Wrestling Thread April 13-19 | 4/19 TNA Lockdown PPV from Philadelphia - Sting vs Mick Foley

[maelstroom]

My Predictions:

Raw:
HHH
John Morrison
MVP
Big Show

Smackdown:
Cena
Christian
Mysterio
Bourne

ECW:
Jamie Noble
Cryme Tyme
Umaga
Kozlov

 

[parada45]

The 1st ever draft is what made me stop watching wrestling

 

[D Fly]

When was the first draft anyway?

 

[nyzmagician]

Since I'm going to watch Smackdown live in 2 weeks I just wanted to share this info:

The Main Event for Smackdown as of now is:

John Cena - HHH - Jeff Hardy

vs.

Edge - Randy Orton - Matt Hardy

 

[theprocessofbelief]

fraij da 5 11 wrote:

---

Wrestling has a DRAFT?

Wisconsin has a professional sports team?

 

[yardfather]

I'm liking a lot of tall predictions so far.

But one thing nobody has mentioned yet is the Hardys. Guaranteed they split up, hopefully they bring Matt to Raw as a top heel.

 

[maelstroom]

Originally Posted by Mr DragonFly Jones

When was the first draft anyway?

2002.

 

[nimo007]

Originally Posted by Maelstroom

Judgment Day Poster

Edge steals the show again?

The New Mr. Money in the Bank?

I agree with most of the picks you guys have but I'll throw in a wild card. I want Shelton on Raw.
Dude deserves it and each WM he puts on a show.

 

[maelstroom]

Originally Posted by NIMO007

Originally Posted by Maelstroom

Judgment Day Poster

Edge steals the show again?

The New Mr. Money in the Bank?

I agree with most of the picks you guys have but I'll throw in a wild card. I want Shelton on Raw.
Dude deserves it and each WM he puts on a show.

I would keep Shelton on Smackdown so he wont get buried on Raw

 

[mr whomp whomp]

any word on if Superstars will be just another recap show or will it actaully feature new matches?

 

[4wrestling]

Originally Posted by theprocessofbelief

fraij da 5 11 wrote:

---

Wrestling has a DRAFT?

Wisconsin has a professional sports team?

 

[maelstroom]

Originally Posted by Mr Whomp Whomp

any word on if Superstars will be just another recap show or will it actaully feature new matches?

I think its a one hour show for the lower card talent. Premieres this Thursday.

 

[4wrestling]

Originally Posted by Captain Charisma85

I like the each brand gets 4 picks idea, that seems like it'd make the most sense. Predictions are always fun so here goes:

RAW:
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley: Triple H has pretty much been on Raw since 2009 began, may as well make him a "Raw Superstar" so it becomes legit.
- Montel Vontavious Porter: His 20 week losing streak seems to now be the best thing that could've happened in his career. He looks to be on Vince's good side now, and a jump to the main show will show this.
- Christian: Hopefully Triple H and TheCreamandtheClear-ista learn to share the main event spotlight and not bury this guy... That may be too much to ask.
- John Morrison: Seeing as it is looking more and more evident that they are finally breaking up "The Greatest Tag Team of the 21st Century" Morrison has more overall talent than The Miz so "The Guru of Greatness" will be moved to the A show.


SmackDown!
- John Cena: You can't really have the WWE and World Heavyweight Champions on one show, so Cena will be moved to basic cable to try and help boost the ratings for MyNetworkTv.
- Rey Mysterio: WWE wants Hispanic viewers back, so a move to SmackDown! makes sense for him.
- CM Punk: He is going to be groomed on SmackDown! Edge will remain the number one heel while Punk will move up to the number 2 face (I say that because Undertaker will ALWAYS be top face on SmackDown!)
- Shawn Michaels: If it is actually true that HBK's time is running out, and next years Wrestlemania will more or less be a send off for him a move to SmackDown! would be beneficial so he can work a more relaxed schedule (like Undertaker) and coast his way into retirement.


ECW:
- Vladimir Kozlov: He is awful in the ring, but I actually like his character and can belive his role as "a monster." A move to ECW to improve his ring-work would help him greatly.
- The Brian Kendrick: WWE really seems to have soured on him, which is a shame because he is a fresh character who really took the ball and ran with it. Unfortuantely for him WWE isn't happy on his marijuana habits (see RVD). This move is more of a punishment than anything.
- William Regal: I feel moving Regal to ECW would be great because it can allow him and Finlay to be the veterans who can help develop the younger talent's in-ring abilities.
- Mr. Kennedy: I feel this would be WWE's way to see if Kennedy can finally sustain a full work schedule without getting injured. He's been a MAJOR player in each of the last two drafts, but for some reason just can't stay healthy, there won't be many expectations for him which can help him a great deal.


It should be interesting. I can't wait.

I have no faith in Mr. Kennedy ever returning. I hope he moves in as a color commentator.

 

[nimo007]

^^ Good point but I think Shelton has main event status material. And if Rey does in fact move to SD, will it be Shelton vs. Rey every week

 

[kingjay718]

@ The clearandthecream-tista.

 

[maelstroom]

Originally Posted by NIMO007

^^ Good point but I think Shelton has main event status material. And if Rey does in fact move to SD, will it be Shelton vs. Rey every week

Rey could put on some good matches with Bourne if comes to Smackdown too

Possibly Cena vs Mysterio or Taker vs Mysterio

 

[jdcurt2]

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

I dont know if its been posted yet but Mysterio is going back to SD, MVP to Raw, the Diva champions are switching, Maria is going back to Raw, and Candice to SD. Sorry if these have been posted already.

 

[mfr3shm]

One spoiler regarding the draft.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

Melina to Smackdown and Maryse to Raw

Maryse is so sexy

 

[maelstroom]

Originally Posted by MFr3shM

One spoiler regarding the draft.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

Melina to Smackdown and Maryse to Raw

Maryse is so sexy

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

Crappy Divas belt on Raw

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

Originally Posted by 4wrestling

(Cena isn't going to Smackdown)

Hmm...

News & Notes in a few.

Great post, 4dub.

 

[mustbetheshoe58]

cant wait

 

[mfr3shm]

If Miz & Morrison are split i would like for Morrison to go to Raw, and Miz to Smackdown.

 

[maelstroom]

Originally Posted by iLLoQuent aka DSK

Originally Posted by 4wrestling

(Cena isn't going to Smackdown)

Hmm...

News & Notes in a few.

Great post, 4dub.

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

News & Notes


The working plans for tonight's RAW (MAJOR SPOILERS).

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

I have obtained the working plans for tonight's WWE Draft. These were the plans as of this morning and as always are subject to change until they actually happen. Workers are arriving at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia for tonight's show. Below are the moves I was told:

* WWE Champion Triple H to Raw

* Undertaker to Raw

* World Heavyweight Champion John Cena to SmackDown

* Maryse to Raw

* Beth Phoenix to SmackDown

* Christian to SmackDown

* Santina to SmackDown

* Matt Striker to SmackDown

* Jeff Hardy to ECW

* Mike Knox to ECW (could happen in the Supplemental Draft)

One source also told me there is talk of keeping both Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker off of television until after Backlash later this month.

[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Out of all the dirt sheet writers I read from, this dude is on point the most...so if there are any changes, I don't expect to see a lot of them.

@ Jeff getting moved to ECW and

@ 'Taker coming to RAW.[/color]

[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]I also think Rey and MVP get swapped today.[/color]

Company officials singing high praises for Randy Orton.

- Randy Orton has gained a lot of respect backstage through his program with Triple H on Raw. Company officials have been thoroughly impressed with his work and see him as a "top, top" guy. The feeling amongst many of those I have spoken with is that it is very likely Orton will reign as WWE Championship before much longer.


Ric Flair turns down $250,000 WWE deal.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Theodore Long, who announced this past week on ECW that he would be returning to SmackDown as General Manager, was actually the company's third choice for the role.

Besides Ric Flair, who reportedly claimed last week that Vince McMahon offered him $250,000 to return full-time to the company as the General Manager of SmackDown, the other name talked about for the role was Dusty Rhodes. Stephanie McMahon called Dusty regarding the possibility, but declined.

One of the reasons Rhodes pulled himself from the creative team some time ago was because he didn't like the amount of traveling associated with the job - especially at his age and size. Instead, the WWE Hall of Famer opted to work out of Tampa, Florida with the company's developmental talent.[/font]


Backstage update on Batista's early return.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Batista recently approached company officials to inform them he was way ahead of schedule with his physical therapy and ready to get back in the mix of things as soon as possible. This explains why he was brought back to television last Monday. Batista has been working out at Florida Championship Wrestling's headquarters in Tampa to get rid of some of his ring rust.

Before going down with an injury last year, he was said to be on the verge of burnout and had asked for some time off from the road. However, several other wrestlers were dealing with injuries of their own so company officials kept asking him to put off his time off from the road. In December, Batista incurred a hamstring injury, which forced WWE to shoot an angle for him to get his time off.

While the Raw Superstar looked bigger in his return than he has in quite some time, he was noticeably limping and at his age, returning to action before he is 100% ready could be a bad move in the long run.[/font]


Backstage news on Hardy vs. Hardy feud.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-- In the first-ever Stretcher Match on SmackDown last Friday, Jeff Hardy faced his own brother in an emotion-charged battle. Just like their Extreme Rules Match at WrestleMania XXV, it was Matt who walked away victorious. Following the match, Matt sent his own brother hurling back down the ramp, causing the stretcher to smash into the ring below.

The feud between Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy was expected to be a short-term deal, so Friday's Stretcher Match might actually have been the blow-off to the program.

In a behind the scenes tidbit regarding their match at WrestleMania, privately, the two brothers were expecting to steal the show, even with Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels on the card. However, they were also given the caveat that it depended on if they were given enough time to do so. Ultimately, their match only lasted 13 minutes.[/font]


WWE upset at Trish Stratus for skipping Wrestlemania 25.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]WON reports that the concept of the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania was born out of the big reaction Trish Stratus received when they were in Toronto for Raw last December. They figured to follow it up with her at the annual show, under the guise of bringing a number of female performers back. There is a rumor that Trish declined when she learned of WWE creative's plan to have Santina Marella win the match, but that is not confirmed.

Unfortunately for company officials, Trish Stratus, Amy "Lita" Dumas and Wendi Richter - the three big names they wanted to bring back - all declined.

In Richter's case, it is believed that at her age, she didn't want to be put in a position to be embarrassed body wise by being compared to the women of today. Richter is 47 years old and understandably looks nothing like she how she used to look during her heyday in the mid-1980s. Amy Dumas appeared at Booker T's charity fan fest event that took place in Houston during WrestleMania weekend.

Stratus must have peeved some people off during negotiations as there were some negative things said about the seven-time Women's Champion amongst management during WrestleMania weekend over her not being there.[/font]


Shawn Michaels says the switch to HD changed his in-ring style.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Shawn Michaels told the Houston Chronicle that he's been able to adjust his in-ring work because of production enhancements. "I have found so much joy in the last year of seeing if I can tell a story and convey emotion and reaction without saying a word, as opposed to the days when I started having to use my entire body to get a point of view across," Michaels said.

"When I started, you didn't focus so much on production, certainly not, gosh, down to the finest little detail of how you shifted your eyes or how you turned to somebody. A lot of the shots were far away from a still camera. There weren't as many close-ups and intimacy. We can bring it all down to the subtleties of the shifting of an eye, because we know the camera will catch it. That has been a great thing to learn, and it makes it interesting for a guy who has been in it as long as I have." To read the full story, visit Chron.com.

This is an interesting topic because WWE officials initially instructed wrestlers to tighten up their in-ring performances due to the HD transition. Meanwhile, Shawn has found that the HD format also creates an opportunity for wrestlers to use facial expressions more than they have in the past.[/font]


The reaction backstage to Wrestlemania 25.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The general feeling backstage at Sunday's WrestleMania 25 event was that everyone knew Undertaker and Shawn Michaels tore down the house. There was also a lot of talk about how great Ricky Steamboat looked for his age, which likely lead to his appearance on RAW last night.

The other big topic of discussion was how poorly the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match came off. A lot of people think that Orton will capture the WWE title at Backlash, if not sooner.

Overall, the mood was very good at the show and management was very happy with record gate.[/font]


Vince McMahon looking to shake things up backstage.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Vince McMahon is said to have been dropping Bruce Prichard's name more regularly during meetings with WWE creative as a possible addition to the team reports The Figure Four Weekly Newsletter. While Prichard hasn't been outright described as a replacement for Michael Hayes as lead writer of Smackdown, Hayes could be on the bubble as head of creative for Smackdown despite him being in real tight with the company. This would be confirm earlier reports of Vince's growing frustration with Hayes since January that we reported on.

Prichard has been done with the company for a few months now since he was removed in November 2008, although he is still under contract until June so anything can happen between now and then. Jeff Jarrett has reportedly dropped his name in TNA so the ball is in Vince's court and how it is possible he may change his mind again about letting him completely free from the company. Vince was also described as being very upset when he saw that the March 13 edition of Smackdown drew a 1.9 rating, which was the lowest rating for the show all year and the lowest on MyNetworkTV since late October. They have since tied that record low several times.

With the WWE Draft coming up next week, Vince has already openly stated that one of his goals with the draft is to make Raw a much stronger brand. While it is established as the "A" show for the company, many sources in WWE have pointed out how strong of a roster Smackdown really has (The Undertaker, Triple H, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Big Show, Mr. Kennedy, Matt Hardy, MVP, The Colons and other crossover talent) and how drawing a 1.9 rating is pretty embarrassing.[/font]


More on HBK's possible retirement.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Shawn Michaels has been spotted backstage at WWE events recently favoring his knees and walking around more carefully than in the past. His knees have been described as being in really bad shape right now and the speculation is that he may need even more of a schedule break, if not a good period of time away pretty soon. Michaels made a radio appearance on Q101 in Chicago saying it is possible that after next year's WrestleMania that he would take some time off from WWE since his contract would be expiring and wants to spend more time with his family. Whether or not he will take time off after WrestleMania or continue his normal full-time schedule remains to be seen. It should be noted that in regards to his match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25, Michaels was very hands-on with the creative aspect of the storyline much like he was during the Chris Jericho feud.

Also note that while Michaels would likely still wrestle after next years 'Mania on a very reduced schedule, he is looking to stop wrestling full-time next year and wants to spend more time with his sons as they grow up.[/font]


Details on the format of WWE Superstars show.

- There will be new matches taped for WWE Superstars on WGN America which will premiere on Thursday. Dave Meltzer is reporting one Raw match will be taped on Mondays and two matches will be taped on Tuesdays - an ECW match and a SmackDown match. The first Raw match is expected to be taped tonight prior to tonight's edition of Raw featuring the 2009 WWE Draft.


WWE having internal discussions on breaking up Miz and Morrison.

- Two separate sources within WWE have confirmed to me there has been serious internal discussion about breaking up The Miz and John Morrison. How this plays out in tonight's Draft remains to be seen as I was not told of specific moves for them. However, there has been talk about pushing each as singles workers.


TNA teases they are in negotiations with a former World Champion.

TNA sent out a text message to their mobile subscribers yesterday teasing they are in negotiations with a former World Champion from another company and they hope a deal can be reached by Lockdown.

-[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Something that may add fire to the rumors that TNA maybe going after Tazz, is that they recently sent out a text message saying that negotiations continue with a former World Champion from another company and the hope is that a deal can be reached by Lockdown. Jeremy Borash also teased on iMPACT this week that they were in talks with a former World Champion from another major company.

Tazz is of course a former ECW world champion, and TNA's Lockdown PPV takes place in ECW's former stomping grounds, Philadelphia. He also does not have a no-compete clause from WWE because his contract expired and wasn't terminated.

Although his split from WWE appeared amicable to begin with, there was some heat stemming from "Vince's ear yelling" and some resentment that they didn't work to keep him there by offering a good contract. Vince yelling into the ears of his announcers via headsets is one of the things that lead to Foley's departure. Michael Cole is said to receive the worst of it, and receives it on a very regular basis.[/font]


WWE without Vince?

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The SportsCenter loop this morning has a Wrestlemania/Vince McMahon feature that I found pretty interesting. It starts 26 minutes after the hour. The brief segment also plugged an upcoming extended WWE feature on the season premiere of E360.

The most interesting (or scary, depending on your opinion of Vince's "vision") part of the SportsCenter segment was at the end when the interviewer started to ask Vince a question about the future of WWE, and the day when VKM is "no longer in the picture." Vince cut him off by saying, "well, that's not going to happen...no, I'm probably never going to die, so, you know, I'll always be around, somehow. At least, those are my plans, I think."[/font]


More on the lack of communication within the WWE.

- In somewhat of a funny note, I was told by one of the people that works for the marketing firm WWE uses to promote WWE Superstars that the show was going to be a recap show. Obviously that is not the case but goes to show the lack of communication within the company.


The Great Khali not allowed to leave the US.

The Great Khali is not allowed to leave the United States to return home to India to finish filming a Bollywood movie, according to several news outlets in Southeast Asia.

Last summer Khali was in India doing promotional work for WWE and also filming a Bollywood movie. Before the Bollywood movie is complete, actors from movie will have to fly over to Los Angeles this month to work with Khali on post-production voice-overs.

"They (the producers) tried their best to bring The Great Khali to India but being under the WWE contract, The Great Khali can't leave United States," reports the Himalayan Times.

Khali threatened the producers of the movie, "Rama the Saviour," that if they attempted to dub his voice into the movie, he would be taking action against them.


Dark match for tonight's RAW.

Dolph Ziggler beat Goldust in a dark match prior to tonight's tapings.


WWE does an angle on mobile service: The Bellas reunite.

From WWE.com:

After SmackDown, Nikki & Brie Bella reunited on this week's WWE Mobile on AT&T exclusive video. The twins also ran into Divas Champion Maryse backstage, and the SmackDown Divas talked about the WWE Draft, which happens Monday on a special three-hour Raw beginning at 8/9 CT. Watch the Divas now only on WWE Mobile on AT&T. Don't have Ringside yet? Subscribe or switch today!

[color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]...aaaaaaaaand no one gives a @!$%.[/color]

 

[D Fly]

I only glanced at a couple of those names in that one spoiler..they don't surprise me too much. I'm NOT reading the rest though.

Don't wannaspoil everything for myself.