APRIL 2022 WRESTLING DISCUSSION

[RIPPA]

From the new WON - the reason for another round of name changes in the WWE (none of this is surprising)

Quote

The actual story behind this is all the talent got a memo and Vince McMahon decreed he doesn’t want anyone new using their real names anymore, nor names they’ve used before on the indie scene. Walter became Gunther because Walter was both his real name and a name he used on the independent scene. Raquel Gonzalez kept Raquel (not her real name) but had to drop Gonzalez (her real name). Many thought Austin Theory dropped the Austin because of Steve Austin, but it’s actually because his real name is Austin White. Raul Mendoza is a WWE name, except Raul really is his first name so he had to ditch it. As it always the case, the memo only applies to people who are newer and who they decided it applies to. Randy Orton isn’t going to change to Frank Trevino and Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey don’t have this applied to them. It would be nutty if Riddle has to change his name because Riddle really is his last name, but it looks like this applies mostly to people just coming to the main roster and this doesn’t apply to Cody Rhodes. Humberto Carrillo isn’t a pushed name but his real first name is Humberto. Pete Dunne had to be Butch. As for Marcel Barthel, who knows past somebody didn’t like the name since Marcel Barthel was a WWE owned name that he never used until WWE. But from this point forward, they don’t want anyone new using former names from elsewhere or real first or last names. Except if you’re Gable Steveson. And this will change soon enough like it always does

 

[Technico Support]

LOOOOL and now Marcel Barthel is "Ludwig Kaiser."  Because "Kraut Von Nazi" was a little too on the nose.  This fucking company. 

[Log]

On 4/14/2022 at 12:42 AM, Casey said:

 

Good luck with that, Juice. I’ve been trying to convince my wife that I’d make a great house husband for years. She won’t go for it. 

[DEAN]

14 hours ago, sabremike said:

I'm neutral on the idea myself.

JEEEZUS.

[(BP)]

The name thing is silly, but everyone knows what the deal is with working for New York and there are more opportunities elsewhere now than there have been in twenty years. If they’ve chosen to be in the circus instead of a traditional wrestling promotion more power to them. The greats like Owens and Zayn figure out how to make art while coloring within the lines anyway. 

[ReiseReise]

2 hours ago, RIPPA said:

As for Marcel Barthel, who knows past somebody didn’t like the name since Marcel Barthel was a WWE owned name that he never used until WWE.

I'm pretty positive it is his real name, he used a different ring name in Germany to honor his father, iirc. 

There are very few people naming their kid Ludwig over here these days, Kaiser is quite a common family name though. 

[JLowe]

2 hours ago, RIPPA said:

From the new WON - the reason for another round of name changes in the WWE (none of this is surprising)

 

There really isn't anyone else like Vince Jr. left in wrestling, is there? Old enough to have grown up in the strictly kayfabe, carny, gentleman's agreement world of the territories. But also the guy who blew it all up and changed pro wrestling to sports entertainment to some kind of corporate entity focused on brand synergy and intensely protected copyrights. The top dog in a shrinking kennel.

[Technico Support]

2 minutes ago, JLowe said:

There really isn't anyone else like Vince Jr. left in wrestling, is there? Old enough to have grown up in the strictly kayfabe, carny, gentleman's agreement world of the territories. But also the guy who blew it all up and changed pro wrestling to sports entertainment to some kind of corporate entity focused on brand synergy and intensely protected copyrights. The top dog in a shrinking kennel.

Great point, BUT Vince has always been into renaming guys.  Only in the 80s it was more about "nobody cares about who you were elsewhere and we need to make you a CHARACTER!"  That transitioned into "we need to own your name because it's only fair that, after you leave, you can't make money off the branding~! we built for you!"  I'm just fascinated that Vince still essentially does business like it's 1979 with regard to how he still treats his "independent contractors" like chattel.

[JLowe]

2 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

Great point, BUT Vince has always been into renaming guys.  Only in the 80s it was more about "nobody cares about who you were elsewhere and we need to make you a CHARACTER!"  That transitioned into "we need to own your name because it's only fair that, after you leave, you can't make money off the branding~! we built for you!"  I'm just fascinated that Vince still essentially does business like it's 1979 with regard to how he still treats his "independent contractors" like chattel.

He was essentially ahead of his time in that regard, I'm surprised he hasn't found a way to do something like Uber where they offer loans to their independent contractor drivers to buy newer vehicles to allegedly make more money.

[BobbyWhioux]

Just now, JLowe said:

He was essentially ahead of his time in that regard, I'm surprised he hasn't found a way to do something like Uber where they offer loans to their independent contractor drivers to buy newer vehicles to allegedly make more money.

getting them to buy houses A.S.A.P. and thus have mortgages they have to keep working to pay off is close enough.

[cwoy2j]

So here's an interesting exercise I thought up today while watching Se7en. If you had to put wrestlers (character wise so kayfabe) in a circle of Dante's Inferno, who would go where? Maybe all of Foley's personas for the 1st circle. I'd have to think that Val Venis and Rick Rude are in the 2nd circle for sure. Bastion Booger goes in the 3rd. Million Dollar Man goes to the 4th. Austin and Ken Shamrock are candidates for the 5th. Brother Love goes into the 6th. New Jack for the 7th. Heyman for the 8th. Flair in the 9th for betraying Sting a million times. And of course, Undertaker is Charon who ferries the souls over the River Styx.

First Circle: Limbo

Second Circle: Lust

Third Circle: Gluttony

Fourth Circle: Greed

Fifth Circle: Anger

Sixth Circle: Heresy

Seventh Circle: Violence

Eighth Circle: Fraud

Ninth Circle: Treachery

Edited April 15, 2022 by cwoy2j

[Hagan]

Man - I know Twitter is just the worst discourse and should be ignored but the people screaming ‘Tony Khan should hire a booker’ are just the most asinine people on Earth. Like, who exactly is out there competent for 2022? Giant Baba ain’t walking through that door. 

 

[odessasteps]

You'd have to find a place for TNA's Suicide in there somewhere. (Especially if it's the version played by the Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels)

[cwoy2j]

6 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

You'd have to find a place for TNA's Suicide in there somewhere. (Especially if it's the version played by the Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels)

Suicides go to the 7th Circle in Dante's Inferno. They get turned into trees.

[John from Cincinnati]

14 minutes ago, Hagan said:

Man - I know Twitter is just the worst discourse and should be ignored but the people screaming ‘Tony Khan should hire a booker’ are just the most asinine people on Earth. Like, who exactly is out there competent for 2022? Giant Baba ain’t walking through that door. 

Aren't those comments just like >90% Cornette stans? 

With a healthy helping of bots, of course. 

[Wyld Samurai]

I'm pretty sure we all think TK needs a Pat Patterson. Not a booker (yet... AEW/ROH/Fulham/Jags... come on, man! Fulham needs full time guidance!)

[SirSmUgly]

3 hours ago, cwoy2j said:

So here's an interesting exercise I thought up today while watching Se7en. If you had to put wrestlers (character wise so kayfabe) in a circle of Dante's Inferno, who would go where? Maybe all of Foley's personas for the 1st circle. I'd have to think that Val Venis and Rick Rude are in the 2nd circle for sure. Bastion Booger goes in the 3rd. Million Dollar Man goes to the 4th. Austin and Ken Shamrock are candidates for the 5th. Brother Love goes into the 6th. New Jack for the 7th. Heyman for the 8th. Flair in the 9th for betraying Sting a million times. And of course, Undertaker is Charon who ferries the souls over the River Styx.

First Circle: Limbo

Second Circle: Lust

Third Circle: Gluttony

Fourth Circle: Greed

Fifth Circle: Anger

Sixth Circle: Heresy

Seventh Circle: Violence

Eighth Circle: Fraud

Ninth Circle: Treachery

I got Big Vis in the Second Circle because he took it to an uncomfortable level.

Ole's in the Ninth Circle for spending a year pretending to be Dusty Rhodes's friend to fuck Rhodes's world up. That is some "Brutus with the knife in the back" level shit right there. Even Judas betrayed Jesus for money. Ole did it for pure fun and hatred. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by SirSmellingtonofCascadia

[GuerrillaMonsoon]

Watching the Jimmy Savile documentary on Netflix, there's passing references to him being a wrestler in the 60s. Not a lot of information about it online (save for some weirdly kayfabed articles in UK newspapers with Adrian Street that no-one either bothered to research, or just humoured him). 

Does anyone know much about his in-ring career?

[odessasteps]

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by odessasteps

[Ziggy]

13 hours ago, RIPPA said:

From the new WON - the reason for another round of name changes in the WWE (none of this is surprising)

 

Vince and Co goes back and forth with these edicts alot over the recent years. That's like when everyone got all worked up about Vince not wanting any experienced indie guys over 30. Doesn't mean you won't see any over 30 indie talent getting signed but you know they won't be so strict on alot of these things as time goes on.

[cwoy2j]

3 hours ago, SirSmellingtonofCascadia said:

I got Big Vis in the Second Circle because he took it to an uncomfortable level.

Ole's in the Ninth Circle for spending a year pretending to be Dusty Rhodes's friend to fuck Rhodes's world up. That is some "Brutus with the knife in the back" level shit right there. Even Judas betrayed Jesus for money. Ole did it for pure fun and hatred. 

Now here's an interesting one...where would Vince McMahon fit?

[zendragon]

ageing pervert Vinnie Mac goes in lust

[SirSmUgly]

54 minutes ago, cwoy2j said:

Now here's an interesting one...where would Vince McMahon fit?

He'd be Satan, of course, chewing on the bodies of the worst sinners for eternity. 

[The Natural]

Virgil's had two strokes and he's got early stage Dementia. Best wishes go out to Virgil. Dementia sucks. I've had three family members with the bastard.

Edited April 16, 2022 by The Natural

[zendragon]