I agree with Arn and Finlay to some extent. I've never been convinced that Punk was legitimately over, based on the way he's been booked. I think most of the WWE fans are just following the leader. They've been given no reason to get behind Punk so strongly whatsoever. He comes across as a bland, pseudo-intense, straightedge "martial artist". His Anaconda-vice also looks like complete crap whenever he applies it. He not only needs a new finisher, he needs a complete makeover as a worker. Good work comes from the heart, not a fetish for copying random japanese moves.

However, i disagree entirely with Stephanie Mcmahon, though that should come as no surprise. Punk has insane value as a mic man if they'd just let him go heel. It's the same deal as Piper.

[QUOTE="_Muta"]RAW has been absolute **** since the Summer of 2005. Total-KO

Meh I think it's decline began around 2003 to be honest..it stopped being consistently good in 2003 whereas 2004 and 05 had good shows now and again, dotted around the year IMO.

RAW hasn't been consistently good since the summer of 2002 when the crappy NWO angle was the focus of show, Austin walked out, Jeff Hardy copped out,  Brock, Benoit, and Eddie were moved to Smackdown, and people were botching spots left and right like there was no tomorrow. Despite all of this, the show was still watchable. That all changed during the Summer of 2005 when the IC title was buried once and for all, Carlito was made into a one dimensional prop, Jericho & Angle were fed to Cena in carbon copy feuds, the Hardy/Edge feud was flushed down the toilet, and Masters was pushed. It would only get worse once the fans turned on Cena and HBK/Mcmahon feud started.

Yep. Smackdown late 2002 - 2003 had everything. Eddie Guerrero/Los Guerreros, a well booked Undertaker, Chris Benoit, a well booked Big Show, a strong up and coming Brock Lesnar who had all the potential in the world, Kurt Angle at his peak, Rey Mysterio before the WWE turned the fans against him, a decent babyface Edge, a well booked tag team division, and a very promising heel in John Cena.

And i almost forgot:

Public Enemy, Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge): Some might question the inclusion of these two. While they weren't exactly good workers in any sense of the word, they were the template for the "hardcore/we'll put you through a table" style tag team that many tag teams would pattern themselves after, including the Dudley Boyz. Arguably ECW's most popular act in its early days. Even today, their influence is still seen, mostly in the smaller indies. 9/1/53 - 9/22/02 & 7/10/66 - 2/16/06

[QUOTE="_Muta"]

David Von Erich - Surprised Kerry was given a write up over David in the first book. David was arguably World Class's biggest star, and many speculate that it wouldn't have ended there, as he was supposedly penciled in to win the NWA World title from Flair in 1984. Solid worker, the best out of all the Von Erichs, based on his work that i've seen from Florida and St. Louis.

sephy37

i probably would have Kerry before David too. even though David died right before he was gonna be super huge and possibly NWA Champ (man, i can't imagine how wrestling would have been changed if David would have been alive...i.e. Ric Flair not the top guy all the time maybe? big feuds with Brody, Funk, etc.), Kerry did achieve more in his career as winning the NWA Title from Flair at the Parade of Champions in David's honor. Kerry's death was just as tragic as David's. Meltzer should have just done Kerry, David, and their youngest brother in one book. but i can see by doing that it might overshadow one of the others (most assuredly the youngest as he never had "it" like his older brothers did and wasn't a big star)

This is true. Kerry was over, no doubt about that. Definitely the second most popular next to David. I see where you're coming from, Kerry did achieve more on paper. But let's face it, Kerry's reign was simply a quick answer to David's death. Nothing more. Kerry couldn't run with the ball like David would've been able to. It all boils down to pure ability. The ability to entertain, carry the belt, and draw. Kerry was good for what he was, but he couldn't hold a candle for David. And that was proven.

Mike and Chris don't deserve a write up, period. Not to be cold hearted, but facts are facts: neither were any good or nearly as over as the 3 older brothers and their father.

Loved the first two books, can't wait for the third. I guess Meltzer is waiting for more high profile stars to die (as sick as that may sound....) before he writes it. However, in his first two volumes alone, he did leave out a few important stars. (Dick Murdoch, Bobo Brazil, David Von Erich) And in the past couple of years alone, we've lost a fair share of wrestlers (Eddie Guerrero, Shinya Hashimoto, Chris Candido)

So if you had to compile the perfect list of people to be included in Tributes III, who would be in it?

I'll post mine later.

People already included:

Tributes:

• Owen Hart
• Brian Pillman
• Rick Rude
• Andre The Giant
• Big John Studd
• "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert
• Junkyard Dog
• "Love Machine" Art Barr
• Louie Spicoli
• Kerry Von Erich
• Fritz Von Erich
• Ray Stevens
• Jumbo Tsuruta
• Dino Bravo
• Gordon Solie
• Yokozuna
• Bruiser Brody
• "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
• Giant Baba
• Boris Malenko

Tributes II:

• Roadwarrior Hawk
• Curt Hennig
• Miss Elizabeth
• Stu Hart
• The Shiek
• Tim Woods
• Davey Boy Smith
• Terry Gordy
• Wahoo Mcdaniel
• Johnny Valentine
• Lou Thesz
• Freddie Blassie
• Gorilla Monsoon

- Joe vs. Morishima

- Nigel Mcguiness winning the RoH World title

- Misawa vs. Kobashi one last time in NOAH, and Kobashi winning the GHC heavyweight title one last time

- Morishima getting the GHC heavyweight title

- The return of Low-Ki and Alex Shelley in RoH.

- A Homicide/Low-Ki feud that spans the entire year of 2007

- Joe turning heel