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The SmarK RAW Rant–11.19.12

The SmarK RAW Rant – 11.19.12

Live from Dayton, OH, where people are REALLY EXCITED for this show, apparently. 

Your hosts are Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler

Ryback is out to start, and he’s cutting a PROMO. This show is the bane of my existence as it is, I don’t need Ryback promos to make it even longer. So he’s upset about getting robbed of the WWE title twice now, but Vickie comes out and she has no sympathy for his plight. Instead, she gives him a match.

Ryback v. Tensai

Tensai pounds away in the corner, but Ryback takes him down and they choke each other. Tensai turns that into the Baldo Bomb for one, and Ryback comes back with a powerslam. Tensai keeps slugging and Ryback has to sell some more, but he hits a spinebuster and clotheslines him to the floor. Back in, the lariat and Shellshock finish at 3:24. Thank god he didn’t kill him with that. *1/2 This crowd seemed to be a bit more into the Ryback act than the Survivor Series crowd was. He’s kind of a weird case because his level of star power seems to depend on which crowd he gets.

Kofi Kingston v. Wade Barrett

I hate this dynamic because either you’re beating someone who shouldn’t be doing jobs at all right now, or you’re beating the Intercontinental champion with no title feud on the horizon. Although of course this is non-title because no one gives a shit about the IC title. This whole thing with the secondary titles where they do nothing with them is driving me nuts. Cesaro is a curtain jerker who defends against nobodies, and Kofi just never defends his. They should just get rid of them or unify them and get it over with. Barrett slugs away in the corner, but misses a charge and Kofi pounds him in the corner and gets two. Barrett takes over and gets a neckbreaker for two, and clotheslines Kofi to the floor as we naturally take a break. Someone getting tossed to the floor is like wrestling’s universal signal for a commercial break. Back with Barrett holding a chinlock and he tosses Kofi out again, and thank god we don’t instantly take another break. Back in, Wade kicks him in the ribs and gets two. Headbutt gets two as this just isn’t meshing at all. Kofi does a nice reversal off the Bossman slam into a rollup for two, and a head kick puts Barrett on the floor now. Back in, Kofi makes the JAMAICAN ME CRAZY comeback with the boomdrop, but walks into the Bossman slam for two. Kofi to the top with a high cross for two. The goofy SOS move gets two. Wade rakes the eyes and finishes with the big elbow at 11:30. Kofi is tremendous at doing the sympathetic babyface selling and the big comeback, and this turned into a fine TV match by the end. ***1/4 I really hate using the secondary champions as enhancement guys, though. If that’s the role you want Kofi for, they should take the belt off him.

Meanwhile, Paul Heyman and CM Punk plan the one year celebration for his title reign tonight. He officially passes Hulk Hogan’s 1990 reign tonight, by the way, and next Monday he passes the 1988 Randy Savage reign. So he’s getting up there with some good company.

Kaitlyn v. Aksana

No ring intros for either girl, which is good because I don’t give a shit about either one. Aksana suckers Kaitlyn out of the ring for a cheapshot and pounds away in the ring, then does a hanging armbar in the corner and works on the arm. Kaitlyn comes back at a random point and hits a gutbuster to finish at 3:00. I continue to not care and miss Beth Phoenix even more. ½*

Brodus Clay v. Antonio Cesaro

R-Truth is on commentary so apparently that feud MUST CONTINUE. Brodus throws down in the corner, but misses a charge and gets beat up by Cesaro. Double stomp and the Drunkadactyls are unimpressed. Cesaro with a neck vice, but Clay fights out and gets the corner splash, but the pump splash misses. Cesaro with a SWEET diving uppercut and the NEUTRALIZER finishes at 2:30. Cesaro continues to impress. **

Vickie joins us as the awesomely paced first hour of nothing but wresting comes to a screeching halt for more of this bullshit storyline. So now she’s got two “witnesses”. AJ quickly comes out and says either fire her or shut the hell up. Vickie now claims to have an incriminating photo, and John Cena now interrupts because he too has had enough of this ridiculous storyline. So he plants one on AJ, and she’s into it as well. Ziggler runs out for the sneak attack and they brawl to the back as this crowd is just MOLTEN tonight.

Alberto Del Rio v. Randy Orton

This is 2 out of 3 falls, which is such a terrific idea for naturally stretching out these 3 hour shows that I’m shocked they didn’t think of it before. They should do that with the tag matches, too! Just like the old SNME days. Orton gets a clothesline for two, but ADR throws kicks at the arm and gets two. Orton with a standing dropkick for two, but Del Rio gets a suplex for two. Orton stomps him down, but Del Rio upkicks the arm to put Orton down again. Orton throws him to the floor to block the armbar attempt, but Del Rio wraps the arm around the post and beats on it until the ref calls for the DQ at 3:09. And we take a break. Back with Del Rio holding an armbar, but Orton suplexes out of it and makes the comeback. Powerslam and the crowd goes BATSHIT for him, but Del Rio takes him down with the armbreaker at 7:52. Third fall and Orton’s working with one arm, but he manages a rollup out of the corner for two. Del Rio hits a running kick on the bad arm and gets two. Orton with the backbreaker, but Ricardo trips him up and gets tossed out of the match. Orton stops to gloat and Del Rio gets a backstabber for two. Scheudenfraude gets you nowhere. Del Rio gets cute and tries an RKO, but Orton reverses it into the draping DDT…and then hurts his arm on the RKO taunt. Del Rio hits the armbreaker again as a result, but Orton fights it this time and rolls him over for two. Del Rio misses the enzuigiri and the RKO finishes at 12:44 for a huge babyface pop. This crowd is INSANELY jacked. I really, really enjoyed this match, with the build around the arm and Orton’s big comeback, and the crowd going crazy for everything really helped. ***1/2

The Great Khali v. Primo & Epico

The Colons continue to fall down the ladder as Hornswoggle brings Rosa flowers. He’s wacky and they spray her with water as Khali beats Epico with the tree slam at 1:00. Rosa Mendes without the entrance is no buys. DUD

David Otunga v. The Miz

This show continues at an astoundingly hot pace, just by putting out a bunch of wrestling matches with a hot crowd. I can dig this. Otunga pounds away and runs Miz into the post, and a legsweep gets two. Elbowdrop gets two. Otunga hits the chinlock and works on the neck, then adds a shoulderblock for two. Short clothesline gets two. And he goes back to the chinlock, but Miz rolls him up for two. Otunga with another clothesline for two and it’s back to the chinlock again, as even this crap match can’t kill the crowd. Miz comes back with a sunset flip for two, and a rollup for two. Miz makes the comeback with the corner clothesline and double axehandle, and the Finale finishes at 6:07. Well that was as formula as you get. Miz sold and sold and then made the big comeback and won clean. That’s fine, but I wish the generic heel had been someone with a better offensive moveset than Otunga. *

Sheamus v. Damien Sandow

Sheamus calls out Big Show for a bit of an argument that goes nowhere, but given that Sheamus is standing there with a chair he’s probably wise not to engage him. Sheamus puts Sandow on the floor to start and works a headlock, then slugs him down out of the corner. Suplex gets two. Sheamus goes to work on the arm and tosses him out of the ring by the beard, and we of course take a break. Back with Sandow hitting a neckbreaker on the floor, which gets two. Sandow goes to the chinlock as the third hour curse is killing off this wonderfully hot crowd. Sandow continues holding the chinlock as the crowd gets bored and turns on the match. And Sandow keeps going back to the chinlock over and over before hitting the ELBOW OF DISDAIN, which Sheamus reverses into the backbreaker. He comes back with the forearms and a suplex back into the ring, and to the top for the shoulderblock. White Noise and the Brogue Kick finish at 14:25. Jesus, were they running REALLY short or something and needed someone to go out and having the most boring match possible to fill time? **

Meanwhile, Vickie introduces AJ to Tamina Snuka, who by the way is the daughter of Hall of Famer Jimmy Snuka, and AJ is MAD because Cena is hurt.

Meanwhile, AJ storms into the locker room and confronts Ziggler, and he’s not putting up with her crazy. John Cena runs out to defend her craziness, and Ziggler attacks the injured knee (his knee is injured?) and further injures it.

Sin Cara & Rey Mysterio v. Daniel Bryan & Kane

Sin Cara gets an enzuigiri on Kane, but gets taken down with a shoulderblock before Bryan tags himself in and wakes up the crowd. Kicks in the corner and he drops a knee and goes up, but misses a flying kneedrop. Over to Rey for a double-team kick that gets two, but Bryan hits a high kick and Kane tags himself in. Rey trips him up, but can’t get the 619, so he hits a senton to the floor instead. Sin Cara adds a dive on Bryan and we take a break. Back with Kane getting a sideslam on Cara for two, and Bryan hooks him in a bow-and-arrow hold while the Primetime Players get into the most inane discussion possible with Jerry Lawler on commentary. Kane pounds on Cara in the corner and Bryan goes to a rear chinlock, then misses a blind charge. Cara comes back with a tornado DDT and makes the hot tag to Mysterio. Kane gives him a pair of corner clotheslines, but Rey gets an inverted DDT for two. He goes up and Kane slugs him coming down and gets two. Rey comes back with the 619 and drops the dime, but Kane catches him for a chokeslam and the Players run in for the DQ at 10:42. And as usual they get their asses kicked. This was OK but I continue to have no idea if we’re supposed to be cheering Hell No or what. **1/4

Main Event Interview: Paul Heyman is out with CHARTS to celebrate Punk’s title reign. He points out the hypocrisy of everyone whining about wanting the Attitude Era back and then whining that the heart attack angle was too far. Tell ‘em, Paul. He presents Punk with a brand new video package celebrating 365 days, which has people cheering Punk again. He declares that his new goal is to make it to 2018 and surpass Bruno’s original title reign. Somehow I don’t see that happening. Heyman goes over the list of people who are unable to beat CM Punk, which brings out Ryback. And the NXT crew attacks him again, setting up a good old heel beatdown as they swarm him, put him through another table, and Punk finishes his celebration uninterrupted. Ryback showing some vulnerability should only help him when he gets his revenge.

The Pulse

This was a pretty great episode that I was into almost all the way through, although once again that damn third hour almost killed it. Hopefully Ambrose or Rollins can break out in this role and not just end up as cannon fodder for Ryback, but it’s great to see them positioned in a main event spot right away and treated like a threat.

I approve of this episode!

Comments

  1. That Lawler/PTP discussion may have been inane, but hot damn was it legit funny. Even Stroud's board was raving about Titus. If I had to sum up the consensus, it seems to be:


    MILLIONS OF COMMENTS
    MILLIONS OF COMMENTS

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Titus legitimately cracked up Lawler and Cole there. That can only mean good things for him in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Like I said in the live thread, I try hard to resist liking PTP, But they suck me in all the time. The banter between Titus and Lawler was laugh out loud funny, and repeatedly talking about "Wash Rags"

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm glad you pointed out you were confused about Cena injuring his knee, because it clearly looked like he rolled his ankle...

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  5. So,, TLC so far seems to be show v sheamus (chair), cena v ziggler ( ladder I reckon) and cm punk v ryback (tables).

    I do like the nxt guys triple powerbomb through a table btw. Hope they keep doing it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. When did Primo and Epico turn heel anyway? Weren't they babyfaces like two weeks ago?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Artist_Formerly_Known_as_KtuluNovember 20, 2012 at 1:17 AM

    I haven't watched WWE in a long time, so after hearing about the Prime Time Players, I finally decided to check them out on Youtube. I'm glad I did. Terry Crews and Black Cena are meant to be a tag team forever.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was hoping that the Orton/Ziggler feud would continue and hopefully lead to a double turn somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think Titus is actually in his late 30's or early 40's. If he was younger, I definitely would think they might have something in him.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think we found the solution to WWE's crowd woes: Start holding RAW and Smackdown in towns that haven't had a TV taping in a LONG time. It's understandable why cities like Miami, Indianapolis and Atlanta would be so dead, after all WWE goes to those towns like 12 times a year. But go to a town that's starved for live big league wrestling and they will come and bring their A-game. That's why the 1997 RAWs were so entertaining, not just because of the inventive storylines but also because the giant majority of those RAWs were held in towns that didn't usually get TV tapings, like Lake Placid, New York or Champaign, Illinois.

    Start holding RAW and Smackdown in places like Casper, Wyoming, Fort Myers, Florida and Binghamton, New York and I can guarantee those places will be packed and full of fans that would be perfectly willing to cheer Ryback, boo CM Punk and so forth.

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  11. Just watched the ending on Youtube it was awesome, not as awesome as the original NXT invasion, but it was cool. You gotta love CM Punk and Heyman together...1 full year as WWE champion you gotta love it. I can't wait till Lesnar joins them...

    I might actually have to get cable set up to buy the Royal Rumble this year. I haven't purchased one live since Rumble'05! Although I really do like the "Best PPV matches" DVDs, let's you see all the good stuff for 20 bucks(althought the '11 one had a womens match on it :s)

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  12. THREADJACK: 8-3 in the FFLoD, tied for the best record in the league.


    FEED!
    ME!
    MORE!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Agreed! Crowds can make or break a show. My city gets maybe one WWE show a year, and even that's a gamble if it's TV or a house show. When we do get TV I'm always reading reports about how great the crowd sounds on TV.



    The dirt worst crowds seem to always come from that casino in the northeast they always tour. Awful.

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  14. I thought they said it was his ankle right after it happened.

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  15. The announcers, as well as myself, initially speculated that he rolled his ankle, however, in between the time Cena injured himself in the first place and confronted Dolph in the lockerroom and they showed Cena with a physician in the training room getting his knee taped.

    Was that segment like the official "not be watching time"or something? Because I feel like I'm the only one recall that event occurring.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Man, this raw sucked! It had like...long matches, and heels got to look dominant, how shitty.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Threadjack: Listened to the new Soundgarden album, pretty fucking awesome, pretty much makes anything new that AIC or PJ is releasing pretty lame. They picked up right where they left off.


    But to sum up tonight: Good Raw, Bears suck.

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  18. You've gotta be referring to Mohegan Sun. I think the only reason they even hold shows there is because it's a very short drive from Titan Towers, the same reason they're in Hartford and Bridgeport all the freaking time and those two towns are known for having terrible crowds as well.

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  19. missed this show. i'm curious to check it out out, as a red hot crowd can turn a mediocre show into a pretty good one.

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  20. Amma let you finish with your BoD bitchfest, commenters, but let me make one observation from Survivor Series and RAW.


    Referees are actually checking to make sure that the shoulders are down during pinfalls!.


    Kudos!


    I now return you to your regularly scheduled #baking.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Everyone was so high on Ambrose, Reigns, and Rollins, but two nights now all I've seen them do is kick, punch, and powerbomb.


    They're midget Kevin Nashs with worse hair and, apparently, no promo skills.

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  22. Reminds me of that Pipers Pit where Piper went apeshit on Adonis's arm with a crutch. Meme Gene reported it as a "shoulder separation", and Jesse Ventura shit all over that diagnosus, showing the replay and saying that Adonis got hit in the elbow.


    They changed it to an elbow injury thereafter. Too bad we don't have a Ventura to speak out for the intelligent fan anymore...

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  23. So I was wondering what type of match Ziggler and Cena would have at TLC and I figured ladder match. Then I wondered what would be above the ladder and remembered Ziggler's MITB case. Ziggler/Cena for Ziggler's title shot would be a good stip and I figured Ziggler would probably go over because what the fuck would Cena need the World Heavyweight title for...then it hit me...

    WWE Champ The Rock against World Champ John Cena at WM 29 to unify the titles.

    ReplyDelete
  24. And the Royal Rumble winner does...what?

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  25. 1. Challenges the Undertaker instead.


    2. Punk loses to the Rock and enters the Rumble. Do the 94 finish with him and Bryan. At Elimination chamber, they have a match to determine the number 1 contender and that ends in a draw. Next night on Raw, with no number one contenders, Rock challenges Cena to unify the titles and Punk/Bryan is signed for a 2 out of 3 falls match at WM to determine the number 1 contender for the new unified WWE title at Extreme Rules.


    It doesn't have to be Punk and Bryan. Those are just the two guys I'd use.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Cena tricks him into doing it like Jericho did to Triple H back in 2000 when he kept insulting Steph.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Cena tricks Ziggler into putting his World Title shot on the line instead of challenging Big Show directly like a man? Oooookayyyy....

    ReplyDelete
  28. It not about challenging for the World title, it's about getting revenge on Ziggler. And the best way to do it would be to beat him and take his MITB briefcase.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesNovember 20, 2012 at 5:14 AM

    Please don't end a post with something like you just did. While Jesse Baker is still alive.

    That's literally like throwing a Mogwai into a pool, and having a huge post-midnight buffet waiting for them afterward.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesNovember 20, 2012 at 5:16 AM

    To be fair, everyone has worse hair than Nash.

    I mean, c'mon. That mane of his while in WCW should have had a belt all it's own. Gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesNovember 20, 2012 at 5:18 AM

    What do you think would happen if they tried to have Punk be the longest running WWE champ of all time?



    Is the reason they could do that back then is because of how unexposed everything was?



    Also, man, it REALLY pisses me off that they're going to fucking waste Punk's entire run on The Rock. Does the motherfucker REALLY need that sort of bump? What a complete and total waste.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Wasn't Kevin Nash's hair the first Cruiserweight Tag Champions? There was only that tournament because Nash walked out, right?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Because Ziggler has proven how stupid and gullible he is to fall for something like that?


    Look, if you're just talking about what you'd like to see, then fine, but don't pretend that what you're proposing actually makes any sense.

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  34. I think, at the two year point, it would become obvious that that is what they were going for, and it would take all of the suspense out of their main events. PPVs would plummet for almost two years, until he starts to close in on the first reign of Hogan.

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  35. I already asked the question to Scott.


    I asked him that it makes NO FUCKING SENSE for whomever the champ is to job to ROck if thats the intended purpose.


    So you have your WWE champ that not only doesnt do most TVs, but NO house shows and maybe skips the Feburary PPV.


    Dumb short term business IMO.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I think that they think of it more as elevating the WWE title. They want to bring it up to Rock's level, not the other way around.

    The Rock may not show up on RAW or house shows very much, but he does show up here:

    https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=dwayne+johnson&oq=dwayne+johnson



    Rock ain't David Arquette. Smart short term business IMO.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm very curious to see what would happen in both cases. #mogwaied

    ReplyDelete
  38. So you think the cocky hot head heel who thinks he is better than everyone else wouldn't put up his shot to get at Cena for making fun of Vickie? He already put up it up against Jericho.

    And it's not something I personally want to see. Although I guess I could live with Rock/Cena 2 if it meant unifying the titles. I just threw it out there because I wouldn't be surprised if it happened.

    "but don't pretend that what you're proposing actually makes any sense."



    Cocky heels do stupid shit all the time because they never think they can lose. Again, it's right out of the Jericho/HHH playbook. Did that not make sense?

    ReplyDelete
  39. There's no suspense right now, let alone a year from now.

    ReplyDelete
  40. This is gonna split the BoD again like Rock/Cena last year.


    Scott, you are welcome for the Hits.


    Fuj= DRAW. USE ME MORE!!!


    Title makes the person, person doesnt make the title. So basically they used the 365 days to elevate the title to hand it to the Rock for a 3 month PR tour to bring in the casuals.


    And then what!? Come the day after WM, its back to status quo.


    Dont squander your full time guys, for part timers. AGAIN.


    It just shows that Rock is above everyone else when its supposed to be Everyone else above The Rock, because he isnt really apart of the team.


    Cena went over Brock, but Rock goes Cena.
    Rock will probably go over Punk, so by proxy Rock is better than everybody that Punk beat in the last 365 days.


    All that building for 3 months business. So basically you are an idiot to watch WWE programming 9 months out of the year. AGAIN.


    Im all over the place i know... im just like whatever about Rock+WWE, just like i was last year.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Undertaker, HHH, Punk, Cena, and Brock. That's the list. Those are the only people I would pay to see Rock face at WM. The problem is that the Rock coming back these past 2 years is the worst possible time for WWE because they have no one who is ready to make the leap. They don't have a Cena in 05 type guy to build the promotion around.

    ReplyDelete
  42. And if you don't pull the trigger on the Rock, then you never leave the status quo.

    WWE is trying to expand their fan base. Whether they can or not is not The Rock's issue. The Rock's sole purpose is to pull in new eyeballs, like no one else (with the possible exception of Brock Lesnar) can.

    He will bring in tremendous Wrestlemania buys and ratings to the following night's RAW. What happens after that is on WWE. But even if they fail to keep the new fans, it's still better to have tried and failed than to take the safe path and slowly stagnate.

    ReplyDelete
  43. The only reason Vince brought Rock in is because he has nobody else but Cena and Taker that draws at WM.


    If he had multiple draws that drew at WM, then there no need for Rock.


    I dont blame him for taking the payday, i blame WWE for failing to build new long term draws.

    ReplyDelete
  44. If they worked at it for 9 months they wouldnt have to bring in the Attitude Era stars for 3 for insta fueds.

    I dont give a flying fuck about one nights draws when its a proven draw. year in and out.

    Take Rock out of WM and its still roughly 1M buys worldwide.

    What about May-Dec? Thats what i care about.

    The vast majority of fans know that the WWE is stale as fuck 3/4s out the year and also know that come Jan the booking rights itself leading to good tv (mostly) until WM. And once summer hits, its back to the bitching.



    WHY?!


    Why do we put ourselves through this everytime?


    We know its coming.


    Yet we do nothing but sit happy for 3 months and then bitch the other nine.

    ReplyDelete
  45. They've spent the past couple years making their heels look like idiots...how is this so far-fetched? It's stupid booking, but not any stupider than some of the booking crutches they've used as of late.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I, as a fellow 8-3 member of the league, salute you. Until you turn around and get a cattle prod to the back. MOUNTIE STYLE BITCH!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesNovember 20, 2012 at 6:35 AM

    Yeah, Rock will generate more buys. You know what else will generate more buys? CREATING NEW MEGA STARS.



    Also, having compelling storylines. It's like they just rest on the fact that The Rock is coming back. What? Create interesting storylines? Fuck that, Rock is coming.

    Fuj, my man, you may generate ratings, but I'm the John Cena around here. You either dig me, or you hate me. Hustle. Loyalty. Boner Jokes.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Yes because 3 on 1 heel beatdowns are really how you want to show the full range of someone's abilities. And Ambrose is better at promos than half the roster.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Nope I saw it too and it was right after they did the replay of him getting hurt and hobbling and making it look like an obvious ankle injury.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Fuck yeah, if they came back to the Olympic Center in Placid I'd be there drunk and loud as a motherfucker.

    ReplyDelete
  51. I agree.


    its fucking stupid.


    If they worked on being creative instead relying on the Attitude Era part timers to work a couple of dates, they could eventually have good money all year round, instead of having this spike 1Q every year.


    They talk big shit during the investors call 1Q, and then play spin doctor the rest of the year.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I love that Rollins, Ambrose, and Reigns are wearing black shirts with black jeans.



    "Is it true what they're saying? Is it true that Tyler Durden is building an army?"

    ReplyDelete
  53. Nobody created The Attitude Era and its stars. It just happened. Anybody who tells you that they can bring about the next boom period on command is a lying sack of Russo.


    What exactly is "working on being creative" to you? Do you honestly think that they are not doing that? That they are throwing darts at a ouija board (yes, I mixed my metaphors, shut up!) instead of having long meetings and thoughts about what they are going to do for the next several months?


    They just have to keep trying until they strike gold. In the meantime, they'll continue breaking the emergency glass as necessary.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Was Scott being sarcastic about the crowd? Because I thought it was insanely dead at times.

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  55. Wow, I thought that was a great crowd.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I was not familiar with that reference, Googled it, and now I'm extremely intrigued. Thank you sir.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesNovember 20, 2012 at 7:29 AM

    Working on being creative is no more of this 50/50 booking bullshit.

    It's seeing Daniel Bryan get the word YES over. He got ONE WORD over. And not just over in wrestling, over in all of pop-culture. It's seeing him do that, then have multiple MOTYC and NOT force him to do stupid comedy bullshit in a tag-team. It's putting him in the main event. And KEEPING him there.



    It's seeing Dolph Ziggler be one hell of a show-boating heel, with a style & look we haven't seen in years, have incredible match after match after match, and make him the top champion heel. Not a fucking goof who's gonna win his first title on a fluke.



    It's having one of the best wrestlers alive today go on an incredible run with the WWE title, and instead use the end of it to make a new star. NOT GIVE IT TO THE ROCK. Ziggler should be cashing in his MITB to face Punk at the Rumble, and beat his ass clean as a sheet after a 5 star match. THAT will make him teflon. Then you build to the WM rematch.



    None of this ONCE IN A LIFE....er, we now mean TWICE IN A LIFETIME bullshit.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I don't think anyone is an idiot for watching WWE for the other 9 months of the year. WWE has to be quite aware (like we all are at this point) that there is definitely an "off season" when it comes to wrestling. For the more serious fans, there are multiple "off" and "on" seasons in a year.


    For the casual fan, I think the attention span lasts from the Rumble build through the Mania fallout (which seemingly can last anywhere from one Raw through Extreme Rules). After that, things really slow down, and they can come back next year.


    For the more serious fans, they can leave around April, and come back in July when it's time for MITB & Summerslam, two of the more enticing ppv offerings each year. Those fans can leave again in late August, and come back around November for the long stretch (Survivor Series - April), encompassing the entire Mania build and fall out.


    Then there are the really serious fans who watch all 12 months out of the year. At this point I don't think it's a secret to anyone that some parts of the year are much slower than others, but these fans keep watching it because they find a wrestling show to be an enjoyable thing to follow. It really is like a soap opera: it's not always great, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to follow.



    I can't see how the WWE wouldn't be 100% aware of the "seasonal" aspect that things have taken on. I mean, we've had something like 25 Summerslams, 26 Survivor Series events, and 28 Wrestlemanias. We've had a long time to get trained on what generally does and doesn't pique our interests, and personally, I don't think that's a bad thing.


    I'm sure they are fully aware of the seasonal peeks and valleys too, and that's the system they accept working in now. It's a different business model - they don't need to have Steve Austin burn down the world each week to pop ratings/sell ppvs. I'm pretty sure the WM buys are bigger than ever before, so even if everything else only breaks even over a year, they'll still pocket millions and millions off Wrestlemania.


    Plus, as an aside, they're not breaking even - they're making a ton of cash in several different arenas. And speaking of, I have to go give them $25 now for an Attitude dvd that I fully plan on enjoying, so I'll stop this thought for now.

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  59. It makes me sad that punk is now up there with guys that actually drew money.

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  60. 9.5 dougie! Well done

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  61. Holy crap, disqus is working on my laptop again! Anyway, one of the better 3 hour shows. The IC champ jobbed again, but at least it's leading to a program for the belt. The tag scene looks promising but Hell No needs to drop the titles to freshen them up a bit. Can't wait to see Orton turn heel and get more cheers than Sheamus. Hopefully the NXT guys don't job out to Ryback in a handicap tables match at TLC

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  62. I beat new football order to go 7-4 and put you in sole possession of 1st place in the mcmahon division. So you are welcome

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  63. Fuck, that's bubble-bursting. I thought this dude was 25, and in the running for the The Guy down the road.

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  64. "What do you think would happen if they tried to have Punk be the longest running WWE champ of all time?"


    They'd job him to HHH.

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  65. Haven't heard the new Soundgarden yet, but AIC's Black Gives Way to Blue was pretty goddamn good. I haven't bought a PJ album since No Code.

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  66. Yeah I'm not sure, between thinking the dead crowd was awesome and thinking the awesome PTP commentary was inane...I don't even

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  67. I agree. That's why crowds are so hot here in Canada, because they rarely come up here. I don't understand why they don't come at least once a year...tickets seem to sell like crazy whenever they are here in Edmonton.

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  68. They were surprisingly entertaining (well Titus was) on commentary and actually had me laughing out loud when he got on Lawler's "washrag" comment and shot back with "pay windows". Even Lawler and Cole seemed to have fun with it when the PTP got beat down and said "Take that you washrags!". It was entertaining to me since they genuinely seemed to have fun during commentary and didn't feel fed or forced. Force fed if you will.

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  69. There was nothing "inane" about the commentary during the tag match. Titus O'Neil was AWESOME in that role, and his banter with Cole and Lawler had me rolling in laughter.

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  70. That would be a great way to repackage someone with a different name, like Ziggler. Keep him off tv for like 6 months, then give him a Project Mayhem stable. The wreck havoc for awhile and keep mentioning this name, but no one knows who it is. Finally it is revealed to be Ziggler, completely oblivious to his old persona and gimmick.

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  71. Haven't PPV buyrates been up since he's been champion? Cause I'm sure people we're buying to see Big Show/Cena 37, Kane/Cena, and Ace/Cena.

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  72. It wouldn't surprise me that Stephanie thinks that a Ouija board is something you throw darts at.

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  73. Exactly, it's WWE's fault, and yet, they've constantly had guys who the fans organically get behind, like Bryan, Ziggler, and Punk. And yet, time and time again, WWE goes "fuck you, we want you to like Sheamus, Ryback, and Cena".

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  74. "It doesn't have to make sense, we're telling stories" - Stephanie McMahon

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  75. Makes us all sad your mom didnt take his $200 and abort it at 16.

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  76. Try English this time.

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  77. ummm he was never the focal point of the promotion... unless programmed with Cena.


    CM punk is not a draw. big fan of his work though.

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  78. I really want to know what Rock's payday is for working a couple matches. He's easily clearing 20 mil a year in hollywood (probably more) so I wonder why he would even bother coming back for wm payout that is probably a drop in the bucket for him. I can understand a guy like jericho or huntor coming back for a nice cash grab but Rock can't be doing it for the money. Makes me wonder if cena really is going over at wrestlemania. Would rock really care about putting over the heaviest pushed guy in wwe history? Maybe Rock is just coming back to get high profile wins to cement his kayfabe legacy.



    Either way I'm completely on the side of people who are glad they bring back the part timers for wrestlemania. There is no one on the roster better than the Rock so why not put him in the main event. Brock Lesnar is a bigger star than Punk (I prefer punk but oh well) so why shouldn't he work the main event. I really hope the main event ends up as Brock v Rock.



    The problem is obviously that they won't push anyone else to make them a star, and half the guys they push aren't over. If Billy Gunn was around today instead of aborting his push when he sucked they would have just made him whc and had him beat Foley at six stright ppvs.

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  79. I think Punk is a draw as a heel, but they need faces for him to work with that are over. Babyface punk is definitely not a draw

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  80. we can go back and forth on that but unless Punk is with Cena he doesnt draw/ not the focal point of the promotion.

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  81. buckdiddy vs Dougie!!!!!!!!!! yes please

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  82. Re: Part timers.

    "Relationship with Bill Watts in Mid-South- Bill ruled with fear and was obnoxious. Said his favorite time to make him unhappy was when Muhammed Ali was there and he started no-selling Ali’s punches while still bouncing around for his opponent. When confronted about it, he said “Well, he’s not going to be here next week, but i will..."

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  83. So you mean to tell me that come Jan EVERY YEAR the booking doesnt get drastically better?


    We joke about it EVERY YEAR!!


    Princess just said this is her favorite time of the year because of the booking.


    So my question to you is, do you think they are being creative the rest of the year or are they sitting and spinning for 6-9 months?

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  84. I don't know. In my life the only heels that have been more over were hogan, the outsiders and flair. And Punk has probably drawn more money than flair (but it's an apples and oranges thing imo) He moves t-shirts and gets more tv time than cena. I just think he and cena are like hogan and piper or bret and shawn or rock and austin. The WWE just needs better babyfaces to get the feuds over better.

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  85. Yeah but in this case they do come back for all the money shows

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  86. Would you buy a "John Cena/PG Era " dvd?


    Vince got RYBACK relatively over. Im not sold on the meathead but depending on the city (MARK/SMARK) he is over.


    He can get anything and anyone over. Now to the point of an Austin, probably not, but all the fans need is a reason to care, the persons natural ability will take care of the rest. But Vince doesnt believe in YES. He hasnt fully gotten behin BEST IN THE WORLD.


    and the product creatively will continue to suffer until he embraces his new wrestler instead of trying to make another USA Lex Luger.

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  87. Just looking at the last 4 years or so outside of the undertaker stuff I would say the booking around wrestlemania time isn't that much better than the rest of the year.

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  88. PPV buyrates dont matter to me anymore when you got merch that sells.


    But Punk is not a ppy draw. He hasnt been in the position to really draw tbh.

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  89. Well Punk headlining a show as a babyface would be a disaster but fwiw the biggest draw wwe has on their full-time roster is heel punk v face cena.

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  90. ...MEANWHILE THE DAY AFTER WM...


    The people not positioned as stars tow the company line and put up with the BS for 250+ days.

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  91. I would support wwe making new stars but until they decide to do that might as well roll the old ones out

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  92. And how many time do you think this business approach will work?


    How many more time will Taker be carted out until his big 33 gallon fat head cant work anymore?


    How many more time will Rock be in WM ONCE IN A LIFETIME... NEVER BEFORE AGAIN?


    Austin... Jericho... HART!??


    It sets a bad precedent that we can not make stars anymore and our best years is behind us. WAYYY behind us. Fuck John Cena, he isnt a star. cheer the Rock, the guy who makes movies and comes around once a year.


    What about the kids that tune into WM that are totally enamored with the ROCK and see him for the first time? They wake up the next day goto school, talk about WM and that ROCK guy and how he came in and beat up Cena... and cant wait for RAW tonight... He gets his root beer and popcorn... and waits 3 hours to never see Rock... cuz WM is over and its back to the guys who arent stars again...


    You just gained and lost one fan.


    It'd be like you working for a company thats in the red and bringing back to the black and even green... end of year comes around and after all the hard work all the overtime and stuggles... missed holidays and birthdays... a few guys who didnt put the time in got bonuses...

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  93. It was funny as hell but the whole washrag thing was the definition of inane.

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  94. I actually watched Raw this week via DVR after the show ended because I was intrigued by the ending to Survivor Series (which I didn't and won't bother to watch). I fast-forwarded through much of the show, which is the only way a 3 hour show is tolerable.

    Orton VS Del Rio was really good. They wrestled the match in a believable fashion, with Del Rio working the arm to set up his finisher and Orton actually remembering to sell the arm when he set up for the RKO. Their PPV match was also really good, except for a bad mistake they made during the finish. I wish they had put the WHC on Del Rio because the Del Rio VS Orton matches need more time.

    I was surprised by Ziggler's mic skills. The Cena/AJ crap is really bad. Why am I supposed to care if Cena and AJ are dating each other? GMs have been married to wrestlers in the past and both Cena and AJ are single in storylines (right?). Actually, I think the answer to why they're doing this is made obvious by the opening voiceover. WWE has decided to rip off TNA, so they're doing a PG version of a TNA storyline.

    Now that Punk's title reign has finally gotten going after a year and Punk has his own faction around him, I think WWE needs to call an audible and let Punk beat Rock at the Rumble. If they want to do Punk VS Austin, they can have Austin enter the Rumble at #30, win it and then have Punk beat Austin. If Undertaker's going to wrestle his last match at Mania this year, they could have Punk end the streak. If Punk loses the title, he'll have held it for a long time, but his reign will still have been weak. He spent his title reign so far facing upper midcarders (Ziggler, Bryan, Del Rio), a washed up Chris Jericho and getting fluke wins against Cena and Ryback. If WWE believes Punk can be the "New Face" of their company, they need to give him the signature wins he needs to establish himself firmly as the top guy. 2 decisive wins over top stars from the Attitude Era would cement Punk atop the company. If they put Punk over The Rock, that would itself generate interest in the product and draw in viewers.

    Was this show a fluke or did WWE decide to start the Road to Wrestlemania 2 months early this year? They really need to put on quality shows 52 weeks a year if they want to retain and expand their audience. If viewers decide that it isn't worth tuning in every week and they should just wait until the time of year when they're "on" to pay attention again, many of them won't actually remember to tune in when that time comes.

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  95. No Code and Vs. are my two favorites. Binaural is also awesome, but isn't for everybody. The albums since aren't as good overall, but better than most of what's out there.

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  96. Vs. is amazing, easily my favorite. My buddy bought Yield so I was lucky enough to hear it before I was tempted to buy it. Agreed that they're still better than most of what's out there, but that's pretty faint praise. These days I'm more inclined to seek out old stuff that I'm not already familiar with, than to listen to new stuff on the radio.

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  97. That's the problem I have with Bill Watts. I'd have held back his pay for the night and made sure Jake never worked in that town again.


    How'd that fucking-over-everyone crap work out for ol' Jake, anyway?

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  98. We'll see when the buyrate from HIAC comes out.

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  99. Fuck over everyone?!?!


    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.
    No contracts. He could have fired him right then.


    But Jake made his money,sure he pissed it away but he made money and i agree with him. Part timers have no business being put over full time talent.

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  100. Why is that bubble bursting? Dallas Page and Bautista were even older when they first started catching on...

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  101. absolutely. if its up then ill man up, cuz we know ryback didnt draw.

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  102. So if I hire a plumber to fix the toilet, and the guy instead takes a dump in my toilet and leaves, that's not fucking me over??

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  103. of course that is. but you are well within ur right to not pay him either.


    but really ur plumber analogy doesnt work. cuz he isnt putting over the toilet. he is jobbing to the toilet.

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  104. http://azizonomics.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/534545_516000325077617_1562363595_n.png


    Tom Tomorrow FTW!

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  105. were your kids watching?

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  106. I loved the cheers for Punk after he put one foot on Ryback. At this point he's a Russo dream: bad guy that gets cheered so the lines are BLURRED. SO BLURRY. In all seriousness, it's no small feat that he's getting cheers because he hasn't won a PPV match clean since...?

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  107. agree on most of this. one exception: you could still put on dream matches with part timers. but a. they don't need to be for the belt and b. portray the world titel main event at least on the same level, if not even as more important.

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  108. I agree with the good show. Probably the first review I did and not fall asleep and finish on Tuesday or Wednesday in weeks.

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  109. Then you can go that route then. Vince orders the briefcase to be on the line to punish Vickie and Dolph.

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  110. The booking come Jan doesn't get drastically better every year. It only feels that way because everyone is pointing at the big "Wrestlemania" sign in the sky.


    Or are you willing to defend the build to Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan WHC match as an example of "drastically better booking"?

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  111. We've feuded many times. No need to rehash it over a mother.

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  112. and Biloxi, MS! though, they've done 1 or 2 from here

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  113. You're calling Team Hell No bullshit? Your cred was insta-lost right there.

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  114. Here's what bugs me the most about the current three hour format:

    The roster today is not that big, especially compared to the post-WCW buyout wrestlers being added to the roster in 2001. Hell, the roster in the late 1990's is still bigger than the roster they have today.


    Count the amount of wrestlers featured on an episode of Raw in 1997 and compare it to the amount of wrestlers featured on an episode today.

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  115. I hate you all. What am I, 5-6? Don't get it.

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  116. Preliminary buy rate is in at 200K. Up about 20K from last year. Does Punk get some Fuji love now?

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