Posted: 30 May 2005 at 7:49pm | IP Logged

Let's look at some forthcoming wrestling events.

http://www.hardcorehomecoming.com/

This might be a good event. It isn't on PPV, it's a house show. The main event will be Terry Funk VS Sabu VS Shane Douglas. Those three had an excellent match at ECW's The Night The Line Was Crossed on February 5th, 1994. I consider that match the greatest wrestling match of all time (and believe me, I've seen thousands). I doubt this rematch will top it but the event as a whole may have an ECW feel to it.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/

I have high hopes for this but those of us who were ECW fans should remember that this PPV will be financed and booked by WWE and is only ECW in name. I wish it well and I hope Paul Heyman has creative control over the event. Just try to remember we could well see a watered-down version of the original ECW. Just a thought.

http://www.tnawrestling.com/slammiversary/index.html

This should be an excellent TNA event. I do hope, however, that The Alpha Male Monty Brown walks away as NWA World Heavyweight Champion. I like him and think he has potential. As for TNA in general, I hope it continues to thrive as a promotion.

On June 26th, Raw will present WWE Vengeance. It's looking likely that Batista will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Triple H in a "Hell in a Cell" match. With the exception of the six-man "Hell in a Cell" match at WWF Armageddon 2000, Triple H has NEVER lost a singles "Hell in a Cell" match. Will Batista retain his title? Or is the World Heavyweight Championship going back to The Game?

For those in the UK, ECW's One Night Stand will air free on Sky Sports 1 at 1am. As that's free, it's likely that either Vengeance or The Great American Bash will be on Sky Box Office (£15.95).

Posted: 30 May 2005 at 8:50pm | IP Logged

It's just a suggestion but I wondered, for the sake of keeping one sane, whether this sticky topic could be split into three. One sticky topic for WWE. One sticky topic for TNA. And one sticky topic for all other wrestling.

Just a thought, please let me know what you think.

Thank you.

Posted: 30 May 2005 at 8:53pm | IP Logged

Well this threads for all things wrestling and I don,t think having three separate threads would work if I am honest.

Not enough fans for all the different companies.

Posted: 30 May 2005 at 10:17pm | IP Logged

That's good enough for me. So I take it it's alright to talk about promotions like NJPW, AJPW and NOAH.

I just like all wrestling. There are so many great promotions throughout the world. Sadly, two of the greatest, GAEA Japan and AJW, are no more, having presented their last cards in April.

Posted: 30 May 2005 at 11:38pm | IP Logged

I agree with your thoughts on Hardcore Homecoming - I'll be ordering the DVD when it becomes available. Shane Douglas has put so much effort into it. I hear they've even hired Atlas Security, the company that did security at ECW events. I have a good feeling about this.

I don't know what the WWE will do with the ECW brand. If One Night Stand is a success, then it's almost certain they'll promote more ECW PPV's. As for resurrecting ECW as a brand, well, Vince did seem to be hinting at it last week. I do like the brand extension but I have to question how long Smackdown will last in today's world - has it run it's course?

Although the true ECW will never be revived, WWE's version of ECW will be the closest thing to it, assuming Paul Heyman is given carte blanche with the brand (creative control, not financial, for obvious reasons).

It's just a pity that WWE will never do a WCW One Night Stand but I guess that's another topic for another time.

Posted: 31 May 2005 at 1:18pm | IP Logged

I know it's old news but did anybody hear about the disturbance between WWE wrestlers and a group of kickboxing fans on April 25th in Birmingham, after the Raw taping? I was surprised to see that no tabloid papers covered it.

I hear Day of Reckoning 2 is coming to Gamecube later this year. I only have a PS2 and play the Smackdown games. I've always wondered what the Wrestlemania (Xbox) and Day of Reckoning (Gamecube) games are like.

Posted: 31 May 2005 at 2:35pm | IP Logged

Adam_24 wrote: IS TNA ever on TV as I've never seen any of there stuff, is it any good?

People will tell you its a lot like how WCW was and it really is. It's not half as storyline heavy as WWE and focuses more on the Wrestling. You have 2 Divisions, the Heavyweight and the X (Cruiserweight) Division with the Current champions being AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. I really like TNA and I've said countless of times that it has loads of potential and is i dare say the most successful Indy promotion right now (With Ring Of Honor) right up there next to it. So if you liked WCW Adam, you might like NWA TNA.

It has a 6 sided ring which is shaped like a hexagon and it has a little hardcore action sometimes, when you have guys like Raven and Jeff Hardy who can be nothing but themselves you get an idea of what kinds of matches they have.

Posted: 31 May 2005 at 3:54pm | IP Logged

TNA Wrestling can be seen on Euro Sport every Friday nights at 8pm in the UK. Well used to be  but with TNA having no TV deal this Fridays impact show could very well be the last for a while.

I think WWE will push The ECW PPV to the best they can and i am sure it will be successful. As for the Idea of bringing it back as a brand Vince McMahon was considering bringing it back for a while last year but changed his mind. RVD & Paul Heyman convinced him on making the PPV. Now if the PPV dose better than what WWE are expecting then I believe Vince will ever plan more ECW live event or just bang out a huge merchandise campaign and release a handful of DVDs.

Shane Douglas is a ECW Icon and one of a handful of names that all ECW fans truly call a ECW mainstay who was ECW through & through. I think ECW Homecoming shall be more extreme than WWE/ECW PPV but both shall be extremely entertaining and I suspect will give ECW the respect it deserves. In my Eyes the early ECW stuff was more extreme than the later stuff and I believe that ECW Homecoming will resemble the early stuff and WWE/ECW PPV will resemble the later stuff.

Posted: 01 June 2005 at 1:34am | IP Logged

Quote: I believe Vince will ever plan more ECW live event or just bang out a huge merchandise campaign and release a handful of DVDs.

That would be a good thing. In fact, ECW compilation DVD's would be very good. I'd like to see The Night The Line Was Crossed released onto DVD. As I've said already, the main event of that show is the greatest match in wrestling history, in my opinion.

Are there any of you out there who have considered opening your mind to non-WWE wrestling? I have a passion for wrestling and have done since '85. In the 80s, I was a fan of NWA, UWF, AWA, WWF, USWA and many international promotions such as AJPW, NJPW, AJW and EMLL.

Nowadays, I watch WWE, TNA, ROH, FWA, NJPW, AJPW and NOAH. Oh, I do have a life, a job and a lady, by the way. I don't watch every wrestling event, although I do catch all WWE shows and PPV's.

The XWF may be making a comeback. Check out www.xwfwrestling.tv

Posted: 01 June 2005 at 8:42am | IP Logged

I have been a wrestling fan since I was born. I was mostly a WWE fan but now watch and read about all wrestling. The promotions you have mentioned are ones I read about.

I really like FWA and ROH they are fantastic promotions and are often starting point for new wrestlers trying to break into the business. Many former WWE stars or well known Indie stars preform for that promotion.  FWA is the UK best promotion and has help bring back and re establish wrestling again in the UK.

Did anyone watch RAW on Monday I did and thought it was better than last week.

Posted: 01 June 2005 at 12:13pm | IP Logged

have yet to see raw will watch it tonight, i like wrestling doesnt matter which brand, there is just something about TNA i don't like i think its the commentators he drives me nuts.

ECW will be big the crowd are eating up everything about it and its new and what WWE need.  when i heard the crowd chant ECW it gave me goose bumps

Posted: 01 June 2005 at 12:15pm | IP Logged

Did anyone else get the feeling last week on raw that vince may bring the ECW back, i mean he did say when he was taking to the bitch that it may be a re-birth type thingy.

I can dream.

I cant wait for One Night Stand, and what makes it good, all the old ECW stars are gonna be there, apart from Raven(might turn up) and Douglas, and somehting even better, The Sandman is gonna be there and is gonna be fighting!.

The only thing i would of done different is, i would have had it at the arena in philly, like Shane Douglas is doing, but i really dont care, ECW is back baby!.

- Hardcore Homecoming should be a good event, Douglas has worked very hard on it, and the main event should rock, i will defenetly but it if it becomes avalible over these parts.

-Anyone else feel all of a sudden Smackdown has slightly picked up, i went from watching just RAW (for three reasson = trish, stacy and lita) to watching smackdown aswell just a thought!.