> I don't know about you or the rest of the BODers Scott, but I'm pretty happy and excited about where things seem to be going, WWE-wise. We've got a supremely interesting faction in the Shield who have been booked tremendously, featuring 3 guys who can go on to become huge singles stars. The Wyatt Family is incoming, so that's another awesome faction of guys coming in. We've got Daniel Bryan on the verge of superstardom, Dolph Ziggler who can be the same, and CM Punk returning soon. It was refreshing to hear Vince McMahon mention "overlooked in-ring skill" during the Bret Hart Appreciation night, so we at least know he realises its a thing, and there is a decent amount of genuine wrestling talent being developed in NXT. Plus they seem to be bringing back some long lost gimmick matches like the strap match and 3 stages of hell (well i enjoy them at least).
>
> What they need to do is freshen up a few existing characters. Sheamus, Randy Orton, The Miz ll need overhauling IMO, and I even think Kofi as a Rock-style heel could work. But yeah, future looks bright.
>
> What do we think?
I too enjoy the Shield and Daniel Bryan. I hold out little hope of things suddenly getting better in the three hour RAW era, though.
The roster is getting too big.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, the roster is not what's wrong with WWE. I love most of those guys work-wise and when they get a good 15 minutes, they usually do a great job.
ReplyDeleteIt's the booking that makes wins and losses irrelevant, that makes Cena the nigh-invulnerable guy at the top and no one at the summit with him, while #1 contenders and champions look like chumps, that hurts the product.
They need to bring the brands back.
ReplyDeleteLet's try this again.
ReplyDeleteTAG TEAMS!?!?!
Daniel Bryan rules brother!!!!
ReplyDeleteWWE doesn't care about the tag division.
ReplyDeleteA conversation between Vince Mcmahon and HHH
ReplyDeleteHHH: Hey dad, we need to talk
Vince: Hey champ, come in! Dont tell me, I'm finally having a grandson. Huck huck huck!
HHH: Haha! Hey I wish!
Vince: 3 girs! I mean I haven't seen sperm that weak since Skip beat Zip to Miss Candido's womb
HHH: Haha! Wait, they weren't twins were they?
Vince: Weren't they?!
HHH: I think you just dressed them that way
Vince: Huh. Why the hell are we talking about those 2 dead beats anyway? Get it? DEAD beats. Huck huck huck
HHH: I'm surprised you even remember their names
Vince: I've been watching the old In Your Houses VHS tapes. Which reminds me, I think I found the REAL stip to John Cena/Ryback. An Arkansas Hog Pen Match!
HHH: But neither of them are from Arkansas. And the PPV is in Chicago.
Vince: You are so goddam right. Wait... I've got it!
HHH: What...
Vince: We have to bring back Mark. For a TRIPLE THHHREAT MATCH
HHH: Mark Callaway? Oh boy oh boy!
Vince: Not Mark Callaway! Mark Canterbury, you fool!
HHH: Mark Canterbu...? Henry O Fucking Godwinn?! Are you kidding me!!
Vince: Guys, get Mark Canterbury on the phone! And call up Dennis Knight while you're at it!
HHH: FUUUUU!U!UU!UU!U!UUU!U!U!U!!U!U!U!U!U!
Stop booking like it's 80s Memphis, with the faces (Cena, Orton, Seamus, Miz) as indestructible and the heels (Swagger, Rhodes, Barrett) as weak an cowardly. make heels a real threat, and reintroduce the idea that you don't know who's going to win the match.
ReplyDeleteBut that has nothing to do with your post.
ReplyDeleteI think its growing to a good number now, if it gets too big maybe they'll cut some people loose but I think most of our favourites are safe
ReplyDeleteOptimism is dumb.
ReplyDeleteHey man, haven't you read The Secret? Our thoughts have magical properties that allow our dreams of mansions and boat houses and Daniel bryan main eventing Wrestlemania to become reality
ReplyDeleteI think the major problem has be stated a few times here on the BoD: WWE has the same wrestlers appearing on every 3 hour Raw. Until recently, they hardly deviated from the same format for each show, too.
ReplyDeleteSheamus would defeat Cesaro, Barrett, or Sandow at the top of hour 2 or 3 each week with a commercial break about 4 minutes into the match. Cena would get a promo at the top of one hour and have a match at the end of the show with a backstage segment with him in between (hey, that happened this week, too). And just when everyone is getting tired or bored in the third hour, what do they do? Send out the divas or a tag team match where the winner is never in doubt (PTP or the Usos doing the job, usually).
Why don't I get to see good workers like Cesaro, Gabriel, Dibiase (it's true, dammit), Christian? Where are people who (sometimes inexplicably) get good reactions like Ryder, Santino, and even Alex Riley? Why won't they push Tyson Kidd and Hunico when they return when they are excellent hands in the ring?
And with the predictability is the constant trading wins and 50/50 booking. Where's the anything can happen vibe? They killed it because there's no such thing as an "upset" anymore because so many guys have lost so many times.
I believe they have a roster that has the potential to be one of the greatest ever--so many guys to get excited about. But overly scripted promos, punishment for deviating from those promos, a confusing lack of time for matches for the lower card, the same guys getting featured each week while trading wins... I'm with Scott on this one. My apologies for rambling.
Well, there is something I never thought I would read.
ReplyDelete3 Hours is way too much, especially with the endless recaps, fluff segments, and DOWNLOAD OUR APP. And then any match over 2:00 has to have at least 1-8 commercials planted in it.
ReplyDeleteThey just need an entire format change at this point.
I, too, actually dug the brands from 2002 to about 2008 (then, HHH decided to move back to Raw to feud with Orton because... he wanted to). You knew you had Taker, Mysterio, and either Batista or Edge to round out your top dogs for Smackdown. You also knew Smackdown was more of the "workers' show." Raw was more sportz entertainment-y with bigger and sometimes more absurd angles, but still had HBK around to help with workrate. Then, the announce teams changed too much, with Josh Matthews making the program sound a bit bush league. And then the Supershow started to kill off the brand split for good.
ReplyDeleteNeither does you saying "Tag teams?!?!?!" . Explain yourself. Are you saying they need to cut the useless tag teams or make new ones?
ReplyDeleteI just counted a total of 75 Superstars + Divas on the active roster. RAW, Smackdown, Superstars, Main Event gives you seven hours of TV a week. 75 people for 7 hours. WWE not only doesn't utilize anywhere near that 75, but they have been using the same 15-18 Superstars/Divas for the shows.That is the problem I think.
ReplyDeleteAre you that dense that you can't figure out what "Tag Teams" means when you post that the roster is too big? Really?
ReplyDeleteLet me spell it out for you. You can have more tag matches, create more teams and essentially condense the roster down that way.
Seriously.
Everyone needs to listen to the JR interview on the Steve Austin Podcast to get an entire of what wrestling kind of sort of used to be like, and needs to be again.
ReplyDeleteAlso it's JR and Steve Austin talking to each other for 2 hours. What's not to love?!
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I fucking hate commercials during matches. HATE THEM! And 3 hours is way too long for a weekly wrestling show. Hell, WWE PPVs only run 2:40 or so.
ReplyDeleteThey're using more like 28-30 on Smackdown and Raw consistently. Go ahead, write out the names. Of the 75 names, about 10 are diva valet/dancers, Hornswaggle and part timers. So, that leaves 65 of which maybe 5 are active divas. That's 60. A very manageable roster with 7 hours of TV content a week. If they create some more 3-man factions and tag teams, enhancement talent, whatever. It's manageable.
ReplyDeleteAnd who cares anyways. They're going to push who they want to push regardless if the roster is 100 or 20. Around 97, you had the same 20 guys on TV when the roster was smaller than it is today.
If they don't bring them back they need to get rid of a lot of belts. It looks so stupid having two world champions on the same show.
ReplyDeleteJust me, but I can't say I can agree with this at all. I've tried watching WWE programming again in the last few weeks, and save for a segment/match or two that I found myself not FFing through, most of this stuff is still tired, boring and/or flat out horrible. There are still just too many problems, big and small, that is plaguing the company (and the entire American wrestling scene, really) that a few little gems here and there isn't nearly enough to make up for all the junk.
ReplyDeleteJohn Cena: not going anywhere
ReplyDeleteSheamus: not going anywhere
Vince McMahon's antiquated big man bias: not going anywhere.
Too bad, so sad.
Someone's panties are in a bunch this Saturday evening....
ReplyDeleteWhat's more tag teams going to accomplish when the division will be treated horribly no matter what? They can't even utilize the 5 tag teams they have now. Imagine them with 10-15 teams. This isn't 1992 WCW with 20 minute tag matches on each show. Team Hell No is going to disband leaving the Shield to do what? Rollins/Reigns vs. Primetime Players will sure puts butts in the seats. Shield won't be able to carry the division If they are doing the same stuff they are now by December, fans will bore of them.
Your idea of "tag teams" might be the stupidest thing I've read in some time. This isn't 1980-1990's Japan.
You are contradicting yourself. 1997 had the same 20 guys and some would argue it was the best time for WWF. More 3-man factions and enhancement talent won't do anything. You think guys squashing Ryder, Slater, and the like every week is helping them? I don't. More factions = more TV time. Carrying a roster of 75 guys isn't the bad part. The bad is what they are doing with them
ReplyDeleteSteve's podcast is great. He still needs to find his groove as an interviewer because at this point it's "generic interview + Stone Cold's voice" but Jim Ross, Kevin Nash and HBK have been interesting.
ReplyDeleteI hate when they show the crowd watching a backstage segment.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
ReplyDeleteThe WWE has a very talented roster but creative is the main problem. With HHH having more influence and a majority of his choices flopping (Sin Cara, Kharma, Brad Maddox) combined with the fact that his wife has been terrible as the head of creative, I actually don't have too much hope for the future. This is a wrestlIng company that would rather be known for anything else besides wrestling.
ReplyDeleteWhen things seem to get good for Bryan, I picture him doing this
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra19Ch1BxRc
Creative has been their biggest problem for a lifetime now. As a company they do so much right, but a lot of it is negated by how utter terrible they build their characters and tell their stories.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQpW9XRiyM
ReplyDeleteThe point is so over your head it's unreal.
ReplyDeleteListen carefully. You keep going on about "the roster is getting to big, the roster is getting to big". You're like a goddammned parrot. So what if it's too big? What's the point? They're still going to use the same 20 guys, so who cares if they want more guys in developmental or sitting on the bench? How does that impact YOU as a viewer, it doesn't. My idea of tag teams is a way to alliviate having a big roster. The discussion is not whether WWE will use a tag team division or not (we know they won't), the discussion is roster size and how to use most of the guys.
Gonna wager ten bucks that you listen to every single Bryan and Vinny Show + read Obsever's cover to cover.
ReplyDeleteDo you want my address so you can mail me a check or money order? I don't even watch Raw without dvr'ing it and fast forwarding through most of the show the next day.
ReplyDeleteThis Shield push is just astounding me by how much they are commiting to it. I guess I'm just gun shy from years of having guys I like held back, but they really seem to be in it for the long haul with these three. And yet I eagerly await them breaking up just to see Ambrose's character spread out more and Reigns become a big star as a babyface (I really believe he is their best bet at a "new Cena."
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the FCW/NXT class of the last few years is the new "wave" of wrestling talent for this decade. In the 90s you had all the guys who did Japan, Mexico and the indies like Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, etc. In the early 00s you had the OVW class with Brock, Cena, Orton, Batista etc. Between the late 00s and now you've had the ROH guys like Punk, Bryan, Aries. The next crop of big stars will be the NXT alumni like The Shield, The Wyatt Family, Adrian Neville, Big E. Langston, Sami Zayn, Kassius Ohno, and Richie Steamboat.
I apologize. I'm just frustrated with WWE today. They have so much talent + so much TV time yet, like you said, they will continue to push the same guys. I can't even sit through a RAW anymore. Once again, I apologize.
ReplyDeleteHHH at the very least is interested in wrestling over sports entertainment.
ReplyDeleteHow much of that is Vince changing everything at the drop of a hat? His rewriting and rewriting of the shows is what's killing them.
ReplyDeleteThat podcast is great. I loved the interviews with Michaels and Kevin Nash as well.
ReplyDeleteHow is it antiquated?
ReplyDeleteBrad Maddox flopped?
ReplyDeleteI think Austin's been doing much better as an interviewer than I expected. He understands the history of his guests, seems like he researches beforehand and asks some interesting questions. His pacing is terrible and he's unfocused, and sometimes in one question he asks six. But I think he genuinely wants to work at it and it will get much better.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's not a big deal dude. I get frustrated at how often we see the same guys when they have a nice roster. This is why *I* bitch about the lack of tag teams. It would be an easy way to get some of these guys on the show, but we know how that worked out.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to see that no one is mentioning the PG rating as the reason for the blandness of the product. I mean, it wasn't that long ago when it was a daily thing to see someone bemoan the loss of the "Attitude". Frankly, I believe that the PG rating is not to blame for this current down period. In the 80's, during the height of the Hogan era, that's when I jumped on board. That was so totally PG, catering to kids with the cartoon and the creation of the rubberized action figures. That was a huge boom period, and it was a lot tamer than it is now. I think the Attitude Era spoiled some fans. I know that by the time Austin and Rock were at the top, I was in my late 20's and noted how much it had changed from when I jumped in during the 80's. But a lot of fans jumped on in the Attitude Era, when it was "cool" to do so. Now that it was cleaned up some and gone back to the less controversial tone, those Attitude-born fans have soured somewhat. From the creative side of things, the focus on writing is the obvious problem. Taking the focus off character-building, and putting it on episodic storytelling is where the issues are. A guy no longer gets the chance to work out his character, because the writers have nothing for him to do. Matches no longer mean anything. They are used as a bridge from one end of the story to the other. But obviously, no one in the position to do anything about it seems to want to change that ideology. Unless Trips is lying in wait for McMahon's death....which will never happen. When he took over completely in '84, that coincided with his deal with Satan for eternal life.
ReplyDeleteYou think he has been successful?
ReplyDeleteThat is true but I do not know how well he can do as the head of the company.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha, I think the guy who wrote this post must of just started watching the WWE a maximum of 4 years ago. Unfortunately, Vince won't change just by himself and if the poster hadn't noticed, HHH is STILL in the main event after 15 years (where HHH clearly sucks, can't draw heat or $$$ unless the guy he wrestles is hot, and is the CFO/CEO/CHHHO of the company). The WWE won't change until they take a "major risk" and have one of their new stars beat an old staple cleanly at a big event (John Cena, Undertaker, or HHH). I'm hoping Dean Ambrose is that guy, but he will probably be buried because his hair products were not pre-approved by HHH.
ReplyDeleteI imagine HHH probably has something to do with NXT, which has been producing at the very least solid performers.
ReplyDeleteI believe for the past 5 or 6 years, TNA's entire scouting philosophy has consisted of "Let's watch all of WWE's programming!" Because they're definitely not paying attention to other promotions.
ReplyDeleteThings will only improve when there's simply less programming on television week in and week out. 2 Hour Raw's with a 1 hour wednesday main event and a re-worked 1 hour smackdown on fridays?
ReplyDeleteNow we're talking. The roster is fairly strong if a bit stale sometimes but hey that's what happens when there's no real competition, guys stick around on the main roster for years. Remember when the Undertaker celebrated his decade of destruction and you were like wow! 10 years has it been that long? Guys hit that or are on their way to hitting that decade mark in the company all the time now!
In THIS BUSINESS, good wrestlers have been continually getting smaller and smaller as the pace quickens.
ReplyDeleteMust of?
ReplyDeletePS - Triple H reinvents himself in literally 2 seconds flat if he comes out and turns on the crowd and gives a pipe-bomb esque speech about all the bad things people say about him, and that frankly, he gives no fucks. He breathes the WWE, lives the WWE, and if you think you know better then he does, you can Suck it.
ReplyDeleteEhhhh? Ehhh?
I wish he and whomever he's chatting with would discuss great matches in a non business exposing way, I'm new to the pod cast so maybe I missed it, but to hear him and say, JR talk about the best Wrestlemania Events, and WHY the matches were thoughtful, little details, hidden highlights, etc, would be great.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the end of that episode and kind of depressed myself. "Don't forget, you're here forever".
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Vince is the problem because it all starts and stops with him. I suppose I meant "creative" not as a team of writers but as an aspect of the company.
ReplyDeleteContinually? I dunno, Verne was a huge star and he was sub-six feet.
ReplyDeleteIt ebbs and flows. And there will always be a place for the hosses. I mean, Big Show has instant credibility, despite being a giant sack of crap.
Size does matter, bitch.
The Shield was under his watch, right?
ReplyDeleteBray Wyatt was under his watch, right?
I think he's successful based on those two things alone. And Kharma's flop was pretty much an act of god.
And Sin Cara looked great on paper. And in Mexico. I guess they confiscated his talent at the border.
If you take two guys of equal charisma and promo skills, the big guy will always be looked upon better (and draw more) than the little guy. It works that way in boxing and MMA. People are fascinated with larger than life athletes. Brock was never a better fighter than GSP or Silva, but he drew record buys. Boxing hasn't had a good heavyweight in eons, but whenever there's been one, they are at the top of the heap. Doesn't mean smaller guys can't draw, but like you said, size does matter - all other things being equal.
ReplyDeleteI seriously think HHH just saw comp videos of Mistico and thought based on the moves he did that he mustve been good. Lucha just doesn't translate well to American wrestling without some adapting.
ReplyDeleteHHH's first projects were Sin Cara and Kharma. He is also be one pushing Curt Axel and the one who wants to make Sheamus into a star. I do not believe he is behind Bray Wyatt.
ReplyDeleteRe: vkm and in ring skill
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of hogan/Nash and freak sized heels (Andre, yoko) Vince has always had top shelf workers in the main event. Most wwe main events deliver the goods. Not all but compared to other promotions (I'm looking at you wcw) vkm doesn't push guys who can't work (unless they marry Steph)
That's true. But clearly things aren't in practice to that theory. Often they're pushed even though they have less talent.
ReplyDeleteFor instance: right now we have a popular tag team of Daniel Bryan and Kane. Bryan is a better wrestler, more charismatic and is without a doubt more popular and a bigger draw than his tag team partner. But who has been portrayed as the "weak link" looking at the lights far more often than his partner?
Oh, and how many Albert pushes have we seen despite the fact he isn't in the top half of talent in the locker room?
Agreed. Vince's big guy fetish is always in full effect. Pretty sure HHH has it too even though he teamed with one of the GOAT in Shawn who wasn't that big.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read he was the one behind Axel's push. You'd think he could've at least eaten a pin then...smh.
ReplyDeleteHow much they really commit to The Shield will be seen when they get up to WWE title level (post summer slam?)
ReplyDeleteIf they come up against Cena and are still the same maverick ass kickers then that's great. However, I can easily see them being chased off single handed by Cena each week which will undo all the great work being done now
Embrace the hate? Eh, Kane has done that gimmick before
ReplyDeleteThey are booking like it's 1980's Memphis but without the entertaining promos and excellent announce team that 1980's Memphis usually had.
ReplyDeleteWWE hasn't had a talent boom like this since 2002 with Lesnar, Orton, Cena, and Batista. This is easily their best class since. The problem is that I have no faith in them to turn the new guys into the new Lesnar, Orton, Cena, and Batista.
ReplyDeleteTake a step back and actually look at what the Shield are doing. Just winning matches and doing a beatdown. In the big scheme of things, it's pretty fucking bland and boring.
ReplyDeleteI think he might've been looking at the receipts for the houses Mistico was pulling.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the bitch at the end of size matters. Otherwise it isn't a Steiner reference.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I agree. Size/look is always a factor in drawing power. Promos and working are other factors.
...
ReplyDeleteBryan doesn't need to be booked like a killer. Kane does.
By pushing Bryan as the weak-link (which is something ONLY Bryan is concerned about) they're giving him a story and motivation.
Kane is pretty clearly being portrayed as the guy Bryan will surpass.
Sheamus is one of the best WWE-style workers they have.
ReplyDeleteCurt Axel is already a somebody, and Sin Cara/Kharma were not Trips' fault.
Well, whaddya expect given his content?
ReplyDeleteBTW, I think he's confusing "main eventer" with "part-timer", and yeah, the latter are treated like big deals and don't lose often. I guess he thinks Undertaker should've had the streak ended eight years ago or something.
Yep, and then people would bash him because it's HIM delivering a poignant promo and not some internet darling.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a leap you have him taking there. Does he have the same charisma? Can he develop a character that will catch fire with the fans like Austin? Doubt anyone can.
ReplyDeleteHopefully their ownership of the midcard titles elevates them through an 'All The Gold' angle, as well as the titles themselves by virtue of being held by actual dominant WINNERS.
ReplyDeleteAnd this way, once they lose them to someone, hopefully it'll be somewhat of a big deal.
Generally, I agree with you on Reigns, although I see him possibly as a better version of Batista. Hopefully they have people coaching him to talk. He can't touch Austin though because Austin had star quality years before he even got to the WWF.
Ambrose I see as a Piper or Pillman-esque guy. He can do fine easily.
Rollins I see as someone in the mold of Jeff Hardy, except he's already a better wrestler and talker. Once The Shield is done, it'll only be a matter of whether they find something that can fit him or not.
Doubtful. I'm just saying he has the potential to do it.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what star quality years means. Austin was a great wrestler before WWE, but a star? No way.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watch him as a Hollywood Blond or in ECW, I simply can't comprehend him never having gotten a modicum of the success he eventually got, earlier.
ReplyDeleteHindsight is 20/20 and all.
But, yes, he was a great wrestler and he could talk.
NXT is developmental and HHH is in charge of developmental, so yeah, he probably has something to do with NXT.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Meltzer, HHH is high on guys like Axel and for some reason, Brad Maddox.
ReplyDeleteVerne also was the owner of his territory...
ReplyDeleteHHH was the one who pushed for them and they flopped so if you are going to credit him for the Shield, you should blame him for Sin Cara and Kharma, right?
ReplyDeleteSheamus can work but his character is the problem and the push of that character is not donig him any favors.
Up-vote for the Boss, not the brand split.
ReplyDeleteYou think Curt Axel is already a "Somebody?"
ReplyDeleteJust like Tommy Hall and his misuse of 'anymore'.
ReplyDeleteHe wrestled Triple H and John Cena in back-to-back Raws. And he didn't lose.
ReplyDeleteHe's being treated like a big deal already.
Not always.
ReplyDeleteVerne was a huge wrestling star before...the end of his career happened.
How do you know Sheamus isn't a major draw? Pretty sure house numbers weren't nearly as bad under his watch as number one SmackDown guy as they were under Randy Orton's run as number one SmackDown guy.
ReplyDeleteAnd...no...the Shield's success and Kharma/Sin Cara's failure did not happen for the same reason. Booking has helped the Shield, booking did not kill Kharma or Sin Cara. That would be the desire for kids (Kharma) and the desire for the booger sugar (Sin Cara).
verne started the awa in 1960...
ReplyDeleteim not saying he wasnt a star but if he was a huge star, he would have been nwa champ at some point.
he wasnt a national star. he rarely toured. he just stayed in his aea where he was known.
Yeah...but those were the territories. Somebody had to be the local hero.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm being optimistic I'd maybe theorize that the reason they've done so much 50/50 booking is that they didn't want to push anything down our throats until they had a guy or group of guys that they felt could really move the needle. As long as Cena is on top and Brock/Taker/Rock/HHH can show up to pop a buyrate, they keep making money without taking too many risks. And if a CM Punk takes the world by storm and elevates himself to that level, hey, all the better.
ReplyDeleteThey aren't soaring to new heights of popularity in the Cena era but they're doing well enough to not justify putting themselves out there and getting behind a guy unless they really thought it would pay off. So, sure, Ryder gets himself over huge, but maybe they're convinced they got what they could out of him before everyone realized he sucked in the ring and everyone got tired of a one-note gimmick whereas they might invest more in someone like Fandango because he can actually work. (Again: playing devil's advocate and looking at it with as much logic as WWE possibly could be, but probably isn't.)
Except HHH had already been in dozens of main events, was in the midst of a two-year run of all-time greatness and had already became a personal favorite of Vince's before he even started dating Stephanie.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your larger point, though. The "Vince loves big guys" thing is way overblown for a dude that's booked the following guys on top of the card (or at least given world title runs to, if not truly booked on top): Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Christian, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Bob Backlund, etc.
Yeah, plenty of big dudes have been on top also, but that's not the point. And personally, that's one of the main reasons WWF/E has always been my favorite wrestling organization, through thick or thin: the variety. Yeah, a monster like Big Show or Kane aren't putting up a 4-star match any time soon, but they know how to work their style and where else do you see human beings that large even pretending to inflict violence for my entertainment? If everything was an attempt at workrate brilliance, it'd get really old, really quick. But they've almost always had great workers in the main event scene.
No one cares though. The crowd still sees him as the guy who was Michael McGillicutty, a barely-used jobber. Calling Axel a big deal after two fluke wins is a bit much, no?
ReplyDeleteHHH pushed for two people who were not metnally prepared for the WWE and you dont think that falls on him? And how is that good for someone poised to take over the company?
ReplyDeleteFoley bouncing around a steel cage and getting hit by thumbtac covered sledgehammers could have gotten lots of guys a five Star match. I'm not so sure hhh was ever a great worker
ReplyDeleteWhere is the evidence Sheamus isn't drawing?
ReplyDeleteMentally ready? Uh...Sin Cara was the biggest star in Mexico. He's mentally ready to wrestle, just not American matches in front of American audiences. And Kharma had a miscarriage. Triple H is not actually god.
It's not about wins. It's about his presentation and who he faced.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that we're talking about Curtis Axel proves that he matters.
OK. Agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteBecause he was.
Kharma had a miscarriage yet told people she gave birth anyway. She also had numerous emotional issues in TNA so you already knew she was not the most stable person. She was in one match during her entire run. How does that not fall on HHH?
ReplyDeleteSin Cara, like you said, was using cocaine and he also managed to piss off a majority of the locker room too. He also, like you said, wasnt ready for WWE-style wrestling and should have gone to developmetnal first but HHH wanted to push him right away. Once again, that falls on HHH
Because Triple H isn't a psychologist.
ReplyDeleteReid Flair was at one point employed by WWE. His overdose is not their fault.
Sin Cara didn't go to developmental because he thought he was ABOVE developmental.
I know what you mean. For me he's unarguably a strong hand, a ring general and a dedicated worker. But it always took another good-to-great worker to get a great match out of him. Put him in with a merely competent worker a d you get the WM25 main event.
ReplyDeleteYeah, check the Terry Funk interview peeps. You can literally hear him checking his research notes. All the ads get annoying and I don't believe in hunting for sport, but that doesn't stop it being a damn entertaining podcast.
ReplyDeleteRAW minus commercials is surely 2:40 or less though? Agree otherwise.
ReplyDelete