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Wrestler names (again)

Hey Scott, 
Long time blah blah...
Anyway, in the comments we are always complaining about the WWE Random Name Generator and the reason is obvious - Trademark and merchandising. But the most common example is always, "Vince let CM Punk keep his name, and he's the last person who will get that treatment."

But didn't both Cody Rhodes (yeah, I know, Runnels, but does Vince own Rhodes?) and Ted DiBiase (Jr) sign with WWE after Punk? I know neither of them have been the merchandising machines Punk was.
But can you imagine Legacy with Curtis Axel like names for those guys?
And would Joe Hennig have done any better as Axe Curtis?

The Legacy thing was actually during the period where Vince's crazy whim was guys keeping their wrestling namesake for marketing purposes.  So that was actually deliberate, believe it or not.  

And I feel like Axel Curtis might have been a better name.  

Comments

  1. It's easier to make a Dusty than to find a Hogan.

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  2. Wow, that's really good. Kudos!

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  3. They should stop giving Reigns promo time. The guy can convey WAY more emotion just roaring at a dude in the ring then with the corny patter the writers make him say.

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  4. Better they ram this guy down our throats for 18 months and then ditch him like Sheamus for being a bust than take a chance of actually getting him over. Enough with this guy already, ugh

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  5. Theres like the same 7 or 8 attitude era questions mixed in his mail bag everytime. To Meltzer credit he tries to answer everything. There is a lot of good random stuff about the territory days in it too though. I love his mailbag but definitely some dipshiy questions.

    It woukd be like q: Austin has been scene working out a lot. Could he be getting in shape for a mania match, and if so against who?
    A: Austin has said he'll come back if the money is right and the creative angle is something he could...umm, you know...sink his teeth into.

    Then two hours later on 411: MELTZER UPDATE ON AUSTIN COMEBACK

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  6. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 8:53 AM

    Ha, forgot about that one, see, CM Punk was a company guy back then calling it a title.

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  7. He's also spending way too much money on peanut butter.

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  8. That match still irks me. It doesn't make me mad, per se, but I just never got why on Earth they would book that match the way they did, especially on a show where plenty of things were getting cut for time as it was.


    Did anyone really want to see Michael Cole on offense?

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  9. And his gym membership

    Funny how Mike Johnson and Scherer took shots at me yet Johnson still lives with his mom and I am about to close on a condo

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  10. Keeps me sane.

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  11. I lost all respect for Johnson. I admit he tries hard to work sources and get stories but that was so pathetic. Fuck him.

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  12. Even after KOTR 96' Austin wasn't booked mega strong. Not until the Hart feud to end the year. All it did was create support from fans who wanted to see him be pushed further.
    In fact is KOTR 96' was his breakout moment, it was a year and half until he won the title. Has Reigns even had a breakout moment yet?

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  13. Yet they push him every time he comes back, while Dolph Ziggler is the one labeled as injury-prone.

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  14. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 8:57 AM

    I feel even more sad for Snuggles now.....

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  15. And even if they wanted to keep the feud going, Lawler squashing him still could have worked. Cole is a slimy little heel... he comes out the next night and threatens to sue and you keep things rolling.

    They should have just aped the Kaufman angle.

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  16. WWE exists in their own reality.

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  17. Those two should just delete their Twitter accounts. They come off awful on them.

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  18. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:00 AM

    I voice my displeasure about this a lot. I hate angles where the face is not allowed to touch the heel, but the heel does whatever the fuck he wants without punishment. I understand it's supposed to build up anticipation for the ass-kicking the heel is supposed to take but in the case of Cole/Lawler (and to a lesser extent Vickie/Guerrero) the aforementioned ass-kicking never came.

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  19. Who created the Scherer Dog Twitter account?
    Also, the guy on Twitter with the open shirt ragging on Scherer's fans was hysterical too.

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  20. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 9:01 AM

    Might as well have them delete their Facebook pages as well.

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  21. You could have called Curtis Axel literally anything, and I don't think he'd be anything more than a solid hand in the ring right now. Which is basically all he is now anyway.


    Not everyone was meant to be a star, even if they are the product of one of wrestling's all-time most talented performers.

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  22. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 9:02 AM

    JoeDust I believe created Snuggles account.

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  23. Wade Barrett is taller.

    Wade's had his time in the dumps, too. Remember when Daniel Bryan made him his bitch and shaved half his beard?

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  24. Aside from his look, which Vince seems to like, is there any reason to believe Reigns can be a top player? Has he cut a good promo? Has he had a good singles match? Why do they think this is a good idea?

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  25. Wow, that was quick. I sent that question less than an hour ago.
    Quick, BoD'ers - what would Legacy's NXT Random Names be these days? Cody, Ted, and Randy?

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  26. And that's always the issue with the "face can't touch the heel" angle, because 70-90% of the time, the match finally comes and....collar-and-elbow tie-up! BECAUSE RAAAAGE!


    That's why Ambrose and Rollins has been such a great feud. Ambrose was dying to get his hands on Rollins, so when he finally did, he didn't wrestle the guy. He fucked him right up. You know, almost like he actually hates the guy. And whaddya know? It got over like gangbusters.


    Pro wrestling: imagine that.

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  27. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:06 AM

    From a previous post I did:

    A match is made where Lawler wrestles Swagger, If Swagger wins Cole gets the Kings crown. if Lawler wins he gets 5 minutes in the cage with Cole

    Swagger beats the hell out of Lawler but due to a miscommunication between him and Cole Lawler wins with a fluke roll-up. Cole goes into the cage and gets 30 seconds of offense before Lawler pulls the straps down and destroys Cole. He gives him 3 piledrivers (including one on a chair.) Lawler goes to leave the cage but Swagger blocks the door. King hits him with a fireball. He walks out and celebrates.

    Cole is taken out on a stretcher and is off TV for 3 weeks. He comes back in a neckbrace.

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  28. I say get rid of that silly "drive-by dropkick" and overused spear and give him the Diesel move set: punch, big boot, snake eyes, power bomb. Sometimes it's better to stick to basics.

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  29. This.

    I think wrestler names, or the importance thereof, is vastly overstated. It's a factor, sure, but....I mean, is "Dean Ambrose" a good name? I don't know. Sounds like a preppy douchebag. But does it matter? Not at all.

    Kinda like what we were talking about with a wrestler's look in the thread about the wwe.com interview with the NXT guys, a good one can help but a "bad" one won't hurt you if you have the talent and charisma.

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  30. It has to be the look, because nothing else about him says "star". With time, I'm sure he'll improve in the ring and on the mic, but right now, he's nowhere near ready for the top of the card.

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  31. I really like Keller.

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  32. Has any bigger name wrestler ever NOT been embarrassed on camera for something?


    I can't recall Brock doing anything embarrassing on camera. WM20 doesn't count. That's a legit bad match. I'm talking more like Kiss My Ass Club or other ridiculous shenanigans.

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  33. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:08 AM

    He comes to the ring with EMTs who keep a stretcher ready.

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  34. But does he have 2 houses?

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  35. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:08 AM

    Does dancing with the Mariachi band count?

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  36. I do too
    He can get redundant after a while though.

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  37. Only one to my knowledge and he isn't living the high life in Vegas.

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  38. I do know that he is secure enough not to have to babble on about what he owns

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  39. Hmm, I don't recall that. Eddie? It must have been on SD.


    How bad was it?

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  40. I dunno, I feel like there was a ceiling on Nick Nemeth's career the minute they gave him the name "Dolph Ziggler".

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  41. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:12 AM

    Scherer: Doc, I think my dog has a food allergy, he may be allergic to peanuts.
    Vet: "Mr. Scherer, your dog isn't allergic to peanut butter, he has PTSD. He seems to be associating it with a traumatic incident.
    Scherer: ..oh. *evil grin*

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  42. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:12 AM

    So he's the average rapper?

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  43. Just don't have him overcome odds for another 10 straight years

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  44. I think now that I've been enlightened with what these subscribes asks, I'm not sure how anybody wouldn't be.

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  45. I really do think that "it" factor so often talked about is there with Reigns. Sid had "it" too, and he was only a fringe main eventer, so it's not like you're a made man. But I see Reigns in that category at worst even if he's still raw.

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  46. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:13 AM

    http://youtu.be/MKD3B7WKFYY

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  47. You forgot the hair flip!

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  48. Yup.


    A really stupid name is an anchor. It can be overcome, but it's going to pull you down, especially in the early days.

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  49. "Roman, what do you have to say to critics who say you can't hang in the main event scene with A+ players?"
    "Actions speak louder than words, Rene. Believe that!" (Stalks to the ring.)

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  50. Would fans accept such a basic move set these days? They
    want to see guys like Dolph flying about.

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  51. Sounds more credible than Nick Nemeth. I never got the hate for Ziggler's name. It sounds unique. Michael McGillicutty, on the other hand, was an awful name.

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  52. It would be funny if they re-started the Bryan "push" at WM28 with Reigns. In two years he can become "Roman Wyatt."

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  53. That promo was exactly eight words too long.

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  54. Dude. He's had ONE pay-per-view singles match.

    And the perception of him being rammed down our throats is based on where we believe they're going with him rather than anything that's actually happened thus far. Yeah, he's getting the rocket strapped to him, but he isn't yet near the tippy-top, as Cena/Lesnar is nine levels above everything else right now. They're actually doing an admirable job of taking their time with him.

    If he stops improving (and he has improved), stops getting over and they still put him in the WM31 main event? Then this is a relevant conversation.

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  55. Losing streak angles always work!

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  56. Which is why it's good that they aren't putting him there, yet.

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  57. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:21 AM

    Bonus points if they work in the "cheese grater" spot on Cole and he gets busted open.

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  58. So the Authority booking Reigns against Kane isn't getting the job done?


    Might be time for Reigns to do a stretcher job to make him more sympathetic in time for Royal Rumble.

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  59. You're right. I'm no good at Twitter either. *sigh*

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  60. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 9:22 AM

    The only time I think that worked was the "Three Stages of Hell" match with HHH and Austin. They went in there and immediately tried to kill each other.

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  61. I have it on good authority (Dave Meltzer) that somebody (Dave Scherer) has a dog (That Poor Dog) that is about to get a push on the American Kennel Club circuit (not accurate).

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  62. Roland Marconi
    Alistair Scorpio
    Arm Castington

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  63. Brandon Bloom, Teddy Timberstein, and Randy Rosenberg... That was intentionally awful.

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  64. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 19, 2014 at 9:28 AM

    I don't know, there are "bad" looks and then there's stuff like this:

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1e/RoadkillWWE.jpg/640px-RoadkillWWE.jpg


    I mean, I think you'd have to be the lovechild of Jack Brisco and Superstar Graham in terms of talent and charisma to overcome that visual deficit.


    And "Dolph Ziggler" really is a terrible name. It doesn't sound real, it's not a reference to any tangible thing or idea, it's not a clever pun or alliterative nor does it translate into anything cool or mysterious (like Skandor Akbar, which may be the coolest wrestling name ever, translating to "Alexander the Great"). It's just a dumb-sounding name.

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  65. I think Reigns has the "it" factor but he still needs to develop the tools to be the man. Look at the Rock, like Scott stated, it was only after they stopped pushing "Rocky Maivia" down our throats that he had the chance to develop as a wrestler. Imagine if Hulk Hogan beat Bob Backlund for the WWF title in 1980, it would have been a disaster but by 1984 he developed enough in all aspects of wrestling that he led the WWF mid-80s boom. Right now Reigns is Hogan 1980 not Hogan 1984.

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  66. Hennig should drop the Curtis part. Axel works okay by itself.

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  67. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 19, 2014 at 9:33 AM

    Axe Curtis would work if Axel looked the least bit dangerous or intimidating, But he doesn't.

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  68. When you make Gene Anderson look handsome...

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  69. Yes, exactly! It's not that the names are fake, that's cool and common for a lot of entertainers.


    It's that they're STUPID. It's like they're ribbing guys with them. If you're going to stick someone with an obviously fake name, then it really ought to be funny, or clever, or SOMETHING.

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  70. I recall one of his podcasts around the beginning of his Broken Skull Challenge show about how he looked fat on the show and needed to get back in the gym.

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  71. TNA SPOILER***

    Brodus Clay is now Tyrus EC3's henchman. You think Tyrus is better than Brodus Clay, or better yet a heel body guard gimmick or a goofy dancing dinosaur better??

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  72. Kane is pretty much Ivan Putski, Tony Garea, Chief Jay Strongbow circa 1984 now.

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  73. Triple H
    Undertaker

    Two more names that look pretty stupid on the surface for major stars... a good name can do a lot, but like you said, it can be overcome for sure

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  74. Reigns has been a singles guy for all of 3 months. I think he can improve. People shouldn't expect the guy to be Ric Flair in the ring or Steve Austin on the mic right out of the gate.

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  75. Tyrus is a better name, but that isn't hard. Brodus is a bad, bad name. I feel bad for the guy. He should have been the fun dancing dinosaur guy for the kids for years. He could have ridden that to a beach house.

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  76. But they don't want to see TWO guys flying about. Otherwise, TNA's Five-minute X-Division spotfests would draw better.

    I think it's cool to just see someone overpower the roster with sheer force. And hair flips.

    Hell, Lesnar's last match was almost all suplexes and people seriously dug it.

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  77. I would include Edge as a guy who got really over as a main eventer. They botched his heel title reign badly however. I would mention how Edge vs. Cena should've main evented Mania 22 but I don't feel like arguing with Vince Jordan.

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  78. I never got what they did with him. They built him up as goofy, but basically unstoppable, and it was working. He was owning the gimmick.


    When he came out to face off with Big Show I was legitimately interested in an unstoppable force/immovable object kind of way. And then Big Show just owned him in every way, and treated him like an NXT jabroni.


    It was weird.

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  79. the best is when he would team with sin cara, and sin cara would start busting moves with him in the ring.

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  80. yea the match didnt even start and big show buried the shit out of him.

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  81. There was some confirmation that new Austin shirts were in development a few days/weeks back. There could be something to it.

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  82. Austin vs. Cena would be a money match.

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  83. I just have to say that anyone who sits in a huge line for hours to get an iPhone the first day is a dimwit.

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  84. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 19, 2014 at 9:49 AM

    They should have just aped the Kaufman angle.

    THIS. I mean, the set-up was right there for the taking! Sometimes I just don't understand WWE.

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  85. This made me laugh so hard I almost threw up again. (That's 100 percent true, I'm home sick today.)

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  86. The "it" factor is "this guy looks like he should be a pro wrestler and people will go crazy for him". And so far, they kind of have, but if you push him too hard, the smark backlash will start to filter into the arenas, and he won't catch fire like, say, Ambrose will, because he's not being shoved down our throats.

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  87. You know, I never thought about the actual HHH name, but you're absolutely right. It's borderline absurd. But it works.


    Come to think of it, a lot about HHH is silly. The water spitting bit is supposed to be badass, but it's a grown-ass man spitting a column of water into the air and then posing like he's just spewed the blood of his enemies into the audience.

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  88. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 19, 2014 at 9:50 AM

    Would Vince let him use fire?

    Otherwise, A+++.

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  89. And yet, it hasn't kept him from getting over. People love the dude. His name hasn't been the problem.

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  90. But...but...but it has a bigger screen!

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  91. I always thought of it more as a wrestling version of Bron's chalk clap than something that's supposed to be menacing. It looks badass, but it's not supposed to specifically portray him as a killer or something.

    Then again, I'm an unapologetic HHH mark.

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  92. Remember when the Westminster Dog Show used to preempt RAW and we'd all be so pissed? Not Dave Scherer...for him, it was like porn on network TV!

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  93. Semi-related: how did MVP get to keep that name?

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  94. It's just a way for the character to pump himself up before a big match.

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  95. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 19, 2014 at 9:56 AM

    Never said that it killed his career or anything, just that it was a really bad choice for a name. He overcame it, obviously, but why give him that obstacle to begin with?

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  96. Even "Rocky Maivia" was like an early prototype for the NXT Random Name Generator.

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  97. Basically. It's a pro wrestling entrance, why overthink it? It looks cool, it gets a reaction. That's all that counts.

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  98. Add Foley as a last name and perform in blackface

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  99. Smart move. Cause neither guy was ready to headline WM on their own at the time, putting them against each other would be like having Dean Ambrose vs Bray Wyatt at this year's main event. Maybe in a few years, sure as hell not now.

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  100. The Love-Matic Grampa!September 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM

    My guess: WWE can copyright "Montel Vontavious Porter", but not the actual initials "MVP".

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  101. I would say the same applies to most electronics.

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  102. No, then he'd just be billed as Cena Lite, as he always overcomes the oddz.

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  103. Didn't Dolph have some say in it? As I recall, "Don Diggler" was what they originally came up with, he rightly thought it sucked and Dolph Ziggler was what stuck. In any case, it's not like he was intentionally saddled with a bad name. People make mistakes.

    But my litmus test for if a name is good is a little simpler: are people chanting it? They are? Then it's good enough.

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  104. I strongly disagree with your opinion. The ratings jumped when Edge won the belt and he was a hot, fresh, and very over heel. 22 absolutely deserved to be Edge vs. Cena.

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  105. That's kinda what I was thinking, too.

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  106. If he's positioned to be the face of the company in six months what should we expect?

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  107. We'll see if he's the face of the company in six months. Right now he's an upper midcarder imo. If he's closing out ppvs in singles matches and not improving then we have a problem. I just think everyone should chill out a bit.

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  108. Good point. It's not like Meltzer linked to his site with a "BREAKING AUSTIN NEWS UPDATE" or something, he just writes up what people are saying.

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  109. Just no. It was perfect for the Rumble title match, and it was perfectly for SummerSlam 4 months after. WM needs star power. I'm sorry, but Mcmahon was right, you're wrong.

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  110. If you referring to when Edge first won the title, did the ratings jump because it was Edge, or did they jump because the money in the bank contract was cashed in right after the Elimination Chamber match and people were interested in what happened next?

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  111. He did (somewhat jokingly) ask Rick Draisin to design him a shirt while on the podcast last week.

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  112. The WWE has something with Reigns but whoever is in charge of handling the creative end of his character needed to be replaced a month ago. They make him seem so uncool and script the worst dialogue for him.
    How you can fuck up a guy with natural charisma and a million dollar look in wrestling is beyond me but that is where we are today.

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  113. Only if he comes out to the Beverly Hills Cop theme as his entrance.

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  114. Teddy Timberstein...sounds like a Jewish lumberjack.

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  115. The dropkick pops the crowd and his spear looks vicious so I would definitely keep those.

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  116. I knew it wasn't going to be good as soon he spiked that coffee.

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  117. I'm not really sure if I was wrong, the only way to tell is if we had 2 Wrestlemania 22's existing in mirror universes and compared the buy rates.

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  118. I wonder what kind of impact the Apple Watch will have. iPods, iPhones and iPads changed the game but I don't think the watch will.

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  119. and a Lions varsity jacket

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  120. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 10:19 AM

    Another guy who could've made a fair bit of money as a mid card act. Insane.

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  121. The single names kill me ... Rusev, Cesaro, half the Divas roster. I don't necessarily mind the name generator because in the end, it's up to these guys to figure out what they are going to do. Dean Ambrose still has to come up with a character that gets over whether he's that or Jon Moxley. Same with Seth Rollings or Tyler Black, and on and on. I mean we all make fun of Braden Walker but its no more generic than "Chris Harris." He just couldn't figure out a way to get over.


    On the other side ... Derick Bateman turns himself into Ethan Carter III and he's all of a sudden a real player now. It all depends on what these guys do with it.

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  122. I wonder if Tyrus is a Breaking Bad reference; if so, awesome.

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  123. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 10:20 AM

    He better stick a Banana in a tailpipe. Don't get excited, Pat Patterson, I mean that literally

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  124. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 10:21 AM

    B PLUS PLAYER

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  125. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 10:21 AM

    I like Dean Ambrose as a name.

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  126. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 10:22 AM

    If I could afford it, I would just to feel like Dick Tracy

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  127. Real talk: he needs to do the hair flip.

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  128. Yup they have made him look like a total tool. On top of that I'm still waiting on a good singles match from him. Hopefully he gets popped for a wellness violation or something so we can get him off TV asap. Just a stale, dull, slug.

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  129. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 10:23 AM

    Big line outside the AT&T store on my way to work. Only way Id do that is if I got a private dance from Lily Adams

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  130. Don't you love how he is always right and everyone else is wrong?

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  131. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 10:24 AM

    Didn't Samsung release a watch like that, or are we discarding that product now?

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  132. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 10:24 AM

    Yeah but fuck Samsung and Android. I still have PTSD from my shitty Galaxy.

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  133. Completely different circumstances. Bruno retired and then the wrestling landscape COMPLETELY changed, includinga lot of the fanbase. WWF from Bruno's era to WWF in Hogan's era was totally different (national expansion, cable, new style and presentation) making Bruno seem like something of a dinosaur even by '88 or so. And that's not counting how much the fanbase turned over by Mania 15.

    But WWE nowadays? It's pretty much the exact same style and presentation and company as it was 15 years ago. The roster turns over, but not much else has changed.

    Plus WWF once Hulkamania started basically ignored everything that had come before it. There was zero talk or retrospectives about Bruno's era. Compare that to modern WWE which is constantly pushing nostalgia, specifically the Attitude Era. Little kids nowadays have basically been trained that Rock and Austin were the biggest stars ever and make today's roster (except for Cena) seem like homeless dudes in comparison.

    Oh, and also Austin got the biggest pop short of Daniel Bryan at Mania 30. He's still a giant star.

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  134. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 10:26 AM

    PTSD from a phone? Better than from war I just, I think I have a PTSD for wheelchairs.

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  135. Eh, I'd rather he get dumped into a tag team than eat up TV time as an upper mid card guy.

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  136. I think David otunga is the last guy to keep his name.

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  137. " A viper without teeth is a worm"
    If it wasn't for the "I wish you died in the womb" line, that would have been the worst line of the year.

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  138. I don't know why you assume it would have been bad. Even if I had not seen it, if I read Brock, Mariachi band and dancing anywhere near the same sentence, I would be so enticed to watch it that my mind would explode.

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  139. Plus where are these massive pops he's supposedly getting. I saw his match vs Rollins on Monday (not a good main event match either) and the crowd was dead.

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  140. The move really should have been keep the belt on Punk til Mania and do Streak vs Streak with Taker. Could have had Rock vs Cena be a #1 contender's match, with the winner (Cena) beating the champ (Taker) at Extreme Rules.


    Would have made the outcomes of both matches, especially Punk/Taker, much more in doubt and it still would have ended with Cena as the champ. Streak vs Streak closing the show would have been unreal.

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  141. He is not getting enough cheers to warrant a WM main event match yet.
    That can still change but with the way they are writing his character and dialogue, it's looking less possible by the day.

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  142. To me, Roman Reigns is Jim the Anvil Neidhart. Cool little power guy in tag team, funny look and charisma, but main event superstar... Yikes

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  143. Hell yeah. Brock has a unique charisma, he made it awesome because it was so out of character for him.

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  144. They'll dump him in there and put him over Brock either way. Hopefully the crowd openly revolts as opposed to just sitting on their hands so at least they'll be some entertainment value at wrestlemania 31

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  145. Gotta get a new phone with screen .25 inches bigger and a slightly different os IMMEDIATELY

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  146. I have PTSD from the shitty 2013 wwe booking!

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  147. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 10:33 AM

    Should be an interesting run then.

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  148. Yeah Keller's great. Everytime I hear his analysis of of something it makes me wish he had the book in a major promotion for a year.

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  149. I actually saw that line live, and I found it ok. Implying that he's gonna rip Orton's teeth out basically.

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  150. Anyone else shocked that battleground did 31,000 domestic buys? How badly does Vince wish those people would just buy the network. I wonder if that's just people who can't get broadband internet?

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  151. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©September 19, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    The moment he turned his back to the camera, he turned cartoony.

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  152. funny thing is, he basically got "Network money" from all 31000 of those fans, so anything else they buy from here is just a bonus.

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  153. It was awful, and the writing is killing what little heat he had.

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  154. Getting internet is probably a bigger problem then us fancy pants big city folks give credit for. Cable lines are a sure thing. I bet if this was a legit TV channel (like the Canada option) at the same price you'd see a solid increase in subscribers.
    Of course the cable companies would get their cut then.

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  155. you know he doesn't actually have PTSD right?

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  156. I knew what it implied.
    The line was still terrible.

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  157. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonSeptember 19, 2014 at 10:40 AM

    The way your post reads I almost thought it was a bot.

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  158. I only JUST got a rural DSL connection, after living in this area for ten years. It's still incredibly pathetic in a lot of areas.

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  159. I wonder just how many people can't get really solid internet. I'm sure anyone in america can like open email or read the BoD but I wonder how many can't stream as much as they want.

    I have a buddy who bought a house on an old farm property in Vermont. It is only like 20 minutes away from several populated areas and the town itself as a school, hospital, post office etc, but to get internet he paid to pay to get a satellite installed on his property and even with the most expensive plan they offer he can only stream for 35 hours. That would make it tough to watch shit on Netflix, YouTube, wwe network etc.

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  160. You either book Reigns as an Authority-oppressed underdog, or you go the Diesel/Goldberg route and have him be an unstoppable beast. In this era of 50/50 booking they've chosen to go somewhere in between, and it's not working. He hasn't developed a personality yet for the fans to connect to, like the Rock or Daniel Bryan. Nor has he made any headway in the feud against the Authority after 6 months. He just straight-up beat Rollins clean on TV. He beat Orton last month, Kane as well. What's the endgame? A match against Triple H? It's not that the storyline has no arc... the storyline has no story. He hasn't even had to fight back from overwhelming odds, just a few end-of-RAW beatdowns. And the worst is fans are starting to see the push for him outpace their own interest in/support for him. And like Batista returning, whether it was smart fans knowing or just blatant writing on the wall, the fans are going to see him getting that push to the main event at WrestleMania and they're going to rebel, because they're waiting for Daniel Bryan to come back, and/or getting behind Dean Ambrose. Hell, there's probably more fans hoping Punk is coming back than are behind Reigns right now.

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  161. That's the problem with wrestling today though
    There is nowhere to really develop
    Its why the WWE gets sick of guys like Chris Masters when they are 23 years old. By the time they develop, they have been on the roster too long and suffered because they were overpushed to begin with, like Drew McIntyre

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  162. I also still think that lots of fans (mostly 40 and older) are simply intimidated by change. Just a fear of new technology, and getting embarrassed by having to ask lots of questions. Trust me, having worked for an Internet call center in the past, there are LOTS of those people, basically asking "left or right?" every single time I told them to click on something.

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  163. That's true. Not only starting young, but having so much air time to fill every week also. Just not an easy situation.

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  164. I think booking him as a guy who kicks ass in the ring and barely speaks is the way to go.
    Whatever they are doing now with his character sucks.

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  165. I like how I keep hearing this "Reigns is not ready for a Wrestlemania main event, so it should be changed". It's 7 months away. It's not set in stone yet. Let's wait and see how he's doing at the Rumble, THEN we can panic if he's not ready.

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  166. Is it seriously that bad? Or is this sort of like Rock/Cena II, the "I'll do everything in my power to find things wrong with it" situation?

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  167. Yup, huge problem. For example I love Bray Wyatt. Think he's got a cool character, great mic skills, enjoy his ring work.


    But I feel like I've seen about 10 years worth of Bray Wyatt already. Now a huge part of that goes to creative being lazy and not giving him cool storylines that vary from what he's done before. But part of that is also I've already seen his entrance and him wrestle about a billion (close estimate) times already.

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  168. You said you liked his Orton match a week ago!

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  169. RE: Austin, the only logical opponents for him would be Punk (who I just don't see coming back, though a part of me hopes this is all just an incredibly long con where Lesnar will kill everyone on the top level until Punk comes back to stop the dominance of the Heyman Family, giving them a chance to reset the A level with the new generation of kids) or Sting.


    Sting is interesting in that: (i) they could package it as the emblematic figure of the Attitude Era facing off against WCW's signature star; (ii) they've worked together before, albeit years ago; (iii) Sting works a super safe and moderately paced style, so Austin doesn't have to keep up; and (iv) if Sting IS having that last match, and it isn't against Undertaker, there's nobody that makes sense other than Austin.

    That said, I cannot for the life of me figure out how'd they'd book it if the intent is to have it be a classic heel/face matchup. I'd guess that you can do a "battle of legends" type event, but that doesn't seem to bring the same jazz as a standard feud.

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  170. Plus, its not like the WWE will have a guy with no experience get 3-5 years in NXT to develop but even that wont let you grow that much as you are in the same system.
    That is the problem with having minimal places to work today as a wrestler.

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  171. No PANIC NOW!

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  172. You really don't like this Roman Reigns guy, huh?

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  173. The character is bad and its not getting over that much.
    And people want to cheer Reigns

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  174. Yep, even if he had beaten Cena, it's like, "Then what?" Beat Brock? That's why I think the writers get WAY too much hate, it's a near impossible job to do perfectly. Just too many hours to fill. That's why I always give them slack.

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  175. And that is the thing.

    Lots of older folks are almost afraid of streaming shows and do not have the capability or desire to want to learn or get the materials

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  176. They can on occasion. As long as there's an end game, and the wrestler regains a new confidence after hitting rock bottom. If they just keep losing or floundering, then... yep, forget it.

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  177. I saw that and figured he'd probably get shit about all the weed (OH NO! ADULTS IN A HOUSE SMOKING POT) but I didn't even think about that ruthless shit with Rahmans kid. I guess that's insanely dangerous but I didnt even think about it while I watched the show

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  178. What ever happened to the Roman vs HHH feud? I mean, I get this Roman is currently feuding with this vague collection of wretslers (Kane/Rollins/Orton) that answer to The Authority, but HHH has reeeeally distanced himself from being a part of this at all, and I think that's cooled Roman's heat. Originally HHH was the main guy that hated The Shield and he's the one that got Rollins to turn on them, and now him and Roman don't seem to have any beef. HHH gave Roman the title shot at Background and otherwise hasn't bothered Roman at all.


    So is Roman trying to kill off HHH's cronies in order to get revenge on HHH? Is HHH dead set on holding Roman down? because that's not the story they've been telling at all the last few months.


    Remember when fans were chanting THIS IS AWESOME when Raw closed with Roman and HHH having a stare down? Fans were red hot to see Roman go after HHH, and they've completely dropped that part of the angle. Very strange.

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  179. Roman/ HHH would get Reigns over.

    Maybe they are saving it for the fall?

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  180. Man it must suck to live out in the hinterlands. New York rules! My internet is fast as fuck and we've got museums and shit.

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  181. I have PTSD from this blog!

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  182. Cody: Luke Dalton
    Ted: Mitch Burris
    Randy: Duke Prescott

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  183. Guy sucks. No one is panicking, we're just annoyed another slug is getting dumped on the top of the card. If he sucks right now, why in the world would I assume he'd be amazing in late march?

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  184. Would anybody be into a wrestling cards against humanity, with like wrestling sleaze, inside jokes, wrestling physics?


    Sample white cards cards:
    -Bluetista
    -Summerfest
    -Powerbombing Kidman


    Sample black cards:
    With tears in his eyes _____ _________
    Vince Russo booked _______ in a _______ on a pole match


    If we could come up with ideas it'd probably be easy to print cards off.

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  185. He should just be a solo version of the Shield. Have him beat Triple H to END that storyline, then have him be the Hound of Justice, like a cross between 911 in ECW and Crow Sting in WCW. He just comes in through the crowd and puts an end to stupid comedy skits running long, rescues babyfaces receiving post-match beatdowns, and getting booked in matches against heels like the Miz who the fans want to see get squashed like bugs.

    Either that or you go a 180 and turn him heel, make him the Miz's bodyguard (or someone like that), and spend the next year getting the fans rooting for him to turn back.

    Either way, he doesn't seem to have an outgoing, exaggerated persona like the Rock, or a likeable, genuine one like Daniel Bryan, so they need to either find that in him quick, or play up to what he is: A big, muscular guy with a badass look.

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  186. Ya know, of all the shield guys names Reigns might be the worst one. I wonder if he'd better off wotjh some kind of Samoan name?

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  187. Sometimes they take away real names that sound better for the character than the one they give them. "Matt Cardona" sounds more like Long Island Guido than "Zack Ryder"

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  188. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 11:01 AM

    If they're pushing Brock/Roman, beating HHH in one of the months going in would be a huge boost

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  189. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomerySeptember 19, 2014 at 11:02 AM

    Hell, Batista and Cena weren't ready yet at this point in 2004

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  190. BAHAHAHA, you're nuts dude. Roman Reigns is a killer wrestling name.

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  191. HowmuchdoesthisguyweighSeptember 19, 2014 at 11:03 AM

    The Rock


    Great wrestling name

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