Zakk_Sabbath

Because low ratings ultimately lead to panic booking and, most likely, less enjoyment of what is being presented on my part. And I'm not saying that to be a jerk, so if that answer sounds snarky I'm sorry and that's truly not my intention. But I just know the second that number dips into the 2s, were gonna get Cena's 16th reign

Jeez I feel like we get one of these "Raw ratings hit a new low" articles every week. Though some of them are weirdly specific, like "it was the lowest rated non holiday, football Monday Raw in a leap year since 2002" On another note I stood next to Roman at a house show when he was coming down the steps and 6'3 sounds about right

This year's Mania is going to be the ultimate test of "the WWE name is the draw" vs. "the names are the draw." And I don't mean that pessimistically, but if we've been shown anything by the deaths of Warrior, Dusty, and Piper, the disgracing of Hogan, and the frailty of Sting, it's that the old-timers gravy train is going to run out for WWE very soon. And as I said in the NOC thread regarding Sting's injury, if it puts Vince/the company off from featuring aging talent in high profile positions, and if that means scaling down WM every year and going back to domes/comparitively smaller buildings but with younger guys on top, then it can only be a positive. It's just hilarious that no one is going to be built until their hand is forced. I'd rather see The Shield or Cesaro or Bryan or Wyatt headline a WM in a 15-30K seater than a broken down Taker or Austin work on top at Jerry World. And I loved those guys my entire life just like everyone else, but you can't stop time. Sure-- bring Taker down to tombstone a Bo Dallas and do the urn pose, or have Austin come down, stun The Miz, and pound beers-- but ultimately, what counts more moving forward: the numbers Austin did in 1998, or the numbers Sami Zayn's gonna do in 2018?

Yup, Sting saved DDP once in 97 that way.

I got screwed by the Romo injury too, which sucks because I have Terrence Williams for some reason. Don't drink & draft. Yall think I should start Matt Jones tonight in my flex? It's him, or a Cutler-less Martellus Bennett

Speaking of Mania main events, I didn't realize how quickly 2015 is winding down. Any word on a possible Rumble winner yet?

I watched this last night and absolutely loved it. Madusa was surprisingly candid about the women's title incident on Nitro. Molly seems like just the sweetest woman ever (as she was when I met her in 2001) and Ivory seems like she'd be fun to have a bunch of drinks with. Really loved her opinion on the word Diva, but I won't spoil it for those who haven't watched yet. I haven't watched the Piper/Gene/Orndorff one yet cause I thought it would be too sad but the New Day one was fantastic too. This is probably the only original Network show I've enjoyed this much so far

GOD HELP ME PLEASE TELL ME WHO TO START http://imgur.com/bOXEuu6

Wouldn't fly - the "Jimmy Hart Version" would be in public domain. I think that's partially the reason why they didn't use a lot of WCW themes (other than the main reason, which is likely "they are WCW themes.") I think it's still a situation of the Jimmy Hart Version being too close. Even WCW altered/replaced it in their video games:

Sometimes the two are one and the same.

I always wondered if that's part of why Savage and DDP worked so incredibly well with each other in 97

I wonder how bad the Strowman vs. Rowan matches are gonna be when Rowan eventually returns to claim his spot in the Family. Also, I just want to say, that I saw Shield/Wyatts at a house show in 2014 and they absolutely tore the house down, so I'm looking forward to some rematches when the Shield inevitably reunites. Then again, I was shitfaced and wouldn't shut up about how I felt bad for Ryback because everyone else in the RybAxel/Usos/Rhodes Bros. match had a "cool dad" so my opinon may be a little skewed.

This. Giving a rail-jumper the bum's rush is one thing. Explaining away 5 people stomping the shit out of a guy that never touched them as "self-defense" means a nice fat settlement for him, and that'd be even worse, because think about how many people might jump out of the crowd if there becomes a financial incentive to do so. People get fucked up all the time in public for no reason. Dimebag Darrell was murdered onstage! I think "we didnt know what he was capable of" would be a sufficient defense. They just had that crazy fucker who got shot at the performance center. I understand its a different time, and a publicly traded company, and all that, but I believe in the power of McDevitt.

That's the type of shit Roman should've been doing on TV between the Rumble and Mania instead of cutting long, bad promos in front of the live crowd. Just plays way more to his strengths. And while I think Ambrose and Jericho could have some good matches, if they are indeed headed in that direction, I have to agree with whoever said a couple pages back that a reappearance of 2008 suit-wearing heel Jericho could possibly be the one to finally get Roman legitimately over as a big time babyface.

I forgot about that! To this day the only PPV I've ever watched in a Hooters. I think Vince bleeding from the chair stuff in the Zack Gowen match may have erased my memory. EDIT: The latest on Sting: http://wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2015/0921/601868/more-on-sting-wwe-night-of-champions-injury/

Hogan is persona non grata, Ronda Rousey is legally prohibited from appearing by UFC AND shooting a movie in Tunisia for a month, and who knows if The Rock will be able to fit it into his schedule (though the rumor of him vs. HHH persists). The biggest money match they can do, especially in Texas, would be Austin/Lesnar. That, along with a Taker match, are the only big "legends" matches I can think of. They're all getting too old, and I have a feeling that Sting getting apparently legit hurt tonight is going to be another one of those things, like the Lawler heart attack, that starts to push Vince out of featuring the old timers so heavily. And who knows, that might mean having to take WM out of stadiums in a few years-- but the audience needs to be conditioned to believe that the current, full-time roster are big stars (outside of Cena, obviously). Actually, come to think of it, Cena/Taker has never been done on PPV, so that might do a pretty solid number. Plus Taker is from Texas. It would've been hotter when he still had the streak, but I think people would dig it.

Sting worked his ass off tonight. And If Sting being injured wasn't a shoot, then I'm even MORE impressed.

I actually am a little surprised by that, many were speculating Rollins/sting would open

I've been a fan for my entire conscious life (and was even very, very, minorly, peripherally trying to break in at one point many years ago) and the causation/correlation question with regard to the character of many involved in the business is still something that I think of often.

I agree with any and all of these. I miss Don West so much. Cutlery Corner/Knife Show is a pretty enjoyable 5 AM "too drunk and fresh to go to bed" nightcap on Fridays, but nothing beats the original

1989 FLEER, FACTORY SET 1994 TOPPS, FACTORY SET 1984 FLEER, LOOKIN' FOR JORDAN ROOKIES, FACTORY SET

The PWInsider article for those interested: I believe the emphasis is from the guy I stole it from on Reddit.

Is that Big Vito/Skull Von Krush??

Thanks dude. Pretty much everyone I had expected, but I still imagine it was, as Nature Boy said, pretty awkward. On another note, I'm working through 1996 Raws and PPVs on the Network so I can catch up to where I am with Nitro and start 1997 watching both simultaneously, and I gotta say: I just watched the Mankind/Taker 1996 KOTR match for the first time in a long time and It's even better than I remembered. I mean, just really good, physical stuff from both guys-- not to take anything away from their later gimmick matches, obviously the HIAC chief among them, but I just really forgot how good they were in a straight up singles match. EDIT: Oh jeez, thats so damn weird about Diana. I was just watching the Michaels/Bulldog match last night, where the angle was "allegations" against Michaels of being "a womanizer." I mean, even 4th grade me thought "hey is this a rape angle?" Didn't Bulldog later hook up with one of the brothers' ex-wives shortly before he died? I mean, he was dead a year after the Saddledome show so I'm wondering how close this was to that