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Smackdown - December 12, 2014

Smackdown
Date: December 12, 2014
Location: Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, Georgia
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

Reviewed by Tommy Hall

It's the go home show for TLC and I'm actually looking forward to the show. Granted it's nowhere near as much as I was looking forward to Takeover last night but that's not a fair comparison. I'm sure the main event will be yet another tag match with people from the Survivor Series main event involved because Heaven forbid we ask the writers to come up with ANYTHING else. Let's get to it.


We open with a recap of the end of Raw with the latest huge brawl. These things are really running together. Also do the recaps really need to go on for three minutes?

Opening sequence.

Here's Cena to open things up but Rollins interrupts him after just a few seconds. Rollins says Cena is in this spot because he's done exactly what he's promised to do over the last ten years. That all ends on Sunday though because Rollins will set the new standard of doing everything he says he'll do. The future may have to go through Cena, but there is no future without Seth Rollins. You might even say that Cena's time is up and Rollins' time is now.

Cena says this is the day that Rollins has become a man, because he doesn't see the Shield or Authority around him. Instead Cena sees a proud man standing on his own for the first time. That's exactly what Cena want too, because Monday morning, Seth is going to have to look in the mirror and say he isn't ready. The future isn't Sunday, next week or next year. The future is now because John Cena is here.

Seth says Cena keeps talking about the future like it's some far off concept, but it's been here since Rollins set foot in WWE and everything leads to this Sunday. At TLC, Seth isn't just taking away Cena's chance at being champion again. Sunday is the beginning of the end of John Cena. A Cena chant starts up but Seth shouts it down, saying Cena becomes a memory after TLC with the rise of the new standard bearer, Seth Rollins.

Cena calls Rollins a fool but if Rollins wants to talk like a man, he needs to listen up. This is Cena's life and if Seth thinks he's getting rid of Cena, he can line up with all the other people that have said those same things. Rollins can stand with Rene Dupree, HHH, Orlando Jordan and the Rock, because Cena has survived them all. REALLY good exchange here, but I don't buy Rollins having a chance on Sunday because we have to get to Lesnar vs. Cena III, even though the interest doesn't seem to be there.

The main event is Rowan/Ryback/Ziggler vs. Harper/Show/Kane. Of course it is.

The Ascension is coming. It's about time.

Usos vs. Cesaro/Tyson Kidd

Miz/Mizdow are on commentary and Mizdow has a mini-Slammy. Before the match, Kidd and Cesaro say they're ready to grab the brass ring like Vince told them to. That line is sounding more and more like a plot device every week. Jimmy and Kidd get things going as Naomi is watching in the back. Off to Jey for a top rope elbow to the arm but Tyson drives him into the corner for some shoulders from Cesaro.

Jey loses his shirt but drives Cesaro into the corner for a tag off to his brother. That's fine with Cesaro who slams Jimmy down for two and slaps on the chinlock. Back up and a dropkick puts Cesaro on the floor, setting up the big dive from Jimmy. Kidd gets in a kick from the apron as Miz gets a call from his agent. Apparently it's about Naomi so Miz leaves to talk to her. We take a break and come back with Jimmy fighting out of a chinlock, only to get caught in an overhead belly to belly for two.

Kidd comes in for a chinlock of his own but he misses a legdrop on the apron. It's still not enough for a hot tag though as Cesaro kicks Jey to the floor. There's the Swing but Kidd dropkicks Jimmy out of the air in a painful looking spot. Cesaro misses a charge into the post though and an enziguri finally allows the tag to Jey. House is cleaned with the Samoan drop and running Umaga attack but everything breaks down. Jey superkicks Cesaro's head off and the Superfly Splash is enough for the pin at 11:53.

Rating: C+. This was better than I was expecting with Kidd and Cesaro working well enough together. The division is in need of some fresh teams so why not have two guys that are ready to move up to the next level? If nothing else that swing into the dropkick is a great spot and could be a solid finisher.

Miz/Mizdow are in the back with Naomi and suggest that she split time between Hollywood and WWE. Naomi gives a badly scripted response about how she knows what Miz is up to, but Miz says his agent wants to keep this going. He talked the agent off the ledge but the agent doesn't want to work with someone with such a jealous husband. Naomi needs to sort Jimmy out and soon.

After a break, Naomi runs into the Usos and goes off on Jimmy for not having her back. She leaves and Jey says let her cool off. Jimmy knew this was going to happen and yells about how Miz is messing with them. Jey says Jimmy has two days to get his head right because this is exactly what Miz wants.

Video on Cena vs. Lesnar which transitions into Cena vs. Rollins.

Bray Wyatt says he offered Ambrose a path to salvation but Dean turned him down. This is no longer about what could have been but now it's about what will be. In two thousand years, people will still be talking about the things Wyatt will do to Dean this Sunday. Run.

Alicia Fox vs. Nikki Bella

Non-title and AJ is on commentary with her Slammy in her arms like a baby. Fox nails a quick dropkick to start and works on an armbar. JBL and Cole debate the differences between the Women's Title and Divas Title as Fox charges into a knee in the corner. Back in and AJ says Nikki is like the head cheerleader from an 80s movie. A hammerlock slam gets two for Nikki and she cranks on both arms with a knee in the back. Fox fights up again but misses a boot in the corner, earning her a forearm to the jaw. The Rack Attack is good for the pin at 4:16.

Rating: C-. I can't believe I'm saying this but the current Divas story is growing on me. It's amazing how much easier these things are to sit through when I don't have to listen to the Bellas talking about how hard they've worked and had to fight to get here. Nikki is actually getting better in the ring and can have a passable match and the idea of AJ fighting the Bellas is a good enough story. Well assuming you ignore Brie just siding with her sister again after all those months of fighting.

Nikki Racks Fox again while talking trash to AJ.

We recap the Slammy winners from Monday.

Big E. vs. Goldust

Goldust takes over to start with a powerslam and DDT for two each. Big E. comes back with a clothesline and belly to belly, only to charge into a spinebuster for another near fall. The Big Ending is escaped and Big E. charges into a knee. Not that it matters as Big E. pops up and hits the Big Ending for the pin at 2:15.

We look at Reigns winning Superstar of the Year.

Jack Swagger vs. Titus O'Neil

Swagger drives him into the corner to start and knocks Titus outside, only to be sent shoulder first into the post for two. Titus hammers away and kicks Jack's head off before choking on the ropes. A slam doesn't work though as Jack rolls over into the Patriot Lock for the submission at 2:24.

Rusev and Lana interrupt We The People and pose with the title.

Video on Ambrose vs. Wyatt's TLC match. I really hope they go insane with it to give this the blowoff it deserves.

Dean is sitting under a ladder in the back. He's heard Bray Wyatt talk about them like they're viking warriors but Dean is just a gutter rat or a dog that loves to fight. The two of them weren't meant to rule together but to beat each other to pieces forever. This Sunday, when Dean has Bray's whole world in his hands, he's going to crush it.

Big Show/Kane/Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler/Erick Rowan/Ryback

All the weapons are set up around the ring of course. Kane and Ziggler get things going with a dropkick and cross body putting the big man down. Off to Rowan for a big slam as we take an early break. Back with Rowan hammering Show down against the ropes and out to the floor. Erick misses a charge into the post though and Show stands on his back. Kane comes in and hammers away again before it's off to Harper for a chinlock.

That goes nowhere so Kane comes in for a double clothesline to put both guys down. The hot tag brings in Ziggler to clean house, including countering Kane's powerbomb into a faceplant for two. Kane never liked Kidman though so he kicks Dolph's head off for two as we take another break. Back again with Ziggler fighting back on Harper but getting catapulted into the middle rope for two.

The canned chants want Ryback as Kane charges into a boot in the corner but Big Show breaks up the tag. Ziggler dropkicks the big man's knee out and counters the chokeslam into a sleeper instead of, you know, tagging. Show easily escapes and hits the chokeslam for two. The KO Punch misses and Ziggler hits a Zig Zag out of nowhere. Dolph finally tags Ryback to clean house as everything breaks down. Show runs over Rowan on the floor and Ryback Meathooks Luke. There's the Shell Shock for the pin at 17:08.

Rating: C. OF COURSE THEY HAD HARPER TAKE THE PIN! Of course they did. I mean, we can't have Big Show and Kane, who are almost NINETY YEARS OLD combined job to Ryback so let's just have the Intercontinental Champion do it instead. I know I harp on this every week but I really want an answer. Why in the world are Big Show and Kane immune from taking a fall?

Harper may be the current Intercontinental Champion and he has a bright future in front of him. On the other hand we have two former World Champions who have been around for about thirty five years combined ans neither of them can job to Ryback? This happens week to week with all the young guys taking falls because we have to protect these two? I really do want an answer to this because it's one of the most maddening things going on in WWE right now.

Post match the weapons are brought in and Dolph dives off the ladder to knock down all three giants on the floor to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Standard issue Smackdown here although with a good exchange from Rollins and Cena. That being said, I have no reason to believe Seth has a chance on Sunday which kind of defeats the purpose. That's the problem with some of their long term stuff: they've locked in Lesnar vs. Cena and nothing that happens between now and then matters.

The rest of the show was your usual stuff, but man alive I'm sick of these same people fighting. We've seen it for over a month now and hopefully it ends after Sunday. These writers come up with one idea every few months and then ride it out until there's nothing left to get out of it. This whole company needs a shakeup and something fresh, which doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

Results
Usos b. Cesaro/Tyson Kidd – Superfly Splash to Cesaro
Nikki Bella b. Alicia Fox – Rack Attack
Big E. b. Goldust – Big Ending
Jack Swagger b. Titus O'Neil – Patriot Lock
Ryback/Dolph Ziggler/Erick Rowan b. Big Show/Kane/Luke Harper – Shell Shock to Harper


Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Comments

  1. Just an observation. And it involves NXT. But it took Itami and Balor like...thirty seconds to say things for their feud. (I'm tired of this...I have brought...a friend!) And they say more in those very short times then most of the WWE manages to NOT say in a twenty minute promo.

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  2. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 12, 2014 at 8:41 PM

    Well yeah, NXT gets it's points across better

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  3. Awww, poor emailer...do you need Michael Cole to hold your hand?

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  4. The Carlito thing was a nice effort, but didn't stick significantly

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  5. I would have Owens go over Neville to set up the Zayn match. Neville should get brought to the main show

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  6. But you know that's his name, right?

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  7. Kevin Owens promo at the top of the shoe said he was going to fight ANYONE TOM to make an impact. Plus they were eye balling each other in the locker room. Don't kid yourself this makes perfect sense.

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  8. He was trying to say they have no"WWE history."

    Then he was saying"if you acknowledge their ROH history..."

    The WWE did give them history. As far as a WWE only fan is concerned, Zayn and Owens are two dudes who were friends on the Indys, whatever that means.

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  9. they split rental cars and motel rooms, trained & ate together...ya know, buddies!

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  10. Jericho.

    Hell even the radicals.

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  11. I'd say last night was better than Summerslam, especially after how they went out of their way to undo the awesomeness of Summeraslam art Night of champions.

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  12. This is the worst email in the history of our sport.

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  13. I thought Doggie sent in the email.

    Had the trademark off him using other names.

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  14. Why does anyone want to wear that nxt belt. It looks like junk.

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  15. We don't want a year long Freudian feud between Owens and Zayn for the nxt belt. We want them both on the main roster asap.

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  16. Your idiocy is the reason we need down votes.

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  17. Scott, I think you need to require people post their blog names at the bottom of each email in order for them to get acknowledged and read. Then we can proceed to ridicule the idiots

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  18. Show and Kane need to get sacrificed to whoever their next big monster is, then move them into very limited sideshow roles. Reigns, Rusev, whoever

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  19. ARRRRGH THE BARBARIANDecember 12, 2014 at 9:46 PM

    Good booking would be for him to go through everyone... And then come for Bryan. But that would involve building him up on Raw, while he's not working the show.

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  20. Really? I like it. A whole lot better then ALL of the WWE's main show titles

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  21. Adam "Colorado" CurryDecember 12, 2014 at 10:01 PM

    TLC should have Generico and Steen in a ladder matter match. The one they had 2 years ago was ****.

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  22. Adam "Colorado" CurryDecember 12, 2014 at 10:02 PM

    TLC should have Generico and Steen in a ladder match. The one they had 2 years ago was ****.

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  23. We're out of time!

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  24. That wasn't even a smark. That person is just an idiot.

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  25. What about making the first hour of Raw an "NXT Showcase"? They can have some intermediate feuds and build up the Network NXT show for the main feuds/rivalries. If USA has a problem with it being called that, then they don't have to necessarily call it anything. That would have the advantage of making a 2 hour Raw more acceptable, and getting these NXT guys more exposure than they would get by strictly being on the network. It seems like the NXT roster is big enough to handle two hours a week, but I certainly don't want to water it down.


    I know it'll never happen, but still.

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  26. If the NXT guys get that kind of time of Raw, it will get all.... Vinced up.

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  27. That's true, and I believe the first hour is probably the highest rated, too. I guess kids and folks who have no idea what NXT is would probably be pissed by a bunch of people they've never heard of eating up valuable Kane time. Oh well.

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  28. Speak for yourself. I'm happy for Zayn and co. to stay on NXT. Hell, bring Cesaro over too. I'm done with main roster WWE so I'd prefer NXT to keep it's talent and protect them from Vince's senile whims.

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  29. Ya know, now that I realize that this Cena/Rollins feud is about Rollins wanting to beat Cena because Cena's time is OVER and Cena is standing up to him because "WWE IS HIS LIFE, AND NOBODY TAKES HIS LIFE AWAY..." isn't this every Cena feud?

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  30. And Stephanie, Hayes and Dunn'ed up

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  31. I've sent in many questions and had them answered on the BoD. I think Scott removes the names

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  32. I think a jealous Big Steph sent this question

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  33. If your primary gripe about your choice of entertainment is that there aren't enough attractive guys, there are certainly other forms of media that can fulfill that requirement for you.

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  34. It's pro wrestling, not bodybuilding.

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  35. Some of them are about the title, that he cares a lot about because WWE IS HIS LIFE, AND NOBODY TAKES HIS LIFE AWAY.


    And then there was one about a hot dog that he bought at the concession stand that helps WWE make money because WWE IS HIS LIFE, AND NOBODY TAKES HIS LIFE AWAY.


    So there are some totally different feuds there. You just need to look for the intricate shades of grey.

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  36. I think the show will be fine. It looks fine on paper.


    But it's kind of like the remake of Carrie. Good, but what's the point?


    It's sad that I'm not looking at WWE PPVs as an extra "value add" to the network. Basically, I pay $10 a month to watch NXT, and get the PPVs and the Archives thrown in for free.


    Something tells me that isn't what they were shooting for when they came up with the Network.


    And par for the course, I expect them to neuter NXT soon because they don't want you to enjoy something unless they SAY you're allowed to enjoy it.

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  37. They have made of a point of mentioning Ziggler's heroic SS win and keeping it fresh in our minds that it was him, not just Sting, so I think they want to keep the momentum.



    But, they're just killing time until Rumble with this shitty booking all summer/fall, so we get the same Ziggler-Harper match a few times along with pointless tags with various members of the SS match.

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  38. I sometimes call him Dragon and Danielson out of habit but not because I want to be cool. It happens. And I shall breed to spite you, sir.

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  39. I never get mine answered. *sulks*

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  40. That was the one and only mistake they made on the show, having the eyeballing shoved aside for the pre-taped interview bit.

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  41. NXT booking is streets ahead of the main roster stuff. So much so that it's almost embarrassing.

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  42. HE DOESN'T OWE YOU AN EXPLANATION!

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  43. I thought it WAS just an Easter egg sort of bit. But looking back, I love it even more for being such a subtle setup.

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  44. Might NXT be... Dunn for?

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  45. To really understand the feud you have to watch the PWG matches too. In DDT4 of last year, Generico was leaving, so Steen decided to bury the hatchet and team up with him one more time.

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  46. I do it out of habit too, mainly because no matter how many times I say the name "Daniel Bryan" out loud I can't erase his real name from my head. Probably because the change seems so random, being so close to his given name. I got to ask him a question at Comic-Con a year or two back, and I had a total brain fart because I didn't expect to be called on & had no idea what to address him as (I think I just went with "Bryan").

    We should call him "Bryan Daniels," that'd be cool.

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  47. Bryan's not coming back.

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  48. They could call it Vince's Super Awesome Must-See Wrestling Masterpiece and USA would object. Remember, USA is the reason the brand split ended the way it did and Raw went to three hours. USA wants stars and nothing but stars.

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  49. I can see why it would've made for a good promo bit to have that stare emphasized, but sometimes less is more in these situations, and I kind of enjoyed the 'Easter egg' style affect that they created by having it be a subtle scene in the background.

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  50. "Well of course there are shades of grey. I'm looking at about 15 of them right now!"

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  51. How long does is take usually on here for people to stop using their indy names and call them who they are?? To steal a quote from Dusty Rhodes, "do you feel cultured or historied" if you say their old names??? Its Owens/Zayn

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  52. I finally sat down to watch the whole thing unfold last night. It was played damn near perfect.

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  53. I think it's just a matter of how long it takes them to connect. The same with move names. We don't call it a Rocker Dropper anymore... it's a Fameasser.

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  54. Agreed... this needs to be a thing.

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  55. That's some good promo'n right there mmhmm.

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  56. Seriously. I had a day off yesterday and I'm not ashamed to admit I watched the entire show twice. I might watch it again this afternoon after I go back to sleep for awhile to nurse this hangover.

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  57. Wondering, because after Daniel Bryan won the world heavyweight championship in the main event of Wrestlemania, people here were still calling him Danielson.... what is the reason??

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  58. And even if you know their backstory, does every little detail and twist and turn matter now? They were friends, they traveled the world together, fought against and with each other. Then Sami was the golden boy who got the call and the big push in WWE while Steen was still toiling in the minors. Then even his long-awaited debut is shown up by Sami finally winning the title, so he's jealous and decides to do something about it.
    I don't know about anyone else, but I don't need anything more from a pro wrestling storyline.

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  59. I didn't see a whole lot of that, but I'd say that's pure "indy geek pretentiousness."

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  60. Before Punk and Bryan, Funk/Foley is what came to mind for me.

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  61. This doesn't bother me as much as it used to. If that's what you're familiar with calling them because you've been a fan for years and years, what's the big deal? I'm still slipping and calling him "Steen" when me and my smark coworker are talking about it, and I only saw him in RoH a little bit. Especially if it's the guy's real name, like Kevin Steen or Bryan Danielson, because there's always a fuzzy line between being a fan of the performer and the character in wrestling, anyway. If someone's still saying "Generico" or a different gimmick name, yeah, that's kinda lame.

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  62. I'm trying to think of what a real sports equivalent of this would be. Referring to Kobe Bryant as "No. 8?" Only calling Giancarlo Stanton "Mike Stanton?"

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  63. Ron Artest/Metta World Peace

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  64. "I was a fan of Jermaine O'Neal when he was riding the bench for the Blazers. I never really liked him after that."

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  65. They did the same thing with Noble and Hurricane, and it worked there too.

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  66. Talk about complaining for the sake of complaining.

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  67. There were 2 people that did that. One says it as an attack on the indy geeks. The other is a troll that does it on purpose. Those dont count. And if anyone ever did seriously people here would beat him up in second theyre animals here!

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  68. I spit in the face of people who dont want to be cool.

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  69. Extant1979 - Mr. Cable AccessDecember 13, 2014 at 9:55 AM

    "Something tells me that isn't what they were shooting for when they came up with the Network."

    You know what they were shooting for when they came up with the network? Getting $9.99 per month from people, regardless of the reasons.

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  70. And now she's in the same boat as the rest of the Divas: tag matches and six-woman tags. Foley was an instant main eventer and pretty much stayed there.

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  71. Jericho had a big debut, but he wasn't an instant main eventer
    He spent time in the midcard for a number of years. Same as the Radicals.

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  72. They're here! Team Cliff are here!

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  73. I might go back to Rocker Dropper. I really hate the name Fameasser.

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  74. I saw Steen wrestle for the first time in 2005. I've been calling him Kevin Steen for 9 years. He's been Kevin Owens for about a month, so it might take me a bit to switch over just out of habit.

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  75. They want stars? Have they watched Raw recently?

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  76. Because Balls Mahoney can only swing chairs. Owens can actually wrestle.

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  77. Some people can't enjoy anything.

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  78. Why Owens? What the hell was wrong with Steen?

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  79. Merchandising!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNZove4OTtI

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  80. This is veteran vs. rising star, not corrupter vs. paladin.

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  81. I'm actually really digging AJ's current face character. She's not nice or a good person, but she ideals that she cares about and wins to win titles legitimately and decries cheaters and frauds. She's a hero the same way Odysseus was a hero.


    Plus she can actually trade words with people without sounding like a first year theatre student.

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  82. and you got 35 more to go

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  83. A female Angle maybe?

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  84. Yeah? Except I don't think you can take the "All-American" aspect out of Angle and she doesn't really do that.


    I see her being part of the Guerrero lineage, less physically gifted, so they have to use speed and trickery. Also, despite being assholes, they're still lovable in their own way.

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