This is so odd. Why wouldn't they advertise this a week early to pop a number unless it's a backdrop to have CM punk do a run in. They could have popped a huge number by promoting this more than 4 hours ahead if time.
The discussion about fans turning their backs during Orton/Bootista segments, that match is going to have an entire crowd turned sideways to the entrance ramp.
They'll be way into this one, no doubt. This match was probably made in reaction to potential hijackers. Now the negative chants at Batista can be spun as him garnering legit heat.
This hijack Raw thing reminds me of a Cleveland Browns campaign that failed. Fans were suppose to leave their seats for the opening kickoff as a message to the owner that they were dissatisfied. Kickoff happened with everyone in their seats.
The backturning, I think, is an easy way to look like you "failed" when otherwise you had a great night being entertaining and screaming shit and etc, you know? They can be killer, but if it's only 50 people turning around, it looks dumb. Should've just picked a chant for Orton/Batista segments.
It's stressing a word because I can't bold. So the fuck what? Are you seriously going to attack sentence structure because I dared to point out what he actually said?
I'm 99% sure this is just a backdrop for Punk to do a run in but WHAT IF...
:: puts on extreme optimism/delusional hat ::
...the Punk thing has no legs and Vince knows the only way for this show to not be a disaster is for Bryan to win a match vs Batista for a title shot at WM to make it a triple threat.
Total ripoff of Mankind/Rock with Austin run-in. Hunter comes out and screams that he's sick and tired of fans hijacking shows, that he's seen all the plans the fans have tonight, and he's tired of all the whining nerds. So here's what he'll do - Bryan vs. Batista no DQ tonight, if Bryan wins he's in the main event, if he loses, no more title shots ever.
Bryan comes close to winning, Corporate Kane runs in, the whole nine, and static hits as Punk runs in with a chair. Kabong to Kane, kabong to Batista, Hunter screaming in rage as Bryan gets the 3 and Bryan and Punk lead the crowd in yes chants as Raw goes off the air.
Somehow I don't think anyone would complain about that, and no, I don't want to hear any hypothetical "ohhhhhh, Bryan couldn't win without help" nonsense, BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN! lol
Are we certain a big win for Daniel Bryan is enough to satiate a punk-hungry crowd, especially if it's clear at that point that punk isn't appearing? I'd hate to see Bryan in a garbage-filled ring.
I personally think the "corporation gangs up on Bryan, then Punk comes in and helps him win" would be the ideal way to go.
To me, best scenario is this leads to Bryan getting inserted in the Triple Threat title match, and perhaps a Team Punk (Punk, Rhodes Bros?) vs Team HHH (HHH, Kane, Nash?) street fight at Mania.
That way Punk can go over at Mania without HHH actually having to job.
Anyway, tonight should be really goddamn interesting...
If Punk is coming back, why isn't it being advertised? The WWE is all about TV ratings now and are currently negotiating better fees. Wouldn't this be exactly the sort of thing they'd advertise to pop a huge rating?
Absolutely. A small part of me feels badly for him. If you ask any fan 6 months ago if they'd want a Batista return, 90% of them would say yes. He just got caught in the Bryan backlash amd took the spot the fans wanted Bryan to have. Sucks for him. Best thing they could have done was his heel turn
And not all of that is due to the elaborate entrance...I mean, it must be hard as fuck to walk at a decent speed when your body is held together by duct tape, gorilla glue, and Michelle McCool's 'secretions'
Listen I am a Batista mark, so yeah I am bias but weren't we all kind of pumped to see him come back. People turned on him when he shook Hunters hand but I think that was just a genuine, off script, reaction to the moment.
Basically, there's two divisions in each conference. Looking at the East, if the playoffs were today, both Pittsburgh and Boston are on top of their divisions so they would play the wild cards, with Pittsburgh getting the 8th seed and Boston getting the 7th due to the Pens having more points.
So it would be
Pittsburgh 8th seed Philly New York
With the winners playing each other for the division title and a spot in the conference against the other division winner.
I like him also. People were pissed bc it was "reported" that he'd win the rumble, and you know since Batista isn't Daniel bryan. If Batista had come back post WM fans would have been pretty happy to see him. He's a main event guy that's not John Cena that can have fresh matchups. What's not to like, ya know?
I think there's a lot of truth to that, but it isn't the whole story. There are problems outside of the Bryan stuff. Batista has looked awful in the ring so far. He's a much better heel than he is a face. And truthfully, Orton is the absolute wrong opponent. When someone comes back after being gone so long, most people want to see them have fresh matches, not face off against a guy who was a main eventer at the same time as the returning guy for 5 years. It'd be like if Rock's big return resulted in a Rock VS Big Show match. People wanted to see Rock face guys like Cena and Punk, not the same guys who were main eventing the last time he was around.
I've been reading for about a year. I just don't post much. I realize Scott has been around for a long time, hard to figure out why I didn't find his work until then. He's pure gold, as well as this BoD community. I don't post much, but love reading the comments here. Most of this community has at least half a brain, if not a vast array of wrestling knowledge compared to typical wrestling forums and blog sites.
Fresh matchups is the key. Plus Batista is a better heel (by far...I actually like heel Batista, but save for the initial Batista VS HHH at WM 21 time period, I've never been a fan of face Batista). If Batista is a heel post WM facing off against guys like Bryan (and assuming he's able to go longer in the ring), it will be going better for him (as in, he'll be getting "We hate you" boos and not "go away" boos).
"WrestleMania IX is being referred to as the greatest WrestleMania in history." -- The fact that Sean Mooney could say that with a straight face -- with a camera on him and everything -- should have gotten him a job for life.
Yup, and I'm much more interested in tonights match than I am in Batista/Orton, largely because of that. Although I'd be more excited if he didn't look like he was going to die after a relatively short Del Rio match last week.
People are starting to tire of the "I'm going to leave for greener grass, but come back for a paycheck when I need/want it". If Vince has his finger on the pulse, THIS is the perfect moment for a Hollywood Batista.
Knowing you're coming back for the main event run of the biggest part of the calendar, coming back not in ring shape is kinda an asshole thing to do, eh?
Replied to below, but same deal - I hear you, but this is the main event spot of the biggest run of the calendar of events. Coming in unprepared is some boooolshit.
Nah they need to build this like they did the cell match with Hunter 2 years ago. In that Brock could very well kill the aging Undertaker and "how in the hell is taker going to win?"
Yeah, but this was pretty bad. And it's not like he didn't know he was coming back and it was a last second surprise...and beyond that, even if you give him a pass for the Rumble, he had a month before the two Del Rio matches. Say what you will about Rock, but his first singles match back was a WM main event and he wasn't gassed after 5 minutes. Batista had 4 weeks between the Rumble and Elimination Chamber to get into better ring shape, and he apparently didn't.
"I AM the the 5th lead of a summer superhero movie! There is a two time Oscar nominee in the cast AND I'm backing up one of the stars of 'Parks and Recreation'! DEAL WITH IT!"
He was, but I think it was also the residual backlash from WWE pushing stories or guys down the fans' throats. And constantly ignoring what the fans wanted for years. Big Dave just happened to come in right when that was all culminating.
Plus, as I've said before, he's given us little to no reason to cheer him. He's been sloppy as all hell and is completely winded within 5 minutes of wrestling.
They pretty much need for Undertaker to never get another thing on Brock before the match. He stabbed him with the pen, that should be it, because there's already less reason to think Brock would win than there was Punk (since at least Punk was a full timer coming off over a year of holding the title and two big matches against Rock).
I dont like Big Dave, but i assume its like basketball. It takes some time to get back into game shape regardless of the cardio work youve done to prepare. Should have had him down in florida working with the Next guys.
Yeah, talk about feeling bad, I felt bad for Punk having to deal with Rock trying to kill him through asphyxiation while he was ending his 434-day streak, lol.
I don't think most casual fans care about that. They are just happy to see guys they perceive as stars like UT, Brock, Rock, Hogan, etc. The issue was the overestimated a returning face Batista
He hasn't really given inspired babyface promos either. The whole "I love this business!!!!" thing sounds forced when he's a guy who just took 4 years off to, honestly, not do a lot. it's not like he was forced out due to injury, or had a bunch of starring roles in movies like Rock. I don't fault Batista at all for stepping away, he has every right to do so, and I don't even think it means he doesn't love wrestling. It just sounds like he's kissing ass when he does it. I thought the heel promo on Smackdown was worlds better.
But my question would be, how many "casual" fans are left? The people that actually buy the tickets, (and somewhat dictate the product), are mostly a smarter crowd.
So I'm watching Bash at the Beach '96 on the network, and I've got to say -- Bobby Heenan's commentary was seriously bad at this point (which is something I thought I'd never say about him).
From all of the stupid comments during the awesome opening Psychosis-Rey match to his stupid "he's the third man!" crap that Schiavone was covering for during the Hogan turn, it just felt like he hadn't adjusted to not doing the whole "heel announcer" schtick. Undoubtedly. it's great in actual face/heel matches, but doesn't work in situations like the opener and the turn (because it pretty much gave away the turn to people who were expecting Hogan to save the day).
They didn't book Rock to wrestle save for one tag match at Survivor Series either, but he was in shape for the first Cena match. Batista could have worked out with one of the younger guys (and maybe he did, I have no idea), or just trained in the ways you said. The Del Rio match was set up before he even returned, so it's unlikely Batista expected to not wrestle at EC until right before.
Ehh Rock was gassed in that match...granted it was a HELL of a match, maybe my second favorite Rock match ever, (and if you don't know the first you have paid no attention to my name) but rock was sucking wind
Right, then once Company X starts making money from that stream, it's time to sell and move on to Company Y.... and then the value of Company X goes down even though they are now making more money than they were before.
As I'm watching IRS hit Beefcake in the face with his briefcase, I'm thinking that Bray Wyatt winning the MITB briefcase would be his destiny fulfilled.
Re: Scott's point about working the investors, Vince's "He's on sabbatical" is not a false statement if he comes back tonight. Either Vince was hedging that he could get him back soon OR he was never fully "gone"
Yea, I agree with that. Think we are classifying casual fans differently. I always think of them as the fans that can be swayed into buying a ppv or watching or not not watching a ppv. Those fans I don't think really care about why part timers come back. They're just happy to see "big names" imo
Huh. I was already looking forward to Raw because of the deal with Punk, and the potential for the crowd to just destroy the show. Now DBry vs Batista? I'll be watching. Hope to be enjoying.
Bryan wins quick with the small package, Dave loses his shit, bounces him around a little cuts a promo about how we all love little bitches like Bryan and Punk and cant handle Big Dave, Cult of Personality hits, Punks comes through crowd sneaks in chair shot, Show ends. Next week Punk v Dave. Punk wins hes in.
I can't find episode 6 of Raw. I found 5 through searching, but I want to see Hogan challenge Money In on Raw. I think that was his only Raw appearance until after the WCW purchase.
I have no reason to believe the PPVs won't be on there after they happen. That's like the BIGGEST selling point of this thing, and especially with the NXT issues if the live stream breaks down, having it there on demand the next day will make that less annoying.
Well, in Bobby's defense, he might not have known Hogan was about to turn heel because (1) he was drunk all the time but also (2) it's well known that Tony and/or Eric held shit back from the announce team so they were as "surprised" as the fans. Which of course made them terrible storytellers.
I hatet to break it to you pal, but you jumped further than that That match takes place in May. Batista lost at Mania and Cena won the title at Extreme Rules, and after being humiliated by Triple H and shaved, Bryan went crawling back to the Miz.
That's plausible. I normally love Heenan's commentary, but it seemed like he was just "playing the heel", even in situations where it wasn't really wanted. To me, in the opening match, his comments were actively annoying because they added nothing.
Again with this, lol...as I said to the other guy, are they saying buried or are you hearing buried if they raise any complaints whatsoever to where Punk was positioned on the card?
Pretty much has to have an early and screwjobby finish, otherwise they're nuts for giving that match away for free. Totally legit future PPV main.
ReplyDeleteOh boy....
ReplyDeletePunk save spot...question mark?
ReplyDeleteI'm calling it now.. CM Punk's music plays and distracts Daniel Bryan.. LOL
ReplyDeleteBig Dave's going over clean as a sheet and we'll just have to deal with it.
ReplyDeleteChicago is going to EAT Bootista. Not even a question. Match will go to a No Contest when the crowd swarms Big Dave and engulfs him.
ReplyDeleteShould make for a wild scene in Chicago.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2MPoqqzwdY
ReplyDeleteOh man. If Bryan loses clean that ring it getting 1996 WCW destroyed.
ReplyDeleteThis is so odd. Why wouldn't they advertise this a week early to pop a number unless it's a backdrop to have CM punk do a run in. They could have popped a huge number by promoting this more than 4 hours ahead if time.
ReplyDeleteThe Goat vs The Animal
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks Bryan is losing clean needs to be barred from operating a motor vehicle
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a short match in order for Punk to make his return, probably after an ambush by Batista and HHH
ReplyDeleteThe discussion about fans turning their backs during Orton/Bootista segments, that match is going to have an entire crowd turned sideways to the entrance ramp.
ReplyDeleteOne would think. It insists upon itself, lol.
ReplyDeleteHow do the 'hijackers' react to this? Turn halfway? Chant c pu?
ReplyDeleteI'm suddenly picturing Vince during the meeting going, "FUCK IT! Throw this match at them and see how they react!"
ReplyDeleteBoo Batista like the antichrist, cheer Bryan like the prochrist. Pretty clear, no instruction sheet needed, hehe.
ReplyDeleteI went 4 hours into the future and video taped the match. Here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Lp2ujH7oo
ReplyDeleteBy eating more cheeze whiz?
ReplyDeleteWhen Batista pins Bryan clean, that should give him enough momentum to headline against Orton at wrestlemania by himself.
ReplyDeleteHaha, WWE just one-upped the hijackers. That's hilarious. What now?
ReplyDeleteI wish that I still had cable so I could see how successful the highjack campaign is. If they can pull it off this could be one for the record books.
ReplyDeleteThey'll be way into this one, no doubt. This match was probably made in reaction to potential hijackers. Now the negative chants at Batista can be spun as him garnering legit heat.
ReplyDeleteOh that would be great, have whoever cut a promo saying they knew the crowd would go so crazy that Bryan would have to get distracted.
ReplyDeleteAlmost turn it around so it's the crowds own fault...ha ha...oh that would be damn funny.
But you're supposed to turn your back for Dave, yet chant and go crazy for D-Bry. Quandary.
ReplyDeleteWait, do what now?
ReplyDeleteI hadn't even thought of that! It's like they're forcing the hijackers to divide by zero!
ReplyDeleteWell played WWE, well played.
It will probably be on youtube tomorrow
ReplyDeleteThis hijack Raw thing reminds me of a Cleveland Browns campaign that failed. Fans were suppose to leave their seats for the opening kickoff as a message to the owner that they were dissatisfied. Kickoff happened with everyone in their seats.
ReplyDeleteBarred from operating a motor vehicle.
ReplyDeleteThought that was pretty clear from what he wrote.
Oh man the hijackers are going to totally disrupt the show when they have the exact reaction during the main event the company wants!
ReplyDeleteYeah, what's clear about it is that Batista's going over. Does that make Milktruck the one who needs barred from operating a motor vehicle?
ReplyDeleteHe finally shaved.
ReplyDeleteThe backturning, I think, is an easy way to look like you "failed" when otherwise you had a great night being entertaining and screaming shit and etc, you know? They can be killer, but if it's only 50 people turning around, it looks dumb. Should've just picked a chant for Orton/Batista segments.
ReplyDeleteSo all I need to do is circulate a document, and I can book RAW?
ReplyDeleteCan always stream it on the web, and also some other thing where you pay or whatever.
ReplyDeleteLet's wait and see how it plays out.
ReplyDeleteSee where it goes.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't you do both?
ReplyDeleteHe said losing CLEAN. I think Batista goes over, but I don't think it's clean.
ReplyDeleteDude, ease up on the CAPS in your SENTENCES.
ReplyDeleteStop giving Kevin Nash ideas!
ReplyDelete#occupyRAW
ReplyDelete#hijackWallStreet
#putinBoots2Asses
Chant CM Punk and We Want Ziggler until the main event?
ReplyDeleteBut not during Shield v. Wyatt. And Undertaker is to be treated with respect.
ReplyDeleteIt's stressing a word because I can't bold. So the fuck what? Are you seriously going to attack sentence structure because I dared to point out what he actually said?
ReplyDeletePretty clever move...
ReplyDeleteYou damn right.
ReplyDeleteI'm 99% sure this is just a backdrop for Punk to do a run in but WHAT IF...
ReplyDelete:: puts on extreme optimism/delusional hat ::
...the Punk thing has no legs and Vince knows the only way for this show to not be a disaster is for Bryan to win a match vs Batista for a title shot at WM to make it a triple threat.
I don't care what you do myself, but I would point out that there are ways to emphasize a word without bold and *even* without caps.
ReplyDeleteBooking/similarly delusional hat -
ReplyDeleteTotal ripoff of Mankind/Rock with Austin run-in. Hunter comes out and screams that he's sick and tired of fans hijacking shows, that he's seen all the plans the fans have tonight, and he's tired of all the whining nerds. So here's what he'll do - Bryan vs. Batista no DQ tonight, if Bryan wins he's in the main event, if he loses, no more title shots ever.
Bryan comes close to winning, Corporate Kane runs in, the whole nine, and static hits as Punk runs in with a chair. Kabong to Kane, kabong to Batista, Hunter screaming in rage as Bryan gets the 3 and Bryan and Punk lead the crowd in yes chants as Raw goes off the air.
Somehow I don't think anyone would complain about that, and no, I don't want to hear any hypothetical "ohhhhhh, Bryan couldn't win without help" nonsense, BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN! lol
I have no idea how long you've been posting here but i absolutely guarantee there would be some people saying it made Bryan look weak.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there were rules about how you were required to emphasize things on this blog. I wasn't given my 600 page rulebook when I signed up.
ReplyDeleteDuuuude. I cannot IMAGINE there'd be anyone like that, that's like a spectral boogeyman of a stereotypical smark.
ReplyDeleteHowever, IF there were any, my pretty damn smarky self would absolutely tell them to shut the fuck up but quick. I can guarantee that, hehe.
Browns fans are even dumber than wrestling fans. At least the hardcore ones that blindly follow the team.
ReplyDeleteThen Del Rio is gonna be pissed.
ReplyDeleteGo back a few months and read the 5 Bryan threads per day
ReplyDeleteRESPECT THE SHAVE!
ReplyDeleteAre we certain a big win for Daniel Bryan is enough to satiate a punk-hungry crowd, especially if it's clear at that point that punk isn't appearing? I'd hate to see Bryan in a garbage-filled ring.
ReplyDeleteOne of them is actually trending in Moscow as we speak.
ReplyDeleteI thought you could only job to HHHs music.
ReplyDeleteUndertaker will be out for 15-20 minutes, and there may be a chance that crowd craps on him too if the segment runs long.
ReplyDeleteIf performed correctly, it would be just as cool as when the elders turned their back on Chong Li at the Kumite tournament.
ReplyDeleteYou can't bold, you say?
ReplyDeleteCant wait for Vince to call for the bell, when Batista has Bryan in the YES lock at 11:08 PM.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question. I'm not sure it would but it's the best option they would have if Punk isn't there.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for that though. Whatever happens, they've gotten me the most interested I've been in a while.
ReplyDeleteEasy killer, like I said earlier, I don't care whether you bold or scream in caps or anything else. It'll be okay. :)
ReplyDeleteI personally think the "corporation gangs up on Bryan, then Punk comes in and helps him win" would be the ideal way to go.
ReplyDeleteTo me, best scenario is this leads to Bryan getting inserted in the Triple Threat title match, and perhaps a Team Punk (Punk, Rhodes Bros?) vs Team HHH (HHH, Kane, Nash?) street fight at Mania.
That way Punk can go over at Mania without HHH actually having to job.
Anyway, tonight should be really goddamn interesting...
If Punk is coming back, why isn't it being advertised? The WWE is all about TV ratings now and are currently negotiating better fees. Wouldn't this be exactly the sort of thing they'd advertise to pop a huge rating?
ReplyDeleteNot in Ukraine? Guess the double turn didn't take.
ReplyDeleteI prefer caps, stars and spelling it out, to *R-E-A-L-L-Y E-M-P-H-A-S-I-Z-E M-Y A-M-A-Z-I-N-G W-O-R-D-S*
ReplyDeleteOff the Bryan/Punk topic for a sec....The Undertaker HAS to take an F5 tonight right?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. A small part of me feels badly for him. If you ask any fan 6 months ago if they'd want a Batista return, 90% of them would say yes. He just got caught in the Bryan backlash amd took the spot the fans wanted Bryan to have. Sucks for him. Best thing they could have done was his heel turn
ReplyDeleteAnd not all of that is due to the elaborate entrance...I mean, it must be hard as fuck to walk at a decent speed when your body is held together by duct tape, gorilla glue, and Michelle McCool's 'secretions'
ReplyDeleteYea. The speculating thing was a running gag from an earlier thread.
ReplyDeleteSurprise factor will have people tune in
ReplyDeleteI don't think Rock had anything to do with it, personally. He got caught up with the Bryan stuff and the perception as a HHH guy.
ReplyDeleteListen I am a Batista mark, so yeah I am bias but weren't we all kind of pumped to see him come back. People turned on him when he shook Hunters hand but I think that was just a genuine, off script, reaction to the moment.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching them on Wrestlewar '92 and just thought the same thing. Not a huge fan.
ReplyDeleteBasically, there's two divisions in each conference. Looking at the East, if the playoffs were today, both Pittsburgh and Boston are on top of their divisions so they would play the wild cards, with Pittsburgh getting the 8th seed and Boston getting the 7th due to the Pens having more points.
ReplyDeleteSo it would be
Pittsburgh
8th seed
Philly
New York
With the winners playing each other for the division title and a spot in the conference against the other division winner.
Boston
7th seed
Alright so Lex Luger just gave the Cesaro Swing to some jabroni after this match was over and I marked out..
ReplyDeleteSeconded on all three. Watching WW '92 as we speak.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't excited to see him come back. It'd only been 4 years since he's been gone and he was never someone I was a fan of.
ReplyDeleteSure. Do I feel bad? Not in the least.
ReplyDeleteI like him also. People were pissed bc it was "reported" that he'd win the rumble, and you know since Batista isn't Daniel bryan. If Batista had come back post WM fans would have been pretty happy to see him. He's a main event guy that's not John Cena that can have fresh matchups. What's not to like, ya know?
ReplyDeleteCalculating number of fucks I have ever given about Batista...
ReplyDeleteCalculating.....
Still Calculating.......
One Moment Please........
Zero.
You know what I'd like to see them add? Those "Vintage Collection" shows that air in Europe. They sound like fun.
ReplyDeleteGood god, non-Dallas Freebird matches are BRUTAL to watch. They were boring as hell.
ReplyDeleteThe Rock had a little bit to do with it, (and yes the HHH stuff hurt him but thats not really his fault. Same goes for Sheamus to a degree)
ReplyDeleteI think there's a lot of truth to that, but it isn't the whole story. There are problems outside of the Bryan stuff. Batista has looked awful in the ring so far. He's a much better heel than he is a face. And truthfully, Orton is the absolute wrong opponent. When someone comes back after being gone so long, most people want to see them have fresh matches, not face off against a guy who was a main eventer at the same time as the returning guy for 5 years. It'd be like if Rock's big return resulted in a Rock VS Big Show match. People wanted to see Rock face guys like Cena and Punk, not the same guys who were main eventing the last time he was around.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading for about a year. I just don't post much. I realize Scott has been around for a long time, hard to figure out why I didn't find his work until then. He's pure gold, as well as this BoD community. I don't post much, but love reading the comments here. Most of this community has at least half a brain, if not a vast array of wrestling knowledge compared to typical wrestling forums and blog sites.
ReplyDeleteWell...Batista is getting a fresh opponent tonight in any case
ReplyDeleteFresh matchups is the key. Plus Batista is a better heel (by far...I actually like heel Batista, but save for the initial Batista VS HHH at WM 21 time period, I've never been a fan of face Batista). If Batista is a heel post WM facing off against guys like Bryan (and assuming he's able to go longer in the ring), it will be going better for him (as in, he'll be getting "We hate you" boos and not "go away" boos).
ReplyDeleteHis cardio.
ReplyDelete"WrestleMania IX is being referred to as the greatest WrestleMania in history." --
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Sean Mooney could say that with a straight face -- with a camera on him and everything -- should have gotten him a job for life.
Yup, and I'm much more interested in tonights match than I am in Batista/Orton, largely because of that. Although I'd be more excited if he didn't look like he was going to die after a relatively short Del Rio match last week.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair how many guys come back and DON'T need some time to get back into ring shape...same in any sport really.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair how many guys come back and DON'T need some time to get back into ring shape...same in any sport really...
ReplyDeleteDEAL
ReplyDelete*wheeze*
WITH
*unnnnnngh*
ITTTTTTT...*cough, cough*
No chance... maybe on the go-home show.
ReplyDeletePeople are starting to tire of the "I'm going to leave for greener grass, but come back for a paycheck when I need/want it". If Vince has his finger on the pulse, THIS is the perfect moment for a Hollywood Batista.
ReplyDeleteKnowing you're coming back for the main event run of the biggest part of the calendar, coming back not in ring shape is kinda an asshole thing to do, eh?
ReplyDeleteThe way that Jesse Ventura is saying everything short of directly calling Johnny B. Badd a faggot in this match is SO funny.
ReplyDelete"Speaking of bridesmaids, here's a guy who would love to be one!"
"Tracy Smothers is probably right, it isn't hard to imagine Johnny giving his tights a little tug."
Yea. I think they'll keep them separated physically tonight. Straight mic work only
ReplyDeleteReplied to below, but same deal - I hear you, but this is the main event spot of the biggest run of the calendar of events. Coming in unprepared is some boooolshit.
ReplyDeleteNah they need to build this like they did the cell match with Hunter 2 years ago. In that Brock could very well kill the aging Undertaker and "how in the hell is taker going to win?"
ReplyDeleteYeah, but this was pretty bad. And it's not like he didn't know he was coming back and it was a last second surprise...and beyond that, even if you give him a pass for the Rumble, he had a month before the two Del Rio matches. Say what you will about Rock, but his first singles match back was a WM main event and he wasn't gassed after 5 minutes. Batista had 4 weeks between the Rumble and Elimination Chamber to get into better ring shape, and he apparently didn't.
ReplyDeleteWatching a random Raw with Sherri and Luna Vachon tearing each other's clothes off from 1993. What the hell?
ReplyDeleteWrestlinginc is great for news, but the posters there are terrible for the most part. Not everyone there, but the majority act like 13yr old girls.
ReplyDelete"I AM the the 5th lead of a summer superhero movie! There is a two time Oscar nominee in the cast AND I'm backing up one of the stars of 'Parks and Recreation'! DEAL WITH IT!"
ReplyDeleteMmm...mental scarring. Tastes like burning.
ReplyDeleteRock DID have shit cardio in the Punk match, but yeah.
ReplyDeleteMania is in 5 weeks. as a fitness nut I can testify that you can get your wind up a hell of a lot in 5 weeks
ReplyDeleteAnd now Scotty 2 Hottie as jobber Scott Taylor is about to get his ass kicked.
ReplyDeleteCertainly hope he does, because this shit's not cutting it.
ReplyDeleteThey're both dead now, but I would have banged either one of them. Sherri had a nice body on her. Luna would probably let you do ANYTHING to her.
ReplyDeleteHe was, but I think it was also the residual backlash from WWE pushing stories or guys down the fans' throats. And constantly ignoring what the fans wanted for years. Big Dave just happened to come in right when that was all culminating.
ReplyDeletePlus, as I've said before, he's given us little to no reason to cheer him. He's been sloppy as all hell and is completely winded within 5 minutes of wrestling.
They pretty much need for Undertaker to never get another thing on Brock before the match. He stabbed him with the pen, that should be it, because there's already less reason to think Brock would win than there was Punk (since at least Punk was a full timer coming off over a year of holding the title and two big matches against Rock).
ReplyDeleteI dont like Big Dave, but i assume its like basketball. It takes some time to get back into game shape regardless of the cardio work youve done to prepare. Should have had him down in florida working with the Next guys.
ReplyDeleteYou can run all the sprints you want it's not the same. Just look at football players who hold out. Like I said...Mania is in 5 weeks. Give him that.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. So why didn't he do it from Rumble to EC, knowing he'd get Del Rio there?
ReplyDelete"Rub the bald side of my head, jvc. Do it."
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'll give you that one.
ReplyDeleteWhat the Hell?? The Network is running in slow motion right right now.. oh wait.. that's just Giant Gonzales in the ring.. phew..
ReplyDeleteWWE didn't book him to wrestle. He wrestled last week...he's wrestling tonight...
ReplyDeleteYeah, talk about feeling bad, I felt bad for Punk having to deal with Rock trying to kill him through asphyxiation while he was ending his 434-day streak, lol.
ReplyDeleteThe proverbial "ring rust".
ReplyDeleteI don't think most casual fans care about that. They are just happy to see guys they perceive as stars like UT, Brock, Rock, Hogan, etc. The issue was the overestimated a returning face Batista
ReplyDeleteA wrestling monk. Man, 1993 was SO not the year for the WWE.
ReplyDeleteI think I know where Cena learned his super-yelling Cena promo style. Old Michael Hayes interviews. The man only had one volume level.
ReplyDeleteHe hasn't really given inspired babyface promos either. The whole "I love this business!!!!" thing sounds forced when he's a guy who just took 4 years off to, honestly, not do a lot. it's not like he was forced out due to injury, or had a bunch of starring roles in movies like Rock. I don't fault Batista at all for stepping away, he has every right to do so, and I don't even think it means he doesn't love wrestling. It just sounds like he's kissing ass when he does it. I thought the heel promo on Smackdown was worlds better.
ReplyDeleteBut my question would be, how many "casual" fans are left? The people that actually buy the tickets, (and somewhat dictate the product), are mostly a smarter crowd.
ReplyDeleteThreadjack:
ReplyDeleteSo I'm watching Bash at the Beach '96 on the network, and I've got to say -- Bobby Heenan's commentary was seriously bad at this point (which is something I thought I'd never say about him).
From all of the stupid comments during the awesome opening Psychosis-Rey match to his stupid "he's the third man!" crap that Schiavone was covering for during the Hogan turn, it just felt like he hadn't adjusted to not doing the whole "heel announcer" schtick. Undoubtedly. it's great in actual face/heel matches, but doesn't work in situations like the opener and the turn (because it pretty much gave away the turn to people who were expecting Hogan to save the day).
Also, and they should play this up, isn't Brock the only one to ever beat The Undertaker clean in the cell?
ReplyDeleteThey didn't book Rock to wrestle save for one tag match at Survivor Series either, but he was in shape for the first Cena match. Batista could have worked out with one of the younger guys (and maybe he did, I have no idea), or just trained in the ways you said. The Del Rio match was set up before he even returned, so it's unlikely Batista expected to not wrestle at EC until right before.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if anyone else has, but you're right, they should play it up. They should go all out to at least give some impression Brock could win.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the first draft of that SD promo, the Cena Jr. routine on Raw...man, that was painful.
ReplyDeleteEhh Rock was gassed in that match...granted it was a HELL of a match, maybe my second favorite Rock match ever, (and if you don't know the first you have paid no attention to my name) but rock was sucking wind
ReplyDeleteRight, then once Company X starts making money from that stream, it's time to sell and move on to Company Y.... and then the value of Company X goes down even though they are now making more money than they were before.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm watching IRS hit Beefcake in the face with his briefcase, I'm thinking that Bray Wyatt winning the MITB briefcase would be his destiny fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteObserver reported something like 300,000 subscribers in the first week, but a 15% of that number came from Europe.
ReplyDeleteContinuing to read the article, the author believes that number could be as high as 450,000.
Yeah, remember how bad Austin was sucking wind in his match with Rikishi?
ReplyDeleteRe: Scott's point about working the investors, Vince's "He's on sabbatical" is not a false statement if he comes back tonight. Either Vince was hedging that he could get him back soon OR he was never fully "gone"
ReplyDeleteBy the end I think he was, but it was a 33 minute long match. I didn't notice him gassed 10 minutes in or anything.
ReplyDeleteYea, I agree with that. Think we are classifying casual fans differently. I always think of them as the fans that can be swayed into buying a ppv or watching or not not watching a ppv. Those fans I don't think really care about why part timers come back. They're just happy to see "big names" imo
ReplyDeleteHuh. I was already looking forward to Raw because of the deal with Punk, and the potential for the crowd to just destroy the show. Now DBry vs Batista? I'll be watching. Hope to be enjoying.
ReplyDeleteBut...you share the same name...
ReplyDeleteIn those days we'd just yell at our giant television sets and put the figure four leglock on the closest family member we could find.
ReplyDeleteHis nose stud.
ReplyDeleteHis cardio.
His belly button tattoo.
The fact that he wears jeans so tight that I can tell what religion he is.
Bryan wins quick with the small package, Dave loses his shit, bounces him around a little cuts a promo about how we all love little bitches like Bryan and Punk and cant handle Big Dave, Cult of Personality hits, Punks comes through crowd sneaks in chair shot, Show ends. Next week Punk v Dave. Punk wins hes in.
ReplyDeleteYeah and Stone Cold had cardio second to none, (maybe Flair back in the 80's)
ReplyDeleteI can't find episode 6 of Raw. I found 5 through searching, but I want to see Hogan challenge Money In on Raw. I think that was his only Raw appearance until after the WCW purchase.
ReplyDeleteWe actually share the same initials.
ReplyDeleteI only wear long sleeve shirts these days. [/
I have no reason to believe the PPVs won't be on there after they happen. That's like the BIGGEST selling point of this thing, and especially with the NXT issues if the live stream breaks down, having it there on demand the next day will make that less annoying.
ReplyDeleteI have a Bachelor of arts! What's that get me!
ReplyDeleteWow. That's amazing too me. I thought like 130k was the reported initial number. 450k would be a huge win for them it seems.
ReplyDeleteWell, in Bobby's defense, he might not have known Hogan was about to turn heel because (1) he was drunk all the time but also (2) it's well known that Tony and/or Eric held shit back from the announce team so they were as "surprised" as the fans. Which of course made them terrible storytellers.
ReplyDeleteI've seen more of Mr. Hughes in the last week than I have of my family. Yay network!
ReplyDeleteI hatet to break it to you pal, but you jumped further than that That match takes place in May. Batista lost at Mania and Cena won the title at Extreme Rules, and after being humiliated by Triple H and shaved, Bryan went crawling back to the Miz.
ReplyDeleteI, myself, like to CAPS words to express emphasis...
ReplyDeleteYeeeeeah... Farva's pretty spot on there.
ReplyDeletePretty sure the sales pitch was that once ANYTHING airs on the Network it would automatically be available on Demand.
ReplyDeleteI think -- eventually -- the Big 3 PPVs (Rumble, Summerslam, Mania) will be premium network events, but not at a $60 price point.
Also, the ever so popular "Hay guyz, remember when Austin always needed help to win big matches during the Attitude Era~? neither do I lulz" posts.
ReplyDeletePeople are still complaining to this day that CM Punk was "buried" during his 430+ day reign solely because he didn't wrestle the last match of PPVs.
ReplyDeleteThat's plausible. I normally love Heenan's commentary, but it seemed like he was just "playing the heel", even in situations where it wasn't really wanted. To me, in the opening match, his comments were actively annoying because they added nothing.
ReplyDeleteAt least you weren't shallow and pedantic about it so thanks for the clarification.
ReplyDeleteman i never got Eric embry. I get it he was huge in TX, but never was found of him.
ReplyDeleteAgain with this, lol...as I said to the other guy, are they saying buried or are you hearing buried if they raise any complaints whatsoever to where Punk was positioned on the card?
ReplyDeleteIt's baseball format except you take the top 3 in a division and 2 wildcards.
ReplyDeleteWhy did they change it?
Nobody fucking knows
Could be. What's the tincture like, oil?
ReplyDelete