Professional Wrestling (WWE, TNA, ROH, etc)

[Andrew]

I can't comment much on TNA but I do believe the WWE has the talent at their disposal, they've just completely lost the plot as far as their creative team is concerned. I think McMahon's ego is getting in the way of better angles. He built the WWE into the powerhouse it's become but he's lost that edge.

[Null17]

WWE definitely has a lot of talent in their arsenal, they just don't use them properly

[koberulz]

the kane vs kane fued just stepped up a notch. although the new kane looks nothing like the old one, and acts nothing like him as well. the hair is wrong, and he acts too "herky-jerky" in the ring. he moves a little too quickly. i see a bunch of morons popping up soon and using this as proof that they did have two different kanes, one with mask and one without. and am i correct in thinking that kanes old attire had only one long sleeve, while this one had two?

[Isaiah]

and am i correct in thinking that kanes old attire had only one long sleeve, while this one had two?

probably to not make it obvious that the "Masked Kane" is not Glen Jacobs and its someone else in the costume..

actually the person in the costume is a guy named the Freakin' Deacon.

The Identity Of The Masked Kane Revealed
Written by Ryan Clark on May 30, 2006 at 09:12:35

The identity of the masked Kane character that appeared on Raw last night is none other than Freakin' Deacon aka Deacon Deville aka Dorian Deville. His real name is Drew Hankinson.

http://www.wrestlingexposed.com/headlines/14633.shtml

[BZ]

Yeah, I just saw the vid on Youtube... that fake Kane acts nothing like the Old Kane. They could've made his hair slick at least, and made him walk slower, more undertaker like to make it believable. But oh well, I'm curious on how this would actually turn out.

[Isaiah]

Yeah, I just saw the vid on Youtube... that fake Kane acts nothing like the Old Kane. They could've made his hair slick at least, and made him walk slower, more undertaker like to make it believable. But oh well, I'm curious on how this would actually turn out.

plus he was too thin and too short to play the Kane character..

i hope this doesnt turn out to be like the Undertaker vs. UnderFaker thing during the early 90's

[Andrew]

the kane vs kane fued just stepped up a notch. although the new kane looks nothing like the old one, and acts nothing like him as well. the hair is wrong, and he acts too "herky-jerky" in the ring. he moves a little too quickly. i see a bunch of morons popping up soon and using this as proof that they did have two different kanes, one with mask and one without. and am i correct in thinking that kanes old attire had only one long sleeve, while this one had two?

For the most part he had only one sleeve but a couple of times (the First Blood match with Austin at King of the Ring 1998 being a noteworthy example) he wore the two sleeved costume. That of course allowed the Undertaker to don the mask a couple of times as part of an angle with McMahon, they're obviously going the same route here.

It wasn't a bad impression I thought (appearance accepted and even then, it was decent enough), he had some of the old body language Glen Jacobs used to use but if anything he overused it, particularly adjusting the glove. He just looked a bit stiff doing the Kane character, if they want to keep going that route they should stick the Undertaker under the mask.

i hope this doesnt turn out to be like the Undertaker vs. UnderFaker thing during the early 90's

In defense of that angle though, it was at least typical of the mid 90s WWF and better played out than this one has been so far. I'd say Brian Lee did a better job as the UnderFaker compared to Drew Hankinson's Fake Retro Kane, not to mention Paul Bearer and Ted Dibiase were involved in that angle back in 1994.

But it would seem it's eventually going to move into another Taker/Kane feud so the Doppelganger Kane could well be seldom-used or even a one time thing to play up the usual mind games aspect of Taker/Kane angles.

[J@3]

The hair on that fake Kane was terrible, the movements and whatever I can deal with but the hair looked absolutely ridiculous.

[koberulz]

yeah. and if you look at the video clip they showed last week, the hair on the old kane was part of the mask, not glen jacobs' real hair. So i see no reason why the hair should be that out of whack.
i don't think he moved to quickly at all, maybe by old kane standards he did, but that was fine. The bit i have most problem with was him getting into the ring. He did that way too quickly, and same deal with the chokeslam. He also had a weird arc to his back which was totally out of place. I also didn't like the tilting of the head at the staredown, it was way too much of an un-kane-like thing to do. The only reason I see for it is disguising a height difference, but from the shot of Drew walking towards Glen at the wide angle, there didn't seem to be one.
The issue with putting Taker under the mask, though, is that he's thinner than Drew is, and shorter than Drew is. Sure, he could get the movements down better, but if he doesn't look right, it achieves nothing. I'm sure Drew can sort it out with a bit of practise. But they really need to do something with that hair, whether it's Drew's real hair or part of the mask.

[Yessie]

Agreed the Masked Kane looked Terrible nothing like the Old kane. he was wearing Kane's 1st ever outfit when he showed up to fight taker before changing it to a one sleeve outfit. this match could be worse then NWO Sting vs Sting. hopefully they get the kinks worked out by the time the PPV roles around.

i dont think it will be as good as the Taker vs Taker match both of them looked similar except the fake taker was a little shorter you really couldnt tell them apart besides the purple gloves the real taker had. one of the best matches ever in my opinion.

[Null17]

WTF? are you serious? Taker vs Taker one of the best matches? Even Callaway said it sucked...

[Andrew]

yeah. and if you look at the video clip they showed last week, the hair on the old kane was part of the mask, not glen jacobs' real hair. So i see no reason why the hair should be that out of whack.
i don't think he moved to quickly at all, maybe by old kane standards he did, but that was fine. The bit i have most problem with was him getting into the ring. He did that way too quickly, and same deal with the chokeslam. He also had a weird arc to his back which was totally out of place. I also didn't like the tilting of the head at the staredown, it was way too much of an un-kane-like thing to do. The only reason I see for it is disguising a height difference, but from the shot of Drew walking towards Glen at the wide angle, there didn't seem to be one.

I remember Glen Jacobs doing the head tilt a long time ago, though not to the same extent and never side to side. He did look very stiff though, especially when delivering the chokeslam (he looked like he stumbled a bit on it as well).

The issue with putting Taker under the mask, though, is that he's thinner than Drew is, and shorter than Drew is. Sure, he could get the movements down better, but if he doesn't look right, it achieves nothing. I'm sure Drew can sort it out with a bit of practise. But they really need to do something with that hair, whether it's Drew's real hair or part of the mask.

They've been able to pass him off as Kane before. He's a legit 6'10" while Glen Jacobs is supposedly around 6'7", 6'8" with his boots boosting him up around 7'.



Couldn't be any worse. In any case, it could well be a one-time thing leading up to another Taker/Kane feud.

[koberulz]

Well, there's an interesting discussion going on on another forum, headed by this news:

Dave Meltzer reports that Rey Mysterio is expected to hold on to the World title until the 7/23 Great American Bash PPV. Pro Wrestling Insider is reporting that Mark Henry is likely to be the next Smackdown champion, setting up a Henry-Batista program.

Well, it looks like you were right Yessie. However, this is still a crappy decision by WWE. On a side note, Benoit-Malenko at ONS 2 has been cancelled.

Then a Mark Henry mark decided it was good news:

Henry is far more entertaining then rey ...

Who wants to see some midgit mexican get his ass whooped every week ?? ...

The champion is not only meant to defeat a person and just become champ ...

A champion needs to hold that title and he needs to be proud ... rey isnt proud ... he gets his ass kicked everyweek and his best friend gets ridiculed because of him ...

Henry wont get his ass kicked everyweek and i can gaurentee you that ...

He would more likely be kicking ass ...

Well, that guy has shit-for-brains. Almost like WWE themselves. However, as one guy pointed out:

For some weird reason, I'm not that bothered by Henry becoming champion.

He has one of the strongest records on Smackdown, and to be fair, he would make a more convincing champion than Mysterio. I can't stand the way every non-title match Mysterio's in, he gets slaughtered, but as soon as the title's on the line he turns into Superman.

He makes a good point, and WWE really need to stop squashing Mysterio every damn week. It completely wrecks the value of the belt.

Also, the Paul Birchill pirate gimmick has been dropped.

EDIT:

--Dave Scherer reports that Vince McMahon didn't like the way the Kane vs. Kane angle came off on Monday night, so much that there is talk of dropping the angle all together with no explanation.

--Randy Orton is expected to make his return from suspension at the June 13 Smackdown tapings in Trenton, NJ. During his time away, Orton has sought professional help in regards to his personal problems and handling adversity in the locker room.

--JBL's dimished physique is due in part to a serious back problem which makes him unable to train. He is expected to be out of action throughout the entire summer due to chronic knee and back problems.

Dropping Kane vs Kane already? I personally don't see what's wrong with that angle, apart from the physical appearance of the masked Kane. That was one of the best parts of RAW on Wednesday, and is about the only decent angle they've got at all. Vince makes another bad decision.

Also, it is rumored that those backstage thought the Mysterio-Khali squash was a bad idea, but could not convince McMahon. He realised after the match that they were right, and they are now entering damage control.

[Andrew]

Mark Henry, Heavyweight Champion...yeah, can't say I'm a fan of the idea either. I agree that they've handled Mysterio's title reign poorly with him looking too weak and then too strong but let's face it, Mark Henry is incredibly strong but a poor worker and still struggles a bit on the mike. Perhaps he'd make a more convincing champion because of he's more physically imposing but he's hardly a deserving one.

[koberulz]

Yeah, without a doubt he'd be more convincing. Especially since it's the "Heavyweight" belt, and he actually fits the given weight category, but I don't think I'll be watching any of the main events between now and about SummerSlam, given that's when Henry-Batista will likely end. All Mark's done in recent weeks is squash people. OK, two had to be squashed to get them off TV (Benoit and Burchill are both looking at surgery), but Rey didn't. And the most irritating part about Mark Henry is his freaking splash onto a table. You can clearly see that he jumps, stays upright, lands on his feet, and then falls on top of the guy.

[Yessie]

Quote:
Dave Meltzer reports that Rey Mysterio is expected to hold on to the World title until the 7/23 Great American Bash PPV. Pro Wrestling Insider is reporting that Mark Henry is likely to be the next Smackdown champion, setting up a Henry-Batista program.


Well, it looks like you were right Yessie. However, this is still a crappy decision by WWE. On a side note, Benoit-Malenko at ONS 2 has been cancelled.

Then a Mark Henry mark decided it was good news:

Well im not a big fan of mark henry i would like to see batista take the title from rey but only reason Henry is getting the belt is because he took out batista as champ and the whole title picture has been screwed up on smackdown getting batista back will be great as we will have the true champion back.

[Null17]

Booking-wise, Henry can be seen as a credible champ but why not Orton? or King Booker since the King of the Ring used to be something that elevates people to the main event spot?

With regards to Burchill, I still don't want to believe that their dropping the gimmick after he made such a crappy gimmick work and get himself over

[shadowgrin]

Browsing around WWE.com and stumbled upon The Great Khali's profile..

The Great Khali’s intimidating frame has caught the attention of everyone. Hailing from India, The Great Khali stands at an impressive 7 foot 3 and weighs 420 pounds. The Great Khali has walked the jungles of India unafraid of pythons and wrestled White Bengal tigers. Daivari claims that The Great Khali has “stared into the abyss and the earth trembled at his gaze.”

Now that is good writing.

[koberulz]

With regards to Burchill, I still don't want to believe that their dropping the gimmick after he made such a crappy gimmick work and get himself over

Well, I've seen it in several places, so it's true. Also, the ECW WWE head-to-head show will be on this Thursday, 3.30 AEST on FOX8 for Australian viewers.

Found this also:

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Kane, 39, has expressed to WWE management that he plans on retiring soon, perhaps as early as January 2007. Kane told management that he has accomplished all he can in his career. Should Kane retire, it won't affect his See No Evil film deal as he signed a contract for a sequel to the movie.

One source within WWE said, "Kane is the most respected guy in the Raw locker room. He carries himself very professionally and it would be ashame to end his career without a decent title run." Kane has stated several times that his 24 hour title reign in 1998 does not bother him, however, many within WWE (including Vince McMahon) feels as though that Kane has been bothered that he has not gotten another title reign in his career. Even though he's technically on RAW, there was some thought to giving him a title win at Judgment Day or No Way Out, but those plans were nixed. Another source said that when Kane was asked about a possible future title reign he said, "It's time for the younger guys to shine."

Before his departure, Kane would like to be involved with Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton and John Cena. He would also like to reunite with The Undertaker as a tag team. Additionally, The Undertaker has expressed to management that Kane could possibly be the one to end his undefeated Wrestlemania streak. However, Kane turned down the idea, seeing as it would take credibility away from Taker's legacy.

nice to see his ego isn't getting in the way of letting the company develop (as much as it can with Vince in charge), unlike almost every other wrestler these days.

[J@3]

Sounds like a great guy. Kane is probably my all time favourite wrestler... or was until he lost the mask, that killed it a bit for me. They should let him run the company

[Andrew]

I have to agree about Burchill, he did what he could with an outdated gimmick and carried it well. Hopefully that was his "bad gimmick you have to weather before you become a serious character" and he'll be put to good use.

Very cool read about Kane, it says a lot about Glen Jacob's character and demeanour (not to mention the respect he receives) when the Undertaker, who is very protective of his WM streak, nominates him as a person to break it, not to mention the fact he declined an opportunity to further his on-screen character out of respect. In an industry that has seen more and more people outed as playing politics and being assholes behind the scenes, it's good to know there are people who can keep their ego in check.

The bit about wanting to work with Taker again...perhaps this latest stuff isn't leading to a feud with Taker but rather setting the stage for a reunion, with these mind games designed to bring Kane back to the "dark side"? I wouldn't mind seeing them have another run as a tag team, though I'm not sure it would work as well as their Brothers of Destruction run while Taker was the American Badass. My favourite moment from that era is probably during William Regal's run as commissioner.

Taker demanded a match (possibly a tag title shot, I can't remember now) while Kane held Stephanie McMahon over a railing a couple of stories above Taker and Regal. Regal said he couldn't make the match and pleaded Kane to put Stephanie down. Taker called up "Hey Kane, send her down!" causing Stephanie to lose it and Regal to go bananas. I probably haven't done it much justice but it was an entertaining skit. And then they had to go and do the Katie Vick angle with Kane.

Well, I've seen it in several places, so it's true. Also, the ECW WWE head-to-head show will be on this Thursday, 3.30 AEST on FOX8 for Australian viewers.

Cool, I was wondering about that. Thanks for the info.

[koberulz]

no problem. the skit in question was taker requesting a match with triple h for wrestlemania, i believe 17.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIt_eQDiMOw

[Yessie]

no problem. the skit in question was taker requesting a match with triple h for wrestlemania, i believe 17.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIt_eQDiMOw

LOL that was hilarious. Taker and Kane back for one last run wouldnt be too bad maybe they can take out the spirit squad but wait isnt DX gonna do that... it would be nice to see them hold the belts one last time.

[shadowgrin]

Before his departure, Kane would like to be involved with Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton and John Cena. He would also like to reunite with The Undertaker as a tag team

Kane and 'Taker could go against a tag-team of Lashley and Orton. Orton already had a history with 'Taker so Kane would be paired against Lashley.
Kane against Cena, kind of hard to imagine unless Kane becomes a member of DX or Spirit Squad.
Kane on the side of Cena would be plausible. WWE could make Cena appear as whipping boy to DX (or even the Spirit Squad), and Kane would be Cena's bodyguard/insurance against them.

"It's time for the younger guys to shine."

The Undertaker has expressed to management that Kane could possibly be the one to end his undefeated Wrestlemania streak. However, Kane turned down the idea, seeing as it would take credibility away from Taker's legacy.

Wow, Jacob's rep and the respect he gets is absolutely well-deserved.
I would really like him to work with Orton, maybe he can teach Orton a thing or two about professionalism and not let Orton's talent go to waste.

[Null17]

Oh yeah. I read the Kane article a few days back. Sounds like a standup guy like what's been said about him in the past. I really wish they'd give him one more title run. Even for just 3 months or something