Bound for Glory is making for a DEAD Sunday here on the blog, so hopefully some reader questions can perk it up. TNA YOU LET ME DOWN IN EVERY WAY.
Scott,
On the BoD, we have a tendency to retcon booking decisions and beat up WWE when angles don't play out a certain way. I pose the following questions as a sort of "before it happens" brainstorming session. Not as much a set of predictions as a simple collection of BoD ideas before WWE even starts down a given road.
1. There is some grassroots support for Sami Zayn's promotion to the main roster. BoDers, what do you do with him when he gets promoted?
2. When and how do you break up the Shield?
3. What is the best use of Sheamus when he returns?
4. If the tag team division is supposedly getting another collective push, what are some tag team ideas and what guys do you combine?
1. Personally, I think he's gonna be the next Daniel Bryan in that he's a guy who doesn't exude obvious star power, but fans already buy into him as a pure babyface and if they find a spark to get the general fanbase behind him he could take off. A good start is playing Ricky Morton as half of a tag team, because he sells a beating EXTRAORDINARILY well and makes people want to see him come back. He'd work really well in the role they were prepping Zack Ryder for: John Cena's setup guy and little buddy, the never-say-die dude who the heels have to get through in tough matches to get to Cena. Would have been perfect for Ryder if they hadn't changed their minds and made him into a bizarre example instead. Hell, move Cena out of the main event for a while and put HIM in a team with Zayn as the hot tag guy and you'd have something pretty awesome.
2. Still lots of juice there. I'd go next Summerslam and try Rollins as the babyface victim, maybe replace him with someone else in the group like Ohno to keep things fresh.
3. HHH's ass-kissing stooge and muscle. IT WORKS ON SO MANY LEVELS.
4. I already mentioned Cena/Zayn. I'd turn Miz again and take another shot with Awesome Truth because that's as close as he ever got to being a legit main event threat before Rock and Cena cut them off at the knees. Air Boom still had lots of potential before Bourne's pot smoking and injuries derailed it. Is he even around still? Big E is a guy who DESPERATELY needs something to do, and putting him back with Ziggler as babyfaces wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Dolph is the logical face in peril and Big E does the hot tag.
DOWN GOES DENVER!
ReplyDeleteIndy had to hang on, but they did. The Chiefs are the last unbeaten in the NFL, after holding on against Houston... I bet not too many people had them as the last unbeaten before the season started.
1) Making Zayne the Crash to Sheamus' Hardore would be frigging hilarious.
ReplyDelete2) This group is so good together I can't even imagine them yet separated.
3) See #1, but yeah, he would be perfect as an ass kissing stooge to Triple H. Then again, so would Cena, considering he's pretty much that already.
4) Awesome Truth, Zayne/Sheamus as the Holly cousins, Tons of Funk, Shield, Usos, Real Americans (drop Swagger and put somebody who's not a total goof in there), and you've got a pretty decent sized division.
1: I wouldn't overexpose Zayn. Yeah he's good, but he's the sort that needs the fans SCREAM for him to get a shot. Have him wrestle a bunch of really good matches with top stars, but don't have him win much (yet).
ReplyDelete2: I think the money is in Reigns as the big face monster. Ambrose should be a heel for life, and I'd love to see the best mid-card mic worker (sorry Bray) get some chances to show off who he actually is.
3: Bring him back as a face, but have him play up the obnoxious bully aspects and do a double-turn with some guy (Sandow perhaps). There's a lot you could do with heel Sheamus, now that he's finally found himself as a worker. I'd love to see Sheamus/Punk (yeah throwing Punk in with the big dudes is cliche, but it works), or him picking on new dudes (Zayn perhaps) and having these long hard-hitting matches. Him as Trips top bruiser would be great.
4: Hrm...I'm always a fan of getting the unused top guys and turning them into tag-teams. Maybe Orton and some guy after this storyline is done? (OOOH!!! Orton and Graves, the douche-team). No ideas in particular, but Ziggler is doing nothing right now. I'd like a Punk/Bryan tag-team. And Ohno/Cesaro would make me cream my pants.
1. Love that idea because it makes him a big deal right away.
ReplyDelete2. Reigns. A monster heel is ripping through WWE, issues an open challenge, Reigns answers. Ambrose and Rollins are like da faq? Turn on him.
3. I like Sheamus as what Big Show should have been for HHH. Trade in the KO punch for the kick thing Sheamus does. Plus, Sheamus/Big Show have good chemistry.
4. RVD and Ryback were made for each other. This needs to happen. Also, Big E and CM Punk could be a really fun team.
"Bound for Glory is making for a DEAD Sunday here on the blog, so hopefully some reader questions can perk it up. TNA YOU LET ME DOWN IN EVERY WAY."
ReplyDeleteSo basically, you are saying that my electrifying review of a syndicated WWF show from 28 years ago along with the Bound for Glory and NFL Threads are not enough to carry the day. Yeah, sounds about right to me
I'm all for a Sheamus heel turn. He's way down the face food chain (Cena, Punk, Bryan...) and his pandering schtick needs to be put to bed.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, heel Sheamus leads to intriguing match-ups w/the aforementioned good guys. His power offense is on point and he clearly gives a shit. He just needs an edge.
1. I'd normally say give Zayn an upset win but they are lacking credible heels on the roster. Bring him up in a tag team.
ReplyDelete2. Some point after Mania. They are fine in their current role.
3. Have him return at the Rumble. I doubt they bring him back as a heel, even though I think it would be refreshing to see him in that role. If they want to turn him, he can run in and hit someone with a Brogue Kick as a swerve.
4. Honestly, bring up NXT guys and use some on the main roster who are stuck in limbo. Put Kidd & Gabriel together again. If someone like John Morrison comes back, have him team with Miz as a heel team. They have some credibility together and can give a young team the rub.
1. First, give him a name that's, you know, not fucking stupid. Then do what Scott said, only with Bryan, not Cena.
ReplyDelete2. Enter all 3 of them in the Rumble, have one of them eliminate the other 2, the other 2 beat him down the next night on Raw.
3. I don't give a shit about Sheamus in the least, so I'll skip this one.
4. Sign some indy tag teams to shore up the ranks. Coleman and Alexander, The Young Bucks, those ANT guys from Chikara, people like that. I'd rather see that than 2 guys who are just thrown together for no reason other than they have nothing to do. And for fuck's sake, get rid of those God damned belts. Those shits are so ugly I wouldn't even want to win them.
The BFG live thread got way more comments then I was expecting.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad Big E and Justin Gabriel couldn't team as the African Americans to feud with the Real Americans.
ReplyDeleteSWAGGLER!
ReplyDeleteWould a Sami Zayn/Justin Gabriel tag team not be just the perfect foil to the Real Americans? The story just writes itself. Cesaro and Swagger bully Gabriel for a couple of weeks until zayn debuts to even the odds.
ReplyDeleteThe fans could really behind a Zayn/ Gabriel team with the moves they could pull off, and we already know how well Cesaro and Zayn work together.
Hell I'd love to see Zayn/ Gabriel vs Cesaro /Swagger get twenty minutes on a ppv.
And number 2 I think a loose alliance of Punk/Bryan/Rollins taking on a new Shield of Ambrose/Reigns/Ohno over the summer and eventually ending The Shield would be all sorts of awesome.
ReplyDeleteSami Zayn has the potential to be my generation's Hurricane Helms.
ReplyDeleteI've got it! Justin Zayn.
ReplyDeleteSami Zyan and Caesaro should feud over the Intercontinental title. Bring it back up again a bit!
ReplyDeleteDunno about being Cena's sidekick though.
If they're trying to get Cesaro over as a face (which I think they are) the US title would make more sense and be a hell of a match to boot.
ReplyDeleteEleven teams I'd like to see:
ReplyDeleteKofi Kingston & Justin Gabriel - Pretty much "Air Boom 2.0", with a more dependable guy in place of Evan Bourne. They're similar in size, build, and style, and have similar "fun loving" personalities. Plus, they're two good-looking guys that could easily make the girls swoon. With a real push, they could be marketed as a new-style Hardy Boyz.
Evan Bourne & Tyson Kidd - On the other hand, if Bourne WERE to be trusted with another push, a team between he and Kidd would be absolutely fantastic. Again, similar size, build, and style.
Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara - Granted, we did see this for a short time, and both men seem unable to go more than five minutes without getting injured, but if the stars were to somehow align and both guys were health at the same time, this would be the best use of both. Due to injuries, Rey's pretty much done as a singles guy, and Cara has been an absolute bust; this is probably the best thing for both men, keeping Rey out of the ring and giving Cara the rub.
Randy Orton & Sheamus - Personally, I think both guys could use a break from the main-event, and I think a great way to do that would be for them to be the big bad tag-team of the "Corporation". It still keeps them near the top, freshens up Sheamus' character, and could/would eventually lead to elevating some other guys.
Ryback & Big E. Langston - Both men are floundering a bit, but under the tutelage of one Paul Heyman, they could be quite the tandem. Tangentially, I'd also like to see Wade Barrett join Heyman's crew (by ousting Axel) - Brock, Ryback, Langston, and Barrett seems like a hell of a group.
JTG & Hunico - Two of the most underrated and underutilized guys on the roster, they have similar "thug" gimmicks, and both can absolutely go in the ring. I'd love to see two guys that look like low-class hoodlums surprise their opponents with technical and aerial mastery.
Santino Marella & Zach Ryder - The "lovable losers" of the division, they're there for the kids, and to provide the occasional feel-good win. This could then be expanded into a group of lovable losers, maybe with guys like Tatsu, R-Truth, Curt Hawkins, etc.
The Miz & R-Truth - Neither guy is doing anything right now, may as well team them back up. Even if they're faces, there's a nice little history there.
Damien Sandow & Antonio Cesaro - This one is now a bit outdated, but it's one that I really wanted to see for a while. Anyway, as much as I liked the "Rhodes Scholars", I thought that being part of another tag-team was a big step backwards for Cody. This would be basically the same gimmick, as Cesaro definitely fits the "intellectual" role. (As an aside, I really think Sandow's finisher should be called the "No Brainer".)
Christian & (Any Newbie) - Whether it's Bo Dallas, Sami Zayn, or any other "NXT" guy that Vince sees money in, doing the "student/teacher" thing would be a great use of Christian and a great way to debut a new guy.
Ezekiel Jackson & Mason Ryan - Neither man is really all that good in the ring, but every tag-team division needs that one big hulking team. And since that's Ryback-Langston, this is a jobby version.
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There you go. Add half of those teams above to "The Shield", Cody & Goldust, The Usos, "Los Matadores", "The Prime-Time Players", "Tons of Funk", "The Wyatt Family", "The Real Americans", and "3MB", and you have a HELL of a division.
There is no role I can see myself enjoying Sheamus in. Ive given the guy chances but he continually bores the hell outta me. Hes like Ken Shamrock 2.0 in that regard.
ReplyDeletethat poor, poor man.
ReplyDeleteSeconded
ReplyDelete1. Have him wrestle
ReplyDelete2. I think we are a ways away from that happening... but some sort of match like a Rumble where working together doesn't fit their objective and dissension ensues... sometimes the classics are classic for a good reason
3. Have him wrestle
4. There are already plenty of tag teams really. The rest can be made up of guys with nothing better to do. R-Truth and JTG could be "The 2 Black Guys" or something etc...
How did Shemus go out again? I honestly can't remember how he got hurt.
ReplyDeleteI dont evem considering breaking up the shield until after WM. While Im growing tired of their act and lack of character depth, WWE is keeping them in a central storyline. As good as these guys are individually, I have zero faith that Ambrose and Rollins wont get individually lost in the midcard if/when they break up. I think they view Reigns as the potential top act of the three, although I have zero evidence of this.
ReplyDeleteThe should feud over... who gives a fuck as long as they are wrestling each other a lot.
ReplyDeleteWrestling matches where he can be stiff as shit with his opponent... doesn't need to be any more creative than that.
ReplyDeleteThe MitB match fucked him up in a couple different ways.
ReplyDeleteUS title would be ok, but i say it should go like this really:
ReplyDelete1. Big E beats Curtis Axel
2. Caesaro beats Big E
3. Sami and Caesaro feud over the title for 3 months and swap it between them. Caesoro starts respecting him, Sami wins the last match, when Swagger/Zeb attacks Sami after the match, Caesaro saves him and turns face.
Thatll get old after awhile if he doesnt get a gimmick tweek or get thrown into a good angke when he comes back. It works for Brock because we only see him for 3 matches a year.
ReplyDelete1.) Haven't seen him will look up his matches before I make this call.
ReplyDelete2.) I wouldn't. If anything have the one dude who is a bump machine (the his name escapes me) go solo.
3.) Monster heel on Smackdown with Fit Finlay as a manager. (Think the Koloffs)
4.) - R-Truth and JTG (Black people team up)
- Bourne and Gabriel
- Sin Cara and Rey
- Sheamus and Finlay
- Tons of Funk (Cameron turns on Naomi and ToF goes with her as a monster heel group like Doom. She would be a heel valet like Nancy "Woman" Benoit while Naomi goes after the Divas title.
- Sandow and Caesaro
- Zack Ryder and Alex Riley (Dynamic Dudes v2.0)
- Langston and Kofi
- Santino and the Great Khali
I'd have a three way match between them at Wrestlemania, have someone interfere on Dean Ambroses behalf to let him win, and then have reigns and rollins re-team to feud with Amborse and his new back up.
ReplyDeleteWhile the two big man teams don't really do anything for me, I'm digging the rest of those teams. The Kidd/Bourne, JTG/Hunico, and Christian/Rookie teams are things I'd really like to see because they're all guys languishing in the "Creative has nothing for you" zone. Thoughtful and creative post.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah that's right.
ReplyDeleteSheamus went all out in the MiTB match. Gotta respect that at least. His character is grating, that is the problem.
ReplyDeleteWhat's John Morrison up to? The Miz/Morrison tag team was pretty awesome. They pulled off snarmy jerks really well. Put some hot chicks in their corner, and you have a solid heel team that would really piss off virgin teenagers.
ReplyDeletePS - why is everyone so intent on breaking up the Shield? I'd keep them together for forever and a day. THEY ARE AWESOME!
Never seen an El Generico match? Dude is a bump machine that makes Zigler look lazy if you compare
ReplyDelete1. I agree with Scott about Zayn being the next Daniel Bryan. Hopefully the WWE will let it happen slowly and not rush any potential Sami Zayn. Zayn is an overall better all-around wrestler than Ryder so the Cena- Zayn thing might work with Zayn in the underdog role.
ReplyDelete2. Replacing one of the Sheild with a NXT guy isn't a bad idea before the eventual break-up, although that guy won't be Cassius Ohno (I doubt he'll ever make it to the main roster, he already burned his bridges). Adrian Nevelle would be good for that role.
3. Scott's idea is good but whatever they do, he should come back as a heel or have him come back as a face who eventually snaps.
4. Reunite Awesome Truth is a good idea (doesn't matter if face or heel), I always liked Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel as a Rockers-type tag team. Zack Ryder/Alex Ryder as two frustrated guys would make a nice team. The Uso's as heels due to having their shots at the tag team championship "stolen" (it's a good time for them to make the turn). Fandango and Tyler Breeze from NXT as the conceded model types would be fun.
It wasn't until I read this that it dawned on me...the lack of a tag team division MIGHT BE the reason the IC title gets jobbed out so much. With a dominant tag teams, you can use the individual components as JTTS while maintaining some invincibility as a team. In the absence of that, that JTTS role has been filled by the IC title holder and wrestlers in that "division".
ReplyDeleteCouldn't you work Zayn into a tag-team in an "I respect you" sort of angle - Zayn get's his ass kicked for a while, trades wins on NXT, then forms a team with him and moves up to the main roster.
ReplyDeleteSami Credible from the legendary Credible family.
ReplyDeleteWe deserve a series of Sheamus - Barrett wild brawls across the country.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your syndicated show reviews, I just feel no need to respond to them.
ReplyDelete