auto-da-fe

Well, the plan for SummerSlam (according to the latest here) is for Goldberg vs. HHH for the strap. I think right now all they are trying to accomplish with the Goldberg sqaush matches are that he is an unstopable beast. That way we think that he might actually have a chance against HHH (even though we all know Trips isn't going to drop the belt to Goldberg).

I personally wish that HHH would give the belt to Golberg, just because I am getting bored with him having it. Lets get some new faces in the title hunt, instead og Hunter vs. latest whipping boy (Jericho, RVD, Kane, Nash, etc.).

Howard

Like car racing, I cannot understand the attraction of professional wrestling. Is it a case of, "It's so bad it's good"?

auto-da-fe

actually Howard, my attraction to it is only that it never pretends to be anything that it is not. Everyone knows that it is fake, and the wrestling industry fully acknowledges that. Even so, some (and I repeat, SOME) of the storylines are very entertaining, and some of the most charismatic people on TV are in the WWE. Plus some of the action (especially from the smaller guys) is incredible. Have you ever seen someone do a frogsplash from 50 feet in the air and land on top of a guy? Or be thrown from 15 - 20 feet off the top of a steel cage and land on a table? Yes it is violent, but that is one of the reasons I like it.

Jacey

Bringing back Foley only to put him with HHH would be one of the stupidest and worst ideas possible. Foley already put over HHH huge several years ago and made his career, WTF could he possibly to do for him. Foley (if he does make the return to the ring, which he's leaning toward doing) will be working with Randy Orton, as seems obvious from the direction the TV is taking.

RVD was a legitimate main eventer that people wanted to see. HHH sabotaged him as he has Jericho and several others. HHH has no one to work with because he's killed everyone off to keep his spot at the top. No one cares at all about Nash so that feud had no legs whatsoever. Kane is a company guy but was booked into oblivion.

Agreed, in WCW when he exploded on the scene in '98 he got a lot of press for this. Not many people think of Jewish people being badasses. I've met him as well and he's a legitimately nice guy who loves children. He does have a swollen head in the locker room, but he also doesn't really give a shit about wrestling.

Also, a problem with giving Goldberg a belt right now is that he doesn't do house shows. His contract is for 5 or 6 dates a month I believe. If they'd promoted and booked him right when he first came in, he would've done a hyoooge number in his first match with Rock, but WWE messed it all up..........and they knew how to book him since the blueprints from a few years ago were right in front of them.

I'm kinda surprised they haven't brought in outside guys to put over Goldberg. Remember how many times he beat Jerry Flynn? If I was booking RAW (and I'm not sure I'd want to) I'd be on the phone with a lot of the guys who don't have jobs right now, bring them in and feed them to Goldberg. It's so easy to book him, just go watch the tapes from 1998 WCW and announce the win streak gimmick. If it's legit fans will get into that.

I'm not so sure about that. Either that being a match at SummerSlam or him dropping the belt to Goldberg. BUT what you have to think about is who will be the first guy to beat Goldberg. Since before Goldberg was in the company, HHH has been politicking to be the one. I'd have it be someone like BROCK, but HHH is bangin' the bosses daughter and is a great backstage manipulator.

Why is it necessary for someone to post this crap in every wrestling thread that gets started. At it's worst, pro wrestling is silly entertainment. At it's best, it's extremely emotional and dramatic sport.

I prefer "worked." The wrestlers are working together, but it's not "fake." (If it's fake then why does my back hurt and I have scars on my arms.........)

Howard

Why is it crap? I didn't suggest that anyone who watches wrestling is a retard. I just asked what the attraction was, and MegaDave offered a reasonable answer (Thanks, by the way.) Why are you so insulted by a simple question?

Jacey

Because in every wrestling thread in here, someone asks a similar question. Pro wrestling in this country carries around a certain "stigma" and because of that I'm very edgy about it.

I also answered the question btw.

Howard

That's probably been true throughout the history of the sport, and it's perfectly understandable. After all, athletic events are not supposed to have pre-determined outcomes. The whole idea of the contest is to see which team or individual is better. When you have a staged event like wrestling, and include all the histrionics and melodrama performed by people who are not very good actors, then some folks are going to look down on it as a "sport." There's nothing you can do about that.

Ron Garrett

For me it has never been about whether or not wrestling was "fake" or "real". It's the sheer athleticism and brass balls bravery it takes, particularly for the high flyers.

I was a small child when my chiropractor introduced me to Antonino "Argentina" Rocca. I saw Edourd Carpentier, Buddy Rodgers, Lou Thesz and Freddie Blassie all at their peak. Dick the Bruiser was like God to me, and like a Goldberg, Hogan or Rock, though he didn't have three moves in his bag, he could get over and back again. I knew the wrestlers were working together. I also knew the risks and the beating they were taking to entertain the fans and the real danger they were constantly in from fanatics that couldn't separate reality and fantasy. I remember talking to Bobo Brazil in a fast food joint on Hwy 41 after he wrestled in Roberts Stadium. That's when I first learned how hard these guys work and how badly all but the elite get paid, when and if they get paid. And I always appreciated how nice the guys were when the cameras were off. I was in awe then and I still am. It's not an easy life and the toll is heavy.

All those fond memories aside, could I be more ready for Hunter Helmsley to move out the way? Could I be more bored with his water-spitting routine? Is his act as worn out as a Hogan leg drop? Oh yeah.

I was actually hoping for Sean O'Hare to make more of an impact coming over from WCW. What a specimen! And he took some real risks for a big guy. But when he disappeared I thought he was cut, and I'm thinking, "Keep Palumbo, but axe O'Hare? So I was glad to see him back, but pairing him up as second banana to Roddy Piper? All props to who Roddy used to be, but when you can't get heat beating up flag-waving teenage amputees, where do you go from there?

I've pretty much stopped watching WWE at this point. I am three years past bored with the evil McMahons routine. I am not entertained by bikini contests, and honestly you'd have to pay me to watch any of the women of WWE work in the ring. I really wish ECW was still around.

Jimmy Higgins

Its staged, but I don't think people realize ow much is staged. From the cameraman's position, to which camera is on the ring, to where the ref is supposed to be, to making the moves look good. Then you have the great choreography (sp) with the talents in Smackdown that make the mat moves look really impressive. And yes, as someone already has said, some of the violent moves are great, the highlight (and perhaps only highlight) of Bad Blood was when Shawn Michaels flog splashed from the top rope Ric Flair who was laying outside the ring on a table.

WWE isn't meant to be sport. It has athletes in it, but it isn't a sport. Its a drama, a male drama. Its like ER or Law and Order, you know, the shows that you usually already know what's going to happen. But just as in those shows, every once in a while you really get a good spin. Sure there are bad ones, really bad ones like Kane and Katie Vick or Dawn Marie and Al Wilson but the gay wedding was tremendous.

And as a side note, I wonder if Goldberg being up Charlie Mack twice is a sign that the World's Strongest Man is going to be on RAW. I wonder if they would be creative enough to work that angle. Use that as a stepping stone for Summerslam and then HHH and Goldberg at the Raw only PPV because Raw will need something that large for ratings. Raw can let Smackdown cover them in Summerslam.

And darn it, when will Booker T beat Christian?! And will Golddust be teaming or going against Rico?

Jimmy Higgins

Actually, the triple threat match in Wrestlemania X9 was the third best match of the night, behind Lesnar/Angle and Jericho/Michaels. They pulled out all the moves and really stepped it up. I agree, bikini contests, bra and panties, paddle matches are all a waste of time. The HLA routine was extremely stupid, like anything was actually going to happen, as the crowd groans in disappointment, come on!

I think Raw is building up a legitimate group of female wrestlers. To be honest, you have Stratus who is alright, but then you've got Victoria and Jazz who I think are real excellent athletes and not really vixens. Gail Kim looks to be of the same stature of them. I just wish the crowd would allow the women to become wrestlers and not merely eye candy that you see on Smackdown!.