At 12/1/14 07:40 PM, PsychoGoldfish wrote:
It depends on what you mean by fake, first of all. Re the performers really fighting and trying to beat each other like UFC fighters? Of course not. Are they real athletes? Absolutely.

Wrestling is really the last truly great travelling show. It's a fun hybrid of theater, with all the stars playing a role, mixed with the physical feats you would find in a circus or stunt show.

Because of the nature of professional wrestling there are several different types of fans...

Most of us fall in to 2 or more of those types and can at least appreciate all the others. It's a form of entertainment that's easiest to like if you know what's all involved in it beyond the surface absurdity.

Wow, @PsychoGoldfish it was an honor to hear from you in a post. Thanks for that!

It makes sense now. By fake I think I meant, do some people take the storytelling aspect seriously? I suppose that some do, but from what I'm aware it has to be scripted haha. But on discussing that aspect with certain super fans they seem to take offense, you know? (Just in my own personal experience, but everyone is different I'm sure.)

I can relate to the whole Super Hero aspect as well. I can surely see the appeal there, it sort of gives people something to grab on to and look up to for kids at least.

Thanks for the help, it will probably help me connect a bit more with my cousin when I get a chance to see him again because I felt a bit lost in the realm of Wrestling Entertainment.

On a side note, I've always been a fan of Hulk Hogan. And for a brief period when it was really trendy in my childhood and I actually watched it, I was a fan of the Undertaker and Mankind. I dunno why, just thought they were kind of cool.

I even had a few of those action figures with stretchy arms but if you stretched too far you realized they were filled with green goop haha. Good times.

At 12/2/14 03:04 PM, frootza wrote: But on discussing that aspect with certain super fans they seem to take offense, you know?

It's just annoying at this point, if you're a fan of wrestling you're already used to being made fun of it countless times, and it also doesn't help that when someone tells a fan it's fake they say it in a condescending way, like we don't know it's scripted, it's insulting for some people to assume grown ass adults still think that The Undertaker, Kane, Bray Wyatt and such act like that in real life.

What did you guys think of Austin's podcast with Vince? I thought it was very good.

You know I'm not against WWE being online and connecting with the Internet, but it seems to me that the only fan base they have left is online. However the WWE just seems really keen on pushing really stupid shit. I have stopped watching wrestling as of now and I'm really looking to something else besides WWE, but sadly nothing is as big as the WWE, it pretty much stepped up after its competition imploded on itself.

I mean... this is some shit right here. And this below.

At 12/2/14 03:04 PM, frootza wrote:

At 12/1/14 07:40 PM, PsychoGoldfish wrote:

Thanks for the help, it will probably help me connect a bit more with my cousin when I get a chance to see him again because I felt a bit lost in the realm of Wrestling Entertainment.

This is older and sort of predates WWE being open about wrestling being "fake", but it's a good intro to what really goes on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9u8x0Xrj4A&list=PL36F25D28805106BE&index=5

Some of the "secrets" they expose look super obvious and fake in this, so when you watch a really good match you can appreciate just how much the pros do to make things look more real.

This is where a lot of fans and wrestlers alike take offense to people calling it fake I guess.

A lot of the hits they give and take ARE real (just pulled at the last minute so as not to cause permanent injury). Many of the moves they do just have too much speed, weight and momentum to not connect, so both wrestlers have to do their part to land everything just right, and absorb the impacts just right or else they are going to the hospital or worse.

In many ways, this requires a pro wrestler to actually apply even more skill and ability to their work than a real professional fighter does.

The most basic thing they do is called a bump, which is basically any hit they take where they fall down. Try just falling on the floor at home and you'll figure out quickly that shit hurts. And that's the most BASIC impact these guys take.

At 12/2/14 06:41 PM, ToddM wrote: What did you guys think of Austin's podcast with Vince? I thought it was very good.

Yeah, it was an interesting look into Vince's mind. In spite what he says, I do think he's out of touch and has his head up his own ass, but is able to justify that with umbrella terms like people not having "it".

He says he listens to the fans, but he only listens to them when they stop buying into the guys he's wanting to push, and usually only temporarily.

I think what he means by guys having "it" is that they came up through the old-school channels, vs the indy circuit, and that they are re-branded into names he actually owns. Being huge is also a big bonus (Hence the insistence on pushing Ryback again even though he hasn't changed a bit).

I loved how Austin called him on not pushing Cesaro and ignoring the fans as he was getting over organically.

I do agree with Vince that a lot f the roster is just content with their spots and not stepping up. Guys like Kofi always bugged me. So much fucking talent in the ring. And if anyone remembers his brief push vs Orton, he could get it done on the mic too.

But he is perfectly content to just show up and put on the same match every week with one or two predictable battle royal spots every year and never push his character beyond that. Even this new day faction he's in feels like an extension of that. It's not going to get over and will just be a quasi comedy filler faction.

At 12/2/14 09:19 PM, The-Great-One wrote: I mean... this is some shit right here.

I thought that was sort of cool. WWE superstars in high school is an interesting idea.

Seth looks adorable.

At 12/3/14 11:24 AM, PsychoGoldfish wrote:

At 12/2/14 03:04 PM, frootza wrote:

The most basic thing they do is called a bump, which is basically any hit they take where they fall down. Try just falling on the floor at home and you'll figure out quickly that shit hurts. And that's the most BASIC impact these guys take.

And the ring floor isn't anything soft either, there isn't any trampoline under the mat, it's all wooden planks covered by a thin cushioning fabric (i'm not sure if they've changed it recently to something safer though).

At 12/3/14 03:34 PM, Radaketor wrote:

At 12/3/14 11:24 AM, PsychoGoldfish wrote:

At 12/2/14 03:04 PM, frootza wrote:

The most basic thing they do is called a bump, which is basically any hit they take where they fall down. Try just falling on the floor at home and you'll figure out quickly that shit hurts. And that's the most BASIC impact these guys take.

And the ring floor isn't anything soft either, there isn't any trampoline under the mat, it's all wooden planks covered by a thin cushioning fabric (i'm not sure if they've changed it recently to something safer though).

True! When I was a kid and my bones tended to never hurt for some reason, my friends and I would fake fall all the time as hard as we could just for the comedic effect that comes with falling. I can still pull it off though but I'm sure it takes some training to do it over and over again like these guys do during the wrestling matches and if they have any basic martial arts training it's probably a plus.

It appears to have a bit of a bounce, plus I'm pretty sure they mic the underside of the ring and add those booms into the mix for even greater effect, but yeah it definitely isn't a trampoline!

At 12/3/14 04:12 PM, frootza wrote:

At 12/3/14 03:34 PM, Radaketor wrote:

At 12/3/14 11:24 AM, PsychoGoldfish wrote:

At 12/2/14 03:04 PM, frootza wrote:

The most basic thing they do is called a bump, which is basically any hit they take where they fall down. Try just falling on the floor at home and you'll figure out quickly that shit hurts. And that's the most BASIC impact these guys take.

And the ring floor isn't anything soft either, there isn't any trampoline under the mat, it's all wooden planks covered by a thin cushioning fabric (i'm not sure if they've changed it recently to something safer though).

True! When I was a kid and my bones tended to never hurt for some reason, my friends and I would fake fall all the time as hard as we could just for the comedic effect that comes with falling. I can still pull it off though but I'm sure it takes some training to do it over and over again like these guys do during the wrestling matches and if they have any basic martial arts training it's probably a plus.

It appears to have a bit of a bounce, plus I'm pretty sure they mic the underside of the ring and add those booms into the mix for even greater effect, but yeah it definitely isn't a trampoline!

It depends on the promotion. Some of them have small shock absorbers build into the ring, but WWE rings do not have any give. Believe it or not, a hard floor is actually safer to take bumps on.

The noise you here is because the ring floor is pretty thin, just a few inches, and the bump echoes underneath. It's a design that's was perfected long before they worked sound-rigged arenas. It's a pretty clever low-tech way to make bumps sound even worse than they are. It also lets the wrestlers stop a foot when they throw a punch so it sounds like it hurt more.

At 12/3/14 06:32 PM, PsychoGoldfish wrote:
The noise you here is because the ring floor is pretty thin, just a few inches, and the bump echoes underneath. It's a design that's was perfected long before they worked sound-rigged arenas. It's a pretty clever low-tech way to make bumps sound even worse than they are.

I thought they were even thinner, but I don't know too much about WWE.

At 12/3/14 11:41 AM, PsychoGoldfish wrote: Yeah, it was an interesting look into Vince's mind. In spite what he says, I do think he's out of touch and has his head up his own ass, but is able to justify that with umbrella terms like people not having "it".

Yeah, shifting the blame solely onto the locker room and "millenials" and saying "oh they're afraid to fail" that's true of some guys, but I can think of at least 3 or 4 examples where that just isn't true. This is the company that wouldn't push Stevie Richards, yet would run his Heat matches in the back and say "hey, this is how you should do it". Zack Ryder is told "go out there guys, get yourself over" he did it, they buried and punished him because it wasn't their idea, wasn't his time. CM PUNK, the LONGEST reigning WWE champion since Hulk Hogan's FIRST title reign. He was never even supposed to make the main roster! They saw nothing in him, signed a guy with indy buzz. So yeah, tell me again how everybody gets opportunity there. They had Colt Cabana and did nothing with him and fired him after a couple months.

He says he listens to the fans, but he only listens to them when they stop buying into the guys he's wanting to push, and usually only temporarily.

Yup, he's definitely angry with that. I think it's also telling that look of disgust he had when Austin said "it's pro-wrestling" "no, that's what my dad did". THAT is the reason that his product is failing, and why he's losing his core audience. Because he doesn't like us, because if you dare say "look, the core business is wrestling. Perfume it up all you want, but in the end, it's about two guys in a fight, in a wrestling match, in a wrestling ring". He doesn't like that, want's to transcend that and that is the long and short of the problem.

I think what he means by guys having "it" is that they came up through the old-school channels, vs the indy circuit, and that they are re-branded into names he actually owns.

I won't go that far. that "it" factor is an intangible, it's just that prescence, that look, that thing that grabs the attention, particularly the attention of someone who doesn't give a fuck. Undertaker has "it" has "it" in spades. My brother watched wrestling well before I did, I could care less. I saw Andre "ok, wow, he's huge, not enough to make me care thoug....but I'm aware now". Then I saw Ultimate Warrior "whoa, that guy is something, crazy character, real interesting....still not enough for a weekly basis". Then I saw Undertaker "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!! That guy just stuffed Ultimate Warrior in a coffin! This guy is weird, he's creepy, he's something....hey, hey! Where can I get more of this? When does this show air? Is this guy on it every week?" THAT is the kind of "it" they need. Right now, I think there are guys who have "it" now it's about can it be translated. My own quick list is: Ambrose, Wyatt, Harper, Ryback (I think it'll fizzle, but he commands attention), Russev, Brock, Reigns, Rollins, Barrett. That's the guys I have off the top of my head. They grab my attention, but now it's about can that be translated?

Being huge is also a big bonus (Hence the insistence on pushing Ryback again even though he hasn't changed a bit).

He has his type, every promoter has. I don't fault him for that, but I think you have to also be able to think outside that comfort zone too.

I loved how Austin called him on not pushing Cesaro and ignoring the fans as he was getting over organically.

Yup, I felt like there might be parts where Austin held back, or treaded carefully, but that was a great one.

I do agree with Vince that a lot f the roster is just content with their spots and not stepping up. Guys like Kofi always bugged me. So much fucking talent in the ring. And if anyone remembers his brief push vs Orton, he could get it done on the mic too.

Kofi never progressed, and that is on him. He's happy being a spot machine. But there's also a lot of guys who have been pushed down, held back, they've tried to break the glass ceiling on multiple occasions they got slapped down. They watch talented guys like Punk have that happen to them, and for me the question becomes: How much shit are these guys realistically expected to eat before they can finally say "alright, enough"?

At 12/3/14 03:28 PM, Radaketor wrote: I thought that was sort of cool. WWE superstars in high school is an interesting idea.

I have not seen such a lame wrestling tie in since Doink the clown had three midget dinks that followed him around. A grown man clown had three smaller clowns.

At 12/4/14 05:36 AM, vixuzar wrote: danial brain is now the owner of WWE how`s everyone feeling about it ?

What?

At 12/4/14 01:49 PM, vixuzar wrote:

At 12/4/14 11:12 AM, NekoMika wrote:

At 12/4/14 05:36 AM, vixuzar wrote: danial brain is now the owner of WWE how`s everyone feeling about it ?

Proof?

He taunted triple H and his wife with the yes move just look it up on youtube it's awesome

He's talking about Daniel Bryan's week of hosting Raw and Smackdown.

At 12/4/14 05:10 PM, vixuzar wrote:

At 12/4/14 04:48 PM, PsychoGoldfish wrote: He's talking about Daniel Bryan's week of hosting Raw and Smackdown.

it was only for a week ? i thought triple H and sally.exe left forever

You wish.

CM Punk will be making his debut in MMA some time in the near future.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2291817-cm-punk-will-fight-in-the-ufc-former-wwe-champion-announces-at-ufc-181

At 12/7/14 03:40 AM, Quorthon wrote: So, Jack Swagger and Rusev are most likely going to face off at TLC, and Rusev has already had a feud with Swagger. Anyone think Rusev will lose this one?

Maybe surprise Swagger push?

Is it true that Alex Riley's gonna make a comeback or is that just a rumor?

At 12/7/14 03:44 AM, boloneyman wrote: CM Punk will be making his debut in MMA some time in the near future.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2291817-cm-punk-will-fight-in-the-ufc-former-wwe-champion-announces-at-ufc-181

I don't think he's gonna last long. Weren't his injuries piling up on him?

At 12/7/14 11:08 AM, NekoMika wrote:

At 12/7/14 10:11 AM, Radaketor wrote: Is it true that Alex Riley's gonna make a comeback or is that just a rumor?

Who knows? I've not seen him on WWE since shortly after he stopped working with The Miz. Hopefully they give him a new gimmick to work with that suits him better.

I seem to remember that he got a win over Ziggler when Dolph Ziggler as feuding with Chris Jericho, after that i've only seen him around commentary or wrestling as a jobber.

At 12/7/14 03:44 AM, boloneyman wrote: CM Punk will be making his debut in MMA

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2291817-cm-punk-will-fight-in-the-ufc-former-wwe-champion-announces-at-ufc-181

It would of been interesting if Punk went to TNA. They can always use more " popular and well know " wrestlers.

At 12/7/14 11:08 AM, NekoMika wrote: Who knows? I've not seen him on WWE since shortly after he stopped working with The Miz. Hopefully they give him a new gimmick to work with that suits him better.

I think he's a straight up announcer now.

The Ascension set debut soon!

It's about damn time!

Fuck me, NXT REvolution was perfect.

Steen/Owens looking like a monster, busting his nose in his first match, then the swerve at the end.
Finn Balor's body paint, and Hideo Itami teasing the GTS.
Zayn and Neville tearing the house down, and Zayn getting his fairytale ending.

I wish these specials were more regular. They're always incredible.

At 12/12/14 02:24 PM, TheMaster wrote: Fuck me, NXT REvolution was perfect.

I wish these specials were more regular. They're always incredible.

It's amazing the difference letting the talent explore their creativity makes

Hopefully Vince is watching

At 12/12/14 05:45 PM, Gobblemeister wrote: It's amazing the difference letting the talent explore their creativity makes

Hopefully Vince is watching

It would be nice if Vince changed things in WWE. This would be a step in the right direction.

I kind of thought we were going to see something fresh after the IC title match (my favorite of the night) but the show was a turd sandwich. The only other match worth watching was Bray vs Dean, great for 99 percent until that damn finish. If you wanted an explosion, do something around the pyrotechnics, not unplugging a monitor. I hate being negative over a show, and I rarely am, but this one brought out the worst in me.

At 12/15/14 03:09 AM, boloneyman wrote: I kind of thought we were going to see something fresh after the IC title match (my favorite of the night) but the show was a turd sandwich. The only other match worth watching was Bray vs Dean, great for 99 percent until that damn finish. If you wanted an explosion, do something around the pyrotechnics, not unplugging a monitor. I hate being negative over a show, and I rarely am, but this one brought out the worst in me.

I was there at the show in person in Cleveland. Loved how the show started out, but most everything else was garbage. Similar to you, I liked how the Dean v. Bray match was going for most of it, but that finish was infuriating. Don't know why Dean is 0-4 since Payback. That guy deserves a push with a legit win.

Also, Roman is back and already botching promos. BELIEVE THAT.

We want Orton!

At 12/14/14 10:35 AM, NekoMika wrote:

At 12/14/14 01:16 AM, DoctorStrongbad wrote:

It would be nice if Vince changed things in WWE. This would be a step in the right direction.

That won't happen in this day and age. Vince is hellbent against actually doing anything logically good or refreshing.

WHILE simultaneously sucking his own dick via "The Monday Night War" for doing exactly what he's not doing today!