Randy Barber 4-Life
Hank Scorpio
I have received an email from RAW's anonymous General Manager. And I quote: "No play for Mr. Gray!"
Posts: 5,001
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Post by Randy Barber 4-Life on Dec 28, 2009 23:24:05 GMT -5
Jericho puts HBK in the Walls of Jericho and Bret screams "Ring the bell!" and screws DX out of the titles.
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Post by HMARK Center on Dec 28, 2009 23:48:29 GMT -5
As one of the more adamant fans of Bret Hart on this board, here's my own personal concern:
I'm not afraid of something like Hornswoggle ruining Bret's return or whatever...not even WWE's writers are that awful, and Bret would veto it, regardless.
What I'm more worried about is the simple reality that there's a very strong possibility we'll get some long term angle that runs up to Wrestlemania involving Bret against Vince.
Simply put? I have zero interest in seeing that.
Bret said it best years ago; a big reason he was hesitant to return to WWE was that he was afraid they'd treat Montreal as just another storyline, not the very real affair it actually was. However, any angle that pits Hart against McMahon will instantaneously do just that, unless the two men just stand there and shoot at one another for a half hour and air EVERYTHING out for real, which, of course, isn't going to happen.
Frankly, I'm afraid we're going to get some sort of buildup to a Bret/Vince street fight at Wrestlemania (though Bret's stroke likely means he can't work, and I hope he doesn't, for his health's sake), or something like that, even if it doesn't involve Bret wrestling.
Honestly, if Bret's going to return to WWE, I don't want them to bring up, rehash, and regurgitate Montreal.
A moment with HBK giving a heartfelt apology, with the two shaking hands in the ring in summit-like fashion? Fine.
Bret acknowledging it in his return promo, and having a chance to put it to rest? Great.
But, for the love of God, no "Bret gets revenge on Vince" storylines, PLEASE.
In real life, the best revenge Bret could get on Vince was not letting him make money off of him...if he does an angle involving getting revenge on Vince, then, well, it's a rather empty gesture, isn't it? As a fan of Bret, I get no personal satisfaction from it, which is why I'd be watching to begin with, right?
If I were selfishly in control of the situation, I'd want Bret to return, get his huge pop and return/"thank you, fans" promo, and then have him mentor the younger Harts in the company, act as a leader for them on screen, give them a rub in the process, and then have a nice Wrestlemania moment so he can have a graceful send off and farewell.
In other words, if Bret's going to be around WWE for awhile, I hope it's handled with tact, subtlety, and grace.
Which is exactly why I have NO faith in it going down like that.
However, even if it does go well, I won't be watching, anyway, outside of watching Bret's actual return itself for 5-10 minutes. I really don't have any interest in the WWE whatsoever beyond a match or two every couple of months. But, as a Hart fan, I'll feel better, personally, if I hear his return isn't being used as "excuse to dredge up Montreal #6,244".
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Post by corndog on Dec 29, 2009 0:03:11 GMT -5
It's no secret (to those who read my posts anyway) that I think Raw is at its all-time worst right now. Especially after the last few months, it feels like such a hit-or-miss crapfest the majority of the time. That said... bringing back Bret Hart into today's Raw environment doesn't feel like it's going to work. 3 or 4 years ago, it would have been a mark-out moment of epic proportions. On today's Raw? I just don't see it. It's like they're saying they know the product is horrible, so we're going to get so desperate as to bring on the one guy everyone has been clamoring for for 12 years now. Bret Hart returning should be a remarkable, monumental day in the history of pro wrestling. What it's going to be (in my estimation) is just par for the course in the history of sports entertainment. I want Bret to walk in, kick Shawn in the face, and go on a 20 minute live shoot on Vince and everything he's done to the WWE, the way they handled Owen's death (and the Eddiesploitation that followed), the way they've turned the company into a mockery of everything it once stood for. What we're probably going to get is Bret and Shawn shaking hands, Hornswoggle dancing around them, and Santino showing up with a megaphone and a colorful jacket thinking Jimmy Hart was coming back. I hope I'm wrong... but assuming Bret is indeed the host next week, I forsee what should be the Greatest Night in the History of our Sport™ being just another day at the office. I am pretty sure most of that would make Bret a heel, which I doubt they would do, since I am sure as it will probably be a farewell tour for Bret with the WWE, I am betting he will be a face, and more than likely has creative control to a good extent(atleast I hope he does, if he has been watching lately I am sure he had that put in the contract.) So hopefully this means Hornswoggle is kept very far away from Bret, but if he does come around I would love to see Bret beat the crap out of the little guy.
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Post by DrizzlinShytes on Dec 29, 2009 0:12:17 GMT -5
Of course they are going to deal with Montreal. Other than Montreal what does Bret have to offer at this point a decade+ from his days in the company? It is the only reason anyone is excited to see him in the ring at this point in his condition.
Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon is one of the few dream confrontations left in the business. Not for workrate or anything like that, but for the history involved in the moment and Vince will bump like mad and take some crazy chair shot for Mania that will leave him blading like crazy.
Of course this leaves all Bret Hart apologists a bit flummoxed. Bret was supposed to be the guy who never came back and worked for Vince as a testament to Vince's evil real life personality and the magnitude of Montreal. Too bad. Bret has made a deal with the devil here and if they want him to do skits with Santino and Hornswoggle, then well...he knew what he was getting into. But don't criticize Vince, the writers, the screwjob, HHH's politics, etc anymore. Bret has no moral high ground now.
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Post by Clarence "Showstealer" Mason on Dec 29, 2009 0:27:26 GMT -5
Not that I think the screwjob was a work, but it'd be worth seeing if it actually was, and him and Vince had a "We got you!" moment. I think the internet would implode. I want to see this more than anything else. Just to see the IWC's reaction.
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Post by HMARK Center on Dec 29, 2009 1:16:58 GMT -5
Of course they are going to deal with Montreal. Other than Montreal what does Bret have to offer at this point a decade+ from his days in the company? It is the only reason anyone is excited to see him in the ring at this point in his condition. Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon is one of the few dream confrontations left in the business. Not for workrate or anything like that, but for the history involved in the moment and Vince will bump like mad and take some crazy chair shot for Mania that will leave him blading like crazy. As a huge Bret fan, I just don't see any "dream" appeal in that. Vince has taken chair shots and bladed plenty of times over the past few years. To a fan of Bret (and you don't have to be an "apologist" or whatever the hell you're talking about), I could see being happy with just seeing Bret get a nice farewell tour, a chance to say goodbye to the worldwide audience that he never got before now. But watching a "Montreal revenge" angle just offers nothing.
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Lancers
El Dandy
Oh you
Posts: 7,951
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Post by Lancers on Dec 29, 2009 1:31:38 GMT -5
If I may be serious for a moment....
It's been 12 years.
A lot has happened in 12 years. Y2K. September 11th. America electing its first African-American President. The rise and fall of Wrestling Society X. You know, historical moments we will all look back on many, many, many years from now.
Yet, it seems like it was only yesterday Earl Hebner jumped around on his fat, little legs and made the claim that he saw Bret Hart tap. It feels like yesterday because everytime I visit these forums and there's usually three or four threads dedicated to it. Even beaten dead horses think this stuff has gotten ridiculous.
I, for one, am pleased that we can finally close this damn chapter once and for all. Let's just get this crap over with. I'm done with all the teases. If I wanted that kind of treatment, I'd go to a strip club with a fistful of singles and one of those belts with that LED ticker and I can type in my name so it could scroll across.
Of course the expectations have soared to unprecedented heights. The moment Bret and Shawn are staring at each other for the first time. The moment Bret opens up his mouth to speak. The moment Bret shills his family's upcoming DVD as the Bella Twins stand here with their customary blank expression and inability to form an actual thought.
How does this story turn out? The question of the hour. Does Bret forgive Shawn and Vince? Does his not? Does he forgive Shawn, but not Vince? Does he forgive Vince, but not Shawn? Does he follow IWC protocol and blame Triple H instead?
And what comes out of this when it's all said and done? Does it erase away 12 years and 72,000 threads of debate over who's at fault? Or does it creates 12 more years and 72,000 more threads worth of discussion?
I'm not scared at all for Bret's return. I'm more scared of the reaction around here over how this thing plays out. Although, maybe scared isn't the right choice of word. Entertained is probably a better word. Yeah, entertained. It's gonna be glorious.
NOTE: I apologize for misleading readers of this entry. I said I was going to be serious, but I couldn't hold it together for a lousy paragraph. This is precisely why I stopped my Mental Breakdown articles
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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Dec 29, 2009 1:41:50 GMT -5
I would enjoy that part of the equation thorougly.
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Post by kickassJP on Dec 29, 2009 1:45:31 GMT -5
I honestly am not pumped up or anything for the return of Bret Hart. I don't see what he has left to offer, unless it's some kind of closure or something. But really, this move isn't enough for me to feel like it's groundbreaking or anything and it's damn sure not enough for me to miss TNA next week.
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@TenaciousBe
Hank Scorpio
Guess who's back... back again
Posts: 5,659
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Post by @TenaciousBe on Dec 29, 2009 1:47:48 GMT -5
If the segment with Vince and HBK tonight was any indication, my "fears" are a little bit alleviated. That segment alone reassured me that they can still pull off a decent segment that's actually based on wrestling, and something real, and not some campy angle.
But as that segment was going on, I told my best friend, "Why can't Raw ALWAYS be this awesome? Watch, we'll get this, and they'll follow it up with Hornswoggle tadpole-splashing Chavo for the 7 billionth time." And I was almost right, a couple segments later, when Chavo was Show's new partner and Horny got involved and whatnot.
Sigh.
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barley96
Dennis Stamp
This is the biggest Mickie James mark
Posts: 4,170
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Post by barley96 on Dec 29, 2009 2:02:10 GMT -5
Do not get me wrong. I am a huge Bret Hart fan. However, I do not see him being the guest host booked any better than any other former wrestler such as Roddy Piper or Sgt Slaughter. His performance will make up for some of the suck that will be booked, but great performances can only do so much with these RAW bookers.
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Post by sonicreducer on Dec 29, 2009 2:34:54 GMT -5
My wild guess is Shawn, after saying only good things would happen after Bret came back, will somehow get Bret to finalize Taker/Shawn at Mania (possibly with Bret as ref) but really there's about a dozen different ways it can go from here since so many people are intertwined at this point (Bret, Shawn, Taker, Vince, HHH, Hart Dynasty). I'm enjoying sitting back and not trying to figure it out; this is that rare angle that comes along once every few years that has got people genuinely intrigued and excited/worried, and that's what WWE needs right now.
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Post by MichaelMartini on Dec 29, 2009 2:54:10 GMT -5
I'd love it if Bret no shows on the 4th and everyone switches to TNA.
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Thrillho
Dennis Stamp
0 Days since last "incident"james.anderson1989jamesandersonmusicJimBillAnderson
Posts: 3,740
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Post by Thrillho on Dec 29, 2009 2:55:30 GMT -5
I think Vince is secretly hoping for a Bret shoot, and the fact that they're not being all "I love Bret, Bret loves me" about next week is helping them convince fans that this is going to be something huge. If Bret flies off the handle next week I reckon Vince will let him say/do what he wants, tell him to f*** off, and sit back and wait for the ratings to be announced with a huge grin on his face. In Vince's eyes, Bret hosting Raw will bring in the early-mid 90s fans that have abandoned the product, the prospect of everything going to hell will bring in the Attitude era fans that have done the same.
If something goes wrong, chances are those returning fans will be intrigued and watch next week. If it's all smiles and sunshine, he gets Bret freakin' Hart on his main roster. Win/Win.
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Post by Kroot bringing Justice on Dec 29, 2009 3:51:50 GMT -5
RAW next week could be aces, but I still wouldn't give a crap. RAW has screwed up far to often for me to give a damn about anything on that show.
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Post by Clarence "Showstealer" Mason on Dec 29, 2009 4:16:42 GMT -5
If I may be serious for a moment.... It's been 12 years. A lot has happened in 12 years. Y2K. September 11th. America electing its first African-American President. The rise and fall of Wrestling Society X. You know, historical moments we will all look back on many, many, many years from now. Yet, it seems like it was only yesterday Earl Hebner jumped around on his fat, little legs and made the claim that he saw Bret Hart tap. It feels like yesterday because everytime I visit these forums and there's usually three or four threads dedicated to it. Even beaten dead horses think this stuff has gotten ridiculous. I, for one, am pleased that we can finally close this damn chapter once and for all. Let's just get this crap over with. I'm done with all the teases. If I wanted that kind of treatment, I'd go to a strip club with a fistful of singles and one of those belts with that LED ticker and I can type in my name so it could scroll across. Of course the expectations have soared to unprecedented heights. The moment Bret and Shawn are staring at each other for the first time. The moment Bret opens up his mouth to speak. The moment Bret shills his family's upcoming DVD as the Bella Twins stand here with their customary blank expression and inability to form an actual thought. How does this story turn out? The question of the hour. Does Bret forgive Shawn and Vince? Does his not? Does he forgive Shawn, but not Vince? Does he forgive Vince, but not Shawn? Does he follow IWC protocol and blame Triple H instead? And what comes out of this when it's all said and done? Does it erase away 12 years and 72,000 threads of debate over who's at fault? Or does it creates 12 more years and 72,000 more threads worth of discussion? I'm not scared at all for Bret's return. I'm more scared of the reaction around here over how this thing plays out. Although, maybe scared isn't the right choice of word. Entertained is probably a better word. Yeah, entertained. It's gonna be glorious. NOTE: I apologize for misleading readers of this entry. I said I was going to be serious, but I couldn't hold it together for a lousy paragraph. This is precisely why I stopped my Mental Breakdown articles-2500 heatz points. You forgot "ALL RISE FOR THE PLAYING OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM" to finish
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Post by kidtamagotchi on Dec 29, 2009 5:04:08 GMT -5
I for one would mark for the one night only return of Mike Adamle in order to see how he butchers Bret's name. Bert Hurt? ;D Bort Fart? I'm not looking forward to Bret's return either, and I'm a Bret Hart fan. I don't know, I just have a bad feeling. I'm leaving my TV on TNA that night.
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 41,923
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Dec 29, 2009 5:06:43 GMT -5
You know what? Even if his return becomes a shitty angle playing out on TV. If Bret and Shawn can shake hands, even behind the curtains and it's not on TV and everyone moves on in their personal lives, it'll be worth it for me.
I think Bret and maybe Shawn and Vince still carry a lot of Montreal pain around, if they can make amends and move on and forgive, it'll all be worth it to me.
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Post by A Dubya (El Hombre Muerto) on Dec 29, 2009 6:38:17 GMT -5
RAW next week could be aces, but I still wouldn't give a crap. RAW has screwed up far to often for me to give a damn about anything on that show. Cosigned.
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Post by Bobby Womack on Dec 29, 2009 9:43:10 GMT -5
so we're going to get so desperate as to bring on the one guy everyone has been clamoring for for 12 years now. everyones been clamoring for for 12 years? whos everyone? a whole world of people exist outside of the internet you know
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