

Sami Callihan & Roderick Strong vs. El Generico & Willie Mack
Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly) vs. The Dynasty (Joey Ryan & Scorpio Sky)
RockNES Monsters vs. Fightin' Taylor Boys
The Young Bucks vs. Super Smash Bros

Kevin Steen is scheduled for a PWG Title defense against an opponent named at the show, as part of a special Open Challenge.

-- TNA's "Lockdown Revenge Tour" ends tonight in Estero, Florida at the Germain Arena, with the second of two weekend house shows.

The original main event last night in Ft. Lauderdale was Robert Roode vs. James Storm, but Storm is off this weekend to sell his short-term departure, so the main event was Robert Roode vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Bully Ray.

The other top matches advertised are: Samoa Joe & Magnus vs. Daniels & Kaz for the TNA Tag Titles, Austin Aries vs. Zema Ion for the X Division Title, and Matt Morgan vs. Crimson in a Lockdown re-match.

The full line-up for the weekend house shows is as follows:

TNA World Title match: Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Bully Ray
TNA Tag Title match: Samoa Joe & Magnus vs. Christopher Daniels & Kazarian
Matt Morgan vs. Crimson
TNA TV champion Devon vs. Gunner
X Title match: Austin Aries vs. Zema Ion
KO Title match: Gail Kim vs. Velvet Sky

[XMW]

Hey guys, here is a long (but very interesting) recap of Jim Ross talking about what WWE is looking for in wrestlers and how to get into the WWE. Not sure if anyone here is considering entering the bussines? But if you are this'll definitely help you:

Ross said a number of times that he was speaking for himself most of the presentation, but for the WWE on occasion.

He told the 200 or so in the overflowing crowd (about 40% of whom said, when he asked, that they are independent wrestlers who want to make it to the WWE), that he wanted to tell them “what the WWE is really looking for in talent.” He was blunt about their chances – “the odds of anyone in this room making it to WrestleMania are slim,” noting that there are about 1,500 players in the NFL while only 200-250 (a number that seems high to me) on the WWE roster. “Numerically,” he said, “you have a better chance making it on any NFL team than on the WWE roster.” But, he said, “notice I didn’t say there was no chance. The question you have to answer is ‘How do I maximize my slim chance?’”

In a mysterious aside, he said “in the years to come (the developmental program) will become a much more stringent program. It will be much tougher to get a shot” at getting into the WWE. He didn’t elaborate. I wish he would have. I wish I would have asked him to.

In terms of maximizing your slim chance, he advised attendees to “work as often as you can in the independents (although, he noted, “American independents are going to be largely the same experience over and over again”). You gotta compromise on the paydays to get something on tape.” And he advised young workers to go overseas – “If you can get booked internationally I would explore that,” he said. “If you can learn other styles it will morph into one that you can use to be your unique self.” Go to FCW (WWE developmental) tryout camps, he advised “get noticed, get on the radar.” WWE is going to set up a system where young workers will be able to send in clips of their work. He said he had no doubt that someone would send in porn, but that the WWE would deal with that.

In terms of character development, he advised young talent to “Be natural, whatever you are amplified. Don’t be ‘Stone Cold light’ or a version of Ricky Steamboat or the Undertaker. Make your character a natural version of yourself, amplified a little in the ring.”

He began with a fascinating recap of how he began in the business – “no in-laws, no contacts in the business” – working for Leroy McGuirk and Bill Watts right out of college. He said he often thought that “Danny Hodge drew the houses, but Bill Watts got the top payoff” of the night as the promoter/booker. He said Watts “networked with a lot of guys to solicit talent. He became a director. And as a director knows, he knew you had to have a good cast.” (Much more about the importance of talent later.)

He said he was paid $125 a week to handle Leroy (“I was assigned to Leroy”), supply him with whiskey, drive him (McGuirk was blind) and keep him out of Watts’ hair. “It was all on a handshake, no insurance, no 401(k). I was on wife one at the time,” he said. He handled the ring, refereed. “I had fallen in love with the business because I was a fan of the business,” he said, and he noted that he “had the advantage of working through the territories.” The arrangement, he said “got me an education” in pro wrestling. “I’ve been mainlining this stuff since 1974.”

He forcefully rebutted the contention that Vince McMahon, Jr. had killed the territories.

It is “laughable to blame Vince McMahon for the end of the territories,” he said. “McMahon could never have existed and the territories still would have gone out of business.” Ross blamed “cronyism” and incompetence for the demise of the territories - “the territories were run by people who had no business running a territory.” He contended, “the territory system would have died anyway,” because of the advent of cable television and the fact that wrestling was often not on the network affiliates anymore. “The guys on cable appeared to be bigger stars than the guys on local TV,” he said. “The gun was already loaded, it was cocked and it was slowly turning to their (local territories) head. It was inevitable and unfortunate.”

The lack of territories means “the journey (to success as a professional wrestler) is not as defined as it was.” He praised the territories, saying they made young pro wrestlers “socially and professionally mature. You would be ready” when the call came from the big leagues. The territories provided “an opportunity to ride in cars with veterans of the business. You got an education. Some of us got a crash course in steering the car with your knees and rolling a joint,” he said to great laughter.

Now, he said, “these kids are working in a warehouse environment. That is nothing like working in front of a live audience.” He said he “is working on a curriculum now” to help wrestlers develop. He encouraged people trying to become a pro wrestler to “read about the history of the WWE.” And he repeatedly encouraged aspirants to “have a Plan B. You need an education or a skill – an electrician or a plumber. Having a Plan B is essential. You need to ask yourself ‘What do I do to maintain a good quality of life in a changing economy?’” He noted how many times he had had his heart broken when the time had come for a wrestler to leave the business. He said “now that they can’t do it anymore they have a feeling of hopelessness. They say to me ‘This is all I know.’ I swear to God I have heard that a thousand times.” He said he had, as the WWE Executive Vice President for Talent Relations, sometimes given wrestlers beyond their prime a break, only to quickly find that they had “no self-discipline. They couldn’t manage themselves after a few paychecks.”

He was blunt. He advised the attendees to not “be misled by the exceptions to the rule. Flair and Lawler are still working in their sixties. You probably will never be in that category.”

He is often asked what wrestling school he recommends. He advised the attendees to ask the school “who have you trained and how many people did you get into the WWE? How many people did you put into the major leagues?”

He was critical of today’s young talent. “The younger generation works way too fast. If you hit someone four times, which punch should your opponent sell?” He goes to the FCW developmental territory about every three weeks and tries to help the talent develop. He said he believes WWE should have more than one developmental territory and said “Florida will expand to train people more-thoroughly,” but he did not give details.

He was critical of the often loudly-complaining internet fans. “That audience wants no foreplay,” he complained. “They just want the magic moment. They just want a ‘holy shit’ moment.”

He was amazed at how much the workers want to talk over their matches beforehand. He said “some even at WWE spend an hour talking over a five minute match. When I was refereeing they carried the news (the finish) back and forth between the heels and the babyfaces,” who were often in different locker rooms and did not see each other or talk to each other before they locked up in the ring. “They went out and felt the audience,” he said. “You’re writing fiction here. How’s your book going to end?”

To great applause he said “if you have your match memorized, you’re not a worker or a wrestler.”

He encouraged workers to “focus on body parts in a variety of creative ways.” He said “grabbing a hold and applying a hold are two different things. Apply a hold. Don’t hurt the guy, but make sure he knows you’re there.” He said he often sees “too much sunlight” between workers when the hold should be much more snug.

Ross said he brought on Mick Foley (“we reluctantly got him hired”) because the Undertaker needed a big opponent (Mankind, he said was “a deranged, troubled spirit that seemingly had nothing to live for.”) He called Foley “a good citizen, never an issue in the locker room. He knew how to tell time, he wasn’t a boozer and he had no drug issues.”

So what, specifically, does the WWE look for? “It changes,” Ross admitted, but there are some attributes that will always get you noticed:

A bigger-than-life personality: “You must have ‘it.’ Jerry Brisco and I knew that Brock Lesnar had ‘it’ before he knew he had ‘it.’” (Ross said the WWE began scouting Lesnar when he was a junior in college.) What is ‘it’? Ross said it was “something that makes you want to engage with that person. You cannot define ‘it.’ You cannot manufacture ‘it.’ You cannot smell ‘it.’ You feel it. ‘It’ is an intangible.” He said so much of the old-style wrestling is now on YouTube, and he advised talent to “draw on that, but create a unique style that is all you.”

Athletic ability/being in condition: “When you take a turnbuckle you need to assault the turnbuckle. If you want to win a gold medal in swimming at the Olympics you cannot be afraid of the water.” As to conditioning, he said WWE developmental “should have a full-time strength and conditioning coach.”

A good body: “You can’t look like you work at Best Buy,” he said, and he was critical of those who are critical of the WWE’s emphasis on the body. Stanislaus Zbyszko, Jim Londos and Lou Thesz, he noted “were all jacked. They had a look that made you look, a uniqueness,” he said cleverly. “You have to have a look and a personality,” he said. “We’re in the television business.” It is, he said “a look and a body business. Hopefully the Good Lord has given you ‘it.’”

Skill set in the ring: “Can you lock up, hit the ropes? Do you have respect for your opponent? Are you careless?,” he asked.

Character: “Character is a big issue. Honesty, integrity, keeping your word, commitment, work ethic. You can’t be successful in anything in life being lazy,” he said (although I must admit I have tried).

Respect: “I expect people to respect me because I am going to respect you. Respect your significant other. Stay away from recreational drugs. If you beat up your girlfriend or spouse I don’t need to do business with you. I’ve got not place on my roster for someone who does that,” he told what had become a very attentive crowd. He said he looks to see “who opens doors for ladies” and “who drops the F-bomb around kids.”

Financial responsibility: He advised the use of a debit card rather than a credit card. And he implored independent contractors to pay their quarterly taxes. “Uncle Sam, damn he has a long memory and long-reaching tentacles,” he said, with such passion that you thought maybe he had been touched at one point by the IRS. Ross told the story of “one of our biggest stars who was having seven-figure years (he noted that that is about $19,320 a week) and forgot to file income taxes for the last five years. The government garnished his wages. It happens on all levels,” he said.

Fan of the business: “There’s only two or three guys that I can recall who made it big in the business who weren’t fans,” he said. “The Rock, HHH, Shawn Michaels and Undertaker all had an emotional investment” in professional wrestling. He said when he first met John Cena in a locker room at a pro wrestling event he knew quickly that Cena had been a fan of pro wrestling because of the angles he talked about.

Persistence: “It’s tougher than ever to get into the business,” he said. Send people your matches via Twitter and e-mail, he advised, and get to know Florida Championship Wrestling. “That’s the clearinghouse,” he said. “You need to know about that website.” Twice he said “you’ve got to get your body of work in short form to the decision-makers.” And don’t send them ninety minutes or even five minutes of your work – “they want to see about two and a half minutes. Do a two minute match and a thirty second promo.” Provide video of you doing a “sell, comeback, take a bump or two and call it a day,” he advised.

As to persistence, though, don’t be stupid, he advised. “Don’t give up on your dreams, but be realistic about your goals. If you’re 35 and you haven’t got there yet, it might not happen for you.”

(Still, in a startling admission, he said “right now the roster is thin. The WWE is going through a transitional period.” He acknowledged that fans are seeing “the same two to three guys against the same two to three guys.”)

Promo ability: Ross said he says he sees many promos that are “written, memorized, recited. Fake, fake, fake,” he said, prompting loud applause. “Have a beginning, a middle and an end. Give me your ending line and work backwards.” He said “the great old-timers could ad-lib.”

Ross knows that talent drives the business, and it is in that arena - developing and exploiting talent - that the WWE has proven less than competent. “Talent is the be-all, end-all to our business. Players still win games. Talent still draws ratings,” he said. Ross knows that, McMahon knows that, and everyone at the WWE presumably knows that. But turning that knowledge into the acquisition and development and exploitation of talent is proving to be much tougher than WWE probably ever thought.

Despite his tussles with Vince McMahon, Ross is clearly loyal to the WWE. He said WWE is the place where a professional wrestler can have “the longest and most productive career, although he acknowledged that “it is certainly not the only place you can go to make a living in pro wrestling.” He called WWE “the NFL of professional wrestling. I have my team that I play for. I am very comfortable with the team I play for at the current time (emphasis added). I am not going to TNA.” He said he was not, in calling WWE the NFL of professional wrestling “comparing TNA to an indoor league.”

He believes the WWE is the place to be for athletes who want to make a mark, and make some serious money.

“Guys are making more money now than they ever have,” he said. “There’s no better time to be in the wrestling business than today if you’re trying to have financial security.” He repeated that last line.

And here's a recap of an interview Triple H did a while ago regarding the development system. It sounds like WWE is really trying their hardest with getting new talent signed, and so far they've done a great job on getting top indy talent signed:

- When asked does he think they'll find the next Rock/Austin? Yes, they're out there somewhere, they just have to go looking for them.

- A lot of times the next mega star is the guy nobody thinks its going to be. Uses Rock as an example.

- Every generation has its guys and it's just a matter of going out and finding them or them finding you.

- That's what his job is now, scouring the globe to find the talent, more so than they've ever done before because in the past they just waited for talent to come to them, now they're out there looking for it themselves. Where are they looking? Everywhere.

- Says that one of the main problems is that nobody knows how to get into WWE. He would be on the road and meet various guys who would ask how to get into it because they've always thought about it but never knew how to even go about it. In a way to help the situation they're going to have a website where guys can apply and WWE will look at it and check them out. They're also going to hold tryouts when on the road and in all the different cities so guys can come in, tryout and WWE can get a look at them.

- Says that, "realistically what we do is charisma." Goes on to say that you can teach somebody the basics of wrestling but you can't teach charisma. You can learn the mechanics but not personality. It's more often than not the guys with the best personalities that become the biggest stars over the guys with the best wrestling ability.

- His aim is to make WWE available to people to try it out. The next Hogan, Rock, Austin are all out there and the more opportunities they give to people to become that the bigger the chance they have of finding them.

- WWE is all about charisma. Hogan isn't the best wrestler but he had more charisma that anybody else in his era. Austin could be and can be the technical wrestler but when he morphed into Stone Cold and let his real personality/charisma shine through is when he blew up. It wasn't Steve's technical ability that made him who he was but his character. There have been millions of great technically gifted wrestlers that never amounted to anything because nobody cares if they don't have a personality to go with it.

[Tven]

Some news for you all to know

Is there anything Punk can't do?!


Regarding the lack lustre TNA crowds, anyone reckon their lackof crowd size may be a factor........i.e. could they have a PPV which filled a standard WWE sized arena show (16-17k people) ,excluding the massive TNA UKlondon tour crowd? or would that go against their character?.........like a few weeks ago Hogan had a promo where he said there was gonna be big things for TNA etc in a 'take a chunk out of the competition' way........so any thoughts on improvements they could make to challenge wwe abit more?

[dreams]

I feel sorry for Cena when Brock Lesna kicks the crap out of him in extreme rules :/

did any of you guys see brock's interview?

his so aggressive and full of anger.

[Molo316]

I feel sorry for Cena when Brock Lesna kicks the crap out of him in extreme rules :/

did any of you guys see brock's interview?

his so aggressive and full of anger.

Yeah. It was brilliant!

So I wonder if they're going to do a Mickie James with little A.J., and turn her into a psycho bitch
Just wanted to hug her on Smackdown

[Tven]

Yeah. It was brilliant!

So I wonder if they're going to do a Mickie James with little A.J., and turn her into a psycho bitch
Just wanted to hug her on Smackdown

Just want to do that everytime i see her too, shes so diminuitive and cute!

.......btw Molo and other TNA followers..........did u see last nights Impact: once a month is gonna be new talent fighting it out for a contract, could be interesting!!!!!!

....also Christy Hemme last night > HAWT

[Molo316]

Just want to do that everytime i see her too, shes so diminuitive and cute!

.......btw Molo and other TNA followers..........did u see last nights Impact: once a month is gonna be new talent fighting it out for a contract, could be interesting!!!!!!

....also Christy Hemme last night > HAWT

Yep, saw it. I don't if and where TNA's development network or system is, but do they have enough up and coming people to fill this slot? Sounds good though if they're actually going to blood new talent.

And yeah, Christy's chest region looked nice in that outfit she was wearing

By the way... stolen:

[Tven]

Yep, saw it. I don't if and where TNA's development network or system is, but do they have enough up and coming people to fill this slot? Sounds good though if they're actually going to blood new talent.

And yeah, Christy's chest region looked nice in that outfit she was wearing

By the way... stolen:

FIEND!!!!!!!!!

......and regarding Christy: with a chest like that she should get more air time than half a second announcing the first competitor in each match!

[Molo316]

It annoys me when the bring out JB to announce the main event, along with the prolonged bell ringing and the stupid sponsorship message, and announcing twice that it's th "main event of the evening!"

Raw: WWF Universe!

[XMW]

Yep, saw it. I don't if and where TNA's development network or system is, but do they have enough up and coming people to fill this slot? Sounds good though if they're actually going to blood new talent.

TNA uses OVW as a sort of development system. WWE used them in the early 00's too, they produced talent like Batista, Lesnar, Benjamin, Haas, Cena. Nowadays it's filled with absolute shit though. I think OVW has about 2 or 3 really good talents. I'm fairly sure they'll just use indy talent though like they did with the Destination X qualifiers.

Also what annoys me at TNA is the fact Tazz and Mike Tenay aren't actually in the Impact Zone anymore. They just record the commentary in a studio after the taping. >_>

Btw, Raw was pretty bad yesterday. The contract signing was boring as hell, Cena's character is becoming really interesting to me though.

[Molo316]

TNA uses OVW as a sort of development system. WWE used them in the early 00's too, they produced talent like Batista, Lesnar, Benjamin, Haas, Cena. Nowadays it's filled with absolute shit though. I think OVW has about 2 or 3 really good talents. I'm fairly sure they'll just use indy talent though like they did with the Destination X qualifiers.

Also what annoys me at TNA is the fact Tazz and Mike Tenay aren't actually in the Impact Zone anymore. They just record the commentary in a studio after the taping. >_>

Btw, Raw was pretty bad yesterday. The contract signing was boring as hell, Cena's character is becoming really interesting to me though.

Ah! Yeah, I remember OVW. Was a bit disappointed when WWE cut their link with them, since they did give them some pretty good people.

Yeah, I thought it was just a one time thing, but I did notice that they never show them on Impact anymore. Lazy...

Raw sucked indeed!
Funny, I read an article that Beth was a week or so away from equaling Maryse's longest Divas title run, and I said that I could easily see them making Beth drop it last night or next week. I know it looked like Beth legitimately got injured last night, but that's what happened.
With the Bellas due to have their current contract ending on April 30, I can only assume that Nikki will lose it next week on Raw, or at Extreme Rules if they throw in a bonus match.

[three3-times]

i give raw a 3/10 this week

[yourmumsface17]

i give raw a 3/10 this week

About right, why was it 3 hours? Was that when the draft was first pencilled in? It had 3-4 filler tag matches and pointless crap.

Only good bits

Edge
Jericho v Kofi
Lesnar raping Mathews.
-----------------------
Rest was garbage.

I do like however where they are going with Lesnar. He doesn't seem to have any friends, I want WWE to be like this

Faces
Heels
Lesnar

Lesnar can just be the mean kick ass destroyer, will he attacks faces? Sure, will he happily make Michael Cole his little bitch? Why not, Why? Because he can, who will stop him? No one. I want him to be a huge tweener and let the crowd decide whether to cheer for him or not.

So is Raw now called.. Monday Night Raw: Featuring Brock Lesnar ?

I think it said if he wins on Sunday it might become that haha, I hope he wins just so I can see that on the sky planner lol.

[Molo316]

Woah woah woah!

He said "Monday Night Raw, starring Brock Lesnar".

[justintheman87]

What a dumb stipulation. All I did was roll my eyes at that thought. Why couldn't it be something remotely interesting? Having Brock back is awesome, but that stipulation was a mediocre idea to try and generate buzz, which it failed at miserably.

[yourmumsface17]

Woah woah woah!

He said "Monday Night Raw, starring Brock Lesnar".

My bad

[justintheman87]

I am so hoping for an Austin return at WM next year. If he fights CM Punk, fine, but is it wrong I would rather see a Rock vs. Austin round 3 at Mania?

[Molo316]

My bad

I am so hoping for an Austin return at WM next year. If he fights CM Punk, fine, but is it wrong I would rather see a Rock vs. Austin round 3 at Mania?

They've already faced each other three times at Mania, mate WM 15, 17 and 19.



Looks like John Laurinaitus

[justintheman87]

OMG I forgot about WM19.

[Tven]

OMG I forgot about WM19.

yeh wasnt it Austin 2 - Rock 1 wins? .....................id say that confrontion boat sailed along time ago haha

PMSL at molo's gif

the bella winning the title is the standard 'leaving last hurrah'

also sad tazz and tenay arnt even inthe impact zone anymore!

[Molo316]

OMG I forgot about WM19.

Probably because Rock actually won that one.

yeh wasnt it Austin 2 - Rock 1 wins? .....................id say that confrontion boat sailed along time ago haha

PMSL at molo's gif

the bella winning the title is the standard 'leaving last hurrah'

also sad tazz and tenay arnt even inthe impact zone anymore!

Yep. The premise for that match was that Rock had never beaten Austin at Mania, and sadly, that was Austin's last match. He pretty much had a heart attack or something the day before and was in hospital.

That GIF goes hand-in-hand with this song:



Seriously, try it.

Unless they sign a new deal, I'd expect Nikki to lose the title on Sunday or next week on Raw. I don't want the twins to go


**EDIT**

Apparently this is why Eve has now been made Laurinaitus' assistant:

Why Eve Torres Is Johnny Ace's New Executive Assistant
Source: PWInsider.com


As seen on last night's episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, John Laurinaitis has made Eve Torres his new Executive Assistant. This is said to be because Eve Torres is one of Vince McMahon's absolute favorite Divas right now and Vince is basically a "mark" for Eve Torres.


WNS

So if this is the case, since Vince seems to have hard-ons for all the Divas at some point in time, I made this quickly:

[claud3]

Raw to me was ok. But i have to say the kane and orton thing i like... It was like the WWE being the WWF for a few moments and they nearly pulled it of, if only they give orton more time with pual... So they could really get uner the skin of kane

[justintheman87]

I wish they would give Orton more promo time. He hasn't developed much over the last year (if not more) as he lacks mic presence.

[claud3]

Orton is good on the mic, but great on the actions he does and were its placed it would be more effective

[justintheman87]

His character has been at a stalemate for what seems like eternity. Everyone else gets promo time for their feuds, imagine if he had the amount of time (or even half) Jericho and CM Punk have received? Basically I feel he is nothing more than a guy who has matches, much like Kofi Kingston. A nice filler on the card who never progresses. They are under utilizing his abilities, which is sad given the WWE's lack of star quality talent.