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Future of NXT

Hey Scott,

I thought this was interesting and didn't see it mentioned on the blog yet. There's a sit down interview with Michael Cole and HHH after NXT Takeover where HHH compares now to the attitude era. He says right now NXT is the ECW of this era, the "feeder system, the alternative" as he put it.

He said he eventually wants to make it into WCW, minus the going out of business part. But basically just as big and an equal to WWE.

Do you think this is where they are going right now with signing all the independent stars? Do you think Kenta, Steen, Devitt, Zayn, etc will just stay there and build it up to WWE vs NXT?

But if that does happen, then what will be there feeder system? Go back to just using a small independent promotion like they have in the past?

Curious what your thoughts are on this.

​I know that NXT is HHH's baby, but it's easy to talk a big game when you're running what is basically a free taping and literally paying the guys nothing as part of a developmental contract.  NXT is a fun alternative that's a throwback to the old territory days, but the writers have already started meddling with what was working and you can see the pollution of "WWE Style" clogging it up. Which is fine for what it is now, a feeder system to train guys for what working on the big shows is going to be like, but it's in no way something that can work as an alternative to the product on a bigger stage.  WCW was a different mentality based on an entirely different fanbase who had watched different people for decades.  But I'm glad he has such big plans for it.  ​

Comments

  1. I'd just dig putting the strap on Rollins soon and build to a triple threat match at Mania.. it's the most interesting and organic storyline they can do. Then put the belt at Mania on whoever is the most over come April. Personally I'd like to see Lesnar vs Batista at Wm as that has a really big match feel about it. Though in reality we are going to get Reigns shoved down our throat until we like it.. but I believe forced super pushes don't work anymore unless the guy is mega over and ready which I don't believe Reigns is.

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  2. I'm not sure Rollins has done enough to be seen on that level yet.

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  3. I caught the end of raw this week and the crowd seemed pretty dead for Ambrose at the end. Is everyone really clamoring for the guy? Austin (which I've seen people compare him to) in 98 that certainly was not.

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  4. I think they are writing the perfect storyline for Daniel Bryan, just like last year (and maybe unintentionally, just like last year). I'd expect some backlash from Heyman/Lesnar against H for Rollins' attempt to cash and then H being put in a position of trying to get competition for Lesnar.


    Even if it's not the case, they're going to be in a position of having no one believable to beat Lesnar after what he did to Cena with the two exceptions being Punk and Bryan.

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  5. Only if they buy TNA and/or House of Hardcore and put those guys together. ;)

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  6. The Shield triple threat match is gonna be a huge main event down the line for Mania, maybe even as early as 2016.

    As for Lesnar and 31, don't overthink it. Vs Reigns or vs Bryan are both great options.

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  7. Perhaps, but he is treated as the 'golden boy' of the authority, so they will have to pull the trigger sooner or later. I think the fans would buy into him as champion at this point and if anything the title will elevate him a lot provided he is booked well.

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  8. yea what was the report that nxt talents get 28k a year, while nxt divas get like 52k a year bc it costs more for their upkeep or something. I'd be pissed if I was a talent like Sami that this untalented bitch is almost making double and will never draw a dime.

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  9. Crikey Mate Down Under AussieSeptember 24, 2014 at 8:20 AM

    I only watched the opening segment with Ambrose and it was pretty hot, I think the crappy show might have burnt them out.

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  10. I don't think Lesnar vs Reigns is 100% set in stone. Ambrose is gonna have the next few months to get mega over while Roman is out, so that COULD change things. Like you've said, Monday night was about as big of a one night Raw push as someone could get. Dude opened the show, told Cena off, had a crazy brawl, fell off a moving car, became the focus of the running storyline all night, outsmarts the authority, and saves John Cena from a beatdown and has his music close the show.

    He's gonna have a chance to get way over.

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  11. Rollins is a fellow heel so they're not gonna feud, and the curb stomp probably won't ever be brought up again. Who cares.

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  12. Oh no. If it gets any bigger WWE will began treating it like Fandangoing.

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  13. He may end up having to do the Rollins blow off at mania though

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  14. *Ziggler vs Winner of a battle royale.

    NICE SPOILING, MR SPOILER!!!

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  15. Hmm. Actually post Mania, Raw did 5.3, 5.4, 4.75, 4.75.
    Hogan then won the title, and they dropped all the way to 3.7 by the time the
    May PPV came around, which would have been Raw’s lowest ratings since before
    Wrestlemania 14.

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  16. Fuck...I totally didn't even do that on purpose. I don't know if I should fix it because that match might actually get people from here to watch smackdown

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  17. Well listen, if they sucessfully sustain the heat for Ambrose/Rollins all the way til Mania, then as a fan I wouldn't look at that as a "have to do". It'd probably be the best built and most heated Mania match we've had in a long time.
    Who knows, maybe we get Brock/Bryan, Cena/Reigns, and Ambrose/Rollins.

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  18. I just watched it. That's a pretty good pop. And nobody gets pops like Austin in 1998.

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  19. My concern is that they couldn't keep it hot all that way

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  20. Rollins is awesome. He's going to be the breakout star of the shield over time.

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  21. Yeah. You're probably right.

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  22. That was a crummy time for the belt. That Hogan -> HHH -> Taker -> Rock -> Brock sequence was a waste. Not a memorable title reign in the bunch until it gets to Brock. If Hogan had the belt, they should have just had the Brock squashing Hogan match on Smackdown be when Brock won the title.

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  23. If it's still expected that Bryan is going to be good to go by the Rumble, that's your obvious main event.
    But this? This is not so bad either.

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  24. Actually that's the one I was thinking of. So they did that ridiculous idea TWICE?? Geez, talk about beating a dumb idea into the ground. I don't remember it happening for Havoc, but after WWIII you'd think they'd address their production crew kayfabe-wise.

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  25. On this one matter I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. The Shield's been handled pretty flawlessly for almost two years now, and the breakup happened in what... June? So that's about four months and Rollins/Ambrose has only gotten better and better. Not to mention that AMbrose and Rollins are maybe the two best performers going right now. If Ambrose/Rollins at Mania happens, I'm looking forward to it.

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  26. Slow NEWZ week yeah?

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  27. He needs to learn to fake brawl better too. His punches suck when he's doing his crazy, outta control act. To me he always looks like he's just trying too hard, be it his brawling or his interviews. I hope he gets over b/c it'd be new at least, but to me it's just falls a bit flat right now.

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  28. Doesn't change the fact that the whole reason he's been gone for years was because he didn't want to work a full schedule. Or do you think he can't say no?

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  29. Shit, by 2016 they'll probably reunite them. (Not a complaint.)

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  30. So if it's Rollins/Cena and Ambrose/Orton, any chance that both Shield guys actually go over?
    There's really no excuse for Orton going over Ambrose at this point in their careers, at all. And maybe HHH or someone costs Cena his match?
    Could set up a fun Cena/Ambrose/Reigns/Whoever vs HHH/Rollins/Orton/Kane match at Survivor Series.

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  31. It was a dead-ass crowd in general, I thought.

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  32. Those 2 matches don't do much for me, still holding out hope for the obvious ones. And hey, maybe Orton went over Jericho to build himself back up, so he can lose to Ambrose? Hopefully.

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  33. I think there's too many hours of TV and PPVs to keep something going for 7-8 months straight. For example, the Bryan chase last year went for a few months, then I feel they had no choice but to give him a side feud with the Wyatts for a few months, before starting again after the Rumble. So I don't think Rollins/Ambrose can stay hot for that long either.

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  34. He seems to get quite angry and agitated whenever someone has a different opinion. Like it kills his buzz or something.

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  35. So something in WWE doesn't do it for you??? Holy shit, this is huge! ;)

    Like I said the day after Raw, I think it's super obvious that Lesnar/cena is done. They've blown it off for now. Cena proved he COULD possibly win, which lets the kiddies smile again (and sets up cena/Lesnar at Mania, if that's what they need to do) but let Brock retain and take a little vacay. Why would they go back to it? Cena's not winning the belt, and there's no need for Lesnar to cleanly beat Cena AGAIN, since he did that in such a big way at Summerslam.

    The feud, for now, is pretty clearly over.

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  36. I always pictured it as a trilogy:
    -Brock squashes Cena
    -Cena shows he's improved, and MIGHT get it done...
    -Nope. Brock > Cena, next opponent please.

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  37. But how does this help John Cena?

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  38. As an American, I support your right to complain about something that you can already get for free.

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  39. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 8:55 AM

    Brock is what Cena's character needs: someone he can't (or has a tough time) getting the win against. It's working because it's taking Cena out of the "goofy smirking face" routine he's been in.

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  40. Do the same here. Ambrose can have side feuds with Orton, which he's probably about to have now. Hell, Rollins can hire the Wyatts to feud with Ambrose for a few months too. Then the Rumble match itself is a perfect place to reignite a feud, as you do a double elimination and BAM, they're on the Road to Wrestlemania.

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  41. In other words, he mad bro.

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  42. Do you have the network on your ps3? It's on there.

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  43. I'm sure the IWC would complain that WWE allegedly "forgot" about the feud, and then only brought it back up because a basketball game made them change their minds. Naah, that would be ridiculous behavior. :)

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  44. I think a few months off will be the best thing for Reigns. He’ll get a
    massive pop for his surprise return and it could totally rejuvenate him,
    especially if he spends the rest of the year at home working on promos.

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  45. True. I apologize for stepping on your toes. You got this.

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  46. Right, but I'm guessing WWE wants no part of that third step. WWE isn't in the business of completely destroying John cena.

    Lesnar won the feud (he won the squash match, retained the title) but Cena left still looking strong. I think that's about as far as WWE wants to go with it. I mean, Brock today is built about as strongly as humanely possible. What's the benefit of feeding Cena to him again?

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  47. So back in Dec the plan was Daniel Bryan wrestling in the main event at Mania, right?

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  48. I do truly believe that the Bryan/Sheamus match was the original plan. I however have zero beliefs that the Wyatt thing was a legit long term heel turn.

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  49. It sounded like Cole. Saxton could have said it but it had that over-excited Cole tone to it.

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  50. We might actually go...we're just waiting on an important financial deal to clear. :)

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  51. He definitely needs some decisive wins soon. He's over as a heel, his ring work is great all that he needs now is some decisive wins on PPV. Where's Mick Foley when you need him?

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  52. Magoonie NOT Teddy BelmontSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:04 AM

    They can't do it anytime soon but I think The Shield could pull off the Luger/Sting storyline from late 95/96. Rollins is a heel and either Dean or Reigns stick up for him against the other faces. I really think a heel/face friendship could work well nowadays. Maybe Reigns starts being friends with a still heel Rollins and Dean questions why Reigns is doing that and isn't sure he can trust him anymore.

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  53. That shoot lost the poll this week

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  54. Magoonie NOT Teddy BelmontSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:05 AM

    How do you work on promos from home? The bathroom mirror and a hairbrush as the mic?

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  55. BUNCH OF IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! *KICKS KITTEN*

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  56. That was the third time Ambrose had been in front of the live crowd (opening promo, match with Kane, then interference), and coming out of a box (which is veering into Santino/Hornswoggle comedy territory) might have hurt as well.

    However, the Austin comparison is ridiculous. The crowd was incredibly flat for his match against Kane, with Ambrose's efforts to play toward the crowd getting a limited reaction. Yes, it's Kane, and maybe it was one crowd, but there is a difference between Ambrose being (one of) the most over guy(s) on the roster and Ambrose is over at the DB (let alone Austin) level.

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  57. Magoonie NOT Teddy BelmontSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:07 AM

    The crowd is normally very hot for Ambrose and give him big pops. I just think the crowd was deflated from a long, boring RAW.

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  58. I know you don't believe anything Meltzer or Keller write because DIRT SHEETZ or whatever, but both had reports that HHH had to talk Vince into reversing the Bryan heel turn because it was pissing off the fanbase so much and hurting the live audiences. At that point Vince absolutely didn't care about Daniel Bryan long term at all, so there's no reason to think that he did the Wyatts angle just as a short term way to make Bryan a bigger babyface. The company absolutely changed their plans (and yes, good on them for that) just as they had to change their plans again with the whole Batista/Bryan plans for Mania. (Again, good on them.)

    The original Wyatt's kidnap Bryan thing was pretty obviously part of a longer term plan to build Bray vs Cena, as Bryan would be easily positioned as Cena's little buddy that he needed to save. What actually happened was obviously super rushed and out of nowhere.

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  59. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 24, 2014 at 9:08 AM

    I'm not opposed to DQ endings in main event matches IF they are used in service to a larger story. But if they're not doing Cena/Brock in the Cell, it makes all the shenanigans at NOC look a bit silly in retrospect. I figured Cena would be all indignant about the interference and DEMAND another title shot with the Authority stipulating that the match would be in the Cell, and there's your trilogy. Instead, Brock gets DQ'ed and probably would have lost if not for Rollins, and Cena has already moved on. And I don't think we can blame this on Reign's injury, because this seems to have been the plan all along.

    Brock should have just cheated to win, or at least gotten himself intentionally DQ'ed. If there's one thing he shouldn't be, it's a passive bystander in his own match (no matter how much HHH digs Rollins).

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  60. Well, I said I disagreed with him, explained his point of you, validated it, explained mine, tried to validate it, and asked if my point of view made sense.

    I had no idea that Andy was roundly disliked and I wasn't asking for everyone to flame him. I was trying to get opinions on NOC.

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  61. Sure, why not?

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  62. Magoonie NOT Teddy BelmontSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:12 AM

    Naked?

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  63. how close is bryan to coming back? I'm surprised they haven't found something for him to do to keep him on tv until he can wrestle again. Maybe he could've made the bella feud a little less awful.

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  64. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 24, 2014 at 9:13 AM

    I figured Cena would be trying to "save" Bryan for months, succeeding, and then we'd get the handicap tag match at Mania with them against the Wyatts. Might not have been a bad story, but the fans were not having any of it. Bad timing.

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  65. They completely took the sails out of him when he lost in the Chamber to Triple H. That was not the time to job him, in his first title match in WWE.

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  66. I think them being all baby faces would make for a better match.

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  67. Phwoar, go on then.

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  68. Brock is Sid, Rollins is Michaels, and Dean/Reigns are Diesel.

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  69. Thank the wrestling God (JBL!) that they didn't include Bryan in this Bellas shit. Would have absolutely made him look terrible. You don't need Daniel Bryan out there being part of some awful segment every week that the crowd is heckling.

    Nope, better off to keep him off TV altogether and save it for that mega pop when he makes the surprise return.

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  70. I feel that because
    1- Daniel didn't do anything heelish
    2- There was dissension in their VERY FIRST MATCH


    Those were clear signs that storyline wise, this thing was just not gonna work out, and it always gave fans hope that Daniel would change his mind. It just seemed obvious that he was gonna attack Bray very soon.


    Now had they worked great together and won squash matches 3-4 weeks in a row, then the fans would start accepting the heel turn, and would lose hope. But that's not at all what happened.

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  71. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 24, 2014 at 9:17 AM

    It does make you wonder: do they actually think the Bellas stuff is good television? Or is it just something to amuse the folks in the back?

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  72. I'll be sorely disappointed if we don't get Brock vs Cena inside the cell. If there was ever a feud that deserved to have a conclusion inside the cell, it's this one. HIAC has always served as the perfect place for personal rivalries to culminate - Undertaker/Shawn Michaels, Undertaker/Mankind, Undertaker/Brock Lesnar, Triple H/Shawn Michaels, Triple H/Batista, Undertaker/Randy Orton, etc. - and given that the NOC match ended in interference and given that this could be promoted as the final encounter that Brock and Cena will ever have (which in reality, you can bet it pretty much would be), it's perfect. The only possible reasons I an think of for not doing it is because they really think Cena is above two clean jobs to Brock Lesnar, which is kinda pathetic.

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  73. Yep. [/abeyance]

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  74. The idea is that maybe it wouldn't get heckled if the most over guy in the company had something to do with it. And it sorta makes Bryan seem like a pussy for not standing up for his wife

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  75. I agree taht in theory the Bryan/Wyatts story isn't bad but yeah, it was just awful timing. That's the kind of storyline you do a year later when Bryan's already established as a mega main eventer and you wanna find something fresh for him to do. Then by all means, a brainwashing and short term heel turn and redemption angle--- go for it. But the only thing fans wanted last year was to see him go after and win the title--- anything else was gonna get shit on.

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  76. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 24, 2014 at 9:19 AM

    Even Daniel working with Cena as an undercover agent works, with Daniel destroying the group from within. But I think WWE definitely intended to keep them together for longer than two weeks. Maybe a month or two, or at least until the next PPV. But People Power~! prevailed.

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  77. Thank god for Big Johnny.

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  78. Magoonie NOT Teddy BelmontSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:21 AM

    I have no clue. I do think they believe it's a good thing to use Total Divas for this fued.

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  79. He was also mad that his match with Lesnar at Survivor Series wasn't happening. It was either that it wasn't happening or that he wasn't getting his win back. Either way, he definitely chose to go away for a while

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  80. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 24, 2014 at 9:21 AM

    Agreed, how was this not paying off for a Cell match the whole time?

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  81. I agree. If one of them is the heel, Ambrose being it would make for the best match, I'd think, but I have no desire to see him not be a face anytime soon.

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  82. The content of that feud is still Brie Bella vs Nikki Bella, two of the worst and least-over performers on the roster arguing in a feud that fans are predisposed not to like. There's no reason to lessen the heat of one of your biggest draws JUST to make something awful be slightly less awful. (And being in the middle of those awful segments would absolutely lessen Bryan's heat.)



    You don't put lobster meat on a shit sandwich just to make the shit sandwich taste a little better. It'd just ruin the lobster and you're still eating shit.


    Now, why anyone would eat a shit sandwich in the first place, who knows.

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  83. When you seem the coming, better run for cover, girls you don't need a weekend lover ... AMERICAN MALES~!

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  84. WWE had Cena put Brock over as strongly as any star has EVER put anyone over. There's plenty of reason to do LOLCENAWINS at WWE booking, but this Cena/Lesnar feud is far from it.


    Even if this feud is over, Lesnar comes out of it looking dominate as fuck. They could easily just move on without needing Cena to job to him again.

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  85. The image of The Shield all turning towards Lesnar and circling him would get such a huge pop.

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  86. Wow Vince, you're so anti-WWE. It's not ALL bad, ya know.

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  87. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 24, 2014 at 9:32 AM

    Even if this feud is over, Lesnar comes out of it looking dominate as fuck.


    I'm not sure I agree with that. If Lesnar had gotten himself intentionally DQ'ed just to fuck with Cena's head, that's one thing. Or if the match just got so out of hand that the officials had no choice but to throw it out. Or even if Brock had taken advantage of the Rollins distraction to score a quick pin on Cena. Instead, he was clearly in trouble and only keeps his title because Rollins "saved" him. That's fine booking for a heel like Ric Flair, but not Brock (at least not this early in the run).

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  88. "You don't put lobster meat on a shit sandwich just to make the shit sandwich taste a little better."

    You've obviously haven't ate at Captain D's.

    "Now, why anyone would eat a shit sandwich in the first place, who knows."

    People eat braunschweiger. After that, it's a slippery slope.

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  89. Really? A "cocksucking" joke in 2014?

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  90. To take the title I meant to say.

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  91. I wasn't watching in 97: assuming this is the comparison to make, was the reaction Ambrose got in the Kane match comparable to Austin at that time? And was Austin similarly divisive geographically (assuming the Cenanation applies to everyone in today's product)?

    Now, forget the Austin comparison: was the crowd interested (let alone hot) for Ambrose's match with Kane? That crowd seemed dead, and this match only happened at the top of hour 2, not near the end of 3 hours after Divas matches and the Bunny. I wasn't expecting late 90s main event reactions, but the vast majority of people on the floor seemed content to sit on their hands for most of the match. The crowd was quiet, not just compared to the late 90s.

    First time I'd seen the Cenanation Map, but when some posters here have made the Austin comparison to Ambrose in a positive way, I don't recall them pointing out that the show was (theoretically) in a large, relatively anti-Cena part of the country that remains very loud. If the excuse/defense for a limited response is being in deep in Cenanation, then the same limitation should apply for big responses in Smarkville (or whatever the non-Cenanation parts of North America are called).

    Again, it's one city and one match (against a heat extinguisher like Kane), and maybe they were dead for the opener, too (I was mostly watching MNF).

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  92. THEY SHOULD HAVE ME ON THEIR SPEED DIAL, AND BEG FOR MY INPUT EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! I COULD SAVE THEM IF THEY JUST LISTENED!!

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  93. It's not a bad idea, but the problem I see is after all of that with Brock, he doesn't even really lose the match and nobody really gets a boost from "beating him" because it took a triple powerbomb and a pinfall on Rollins (who would obviously be the one pinned in this scenario) to do it.

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  94. They're not running Bryan/Lesnar at WM31. Not a chance.

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  95. I'm not personally making the comparison, but I've seen a lot written comparing him to Austin. Austin was the most over guy in history. But even last year, there was no mistaking the Bryan pops and fan interest. Just my own observation, I don't see it with Ambrose.

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  96. An exception is the guy Lesnar beat clean at Summerslam?

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  97. I think you could argue he was even MORE over in late 99. I remember thinking back then he literally could do no wrong. Fans would cheer at anything the guy did, it was really incredible.

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  98. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:37 AM

    The problem with the feud is Brie is not getting over as the sympathetic babyface. Nikki is fine when she does things without Brie but their interactions are killing her.
    Nikki could be the breakout star of the two if they let her be her naturally bitchy self.

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  99. First, I think people are going way too far with the "He's being compared to Austin!" stuff. As far as I'm aware, all comparisons toward Austin have to do with Ambrose being an anti authority babyface who actually acts like it (Cena doesn't, for example), who will beat up the boss, get arrested, etc. and not give a shit. I haven't seen anyone claim this is clearly Steve Austin in terms of crowd reactions, and certainly not any implication that it's Steve Austin IN HIS PRIME (not even Steve Austin 96, who wasn't always getting crazy pops even after the 3:16 promo).


    Second, as others said, it was his third time in front of the crowd. I thought he got a very good reaction to start the show, and he got a good reaction at the PPV too.

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  100. Yes but if that person catches on as the guy and it is an "if" they would move on to a singles match with Lesnar at Summerslam. I get it and I like it.

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  101. Film oneself and keep working on it until it becomes natural. It's the best way to improve public speaking I think. It's uncomfortable but in his line of work, probably a good idea

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  102. Comparing him to Austin in his character as compared to other babyfaces, not comparing his pop to Austin's pop. And anyway, if you were going to compare his reactions to Austin (which is silly and shouldn't be done), why would you compare him to Austin in his prime? You'd compare him to Austin 96, where he's just breaking out after the 3:16 promo and KotR win but still awhile away from being a consistent main eventer. Austin 96 wasn't always getting the monster pops he'd eventually get. He was clearly over and getting great reactions, but not like it would be in the prime of his career.

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  103. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:40 AM

    Stop crying over spoiled storylines.

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  104. HAHAHA, dude I'm checking out this Captain D's website now. LOBSTER BITES? What in the fuck are lobster bites?
    And how do they have "full lobster meals" for $4.99? Oh my god that's gotta be awful.

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  105. RANDOM: I was watching Savage's first DVD set last night, and I have changed my mind after years of not budging - Gorilla and Jesse were a better announcing duo than Gorilla and Heenan. Jesse just put the wrestlers & angles over better, and he still had great chemistry with Monsoon.

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  106. FINE! *throws away.... i don't know, something that is no longer of value*

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  107. You answered your own question: because it was funny.

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  108. Yeah but it's not the same anymore. WWE has a good thing going with Lesnar, they don't need to kill him off like they do everything else by slowly making him look like another guy. Someone needs to take the title off of him, not "well he loses it after a triple powerbomb with someone else pinned and then 5 months later he'll have a singles match where he isn't even the champion anymore".


    It's also the same reason I was upset when it seemed like Bryan wasn't going to get into the WM main event...because after all that, it needed to end at Wrestlemania. Batista winning the title at WM and Bryan winning at Extreme Rules, as many people speculated at the time, would have been garbage because it was the type of story that needed to end at WM, the biggest show of the year. I think Lesnar as the dominant champion is similar.

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  109. Oh.
    Well, then still absolutely no.

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  110. Oh yeah Brie's doing an awful job. I actually was digging her those first few weeks when she was feuding with Stefanie (that pre-show segment, the arrest angle) but she's somehow gotten worse.
    On one hand a major problem is that Brie still can't help but come off as a nasty bitch. She's just not likeable, and no amount of "she's married to Daniel Bryan, you guys!" can change that.

    The other problem with Brie is that she lost the Stefanie feud. Had she won that match and actually put Stefanie in her place, then fans would have been into her. But Brie basically got beat up and called out by Stef every week after the arrest angle, and THEN jobbed to her at Summerslam. Why would fans have an reason to cheer her? She's an asshole loser.

    Nikki's been better, sure, but she has by far the easier role. Fans always hated the fucking Bellas, all Nikki has to do is... well keep the fans hating the fucking Bellas.

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  111. And Cena. Cena is auto believable because even after his worst loss ever, he just "toughens up" and beats up all the Wyatts singlehandedly. Brock could beat him 7000 times in a row and it'd still be believable that Cena would beat him on 7001 and then jog around the ring like he beat the Brooklyn Brawler in a 30 second squash.

    ReplyDelete
  112. You complained about him instead of just reviewing. You opened him up for ridicule and rude comments. You could've made the same point in comments or in a personal message to him. To say you didn't expect people to react that way when you gave them the opportunity is silly.

    ReplyDelete
  113. Yep get your point totally but the point is that at this exact point it just seems flatly ridiculous that one person on the roster can be ready to beat Lesnar at Mania. This prolongs the angle in the hope that somebody eventually catches fire enough to be able to beat him one on one plus it keeps the Title on TV every week.

    ReplyDelete
  114. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:49 AM

    Like I said the more she talked the worse she got. Nikki embraces being a bitch. Brie comes across as phone to me because it feels like she's trying to hide being a bitch.
    They honestly could have used the Lex Luger/Barry Windham breakup as a blueprint and taken Brie off TV to establish Nikki as a heel.

    ReplyDelete
  115. He ended the Streak. He squashed the most protected guy in WWE, in historic fashion. He gets 20 minute verbal blowjobs on TV every week from the best talker in the business. He retained the title in a match that he again dominated the majority of.

    WWE has lots of problems, but the absolute least of them is "Brock Lesnar isn't being booked dominate enough." I'm pretty "smarky" as it were, but even I feel like you needed to give Cena SOMETHING in this feud, and that's what they did, they gave him the bare minimum. They basically showed that John cena could improve enough to keep from getting absolutely massacred again by Brock. He didn't pin Brock, he didn't win the title. He just saved a little face, and Brock lost nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  116. I didn't complain about him. I stated what he had told me. I didn't say I didn't expect people to react. I said I didn't know Andy was disliked and I didn't ask for people to flame him. If you read what I wrote, I said, "Please ream me in the comments." And the review is all there.

    But, that's cool.

    ReplyDelete
  117. I can picture the following conversation:

    Steph: "Paul, can we have Daniel come in for a segment with the Bella feud?"


    HHH: "Steph, the angle's going great! Why don't we just let Daniel stay home and recuperate? You don't need him for the feud, hun! It's fantastic the way it is! Oh, not to change the subject, but would you like to go out to dinner tonight?"

    ReplyDelete
  118. Taking Brie totally off TV is always a good idea, no matter what the feud.

    ReplyDelete
  119. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    Since you're throwing things out, can you take this box of old books to the dumpster?

    ReplyDelete
  120. Way to take a stand, going with "the field" against "one specific outcome." Bold.

    ReplyDelete
  121. Sell the tail, legs and claws to real restaurants, sell the scrap meat of fast food chains.


    Take the left over bits and bread them so much you can't taste the meat and deep fry it.

    ReplyDelete
  122. A lot of times when Shawn lost bests without losing them were when he was moving onto something bigger and they didn't have main event guys jobbing the tag team titles back then. Austin didn't job the IC title before he moved onto the main event and nobody gives him shit for it. It's not that big a deal now because guys win/lose all the time but back then then they guy who's getting the rocket push to Wrestlemania isn't jobbing to Shane Douglas.

    ReplyDelete
  123. God Bless America

    ReplyDelete
  124. I would bet real money that she calls him Hunter off camera.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:01 AM

    Needs more Daniel Bryan

    ReplyDelete
  126. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    I'll bet you if Brie left tomorrow and Nikki stayed she would get over.

    ReplyDelete
  127. Nash has said in a couple of interviews that Hall was going to go over Austin and Rock would go over Hogan, but the post-match angle was supposed to be an nWo beat down - changed to Hogan turning face the day of the show. Wasn't the story that they'd heard the cheers Hogan was getting all weekend and knew he'd be over huge?


    I was at that WM, it was awesome and fun and nostalgic, and it was fun when he put the red/yellow back on and won the title...but it got boring fast. You can blame some of that on Undertaker, possibly, because everything he did at that point bored me.

    ReplyDelete
  128. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    I would bet she calls him her bitch.

    ReplyDelete
  129. So the big subscription sell was basically to see the Brock no finish that will of course lead into the big...nothing.


    Book yourselves into a corner with only one logical outcome? Swerve! We just won't have any outcome at all, ANYTHING CAN DERP IN THE WWE!! ONLY NEIN NEIN NEIN!




    I didn't brush my teeth before coming to work this morning and I feel like I might as well have shown up with coyote shit in my mouth.

    ReplyDelete
  130. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 24, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    Yeah, in the long run Brock will be fine. It was just strange booking to me, is all, especially given all the things you mentioned. The guy who broke the Streak and killed WWE's Superman now needs Seth Rollins for help? It's like Doomsday suddenly needing an assist from Toyman.

    ReplyDelete
  131. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:03 AM

    The "toaster leavings" of seafood restaurants.

    ReplyDelete
  132. Clean is a stretch considering Punk had him all but beat before getting distracted by Heyman. So, yes, I'd absolutely say he's an exception. Don't be obstinate just for the sake of obstinacy. You don't do it well.

    ReplyDelete
  133. I think Hogan either was, or was under the impression, that he was going to be getting a pay per view rematch against Brock before he left due to creative/financial differences for a bit there. So maybe he was venting? Or maybe he was just self-promoting to get himself a match with Brock?

    ReplyDelete
  134. To be fair to Brock, who the fuck wants to go to Texas?

    ReplyDelete
  135. This has been entirely, wholly overthought.
    The Ambrose character today evokes some of the same manic, anti-authority breath of fresh air that '97 Austin did. That's the extent of the comparison. The comparison isn't meant to suggest the crowd reactions are exactly as big or that he's as good or will be as big of a star.

    ReplyDelete
  136. In other news, Keith Olbermann's opinion of the Derek Jeter Show, while giving voice to the people are are actually sick and tired of hearing about it, is very over the top. Olbermann is a self-professed baseball fan and historian. He should realize what Jeter symbolizes IN THIS ERA: a guy who showed loyalty to a team that likewise showed him respect (except that time Steinbrenner questioned his nightlife); a guy who played the game the right way; a guy who could have actually served as a role model for the kids. I tend to believe that Olbermann said the things he said for the sake of being "that guy", which is not too much of a stretch. I say this as the most die-hard RED SOX fan.

    ReplyDelete
  137. 2.7 or 2.8. Yeesh. These are good scores nowdays? That's near 1995 viewership as far as ratings go.

    ReplyDelete
  138. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:07 AM

    TJ: Agents of SHIELD was pretty good last night. Gonna try to keep this vague so that those who haven't watched yet don't get spoiled, while those who did know what I'm talking about.

    Loved the way things went with Fitz; interesting storytelling. Also, could see the direction they were gonna go with Xena's character, but what they did didn't take away from it.

    They definitely hit the ground running, so I'm looking forward to the season. Definitely noticed that if you didn't follow the 1st season, you'd probably be all like "Zuh?" with all the little references and callbacks throughout the episode. So if you're gonna pick up the series with season 2, it would be a good idea to get really familiar with season 1.

    ReplyDelete
  139. Texas guy here: only a woman could do that.

    ReplyDelete
  140. People that don't understand Jeter's significance aren't actually baseball fans and are just cheering for their home town laundry.


    Anyone that actually knows anything about the game itself holds him in the highest regard. Also, fuck the Yankees.

    ReplyDelete
  141. I always thought a Clique lead nWo was the way to go at that time. Triple H didn't light the world on fire as a face and turned heel soon anyway. I guess there's the issues of Nash's health and Hall's problems at that time though. But you can still do the Shawn face comeback by having the Clique/nWo wanting to dominate the company like they used to and older reformed Shawn refusing.

    ReplyDelete
  142. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:09 AM

    I wonder how many times she's slipped up and called him Randy or asked for a good Poffo'ing.

    ReplyDelete
  143. I've always said that the WWE shouldn't have broken them up. Let them go and do their own things, fight their own fights, win their individual belts. But, when The Authority (or whoever) stack the odds against them:
    "That's cool. I've got a couple of buddies that'll have my back! Sierra, Hotel, India..."
    **Crowd POPS like crazy** and the shit is on!

    ReplyDelete
  144. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:11 AM

    Not sure if the pun is related to WWE's use of it, but even if it's totally independent, look for WWE to take 100% responsibility should it have any success.

    ReplyDelete
  145. Curious: What time period does the show take place in? Meaning, it's in a post-Avengers time line right? I only ask because I've always wondered how they were going to bring Coulson back and am curious if they just did it during the show or if it's still going to be in one of the movies.

    ReplyDelete
  146. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:13 AM

    I'm sure the leather Domme outfit she wore in her match with Brie has been worn numerous times before.

    ReplyDelete
  147. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:13 AM

    It's post the Avengers-movie and concurrent with the 2nd Thor movie (briefly, for only bit of an episode) and the 2nd Cap movie (major storyline developments result from Winter Soldier).

    ReplyDelete
  148. Yeah, it's pretty much chum.


    Tip - If you're not within walking distance of a body of water, don't ever order seafood. It just rots too fast

    ReplyDelete
  149. I think Nikki would make a great heel opponent for a feud with babyface AJ Lee, IF they actually comitted to going with AJ as a babyface. You know, letting AJ explain why we should root for her and act like an actual face.


    But yeah, to me that's an obvious gimme. Sympathetic, cool little AJ vs big bad asshole Nikki Bella.

    ReplyDelete
  150. Damnit, now I'm going to have to check it out. Cap2 was criminally good.

    ReplyDelete
  151. If we had this 4-way and then Bryan Vs Punk as the big singles main, that's me sold 1000%. 6 made guys/guys getting made at the top of the card and still room for a Cena match. Wishful thinking, I know

    ReplyDelete
  152. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:16 AM

    I live near the shore so I'm used to looking into the kitchen and seeing a boat tied up to a harbor in the back. "Catch of the day" really IS the catch of the day.

    ReplyDelete
  153. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:16 AM

    It was slow-going at 1st but definitely found it's stride as it went along.

    ReplyDelete
  154. First rule of seafood: If you're between Appalachia and the Cascades....don't*.


    *Unless you are in Vegas.

    ReplyDelete
  155. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:17 AM

    I think the New Jack shoot should just be close-ups of his forehead in different lighting so we can see all the scarry goodness

    ReplyDelete
  156. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:17 AM

    Nikki could be Steph's avatar the way Orton was, only Nikki would go all Hollywood because she's got the Total Divas show.

    ReplyDelete
  157. Two quick sidebars - I've posted about when my college hosted the "WWE debate" during the 2004 election. I got awkwardly stuck talking to Linda (Vince and Steph were obviously way more popular) and said something like, "So, I guess the whole family is here except for Shane" and she added, "Well, and Triple H." And I kind of looked at her funny and said that I assumed they don't call him that at Thanksgiving and she was embarrassed and was like, "Oh, no, no, I just didn't know if you knew what his name is."

    My cousin works for WWE Studios (of all things, since she is NOT a wrestling fan) and the last time I saw her (years ago), she was telling me about her experiences on sets and meeting the wrestlers, and she randomly asked me the following question - "I know why everyone calls 'Big Paul' 'Show', but why does everyone call the other Paul 'Hunter'?" And I had to awkwardly explain the history of blue-blood snob Hunter Hearst Helmsley and...yeah, I wanted to jump out of the sunroof at that point even though she WORKS for them.

    ReplyDelete
  158. I think that about Olbermann a lot. He's a smart guy who wants to be seen as THE smart guy when it comes to sports. Sort of an intelligent version of Skip Bayless.

    ReplyDelete
  159. From the You Couldn't Write This Fucking Joke File: Putting an iPhone 6 in your skinny jeans pocket will cause the phone to irreparably bend and eventually break.




    If only there was an unbendable version of the exact same phone they could have modeled theirs after...

    ReplyDelete
  160. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 24, 2014 at 10:27 AM

    The show was slow out of the gate but once the events of TWS affected the show, it got much better. It almost seemed like they were killing time until the TWS bombshell

    ReplyDelete
  161. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:28 AM

    I didn't know Drax got an iPhone!

    ReplyDelete
  162. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:29 AM

    I think it was picking up before Winter Soldier, but yeah, WS was the Montreal/DX/Austin to the rest of the show's 1997.

    ReplyDelete
  163. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 24, 2014 at 10:29 AM

    I think the love fest is over the top at times, but he's an top-10 all time shortstop and 20 years as the face of the pinstripes is worthy of celebration. Beats the NFL bad news train

    ReplyDelete
  164. Really good idea. But yeah, Nikki should just squash Brie, get her off TV permanently, and become the Hollywood heel of the division.

    ReplyDelete
  165. Yeah Cap2 really shook the shit up, which is weird because you'd think with THAT big of a shake up you'd look to more than just Cap and Tits to save the world.


    Those movies have gotten so strange "Here's a massive threat for our hero but just not quite massive enough for all the other heroes to come help so really not that massive a threat but still....drama!" Don't get me wrong I've loved mostly all of the movies save GotG but it's such an awkward plot issue to have to work around every movie.

    ReplyDelete
  166. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:31 AM

    At times he reminds me of Dennis Miller.
    I HATE Dennis Miller.

    ReplyDelete
  167. I agree with this, especially the "why would you eat a shit sandwich part."

    ReplyDelete
  168. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 24, 2014 at 10:31 AM

    I doubt there's more than two people IN THIS BUSINESS JACK who have ever called him Paul. Hunter is a cooler name anyway

    ReplyDelete
  169. Sadly, I instinctively wrote Hunter first and then changed it. You're probably right...

    ReplyDelete
  170. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 24, 2014 at 10:33 AM

    Brie, like Jericho, should never be a babyface. Her inherent personality does not mesh with it.

    ReplyDelete
  171. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:33 AM

    Yeah, but she needs a makeover as well. I hate when someone turns heel but doesn't change their look to match.

    ReplyDelete
  172. No one enjoyed Dennis Miller. Did you know that the word enjoy comes from the 15th century Middle English word enjoien?

    ReplyDelete
  173. Well, considering his love for Miz, it just felt right.

    ReplyDelete
  174. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    Who signed off on having him on MNF? He was like the Cliff Clavin of announcers.

    ReplyDelete
  175. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 24, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    I still use a clamshell. It's tough to play SuperCard on it but it does the job.

    ReplyDelete
  176. Well, not sure about that comparison. Brie's a forever shit babyface, 100%.

    And while Jericho's late 2000s heel run was off the charts, we're also talking about a guy who was a mega over babyface at various times, including in the heart of the Attitude Era. Maybe the current "dad in a band" version of babyface Jericho isn't so great, but he's been a great babyface before.

    ReplyDelete
  177. Is Nikki really turning heel, though? When have fans not hated this asshole?

    ReplyDelete
  178. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 24, 2014 at 10:37 AM

    A triple power bomb to slay the beast would be a neat spectacle

    ReplyDelete
  179. He was a real know it all. You know the modern turn of phrase know it all originally came from the ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself" which was one of the Delphic maxims and was found inscribed in the pronaos of the Temple of Apollo. Oh what a hit from Taylor.

    ReplyDelete
  180. and he had a RAW main event vs. Austin.

    ReplyDelete
  181. DID YOU KNOW?
    TSN Canada featured WWE Superstar Bo Dallas' catch phrase "Bo-lieve" in a headline on their website.

    ReplyDelete
  182. You go to Wrestling Promo Open Mics at local bars, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  183. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:40 AM

    Well she needs to embrace it more. She comes out saying she's tired of being compared to her twin sister but still then comes out wearing the "Bella 02" shirt.
    If she wants to express her individuality now is the time to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  184. EHHHH, no multi-man bullshit watering a Brock Lesnar Mania match. That match absolutely has to be Brock lesnar vs the #1 Babyface, end of story. You don't have a guy end the streak and squash Cena just so he could drop the title in a convoluted fatal fourway.

    ReplyDelete
  185. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:41 AM

    The average football fan doesn't want to hear that shit.
    "Honey, who is this asshole using big words?"

    ReplyDelete
  186. Mania's in April, not next week. Bryan or Reigns or Ambrose could absolutely be ready for a Brock victory in 6+ months. Hell, if Bryan came back tomorrow he'd be over enough to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  187. Want her to grow an evil goatee or something?

    ReplyDelete
  188. Exactly. The Shield multi man match and "Brock Lesnar defends the title" are two separate main event matches for different years.
    And yeah, Brock absolutely needs to face someone one on one.

    ReplyDelete
  189. He's gay for Miz! Just like he's gay for Moleman!!

    ReplyDelete
  190. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:46 AM

    YES! Beard = evil.

    ReplyDelete
  191. Far from a clean win. Heyman broke up a pin and a submission AND distracted Punk. That was about as protected a loss as it gets.

    ReplyDelete
  192. TJ: for the observer subscribers...anything in regard to the uk network launch..what model pricing...it's comin out in a week no news as of yet.

    ReplyDelete
  193. Daniel must be the meanest SOB in history then.

    ReplyDelete
  194. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:50 AM

    ....um, £9.99?

    ReplyDelete
  195. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:50 AM

    It's funny because it's true

    ReplyDelete
  196. Gunther the Nasty LoserSeptember 24, 2014 at 10:51 AM

    I thought the clamshell was to *prevent* it from doing the job.

    ReplyDelete
  197. But... it IS their creation, so... You want them to lie and say it's someone else who came up with it?

    ReplyDelete

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