Slasher

Booking only goes as far as the booker allows it. If Dusty only wanted his guys, booking doesn't matter.

I thought Jeff's contract was expiring around the time that they put him over Edge? In fact, wasn't that the point of doing the Punk angle? So Punk could send Jeff out on a decent note, and kickstart a new character direction for himself while putting together a summer program that could carry the Smackdown shows? It seemed like they only signed Jeff to a short contract extension just to complete his part of the angle (the cage match), similar to Jericho signing a short extension to help further an angle. Point being Punk/Hardy would not have happened, probably, if Jeff didn't go Jeff on us.

Someone on Wrestling Classics had a decent idea of having Orton cash in, losing, then losing his shit over it and attacking Bryan to the point of injury. Then it would at least set Bryan up with a hot fall program, although we did just see a Bryan/Orton feud...

Does that mean the McMahons will turn on Bryan to reaffirm the reality of backing John Cena as the real corporate champion?

She is clearly being cast as the "aging vet who is trying to hang on", which is unfortunate because she never got a legitimate push to begin with after the Dynasty broke up.

Refresh my memory, as all the repackaged names blend in my memory, but is Paige Saraya's daughter?

Oh on that note that she should have known better I wholeheartedly agree with.

Yeah, most of the jokes weren't even that funny and reinforced my sometimes embarrassment of being a wrestling fan.

Kenny from the Spirit Squad Ahh yes. Thanks Wasn't it called the flying squirrel?

Kinda like how he honestly and earnestly tried to help Brock Lesnar, only to get ignored, so he turns on him for Big Show? It's what the guy does. He doesn't give a shit about anybody that won't let him completely control them. We all knew the second Brock Lesnar showed up to attack Punk that Heyman turning would be the other shoe dropping on Punk. Let's not read too much into it.

That is a big time match for sure but Batista is better off doing a variation of the bulky beast version of the Ric Flair heel character, especially like his last six months in the company when he was feuding with Rey and Cena.

Being as RVD was pretty much the last MITB winner to challenge ahead of time, and against Cena to boot, a return engagement at Summerslam would work well. But nah.

Yeah. Again, I agree that Bret is a huge colossal mark for himself, and while I won't personally enjoy reading that stuff because he was the first guy I dug when I first became a fan, I would have less problems with it if it was about say, portraying himself to be this virtuous once in a lifetime Tebow type hero while he was cheating on his wife and fucking every rat in each town... stuff that really burns a hole in his mystique.

Whoa, that reminds me of that rumor that Shield vs Bros of Destruction was the Summerslam plan but with the Wyatts targeting Kane, I am guessing not.

Ok look, I didn't want to turn this into Loss vs me or Loss vs Bret, and I will recognize I come across a bit poorly so sure, these points are valid and anything is worth a thread I suppose. I just wish there was a certain level of perspective here. He got screwed over badly. There is something to be said about forgiving but not forgetting. Dunno. I am not Bret here. I shouldn't speak for him.

That is why I think it comes across as petty. I know there are threads out there where we laugh at JR or HHH or whatever, but it isn't like Bret is making outrageous claims here. If he took the ladder match concept to Vince then yes it is fair to expect to be part of the company's presentation of your ideas. Look at Rocky. Stallone threatened to take the idea to the grave if the studio cast James Caan in the role instead of him. People tend to be a bit possessive over things they are at least partially responsible for. And the Canadian pride thing? That is not new or exclusive to Bret or even Canadians or pro wrestling. National pride runs rampant in pretty much every medium of entertainment. Some takes it further than others but it's there. Then the thing where he criticizes HHH for not having a great match, well that is his opinion. People are allowed to do that, even after making up with the company.

What exactly do you want him to do? Kiss the WWE's asses because he buried the hatchet? Guy's got opinions and he is entitled to them. We all know Bret Hart is a mark for himself. Next we should create a thread titled "Sky is blue"

It's actually quite simple. To be as good backstage politician as he is, you have to be as charming as you can be manipulative. You can't bully your way into certain things all the time. Plus who do you think he learned from when rising in the WWF? Shawn and Kevin. Nash is a guy who can talk you into believing that if you jobbed in the worst way possible to him, you come out of it all the better for it. You won't even realize it until you walk through the curtain after the match that he screwed you over. THEN to top it off, he will smile and convince you he will return the favor down the road and all is forgiven... but he never does that either. Hunter is cut from a similar cloth. He is more Nash than he is Shawn who didn't give a fuck who he pisses off to get what he wants.

Yeah I hate what the guy has done to wrestling the past decade or so but can't argue the dude just knows how to be damned likable when he wants to be. He learned a lot from Kevin Nash

I think the NFL has networks by the balls because they, unlike the WWE, are in a decent enough position that if contract talks for their programming breaks down with the networks, they have an established network of their own in place to put their games on. They will never do that though, because someone WILL pay them what they want.

I love the sequence where Goldberg eliminates practically everyone with the intensity of a pissed off bull in a china shop, and then stands right in front of HHH's pod waiting for him. Then yeah, it went to shit. Sure, it took a hammer shot for HHH to retain, but the crowd was absolutely molten hot for Goldberg and they deliver that finish. It was damaging also in the context that the next month's PPV coronation for Goldberg came across flat because well, everyone knew it was coming but there was that sense that it was a little bit too late. Summerslam was the time to put the belt on Goldberg, and they still could have had the one on one matchup the next month with Goldberg defending.

How did it work though? What's keeping the people going back week in, week out? Let's think about another medium for a while: comic books. A lot of comic books have the structure of a central hero who, week in, week out defeats the latest villain to hatch out their scheme. Batman tackles the Joker this week, the Penguin next week, and maybe during some downtime takes on Calendar Man or some non-costumed mobster. Even though Batman pretty much always wins, the audience still keeps buying the comicbook because they want to see how the latest villainous caper and how he foils it. It's very hard to imagine something like a comic book series following The Penguin devising villainous schemes week in, week out and then getting foiled by different heroes. That just doesn't make sense to me. Penguin does a crime. Hero foils it. Penguin goes away for a while as another villain comes in with their own scheme. Same hero foils it. That makes sense. Penguin does a crime. Hero foils it. Penguin does another crime. Another hero foils it. That seems like topsy turvy world. So how did the heel-led territories work? I guess Portland would be the one people know most about. That isn't really the correct way to make that analogy. The better idea is a comic book series about The Penguin pulling off SUCCESSFUL crimes and occasionally being foiled by the hero of the week. You buy the ticket in hopes of finally seeing the heel ace's definitive downfall.

That is assuming the fans aren't confounded by Cena's jorts gimmick

I think it's Sandow. He's someone that has somewhat of a push, has a following, but has a gimmick that I can see Vince thinking it isn't a moneymaking one.

Let's say they don't have any plans to turn anybody in either MITBs, it still makes somewhat sense to run these matchups. The fact is, a MITB contract is now a very valuable commodity. Anyone who wins it, basically has a "Get the world title free" card. Yeah I can buy babyfaces scrambling to get the contract and I can see the heels fucking each other over to get it...