Official WWE/ECW/WCW/TNA talk, or whatever v2

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm looking forward to that one, I'm also really interested in the woman's title match, because my feeling is that Shayna is heading to the main roster.

100%. She's done all she can in NXT, and with Rousey possibly leaving afterwards, they need a new MMA badass. Also, Shayna is heat magnet, a perfect foil to the likes of Asuka, Becky, etc.

Who you got for Takeover?

Dream/Riddle: Dream wins, builds legitimacy as top contender
Women's match: Sane, setting up a possible feud with Io Shirai and Belair
War Raiders/Ricochet and Black: War Raiders for sure, Black and Ricochet are done in NXT
Dunne/Walter: Biggest grey area for me, I think Walter comes out on top, and Dunne moves to NXT full time (already based in Florida)
Gargano/Cole: I think this is the stage for Gargano to win it (finally), with Cole getting a re-match at the next TakeOver. With Ciampa out as long as he is, these two need to build a long-run storyline. Weaving other members of TUE in and out with this may also help the group as a whole.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

100%. She's done all she can in NXT, and with Rousey possibly leaving afterwards, they need a new MMA badass. Also, Shayna is heat magnet, a perfect foil to the likes of Asuka, Becky, etc.

Who you got for Takeover?

Dream/Riddle: Dream wins, builds legitimacy as top contender
Women's match: Sane, setting up a possible feud with Io Shirai and Belair
War Raiders/Ricochet and Black: War Raiders for sure, Black and Ricochet are done in NXT
Dunne/Walter: Biggest grey area for me, I think Walter comes out on top, and Dunne moves to NXT full time (already based in Florida)
Gargano/Cole: I think this is the stage for Gargano to win it (finally), with Cole getting a re-match at the next TakeOver. With Ciampa out as long as he is, these two need to build a long-run storyline. Weaving other members of TUE in and out with this may also help the group as a whole.

I tend to thing that Riddle wins, he's the hot thing, I also think that its time for Dream to move to the big stage


woman's match - I'm not a huge fan of Belair, but they're setting her up as the next big heat magnet and heel in the woman's division. I think Sane and IO focus on being a awesome tag team


War raiders win, I agree Black and Rocochet are main roster guys now, but this could be the match of the night


I'll take Walter over Dunne, I really like Walter, Dunne is very good but doesn't need the belt at this point


I do think Gargano wins this, NXT needs a long term champion that everyone chases. I would love to see more of TUE and have them expand as a faction. I'm a big fan of Cole though, but he's been a little bland lately.

[CaptainCrunch]

Add on, its usually at this time of year that the WWE does do some cleanup and releases. I expect that there are going to be some releases especially with disgruntled tweets from some stars.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Add on, its usually at this time of year that the WWE does do some cleanup and releases. I expect that there are going to be some releases especially with disgruntled tweets from some stars.

Potential guesses? Here's my picks (not everyone would get the boot, just a few of these names):

Leaving without being terminated:

Ambrose: This isn't a storyline, he is done and wants to explore other options. Not really a release though.

Goldust: Contract already expired, AEW teasing him as Cody's opponent as Double or Nothing.


Terminated by request or mutual decision:

Tyler Breeeze
Gran Metalik
Luke Harper
Sin Cara
Gallows and Anderson
EC3 (there has to be something wrong here, although who knows)
Lars Sullivan (if he can't get over his anxiety, this is going to be an issue)

Terminated to trim the roster:

Curtis Axel
Bo Dallas
The Colons

NXT is a bit of a hodgepodge due to it being a "training grounds" of sorts, and usually a main roster spot is an indication of a bigger role on the main roster.

I hesitate to list any women on the roster, because this division is expanding and most appear to have a place on the card. NXT might need to trim their division a bit.

[CaptainCrunch]

I agree with your choices as well, the shame is that Luke Harper is super talented and would be a big boost to an AEW.


I think that Naomi is on the way out as well, she's been very vocal on Twitter lately, though the USO's might stay.



I think Dana Brooks is going to go, she works hard but she's just not talented

[Ozy_Flame]

Speaking of AEW, they seem to be building a great women's roster. The addition of Allie is great for character depth IMO, and Brandi Rhodes leading it is going to be fun.

I do believe AEW needs a couple of WWE guys to round out their roster. Fans only want to commit a few hours per week of wrestling, and if they are going to choose AEW or WWE, then AEW needs some familiar faces, at least to start. I think fans want to see former WWE guys get "second chances" in AEW to really get an opportunity to shine. Wouldn't be surprised to see Sean Spears (Tye Dillinger) get a non-exclusive deal and show up at Double or Nothing. Cody and him are buddies and there is some character potential there. Luke Harper would be a HUGE addition, WWE has seriously misused this guy (should have been champion by now IMO). However I don't see WWE letting him go unless he makes a huge stink.

For the record, I do believe Ambrose may show up at Double or Nothing. I think he's the perfect "loose cannon" foil to the more composed characters of Omega, Cody, the Bucks, Jericho, MJF, Janela, etc. Plus he would bring huge media attention to the product. Goldust is probably in too.

[CaptainCrunch]

My gut tells me that Ambrose sits it out to start, and that he does an Indy tour which would result in huge dollars for him. The problem with jumping him in on day one is that it might be too much all at one.


I agree on Dillinger.



I'm a huge fan of Luke Harper and have been since before his WWE days. He's huge, mobile is extremely good technically and he can talk. I think he's a big loss.


I've watched some Impact, and I've always wanted Courtney Rush/Rosemary to move on to something like NXT. I like Allie as a character, but I've never liked her ring work, she's got a diva work rate. The interesting one is that Tenille Deshwood has left ROH. I'm a fan of her because she's Lance Storm trained, but she's a very good wrestler that was constrained by the WWE's three minute matches at the time.

[Ozy_Flame]

I almost forgot Dashwood was gone from ROH. She could be a fantastic add to AEW's women's division. Just an excellent female talent. Her match with Asuka at Takeover: London was one of my favorite NXT matches of all time.

Under the radar: Cody has spoken highly about PWA's Michael Richard Blais, who Cody faced last year in PWA and has suggested he is an up and coming talent. He's very much why PWA is doing well right now. You might remember him on TV as one of the jobbers that Braun Stroman used to squash (3 on 1 matches). However, this guy is talented and I hope AEW gives him a chance too.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

though the USO's might stay.

The Usos have reportedly signed new contracts.

https://rajah.com/node/report-usos-s...-contracts-wwe

[CaptainCrunch]

You know the one thing that WCW did at the height of the Monday Night Wars that I loved was their cruiserweight division.


The top of the card guys would put on these incredibly terrible matches (don't believe me, go back and watch episodes of Nitro and Thunder) but the so called cruiserweights would come out and blow the roof off.


I know that the temptation that people want to see from AEW is to have this whole roster of elite well known talents, whether from WWE or ROH or Japan. But the smart move would be to limit the high end well known guys, and really work on developing their own stars.


I'm excited about AEW, I hope that they avoid two things that really hurt business


1) Over book story lines and make it story line driven. I've always said that NXT has the formula down pat. They have one hour a week and they have 3 matches max and keep the talking to a minimum.



2) Letting the talent book themselves. I alway have fear of current working talent being part of a booking committee. I've never ever seen it work well, from Stampede to WCW, to WWE to ECW to Mid South. It poisons the roster after a while

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Terminated to trim the roster:

Curtis Axel
Bo Dallas
The Colons

Colons, yes.
Dallas, maybe.
Curtis Axel, no chance. He's got a job for life.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Inferno

The Usos have reportedly signed new contracts.

https://rajah.com/node/report-usos-s...-contracts-wwe

Yeah I heard that and they might keep Naomi to keep them happy, though I've never been a big fan of hers. She's athletic as hell, but frankly her ring psychology is terrible, and her mic work is boring. I'd rather see her and Dana cut for example so they can move woman up from NXT that are just flat out better.


I'd love to see a feud btween IO and Sane and Sasha and Bayley though to be honest, Sasha and Bayley haven't been great and that match on Monday night was a freaking Sasha Banks special level of botch.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

Colons, yes.
Dallas, maybe.
Curtis Axel, no chance. He's got a job for life.

Curtis really gets under rated, he's a solid worker, he's got way more personality then he's been allowed to show since his Hulk Hogan days.


I really liked Bo in NXT he was tremendous, but he's vanished.


The Colons are just blah and roster fillers.

[Ozy_Flame]

I will say some of these guys are more visible on the house show circuit, and they often need bodies to eat pins. Probably why they are still around.

Let me also say, I hope Brock Lesnar is gone for a while after Wrestlemania. His current championship reign is a tragedy due to his part-time status. It's hard to get behind a RAW product when the main belt only shows up a couple of times a year.

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't disagree with you on that, however I also don't want a champ that's defending every week.


I like the idea of a World Championship fight on free TV being meaningful. The one thing that I like about Lesnar is the feeling that when he does show up that Shytes about to get real.


I would like to see after Wrestlemania more of Paul Heyman, lets bring back true factions with villainous managers.


Also I have this real sense that Alexa Bliss might be close to done as an in ring competitor, I would love to see her moving into a Paul Heyman like role in the woman's division, she's certainly got the verbal skills for it and she's wasted in my mind in a talk show role.


But imagine turning a Sasha or Bayley heel and having Alexa coming out as the manager for the tag team champions.

[Ozy_Flame]

I don't mean defend the Belt every week, I just mean it needs to be shown and worked into storylines every week. The whole point of RAW is to have guys climb to the top. Smackdown has been doing a much better job of this.

Would love to see Heyman create a new stable. I think Sasha Banks - full heel in this faction - would be excellent. "Embrace the Boss" or something similar. The next faction needs to have a mix of men and women. Would be cool if it crossed brands too.

[CaptainCrunch]

So I thought I would do my Wrestlemania predictions here as well.



Andre the Giant Battle Royal (Kickoff Show)

The Wrestlemania battle royals are all about elevating someone to the mid card for the next year, but buried in this whole mess is the Braun versus the SNL news guys. Its amazing how far Braun has fallen in a short time, mainly due to mobility issues and unispired booking. But I doubt that he's anything but ripe for an upset. I would love to see Andrade win this just because he's probably the best name of the bunch Winner Andrade




Woman's Battle Royal (Kickoff Show)

Again same premise, this is the best of the rest with the winner getting bumped. As much as people are crying for Ahsuka to win this, it really doesn't do anything for her to win this. I would think that Mandy Rose is going to get a major push this year ready or not. Winner Mandy Rose (After she screws over her buddy Sonya Deville who is very good)



Cruiserweight Championship -- Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Tony Nese (Kickoff Show)

This should be a really good match and really belongs on the main card. But as much as I think that Buddy is gold, I think that its time to elevate Nese. Winner and new Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese






SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- The Usos (c) vs. Ricochet & Aleister Black vs. The Bar vs. Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura

I think its just going to be time for Ricochet and Black to win this thing, Nakamura has been a major disappointment this year and that's on him, Rusev has been doing too much social media crying. The Uso's don't need to be champions, and I love the Bar but they don't need the belts. Winner and new tag team champions Ricochet and Black


Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin (Farewell Match)

Seriously people this isn't going to be a pass the torch moment this is all about Kurt. Winner Kurt Angle


The Miz vs. Shane McMahon (Falls Count Anywhere)

I've always been a fan of the Miz as a heel, and he's been food as the baby face in this feud. However it is the battle of the two fakest looking offenses on the roster. Expect Shane to do something stupid, but there's too much benefit for the Miz to win this thing so he will. Winner The Miz after his dad screws Shane




Women's Tag Team Championship -- Sasha Banks & Bayley (c) vs. Beth Phoenix & Natalya vs. Nia Jax & Tamina Snuka vs. The IIconics

Maybe its me, but Bayley and Sasha have floundered a bit as tag team champions and have become a bit unlikable. Its cool that Beth is back, I always liked her, but she's not coming back fulltime. I hate Jax and Sunka who are awful. I would love to see the Iconics win this as they are so much fun to watch. But I expect that Banks and Bayley retain and fued with Io and Sane next. Winners and still champions, Banks and Bayley.


United States Championship -- Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

I love Joe, Rey isn't that interesting and he's going to lose. Winner and still champion Samoa Joe.



Intercontinental Championship -- Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Finn Balor

This is a good match to take your dog for a walk and laugh as he poo's on the neighbors lawn. The real winners of this match is skip the dishes. I expect that Demon Finn will find a way to win this, but boring. Winner and new US Champion Demon Finn


Triple H vs. Batista (No Holds Barred; Triple H's career on the line)

This match will be all kinds of horrible and HHH is not the wrestler he used to be and Batista hasn't wrestled in how long. But I doubt that they're going to take away HHH's ring career, and he has a habit of burying people at Wrestlemania. Look for the rest of Evolution to interfere in the match and cost Batista his win. The Winner and still shoveller HHH


AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton


Randy Orton is just boring, he is he is. I'll take AJ Styles. The Winner of the match AJ Styles

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Do you honestly think that Roman returning from Luekemia is going to lose this match. Come on people. He's going to kick out of 14 Claymores and land a superman punch.Winner Roman Reigns

WWE Championship -- Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kofi Kingston:

We all want the feel good story of Kofi winning this. But Daniel has been over the top good as a heel champion. Expect Rowan to interfere and to have this feud continue. Winner Daniel Bryan


Universal Championship -- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins

I think event he WWE knows that Brock has run this race for as long as he can. Seth did ok as a champion before, and he's going to be the guy for a while until Reigns beats him for the belt. Winner and new Champion Seth Rollins


Winner Take All -- Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Becky Lynch

The booking on this has frankly been a mess, and Charlotte doesn't have to be in every championship question. The arrest video on Monday was fun but nonsense. At the same time, there are questions around Ronda going off to shoot out a family. I expect that this is going to kick off a 3 vs 3 horsewoman battle with Becky, Charlotte and Sasha vs Shayna, Shaffir and Duke. I expect Ronda to lose the belt here to the man, but know that Charlottes going to win . . . again. Winner and new unified champion Charlotte Flair

[Ozy_Flame]

Great writeup, I agree with every prediction, especially the Charlotte Flair win. It's going to rile people up royally and turn Flair into the mega-heel the Women's division badly needs right now, especially after Rousey is gone.

Also, I think the it will be 17 Claymores, not 14.

[CaptainCrunch]

The only thing that's missing is during the reigns match to have a holographic ghost Dean Ambrose extorting Reigns on ala Rocky V.


Get up Roman because Mick . . . errr Dean loves you.


Followed by Roman getting up and yelling at Drew, "I didn't hear no bell"

Spoiler!

[KelVarnsen]

I can't see both Becky and Kofi losing. It would leave the crowd way too mad.