The Dwayne Johnson Appreciation (Wrestling) Thread

lmz00

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Crap. We can't edit titles. Can someone change it to "The Dwayne Johnson Appreciation Wrestling Thread," please?
 
[quote name='ph33r m3']Coddamn' I miss The Rock....that dude made WWE.[/quote]

Lulz.

/Stone Cold
 
Well, if one wrestler is to blame for WWE's mainstream success, that wrestler is, horse shoe head himself, Hulk Hogan.
 
Here's the Angle vs. Lesnar IGF match for the "IWGP" title, which Brock stole from New Japan, and that Angle "defended" in TNA against Joe at Victory Road '07 (well, sorta - they acted like it before the show, then quickly hid the belt behind the TNA Title and didn't mention it on the show itself) and in New Japan against Yuji Nagata on the Wrestle Kingdom II show shown on Spike TV and released on DVD as Global Impact (in edited form each time) -
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1mh1gf
 
[quote name='Chase']Well, if one wrestler is to blame for WWE's mainstream success, that wrestler is, horse shoe head himself, Hulk Hogan.[/quote]
Absolutely. A lot of people tend to skip over Hogan, simply because he wasn't a great wrestler, as well as all of the things that have happened in the past couple of years. However, without Hogan, there (most likely) wouldn't have been a Stone Cold or a Rock.
 
Yeah, but people who are 18 today weren't around for the first 6 Wrestlemanias, and were 3 by the time of Hulk Hogan's horrible blatant powergrab WMIX title win over Yokozuna. So I don't think that they see Hogan the way someone like myself might, who has been watching since WMIII (or was it IV?).
 
[quote name='BoSoxFan900']Absolutely. A lot of people tend to skip over Hogan, simply because he wasn't a great wrestler, as well as all of the things that have happened in the past couple of years. However, without Hogan, there (most likely) wouldn't have been a Stone Cold or a Rock.[/QUOTE]

or her
brooke-hogan-picture-1.jpg

thank you Hogan
 
[quote name='Chase']Well, if one wrestler is to blame for WWE's mainstream success, that wrestler is, horse shoe head himself, Hulk Hogan.[/quote]

Wasn't he also responsible for nearly killing the WWE as well, if Austin hadn't come along we might all be watching Nitro on a Monday night, if WCW/NWO had won the Monday night wars.

Or not watching it, as the case probably would be.
 
Damn, it's a shame that the Rock's last singles match was used to put over Goldberg, who wouldn't even be with the company a year later.

Speaking of Goldberg, I finally got back to watching the old "Tough Enough" DVD set, and in one episode HHH goes on a long anti-Goldberg rant (which was cut out of the TV version, apparently). It's clear that he REALLY did not care for the guy. But hey, even at his supposed political worst (late 2003), Trips dropped the belt to a guy he personally disliked... take that as you will.
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']Damn, it's a shame that the Rock's last singles match was used to put over Goldberg, who wouldn't even be with the company a year later.[/quote]

True, but at last it proves that the Rock was willing to put his ego aside and do the job for the talent who had a regular spot on the roster, as opposed to Hogan who would show up for one night and bury his opponents and then ride off into the sunset.
 
[quote name='benjamouth']Wasn't he also responsible for nearly killing the WWE as well, if Austin hadn't come along we might all be watching Nitro on a Monday night, if WCW/NWO had won the Monday night wars.

Or not watching it, as the case probably would be.[/quote]


I don't know about killing the WWF/WWE, but Hogan is credited in aiding the death of WCW. I think it's no secret that Mr. Hogan is a bit of a prima donna.

As a fan of pro-wrestling, I wish WCW had won the ratings war. After 1998, WCW couldn't keep themselves from falling, but they still emphasized wrestling (it's how they differentiated themselves from the WWF/WWE). The cruiserweight tag team titles, for instance.

[quote name='mykevermin']Yeah, but people who are 18 today weren't around for the first 6 Wrestlemanias, and were 3 by the time of Hulk Hogan's horrible blatant powergrab WMIX title win over Yokozuna. So I don't think that they see Hogan the way someone like myself might, who has been watching since WMIII (or was it IV?).[/quote]


That's a good point, Myke. I just like to think everyone is as old as myself (24). ;) That, and they also took the time to earn their fan designation by buying tapes (or DVDs; downloading matches) of things past/not mainstream.
 
[quote name='Purple Flames']True, but at last it proves that the Rock was willing to put his ego aside and do the job for the talent who had a regular spot on the roster, as opposed to Hogan who would show up for one night and bury his opponents and then ride off into the sunset.[/QUOTE]True, I don't think anyone could accuse Rock of politicking over wins and losses. Both Billy Gunn and Al Snow got wins over The Rock during their brief respective feuds with him.
 
I think giving Bischoff control of WCW was the stupidest decision, as it led to Hogan getting creative control, and about a thousand other things that eventually led to the company's demise. Although his run as the vice president of WCW did lead to the company having its greatest success yet - prior to '96, the closest thing they'd known to success was Bill Watts only losing about a million for a year instead of 50 million per year as was the norm before.
 
'Dwayne' could put people over because he (wait for it) didn't have the passion for the business and, therefore, wasn't concerned about his 'legacy'. I'm sure he enjoyed it, but it's obvious now that he NEVER intended to stay in wrestling long-term.

That's the difference. To him, putting people over didn't mean much. He wasn't out to set records, or even be remembered as a legend. He didn't protect his spot in a way that short-changed others. I mean, let's look at this... both his last major singles match AND his final match were both losses. One to a guy that wasn't going to be around forever, and the others were up and coming guys who needed the rub. I still remember that... I couldn't believe they hyped Rock coming back for one more match, and the whole RocknSock thing, Wrestlemania 20... and they lost. That really speaks highly of either Foley/Rock, or HHH's backstage power. Your choice.

Austin was the cornerstone of Attitude, but it was Rock that eventually made it work. Every face needs a great heel to play off of, and Rock was that guy. Honestly, take Rock out of the Attitude era and tell me how great it would've been. So, yeah, I appreciate Austin, but I do honestly give a ton of the credit for those years to Rock. McMahon was a great heel, but he wasn't a wrestler. They NEEDED the Rock to fill out that storyline. Period.

Anyway, point is... Rock put people over because he didn't live and die for the business. It's not a great personality trait so much as a lack of caring.
 
Hogan going to WCW helped start the NWO and turn the ratings toward WCW., which forced the WWE to come up with edgier storylines and characters. Without WCW's success in the mid-90's, the WWE would have been complacent with their cartoonish wrestlers - we'd have never seen Austin, DX, The Rock, heel Vince, and countless others.

Hogan going to WCW gave them mainstream credibility. Outside of Atlanta, very few people had heard of WCW before the NWO.
 
Does Alexander Kozlov remind anybody of Goldberg with his win streak and stiff moves? Everytime I see him that is the first thing that comes to mind that he is Goldberg with hair and white tights.
 
[quote name='greyzieoriental']or her
brooke-hogan-picture-1.jpg
thank you Hogan[/quote]


And Brooke should thank Photoshop. :whistle2:#

[quote name='JJSP']Hogan going to WCW helped start the NWO and turn the ratings toward WCW., which forced the WWE to come up with edgier storylines and characters. Without WCW's success in the mid-90's, the WWE would have been complacent with their cartoonish wrestlers - we'd have never seen Austin, DX, The Rock, heel Vince, and countless others.

Hogan going to WCW gave them mainstream credibility. Outside of Atlanta, very few people had heard of WCW before the NWO.[/quote]

I guess I'm one of the very few. I agree that Hulk Hogan going to WCW in 1994 helped WCW become a real competitor to the, then, WWF.

[quote name='007']'Dwayne' could put people over because he (wait for it) didn't have the passion for the business and, therefore, wasn't concerned about his 'legacy'. I'm sure he enjoyed it, but it's obvious now that he NEVER intended to stay in wrestling long-term.

That's the difference. To him, putting people over didn't mean much. He wasn't out to set records, or even be remembered as a legend. He didn't protect his spot in a way that short-changed others. I mean, let's look at this... both his last major singles match AND his final match were both losses. One to a guy that wasn't going to be around forever, and the others were up and coming guys who needed the rub. I still remember that... I couldn't believe they hyped Rock coming back for one more match, and the whole RocknSock thing, Wrestlemania 20... and they lost. That really speaks highly of either Foley/Rock, or HHH's backstage power. Your choice.

Austin was the cornerstone of Attitude, but it was Rock that eventually made it work. Every face needs a great heel to play off of, and Rock was that guy. Honestly, take Rock out of the Attitude era and tell me how great it would've been. So, yeah, I appreciate Austin, but I do honestly give a ton of the credit for those years to Rock. McMahon was a great heel, but he wasn't a wrestler. They NEEDED the Rock to fill out that storyline. Period.

Anyway, point is... Rock put people over because he didn't live and die for the business. It's not a great personality trait so much as a lack of caring.[/quote]

Solid points worth quoting. I wish I had something to add. Uh, I think his Rocky Maivia attire made him look like a dinosaur hunter?

...

I remember the first time I heard the "Die Rocky Die" chants. Good times. Have there been "Die Cena Die" chants? I want to say yes.
 
[quote name='JJSP']Hogan going to WCW helped start the NWO and turn the ratings toward WCW., which forced the WWE to come up with edgier storylines and characters. Without WCW's success in the mid-90's, the WWE would have been complacent with their cartoonish wrestlers - we'd have never seen Austin, DX, The Rock, heel Vince, and countless others.

Hogan going to WCW gave them mainstream credibility. Outside of Atlanta, very few people had heard of WCW before the NWO.[/QUOTE]

While Hogan did give WCW some attention, they were a credible organization long before Hogan signed with them. It is not like they were a regional promotion or something.
 
OH SHIT!!! The Guru of Greatness just referenced Braden Walker.

(For those that aren't watching ECW, Long was talking about what a success the New Superstar Initiative was, and John responded with "Oh really? How'd that Braden Walker guy work out for you?" Or something like that, anyway.)
 
I'm shocked that Matt Striker just made an Iron Maiden reference.

...and a reference to Ride the Lightning. Double shocked.
 
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[quote name='lmz00']OH SHIT!!! The Guru of Greatness just referenced Braden Walker.

(For those that aren't watching ECW, Long was talking about what a success the New Superstar Initiative was, and John responded with "Oh really? How'd that Braden Walker guy work out for you?" Or something like that, anyway.)[/quote]
I'm watching The Shield instead, but that's fucking hilarious:rofl:
 
I really hope they don't try to split Miz n Morrison up after this match. They have excellent chemistry together and have really come a long way over the past year.
 
ECW was good stuff. Morrison burning Braden Walker was top-notch, and I loved Jack Swagger coming out and further mangling Chase Stevens, then demolishing Dreamer for good measure. Then smiling. Swagger for ECW Champion! Speaking of that, Hardy wasn't on this show, but luckily, Mark Henry was and cut a fine promo ensuring the imminent destruction of the man who FINALLY did it - he achieved his...weeks-long quest and became ECW Champion.

And, like the previous BIGGEST WIN EVAR for him in six months, he's done nothing with the belt and I'd like it to be off of him as quickly as possibl so it can go to someone who might actually benefit from being champion. J.R. and Striker were fun to listen to thanks to their rapport. Striker saying that Tiffany has the body of a mudflap chick had me rolling.

Quotes -
J.R. - I honestly feel smarter sitting next to an educator like yourself.
Striker - And I’m humbled next to a hall of famer - I truly mean that.
(on Ortiz)Morrison - THAT NAPPY HAIR IS DISGUSTING!
Miz - He’s a grown man who has his hair cut like a poodle.
Morrison - WE SHOULD BE MAIN EVENT PPVS, NOT BABYSITTING NEW KIDS WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT IN OUR BUSINESS!
Morrison - TEDDY LONG COULD NEVER HANG OUT AT THE PALACE OF WISDOM!
J.R. - Here comes the GM of this…fine organization.
Teddy - The NEW SUPERSTAR INITIATIVE will bring the future of sports entertainment!
Morrison - Yup, like Braden Walker - he got released from ECW after 2 matches!
Teddy - Well…we can’t hit all home runs…
(rubbing a Ricky O Rally Towel on her neck)Tiffany - I like it…FEELS GOOD!
Striker - Finlay, a second-generation star has a black belt in judo, his father teaches wrestling, and his sister taught grappling to the disabled youth of Ireland.
J.R. - Finlay with a bombs away-like maneuver.
Striker - Just like Ray Stevens.
J.R. - Off the top rope, at the Cow Palace.
Striker - Bam Neely is the Kyle Busch of ECW. You like NASCAR don’t ya, J.R.?
J.R. - Yup.
Striker - J.R., would you agree that Michelle McCool has led a revolution in the divas division?
J.R. - Absolutely! Their skills are improving by leaps and bounds!
J.R. - Michelle and Maryse have very…unique chemistry.
Striker - Of course, Maryse, French-Canadian, like Rick Martel, the Vachons…
J.R. - How about Pat Patterson?
Striker - Yup.
J.R. - Maryse with a camel clutch…looks NOTHING like the Iron Sheik!
Striker - Michelle McCool is exceptionally tall, especially for a diva, but everyone’s taller than me!
J.R. - We’re proud to be at the Rose Garden…
Striker - HOME OF “PLAYBOY” BUDDY ROSE!
J.R. - No, No Mercy.
Striker - The book of Exodus says “an eye for an eye”, how far will Shawn Michaels go at No Mercy?
Henry - LISTEN WELL, MATT HARDY DID NOT PIN ME IN THE SCRAMBLE IN WHICH HE ATTAINED THE ECW CHAMPIONSHIP! LET’S BE REAL - IT’S CUZ HE CAIN’T PIN ME AND HE CAN NEVER PIN ME! IN TWO WEEKS AT NO MERCY, I WILL LEAVE HIS CARCAS A BATTERED MESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT RING! AND THEN, HE WILL KNOW THAT HE’S NOT A CHAMPION! I AM TRULY A CHAMPION! THE WORLD’S STRONGEST CHAMPION!
Striker - I know you’re a Metallica fan, J.R.
J.R. - Been one for years. Rock on!
Striker - Ride the light night, J.R, ride the lightning!
J.R. - In 2008, Mike Knox will be ECW Champion! The aptitude is there, the attitude is there...
J.R. - Well, if Chase Stevens has never been in a car accident he knows what it feels like now.
Striker - There’s plenty of money in Knox.
(as Swagger attacks a fallen Chase Stevens)Striker - DOCTOR BOMB FROM DR. DEATH STEVE WILLIAMS - ANOTHER FAMOUS OKIE!
(after Swagger attacks Dreamer)Striker - Swagga! Is looking for a fight and he may have found one in the OG of extreme, Tommy Dreamer.
J.R. - Nice hat, Miz.
Striker - I wonder if it comes in MEN’S!
Striker - With the Miz and Morrison, who will be the Simon and who will be the Garfunkel to face the Garfunkel-haired Ricky Ortiz!?
Striker - How will this match affect the Dirt Sheet this Friday night on WWE.com!?
Striker - Do you think Ricky Ortiz is watching this or cavorting with Tiffany?
J.R. - I’d be watching the match.
Striker - Yes, but Tiffany’s built like those girls on the mudflaps. If you’re listening, I’d love to get a Pik-achu.
J.R. - RICKY ORTIZ WITH A BIG O ON JOHN MORRISON!
 
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[quote name='mykevermin']Yeah, but people who are 18 today weren't around for the first 6 Wrestlemanias, and were 3 by the time of Hulk Hogan's horrible blatant powergrab WMIX title win over Yokozuna. So I don't think that they see Hogan the way someone like myself might, who has been watching since WMIII (or was it IV?).[/quote]

Exactly. I could care less about Hulk Hogan. Only time I liked him is when he was nWo. For me it's Stone Cold and The Rock. Hogan never did anything for me.
 
[quote name='007']Austin was the cornerstone of Attitude, but it was Rock that eventually made it work. Every face needs a great heel to play off of, and Rock was that guy. Honestly, take Rock out of the Attitude era and tell me how great it would've been. So, yeah, I appreciate Austin, but I do honestly give a ton of the credit for those years to Rock. McMahon was a great heel, but he wasn't a wrestler. They NEEDED the Rock to fill out that storyline. Period.[/QUOTE]Rock:Austin :: Piper:Hogan ???
 
[quote name='JaytheGamefan']Striker and J.R. ruled tonight - the show itself wasn't all that great beyond the Miz and Morrison stuff, but they made it incredibly fun to listen to thanks to their rapport. Striker saying that Tiffany has the body of a mudflap chick had me rolling.

Quotes -
J.R. - I honestly feel smarter sitting next to an educator like yourself.
Striker - And I’m humbled next to a hall of famer - I truly mean that.
(on Ortiz)Morrison - THAT NAPPY HAIR IS DISGUSTING!
Miz - He’s a grown man who has his hair cut like a poodle.
Morrison - WE SHOULD BE MAIN EVENT PPVS, NOT BABYSITTING NEW KIDS WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT IN OUR BUSINESS!
Morrison - TEDDY LONG COULD NEVER HANG OUT AT THE PALACE OF WISDOM!
J.R. - Here comes the GM of this…fine organization.
Teddy - The NEW SUPERSTAR INITIATIVE will bring the future of sports entertainment!
Morrison - Yup, like Braden Walker - he got released from ECW after 2 matches!
Teddy - Well…we can’t hit all home runs…
(rubbing a Ricky O Rally Towel on her neck)Tiffany - I like it…FEELS GOOD!
Striker - Finlay, a second-generation star has a black belt in judo, his father teaches wrestling, and his sister taught grappling to the disabled youth of Ireland.
J.R. - Finlay with a bombs away-like maneuver.
Striker - Just like Ray Stevens.
J.R. - Off the top rope, at the Cow Palace.
Striker - Bam Neely is the Kyle Busch of ECW. You like NASCAR don’t ya, J.R.?
J.R. - Yup.
Striker - J.R., would you agree that Michelle McCool has led a revolution in the divas division?
J.R. - Absolutely! Their skills are improving by leaps and bounds!
J.R. - Michelle and Maryse have very…unique chemistry.
Striker - Of course, Maryse, French-Canadian, like Rick Martel, the Vachons…
J.R. - How about Pat Patterson?
Striker - Yup.
J.R. - Maryse with a camel clutch…looks NOTHING like the Iron Sheik!
Striker - Michelle McCool is exceptionally tall, especially for a diva, but everyone’s taller than me!
J.R. - We’re proud to be at the Rose Garden…
Striker - HOME OF “PLAYBOY” BUDDY ROSE!
J.R. - No, No Mercy.
Striker - The book of Exodus says “an eye for an eye”, how far will Shawn Michaels go at No Mercy?
Henry - LISTEN WELL, MATT HARDY DID NOT PIN ME IN THE SCRAMBLE IN WHICH HE ATTAINED THE ECW CHAMPIONSHIP! LET’S BE REAL - IT’S CUZ HE CAIN’T PIN ME AND HE CAN NEVER PIN ME! IN TWO WEEKS AT NO MERCY, I WILL LEAVE HIS CARCAS A BATTERED MESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT RING! AND THEN, HE WILL KNOW THAT HE’S NOT A CHAMPION! I AM TRULY A CHAMPION! THE WORLD’S STRONGEST CHAMPION!
Striker - I know you’re a Metallica fan, J.R.
J.R. - Been one for years. Rock on!
Striker - Ride the light night, J.R, ride the lightning!
J.R. - In 2008, Mike Knox will be ECW Champion! The aptitude is there, the attitude is there...
J.R. - Well, if Chase Stevens has never been in a car accident he knows what it feels like now.
Striker - There’s plenty of money in Knox.
(as Swagger attacks a fallen Chase Stevens)Striker - DOCTOR BOMB FROM DR. DEATH STEVE WILLIAMS - ANOTHER FAMOUS OKIE!
(after Swagger attacks Dreamer)Striker - Swagga! Is looking for a fight and he may have found one in the OG of extreme, Tommy Dreamer.
J.R. - Nice hat, Miz.
Striker - I wonder if it comes in MEN’S!
Striker - With the Miz and Morrison, who will be the Simon and who will be the Garfunkel to face the Garfunkel-haired Ricky Ortiz!?
Striker - How will this match affect the Dirt Sheet this Friday night on WWE.com!?
Striker - Do you think Ricky Ortiz is watching this or cavorting with Tiffany?
J.R. - I’d be watching the match.
Striker - Yes, but Tiffany’s built like those girls on the mudflaps. If you’re listening, I’d love to get a Pik-achu.
J.R. - RICKY ORTIZ WITH A BIG O ON JOHN MORRISON!
[/quote]

[quote name='Genocidal']I'm shocked that Matt Striker just made an Iron Maiden reference.

...and a reference to Ride the Lightning. Double shocked.[/quote]

[quote name='lmz00']OH SHIT!!! The Guru of Greatness just referenced Braden Walker.

(For those that aren't watching ECW, Long was talking about what a success the New Superstar Initiative was, and John responded with "Oh really? How'd that Braden Walker guy work out for you?" Or something like that, anyway.)[/quote]


After reading some of quotes Jay posted, Genocidal and lmz's references of things Matt Stryker said, I will be tuning into ECW tonight. If just to hear that Braden Walker line. :lol:

[quote name='Vince McMahon']No dammit! This is a cursed thread: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72402&page=25

Ooh, WWE cursed storyline, good idea![/quote]


Hey Vince! You could repackage Deuce as the tiger-stripe wearing, barefoot walking "son"/son of Jimmy Snuka. Then, all you'd need to do is say that Jimmy Snuka's father, Billiards "Billy" Snuka, wrestled in NWA: Madagascar, and you could have Jimmy Snuka, Jr. join up with Cody Rhodes, Ted II, and Afa II.

Aye, aye? So what do you say? ;)
 
[quote name='007']'Dwayne' could put people over because he (wait for it) didn't have the passion for the business and, therefore, wasn't concerned about his 'legacy'. I'm sure he enjoyed it, but it's obvious now that he NEVER intended to stay in wrestling long-term.

That's the difference. To him, putting people over didn't mean much. He wasn't out to set records, or even be remembered as a legend. He didn't protect his spot in a way that short-changed others. I mean, let's look at this... both his last major singles match AND his final match were both losses. One to a guy that wasn't going to be around forever, and the others were up and coming guys who needed the rub. I still remember that... I couldn't believe they hyped Rock coming back for one more match, and the whole RocknSock thing, Wrestlemania 20... and they lost. That really speaks highly of either Foley/Rock, or HHH's backstage power. Your choice.

Austin was the cornerstone of Attitude, but it was Rock that eventually made it work. Every face needs a great heel to play off of, and Rock was that guy. Honestly, take Rock out of the Attitude era and tell me how great it would've been. So, yeah, I appreciate Austin, but I do honestly give a ton of the credit for those years to Rock. McMahon was a great heel, but he wasn't a wrestler. They NEEDED the Rock to fill out that storyline. Period.

Anyway, point is... Rock put people over because he didn't live and die for the business. It's not a great personality trait so much as a lack of caring.[/QUOTE]

I don't agree with this at all.

Rock put people over because he didn't spend years in the indys fighting his way up. That shit is dog eat dog and it's either bury people and make waves or be buried. Even in the WWE it's that way but Rock was lucky enough to have an insane amounts of natural talent that was enough to push him past the bullshit.
 
Is it just me or does Teddy Long seem like he's "blackin' it up" on request of Vince? It just doesn't sound natural.

Braden Walker reference. :rofl:

"I'll beat you without even taking my glasses off." I love John Morrison.

I hope they don't break up MorriMiz. MorriMiz is one of the best things about present day WWE.

The Tiffany/Long/Ortiz segment was painful but got a smirk out of me due to its cheesiness.

Finlay needs to punt Hornswaggle to the moon and get back to winning matches cleanly.

Solid match by Miz and Morrison. I'm glad they chose to end it in a draw.

I like how Ortiz gave his towel to the mildy-attractive old lady instead of the little boy. I guess to Ortiz "PG" stands for "Pretty Grannies." :whistle2:#
 
[quote name='Chase']Is it just me or does Teddy Long seem like he's "blackin' it up" on request of Vince? It just doesn't sound natural.[/QUOTE]

I thought that about Long for YEARS in WWE. Especially compared with his WCW days (even if that was, christ, 20 years ago).
 
[quote name='Sporadic']I don't agree with this at all.

Rock put people over because he didn't spend years in the indys fighting his way up. That shit is dog eat dog and it's either bury people and make waves or be buried. Even in the WWE it's that way but Rock was lucky enough to have an insane amounts of natural talent that was enough to push him past the bullshit.[/quote]

Well... but isn't that sort of the same thing, though? Rock put people over BECAUSE he didn't spend all those years fighting his way to the WWE. It wasn't his dream, it was a back-up job for football that he got by being 3rd generation. Therefore, he wasn't really concerned with it. He puts a guy over, it doesn't bring back horrible memories of being job out to aging legends in the indys, or laying down in 9 seconds for a second-rate nutjob... it's just something he has to do. He never gained that ego complex so closesly related with going through the indies. Now, let's even be nicer to The Rock. He jobbed to people. There's another big late 90s superstar who ALSO didn't have to fight his way to the top... but he acted like Hogan and HHH about jobbing: Goldberg. So, really, it all comes down to ego. Both Rock and Goldberg were literally handed EVERYTHING the business had to offer, but it only went to ONE of their heads. Neither had a passion for the business, and both came to wrestling after failed football careers. Just because they don't have a passion for the business doesn't mean the ego won't take over... and that, I think, speaks very highly of Rock's character.

Sidenote: I'd venture to say that it's going to be way more of a problem in the future, simply because WWE is the only game in town. Now, when people fight and claw to get somewhere, it's really only to get to ONE place. Sometimes you get there and you become Evan Bourne... other times you become Braden Walker. Now guys are going to be way more worried, since there aren't many other places to go.

Anyway, like I said, I fail to see how our points differed, since they both essentially seem to boil down to: Rock had no issues jobbing, since he didn't give his blood, sweat, or tears to the business. It was a job for him, not a passion. Fortunately for us, it just happened to be a job that he was extremely naturally gifted at. So, perhaps I'm missing something, if you cared to clarify.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']I thought that about Long for YEARS in WWE. Especially compared with his WCW days (even if that was, christ, 20 years ago).[/quote]


Vince probably did request "more jive". I think he requested more redneck tendencies from Jamie Noble, whatisname and Festus. Vince loves his stereotypes.
 
If selflessly putting people over is the mark of someone not having passion, then I can think of someone else who had top-notch promo skills and had no problem laying down:

ricflair.jpg

They say I have no passion?! I'll show you passion! Whoooooooo!
 
For the first time in a long time , I actually watched some wrestling. Not just some , impact , RAW and ECW for this week (missed smackdown and missed a portion of the miz morrison match on ECW). It's funny that even though I haven't watched any of the shows in so long , it was pretty easy to get back into RAW and ECW. Impact on the other hand I didn't know what the hell was going on or who the hell half the people on the show were.
 
[quote name='Fanboy']If selflessly putting people over is the mark of someone not having passion, then I can think of someone else who had top-notch promo skills and had no problem laying down:

ricflair.jpg

They say I have no passion?! I'll show you passion! Whoooooooo![/quote]

Lance Storm on Flair:

[SIZE=-1]My one and only Ric Flair match was on a house show in Pittsburgh, PA in August of 2002. Christian and I were the World Tag Team Champions and we defended the Titles against Ric Flair and The Undertaker. I have a lot of great memories of that match and one of the funniest was the long debate over the finish before the show. In WWE the live event line up and finishes are sent by the office and the road agents then put the show together using that layout. With this being a live event we weren’t going to be switching the Titles, so I expected a DQ finish of some kind so the Baby Faces got the win but not the Titles. I don’t remember who the agent was that night but a DQ was the desired finish. As we all sat around trying to come up with an appropriate DQ finish, Flair kept volunteering to get pinned. Taker and the Agent kept insisting we needed to stick with the planned DQ, while Flair kept asking if there was any specific reason we couldn’t just pin him. I’m not sure if everyone knows this or not but Ric Flair is the only person I’ve met in the business, who loves doing jobs.

Taker and the Agent seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated when after each time they pitched a new DQ finish, Flair would once again volunteer to get pinned. The best was when Flair finally agreed that we could do the DQ and suggested the age old finish where I’d knock him out with brass knuckles and pin him, but after doing so hide the brass knuckles under my arm so that when the ref raised my hand, in victory, the brass knuckles would fall out and the ref would see them and then disqualify us for cheating. Even in his DQ suggestion he managed to get pinned. Everyone vetoed this and eventually Flair agreed to not get pinned and we did some other kind of DQ for the finish. You’ve got to love Ric Flair.
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Flair's 'love' of jobbing was only in the twilight of his career. He also was subject to a lot of other superstars (i.e. Hogan) who exercised creative control over him in WCW. I love Flair, but to say that he's ALWAYS layed down is a bit ridiculous. If anything, I'd say his 'love' of jobbing came along well after he knew he was no longer relevant as a main eventer.
 
It is to his credit (as opposed to, say, Sid, Undertaker, or Hulk Hogan, who seem to think that they could make another run with the belt), though.

Flair made his enemies in the business, sure enough. I don't know about his unwillingness to job, but when you put a top-tier guy in charge of the book (mid-90's WCW), you're bound to have problems.

All of this made me think of how uncommon the Smackdown recap was last night. So they showed the recap of Kozlov's encounter with HHH, where *Kozlov got the best of HHH and HHH was left lying in a heap on the mat, coughing and clutching his chest*.

And, for the life of me, I can't think of a SINGLE time Triple H has sold like that for someone before in the setup to a PPV match. It is a foreshadowing, however, that those who pay $40 to see Triple H/Jeff Hardy will fulfill the "a fool and his money shall soon part" maxim.
 
I got my review copy of the Impact game in today, and in my first match (Sting vs. Angle, to get the "play as Sting" achievement), Angle threw himself into the steps and flew over them, and then just now, I had an AJ vs. Christian Cage Ultimate X to get the Ultimate X History Lesson achievement, and won simply because Christian kept climbing up the far right-hand side turnbuckle without a rig attached to it - allowing me to take as much time as I wanted to actually grab the X. Amazing - I haven't had this much fun with a wrestling game for all the wrong reasons since Showdown: LoW, where Curt Hennig pinned himself with a small package in my first match.
 
[quote name='JaytheGamefan'] Amazing - I haven't had this much fun with a wrestling game for all the wrong reasons since Showdown: LoW, where Curt Hennig pinned himself with a small package in my first match.[/quote]

This has got me :rofl: right now!
 
[quote name='007']Flair's 'love' of jobbing was only in the twilight of his career. He also was subject to a lot of other superstars (i.e. Hogan) who exercised creative control over him in WCW. I love Flair, but to say that he's ALWAYS layed down is a bit ridiculous. If anything, I'd say his 'love' of jobbing came along well after he knew he was no longer relevant as a main eventer.[/QUOTE]

I guess those stories of Flair asking to put Steve Austin over back in the early 90s are just figments of my imagination -- or did Flair just have a 15-year twilight?

And what about Sting? Steamboat? Funk? Luger? Von Erich? fucking Garvin?

Flair was never afraid to count the lights because he knew his character wasn't about the win/loss record -- just like the Rock -- and not because he had no passion for the business.
 
bread's done
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