RAW and SmackDown Rosters

[Joeiss]

Well, just in case anybody missed the draft which was held on RAW, here are the picks for RAW and SmackDown!

RAW:

(1) UnderTaker
(2) nWo - Hall, Nash, X-Pac
(3) Kane
(4) RVD
(5) Booker T
(6) Big Show
(7) Bubba Ray Dudley
(8) Brock Lesnar
(9) William Regal
(10) Lita
(11) Bradshaw
(12) Stevie Richards
(13) Matt Hardy
(14) Raven
(15) Jeff Hardy
(16) Mr. Perfect
(17) Spike Dudley
(18) D'Lo Brown
(19) Shawn Stasiak
(20) Terri
(21) Jacqueline
(22) Goldust
(23) Trish Stratus
(24) Justin Credible
(25) Big Bossman
(26) Tommy Dreamer
(27) Crash
(28) Mighty Molly


Smackdown!:

(1) The Rock
(2) Kurt Angle
(3) Chris Benoit
(4) Hollywood Hulk Hogan
(5) Billy & Chuck
(6) Edge
(7) Rikishi
(8) D-Von Dudley
(9) Mark Henry
(10) Maven
(11) Kidman
(12) Tajiri
(13) Jericho
(14) Ivory
(15) Albert
(16) Hurricane
(17) Al Snow
(18) Lance Storm
(19) DDP
(20) Torrie Wilson
(21) Satcy Keibler
(22) Scotty Too Hotty
(23) Christian
(24) Test
(25) Faarooq
(26) Tazz
(27) Hardcore Holly
(28) Big Valbowski
(29) Perry Saturn


So, what do you guys think of the picks? And what side do you think Steve Austin will sign on? Post your thoughts here!

[nWoCHRISnWo]

Firstly, I think Austin will sign with Flair. That is, (if all the rumours are true) he stops being a little bitch and shows up for his job.

And I was hoping they'd go for more of a one side-wrestling and one side-sports entertainment show, but that didn't happen. Now it's just like what we were watching before... Also, who wants to bet that they'll do cross-overs and talk about eachother's show right off the bat?

Another thing, Vince has the Hardcore Belt, yet Flair has the hardcore guys. Oh yeah, and this splits up some feuds... Wussup wit dat?!

At least they mentioned Benoit.

[Professor S]

Not only was Benoit mentioned, but he was taken #3 in the draft by Vince! This is a very good sign that he will be pushed hard when he finally makes a comeback after he heals up.

As for Austin, I think he is doing what is necessary. He is the only person in the back who has the clout to try and mend the WWF's sinking ship. He is the reason that the WWF got to where they are, and he is not happy at all with his direction, the direction of the company, or the political games that the "kliq" (Hall, Nash, X-Pac, and HHH to some exten) have already been playing in the locker room. On the bright side, Hogan seems to be keeping his mouth shut.

It has been reported that the moral in the locker room is at an all time low, and now X-Pac has been hotshotted into the top storyline because he is friends with Hall and Nash. What does this tell all the other guys who have been busting their asses to get there, only to get submarined by politics?

And before anyone says "X-Pac deserves it/it makes sense", no he doesn't and no it doesn't. His earlier gimmick was a collossal FAILURE and he has shown that he has absolutely no draw without big name help. He is the shrimpy guy in grade school who only got respect because he was friends with the Big Bad Bully.

I fully support Austin and what he is trying to do. No other superstar could do this and create any change or even not get fired. He is taking a stand, and I think others like the Undertaker and others with influence should follow suit.

[nWoCHRISnWo]

I can't help but think that if Hogan was in the same situation, you'd be thinking differently.

Last I checked, Austin works for WWF, not the other way around. He, you, and I all know that WWF won't do anything to bad to Austin's character, so why is he complaining? Let's see, he was put into WWF's biggest current feud, he dominated the nWo, and won at Wrestlemania, after half-assing several matches before that. Now he hasn't showed up at his job for a week... Yet you're defending the man? I've seen tons of people, the same people who cry about Bret, defend Austin. Bret doesn't want to lose the title to Shawn Michaels in Canada, so he's a crybaby bitch. Austin doesn't show up for his job, for no apparent reason. Somehow I don't understand this double-standard.

And about Nash and Hall... If you had a job, wouldn't you want a good friend to work with you? You know Hall and Nash aren't the bookers, and they aren't the owners of the company. Vince McMahon is letting this all happen, so it's his own damn fault.

[Rick_Blaze]

Man I don't know what the hell this strangler guy is talking about. When Bret Hart did that in 1996 he was the bad evil man. When Hogan and Nash used to walk out of WCW from time to time they were bad. Austin is a whiner and upset because he's not #1. Austin seems to forget there is no more WCW or viable #2 promotion. If he wants to leave WWF he better hope that WWA or some other promotion is working. I don't care about that guy anymore. But it would be cool to see Chris Benoit return as the leader of a new horseman unit.

[nWoCHRISnWo]

As someone on 1wrestling suggested (I think it was at 1wrestling anyway...), Vince should go to the ring, put down Austin as bad as possible, fire him publically, and then have someone like Benoit come down to the ring, defend Austin, put Vince in the cross-face, and then you have yourself one less whiny bitch, one over face, and well heel McMahon as usual.

I'd love that idea, although I do like Austin.

[Joeiss]

I think that if you whine, you should get fired. I would like to see Austin with nowhere to go. Oh wait, he's just chilling in his million dollar house with Debrah sucking him all day long. I really don't think that he is missing anything.

[Professor S]

I find it HILARIOUS that many of you vilify Austin, who is the ONLY worker with BALLS big enough standing up for himself and the other workers in his company, and praise Hulk Hogan and the NWO who have single handedly held back more wrestlers than Flair, Dusty and Sullivan have COMBINED. If you don't believe me, just read any interview with Shane Douglas.

As for Bret, I feel NO pity for his pathetic whining ass.

He didn't want to lose in Canada. BOO HOO. Someone should tell him WRESTLING'S A WORK!!

But even if that was it, I wouldn't feel this way. The truth is that Bret NEVER wanted to lose the WWF title cleanly to Michaels. he wanted to just "give up" the title the next night on Raw. Do you really think Vince is THAT STUPID? If Bret were to give up the title, and then show up on Nitro the next night, essentially the WWF champ would be an employee of WCW. Any wrestler that the WWF gave the title to would have been a paper champ. Also keep in mind that the WWF was getting creamed by WCW at the time in the ratings. Vince was protecting his livelihood. Bret threatened the livelihood ofd every worker in the WWF by wanting to skip out without dropping the title clean.

BTW, if you doubt any of my facts in this instance, just rent "Wrestling With Shadows" at Blockbuster. Bret says as much HIMSELF.

People say that Vince didn't respect what Bret did for the WWF. I say Bret didn't appreciate what the WWF did for him. He was a Tag Team wrestler that the WWF pushed to super stardome. By wanting to leave the WWF essentially with title shows that he never gave a damn about anyone but himself and never had any respect for the organization that made him.

Not wanting to lose in Canada was an excuse. I still maintain that Bret was planning on skipping Raw the next night since his contract ended the night before, taking the title to Nitro the next night and dumping it in the trash like Medusa did with the women's title. I think thats the main reason why the WCW wanted him so badly.

And no, I don't think Vince is a saint by any means, but neither is Bret Hart.

But Rick, I do agree with your Horseman idea. I love the idea of an elite unite of wrestlers. Benoit would be the perfect leader of the group, with Regal, Kurt Angle and perhaps Brock Lesnar playing the Enforcer role. Or perhaps substitute Curt Hennig/Mr. Perfect for Regal since he is an excellent mat wrestler too. And have Flair play the J.J. Dillon role as manager.

[nWoCHRISnWo]

Strangler, I don't know if you even understand what you sound like.

"I find it HILARIOUS that many of you vilify Austin, who is the ONLY worker with BALLS big enough standing up for himself and the other workers in his company"

LMAO. I don't even know the word for the way you're acting, but I'm sure "idiotic" would fit just as well. Bret Hart had the balls big enough to stand up for himself, yet he's a whiny bitch according to you. But besides that, Austin is standing up for other workers? LMFAO! Man, you seriously need to look at things from a point of view where Austin isn't lord of all. He hasn't showed up for work for one week. How the hell is he standind up for anyone else?? Don't kid yourself, he's pissed because of where HE and only HE is on the WWF card. Austin doing something for other works... Are we talking about the same Austin here? The same Austin who refused to work with Jarret? The same Austin who refused to work with Hogan (maybe it would have been Austin going over Hogan at Mania if Austin wasn't such a crybaby)? The same Austin who changed the biggest storyline WWF had going by refusing to lose to Hall by outside interference?

"Someone should tell him WRESTLING'S A WORK!!"

Hey... Ummm... EXACTLY! So if Bret Hart doesn't like the way he's been booked, you feel no pity for him, he's a whiny bitch, and he's pathetic. Steve Austin is in the EXACT SAME POSITION (except for the fact that Austin has no right to bitch seeing as how everything that happened has been his fault or went his way anyway) but you praise him! I mean, seriously, are you even thinking of what you're typing??

I'm not going to go out and totally disagree with everything you said after that, but you're just acting stupid now. You can put Steve Austin's name in place of Bret's for almost EVERYTHING you said about him. I've never seen such biasism in my life. Feel free to feel that way about Bret, but to praise Austin for the exact same things makes you look like an idiot.

[Professor S]

1) I'm not even a huge Austin fan, but I do respect the fact that he pretty much singlehandedly beat WCW into the ground.

2) It was even said in this forum that he was put in the top storyline beating the NWO's ass every chance he got. So what other reason would Austin have to be so pissed off?

HE IS ANGRY ABOUT THE CRAPTACULAR PRODUCT OF THE WWF IN GENERAL.

He wants a change in direction, which hopefully the "brand extention" will provide. I respect him for standing up to try and get a fire under Vince's ass so that the WWF will move forward, instead of reaching back to the NWO to give a hotshot angle and cheap, short time ratings.

3) As for Bret Hart, he only decided "to take a stand" after he was told he had to drop the title and pass the torch. Austin passed the torch a while ago AND he was involved in the company's top storyline, so again, what would he have to be so angry about if it wasn't his discontent with the WWF's product. He has the power to change the WWF because his name is that big, and if its a change for the better it will benefit all the workers. But I guess Chris can't get that through the 10" thick NWO skull of his where everything Hogan and the NWO is PERFECT. I think you should take a look at your own posts and realize how stupid YOU sound.

4) The Jeff Jarrett Argument - DUMB. Looks like Austin was right, which was OBVIOUS. Jarrett isn't a main eventer, even though he is a great worker. He doesn't have the "thing". If you think I'm wrong, just look at how well his push worked in WCW LOL

5)The NWO IS a cancer on pro wrestling because of the wrestlers in it. Given the chance they will alienate every worker in the WWF and make the locker as miserable as it was when they were in WCW. It has already begun.

[Null]

i tend to agree more along the lines of Strangler...... not totally but a bit more on his side.


both austin and bret had balls to stand up for themselves. And i think both are going about it the wrong way.

but then again more is known about brets way then austins. I believe bret did whine more. i've always considered him a whiner. Everyone always says how it was Vinces fault. But i believe not so. Bret was unwilling to compremise. he wanted to keep his belt and go out with it or something. WWF wanted him to lose cuz that was the storyline. he didnt want to go with it. a little bit on both thier parts id say.

As for austin. he just goes home after WM? kinda reminds me of a kid that loses and goes off home crying.

I totally agree with him on the nWo subject, they were the reason i stoped watching WCW. they're boring. all the black and white gives everyting a boring look when they're around. i mean my god. they came and suddenly one of the most colorful people around (Savage) only wore black. What up wif that?



but back to the austin thing. As far as it looks now. he is fighting for a more just cause then bret did. bret was fighting for himself. if what austin says is true, he's fighting for the company. well half. cuz he also said he didnt like his character. hehehe

[nWoCHRISnWo]

You guys are so naive it's not even funny.

First, I never said Austin didn't do a lot for wrestling. He's been very influential to pro wrestling, although not near as much as Hulk Hogan.

Next, where the hell do you get your info from? Austin has reportedly (unless you get some sort of special news from special sources that no one else knows about) not shown up at his job for a week now BECAUSE HE DOESN'T LIKE HIS POSITION IN THE COMPANY. Note: *HIS*

Right from Dave Sherer: "he is unhappy with the way he has been used and treated since the arrival of the nWo."

"The rumors going around backstage were that we would see Austin back when he was satisfied that the WWF would use him properly."

Here's a quote straight from 1Bob: "Austin has been upset for several weeks, according to our sources, about the direction of his character and the fact that he was positioned into a semi-main event role for Wrestlemania.

WWF management was angered when Austin reportedly vetoed an idea that would have involved a run-in during his match at Wrestlemania with Scott Hall that would have been used to explain the "brand extension" that was announced the next night."

You can make up all the bull**** that you want, but get your facts straight. Austin isn't happy about HIS position in WWF, Austin is mad because of HIS spot at Mania, Austin even changed the biggest storyline WWF has right now because poor little Steve "crybaby" Austin didn't like what HE would have to give up.

As for Bret Hart, you have GOT to be kidding me. He was known for his loyalty, and after all he's done for the WWF (if it wasn't for him, your beloved Austin wouldn't be what he is today) he's not the crybaby you guys make him out to be. It's not that he didn't wanna pass the torch, nobody who knows anything has ever said that. It's not that he had a problem with jobbing in general, it was quite obvious that he didn't want to job to Shawn Michaels in Canada. Job to Michaels next night on Raw? Job to someone else in Montreal? No problem. Yet, he must be the world's biggest crybaby because of this, while Austin hasn't even shown up at his damn job for a week. ONE WHOLE WEEK. Imagine if you didn't show up at your job for a week. What would happen? I'll give you a hint, you won't have to show up for your job for lots of more weeks to come.

And about Jarret, forming opinions on a wrestler based on their drawing ability in the dieing months of WCW is so retarded I don't even know if you were joking or what.

You're a hell of a lot more biased AGAINST the nWo than I am TOWARDS them. You give them no credit whatsoever.

And Null... You've always considered Bret a whiner. Good for you, know can you give me a few examples of him whining before the Montreal screwjob? And you've got your facts wrong, so that might be why your opinion on Bret is so jaded. He didn't wanna leave with the belt, he had no problem jobbing. He had a problem jobbing to Shawn Michaels, and Shawn Michaels only.

nWo was the reason you stopped watching WWF. Well you're in the big minority there. Black and white must suck too, seeing as how their T-shirts made wearing wrestling T-shirts acceptable in society. I saw more nWo shirts at WWF shows than anyone else's, even before nWo came back.

And I think you're getting your facts from Strangler, who's getting his facts from unknown sources. As far as we know, Austin isn't fighting for any cause other than his own.

[Professor S]

*sigh*

Talking rationally to NWO marks is like trying to convince devout Catholics that God doesn't exist. No amount of logic will do you any good.

1) Bret's lotalty extended as far as his push in the WWF did. Watch Wrestling With Shadows before you start talking out your ass, Chris. You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Bret did not want to lose to Michaels ANYWHERE. The fact that it was in Canada was merely convenient. And if you have seen it and still feel that way, watch it again becasue you obviously have selective memory.

2) I'm glad you take every rumor you hear as fact. Its a good concept to follow. I'd rather take Austin's word for it considering he KNOWS what its like to be looked over and screwed in a promotion. Why do you think he was so upset with WCW? By the way, you have yet to contradict any of my statements with any kind of fact.

Oh, and since you think opinion and rumor are fact, there are more than one columnist on 1wrestling that agree with Austin's stance on this subject, but you conveniently excluded them from your quote fest, didn't you? And no, I'm not going to research it because I don't have to. Go look for yourselves, they are there. I believe even Dave Scherer agreed with Austin at one point.

I'll even give you that Austin is out for himself (hypothetically since no one really knows), fine, but don't his reasons for protest coincide with whats best for the WWF? He has seen locker room politics first hand and does not like them one bit. He never teamed up with other wrestlers to gain more influence. Any move he made he made by himself. He is not a fan of the NWO because he knows that having those wrestlers in the WWF WILL BE a detriment to the comapany and morale, and they already have. Do you need me to quote 1wrestling for you to believe me Chris? No I don't, becasue you've already seen those reports and decided to ignore them because they make your heroes look bad. Let me shed a single tear for you.

3) Jarrett. The WWf was considered a dying company by many before Austin came around and changed all that. Gee, Jarrett did a great job of pushing WCW to new heights, didn't he?

As for calling me biased, talk about the big fat pot calling the little kettle black. You have NEVER had ONE WORD of criticism about either Hogan or the NWO since I have communicated with you. Considering they are among the worlds top sinners in pro wrestling I think that shows everyone who is more biased than who.

Before you start calling names, Chris, why don't you take a nice long look in the mirror and see yourself for what you you are. A pathetic mark who will cling to any illogical reason to cling on to the heroes he grew up watching on TV. Wake up.

[BigJustinW]

Uhh... my opinions:

1) The nWo

The nWo isn't poision... the nWo is more like like some bad drugs.

The nWo can't be considerd poision, for one simple fact.... They single handedly made a new company (WCW) take over the sports entertainment world... When the nWo left, what happend to the WCW? It died...

X-Pac was one of the origanal members of the nWo, so how can anybody say he doesn't deserve to be a part of it?

Strangler, as much as you may see the nWo as the "poison", you have no solid proof to back it up. Do you know how many wrestlers came after the nWo? Do you know how many wrestlers came before the nWo? The nWo didn't hold any of them back... in fact, the nWo gave Nash, Hall, Macho Man, Sting, Konan, The Giant, and most of all, Goldberg, the highlights of all thier carrers. The nWo saved WCW, and the nWo is the most popular heel of all time

The nWo isn't hurting the WWF either... Vince won't let that happen. They have 3 members, none of which will head line a PPV any time soon.... while in WCW they had 15 members (wolfpac included) and one of them was in the main event at almost every PPV that the nWo was around for.

How are they holding talent back in the WWF??? It's not near the scale of WCW

2) Austin

Austin, love him or hate him, is the biggest fan favorite in the WWF.

Anybody who can make the crowd interupt every single speech, even speches that have nothing to do with Austin, by repeating "What?" is a legend, period.

IMO, Austin has a GREAT reason to leave. Just think about it, the three immortal wrestlers (Austin, Rock, and Triple H) all walked away with victories at WM... that shouldn't happen. At WM, the main event should be between 2 people that you can't imagine losing at this point in thier carrer...

That's why I HATE that Triple H isn't a heel... because he was a heel that always won... and Austin/TheRock were faces that that rarely ever lose. Triple H vs Austin would have made for a better main event.

I don't get how Vince one year could laugh at WCW for all it's old talent, then turn around and let WMX8 feature a star from WM1 in the main event.

Austin feels that the story line has no room for him, and imo, that's a good reason to leave. WWF is having the WCW syndrome, too many big wrestlers in the ring at one time. That's why in WCW, wrestlers took big breaks.

I mean, think about it, how many active people in the WWF (coming in to WMX8) had held either the WWF or WCW world champoinship? The answer is simple... Too many.

Right now, all in all, I'm dissapointed with the WWF, the angles that are being taken are horrible (the split makes me puke). That's what happens when a company has no competition... the product quality goes down.

[Professor S]

Justin, I respect your opinion but I think you are playing a little revisionist history with the NWO's run in WCW.

The NWO both made and destroyed the WCW. It was a one shot deal that Bischoff stretched out for 2 years. remember the NWO "B-Team" led by Stevie Ray of all people? Pathetic. Add this on to the reported arrogance and hostility of Hall, Nash and Hogan in the locker room and you have your explanation as to their downfall.

Now, the NWO aren't the only reason why WCW folded. Goldberg was a huge reason as was the lack of any real corporate leadership and inordinately large salaries, but the NWO is still a large part of the equation.

Hall, Nash and Hogan could have led by example being that they were the biggest stars in WCW and they could have led WCW to new heights, instead they worked for themselves and sabotaged other wrestlers pushes, created their own little circle of influence and made the locker room miserable.

As for proof, I could cite about 150,000 articles from 1wrestling.com saying what a cancer Hall, Nash and Hogan were in the locker room.