wrestling / Columns

411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Should Hogan Win The Andre Battle Royal?

January 13, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Hulk Hogan WWE, WCW

Welcome back to the latest edition of 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week are 411’s Kevin Pantoja and Arnold Furious!

  • Questions were sent out Monday.
  • Participants were told to expect wrestling-related content, as well as possible statements on quantum physics, homemade pharmaceuticals, the Turtle Total Trip Theorem, pizza and hydroponics.

    1. If Hulk Hogan returns to WWE for WrestleMania, he should win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

    Kevin Pantoja: FICTION – I get the thinking here, I really do. Nobody on the current roster has a connection to Andre the Giant like Hogan does. The Big Show kind of does but already won this match back in 2015. Honestly, if it wasn’t for this past Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, I’d have been okay with Hogan winning. The WWE badly botched the momentum Cesaro had after winning the match and having a Mania moment, before giving the meaningless win to Big Show. However, Baron Corbin used it as a platform for a bit of a significant push in 2016. I’m not sure who stands out as a guy that could win it this time around, but I’d rather someone benefit from it.

    Arnold Furious: FACT – That’s ‘if’. Personally I’d rather the racist orange buffoon stayed away from the public eye. I’ve never liked Hogan and I’m glad he got found out for the nasty manipulative swine he is. But if WWE are going to bring him back then they might as well get another nostalgia pop out of it. The crowd probably won’t want anything else to happen. They’re pretty forgiving of their heroes. Steve Austin battered his wife. Shawn Michaels was a complete cock for years. Hogan can probably come back from dropping a few N-Bombs. The real question is; should he be allowed to?

    2. Omega vs. Okada from WrestleKingdom 11 is one of the greatest matches you’ve ever seen.

    Kevin Pantoja: FICTION – Dave Meltzer giving this match six stars was the most Dave thing he could have done. The dude spent the months leading up to the match praising both guys at a crazy level on Twitter. Don’t get wrong, it’s a great match. They produced a main event level Dome match that was much better than Okada/Tanahashi in 2016. That being said, it isn’t one of the best matches I’ve ever seen. I currently have it as the third best match on the show (behind Naito/Tanahashi and Takahashi/KUSHIDA). The good thing about wrestling is that it’s subjective. If it’s one of the best matches you’ve ever seen, then that’s great. There are flaws and it’s far from perfect but it doesn’t take away from the fact that is indeed good.

    Arnold Furious: FACT – I’ve seen a lot of matches (having been a wrestling fan since seeing wrestling on TV as a child in the early 80s) and Okada-Omega was one of the best-structured contests I’ve seen for some considerable time. The criticisms it was receiving regarding ‘slow pacing’ and ‘filling time’ are nitpicking at best and not paying attention at worst. Are people really so conditioned to not watching a wrestling match for longer than thirty minutes nowadays? I thought Omega’s strategic approach was perfect. He went out of his way to throw caution to the wind and make it look like he’d be so reckless, as an aggressor, that Okada would have no answer. But Okada had an answer. The reason for the length of the match was to necessitate Okada’s selling and eventual recovery and victory. Omega thought he had enough to take Okada down but ultimately he did not, despite going to the most violent extremes he could think of. It was a great story and it got to the point where I would have been fine with either man coming out victorious.

    3. TNA has waited too long to try and get involved with running shows on WrestleMania week.

    Kevin Pantoja: FACT – TNA is known for missing the ball and they’re certainly getting into this rather late. Still, I can’t see how getting in late is big negative. Granted, they’ll be behind WWE, Evolve, ROH, etc. but more wrestling over that weekend can’t hurt. The most important thing for them to do is to put on a great show. If they can deliver on a weekend that is usually full of great matches, then they can generate some buzz, which the company badly needs outside of the Hardy stuff.

    Arnold Furious: FACT – Good lord, yes. Last year just about everyone jumped on that bandwagon and yet this year even more promotions have flooded ‘Mania weekend knowing full well there will be thousands of wrestling fans just looking for something to do before the big show on Sunday. TNA’s lack of organization is often in evidence and this is a prime example. It’s a chance to get their brand in front of potential new fans and capture the imagination. As a number two they’ve not done enough to challenge the status quo. They seem to be struggling with organizing their talent and rarely ever run shows, merely taping months of TV in one block and then going quiet again. There’s a lack of ambition and the total lack of presence ‘Mania weekend is a prime example of this. With WWE in their Floridian backyard this year they’d look pretty stupid not running.

    SWITCH!

    4. Kenny Omega will stay with NJPW and will not sign with WWE in 2017.

    Arnold Furious: FACT – While his contract is, according to Meltzer and the Observer lads, up at the end of January I really can’t see him leaving what has become a hot angle in New Japan. Moreover I can’t see New Japan putting him in that position without the whole ‘will he, won’t he join WWE’ angle coming to fruition in New Japan’s ring. The whole thing smells like an angle because it’s been done so publicly. Omega’s sentiments, regarding his contractual situation, feel in character. Even when his NJPW character is an over the top version of his real-life persona. He certainly looks to be leaning towards a future WWE run but he’s still got time to do that and finish up this New Japan run in successful fashion. For him to leave with unfinished business would be very unsatisfying. Also, while there is substantial buzz regarding Omega there’s no guarantee that he would translate to WWE live events. Perhaps another year in Japan would be of benefit to Kenny overall. Not only to achieve everything he dreamed of doing in New Japan but strengthen his case to WWE hierarchy for an ‘AJ Styles’ kind of push on his WWE arrival.

    Kevin Pantoja: FACT – This feels like an easy fact for me. Kenny Omega has gone on record and said that he wants to be a legend without the WWE and has discussed WWE monopolizing the industry. He has been positioned as the top gaijin in NJPW. He did things that guys like AJ Styles never did, like main eventing the Tokyo Dome and winning the G1 Climax. His loss at Wrestle Kingdom was done to cement Kazuchika Okada as the ace again. I expect Omega to return for the New Japan Cup and he could possibly win that and take the title at Invasion Attack if Minoru Suzuki doesn’t win at New Beginning. Regardless of how the booking goes, Omega is Gedo’s favorite non-Okada plaything and will be a fixture in NJPW for a long time.

    5. You want to see Undertaker vs. John Cena at WrestleMania.

    Arnold Furious:FICTION – I seem to be on an island with this opinion but I really don’t care if Taker vs. Cena happens. Cena has shown himself to fairly capable when it comes to raising his game to face new challenges and the matches against Kevin Owens and AJ Styles proved that. Putting him in against Taker is almost a backwards move. Plus I haven’t cared about Taker since Brock Lesnar killed his mystique dead in the middle of the ring the night he conquered the streak. Maybe it’ll have ‘big match’ intrigue but WWE will need to do a lot of work over the next two months to convince me of that. I was personally hoping for Taker vs. AJ, allowing Styles a chance to shine against the one man whose opinion can create legends in this company. As for Big Match John; he’s a draw by himself, regardless of opponent. Maybe he could issue a WrestleMania open challenge. With that smart crowd you could throw someone of real importance out there like Nakamura or Joe or Hero and have yourself a WrestleMania moment. Cena vs. Taker? I was there for it the first time in 2003 and it did nothing for me then.

    Kevin Pantoja: FACT – You’re damn right I do. The Undertaker has limited matches left and I hate that they’ve been wasted recently. The Bray Wyatt match was lackluster (and the tag squash at that year’s Survivor Series was even worse), while the Shane McMahon made no sense and was one of the lesser Hell in a Cell matches ever. Don’t waste The Undertaker this year. Give us Cena vs. Undertaker. It hasn’t happened since Cena became THE MAN and would be a great spectacle. Please though, don’t make it for the WWE World Title. Like Rock/Cena II: Twice in a Lifetime, Undertaker and Cena don’t need the title. That match sells itself. Keep the title on AJ Styles since he deserves to enter Mania as champion for his performances in 2016, giving him a high profile match, while letting Taker and Cena do their thing as the marquee match.

    6. What is your excitement level for this weekend’s UK Championship Tournament?

    Arnold Furious: 10 out of 10 – Being from the UK I’m perhaps biased in this respect but seeing the lads I’ve been watching on UK shows over the past couple of years get this kind of opportunity is wonderful. The Fight Club Pro regulars in particular like Trent Seven, Tyler Bate, Dan Moloney and Pete Dunne. All lads who wrestle regularly near to my home, and I’ve seen live in front of 100-150 people multiple times, now appearing in front of a global audience. I’m sure all of them will demonstrate their skills beautifully. I’m also thrilled that Mark Andrews has skipped away from TNA to get involved and the level of talent in the UK is at a level where I’m sure this tournament will not disappoint.

    Kevin Pantoja: 8 out of 10 – I’m a sucker for things like this. The Cruiserweight Classic was awesome and while I don’t think I’ll enjoy this as much, I’m still excited. There are a lot of names I’m unfamiliar with, but I love getting to know more wrestlers. Tyler Bate and especially Pete Dunne stand out and I cannot wait to see them on the WWE Network. Seeing Nigel McGuinness on WWE programming is another must-see thing. Plus, I love wrestling being on in the afternoon. The shows run from 3-5 on the East coast and that means I can be done with the show and still have time for dinner and whatever else I wanna do. Sign me up for more things like this.