Has the Intensity in wrestling disappeared?

[Guest Heartbreak_Kid7]

I was watchin HBK vs Austin WM14 and the Owen hart tribute match and just couldn't help but notice the intensity these men wrestled with, especially benoit. And if you compare the Benoit of 98-2000 to the current Benoit, you will see that he is not the wrestler he used to be. Don't get me wrong, he is still very good, but not as awesome as he used to be. The intensity is gone, and he never works the arm or shoulder before the crossface and just uses it as a surprise move from out of nowhere.

Also, the bumps Michaels took in the WM14 match were sick considering that he was so seriously injured. The botched Flair flop looked sick and Austin was so intense in that match.

So I just want to ask what do you guys think. Has the intensity in wrestling disappeared especially with Benoit.

[Guest Mr Dragon]

a

[Guest The Franchise]

Overall has the intesity of pro wrestling disappeared? Yes and no.

 

I was watchin HBK vs Austin WM14 and the Owen hart tribute match and just couldn't help but notice the intensity these men wrestled with, especially benoit. And if you compare the Benoit of 98-2000 to the current Benoit, you will see that he is not the wrestler he used to be. Don't get me wrong, he is still very good, but not as awesome as he used to be. The intensity is gone, and he never works the arm or shoulder before the crossface and just uses it as a surprise move from out of nowhere.

Also, the bumps Michaels took in the WM14 match were sick considering that he was so seriously injured. The botched Flair flop looked sick and Austin was so intense in that match.

So I just want to ask what do you guys think. Has the intensity in wrestling disappeared especially with Benoit.

 

Lets start with the match with Austin and HBK at WM 14.Great match. Steve Austin is always intense in the ring.Even during his"Stunning"Steve Austin days he was intense in all his matches.(And more cocky too) When Bret wrestled Benoit during tribute match to Owen was different.One man just lost his brother,the other just lost a man that was just like a brother to him. Emotions were running extremely high here. It was as intense as you could get in a match between them.(Bret getting the submission)

 

Of course the Benoit of old isnt the same Benoit we see today.Why? Because when Benoit was wrestling in Japan,ECW,and WCW he still had things to prove.When he came to the WWE there was still one goal to accomplish:The WWE title.Thats where his fire came from.Its sad that by the time WCW decided to give him that shot WCW was about dead anyway.

 

The intensity is still there for Benoit.But what does he have left to prove? Nothing. Hes won the tag team titles multiple times,the I-C title multiple times, he won the 2004 Royal Rumble,and then he finally won the WWE title.

 

Nobody is the same after an 18 year career filled with injuries and major surgeries.Especially when you've done everything there is to do in the sport.Now hes been bumped to mid-card status.I think hes become very content with his current status.

 

Overall do I think wrestling has lost its intensity? No.I think that there isnt enough reasons out there to keep the level of intensity that most of us true wrestling fans are used to.The good old days of wrestling had more going for it than the wrestling of today.Todays standards just isnt as consistant on that level as it was back then.Nowhere close.

[Guest Heartbreak_Kid7]

Good points, I can see where you are comming from

[Evil Gringo 279]

Sorry to be picky but Benoit has won the I.C. Title 4 times and the tag titles 4 times as well...

 

As for intensity, well it depends on the worker really... Benoit still has the fire but its a little more restrained and Angle certainly has plenty left...

 

But to be fair these guys have nothing compared to the nutters on the Indy circuit, they are soooo intense. Get 'Testing the limits' by RoH and see how intense they are... espically during the mass brawl that erupts between the locker room and the Rottweiler group... Ki knocks out Brisco legit for 15 minutes because he is so in the zone, he just forgets to pull his kick.

 

Samoa Joe also tries to kill anyone that gets in his way but without crowbarring anyone...

[Guest PHIZZLE]

Ki knocks out Brisco legit for 15 minutes because he is so in the zone, he just forgets to pull his kick.

 

Thats not intense thats just unprofessional

 

who does he think he is Hardcore Holly lol :devil

[Evil Gringo 279]

Ki has in the past lost his focus on the work side because he is so into the premise of wrestling being a confrontation...

 

He wants it to feel real, its because of his links to the ethics of puro...

 

But sometimes he crosses the line accidently (like this) and things like this happen, he also knocked out Dan Maff as well in 2002.

 

The thing with Hardcore is that well he thinks he's super tough and this happens all the time when he gets in the ring with someone smaller or new. He's a tosser whereas Ki just slips up sometimes because he is so intense.

 

Not saying he's right, just stating theres a differance.

[Guest Mr Dragon]

a

[Evil Gringo 279]

Tis true... he is abit nuts...

 

At that show he'd have been told by the bookers that he hates the Brisco's and to attack them like a true enemy... So he did because he is intense about how his matches are precived...

[Guest Heartbreak_Kid7]

Can't disagree, his kicks are sick. He is very intense about his work. I wish he was a couple of inches taller, as he has the talent to make as a great star

[Guest Mr Dragon]

A

[Evil Gringo 279]

But maybe not the temprement...

 

He walked out on RoH because he felt that Z-1 was his big ticket and now he's a full time gajian with NOAH I can see him doing it again...

 

And gotta agree with Homicide... The man can work any style and is always bloody good in the ring... Even with Steve Corino

[Guest The Crippler]

I don't think Benoit has lost any of the intensity. Either through the WWE or himself, he's restricted himself a bit more in terms of moveset and whatnot and he isn't as good as he once was but he's still well ahead of most of the other guys in the industry.

 

But I don't think he's lost any of the intensity at all.