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The SmarK Rant for WWE Survivor Series 2014

The SmarK Rant for WWE Survivor Series 2014

So my local EBGames has WWE 2K14 used for $20 here lately. I recall it getting rather mixed reaction – is it worth the buy? Because I’m certainly not dropping $70 on the Xbox One version of 2K15.

Live and FREE (except for those already subscribed to the Network, or Canadians, or those without broadband access who have to order the PPV) from St. Louis, MO.

Your hosts are Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler & JBL

Vince McMahon is out and guarantees we won’t forget this show. This brings out HHH & Steph, who are in full kiss-ass mode, as well as John Cena. Vince recaps the stakes tonight and Cena wonders if he’ll have to personally throw HHH out of the building later. Stephanie clarifies that even if they lose, they’ll still be running the show from Stamford, but Vince re-clarifies that in fact they will be fired from running the show ever again. And the only person who can bring them back is John Cena. You’d think that would be the kind of exposition that would be on the RAWs leading up to the show. And really, they can’t even commit to firing the Authority? They have to remind us that they’ll still be given cushy office jobs even if they lose?

WWE tag team titles: Goldust & Stardust v. Miz & Mizdow v. The Usos v. Los Matadores

Great, four teams where I have no way to tell them apart. I hate that. Fernando rolls up Stardust for two, but Miz (or is it Mizdow?) rolls up Fernando for two. Fernando and Miz do a goofy sequence while Cole overexplains the Mizdow gag and thus kills it. JBL notes that Papa Shango cursed Mizdow years ago and that’s why he can perfectly emulate Miz. Jey exchanges chops with Fernando, but Stardust pulls down the top rope and the tag champs work Jey over. You know this whole thing is a big buildup to Mizdow getting a hot tag and the crowd exploding so I bet the crowd is indifferent to everything leading up to it. Miz tags himself in and Diego runs wild on him with a backstabber for two. Miz comes back with a beating in the corner and they do a really clever bit where Miz poses for boos and Mizdow mirrors the pose to cheers, and finally Miz tags him in. And then Goldust tags himself in immediately and the crowd is robbed of Mizdow again. So the Dusts beat on Diego with more boring stuff and Stardust informs us that we don’t want Mizdow, we want him. Good to know. Diego keeps taking a beating while the crowd only cares about Mizdow. Stardust with a sunset flip on Diego for two, but they exchange tombstone attempts and Diego gets a tornado DDT and brings in Jimmy. He runs wild on Goldust and the crowd absolutely does not care. They clear the ring with superkicks but Goldust powerslams an Uso for two. Dogpile on the floor and the Usos hit them dives while JBL cheers like a dork. So everyone is out after the trainwreck and we get the Tower of Doom spot, but Mizdow tags himself in and steals the pin on Goldust for the tag titles at 15:41, finally giving the crowd their payoff. And of course Miz keeps both titles. **1/2 More like a RAW match, but it was the right time to pull the trigger on the Mizdow deal.

Steve Austin comes to the WWE Network with his podcast next week. Now that’s an awesome idea.

Meanwhile, Adam Rose and the Bunny settle things with action figures. Welcome back to 1995. Slater Gator interrupts the proceedings, and Rose challenges them to a tag match tonight.

Paige, Cameron, Summer Rae & Layla v. Natalya, Naomi, Emma & Alicia Fox

Paige dumps Nattie and brings in Layla. Emma rolls Layla up for two while the announcers immediately start ignoring the match and making jokes about Doink the Clown in 1994. Paige beats on Emma while JBL starts talking about Alundra Blazye & Aja Kong for some reason. They fight on the top and Emma gets a superplex, but Paige tags out to Cameron. Apparently the Funkadactyls split up at some point when I wasn’t paying attention, which would narrow it down to the past three years. The crowd is so excited that they chant for Mizdow. Naomi comes in with something resembling a crossbody and follows with a stunner for two. Everyone runs in for some reason and we get more embarrassing spots before Naomi rolls up Cameron to eliminate her at 6:27. Over to Summer, who stomps Naomi down for two and shoves all the faces off the apron. The announcers continue reminiscing about stupid Survivor Series teams while this match just keeps going for no reason I can fathom. And then we get Fox teasing a highspot on the heels before backing off and yelling at them for being chicken. JBL clarifies that this is “The old chicken spot.” This match feels like a rib on all of us. Fox pins Layla with a backbreaker at 9:35. Nattie dominates Summer, but gets booted by Paige from the outside. Summer celebrates prematurely and gets knocked off the apron, so Paige throws her back in and Emma finishes her with the Dilemma at 12:05. This leaves Paige alone and friendless, much like watching this match feels like, and she wisely takes a walk, but the faces cut her off. Naomi misses a moonsault but hits the butt-butt for the pin at 14:20 to sweep the heels. * for Tyson Kidd standing at ringside like a douchebag the whole time and then celebrating for the ladies when they win. Otherwise this was a total disaster.

Dean Ambrose v. Bray Wyatt

Slugfest to start and Ambrose stomps him down in the corner, but they brawl to the floor, where Wyatt takes over. Back in, Ambrose comes back with a corner clothesline and they head to the floor again, giving us the best sign of the night: “HA HA / I LOVE IT / MAGGLE!” Back in, Wyatt with a senton for two while the stream drops to dial-up modem quality off and on. And I’m watching this on the PS3, with a hardwired Ethernet connection, so the problem is not on my end. Back to the floor and they collide with a clothesline out there and then charge back in to beat the count. Ambrose makes the comeback with a bulldog and does his own crabwalk in the corner (“That’s what Bray Wyatt does!” notes Michael Cole) and guillotines Bray for two. They fight over a superplex in the corner, but Wyatt fights him off and hits the uranage for two. Senton misses and Dean gets two, and follows with a crossbody for two. Wyatt cuts off his comeback with a lariat and Ambrose bails to the floor, so Wyatt drops him on the stairs and back in for two. Bray is so distraught that he stops to cut a promo about how they should be ruling the world together, and chairs get involved for some reason. And so Ambrose lays him out for the DQ at 14:03 for the shit RAW finish. Mediocre match with no real finishing sequence or ending. ** Ambrose puts him through a table afterwards, buries him in chairs, and then hauls out a ladder to pose. So this is obviously setting up something at TLC. And in fact they announce later in the show that they’ll have a TLC match next month.

And hey, here’s some commercials for Kmart.

Meanwhile, HHH gives Team Authority a pep talk.

Adam Rose & The Bunny v. Slater Gator

Adam Rose immediately runs into a Slater high kick for two as the announcers give up on the match and start making rabbit jokes. Slater Gator double-team Rose in the corner, but he makes the hot tag to the Bunny, who cleans house and hits a missile dropkick for the pin on Slater at 2:34. The entourage leaves with the bunny and abandons Rose, as they’ve been running this storyline for weeks now with no point evident. DUD

And now some commercials for knockoff WWE Lego and Larry the Cable Guy.

Roman Reigns does a satellite interview. He dislikes Seth Rollins and he’ll be back in a month.

Divas title: AJ Lee v. Nikki Bella

Brie grabs AJ for a kiss, and Nikki pins her with the Rack Attack at 0:30 to win the title. DUD See ya, AJ, enjoy married life. So I guess the Bellas are reunited. And yet they gave the elimination match FIFTEEN MINUTES?!?

John Cena, Big Show, Ryback, Dolph Ziggler & Erick Rowan v. Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Luke Harper & Mark Henry

Big Show knocks out Mark Henry at 0:45. Which makes one wonder why he doesn’t just do that all the time. Rollins tries to attack Show and gets chased out of the ring, so Kane comes in and gets dominated by Cena. Next up, the big Harper v. Rowan showdown, but Rollins tags himself in to prevent that. So Ryback overpowers him, and splashes Kane for two. Rusev comes in and walks into a spinebuster and clothesline, and it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA. Rollins curbstomps Ryback and Rusev pins him at 8:08 to even it up. Rusev slugs away on Big Show and then tags in Harper, who puts Show down with a dropkick. The heels pound away on Show, but he gets the tag to Ziggler as the announcers discuss the “elation around the world” if the Authority loses. Oh come on now. Ziggler quickly gets beat down and worked over, and it’s VINTAGE KANE with a sideslam for two. Big boot gets two. Apparently the Authority will somehow gain “absolute power” if they win, despite Vince already being established as above them in the fake hierarchy. Dolph fights back on Rusev, but gets slammed for two. Cole notes that Ziggler has “the uncanny knack for being able to hang in there.” Except for all the matches that he loses. Rollins runs Ziggler into the corner and Rusev chinlocks him, until Dolph fights back with a DDT on Rusev for two. And then it suddenly breaks down again with everyone hitting their finishers and a big trainwreck on the floor. Rusev puts Ziggler on the Spanish table, but misses his splash and puts himself through the table for the countout at 21:03. Lame. Back in the ring, Cena runs wild on Kane, but Rollins comes in with a curbstomp and Cole is OUTRAGED. What does he want the ref to do, tackle the guy on the way into the ring? Harper and Rowan renew their rivalry, and Harper finishes him with the lariat at 24:12 with an assist from Rollins. And then Big Show turns on Cena and Rollins pins Cena at 25:00. How many heel turns now for Big Show? And Show walks out at 26:15, leaving Dolph Ziggler by himself. Way to go John, maybe don’t be such a selfish dick. So it’s Ziggler v. Harper, Rollins and Kane and they toy with him, but Ziggler gets the Zig Zag on Kane at 29:33. Ziggler bails and Harper follows with a dive on him. Back in, superkick gets two. Powerbomb gets two. Ziggler grabs a rollup and hooks the tights for the pin at 31:38, and it’s down to Rollins v. Ziggler. Seth beats on him outside, but a small package gets two in the ring. DDT gets for two Ziggler. Rollins powerbombs him into the corner for two, however, and goes up to finish. Flying knee misses and the fameasser gets two. Rollins blocks the Zig Zag, but a second one hits and HHH pulls out the ref. The beatdown is on and Rollins gets another powerbomb, but Ziggler gets another Zig Zag and HHH lays out another ref. So this time he takes matters into his own hands and beats on Ziggler personally with a KICK WHAM PEDIGREE. Scott Armstrong comes out to count, but STING IS FINALLY HERE. And he’s not taking HHH’s shit tonight. HHH takes the deathdrop, Ziggler gets puts on top of Rollins, and the Authority is finally done at 43:14. I wouldn’t say this saved the show, but the drama with Ziggler fighting alone at the end was off the charts, and the one match on a one-match show delivered. ****

The Pulse

Although the main event exceeded expectations, the rest was a boring mess on a night where they were supposed to winning over new fans.

Thumbs in the middle, leaning down.

Comments

  1. Hanley Ramirez better not mean Boston's dealing Xander.

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  2. Have they revealed who the bunny was? I heard it was either Ryder or Justin Gabriel?

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  3. I thought Ambrose vs. Wyatt was a good brawl--a bit better than the opening tag match. With the tag title match, Ambrose/Wyatt, and the main event all delivering to some extent, I would give the show a slight thumbs up. But Sting's debut was a huge mark out moment for me--there's no way I can judge the show fairly.

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  4. Thank you for not overrating the PPV and especially the main event.


    PPV had 3 DUDS (2 diva matches and gimmick Adam Rose tag), a decent/average RAW worthy tag match, an Ambrose/Wyatt match that was right around **1/2 that went nowhere and was nothing but a setup for their TLC match, and a solid main event, which is unfortunentaly getting overrated from nearly everyone in the comment sections.


    4.5/10. Bad ppv.


    Critique MY rating all you want, but the show had THREE FUCKING DUDS and two 2- 2 1/2 star matches!


    Good main event, but that cannot save a shit show.

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  5. I thought the tag title match and Ambrose/Wyatt were both pretty good, actually.

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  6. Yeah, he definitely shortchanged this match. The ending is worth criticizing, but it was still a pretty good match.

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  7. "Man, we made Ziggler tonight! No one is going to ever forget how hard he fought, he's ready for that main event spot now! It proves that when we use a new guy in a big match to make him a star, we deliver on that promise!"


    "Hey Trips, why is Cesaro sobbing in the corner?"

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  8. "Critique MY rating all you want, but the show had THREE FUCKING DUDS and two 2- 2 1/2 star matches!"

    So you're using your ratings to justify your ratings?

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  9. Wow just reading the recap of the main event gave me goosebumps. Now I really wish I'd have seen the main. Doubly that I wish I hadn't known beforehand.

    If i went in clueless and the Authority was beating the shit out of Ziggler only for STING to run out and clean house I legitimately may have run down my street banging pots & pans screaming about how nuts that was.

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  10. "Run" is… not a word that needs to be here. But, hey, he got to the ring before the show went off the air, so good on him there.

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  11. Im using my ratings to signify the match quality of tonights show. I am saying, "Stop overrating the show everyone and calling it the best PPV since WM when you had 3 duds, and two matches that were in the 2 - 2 1/2 star area

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  12. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 10:54 PM

    Time to go watch it man!

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  13. Alright, I threw a lob over the plate for you with that one. Well done.

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  14. I didn't think either were very good at all. I found both to be slow and meandering, and especially the latter felt like two guys going through the motions and saving all the big stuff for TLC.

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  15. Virgil's Gimmick TableNovember 23, 2014 at 10:56 PM

    I know, right? How DARE people enjoy themselves.

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  16. The main event delivered, rest of the show was so so.

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  17. And I after I hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes fell like a house of cards. Touchdown!

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  18. What kind of shape was Stinger in? Was he rocking the T-Shirt deal or was he blasting the pecs?

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  19. I thought the line ended in "Checkmate".

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  20. T-Shirt, but he didn't look fat and his (minimal) offense was very crisp. Bald spot's an issue, though.

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  21. That comment was a slam dunk.

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  22. The ending didn't matter because the feud obviously isn't ending. There's this myth that PPVs owe us a finite, tangible ending but in reality, in the monthly PPV era that isn't really the deal. (Now, when something is built up and promised to be a finite, certain blowoff and they don't deliver, that's another story.)

    The crowd was losing their shit for the post-DQ antics and even though the reasons were never clearly defined, it made it finally feel like the Ambrose/Wyatt feud is a big deal.

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  23. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 10:57 PM

    At least we can all agree that that Diva tag match was death.

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  24. The key to chess is to never let the enemy see your pieces, Andy.

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  25. I approve of the booking, FWIW. I don't understand a Brie heel turn, but if she did this to make sure Nikki had the title and this is a swerve, all the better.

    Dolph is the night's MVP. Mizdow a close second.

    This was all about one match, but that one match looks to be good enough to watch. Gonna skip the rest of the show and check it out.

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  26. T-SHIRT? Come on Sting! Your first appearance in a WWE ring and you went with a T-Shirt!? At least rock a trenchcoat.

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  27. This. Wyatt/Ambrose was like a preview for what the match could be if it involved plunder or intensity; it was a match that was clearly just setting up a gimmick match, and that's what Raw is supposed to be for.

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  28. So is AJ really gone? Cause AJ and Bella making out equals a ppv buy from me. albeit the type of ppv you rent while staying at the Holiday Inn Express.

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  29. Fair enough. My counter would be that the main event took up 1/3rd of the show and the other two good matches (I would rate them more around the 3 star mark) took up another 30 minutes. So half of the show was decent to great. I agree though that some of the show was pretty awful. Still, Sting's debut and the good main event are worth more to me in determining the final show rating. So I'd put it around a 7 or so.

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  30. Im sure come Mania he will be in a good shape, or atleast as good as shape as a 56 year old can look.

    He's a former bodybuilder, im sure he will bust his ass and not look bad for Mania

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  31. Can we just acknowledge that they didn't do cenawinslol, but did ziggler fighting against the odds and winning Shawn Michaels style to win, which was pretty awesome?

    Also, hhh v sting at wrestlemania then.

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  32. Pretty sure that is the Brie booking.

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  33. What reason does Sting have for saving Ziggler or being anti-Authority? At least when Austin helped Mankind win the title, he was anti-McMahon/Corporation. I feel like people are marking out for Sting when it makes little-to-no-storyline sense.

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  34. Yup, the crowd was swelling more and more for Ambrose as it went along, was pretty awesome.

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  35. Sting is a good guy. HHH is a bad guy. Sting saw HHH doing bad guy stuff, so he stopped him.

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  36. Well, I know you didn't think they were good, because you gave them mediocre ratings.

    Jerk.

    Listen, I'm going to my first Raw tomorrow and I'm trying to convince myself this is all really important and high-level stuff.

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  37. 'The ending doesn't matter' is exactly what was wrong with the match. You use finishes like this to build to the PPV, not at the PPV.

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  38. Give them a chance to explain on Monday. It's not like he could run down, explain why he was gonna beat up the Authority and THEN do it all on PPV.

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  39. Sting has always been Lawful Good. He was WCW's Superman. It's within character to stop shenanigans he has no business with.

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  40. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 11:00 PM

    I hope one day, if Bryan comes back, he can form a team with Sandow, Slater, and Ziggler, and they can be called the Miracle Workers.

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  41. I agree that the DQ wasn't offensive here and was about the best way that the match could end. That said, they've been overusing DQ endings for years and I can understand why people are frustrated with it.

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  42. Exactly. There's no way he could *run* down.


    …wait a second.

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  43. Logically, he shouldn't care because he has no history or ties with 'E beyond them happening to pay him now. And that money is essentially McMahon/Authority money.

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  44. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 11:01 PM

    Well, that escalated quickly.

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  45. Slater's great for a midcard comedy act, but miracle worker is a bit much, no?

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  46. Dammit! It's just a habit of wording it as a run in.

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  47. Right, that's what I'm saying: I know that's the theory and it's sounds fine and well, but that's never really been how it actually is.

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  48. This is, what, 3 times Ambrose has been on a PPV with a fight that's ended in To Be Continued? Just since his face turn? I know he's the second coming of Roddy Piper, but did he need to bring Piper's constant No Contests with him?

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  49. And I respect that.

    Look my ppv rating doesnt mean jack shit. This Scott's Blog of Doom, not Onita's. Im just using the comment section as a forum to vent my frustration with a product that month in and month out delivers poor ppv's.

    I guess just being a fan for 21 years and seeing how great wrestling shows can be made, it's frustrating that Vince, HHH and the agents, who together have over 100 years of wrestling experience and still give ppv's loaded with dud's and shit comedy matches

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  50. Exactly!

    When man's heart is full of deceit...
    It burns up, dies...
    And a dark shadows falls over his soul...
    From the ashes of a once great man, has risen a curse...
    A wrong that must be righted...
    We look to the skies for a vindicator, someone to strike fear into the black hearts
    of the sane man who created him... The battle between good, and evil has begun...
    Against an army of shadows, lies the dark warrior...
    The prevailer of good...
    With a voice of silence...
    And a mission of justice...
    This is Sting.

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  51. Let's swap Slater with Ambrose, eh?

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  52. Ziggler's rah-rah, face-in-peril performance was definitely the highlight of the show.

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  53. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 11:02 PM

    He's made most of his gimmicks work, but if you don't like him, we can also throw Cody in there.

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  54. The main event is what people are going to remember, so the first half of the show is fine as boring filler.

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  55. Post of the night.

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  56. Maybe his logic is that the last company he drew a paycheck from(WCW, forget TNA for now) went out of business because a powerful group took over and choked the life out of the company.

    Now he's drawing paychecks from WWE and sees the Authority doing the same thing and he won't stand for it.

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  57. That's almost totally on Vince if you ask the people who have left the 'E. One look at NXT tells me that when HHH finally finishes his coup, things will be better.

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  58. He was in a trench coat.

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  59. The first two-thirds, technically.

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  60. Andy, I thought we were getting Ambrose v. Rollins at TLC. What happened?

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  61. I think it's just going to be chalked up to Sting's a good guy doing good guy things, but logically, the story should be that Vince set them up. He made this match because he wanted them out, and he signed Sting as his insurance policy.

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  62. IF this comes out at the storyline... I will be satisfied.

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  63. I agree with you--I think the endings to each Ambrose vs. Rollins match left something to be desired. But what else do you do with Ambrose vs. Wyatt? Neither can really afford to lose. I absolutely blame WWE for getting themselves into that situation, but they did the best thing possible for the corner they backed themselves into.

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  64. I liked this show better than Scott. Thought the Ambrose match was better than that.

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  65. Dolph and Bray happened. I was mistaken. Such happens when you try to make predictions of what goes on in Vince's mind.

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  66. The Mizdow stuff was funny and I liked Ambrose v. Wyatt.

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  67. Give it until at least tomorrow night (or tonight I guess) before writing the storyline off as completely nonsensical.

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  68. Wait, this is what you care about the most? That's awesome.

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  69. I'm going ****1/2 on the main event. I actually dug the Rusev countout as it kept him from being pinned and it was good foreshadowing on Ziggler surviving at any cost.

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  70. I understand; but we had weeks to build this match and the intensity therein. That last segment could have been done on Raw, and then every time thereafter, when one of them reached for a weapon, it would have played on that. I know we'll get a great brawl at TLC in 3 weeks because of it, but I wish this match would have been better, and I think a better ending would have helped that. Your mileage may vary.

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  71. BTW how about the real Sting music for Sting? What was that garbage they played for him tonight, especially when they hired that orchestra to redo the Sting WCW theme for the 2k commercial.

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  72. Show patience? With WWE? You know what site you're on?

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  73. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 11:05 PM

    I know that Brie was the one that was on the outside, but I felt like that kiss should have been for Paige.

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  74. I hope so. I think the future is bright with guys like Cesaro, Rollins, Ambrose, Reigns(even though he needs alot of work), Generico, etc.

    But the Old Guard needs to finally step aside. I respect that guys like the Big Show are a legend, but in 2014 he does not need to be main eventing PPV's (which I assume he will be against Cena at TLC)

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  75. Yeah. Ziggler eliminated four guys, including an undefeated guy and the MiTB winner, with two of his teammates basically not contributing, and while he had Sting, the other side had shenanigans from Noble, Mercury, AND Hunter. Plus, he beat Rollins twice before Sting got involved.


    Only way they could have pushed him harder would have been if he Warriored the Pedigree.

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  76. If I had more faith in 'E developing logical storylines (lest, carrying them out), I'd be with you on that.

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  77. For all of you wondering Sting's reasoning for attacking the Authority, here it is: He's motherfucking Sting. He took on the goddamn New World Order. What's an Authority to the Man they call Sting?

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  78. I'm perfectly fine with both of those matches. Bray/Ambrose can be a crazy brawl and Ziggler/Rollins can be the spottier ladder match.

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  79. Pretty strong review, Scott. I'd disagree with the "leaning down" part because it was such a feelgood ending.

    -Mizdow/Miz is the hottest tag act, so it made sense for them to win. Good for Sandow finally getting a belt, too. Sandow's a bit like Cody--they're like method actors in a world full of porn-level acting.
    -The Divas need to learn to run the ropes. They're about 50/50 on the execution of their moves, which is passable, in my opinion. But every Irish whip and every run of the ropes looks like crap and takes the fans out of the moment.
    -Ambrose-Wyatt tried, but I'm not sure if it's clicking enough to elevate both men. It's a tough task.
    -Is Ziggler on his way to being a tippy top guy? Don't know. But tonight was a good sign.
    -Sting coming back was reeking of awesomeness. A legends match with HHH works for me. It gives Sting the prestige of a high profile match and it's with someone he probably feels safe with in the ring.

    As long as Cena doesn't beat Brock for the title and defend it at Mania, there's a multitude of positive possibilities for the direction of WWE in 2015 (Orton-Brock, Orton-Rollins, Shield triple threat, Ziggler-Brock, Sting-HHH, American Hero Cena vs Evil Russian Rusev, etc), . It's the first time since Bryan got injured that I feel optimistic.

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  80. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 11:06 PM

    That splash into the table was great

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  81. New theme means new merch to sell. I'd have to assume that's the thinking. I agree with you that they should have gone with his Crow theme. Especially since it was used in the game this is all supposed to be promoting.

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  82. Larry Csonka had the matches rated in this fashion --

    ~ Tag Team Title Match: Miz and Sandow defeated Usos, Goldust and Stardust © and Los Matadores @ 15:20 via pin to become the new champions [**¾]

    ~ Team Natalya defeated Team Paige @ 14:30 via pin [**]

    ~ Bray Wyatt defeated Dean Ambrose @ 14:00 via DQ [***¼]

    ~ Adam Rose and The Bunny defeated Slater Gator @ 2:30 via pin [NR Under Three Minutes Long]

    ~ Divas Title Match: Nikki Bella defeated AJ Lee © @ 0:30 via pin to become the new champion [NR Under Three Minutes Long]

    ~ Team Cena defeated Team Authority @ 43:00 via pin [****]

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  83. Im shocked thay Ziggler got 4 guys out myself. I was really expecting a 3 straight F-U elimination by Cena at a point to be honest

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  84. I think only one guy said that and most everyone who responded to him rightly disagreed.

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  85. The Old Guard still has something in them: drawing power. They need Cena to spend 1-2 years building others up because of Vince's damage. Orton is only 34 and still has a lot of time before he's damaged goods, so I'd keep him around as a "bridge". The real question, the tough one, is how do you get the belt off Brock Lesnar, who at this point has been booked such that I don't think anyone can beat him without a machine gun or a lucky injury on Brock's part -- kayfabe or otherwise.

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  86. Do we have sentient 411 advertisements on the blog now?

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  87. Just thinking of that clip makes me LOL. Gotta go watch it now. Warrior's finest hour.

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  88. *Warrior's finest minute. FTFY

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  89. It's mostly just a crappy feud. A TLC match might be fun, but it's still hard to get excited about.

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  90. I really liked WWE 2k14 for what it's worth.

    I got 2k15 for the PS4 and so far it's absolutely awful. It plays slower than the last game, the online private matches (the main way I like to play, I have friends around the country) aren't working at all, separating us into separate matches about 2 minutes in. They took out a ridiculous amount of match types (there are now a grand total of 3 choices for a triple threat match, online at least, and two are "regular match" and "no DQ"). They limited the number if CAWs you can have by a lot (only 25 now, and not sure if you can do alternate attires). No more custom themes, I don't know about custom videos, no create a finisher, can't watch entrances online. There's probably more but I haven't played since the first couple of days. Incredibly disappointing so far.

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  91. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 11:08 PM

    WWE knows when to get on smart fans good sides, the problem is that we just can't trust them 98% of the time.

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  92. How about Steph doing her best Warrior impression while shaking the ropes after the Authority lost?

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  93. It was comparable to a lot of the Attitude Era. The Attitude Era had tons of mindless and unexceptional filler amidst the undercard But the main event scenery was so memorably booked that it overshadowed the stuff beneath it.

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  94. ** for that diva match? Holy shit.

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  95. They could go a lot of different ways with it and make it work. "Because I'm motherfucking Sting," works for me, too. He could say The Authority reminded him of the last days of WCW. He could say he wanted to make a comeback for a while, but couldn't stand the thought of doing it while the Authority was in charge. He could say he's back and he wants to fight the stalwart of WWE in HHH (fudging the truth, but oh well) to answer long disputed debates about WCW vs WWE.

    An RKO OUTTA NOWHERE would have made the most logical sense tonight, but this was still awesome.

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  96. Chances of Ziggler losing a random 5 minute match tomorrow night to a random midcard heel? Very likely. : /

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  97. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 23, 2014 at 11:10 PM

    It's the most realistic WWE game you'll ever play.
    -2K

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  98. I was pretty lukewarm on it too even though I love both guys, but the post-match segment tonight at least made me more interested to see them keep going with it. Less passive-aggressive silly shit, more of two crazy motherfuckers inflicting cartoonish amounts of violence upon each other.

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  99. I pretty much expected the end to go as it did, except I was sure it would be Cena and not Ziggler. I joked to a friend earlier how great it would be if Cena got eliminated earlier and Ziggler won being down 3 or 4 to 1, but I never actually expected that.

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  100. Promoting Ziggler isn't just getting on smart fans sides, it's getting on regular fan's sides, too. Every crowd for the last couple years has popped big for him.

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  101. That match was torture. I really cant believe they got almost 15 minutes

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  102. Not to be That Guy -- even though I am -- but can we wait until it happens before being angry?

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  103. "Sting, why did you attack HHH?" - Interviewer
    "Because Fuck You, that's why." - Sting

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  104. I highly doubt it. 4 eliminations in the main isn't a fluke. If they didn't wanna push Ziggler, they have Ryback do that instead, or Cena before the Show betrayal.

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  105. Actually, I kinda agree with that.

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  106. Rusev getting counted out was the best finish for him on this show, so it was far from lame. Anyone with a winning...er...not-pinning-streak shouldn't be in this type of match at all, yeah, but nothing was going to stop them putting him in, so a countout from missing a big table spot is AOK.

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  107. I really considered it recently for the PS4 as well, good heads up

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  108. For $20, 2K14 is worth it for the WM mode alone.

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  109. My concern is we're a few weeks away from "Cena, Orton, Reigns" at the top, and there's little room there for Ambrose and Ziggler even if Bryan doesn't come back anytime soon.

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  110. I'm probably going to watch RAW tomorrow. Knowing my luck Sting won't be on.

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  111. That's because he's going to be on Nitro.

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  112. I disagree. The tag title match was a decent comedy match, which gave the fans what they wanted in the end with Mizdow.


    Ambrose v. Wyatt was part 1 of a multi-part story. Of course you don't do all the big stuff now, that would be silly.

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  113. "He's a bad guy. I"m a good guy. He was doing bad guy stuff, so I went and did good guy stuff to him."


    Why is everyone freaking out about this? I know Cena's conditioned us to think good guys are selfish assholes, but there was a time- and it wasn't all that long ago- when they'd fight bad guys just for being bad guys. It was a pretty good formula, too.

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  114. So do you consider switching the briefcase to him?

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  115. Oh okay, that's awesome then. Sting's gotta have the trenchcoat.

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  116. I think Orton's out another month or two shooting a movie, and hopefully Cena's tied up with Rusev. I think Ziggler getting a chance is the back-up plan in case fans turn on Reigns, too.

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  117. The beauty is its simplicity, dude.

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  118. So early TLC forecast?
    Rollins/Ziggler (Briefcase on the line?)
    Cena/Show
    Brie/Nikki
    Harper/Rowan (IC)
    Rusev/Ryback (US)
    Ambrose/Wyatt
    Miz & Mizdow/Usos (Tag)


    Maybe if Orton's back he bumps one of those to preshow

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  119. I thought at the time they blew a chance to really protect Rusev by doing a double count-out.

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  120. They've pulled the carpet from under him after big pushes before, so i wouldnt be shocked

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  121. Exactly. Good guy, bad guy. They dislike each other. They fight. People pay to see it. Promoter makes money. That's how this business was built. I agree with you, I don't see why everyone is looking for some deep motivation here.

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  122. That's honestly where a micard comedy Survivor Series match should have gone:

    Rose, The Bunny, SlaterGator, and Bo vs. Swagger, Kofi, Big E, Xavier Woods, and Fandango

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  123. 2K14 is great. Plus the Community Creations are still up probably for another year so you can still update your roster, arenas, moves, ect.

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  124. So, I know that the Bellas didn't have a classic wrestling match or anything, but between Brie's "angry" offense and Nikki's bitchy attitude... I mean, is it me or have they improved some? Seriously, I could see them getting ** out of each other at TLC, which I *never* would've thought six months ago.

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  125. If the WWE fucks up Austin's podcast....

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  126. Agree. It's a little weird people are already demanding an explanation of why Sting would attack Triple H.

    That's how it's always been done. Shocking turn/return/event happens, they let it simmer and then explain it on RAW.

    WWE may come up with a terrible explanation for why Sting showed up, but why would they need to explain it 2 minutes after he made his debut? Let the moment speak for itself and then on RAW explain it.

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  127. I like the in-ring stuff for Wyatt vs Ambrose, but what killed that match to me was the commentators laughing several times during and right after brutal/hard-hitting spots and saying stuff like, "oh man, these guys are so crazy! Haha, these guys are so goofy and crazy!" instead of selling the supposed brutality of the match. Drove me nuts and took me out of the match,

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  128. They've been steadily improving for at least six months, and they're two of the top five divas on the roster at this point, especially if AJ leaves. The mic stuff needs work, and they need to botch less, but Trish didn't get awesome overnight, either. If they stay motivated they could be really good by this time next year.

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  129. It definitely smacks of NHL 15 Syndrome, where they just ran out of time of implementing everything, so the first release is basically a demo for the full game next year.

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  130. Haven't watched it yet, but I'm SHOCKED they gave that spot to Ziggler and not Cena.

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  131. This commentary team has to go. Telling snarky jokes about shit from 20 years ago and not taking the show seriously will not get new subscribers.

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  132. Considering how many times people have attacked Sting unprovoked it's only fair he does it to someone else.

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  133. Well now what do you think of Rollins going over at HIAC given that you insisted Ambrose Rollins was happening at TLC

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  134. Bear in mind, the last truly bad WWE videogame was during the PS2 to PS3 conversion, and this one had the double-whammy of being 2K's true rookie effort (the last game being THQ's swan song). They'll work it out.

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  135. He's paid the price and earned the right to attack someone unexplained dammit!

    Seriously, if anyone in wrestling did have the right, it's Sting.

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  136. I agree, with a guy his size, a missed table splash should KO him for a ten count, and he shouldn't eat a pin at SVS.

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  137. Virgil's Gimmick TableNovember 23, 2014 at 11:18 PM

    That's what happens when you have three guys that don't love or respect wrestling anymore. The entire show is presented as a joke so that's what they treat it as.

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  138. Now if Ziggler can keep his mouth shut

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  139. "With god as my witness, Ziggler is broken in half". How great would Ross have been calling that final stuff with Dolph vs the world?

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  140. It was some good shit too. Dolph busted his ass off.

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  141. Sounds like a really good card to me. Even though we saw like 20 Rollins/Ziggler matches after Rollins's heel turn, it would feel different if Ziggler is treated like a legit star.

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  142. This is where a Bobby Heenan would come in handy.

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  143. I think Ziggler gets the I-C belt back, because WWE logic. I don't know where he goes from there.

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  144. 5 bucks Vince Jordan shows up tonight or tomorrow and shits on Sting (he's so OLD, lulz) and Ziggler (ooooh, you're such a rebel, Dolph, tweet us more) just because we enjoyed the main event. And this is after he already said he liked the main event. The contrarian in him won't let him do otherwise.

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  145. Virgil's Gimmick TableNovember 23, 2014 at 11:19 PM

    Oh they will. They'll find a way.

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  146. Oh yeah, the tables, ladders and chairs make things bigger, too.

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  147. Probably as good as he was calling Shawn vs. The World.

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  148. Bo is injured. And why the hell would Swagger, a clear-cut face be on team with clear-cut heel Fandango?

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  149. Oof, that would be a huge waste of an opportunity, but I could see it.

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  150. It gets me through long shitty hours at work

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  151. I thought we were commenting last month that Nikki's ring work was improving.

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  152. Same, I'd go thumbs up. I cared about three matches (tag, Ambrose/Bray, main event) and they delivered, with two of them being really good fun. Plus, a true we'll-remember-this-years-from-now moment with the Stinger and a feel good satisfying ending after so many PPVs of triumphant heels and no finishes. I thought I would hate this show but it's among my favorites this year.

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  153. Hm. As an Ambrose fan -- and I make no apologies -- I'm disappointed. But it's clear they're all-in on Rollins as a future champion, especially if he beats Dolph with the briefcase on the line at TLC. Ambrose, though, should get cemented as a permanent main event option if he and Wyatt tear the house down. Depending on how things go with Reigns's return, he may not be too far off the radar, though at this point, I would think Orton is Plan B against Brock since that's a fresh match. Still -- if Ambrose goes over Wyatt, I'll be satisfied.

    Sometimes I react with my heart and not my head.

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  154. Or Dusty Rhodes. Even the Road Warriors turned on him.

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  155. Hopefully this solidifies Dolph as a main eventer and will lead him on to bigger and better things. I would love to see him feud with Rollins.

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  156. I wouldn't be opposed to having Ziggler/Rollins for the IC belt. A main event feud for the IC title can bolster its reputation right now.

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  157. I thought that said, "He's a bald guy." That actually would make sense given Sting's desire to pretend he still has hair.

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  158. Possibly. It seems like a lot of Raw feedback focuses on how horrible both of them are. And I know the HIAC match was lacking a bit.

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  159. Cena was barely in the match. Two, three minutes of action, tops.

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  160. Replay is on, you still have 15 minutes to tune in before he shows up. It's cool!

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  161. At the very least I remember people saying she was doing some nice power stuff for a diva.

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  162. Even Joe Buck thinks Jerry Lawler states the obvious too much.

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  163. I figured out what Sting said to HHH in the ring, he said, "Terra Rizing, is that you?"

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  164. I say no, only because I like the briefcase on sneaky, slimy heel Seth Rollins who can strike at any time. If Ziggler is going to get a push for the belt, I'd like to see him move up the ranks and win off of a heel champion.

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  165. HHH was going to shake Sting's hand at first, but when he heard that he decided to throw a punch instead.

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  166. The more Visual Concepts gets involved, the better it will be. A good step in that the game looks on par with NBA2K, at least with the scanned wrestlers.

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  167. Look, let's focus on the important thing here: where the heck is Bayless? I want my BoD Survivor Series!

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  168. You should have introduced him as "Even the fat man himself Dusty Rhodes" in honor of Shane Douglas. He needs to be honored more!

    Or not, I just liked that line.

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  169. That's even more shocking. The whole build was Cena, Cena, Cena, and he was probably the least relevant guy after Henry's quick exit.

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  170. It's a Wild Card match, fuck if I know. You're asking me to apply more logic to their card than they do most of the time.

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  171. Imagine Joe Buck going on for 5 minutes about how 1994 was John Maddens worst turkey during the Dallas game.

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  172. "is it me or have they improved some? "


    They've improved in a way where a Raiders team goes from 3 wins to 4 wins. They're still shit who don't deserve their position.

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  173. Why can't Vince figure out that the strength of Cole is not telling the story, but calling the match? I love WM23 in large part because he and JBL do just that, and it makes Benoit/MVP and Taker/Batista that much better.

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  174. That was McCarver's job during their MLB broadcasts.

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  175. It was so refreshing. Now it looks like Cena goes into a midcard feud with Big Show, unless that gets top billing next month. Dear god, I hope not.

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  176. I'm sorry, but I hate that line of thinking. That's the type of bullshit that gives us this start and stop crappy booking of guys in the first place. You're the bookers - grow a pair, pick a dude, and put him over.


    Wrestling doesn't work if everyone is on the same level. When you have two guys at the same level, put one over and move him up a level.

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  177. I just hope they don't have Rusev squash Ziggler tomorrow on RAW.

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  178. What will go above it?

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  179. Big Show/Cena again? Just when I start to get excited...

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  180. I'm hoping Rollins/Ziggler TLC match. Wishful thinking, perhaps.

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  181. The cynical neckbeards who claimed Sting would get no reaction in the WWE are eating crow right about now (pun intended).

    Live clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeUdSdy5dO8

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  182. That's the thing they ARE good when they're just calling the damn match. I have no idea why they don't just do that.

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  183. You said it. Product is just a joke now

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  184. The match the PPV is named after, hopefully. Or the MITB match Ziggler and Rollins will (inevitably) have.

    Hey, Cena midcarded WM30. Who knows?

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  185. Gets me threw gym sessions myself. Love his show

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  186. Now that it's a foregone conclusion, who inducts sting into the HoF? It's got to be Flair right? Unless Flair gets involved in the angle with HHH.

    ReplyDelete
  187. The best-built and executed match of the evening was Swagger - Cesaro. Cesaro came out and ran his mouth, Swagger and Dutch shut it for him. All of this happened inside fifteen minutes. Is booking wrestling hard?

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  188. I'm guessing Luger is out because reasons?

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  189. Isn't simple feuds the thing we've been clamoring from WWE feuds for, well, a long time?

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  190. I wonder if crow is actually a tasty bird. Couldn't be worse than pigeon.

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  191. Arn Anderson starts it, then they beat him up in the back.

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  192. Makes sense. Who is Sting legit good friends with?

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  193. Because cocainemurderparalysis, yes.

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  194. Crows are bad. They rip up your insides.

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  195. That would count as reasons, yes.

    ReplyDelete

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