Ian

Sort of a tough question to answer (for me) because most lower card wrestlers I've liked worked on top somplace at some point in their careers. Chris Candido, The Heavenly Bodies, and Bull Nakano (in the USA) are all examples of that.

Thanks for posting. Not sure if the fight will live up to the interview, and as much as Papa Garcia sucks I still won't be rooting for Zab. He needs to be put out to pasture, imo.

5dimes is the only book I know of that hangs lines on it. They do it for every WWE pay per view. Take bets? Yeah, but only $100 maximum and the lines move faster than Jim Cornette's mouth. When I posted the OP 10 hours ago Mark Henry was a huge favorite, now he's a slight underdog. It probably only took a few hundred to push the line that far. My guess is that someone who follows all the behind the scenes stuff could win longterm... I just can't stomach the thought of following WWE that closely.

These are the current odds from 5dimes. I don't watch current wrestling, so I have no idea what might be a good bet. Any thoughts? Wrestling Other Sports Money Line The Rock vs John Cena - WrestleMania - WWE Championship graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 101 The Rock (initial ruling) +1250 7:00PM 102 John Cena (initial ruling) -2750 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 103 The Rock (end of broadcast ruling) +2000 7:00PM 104 John Cena (end of broadcast ruling) -6000 Alberto Del Rio vs Jack Swagger - WrestleMania - World Heavyweight Championship graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 111 Alberto Del Rio (initial ruling) -900 7:00PM 112 Jack Swagger (initial ruling) +500 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 113 Alberto Del Rio (end of broadcast) -1700 7:00PM 114 Jack Swagger (end of broadcast ruling) +800 The Undertaker vs CM Punk - WrestleMania - Singles Match graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 121 The Undertaker (initial ruling) -4500 7:00PM 122 CM Punk (initial ruling) +1500 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 123 The Undertaker (end of broadcast ruling) -7500 7:00PM 124 CM Punk (end of broadcast ruling) +2500 Sheamus & Randy Orton & Big Show vs The Shield - WrestleMania - Six-man Tag Team Match graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 131 Sheamus & Orton & Big Show (initial) +1000 7:00PM 132 The Shield (initial ruling) -2000 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 133 Sheamus & Orton & Big Show (end) +1500 7:00PM 134 The Shield (end of broadcast ruling) -4500 Ryback vs Mark Henry - WrestleMania - Singles Match graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 141 Ryback (initial ruling) +310 7:00PM 142 Mark Henry (initial ruling) -430 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 143 Ryback (end of broadcast ruling) +310 7:00PM 144 Mark Henry (end of broadcast ruling) -430 Kane & Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler & Big E Langston - WrestleMania - WWE Tag Team Championship graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 151 Team Hell No (initial ruling) -1350 7:00PM 152 Ziggler & Langston (initial ruling) +650 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 153 Team Hell No (end of broadcast ruling) -1700 7:00PM 154 Ziggler & Langston (end of broadcast) +800 Brock Lesnar vs Triple H - WrestleMania - No Holds Barred Match graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 161 Brock Lesnar (initial ruling) +650 7:00PM 162 Triple H (initial ruling) -1350 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 163 Brock Lesnar (end of broadcast ruling) +800 7:00PM 164 Triple H (end of broadcast ruling) -1700 Chris Jericho vs Fandango - WrestleMania - Singles Match graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 171 Chris Jericho (initial ruling) +650 7:00PM 172 Fandango (initial ruling) -1350 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 173 Chris Jericho (end of broadcast ruling) +1000 7:00PM 174 Fandango (end of broadcast ruling) -2000 Wade Barrett vs The Miz - WrestleMania - Intercontinental Championship graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 181 Wade Barrett (initial ruling) +350 7:00PM 182 The Miz (initial ruling) -530 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 183 Wade Barrett (end of broadcast ruling) +500 7:00PM 184 The Miz (end of broadcast ruling) -900 Tons of Funk & The Funkadactyls vs Team Rhodes Scholars & The Bella Twins - WrestleMania - Eight-person Mixed Tag Team Match graded immediately on initial ruling, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 191 Tons of Funk & Funkadactyls (initial) -1050 7:00PM 192 Rhodes Scholars & Bella Twins (initial) +550 graded with final decision as broadcast ends, see sportsbook rules section for all conditions Sun 4/7 193 Tons of Funk & Funkadactyls (end) -1200 7:00PM 194 Rhodes Scholars & Bella Twins (end) +600

Doesn't Bruiser Bedlam win this?

Now that the death of Mid South conversation has been beaten to death I'll jump in with a new theory. From shoot interviews I've seen wrestlers often claim that MS/UWF fans "believed" far moreso than fans in other territories. WWF and Hogan, on the other hand, were impossible to take seriously as athletes engaged in legitimate athletic competition. I was 4 when Hogan pinned the Iron Sheik and by the time I was in the 1st grade every kid in my class knew wrestling was fake. It's at least plausible that when WWF went national, fans in Watts' territory realized they had been conned and stopped watching wrestling altogether. That, combined with other factors, may explain why UWF, JCP, and WWF couldn't draw in NOLA after the height of JYD.

To me the evidence points most to theory #1. The first few Superdome cards listed are absolutely loaded. R&R vs. MX all over the place, NWA title matches, JYD vs. Butch Reed in a ghetto street fight, prime Jake Roberts, prime Duggan, prime DiBiase, Steve Williams. It goes on and on. I'd pay to see those cards. The last card has some strong performers for sure, but I don't think there's a single match where I find both participants compelling. And the freebirds wrestling twice? I'm not even sure I'd watch that card for free.

I suspect the markets with appropriate tennis venues have better indoor venues for wrestling nearby. For example, the tennis stadium at the Home Depot Center in LA hosts a couple boxing cards every year, but that venue only seats about 8K. 8K seems like too large a venue for indies and TNA, but not big enough for summer slam. That said, it is a pretty good place for boxing, so I don't think your idea is too far fetched.