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WWF Superstars of Wrestling February 28th, 1987

February 28, 1987

From the Civic Center in New Haven, CT

Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and Vince McMahon

In action tonight will be the Honky Tonk Man, Kamala, and the featured bout of Billy Jack Haynes vs. King Kong Bundy. Plus, "Piper's Pit" with guests Tito Santana and the British Bulldogs and more updates on WrestleMania III.





We are shown the contract signing between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan for their match at WrestleMania III. Both guys are staring intensely at each other with the belt on the table in front of WWF President Jack Tunney. Bobby Heenan said when Andre wins, he wants a new belt made that can fit a giant then tells Hogan how he has used Andre throughout the years. Hogan looks both anxious and pissed off as he yells "sign it if you are going to sign it" as Andre stares him down the smirks before signing the contract. Hogan looks at him then says how he never thought it would come to this and tells Andre that if he wanted a title match, all he had to do was ask then yells about how Andre tore the soul out of him and the little Hulksters when he aligned with Heenan. Andre then tells Hogan that WrestleMania III would be his last match and starts to speak in French as Hogan demands that he speak in English to him and says as far as he is concerned the contract is not signed in ink but rather in blood as Andre calmly gets up and says that if he wants him to speak in English, he will speak in the ring at WrestleMania III before saying "au revoir" as he gets up to leave. Another incredible segment from the Hogan/Andre feud. Hogan was great here as he was both nervous and angry at his former friend. Andre as the calm, confident heel also shined here as this upcoming match is a must-see at this point for any wrestling fan, casual or die-hard.



Billy Jack Haynes vs. King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby Heenan

Bundy knees Haynes before knocking him down with a back elbow smash. Haynes then rolls away from a splash but gets caught with a clothesline as we get an insert promo from Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver, and the Haiti Kid as Jim is concerned that Bundy might hit one of the midgets with the Avalanche. Back to the match as Bundy slams Haynes twice but misses a corner charge then Haynes locks on the full nelson. Heenan runs in to break it up as the ref rings for the bell (1:55). Haynes then chases Heenan around the ring but gets attacked from behind by Hercules, who leaves Haynes lying on the floor.

Thoughts: Solid segment that built up the Haynes/Hercules feud and promoted Bundy's WrestleMania III match. I thought they did a good job of keeping both guys strong too as Bundy looked dominant and Heenan being afraid of Haynes' full nelson as he had to interfere immediately when the hold was applied to his guy.



WWF Update with Gene Okerlund. This week's subject is George "The Animal" Steele and his obsession with Elizabeth as they showed the clip of Steele carrying her away from "Saturday Night's Main Event." Elizabeth is then shown talking about how Steele is a nice man who would never hurt her as Savage comes out and yells at her to get away. Savage was such a dick to Elizabeth when he was a heel. It's what made him great in that role.



The Rougeau Brothers vs. Dave Wagner & Rick Renslow

Raymond gets attacked from behind to start until Jacques knocks them out of the ring. We get an insert promo from Dino Bravo, who warns the Rougeau Brothers that he will take them out at WrestleMania III. Back in the ring as Wagner gets double-teamed until he gets put away after getting pinned by Raymond after an assisted senton (1:49).

Thoughts: The match was a backdrop to further along the underwhelming midcard feud between Bravo and the Rougeau Brothers.   



Okerlund is with Hogan and Haynes as they hype their elimination match at the March Boston Garden show (which I will review) then run down their WrestleMania III opponents (Hercules and Andre the Giant). Nothing in particular stood out here.



Replay of the Honky Tonk Man attacking Jake "The Snake" Roberts on the set of the "Snake Pit."



Jerry Monti vs. Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart

We get an insert promo from Jimmy Hart, promising a big surprise that will be revealed in tonight's "WrestleMania Report." Honky beats on Monti then taunts the fans, who loudly boo his act. He then rams Monti into the corner and follows that with a clothesline before getting the win with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll (1:32). After the match, Hart runs in the ring and hands Honky a microphone. Honky then thanks the fans for their support as he dances.

Thoughts: Honky's heel act worked great as the crowd hated him even more than before. He really did an awesome job and exceeded with what looked to be a lower card gimmick.



Okerlund is with Bob Uecker, who is the guest ring announcer for the main event at WrestleMania III. Okerlund then puts him in Andre the Giant's sportscoat, which is obviously huge on him. Okerlund then lets us know where to see the show on closed circuit. Uecker always looked like he was having a good time in the WWF.



Now, Okerlund is with the Killer Bees and asks them about their WrestleMania III match against Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff as well as the tag team division in general. They are both happy to be on the show and say that their ultimate goal is to become the Tag Team champions. Blair closes with a lame promo that is only slightly better than the crap they are currently giving Roman Reigns.



Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight is shown out in Hollywood with Bobby Heenan. Hart wants to wear his jacket then gets in a comment about how he is a weasel. Fine for what it was.



Kamala w/ The Wizard & Kimchee vs. David Stoudemire

We get an insert promo from Hacksaw Jim Duggan, making his first on-screen appearance in the WWF, as he calls out Kamala. Kamala starts the match by tossing down Stoudemire. He then hits a splash before climbing up top for another one to get the win (0:56).

Thoughts: Same as every other Kamala squash match. Duggan was originally supposed to face Kamala at WrestleMania III according to Dave Meltzer. If I can, I will try to find out why that did not happen and put it one of these reviews.



Piper's Pit with guests Tito Santana and the British Bulldogs. Before his guests come out, Piper goes off on Adrian Adonis and hypes their hair vs. hair match at WrestleMania III. The crowd was jacked for that. The Bulldogs and Santana come out as Davey cuts a shitty promo and Dynamite does one that is 100x worse. I couldn't make out one word that he said. Santana cuts a brief promo as Piper talks up these guys about how they are going to reclaim their titles.



WrestleMania III Report with Gene Okerlund. He lets us know that a new match has been added to the card, Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Honky Tonk Man, and that in Jake's corner will be Alice Cooper. Okerlund then runs down the rest of the card. Heenan is with Uecker as they talk about WrestleMania III. Uecker then says that he wants to be like Heenan and puts on his jacket then takes it off so he can flex like Hogan. Again, Uecker seemed like he was having a blast here. Jesse is then with Mary Hart as they jokingly tease that they are together in another fun segment. Hart was a good sport. Also, Aretha Franklin will be singing the National Anthem to start off the show.



Dream Team & Adrian Adonis w/ Johnny V, Jimmy Hart, and Dino Bravo. vs. Can-Am Connection & "Leaping" Lanny Poffo

Poffo's pre match poem is about how he hopes Piper does not lose his hair and that Adonis is a slob. The heels then jump the faces from behind to start. The faces then quickly clear the ring as the fans were going nuts. Christ, the Can-Am Connection were over. Adonis is shown in an insert promo with a pair of scissors promising Piper will leave WrestleMania III bald. The Dream Team are working over Martel briefly but he fights back and tags Zenk. Valentine takes control when Zenk misses a corner charge. Zenk comes back and tags Martel, who runs wild. Adonis then runs into the ring but accidentally gets backdropped to the floor by Valentine. Beefcake slams Martel and beats on him in the corner as Hart hands a pair of scissors to Adonis, who thinks he is cutting Martel's hair but it's really Beefcake's, who is going nuts then Martel rolls him up for the win (3:34). After the match, Beefcake flips out on Adonis but gets held back by his guys.

Thoughts: I don't think that Poffo even tagged into this match. The crowd was insane for the Can-Am Connection. The pop for the win was incredible. They also planted the seed for the Brutus Beefcake babyface turn. It looked too contrived as their was no way that Adonis, who was looking at the hair, could not figure out how it was Beefcake's hair he was cutting. The crowd did cheer for Beefcake as he went after Adonis.



Okerlund is with Adrian Adonis and Hercules to hype the six-man elimination match in Boston. Basic stuff from these two.



Next week in action will be the Junkyard Dog, Ricky Steamboat, Hart Foundation and another WrestleMania III report.



Final Thoughts: Another fine show on the road to WrestleMania III. The Hogan/Andre contract signing is a must-see segment and they did their best to make all of the matches on the PPV seem important. The past few months have been masterful from a booking aspect. They perfected the build of their top feuds as they all are still red hot just a month away from the show.



Here is my schedule for the rest of the week. Sadly, there will be no RoH review for tomorrow night as I did not have the time to review Death Before Dishonor, as it is a 4.5 hour long show. It will be posted the following Saturday.

Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 3/1/87
Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 3/7/87
Thursday: Shoot Interview TBD
Friday: WWF Boston Garden Show 3/7/87




Comments

  1. I would say Cena's the least likely person of the three to win this weekend (which probably means he'll squash both guys in under six minutes).


    The reason to take the belt off Lesnar is to avoid any potential complication or a lack of drama since he's done after Wrestlemania. The reason to keep it on him is to pass on whatever rub he got from ending the Undertaker's streak to the guy who finally beats him.


    The reason to put the belt on Rollins is because he's the only true heel maybe on the entire roster. The reason not to do it yet is you don't exactly have a post Wrestlemania program ready for the new champ and Rollins would be a natural fit, plus, switching the belt to Rollins while accounting for the MITB briefcase would be a little heavy-handed. Essentially he's going to wrestle a match lose and then attack someone and cash in minutes later. It could work, but I'm not sure how it'll play.

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  2. Here's a question. How upset would people be if Bryan/Lesnar is the main event, Bryan wins in a war and Rollins cashes in that night. Bryan did get his full moment last Wrestlemania so it's not quite stealing his moment.


    Better yet, you do Reigns or Orton vs Rollins earlier in the night, have Reigns/Orton beat Rollins, and then Rollins steals the belt at the end so you have Bryan who's been wronged and one of Reigns/Orton both chasing the belt from Rollins.

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  3. The Ghost Of Meekin's MoobsJanuary 16, 2015 at 2:19 PM

    Savage was a dick to Elizabeth full stop

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  4. Just imagine the Cena vs. Reigns dueling promos...

    "Well blow me down! I yam what I yam--and that's the sixteen time WWE Champion!"

    "Be vewwy vewwy quiet--I'm hunting you, John Cena!"

    "Great Caesar's ghost!"

    "Where's the beef? It's right here!" *pumps fist*

    "King Kong ain't got nothing on me!"

    "I know you are but what am I?"

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  5. Posted this on the Smackdown board but figure no one much will read that so posted it on the daily board and then this topic came up which is exactly what I was talking about so re-posting here:

    I'm predicting Bryan vs Rollins for the World title at WM.
    It kind of makes sense, the title holder not being present has been a disaster so they move the title to Rollins at Rumble, probably via cash in after Brock or Cena wins the real match, they can still use Brock to give Reigns his going away rub, and yet not piss off the fans as much when it comes to Bryan. Bryan/Rollins will be good, but I really wish we got to see Brock/Bryan once (Maybe they can do that at Fast Lane?)

    So my current card predictions:
    Bryan/Rollins (World Title)
    Brock/Reigns
    Cena/Rusev
    Triple H/Sting
    Bray/Undertaker
    Brie/Nikki (women's title)
    Barrett/Sheamus (IC Title)
    Usos/Kidd-Cesaro (Tag Title [probably just a pipe dream])

    Andre the Giant Battle Royal again to fit everyone else not in matches?

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  6. I don't think there was anything to that "spoiler" posted.


    The reason they changed Elimination Chamber to Fast Lane in the first place was because Lesnar won't be there to defend the title, so what's the point of an Elimination Chamber match if nothing is on the line?

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  7. "We've gotta be cutting edge! We've gotta be topical, GOD DAMMIT!!! Paul, what are these kids into today?"


    "Uhhh..."


    "Let see, ah yes, they like their Looney Tunes. Bugs Bunny and what. THAT'S GOLD, GOD DAMMIT. We need to give Roman a little playfulness to his personality so the kids can relate. What better way than to pull from their favorite cartoons. Have my secretary start pulling tapes. I'm going to write these personally"


    "Uh, Vince, we kind of just use digital video now..."


    "Did I stutter, GOD DAMMIT! Have those tapes on my desk within the hour!"

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  8. Why in the holy fuck would they take the belt off Lesnar before Wrestlemania? What would have been the point of giving it to him in the first place?? How would a hotshot title change at RR do ANYTHING to drum up more interest in WM? Why would Bryan wrestle Lesnar if it weren't to get back the title he was stripped of? If they don't have Bryan win the Rumble and go on to beat Lesnar at Mania then they deserve to go under totally and be bought for scraps by Ted Turner.

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  9. Have Cena pull out a big brass ring and hit Reigns while the refs distracted.

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  10. Ugh, face Rougeaus. Only when they became sincere All-American Boys did they truly shine.

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  11. Because I'm Vince McMahon, God damn it!!! That's why!!!

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  12. That contract signing is still amazing to this day. I miss when the company knew how to do things right

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  13. Where's DDP? And Sting? And Kevin Nash? And Booker T? Hogan, Macho and Piper are accounted for though. That's good.

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  14. I still find WM3 to be a solid show where the "celebrities" fit in like a glove. Ukeker was having a blast and even Mary Hart seemed to fit in. But then again I thought Susan Saint (uh-oh) James did a decent job too - so what do I know? (I think I had a crush on her as a kid, thus why I like her raspy Bronx voice).

    Seriously WM3 just seems like a Supercard with all the matches elevated up a notch due to being a supercard. Sure Koko vs Butch Reed isn't iconic -- but Jesse commentary is.

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  15. Possibly because he's going back to UFC, but how can they not have him go into Wrestlemania defending the title at the event he ended the streak the year before? Lesner/Bryan for the title has written itself.

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  16. Do they save all the cases for his 2/3 appearances?

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  17. I'd be going with Rollins vs Reigns vs Ambrose for the title, building up Lesnar vs Bryan as this super-heated, personal, blood feud and making it a "loser leaves WWE" deal (everybody knows Brock's going anyway but it would be sweet to see Bryan be the one to finally vanquish the Beast and all that... plus the match would be great), HHH vs Cena, Rusev defending the US Title against (and beating) an American hero (Kurt Angle would have been my first choice but Hogan/a Hogan-backed avatar could work too), Sting vs Undertaker (having them both on the same card but not against each other makes zero sense), Wyatt vs Orton, making Ziggler earn an IC title shot against Barrett, setting up a triangle tag team ladder match with the Usos/Cesaro & Kidd/??? for the tag titles, Miz vs Mizdow, Nikki vs Charlotte for the Divas title, and another Andre battle royal to get everyone else on he card,

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  18. Threadjack - which of the Royal Rumble matches is, in your opinion, the best one?

    Not the PPV itself, just the actual Rumble match. Feel like watching one tonight, but can't decide which one.

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  19. I agree too. It's why I was perfectly content with Cena/Brock at the SummerSlam last year. It made sense, the right person won, Everyone was happy. (The booking afterwards...eesh, but at the time it was the right call.)

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  20. Right? You could make an argument that Game of Thrones is the most popular show on TV right now. Not an easy show to enjoy with a short attention span.

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  21. HowmuchdoesthisguyweighJanuary 16, 2015 at 3:37 PM

    Roman cut a promo about the rumble last night

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  22. I think I'd like to see it Blown off, but they're doing a fine job of that now. Why not blow it off at Fastlane?

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  23. That would work, extremely well.

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  24. HowmuchdoesthisguyweighJanuary 16, 2015 at 3:46 PM

    Bryan vs Lesnar
    Cena vs Rusev
    Shield triple threat for the case
    Sting vs HHH
    Wyatt vs Taker

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  25. 3 way tie between 2001/2004/2010

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  26. Better for Rollins to cash in on the post Mania Raw - that'd be a great way to set up for months of Bryan fighting to get back in contention. And post Mania Raw has those smarky douchebag fans who love heels winning.

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  27. I'd have Cena go into WrestleMania as the champion AND as the MITB holder so if he ever loses it, he can get it right back after the match... at WrestleMania he defends against Justin Gabriel. Who actually watches these shows, anyway? Oh right.

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  28. Seconded. In terms of all-time favorites, that's an easy #1.

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  29. I wonder if weekly live TV is actually an anathema to booking. Mass tapings aren't pleasant to sit through and can feel stale by the end, but they did force promotions to book longer-term stories that built. Coincidentally, sort of like the mass pre-taped NXT.

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  30. 2001 or 2010.

    1992 has become overrated over time.

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  31. I remember waiting for Wrestlemanka 28. It was exciting as fuck. Huge huge main event, and u genuinely has no idea who was winning (we didn't ever think there's be a rematch). Almost every other match that night I think we all called right, but it was ok cause of that main event.

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  32. as long as it ends with Reigns and Cena shaking hands n showing respect etc it will be worth $10000

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  33. I love reading these review.

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  34. I'm torn on a few things I'd like to see. I reckon Ziggler and Rollins could have a really good match, but you could also do Ziggler VS Cena with Zig being PO'd at Cena for costing him his job, the issue would be I think a lot of people would side with Ziggler and I'd hate to see his momentum squashed by Cena and I think McMahon would react badly to the crowds reaction to Ziggler and put Cena over him because of it.

    Bryan vs Lesnar sounds awesone on paper and I don't think it'd hurt Reigns to be built up for another year, but I can never predict what WWE will do nowadays. Rollins vs Daniels great too, but I think you could let that simmer until Summerslam.

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  35. Totally agree. Brock/Bryan in a David/Goliath match makes too much sense. Can do a threeway with reigns/ambrose/rollins to climax the shield breakup. Sting/HHH, Taker/Wyatt, Cena/Rusov are the other featured matches (though I'd prefer taker/sting)

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  36. Just write the UFC into the storyline:

    "My client--Brock Lesnar--has beaten the best WWE has to offer. After he is once again victorious at WrestleMania, my client--Brock Lesnar--intends to scour the world for suitable challengers. And whether it be Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, or perhaps even a different type of ring here in the United States, my client--Brock Lesnar--will face all comers and continue to be the Undisputed Reigning Defending WWE World Heavyweight Champion!"

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  37. It doesn't seem like much, but I'll always be impressed by Uecker pointing out that Davey Boy had Danny Davis beat but chose not to cover. Either he "got it" or the WWF did a fantastic job of prepping him.

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  38. And it didn't take 20 minutes for both sides to sign the contract.

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  39. I think a face/face rematch with Bryan chasing & defeating Cena could be the money shot. Cena's gotta headline.
    I like a Shield triple threat for the MITB briefcase, with the winner & success of cash in depending on main event outcome. Reigns < Bryan or Cena as a heel turn.
    Apparently/obviously we getting Sting vs H's.
    Orton will send Lesnar packing.
    Taker vs Wyatt? Idk. I don't buy it. Maybe Wyatt over Rybeck.
    Ziggler over Rusev.
    Sheamus wins Andre Trophy.

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  40. The Love-Matic Grampa!January 16, 2015 at 7:20 PM

    Rusev can win the Andre trophy if they're still doing that this year. The dethroning can come later.

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  41. Lesnar/Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
    Sting/HHH (If HHH wins, The Authority obtain full control over the company from Vince; If Vince's hand-picked guy Sting wins, The Authority is ostracized from power forever, no if's, and's or but's.)
    Rusev/Cena for the United States Championship
    Orton/Rollins
    Reigns/Wyatt (a bit random, but there's nowhere else to put them, so why not pit them against each other)
    Barrett/Ziggler/Harper/Swagger/Ambrose/Sheamus in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship
    Usos/Ascension for the Tag Team Titles
    Nikki/Brie for the Diva's Title
    Andre Memorial Battle Royal (I see this being the annual pre-show match every year from here forward)

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  42. Do you actually have ANYTHING to contribute to this conversation, or do you REALLY have nothing better to do with your free time then to troll people on this site?

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  43. To be different, 1990 was pretty fun.

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  44. The Ghost of Faffner HallJanuary 16, 2015 at 9:49 PM

    And the table was still intact at the end of the segment.

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  45. 1989, just for the being my first live show.

    Excluding that, for me, it'd be 1990, 1992, or 2001.

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  46. How is it that simple, fun squash matches & basic booking completely dominate today's product in terms of enjoyment.
    Maybe it was because I was a kid idk. Probably. But damn...WWF used to be so much fun to watch. Yes most of us are adults now & not blind marks but that doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be fun to watch.
    Less is more?

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  47. Is it possible that those smarky douchebag fans like the heels because the heels are cooler than the faces?

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  48. Even looking at it now, the 1-hour format means absolutely no filler. Seemingly every match and segment is designed to get *something* over. If it's not the wrestler doing the squashing, then it's somebody who's cutting an insert promo.

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  49. Yep this is my card.


    Just putting the three Shield guys in a match together guarantees the crowd won't turn on it regardless of how meh Reigns has been and how badly Ambrose has been booked. Just play up the History simple as that.

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  50. Could easily do Brock/Bryan for the title and The Shield triple threat for the briefcase.

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  51. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 17, 2015 at 10:50 AM

    It could work, but that's already happened at SummerSlam '13 with the Orton cash-in.

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  52. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 17, 2015 at 10:56 AM

    Yeah, it makes more sense as a title match. Bryan never lost the belt, Lesnar has been unbeatable since ending the Streak. Both guys peaked at WM30 and it makes sense to pay it all off at 31. Brock is leaving, Bryan is still their most popular guy.

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  53. This is legitimately one of the most insightful comments I've ever seen on the blog. One of the biggest problems of today, probably THE biggest, is that the booking always seems like it's done by someone (Vince) with a crippling case of ADHD. A booking vision shouldn't be week-to-week, but it sure as shit feels like it has been for a long time. That approach to booking is also what leads to 50/50 booking. If they were taping a month's worth of TV at a time still, you wouldn't see that because they'd realize how little sense it makes.

    Also, you could eliminate these boring-ass 20-minute promos, because they wouldn't be trying to tell a brand new story every single week. When you space out a storyline, you have time to get into logical, subtle motivations. These days, they just have the guy spoon-feed the entire story to the viewers in a giant sucky promo.

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  54. Well, that's one way to get people to REALLY like Reigns, have him face Cena at Wrestlemania. That's always instant face heat. I'd actually applaud them for doing that. The match would suck, but at least they'd be working to Cenas strengths.. knowing the WM crowd will shit all over the guy.

    I have this feeling they might actually go with Rusev winning the Rumble and Cena winning the title, setting up the ULLLLLTIMATE USA vs. Russia main event for Wrestlemaia. The match would suck, but whatever.

    Of course, Sting vs. HHH seems inevitable. The match would suck, but it would be cool to see, I guess?

    At least 2 diva matches. Matches would suck.

    Orton vs. Rollins seems likely. The match would be okay, but seems more like a RAW match than anything.

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