The "reports" out there (saw on DVDVR and on the Toryumon USA site) are that Ultimo Dragon will be leaving WWE after his contract expires on April 30th, and presumably returning to Toryumon.
I certainly hope he does. He's been jobbing to every Tom, Dick and Harry in WWE since his debut. Ultimo deserves better.
I have to say, though, I was very pleased to see him last night at the SmackDown/Velocity tapings. I'd never seen him live before, and he was quite over with the crowd.
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Regained the title on 7/3/02 by pinning SKLOKAZOID in a triple-threat match; lost the belt the next day to NickBockwinkelFan via heel chicanery
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No surprise here. At least Ultimo got to perform at WM at Madison Square Garden, so I imagine he got something worthwhile out of his tenure in the WWE.
Yeah but when he did he slipped in his entrance and jobbed in two minutes or so. Ahh memories...
I would've liked to see WWE go full tilt on a Mysterio/Ultimo feud before his time was up, but alas it's not to be. His WWE matches never impressed me much and considering I don't watch Velocity that often anyway, he won't be missed on my part.
I guess its a shame, but Ultimo never looked comfortable or motivated in a WWE ring from what I saw. I was so excited when they bought the guy in - fond memories of stellar WCW matches - but I guess the buggered-up arm put paid to any chance of getting the 'old' Yoshihiro Asai back.
What bothers me is the fact that the guy was only (allegedly) signed in the first place because Vince thought he was getting another Rey Mysterio - when his more deliberate style became apparent he was pretty much buried. It does beg the question of whether the WWE actually does any research before signing people!
A pity that the only enduring memories of Ultimo Dragon's WWE stint will be of him almost 'doing a Shockmaster' twice in the Wrestlemania XX entrance. Assuming he doesn't come back after a few months, I guess (fingers crossed for that Dragon/Mysterio bout!). Hopefully, at 38 he still has a few years left in him at the top level.
The WWE has a possible goldmine in the cruiserweight division, but Vince is stuck in the 80's, enamored with bodies like Mark Jindrak instead of guys who can actually work and get the crowd going.
Ultimo's making the right decision- he's been underused (surprise!) since he got there.
Originally posted by geemoneyThe WWE has a possible goldmine in the cruiserweight division, but Vince is stuck in the 80's, enamored with bodies like Mark Jindrak instead of guys who can actually work and get the crowd going.
Oh, I know, right? The champions are Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. Yes, Mark Jindrak sucks. Yes, they don't use the cruisers much. But it's also hardly fair to focus on the idea that Mark Jindrak is getting some big push because he beats up Spike Dudley.
Originally posted by geemoneyThe WWE has a possible goldmine in the cruiserweight division, but Vince is stuck in the 80's, enamored with bodies like Mark Jindrak instead of guys who can actually work and get the crowd going.
Oh, I know, right? The champions are Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. Yes, Mark Jindrak sucks. Yes, they don't use the cruisers much. But it's also hardly fair to focus on the idea that Mark Jindrak is getting some big push because he beats up Spike Dudley.
I said guys LIKE Jindrak, not JUST him. Plus, he's getting a bigger push than most of the cruiserweights, who are relegated to Velocity.
Guys like Jindrak, and... who else? Batista? I guess. I'm not arguing at all that the cruisers are underused, just that I think the big man thing is pretty overstated when the champions are Benoit and Guerrero and the biggest new push is going to Shelton Benjamin. Sure, Vince is going to have a place for these big, muscular guys forever, because in a perfect world, those guys are good since they are physically impressive and catch an eye. But recent history is not on their side, as we've seen with Scott Steiner, Test, A-Train, Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan (who will be back), Sean O'Haire and maybe some other guys I'm forgetting (or maybe not). I'd wager that Batista is nowhere near where they wanted him to be, although he seems to have found a niche as merely the muscle of a group of suave assholes.
There was Lesnar, but Lesnar was pretty freakish at his size and able to do the things he can. I guess what I'm getting at is I believe that Vince still HAS the big guy fetish, and while it at times can be really bad for the company (the near-death experience with Lesnar's Survivor Series team and what looked like it could have been one big spooge of bigness), they have gotten to a point where the guys eventually have to be able to work. Triple H is big, so is Rock. But both can go and both can put on good matches and both, via whatever route, have gotten to a point where the crowd cares. If the crowd doesn't care (Test, A-Train), you don't last. If your matches are horrible (Steiner), you don't last.
They aren't hung up to the point where they are taking the TV time from the cruiserweights; WWE just simply doesn't care about the cruiserweights to begin with. Their TV time IS on Velocity, which sucks, but I think it's just unfair to blame Vince's big fetish more than his small bias.
ok look ultimo would have never left if he didnt trip twice at wrestlemania i mean how embarassing i would leave to and you know its not like wwe is forcing him to even though he didnt do much im sure they would renew his contract but its all becuz he tripped at WMXX though if you people didnt notice wrestlemania kinda sucked its hype preceeded its actual prefomance though the Undertaker did come back that is always good right?
(edited by Deathstar93 on 16.4.04 2043) The Evolution is a mystery...Full of Changes that no one sees....
Originally posted by Deathstar93ok look ultimo would have never left if he didnt trip twice at wrestlemania i mean how embarassing i would leave to and you know its not like wwe is forcing him to even though he didnt do much im sure they would renew his contract but its all becuz he tripped at WMXX though if you people didnt notice wrestlemania kinda sucked its hype preceeded its actual prefomance though the Undertaker did come back that is always good right?
(edited by Deathstar93 on 16.4.04 2043)
Try that again with complete sentences and punctuation.
Willful ignorance of science is not commendable. Refusing to learn the difference between a credible source and a shill is criminally stupid.
Thread ahead: your MIGHTY MIGHTY WWE WORKRATE REPORT- 4/15/2004~! Next thread: Eugene based on a real life fan??? Previous thread: Benoit on "Off the Record"
Brock's simply getting over by stealing Goldberg's gimmick anyway...no wonder Austin doesn't want to waste his time jobbing to him. Quote from The Rick's Online Onslaught:
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