# Any WWE fans in the audience? (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** boxing-wrestling-mma\ **Created:** [June 5, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124 "2014-06-05T15:34:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 112
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2222 "2015-06-04T20:26:03Z")
So… Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens, live from Tokyo, anyone? I believe they’re airing the entire show as well, which ought to be a treat - I don’t think WWE’s ever done a live broadcast from Japan before due to the time zone difference. (It’ll be going on at 6 AM Eastern/3 AM Pacific.) If The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Devitt wins the title in Japan the crowd is going to absolutely tear the roof off the joint. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2223 "2015-06-04T23:27:33Z")
On a side note, I recently upgraded my Comcast DVR to the newest model, and the UI has custom cover art for most TV series that pops up on the menu screen as you’re scrolling through your recordings. Whoever designed the graphic for Ring of Honor must have been working from old material, because it features a great big picture of former ROH world champion Tyler Black. You know, [this guy.](http://i.imgur.com/gVKfC.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2224 "2015-06-05T00:16:56Z")
[How you doin’?](http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a562/ChimeraPic/HowYouDoing_zps3vyyxhey.png) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2225 "2015-06-05T00:36:25Z")
Just got around to watching this week’s Lucha Underground, and it just keeps getting better and better. At this rate, the season finale will be a disappointment if it doesn’t conclude with a pre-taped empty arena match between Black Lotus and Matanza that results in the Temple itself being physically destroyed when Drago returns in his true form and sets it on fire. Seriously, though, to address two points from Knowed Out’s review; > [@](#): > > During the match, the Stryker and Vampiro commented that he used to partner with Angelico. ORLY? The two of them together would cause craniums everywhere to explode. Evans kept screaming that he was the father of modern lucha, which I guess was meant to draw heat with the truly devoted luchites. Luchadidos? Luchadantes? I’m not sure if they did or not, but they were in the right places in the right times for it to happen. I didn’t notice it before, but Evans is billed as hailing from Parkland, WA, not half an hour from where I live. Parkland is a suburb of Tacoma best known as the home of Pacific Lutheran University, so I guess billing him from there (he’s actually from Orange County) is supposed to represent his being a middle-class white guy putting on lucha airs. > [@](#): > > Is Vamp going to work a match with Pent? I’m guessing he’s in his late fifties, and he’s lacking the muscle he used to have, but he’s still quite energetic and obviously doesn’t mind putting on some new scars. 48, for the record, and while his best days are behind him, he can reportedly still go - he most recently wrestled in JCW (Juggalo Championship Wrestling, the promotion run by Insane Clown Posse) a few years ago and even had a run as world champion. Apparently, he’s going to be in a match at Lucha Ultimo, though I didn’t look to see who it was against or who wins. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2226 "2015-06-05T01:09:23Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > [How you doin’?](http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a562/ChimeraPic/HowYouDoing_zps3vyyxhey.png) :D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2227 "2015-06-05T04:03:13Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Evans kept screaming that he was the father of modern lucha, which I guess was meant to draw heat with the truly devoted luchites. Like a certain devoted family man in that promotion out of… \Connett-ee-cut\, Evans has to lay the heelish tricks on thick to keep people from falling in love with him due to what he does in the ring. That Connecticut-via-Florida guy is mostly pulling it off when he’s not feuding with heels like John Cena, but Evans is on the edge. As Our Homeboy pointed out, there wasn’t really a lot of rooting interest in this fight past just basic face vs. heel, so I went in fairly neutral… but I was cheering for Evans by the end. Doesn’t help that Argenis doesn’t have a whole lot of a character past “guy who gets his arm broken by Pentagon Jr.”. > [@](#): > > In another backstage moment, Les Bloomfield approaches Ryck Fury about finding a third partner for a Trios match against the champions. Ryck brought in The Mack, but Cage interrupted and said he wanted to be their third. To enforce his opinion, he threw Mack’s face into the locker doors a few times. Then, the camera view switched to a position behind a wall of lockers, which then proceeded to topple over. The view switched to show Mack’s prone body laying on top of the toppled lockers. Looks like Cage is their third partner. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time we’ve had guys throwing down in a backstage segment. (There’ve been occasional cinematic fight sequences, but this is as close as we’ve come to the classic, WWE-style backstage ambush.) Not surprisingly, they did it really well. I don’t want to see this stuff every episode, obviously, but I’m glad they’ve got it in their toolbox now. Also: Poor Willie Mack. ☹ I hope he’ll find a storyline soon; dude is too good (and too against his body type) not to. Also, he should really find some ring gear that doesn’t just look like satin tighty-whities. > [@](#): > > The Trios match ensues… Texano distracts Bloomfield enough for SoH to get the pin. Which is fine. WWE has given distraction finishes a bad name through overuse, not to mention that these alleged professionals can completely lose focus due to nothing more than a few bars of a rival’s theme song. (Also, is it physically impossible to run down to the ring without someone playing your theme song? Anyway.) But if [del]Dario[/del] Lucha Underground wants to keep the belts on The Awkward Squad for a while and keep them from turning into Cenesque chronic odds-overcomers, you’re going to have to have somewhat screwy finishes. Until Ivelisse is fit again, every title defense is a handicap match, amplified by the fact that they don’t really work together until the chips are down. ANY Trios team should have a legitimate shot at beating them, so you’ll need interference/etc. to have it be credible that they keep winning. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > The Gore that Rhyno gave to Finn at the end of NXT was a work of art. I had to watch it 5 more times. It was like the scene near the end of the first Avengers movie, where Hulk knocks Thor out of the picture just out of spite. All it needed was Paul Heyman screaming _GORE! GORE! GOOOOOORRRRRE!_ In an otherwise mostly forgettable episode of NXT, that Gore stood out. I swear, Rhyno sent Finn flying at least–at LEAST!–and no exaggeration here, I am just reporting the facts as I see them–AT LEAST! 100 feet across the stage. > [@](#): > > Marcus Luis looks effin’ creepy nowadays. He kept doing that gaping mutant albino vampire thing. I like it. Hunchback of Notre Full Sail Marcus Louis is best Marcus Louis. I hope we get to see more of him, and that they pick up his feud with Prince Pretty again (particularly as PP is pretty much consigned to perpetual upper midcard as they push the latest indie darling over him). On either Cageside or Uproxx, Sean or Brandon noted that the VVs have a problem, which is that they’re over only because Simon Gotch is over. I dunno if it’s that much of a problem–he’s definitely way MORE over than Aiden English, but I figure the VVs are a rising tide that lifts both boats. Nice to see them working more face–I mean, how are we not supposed to cheer for old-timey strongmen? Also, it’s a shame NXT doesn’t do the intergender thing, as I understand Mr. Gotch to be quite a fan of the puns. He and Becky Lynch could make quite the BEXtellent partnership (and her steampunk goggles would fit right in with his old-timey strongman gimmick). > [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I never really commented on NXT cuz honestly I have (gasp) nothing to say. Rhyno is huge, Finn is cool (I like the bandana), the women did a great job wrestling, end of show. It was an average/filler episode of NXT. Nothing crazy, but still Better Than Raw. Because I’m a football fan and American, Finn’s bandanna always has me thinking of the American Outlaws, the US football team’s supporters’ group. I’m totally down with him becoming The Outlaw Finn. > [@Smapti](#): > > Apparently, he’s going to be in a match at Lucha Ultimo, though I didn’t look to see who it was against or who wins. As long as it doesn’t result in losing him on commentary, I’m all for this. The Striker/Vampiro partnership take a lot of stick out in the IWC. Some of it is justified, even in my opinion–they’re not great at dealing with the women, though IMO they’re still better, at their worst, than the day-to-day treatment of women by announcers in the E. But in general, I really enjoy them. I like that Matt Striker is a wrestling geek who knows all the holds and isn’t afraid to tell you (or ask Vamp) why a certain move is effective. I like that Vampiro has veteran experience that he brings to the table, plus an unbridled enthusiasm–he isn’t afraid to “mark the fuck out” when its called for. (I also dig his physical mannerisms, aka mugging for the camera, usually only seen at the start of the show, and Vampiroisms, which are only for those of us who watched the LLWC.) They’ve got a really good chemistry together–colleagues who respect each other professionally, but who probably also hit the bar for a couple beers after the show. There aren’t many I’d give them up for–maybe not even the Great JR, who I’m not sure would fit the gritty atmosphere of the show. Meanwhile… Apparently I’m the only one who watched Ring of Honor’s DA debut, which was just a basic RoH show on cable. Still, my first RoH in some months, so! Jay Lethal is just as entertaining as I remember. I dig the Briscoes’ ring work (hillbilly kung fu FTW!), but am not a fan of their characters. That said, I’m fairly sure it’s just them turned up to 11, so that’s pretty much what you’re going to get. I love the Decade as a heel stable. Hell, I love that RoH has a bunch of stables. But the Decade are just great–they’re basically a big ball of every heel trope they can find rolled up into one very booable package. Chris Daniels/Frankie Kazarian–The Addiction. Bobby Fish/Kyle O’Reilly–ReDRagon (not appearing in this episode). I didn’t realize how much I was missing the RoH tag team scene until The Addiction came down and got on the mics. MOOSE! _arm pump_ MOOSE! _arm pump_ MOOSE! No ACH makes me sad, but did I mention that Jay Lethal is awesome? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2228 "2015-06-05T12:43:59Z")
LawMonkey: I don’t get that Gotch is more over than English. They both seem the same amounts of over to me. The gimmick has lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. Maybe it’s because they revived “old school” wrestling holds as part of their act. Headlocks do seem to have come back in style. On RoH, Kyle O’Reilly kept putting Jay Lethal in headlocks, and Steve Corino said it was because they were in Minnesota, where the AWA and mat-style wrestling originated. “They love their headlocks in Minnesota.” Roman Reigns and Sheamus both used it last night on SD, iirc. I ripped the Rhyno Gore of Finn so I could watch it couple hundred more times. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2229 "2015-06-05T13:00:30Z")
So Kane is the also in the MiTB match? I guess that truly and finally shoots down my theory of Dean winning it. And since he’s not going to win the [Lillian] CHAMPIONSHHIIYYAAPPP [/Lillian] at the event he is succumbed to…nothing? I guess? That being said, a ladder match between Dean and Rollins will be AWESOME I love MiTB, my favorite PPV by far ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2230 "2015-06-05T17:58:33Z")
I’m so excited that 2 weeks from today I am going to be loading my moving truck to finally finally finally go down and be with my beloved Ms. Cups. And how are we celebrating us finally being together? By going to an NXT house show of course! That following Friday, she and I are going to Cocoa Beach to see the show. Full report will follow. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2231 "2015-06-06T05:12:58Z")
Arglebarg. Arglebarg, I say, sir; argle bard indeed. So due to recent events in Lucha Underground\*, I’ve become intensely curious about Vampiro’s in-ring career. I am pretty sure there was a post with a few recommended matches somewhere I hang out, but I haven’t been able to find it. So, I ask you, SDWFW\*\*, give me a few top-notch Vampiro matches to get a feel for him as an in-ring performer. Bonus if you can point out some key matches from his feud with Konnan, but that’s certainly not necessary. If there’s some English-language work from him in promos that’s worth seeing (I know he did a few years in WCW), I’d be happy to see that too–though I"m pretty well convinced of his worth on the mic already. I love him to death as it stands; I just want to see what he was like as an in-ring performer, rather than just a commentator and fan. - As masterfully recapped by our own **Knowed Out**. \*\* Straight Dope Wrestling Federation of the World!!! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2232 "2015-06-06T12:58:48Z")
I only remember him from WCW, and when he first burst on the scene, he took everybody by surprise. His hair reached halfway down to his ass and he was covered in tattoos. He wore long black tights and moved like a dancer. He used a martial arts style and just looked cool as hell. WCW was using (and abusing) a lot of Mexican wrestlers at the time. They frequently put on awesome matches and lost to the stars. Vampiro was no exception. When Vince Russo took over, his #2 Ed Ferrara came with him and decided to mock Jim Ross in an angle. He was Dr. Death Steve Williams’s manager (who was supposedly a close friend of Ross, but apparently has 0 integrity where dollar signs are concerned). Ferrara called himself “Oklahoma,” and came out wearing a cowboy hat and grimaced half his face to mock Ross’s Bell’s Palsy. In probably the most egregious and obnoxious example of promoter self-promotion, he booked himself winning over Vampiro in a match. Ferrara was fat fat fat fat fat and gasping for air during the match, while Vampiro just mainly laid on the mat and stomped his feet. It was the suckiest of all things that suck ever. I stopped watching WCW after that, but I heard Vampiro got in a pretty good feud with Sting. I don’t remember if he ever feuded with Konnan in WCW, which is why I wonder why he has so much heat for him in LU. Here’s an excerpt from his Wikipedia page: > [@](#): > > Whilst working in Mexico Vampiro began a real life feud with fellow CMLL headliner Konnan. Konnan had been the top star in the promotion prior to Vampiro’s arrival and did not take well to Vampiro’s superstardom. The feud stems from Vampiro being offered a part in a Mexican soap opera, but then the producers changing their mind at the last minute when they learned that Vampiro’s command of the Spanish language was poor, and went with Konnan, a fluent Spanish speaker, instead. Vampiro considered Konnan to have sabotaged his chance to parlay his ring success into mainstream stardom, as Konnan did become a mainstream star in Mexico as a result of the role. The rivalry lasted for several years until the two resolved their differences whilst working in WCW, where they became very close friends and business associates. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2233 "2015-06-06T13:21:37Z")
I was looking for Vampiro matches in YouTube. Looks like he got tight with Insane Clown Posse and became champion of their own promotion, Juggalo Championship Wrestling. They did an invasion angle with WCW and it looks like [much insanity ensued](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOPC6Uc6xRI). ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2234 "2015-06-08T14:22:00Z")
Great Khali now training wrestlers (two signed by NXT), making excuses for being released and wanting to return to WWE. :smack::smack::smack: Dude, you can’t MOVE. You can’t even walk to the ring without looking like you might collapse at any second. If you were stupid enough to get in the ring with me (and I’m NOT a professional wrestler), I’d spend my time dodging your hammy fists and drop kicking you in the knees until you begged for mercy. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2235 "2015-06-08T16:41:57Z")
I shudder to think of what Khali’s legs must look like under those baggy pants he wears to try and disguise the fact that he can’t bend his knees. Watching him wrestle reminds me of watching Andre the Giant in the final years of his life, and it’s just sad - Big Show may not have been the greatest wrestler even in his prime, but he’s the same age as Khali and he’s clearly in _much_ better shape. On a lighter note, here’s [Brendon Burns talking about the time he got Khali to break character.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlo_E8-l14g) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2236 "2015-06-08T16:52:26Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > On a lighter note, here’s [Brendon Burns talking about the time he got Khali to break character.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlo_E8-l14g) “I had racial approval” I sometimes wonder if WWE gave him all those humiliating angles to get him to quit on his own, because they didn’t want to outright fire him and risk losing a huge Hindu audience. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2237 "2015-06-08T16:52:30Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I shudder to think of what Khali’s legs must look like under those baggy pants he wears to try and disguise the fact that he can’t bend his knees. Watching him wrestle reminds me of watching Andre the Giant in the final years of his life, and it’s just sad - Big Show may not have been the greatest wrestler even in his prime, but he’s the same age as Khali and he’s clearly in _much_ better shape. > > On a lighter note, here’s [Brendon Burns talking about the time he got Khali to break character.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlo_E8-l14g) If you’ve ever seen the doc WWE did on him it shows that he’s really understanding of his condition and knows what to do to keep his body the best it can be ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2238 "2015-06-08T19:00:01Z")
Apparently Tyson Kidd got hurt in a dark match with Samoa Joe last week, and it’s a supposed spinal injury and he is out for who knows how long. Sucks because he’s such a good performer, although I guess Cesaro is getting that singles push ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2239 "2015-06-09T19:17:31Z")
So, guessing we had a real barnburner of a RAW last night, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2240 "2015-06-09T19:28:30Z")
I missed the first half and didn’t think the second half was very good. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124/2241 "2015-06-09T19:35:43Z")
I was bored to tears by RAW, but it was ok because Soccer and Hocky were both on and I was good with that [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124.md?page=111) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-wwe-fans-in-the-audience-part-1/690124.md?page=113)