The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania 31 [NSFW]

[KK]

I've seen better punches in soap.

According to sources, Ric Flair is expected at Raw tonight to start a short-term program with the company. Flair has been in communications with the company about a return, as he wants to get back into wrestling.

The reason Flair is being brought in is because WWE wants to keep HHH off of TV a while longer, and with ratings down, Flair is a historical draw and the company believes that he can boost ratings.

There was also talk at Judgment Day last night that Flair would be back in the ring at either the Extreme Rules PPV or 'The Bash' PPV.

Groan. You know you've got a serious problem when Ric Flair is still main eventing your Pay Per Views in 2009!

The WrestleMania 24 match now means nothing in the history books, nor can it be used as a device for video packages.

[Cropolite]

Foley's still going nearly ten years after he "retired"

True though, I wish Flair would strawberry float off from our screens altogether - let alone the ring.

[E-Man]

PsychoPriest & E-Man

My usual gooseberry fool scoring aside, I've just finished watching Judgment Day and I thought it was fantastic. In particular the first four matches and the Miz/Santino segment which was strawberry floating amazing.

[KK]

World Wrestling Entertainment’s live, internationally televised broadcast, WWE Monday Night Raw(USA Network, 9:00 PM ET) to take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver next Monday, May 25 is in jeopardy of being cancelled by the Denver Nuggets. WWE and the Denver Nuggets are currently at an impasse in resolving a scheduling debacle by the team and the Pepsi Center. A sell-out crowd is expected to attend the WWE show at the same time the Denver Nuggets are slated to square off against the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals. WWE has held the May 25 date with the Pepsi Center since Aug. 15, 2008.

“Even though the Denver Nuggets had a strong team this year and were projected to make the playoffs, obviously Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke did not have enough faith in his own team to hold the May 25 date for a potential playoff game,” said WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

Raw next week will be emanating from a parking lot somewhere on the outskirts of Denver.

[Cropolite]

Raw next week will be emanating from a parking lot somewhere on the outskirts of Denver.

One can only dream. That'd be awesome, like the late 90's atmosphere.

[Corazon de Leon]

Cheers for the heads up guys! Very friendly!

And you were my partner?

Rog McMahon screwed us both Jim, I hereby declare myself recruiting for the anti-Rog and anti-Zellery crew.

[Zellery]

[Drumstick]

WWE Submit & Quit

I look forward to the followup, WWE Pin & Win.

Zellery and I will take on all comers... in fact there might be some collusion going on with Rog McMahon... are we in cahoots, or aren't we?

[KK]

Kurt Angle has been asked to do Dancing with the Stars in the States (Strictly Come Dancing here).

God I hope so.

[Cropolite]

Kurt Angle has been asked to do Dancing with the Stars in the States (Strictly Come Dancing here).

God I hope so.

He wants to get out of wrestling too.

[sw26]

Just noticed my GRAPL score, and I'm pretty pleased with that seeing as I haven't been even reading about the tv results lately never mind watching the shows. Random guessing ftw.

[Zellery]

WWE Submit & Quit

I look forward to the followup, WWE Pin & Win.

Zellery and I will take on all comers... in fact there might be some collusion going on with Rog McMahon... are we in cahoots, or aren't we?

Rog, Drumstick and Zellery in the new Corporation?

I couldn't say.

[Chocolate Jim]

Cheers for the heads up guys! Very friendly!

And you were my partner?
Rog McMahon screwed us both Jim, I hereby declare myself recruiting for the anti-Rog and anti-Zellery crew.

Sorry man! Worst thing was that I punched the air in celebration when Rey hit the 619 as I thought I had put 'yes' ... Im like the Tommy Dreamer of GRAPL ... a nice guy but never gonna win because I suck ass FU Rog Mcmahon and corporation Zellery et al!

[Zellery]

Sorry man! Worst thing was that I was punched the air in celebration when Rey hit the 619 as I thought I had put 'yes' ... Im like the Tommy Dreamer of GRAPL ... a nice guy but never gonna win because I suck ass FU Rog Mcmahon and corporation Zellery et al!

Chris Jericho?

[Zellery]

Well RAW's kicked off and Flair's already here.

[Zellery]

Batista vs Orton in a steel cage at Extreme Rules.

[KK]

I said this as a joke last night, but it turns out it may actually happen.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to be at the Pepsi Center in Denver next Monday night.

Problem is, so are John Cena and a bunch of wrestlers -- and they called it first.

World Wrestling Entertainment said it is booked at the arena for an episode of Monday Night Raw, the same night the Nuggets are slated to host the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

WWE chairman Vince McMahon told The Associated Press he doesn't believe there was "any malice, just ineptness," on the part of Kroenke Sports, which owns the team and the building, but can't tolerate the company "just simply throwing us out on our ear."

Without a quick resolution, McMahon plans to send his trucks to Denver.

"That's what we intend to do," he said. "We're going to show up."

Pepsi Center officials told the ABC television affiliate in Denver that the Nuggets game will be played as scheduled and that they are working with the WWE to reschedule or move its event.

WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman said the organization secured the Pepsi Center last Aug. 15 and has already sold more than 10,000 tickets for the event. He says the organization expects a sellout, with tickets ranging from $20 to $70.

McMahon blamed Kroenke for not believing his team was good enough to still be playing in mid-May.

"The fans in Denver had a lot more faith in making the playoffs than the owner," he said in a phone interview from Louisville, where Raw was taking place later Monday night.

Denver is usually done with basketball by now. The Nuggets had lost in the first round five straight years, but as the No. 2 seed in the West are in the conference finals for the first time since 1985.

The Nuggets referred comment to the NBA, which handles scheduling during the playoffs. Kroenke Sports also had no comment.

However, the league is leaving it up to the team and the WWE to figure things out.

"The Nuggets and the WWE understand that the date of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals cannot be changed," NBA senior vice president Mike Bass said. "We are confident that the Pepsi Center and the WWE will resolve their scheduling conflict."

Zimmerman said the Pepsi Center confirmed in March with the WWE that the organization wanted to keep the May 25 date, and sent a contract on April 15 -- the final night of the regular season -- which WWE signed and returned. Tickets went on sale April 11.

The conflict didn't arise until Sunday, when the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. Had the Rockets won, Denver would have had home-court advantage in the next round, hosting Games 1 and 2 and putting the May 25 game in Houston.

As of Monday afternoon, the schedule on the Pepsi Center's Web site listed WWE for 6:30 p.m. local time and Western Conference finals Game 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the wrestling event could still be purchased online.

McMahon said he couldn't guess how much he would make from the show, but that canceling wasn't easy because of how much is involved in moving his equipment, plus filling its obligated time slot on USA Network. Litigation is likely -- but he plans to be putting on a card.

"When you do have a date, you plan everything around it," he said, adding, "we may be holding an event in a parking lot somewhere."

"And now, coming to you live from the roof of the Pepsi Centre...."

I think it'd be appropriate to name next week's show Raw is War.

[sw26]

Hell, I might actually watch it if that happens.

[Cropolite]

It'd be a huge unintended success, prompting them to double book with good NBA teams every year.

[KK]

Jonathan Coachman interviewing Vince McMahon on ESPN (rather ironic) about the mix up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4176082

Vince makes a mistake at the beginning & calls the WWE the "World Wrestling Federation".