The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania XL - 6/7 April 2024

[coldspice]

Cards:

https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49954?showCards=1
https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49956?showCards=1

Really miss the pre-show battle royal

RIP in peace, Rumble.

The NEVER gauntlet match was fun last year though.

[Zellery]

AEW seem to be in trouble creatively. It's quickly becoming nonsense.

I'd argue that it's only the same problems that they had previously.

There's s lot of good feuds and wrestling happening on a weekly basis. They just need to cut out the spooky mumbo jumbo gooseberry fool.

Seeing The Dark Order in the main event angle was worrying to see, though.

[KK]

The Dark Order is basically their version of the Dungeon of Doom, though not as over the top. The DOD had a load of misfits and wacky characters, whereas the Dark Order is currently a load of randoms in masks we know nothing about. Some of the punches being thrown at the end make Shane McMahon look like Mike Tyson in comparison as well.

In WCW this ultimately led to a War Games match, so I don’t know if that’s where they’re heading again here. They’ve certainly got enough factions to do one. Cody Rhodes in one of his promos the other month talked about “the match beyond” which could end up being the name for one.

I’m expecting they’ll start using Dean Ambrose a lot more from January. He wasn’t even on the show last night, and neither was MJF (who also features on MLW Fusion).

I have no understanding what the Brandi Rhodes and Awesome Kong hair cutting stuff is about. Brandi did explain it a couple of weeks ago in a promo but like Bray Wyatt’s old promos where he just said words, I was none the wiser afterwards.

[Zellery]

Meltzer raised a good point too. They have to find the happy medium between keeping their established stars strong but not Hogan strong.

The Elite seem to be the biggest example of this. I think The Bucks should have won the titles yesterday and they need to stop Kenny taking pin falls.

[coldspice]

This time a year ago Omega was about to ME the Tokyo Dome and now he's jobbing to a group of gimps

[Zellery]

This time a year ago Omega was about to ME the Tokyo Dome and now he's jobbing to a group of gimps

On Wednesday’s show he took a pin fall in his tag match, then proceeded to run back stage to help out his friend and got beat up and then at the end of the show ran down to get beat up again.

[coldspice]

Burying your biggest potential star you love to see it

[Zellery]

I think it's admirable that they're willing to put guys over, but they're almost the exact opposite of Nash and Hogan and need to develop a bit more selfishness for their own characters.

[coldspice]

I think it's admirable that they're willing to put guys over, but they're almost the exact opposite of Nash and Hogan and need to develop a bit more selfishness for their own characters.

The effect will soon wear off when the likes of Omega and the Bucks have lost so much that beating them isn't even special. I really wonder what people who hadn't really seen the Elite before make of them.

[Rog]

AEW seem to be in trouble creatively. It's quickly becoming nonsense.

I'd argue that it's only the same problems that they had previously.

There's s lot of good feuds and wrestling happening on a weekly basis. They just need to cut out the spooky mumbo jumbo gooseberry fool.

Seeing The Dark Order in the main event angle was worrying to see, though.

AEW still feels like 50/50 booking to me but in a different pattern. No one is really pulling ahead and standing out. They'll have someone win three in a row to make them stand out, get people knowing they're name, and then have them lose a few while they showcase someone else.

But Dark Order going main event is worrying. Brandi and Kong are all over the show with their nonsense. There's an alien doing ET nose boops with the commentators. Luchasaurus worked as a bit of nonsense in a see of reality but now it's heading the other way he will be tainted too.

[Zellery]

AEW seem to be in trouble creatively. It's quickly becoming nonsense.

I'd argue that it's only the same problems that they had previously.

There's s lot of good feuds and wrestling happening on a weekly basis. They just need to cut out the spooky mumbo jumbo gooseberry fool.

Seeing The Dark Order in the main event angle was worrying to see, though.

AEW still feels like 50/50 booking to me but in a different pattern. No one is really pulling ahead and standing out. They'll have someone win three in a row to make them stand out, get people knowing they're name, and then have them lose a few while they showcase someone else.

But Dark Order going main event is worrying. Brandi and Kong are all over the show with their nonsense. There's an alien doing ET nose boops with the commentators. Luchasaurus worked as a bit of nonsense in a see of reality but now it's heading the other way he will be tainted too.

Moxley is the only guy they're going with 100%. When he meets Jericho at Revolution it's going to feel like a big match.

Agree with everything else. All those gimmicks (bar Luchasaurus) are just the worst.

[NBK]

Cards:

https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49954?showCards=1
https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49956?showCards=1

Thanks for this, some good matches to look forward to there. I completely missed Lance Archer being the US Champ now!

The main event for day 2 has me worried though. It could very well end up being Naito vs Ibushi and I'm not sure if my nerves can take wondering if they'll still be alive at the end of it

[Mafro]

Cards:

https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49954?showCards=1
https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49956?showCards=1

Thanks for this, some good matches to look forward to there. I completely missed Lance Archer being the US Champ now!

The main event for day 2 has me worried though. It could very well end up being Naito vs Ibushi and I'm not sure if my nerves can take wondering if they'll still be alive at the end of it

Moxley was the US champ but couldn't make it to Japan for a show to defend it against Juice due to that typhoon the other month so he was stripped of the title(!) and it was up for grabs with Archer being his replacement.

[coldspice]

Cards:

https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49954?showCards=1
https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/49956?showCards=1

Thanks for this, some good matches to look forward to there. I completely missed Lance Archer being the US Champ now!

The main event for day 2 has me worried though. It could very well end up being Naito vs Ibushi and I'm not sure if my nerves can take wondering if they'll still be alive at the end of it

I would be very shocked if it wasn't Okada Vs Naito. It's a story that's been building for 2 years since Naito lost against Okada at WK12. I have a feeling we'll get all of LIJ ending the weekend with belts and the biggest ever LIJ roll call to end the second night.

[KK]

Video of the Dark Order’s punches I mentioned the other day...

twitter.com/pottakes/status/1207672693027418112

[KK]

Carmella beating mixed martial artist Sonya Deville on SmackDown via submission in 2 minutes is really strawberry floating stupid.

[Mafro]

*Wakes up, opens Twitter*

twitter.com/we_are_stardom/status/1209755482811813888

strawberry float SAKE

.

[coldspice]

*Wakes up, opens Twitter*

twitter.com/we_are_stardom/status/1209755482811813888

strawberry float SAKE

.

RIP Oedo Tai

[tomvek]

[Mafro]

twitter.com/btsportwwe/status/1211965235948589056