This Or That (4/14/2014)

Everybody loves binary decisions, especially wrestling fans! In This Or That, we’ve forced ourselves to choose between two options that relate to wrestling.

Over four questions, @TimWelcomed, @JoeySplashwater and @TomBlackett will have to choose one of two options and give their reasoning on each of their choices. You can then vote on which one you’d choose, giving you the false impression that you’re somehow involved and we care about your opinion chance to join the conversation!

Before we start, here’s last week‘s results:

More surreal moment from Wrestlemania 30?

The Undertaker’s streak ending – 82%, Daniel Bryan’s title celebration – 18%

If you had to watch one for the full year, which would you choose?

WCW 2000 – 87%, WWF 1995– 13%

Better big man?

Vader – 60%, Bam Bam Bigelow – 40%

Better chocolate?

Milk chocolate – 82%, Dark chocolate – 18%

More likely to eventually end Daniel Bryan’s title reign: Brock Lesnar or John Cena?

We hope Daniel Bryan has a very long title reign but looking into the future, who is more likely to end it?

Tim:

I think we will probably get a Bryan vs Lesnar match but I think Bryan would have to go over if it happened any time soon because I don’t see Lesnar holding the belt unless he is on TV regularly unless it is a short reign… but I would assume they would want him going into Wrestlemania 31 as champion if they did put it on him.

I am completely okay with another Cena vs Bryan match and I am sure we will get that this year as well. I think Cena is the more likely candidate to take the belt out of the two because he’s a regular and plus he can get his win back from last Summerslam. Either way, I want both of these matches.

John Cena

Joey:

Daniel Bryan deserves to get a chance at establishing himself in the champion role until around the Money In The Bank/Summerslam time in Summer. Who ends the title reign? That’s obviously a tough prediction to make with so much time and so many variables but that’s the point of This Or That!

It comes down to one thing – Brock Lesnar’s contract. Many expect the short term beneficial to Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s undefeated Wrestlemania streak being Lesnar winning the title and having a dominant reign going into Wrestlemania 31. The crux in that thought is that Lesnar only does so few appearances and how can your champion barely be visible on the show? I think Lesnar’s lack of commitment to full time appearances prevent him from getting the title again.

My prediction is John Cena gets his win back against Bryan in a highly anticipated Summerslam rematch and successfully defends the title against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 31 adding the luster of Brock beating the streak into that program. Personally, I hope we see Bryan vs. Cena II, Lesnar vs. Cena II and Bryan vs. Lesnar each in the next year. However we get it, I will be content with.

John Cena

Tom:

I don’t see Cena being the one Bryan drops the belt to. I’m excited to see more matches from the two of them, but I think someone else would benefit more from having the rub of ending Bryan’s first title run.

Having said that, I’m not sure if Brock’s any more likely, but having him end the streak AND beat the beloved underdog would overload him as the number one hated fucker in town, which would be pretty exciting! It’s a shame that his limited schedule means he’d never be able to have much of a run as an awful, awful guy, but it could still be fun as a lead-in to next year’s Wrestlemania.

SO YEAH LET’S SAY BROCK I GUESS

Brock Lesnar

Better WWE era premise: The Attitude Era or The Reality Era?

With the new era ushering in being deemed “The Reality Era” by many including Triple H, which era looks like the better idea? Question was submitted by last week’s guest @AnimeKing420, specifically to read Tom’s answer.

Tim:

I don’t know what anything is anymore. The Attitude Era was a money-maker but I honestly have trouble sitting through a whole show from those days now. It was cool at the time but the majority of it is definitely not timeless. It was crash tv which I think is always a really bad premise.

From what I have gathered, The Reality Era is a blurring of the lines between fake and real… which has been the state of wrestling for a while now I think? I don’t know. It’s made me question a lot about life. Are my hands real or are they fake? Are the two appendages I use to pick up things daily just a fabrication of The Reality Era? I really can not say for sure and for that I am sorry.

With those great points laid out I will have to go with The Reality Era. I’d say we’ve had more great wrestling per show than almost any other WWE era. We have a very much-needed youth movement happening and my favorite wrestler of all time is the champion because WWE finally had to listen to the fans. The state of WWE has never looked brighter and more intriguing to me and it’s pretty awesome.

The Reality Era

Joey:

The Attitude Era was more successful because of The Rock and Steve Austin. Two of the three biggest stars in wrestling history happened to be in their prime in the same era. While it doesn’t stand up today, they definitely played to what the audience wanted in the era, so it has its value.

Oh, fuck it. I was gonna go with The Attitude Era for arguments sake but I can’t deny anything that is led with Daniel Bryan. If you want my in depth thoughts about the Daniel Bryan story which plays a pivotal part in the Reality Era, read Seven Things: 7 Observations From The Daniel Bryan WM 30 Documentary. The ROH Era… Reality Era wins.

The Reality Era

Tom:

Oh my GOD. How dare you make me pick between my two greatest loves?!? Obviously, the Attitude Era was the greatest time in wrestling history and I’ll fight tirelessly to bring it back until the day I die. Unlike the PG BULLSHIT (yeah… I said it!) that gets shoved down our THROATS these days, the Attitude Era didn’t shy away from giving wrestling fans what they wanted, and what they wanted was lots of SPICY storylines featuring REAL characters. Sure, there was some racism and sexism but BIG DEAL, that’s LIFE. Take a look outside your window, dummy! It’s all there, the Attitude Era just put it IN YOUR FACE.

Having said that, the Reality Era… well, here’s the thing about the Reality Era: IT’S ALL REAL. No writers! No bookers! No storylines! When the wrestlers get to the arena, nobody has any idea what’s going to happen. Remember when Triple H and CM Punk would call each other ‘Paul’ and ‘Phil’? Those are their REAL NAMES, you fucking MARK. It WASN’T in the script because there IS no script because wrestling is now for the SMART FANS like ME.

Finally, wrestling respects our intelligence. Finally, the Reality Era has arrived. Get on board or get left behind.

The Reality Era

Cooler mask: The Shield’s new entrance masks or The Wyatt Family sheep mask?

Which mask idea is cooler?

Tim:

This skull mask is not original and variations of it have been used in various forms of entertainment for a long time. I love The Shield but I don’t think they need them, especially out of nowhere this late into the gimmick.

The sheep mask though… That thing is great. Rowan needed something because he is the most bland and the sheep mask fits perfectly with the characters. It’s something you will always remember about The Wyatt Family. Kudos to whoever came up with that idea.

The Sheep Mask

Joey:

As much as I prefer The Shield, I personally think the masks are a bit much and not that cool. The Wyatt Family stand out already but the sheep mask helps in hitting home that point that these three dudes are unlike anything else you’ve seen in wrestling.

The fact that Luke Harper is known as the great in ring talent of the bunch and Bray Wyatt obviously being the leading voice who carries the faction means Erick Rowan needed something badly to stop him from being a glaring weak link. The sheep mask does that and wins.

Wyatt sheep mask

Tom:

I think WWE have done a great job with the Wyatt sheep mask, in terms of its design and use and making it seem like something a crazy cult leader in the woods might use, rather than something manufactured solely to be used in a wrestling angle.

As for The Shield’s masks… well, when first saw them, I wasn’t too impressed. They felt very reminiscent of the things the Aces and Eights used to wear (which is never a good thing) AND Mssrs. Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins all have extremely beautiful faces that I like to look at. However, I’ve come round on them! They’re not too elaborate or over-designed and it’s nice that they have a new accessory to cement them as a face unit. Plus, there’s a comic booky-ness to them that I really get a kick out of.

The Shield’s entrance masks

Bigger disgrace: Wrestling’s Green Lantern Fan or The 2011 Green Lantern film?

Poor Green Lantern.

Tim:

Green Lantern fan is everything that is wrong with wrestling fans. The stereotype that he helps perpetuate gives us a bad name. Much like tattooed people, us wrestling fans deserve better in today’s climate. Green Lantern the film is everything that is wrong with superhero movies. Which is worse? I can choose to not watch The Green Lantern. I can’t help someone not act like an ass in public constantly.

Green Lantern Fan

Joey:

One gives you “douche chills” for 2 hours, the other does for 20 years. Green Lantern Fan scalps tickets outside venues, stopwatch times matches while sitting first row being as smug as can be and is just downright annoying.

My personal favorite of the horrible things I’ve seen him do was when he got annoyed at “ref bumps” in a match at a ROH show. After the first ref bump, he started making a scene throwing his hands in the air and shouting to folks he wasn’t with. After the second, he turned his back to the ring and expected others to join in but literally no one did. Lastly the third ref bump led to GLF sprinting out of the venue kicking chairs as he walked out. What a goof.

Bully/Bubba/Brother Ray chimes in:

Green Lantern fan

Tom:

Man, another good one. Green Lantern Fan is a fascinating specimen, in that he manages to encapsulate so many terrible things about wrestling fans all in one individual. I think it’s his level of entitlement that’s most grotesque, though I can’t help but have a certain fascination in him. Most ‘famous fans’ seem to divide opinion, but I’m delighted by the way that every wrestling fan seems to universally revile GLF.

Green Lantern’s such a bad film though. It’s SUCH a bad film. More than that though, it kind of fucked over DC’s chances of establishing a decent movie universe like Marvel did, which is a real shame. Think back to ten years and how roughly 0.0001% of the world gave a fuck about either Iron Man or Green Lantern. Flash forward to the present day, where Iron Man’s the cornerstone of the biggest franchise in movies and Green Lantern’s replaced Aquaman as the go-to joke superhero (as evidenced in The Lego Movie). IT DIDN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY! Green Lantern could have been good and fun and paved the way for more fun DC films, but instead, we’re getting a neck-snapping, crying Superman to set the trend for their cinematic output. Boo on you, DC. Boo on you.

Anyway, yeah. Preserve GLF as an example for future generations to learn from and remove the Green Lantern movie from existence entirely.

Green Lantern movie