Remember when R-Truth was a hot heel in the WWE from like April-November 2011? Lol.

That is actually really awesome. So simple, but it gives both something to do, and they'd actually be a good working tag team. Swagger also has this way of making whoever he teams with look important. Well, it worked for Dolph Ziggler and Cesaro. This might be what Axelmania finally needs.

Cody Rhodes has been using Brandi as his personal ring announcer. I like that. I'm fine with TNA picking up Rhodes, because he chose to walk away from WWE. The same goes for Ryborg and Wade Barrett. They should get Kurt Angle back too since it's clear WWE doesn't want him.

The only problem would be that both lack the charisma to portray those characters.

The reason Three I Kurt Angle worked wasn't because he was a good worker, it's because he had all Time great charisma.

Look how bad Real American Swagger bombed with an all time great promo manager. He ended up the Jannetty in a team with Cesaro.

Guy is vanilla Shits.

And don't even get me started on Axel, the weakest link in a stable of jobbers.

I'm hearing rumors that Cesaro may not have re-signed with WWE. Is there any word on this? I wish Cesaro was used better and I want him to be visible, but if Claudio Castagnoli leaves the WWE to go and actually wrestle places, I will actually check out whatever product he is on. I imagine he'd go New Japan, but if Billy Corgan can get his hands on some of this talent...wow.

Axel has this endearing quality to him. I don't ever suspect he'll have the charisma his father did, but as a wrestling heel he has a function. He's getting to the age and experience-level where they can label him a grizzled vet too. His comedy stuff with The Social Outcasts kept him employed and allowed him to stretch facets of his personality.

I can understand the complaints against Swagger. I'm one of the few that thought his dorky run on SmackDown was actually pretty good, if badly booked. I felt his run against Del Rio should have been a US Title program. He's pretty fluid in the ring.

I don't think they would change wrestling or anything, but as asshole heels they might have a purpose. You've got them both there collecting money anyway.

Was that when he was the Miz's tag team partner and/or a Confederate soldier?

I like it. Neither had been used alot since the split and I think they'd be a great team.

What's Antonio doing in the Impact Zone

I've heard Dave LaGreca of Busted Open rant about not being able to see The Last Battle of Atlanta from 33 years ago..WWE uploaded it on the network. 12 minute Hell in a Cell style cage match with Tommy Rich winning despite being busted open about 3 minutes into the match. One off those things that could never live up to the amount of hype it got..I was expecting like twice as long..about the only good thing was how good the video quality was.

So much bad stuff this week that I skipped through; Sasha's all-over-the-place never-ending promo that ended with a swerve, "The Old Day" skit, 3 squash matches on one show, The SmackDown Women's division, whatever they're doing with Kane.

Sign from Smackdown last night.

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Yeah, lol.

I WILL DELETE YOU LIKE THE CHEESE THAT USED TO FILL THE HOLES IN SWISS CHEESE, CLOWDIO!!!!

I just saw the RAW rating. Ouch. I had no clue the WWE were barely sitting above a 1.0 share. I honestly thought they were doing better than that, because websites have been talking about the millions of viewers.

Someone on NeoGAF's wrestling board did the conversion and RAW hit the same ratings number Nitro did for its final episode.

Right when it looked like the WWE was building a decent cushion for the upcoming NFL season, they pretty much blew it this week.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the Cesaro news is true. He strikes me as somebody who is well aware of his own worth. He knows that not only would he have no trouble finding work elsewhere, but that WWE would bring him back in a heartbeat should he ever decide to return down the line.

Joe's reaction to Nakamura's entrance is tremendous

Doesn't help Monday was a holiday.

WCWs ratings went up a bit for it's final episode though

Loved crash and bob.

:lol: at a house show report from WWE's current international tour.

WWE pretty much repeating the same mistakes done with Cena when he feuded against Jericho. After Cena won the WWE belt, it was that feud and match with Jericho where afterwards he would never have the solid support of the crowd as WWE's top star.

Think it was Summer Slam that year that the fans really started turning on Cena.

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The people that make Kix cereal might have a problem

Is it just me or is zach sabre Jr. not at all impressive or entertaining? I don't get him.

Love the cwc and was excited to see him, as I heard such great things, he's been the least impressive in the tournament.

On the flip side, I'm now a Kota Ibushi fan boy.

Jericho/Reigns sounds like a good feud.

lol they're gonna keep pressing along with this overpushed babyface Reigns shit

How easy would it be to have Reigns turn and be a top heel for the company? This is so fucking dumb.

I'm trying to imagine the shape they'd be in if Reigns turned heel at Survivor Series last year.

I completely agree. I was impressed by how "technical" his shit was, but I can understand the complaints older guys have about it (apparently Regal and Finlay aren't fans). To me, when a guy like that makes it look easy, it's basically like overselling yourself. It's like a guy saying "Okay, my gimmick is that I have a Golden Dropkick, and if I hit you with my dropkick you have to lie down for ten seconds." Wrestlers with the gimmick "I'm a really good wrestler" by nature imply that everyone else around them isn't a good wrestler, if you know what I mean?

He looks way too skinny too. I never used to be a body guy, but if I were a casting director, I'm not even sure if he'd be ripped enough to be cast as a swimmer. A handsome guy, nice hair, clean look, etc. I like his natural delivery for promos. He just looks like a nerdy kid playing wrestler.

His facial expressions in the match I saw him in were dirt too. His eyes went way too wide and he left his mouth gaping. Hilarious, if he were a heel. I think he actually needs a lot more polish.

My dream gimmick at the moment is for Mustafa Ali show up on RAW as the "Lineal WWE Champion." He has a modern version of the winged eagle belt and The Authors of Pain are temporarily assigned as his bodyguards (not a full-time call-up for them). Rachel Ellering is signed to be his on-air girlfriend too. She's Ali's in with Paul Ellering, who can sometimes appear with Ali as his manager, but it's not neccesary.

Ali defends his Lineal Championship against scrubs for weeks and weeks and weeks. He does things like handing a veil to Rachel in one town and she replies "But we're not Muslim" and he replies "No, but these people don't deserve to look at you." When he holds the ring ropes open for Rachel as she gets into the ring another week and the crowd boos, he asks them if they're booing because he's respecting a woman. Just try to flip expectations on people a bit while remaining true to the cheap heat tactics of the past.

Eventually, Ellering has to pull The Authors due to them needing to get ready for an NXT Tag Title match, so Ali brings in his new bodyguard -- Haku. Ali basically abuses Haku since he's paying the wages. "I'm the toughest man in wrestling. Could you beat me up in a fight, Haku?" Haku looks at Ali with seething rage underneath the eyes. "No." Crowd sighs with pattered booing. "Could you in your prime?" One of the announcers points out that now Ali is pushing it.

If the crowd gets behind Haku enough, fuck it, have him win the Lineal Title off Ali and have a nice little moment. But probably better for business is Haku playing the role of Mike Tyson at WrestleMania 14 -- Ali loses the belt, gets in Haku's face, Tongan Death Grip.

Haku is also included in WWE 2k18 as an unlockable supercharged character.

I dig the idea of his style, just not the execution. I hate the slow deliberate shit. Not when there is so much exposure to the combat sports he is emulating,

I don't mind technical shit, don't get me wrong -- but I'm with you on the execution.

I'd assume its just his style not meshing well with whatever the WWE wants or hoped from this tournament. His first match was pretty bad in terms of showcasing his skills but the other two matches were better.

WWE probably could have done a better job pairing him with better quality wrestlers like they did with Ibushi. They probably thought he would be a better version Gallagher but didn't factor in how different his British style is.