Yeah, technically I don’t think this actually fits the category.
I think it’s more accurate to say that 75% of wrestling fans think that the industry would be better had WCW survived and was able to continue offering an alternative to the WWE product. Now that’s an interesting path of debate to kind of go down.
depends on who is doing it. Jay Lethal does a good one, John Cena couldn’t do it at all and we are all glad he sttopped
80’s territory wrestling is really awful. It is unwatchable. I remember thinking this in the 90s as a kid. I bet if kids today watch wrestling from the late 90s they could still be entertained. late 90s wrestling holds up better today than 80s territory wrestling held up in the 90s.
I get this. So much of the territory stuff is based on kayfabe and the audience believing (or willingly suspending disbelief to pretend) that the faces and heels really hate each other. They were characters, but most of those characters were still essentially just guys (save for the occasional Missing Link or Ugandan Giant, of course) who wanted to beat each other up. I personally enjoy that style, but I understand those who don’t. A lot of it doesn’t age particularly well if you’re not invested in it on a weekly basis.
Also, like all eras (see: Attitude, The), we tend to remember the best 10-20% and forget the rest.
Strong style fans would defend the stupidest shit possible.
Michael Cole is better than Jim Ross from 2010-2018. I don’t even know if that is debated but I’m saying it anyway.
and I have been a strong critic of Cole’s style over the years.
Baron Corbin looks worse bald than he did with his skullet.
Wrestlemania 7 is one of my favorite Wrestlemania’s ever. The retirement match between Warrior and Savage captivated me as a child, and I loved the random undercard matches.
I love WM7 too - it’s a childhood favourite along with RR93.I had both on tape and watched them repeatedly.
WM7’s problem is it’s one of (and the last of) the ‘get everyone on the card’ Mania’s. There’s far too many matches and a lot of them are short and meaningless.
However if WWF had just ran the good matches on WM7, I’d argue it would be one of the best Mania’s ever.
Rockers Vs Haku/Barbarian - great opener
Hart Foundation Vs Nasty Boys - decent match, plus the end of one of the 80’s best teams
Jake Roberts Vs Rick Martel - the blindfold match is awful, so I’d just make this a regular match. Have Jake win, maybe have the stip be that the loser has to wear a blindfold for 48 hours or something…cue silly segments on TV.
Undertaker Vs Jimmy Snuka - Squash, but it’s the start of the streak.
Ultimate Warrior Vs Randy Savage - great match
Ted Dibiase Vs Virgil - Decent match, plus it gives Sherri her next story arc from Warrior Vs Savage.
Mr Perfect Vs Big Bossman - decent match, though I never liked the end. I’d have Bossman go over here then lose the belt back a few weeks later.
Hulk Hogan Vs Sgt Slaughter -a decent match, though I’d make Slaughter an ‘anti USA’ heel instead of ‘pro Iraq’ heel.
There is loads of talent left to throw a few more decent matches on the card (British Bulldog, Legion of Doom, Tito Santana, Greg Valentine, Tenyru) and make this a great Mania. Fundamentally though WM7 isn’t bad at all and I I’d argue it’s one of the best early Mania’s. I’d only put WM3,. WM8 and WM10 ahead of it.
All WWE programming have been good since Mania.
And the scenes at the end when Savage reunites with Elizabeth…The Heenan commentary (i’d rather have some money than a skirt), the match itself and the one foot pin by Warrior…as a kid I absolutely loved this and still think it’s a great piece of story telling
I agree, from start to finish it’s fantastic storytelling. The foreshadowing of seeing Liz in the crowd, Warrior walking instead of running to the ring, the perfectly done finisher kick outs…as you say there are so many great little touches.
II like that, in ring, it’s actually a very simple match too. No big high spots or stiff strikes. Macho Man was great at getting heat and telling a story from the basics. There’s a shockingly good Savage Vs Hacksaw match on a WWF comp tape that uses the same ideal and it’s easily the best Duggan match I’ve seen.
Nakamura sucks. His in ring is sub par imo and he doesn’t look believable at all. They guy is never going to be a good promo for obvious reasons and I just don’t dig the cutesy act that WWE makes him and Asuka do.
People always want Japanese wrestlers in the WWE but every time they come in it becomes obvious why WWE really doesn’t want them. They are so limited in what they can do as a character and for promos and they is how WWE sells its wrestling.
Outside of Tajiri in a nice mid card role I can’t think of any Japanese wrestler that I or most fans enjoyed in the WWE. WWE usually just demeans them.
That says more about JR than it does Cole.
Smart fans that goes to shows only to hijack the show are the dumbest fans in the world.
By that I mean why would you continue to support the company if you hate the product so much. This make you look dumb and WWE look like the smartest peoples in the world since they were able get you’re money anyway.
Work rate isn’t a move set or whatever the fuck “technical skills” is…it’s can you control a crowd and not hurt your fellow performer.
If it wasn’t for wrestling with Tanahashi, AJ wouldn’t be amongst the GOATs (in ring) in the WWE.
EC3 and War Raiders are extremely overrated.
EC3 is the first unnecessary signing of NXT in the sense he was not somebody they needed to get, nor did her deserve a shot. (an example of needed to get = Ricochet and an example of deserving a shot = Roode).
Also - hot take - Ricochet needs to STOP trying to be the Great One and be himself. Unless himself is just a walking cliche of The Rock; I rather see a King Ricochet gimick similar to Booker T than a knock off Jabroni version of the Rock.
With the level of talent in NJPW Kota Ibushi doesn’t feel as amazing as he once did. He lacks character and is overshadowed by Kenny Omega, and most of the NJPW regulars in The Elite.
I think he is more or less a de-facto member but I group him in based on who he frequently tags with.