Unpopular Wrestling Opinions XIII

[maskedmaniac]

Classic ECW had as good a roster in it's prime in the mid to late 90's as any major promotion in US history. I'm not even talking talent wise but just names and personalities; RVD, Tazz, Dreamer, Sabu, Malenko, Sandman, Rey Misterio, Eddie, Benoit, Shane Douglas, Raven, Terry Funk...and all in their prime, not washed up has-beens...it's quite impressive if you think about it for such a small regional promotion.

[Bushy.]

I like Seth Rollins new theme more than his 2015- one 

[The Nerd]

Absolutely agree. It’s fire.

[Bushy.]

As great as Judas is as a theme and entrance, nothing beats Break The Walls Down. Literally every time I listen to it I get goose bumps. 
 

I think having a good couple years break from it also helped for nostalgia reasons. 

[Guest Fight Me.]

I think they killed Judas for me with all the singing every week. Especially with the roster being apparently instructed to sing along and Jericho apparently getting upset when they cut his entrance off early once cause they didn't keep singing til a certain part lol

[PaperThinWalls]

Same. I’ve grown to really despise the song now. The crowd of wrestlers obnoxiously singing made it so much worse. The red-head female wrestler with the awful facepaint in particular has total go-away heat from me. I’d take Break the Walls Down over Judas any day.

[Counting Lights]

Hm... I really still like Judas tbh, but I am over the singing along bit, especially if they're instructed to do so. Shit was fine with a live crowd, but that's different. That said, I always think back to his first time using it at Wrestle Kingdom, and how badass it felt. It definitely fits modern Jericho more than Break the Walls, but the latter will forever be an iconic theme, especially with the countdown.

[The Nerd]

The Miz is top 3 or even number 1 IC Champion of all time. He really did his damn best to make that title in the current era mean something. It’s amazing. 

[JLJM]

22 hours ago, The Nerd said:

The Miz is top 3 or even number 1 IC Champion of all time. He really did his damn best to make that title in the current era mean something. It’s amazing. 

Not that I'm disagreeing, Miz is definitely one of the few IC champs that immediately jump to mind, but I'd throw Seth Rollins in to that discussion. I think he did a great job to elevate the title when Brock Lesnar held the Universal (?) championship hostage.

[Counting Lights]

Miz is up there. I think I'd still give it to Jericho, but Miz is a definite top 5.

[Counting Lights]

I like Rhea Ripley, but her moveset is basic as hell. I wanna see her incorporate some more cool power moves. Something vicious to match her look. I like that Electric Chair into the apron, more stuff like that.

[The Nerd]

Matt Hardy & Chris Jericho can be butthurt all day. Randy is indeed better than Kenny Omega. Better finisher, better on the mic, better at selling, better at match pacing, better story teller.  Just overall better. That’s not to say Kenny isn’t an amazing wrestler. Randy is just simply better imo. A broken star system won’t change that. JR spoke facts. Randy is STILL in a league of his own. He’s an ACTUAL main event star. Not some wrestler playing a main event role. Randy has this thing where he comes off stale when in reality from time to time it’s not being stale it’s a creative thing. He smashes everything he touches. 

[Senex Beast]

DX in 2006 and after were even more childish, not as cool and different than before but the runs weren't all that bad. I enjoyed some of the matches, moments, segments and it was nice to see Shawn Michaels and Triple H win the tag titles!

 

Every D-Generation X run was better than most nWo  runs. nWo was only really good for it's first couple of months.

Edited May 28, 2021 by Luchador LXXXV

[BestInTheWorld614]

I would say nWo was great until about Souled Out 97. Some great moments after that but as a whole the group lost their charm.

[Generations]

I don't think nWo was ever that great. The inital shock of Hogan becoming a villain was cool. Everything else was just kinda middle of the road. And it took no time at all for them to completely overdo the size of the stable and ruin it. I liked how Vince brought nWo into the WWE as well. Again...it took no time at all before they ruined that too...but, the debut was a lot of fun. I mean...nWo will always be the top wrestling stable of all time, just because the viewership during that time was insane. You had the merch everywhere, just because so many people watched. You'll never have that again. It doesn't mean that a group like Bullet Club, Los Ingobernables, etc. isn't as influential or important. But, you'll never see that level of audience participation again. Which really skews how "great" nWo was in relation to everything else. It's just like the Beatles/Elvis/Michael Jackson situation. I'm really not of the mindset that those are truly the greatest acts that ever existed. But, they existed during a time when there was far less choice and everyone generally focused in on the same thing. If you had those acts today, I think they would be just as lost in the shuffle as anything else. Same goes for nWo. 

Edited May 28, 2021 by Generations

[Senex Beast]

nWo with the original three returning at No Way Out 2002 was cool as well as Hollywood Hogan's promos leading to Hogan vs Rock at WM including Hall and Nash putting Rock in an ambulance and Hogan ramming into it with a semi truck. I liked Hogan vs Rock but everything else was meh and then it went to shit, although Shawn Michaels returning as a heel and joining the nWo was awesome.

 

The Kliq reuniting as the nWo and trying to get Triple H  to join was cool but they just had to get Big Show in there for old times and then add Booker T just to randomly kick him out by Shawn Michaels. The stable, matches and segments were all a mess again and they just looked like fools than cool or powerful.

 

All original 3 nWo members in the WM X8 game on GameCube was awesome though 

[The Nerd]

Slight ramble slash unpopular opinion here? When did we start getting so ANGRY about booking as if it’s never been this bad or whacky. Sometimes we do actually get Raw payoffs.  Gotta trust the process. What did we fans do without Internet and lack of kayfabe? Did we argue about this shit at the lunch table or recess? When did we put so much stock in who gets pushed or when they get pushed? Why? It’s so annoying. When you PRETEND WRESTLING IS KAYFABE I promise you’ll enjoy the product more. And yes, that goes for “zombies” also. It’s just wrestling. It’s a scripted sport. Why do we put so much stock in what happens? Unless it’s severely malicious why do we get so angry about something that’s clearly scripted. That’s also not to say we can’t disband our belief for a moment or several to root for who we want to root for or hey, I’d love this guy or gal to be this champion or these two people to be tag champions. So I’m rambling but this is something I’m very passionate about. Raw for instance has genuinely been bad imo. I say that as somewhat whose made overly stupid excuse for WWE’s Raw show. So I’m not perfect which means I’m not condemning anyone. I genuinely want to know how people got to the point of wishing death on Vince and wanting AEW to end them so much or any other scenario. Ramble over. I guess my unpopular opinion is that Raw while bad, is honestly not that much worse than it’s been from the attitude era far as stupid ass angles, silly writing yet they had an Austin, Taker, Rock, Mick, Angle and you get the point, ain’t much different. Raw has always been the lesser show the MAJORITY of its time while Smackdown has existed. Now not as bad as it is now but still Raw has always been goofy with some great matches in between.
It’s not that Vince doesn’t know what’s he’s doing it’s the fact Raw has always been built with shenanigans mixed with standout matches, and moments and title changes. To the core it’s nonsense and stupidity. Even it’s debut and early era. Silly shit like Max Moon, 1-2-3 Kid vs Razor, Heenan in drag, etc. To get so hot and bothered when Raw has always been this way with slightly better writing and mega stars with charisma etc. idk. Sorry guys.

[Bushy.]

I know they were revolutionary at the time, but these WCW Cruiserweight matches honestly aren’t even all that impressive. As athletic as peak Rey was, he kinda just did moves. He was a lot better in his WWE career even though he wasn’t at his physical peak. 
 

I’m still early on in my watch through, but I see better stuff weekly in 2021 and have for years. 
 

Also, I’m not talking about the technicality of today’s wrestlers being more athletic. Compared to the past, athletes in every sport are better today than they were in the past. I’m just talking about match quality wise. 

[Bushy.]

I’d be okay if we didn’t see another ladder match or kendo stick for AT LEAST a year. 
 

Hell in a cell matches I’m just done with. I’d be fine with not seeing that for a few years. 

[PaperThinWalls]

I’m with you. Most of them are so cookie-cutter. They mean nothing.

[EJ!]

they gotta retire HIAC for a few years. they basically had a Hell in a Cell weekend. enough.

 

as someone who prefers traditional wrestling gear, i gotta say denim Ricochet is tough. i hope he sticks with it. it almost kinda goes with the whole gun theme he has with his character. 

[Counting Lights]

HiaC has lost absolutely all of its prestige tbh, it needs to just disappear until we have a bloody, brutal feud worthy of it

[The Nerd]

While Raw is trash, which if you take the nostalgia glasses off you would know even the Attitude Era Raw was trash. Yes we had Rock, Taker, Austin, Hunter even Shawn, Foley and DX and MANY MORE. Wrestling isn’t as cool or fun as it used to be. That goes for WWE, AEW, and more. Wrestling in general will never be as popular as it was. It only makes serious money still because of sponsorship and in WWE’s case legacy and longevity. I’m not going to sit here and pretend or act like I ALWAYS agree with Vince. Trust me, I don’t. About 3 of us in this group talk regularly about Vince. I get it. I just hate this narrative that Vince just suddenly started booking Raw this way. It may have been slightly more tolerable at different eras do the different and honestly, mega stars we had. When you no longer have that combined with kayfabe being practically dead in the water and the Internet, wrestling is never going to feel the same. With all of that ramble being said, Vince still knows his company better than we or anyone does. He’s older now and still controls everything even practically, eventually on a death bed. Why? Because when he inherited his father’s company he knew what needed to be done. Did his father promise not to compete or steal or ruin his competition? It’s been said many times, so sure. However Vince saw the future. This is the same man that gave you MANY AMAZING moments. Vince has NEVER had to give us something we wanted or all felt we wanted or needed or whatever have you. If Vince doesn’t push someone we want pushed on the surface it might seem like we want it but we don’t always necessarily want it. Now Vince has done in my opinion some STUPID ASS SHIT. Some shit that didn’t even make it to tv because it was so asinine. Like the incest storyline with Stephanie, *censored*ing stupid. Then I always hear Vince can’t make stats anymore. Lol He made Drew. Yes Drew was killing shit on the indies and was World Champion on Impact but now he’s a literal STAR. A star that is already HOF material. Why? Because this time Vince knew and FELT Drew was really ready. Now Drew next to Roman are honestly the MAIN ones who kept this ship a float during this pandemic with other stand out people of course. All in all, my unpopular opinion is that Vince knows what he’s doing even if we don’t agree or get why. To him Raw has always been whacky and stupid. Max Moon? 1-2-3 Kid beating Razor( cool but silly moment), Mae Young giving birth to a hand, “Paul Bearer”(), the entire Undertaker character is the goofiest damn thing I’ve ever seen in wrestling. Yet, it was so protected and sacred for so long, it worked. Even now with the Goldberg match and more it worked. I just don’t like this narrative that Raw is all of the sudden bat shit crazy and stupid. A lot of great moments but in hindsight a lot of goofiness. 

[Senex Beast]

I want Vince McMahon to retire and completely leave the company to Shane, Stephanie and Trips and for them to reboot WWE the way WCW did in 2000 (hopefully just way better) where they vacated the championships, ended all storylines to make new ones, trimmed the roster, ended WCW Saturday Night (in this case, end 205), have a creative team shake up and rebranded the company with an all new logo and stage set ups.

Stephanie and Trips can have NXT and Raw while Shane oversees Smackdown and is completely in charge of that brand. 

Yeah I know this sounds better for something in a story creator or universe mode in a wwe 2k game but still. I really do feel wwe needs a massive shake up!

[Austin3035]

Do we even know if Shane is still with the company