But it has gone so far beyond just Vince. It isn't even strictly a WWE thing anymore. Watch Ring of Honor. Watch iMPACT. MLW... it's everywhere. Everyone does it. I get they're supposed to be conveying excitement, but it has gotten beyond cancerous.

This is pandemic.

I don't understand Japanese to confirm, but I'm almost willing to bet NJPW does it too. It's bothersome, but nobody doing it understands how bothersome it is because it's just a thing that's done.

Lol It was usually much worse. He’d often spend the two count confirming the victory, praising the loser’s valiant effort and drawing up the contract for the new champion’s first title defence before a quiet “...no.”

Damn now I'm craving new gen wwf just to hear Vince call near falls

Is it bad that I'm such a huge nerd my first thought was Krillin's victory over Bacterian?

Don't forget WHATAMANEUVERRRRRR!!

I was actually kinda stalling for time. Before my previous page post, I had a cliche nobody mentioned yet, but I forgot what I was going to say:

The corner ten. Usually ramming the head into the turnbuckle.

However, I also remember a period where Ric Flair would keep hitting his own head to about 15-20 after his opponent stopped doing anything, then stagger to center ring and Flair Flop. To a huge goddamn pop. Ric was like one of the only people in the history of ever who could possibly get away with that without getting any shit about it. Maybe Shawn Michaels could have. Maybe. But even he got called out for overselling occasionally.

Perfect would oversell a lot so he might've been able to pull it off. I dunno about getting up to the count of 15-20 but a few extra I think.

I didn't bash him for calling it a prop. I bashed him for not understanding why so many people were upset with the title change.

The worst thing about that is he says that in an attempt to not calling move what it is it's ridiculous and his logic is calling a move by its name takes away from the story what a f****** idiot

WWE treats its belts like props in the derogatory sense. That's not really debatable. Talking about how Charlotte getting the SD Women's Title is just a thing that is going to happen and not to think about it too much? That's just "lolWWE" stuff.'

That being said, the whole "prop" thing is a frustrating thing to me, just because "prop" doesn't necessarily need to be a bad word. The belts are props on their best days, but they can be props that mean something and are useful to telling the story. They can be more than a MacGuffin or set dressing. But that's just a semantics issue.

That’s what I was saying. It IS a prop, but when you treat it too blatantly as such, the story you’re trying to tell is going to suck hairy bastion booger balls.

No one mention the "heel puts face in abdominal stretch and gets help from the ropes/manager until they get caught by the ref" spot?

The “prop” thing for belts is basically like the “fake” thing for wrestling in general. It’s true in the very literal sense of the word. But when someone is making it a point to say it, they’re always implying more than the literal definition. Also, they’re always a douche.

Losing a match and fans saying buried.

Wrestling is fake and the only people who get upset about it are very insecure, especially the wrestlers themselves.

Corporate hand picks their top guy even if the fans clearly disagree with the choice.

You aren't 100% wrong, but it's similar to actors being protective of their character. Idris Elba wasn't thrilled with Stringer Bell getting killed and punked on the Wire. I think the plan was for him to get pissed on, but he nixed it due to his love of the character and, I'd assume ego.

If you get paid to pretend then don't get upset when people say you are pretending. Just get better at it.
Actors and wrestlers "protecting their character" by getting angry when called on it are perfect examples of insecure humans, people too insecure to perceive the truth as anything other than a slight.

The butcher, the baker and the candlestick faker.

Most people are insecure about the aspects of their work that are questionable or embarrassing in some way. It's just really obvious which part of wrestling is questionable and it's not like people heckle actors during a performance or magicians and if they do it's far far less likely than with a wrestler.

It's not even a bad thing really, it comes with the territory and is part of the unspoken agreement between audience and entertainer. Saying it's fake doesn't win you anything, reacting to the suggestion doesn't convince anybody you are any less fake.

People saying it's fake have every right to, just as the people performing have every right to. Pointing it out makes literally no difference to anything and certainly doesn't make someone a douche any more so than someone who gets paid to attempt to deceive you is a douche.

Wrestlers havent got uspet for people claling it fake on 20 years

Don't type with your mouth full

My jand are way bigger than my phone

WWF Fan was only half wrong really.

Douche? Yes, absolutely.
Implying more than the literal definition? Not on your Nelly!

Except it's business. The strength of a wrestler's character affects their ability to draw, and in turn, how much money they make.

And he was right because Stringer was the best character on The Wire. Fight me.

He was a favourite but I don't know if I have 1 best character from that show.

Lol come on. When someone makes it a point to point out to someone “you know it’s fake”, they’re definitely implying more. That’s WHY the person pointing it out is always a douche.

I’m not even arguing that people should be mad about it. That’s a whole different discussion. I’m just saying no one in 2019 is saying “It’s fake” for the sole purpose of revealing the big secret. There’s always an ulterior motive.

The Ulterior Warrior

Exactly. I wish more people in wrestling got this today. It's not really en vogue to be into protecting your star. It can get to the point of detriment, which is why you need bookers and promoters who can keep egos like, say, a Hogan in check, but generally it's hard to emotionally invest in performers that aren't going to put sincere work into a character.

Yeah, you're making perfect sense.

Should said nerfect sense.
No commitment to the gimmick. You hate to see it happen.

I haven't seen that in ages, and would actually pop for it.

Bonus points if they dig the knuckle into the ribs.

2x bonus points if it is a tag team match, and instead of the ropes, the heel gets an assist from his partner.

Yeah ladder matches always look hokey as fuck because of this, it's ok if you see it the odd time but you see it practically every time someone climbs the ladder from about the mid stage of the match onwards. Suppose it's no different from most "gimmick" matches as they get very formularic for the most part.

The original Summerslam TLC ended with a fairly rapid climb up the ladder by Edge and Christian. That stays with me because of the abundance of ladder-top punch exchanges and trouser leg grabbing.

I always thought mankind had the safest piledriver but maybe not (seen here at 8:10)

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that was super safe

Watching OSW review of WrestleMania reminded me of another terrible one.

Someone “winning” a battle royal only for a forgotten participant to re-enter the ring.

It’s another thing that was cool on the rare occasion where it made sense but then WWE decided to needlessly use it CONSTANTLY and kill any fun it may have provided.

It happened in both the men’s and women’s battle royals at WrestleMania this year AND it’s been the finish of both women’s WrestleMania battle royals now.

Even AEW did a version of that

I got one, it's that every wrestler in WWE would be a giant star outside of WWE.

Wait, I do remember that. I had blocked that battle royal from my mind. Seriously, that needs to stop.