Daniel Bryan gets beat up by the Authority! Hot midcarder Cesaro does a job thanks to interference from his dead weight partner! John Cena wins a handicap match against all odds!
The Cesaro/Heyman pairing has been a dud so far. He didnt need Heyman after breaking away from Zeb and Biff Tannen. It killed all his momentum from the split when he aligned with Heyman.
I don't know what show you were watching, but I liked it. Kane beating up Bryan was hot and it made me excited to see the main event (full disclosure: I'm a Kane mark and I'm excited to see him back in full mask and ring gear), Cesaro is in feuds with both RVD and Swagger in the midcard, Barrett is continuing his ascension back to an Intercontinental Championship match, John Cena only won by DQ and Bray Wyatt got an awesome Raw moment, and Miss Cobra and Hornswoggle in 3MB were dumb in a good way.
Not only that, there's a promising newcomer whose vignettes are pretty funny and if he can keep up that level of charisma on a live mic he should do well right off the bat.
Normally I'd agree with you, and I DID find the show mostly boring, but Cesaro was protected by the count out and subsequent attack after the match, and Cena technically won, but never overcame those odds.
Needed to build up Kane (even if he is a weak choice) plus allows Bryan some time off for Dad; music + joining Heyman hurt Cesaro more than interference (though would have saved Sheamus-Barrett for final); Cena won by DQ, not because he made Bray immediately tap after hitting all three with two AAs.
Well buyrate should still be at least 660,000, considering all the subscribers that are locked in, making it the most purchased April PPV of all time, even before you count PPV buys.
I personally would like him to win, start a feud with Ambrose to unify it with the worthless US Title. The intercontinental belt was worth something when Patterson, Ultimate Warrior, Razor, Bulldog, HBK, Jericho etc held it. Cesaro seemed like the man to make it worth something again, so I personally would have booked him to win.
I'm kind of conflicted because there are quite a few guys I'd like to see have the title, I think it's pretty awesome that there are so many players in for the IC title at the moment, I'd like to see Dean Ambrose lose the US title and have it become a strap for debutants and lower card guys to fight over. There are definitely too many midcarders for the IC title so I think the US title still has a proper role in the WWE.
I appreciate cynicism as much as the next guy, but come on.
The Kane beat-down was well done. How do you want to progress the feud between the two? Have Bryan beat up Kane every week, then beat him on PPV? Yeah, that will make people invest in the storyline.
Caesaro doesn't need the belt right now. Big E is a face champion, and as much as WWE wants to push Ceasaro as a heel, we all know he's getting cheered based on ring-work and smark cred, so why put the title in that situation? Let Big E feud with another up-and-coming heel in Barrett, let Caesaro cut ties with Swagger in a short feud that may actually elevate Swagger somewhat too if he puts in a good performance, and then have him move on.
Cena does what Cena does. I'll complain if he wins the steel cage match, but for now I have no problem with it.
Evolution vs The Shield is red hot too.
WWE is actually doing good things right now. Let them fuck up first before we start attacking them for fucking up.
They also need to write Bryan out for at least a week while he's out on bereavement. I think we should be incredibly thankful that he was on the show at all.
I don't think they botched the Bray/Cena feud yet.
Bray's promo tonight, where he actually factored the crowd reactions directly into the storyline by claiming that every time he fought Cena, more and more of the audience was turned to his line of thinking, is a great move. He's beating Cena without needing to beat him in the ring.
I think if Bray beats Cena in the cage, then the feud is still strong. Should Bray have gone over Cena at WM? Yes. But honestly, had they actually executed the storyline they were going for at WM better (which they likely could have done with more blood) then we probably wouldn't be complaining about it.
That was the sickest beatdown I saw on WWE television in a while and Stephanie telling Kane to stop, even if it seemed insincere at first, turning "real" by the end of the beatdown was a nice touch.
I can't figure out the reasoning in turning him heel, and then having him feud with another heel. The audience very organically turned him face. All his moves are very face like. Whats the point of him being heel?
To be fair 1. Bryan got beat down by Kane to let him go off and grieve while also building up Kane as a monster. 2. It looks like Cesaro will be going into a fued with RVD or it builds up him beating his former partner. It also looks like Barret will get a shot at the IC Title and that's not bad news. 3. Cena won by a massive beatdown by The Wyatt's and was left unconscious in Brays lap.
But yes Bryan should stand tall every RAW and face no real opposition.
Oh come on. The Bryan/Kane feud has heat now thanks to that beatdown, and Bryan will look stronger when he wins at Extreme Rules. RVD only beat Cesaro by count out after interference from Swagger, Cesaro didn't look weak at all. And Cena only won by DQ and then was destroyed by the Wyatt Family to end the show.
Didn't watch the show but don't we all already know the show starts to suck right about now traditionally? Hey you can watch extreme rules for free so what more do you really want for them, or expect for that matter?
Was rvd vs cesaro good? Should I try and find it to watch?
Sorry, but I've got to say that NOBODY looks stronger by beating Kane any more. They've worn out the "heel monster that the face can beat on his way to his REAL challenge" trope with him.
I really think their reasoning has to do with Cesaro's mic skills. They want to push Cesaro as a top guy, but they don't trust him on the mic, so they have to give him a manager. Heyman is the best manager in the world, especially after Lesnar ended the Streak, so they see this as instantly elevating Cesaro to the top. It just sucks that it is at the expense of a Cesaro face run because everyone wants to cheer him.
Yeah, the only time the April/May period was ever good for WWE was during the Monday Night Wars because it was NBA playoff time, which meant WCW getting pre-empted for basketball and giving the WWF a prime opportunity to lure their fans away.
I agree that Kane is a poor choice for Bryan's first title defense, but since he is the guy they've chosen, at least they did as good of a job as possible at making him look like a threat.
Yeah, the company sees the IC title as beneath him I think and he is primed for a nice run as a singles. I just thought they had something special with him as the face. That pop after he tossed Big Show at Mania was massive.
Barrett and Sheamus have great chemistry in the ring. I remember they were rumored to face each other at last year's Mania, it's a shame that didn't happen.
The phrase "damning with faint praise" comes to mind. I'm very over Kane as the monster. It was ridiculous and passe in 2012 with Cena and even more so now.
I think if they put Barrett/Sheamus in a Best of seven, you will elevate the winner to the point they are instantly a credible contender to the Heavyweight Title. Plus, Sheamus needs a jolt since returning from injury. Its been a uphill battle for him. Barrett would get over like crazy too, regardless.
The initial mask thing from late 2011 was great but then Ryder got added and the whole thing turned south fast. But I'll hand it to them for being able to rebuild the Kane character at will.
So I guess Cody and Dustin are breaking up with Cody seemingly going heel. I'm fine with that but hopefully the tag division doesn't suffer too much because of it. The division has cooled off recently but IMO has been rebuilt enough that just a few more teams added will start another good run.
I'm just not sure who they could have put in place of Kane to challenge Bryan if they were dead set on doing Evolution vs Shield. I wouldn't want Wyatt jobbing again after losing to Cena at Mania. I definitely wouldn't want to sacrifice Cesaro. Who does that leave?
Are people really excited about Barrett getting an IC Title shot (potentially)? Remember, he lost it to CURTIS AXEL last year. Same old shit, different year.
And seriously, I said it in the Live Thread, but these bonehead writers are really passing up an opportunity by changing Axel's name to Average Joe.
I assumed it was because he had to drive to the show in a five year old Infiniti and wanted to leave early so he wouldn't be embarrassed when people saw him take off in it.
Daniel Bryan gets beaten up by the heel challenger that he's going to defeat at Extreme Rules and who needed to be re-established as a monster after being a flunky for six months.
Cesaro is taken out of the title tournament, will beat his dead weight partner, and will go to bigger and better things because he's too good for the IC title and you know it.
John Cena... well, I didn't get that one either.
One out of three. Even a blind Canadian moose finds a nut once in a while. Not sure if you're the moose or the nut, though.
But contrary to my wish to see Cody and Dustin feud with Evolution's present team for the titles, Cody would be a great candidate, probably the best candidate, for the future role. Can't think of anyone else actually. Ziggler needs a complete rebuild. Miz might have suited The Authority, but I don't see him in Evolution. Sandow's gimmick is too thick. There isn't an ideal guy in NXT (Dallas is too comedy). Swagger maybe, but I don't think he's breaking away from Coulter. Cesaro's locked up with Heyman (plus he'd outshine Batista as a power guy).
It's fine for a month long feud, especially given the history they have together and Kane's relationship with The Authority. A hardcore match can protect Kane giving the match a better chance to succeed, D-Bry will win, fans will go YES and everyone is happy.
I don't see the issue. Let Cesaro get built up more rather than as a lame duck challenger.
I thought Cena's promo was really good, especially coming on the heels of Bray's promo. It would have worked a lot better if their Mania match went differently but I still enjoyed it.
Barrett/Sheamus rocked. The Bryan/Kane beat down was violent and the crowd was behind Bryan and not chanting random stuff. Not a fan of Kane/Bryan for Bryan's first title defense though.
Sure Raw during the Evolution era is generally shat upon but I couldn't help but think it was cool when they came out in suits to the music again. Their promo and the Shield's rebuttal were great. Hoping they add Cody Rhodes to Evolution.
I think the difference is that the IC title has a larger and better pool of challengers, and Barrett has beaten Rey Mysterio and won tournament matches against Ziggler and Sheamus.
Opinion seems split on RVD. If you think he's just going through the motions you won't enjoy the match. If you've enjoyed his stuff, it's worth a watch other than a truly horrendous finish.
I'm still torn on Kane being defeated by Bryan at ER. On one hand I'm glad they want to push Bryan strong by feeding him a monster so soon but where does Kane go after? Back to being corporate?
That show is truly hilariously bad. It reminds me of one of my favorite throwaway jokes from Greg the Bunny where Greg is talking to a network exec played by Sarah Silverman who is crying and says she wrote a terrible Full House script and Greg tries to console her saying, "hey, no one's first script gets made" and Sarah Silverman says, "no, they made it"
I guess the bigger question is this, Scott: what did you want? Cesaro to hold the I-C title and not get pushed because the writers think the title is push enough? Daniel Bryan to destroy everyone around him without blinking? I really think you're just marking for certain wrestlers and letting it cloud your vision.
There were a lot of questionable booking decisions in late 2003 - through 2004, but I honestly thought Evolution was one of the better parts of WWE at that time. Dominant heel stable, building two new stars, generally good matches from the guys involved.
Really the only horrible moments with Evolution that immediately come to mind for me are the Kane Katie Vick debacle leading to his unmasking, and the fact that there was a stretch of time there where the audience clearly wanted to see Goldberg with the belt, and they didn't pull the trigger until it was much too late.
But both of those things happened in 2003, whereas 2004 was really when Evolution was the big deal.
That wasn't my point. I don't begrudge you having rich parents or them buying you a luxury car. But I don't like bullies, I never have. And it irks me that you refuse to acknowledge that what you did was bullying or that it was wrong. So yeah, I gave you shit over it.
I wish they'd use a top ten contenders list and make the IC champ (after unifying it) an automatic top three contender so top guys (and the fans) would see it as a means to a World Title shot and actually worth winning.
Well like I told you in the last thread 1)I didn't have rich parents by any reasonable standard of wealth 2) my parents only paid half my tuition because I had a scholarship and otherwise I wouldn't have been there 3)I had a five year old car that my parents didn't use and it sucked compared to other people's car 4)whipping a fat slob with a towel is a funny goof and not bullying because a)its a funny thing everyone did for laugh and only a complete pussy would think it hurts b)over self indulgent greedy pigs with no self respect don't get a free pass from me (or most of the world) 5)telling someone you are you going to kick their teeth down their throat and wishing great harm on them over the internet is much worse than anything I did 14 YEARS AGO AS A KID
I never said I was going to kick your teeth down your throat (and saying I hoped it happens was an overreaction on my part). The crux of the issue is the bullying. We can drop all the pretense of your private school because it was tangential to the main point. You bullied fat kids. In and of itself, not the end of the world because seriously, teenagers are awful. What irks me is that you have no remorse or empathy. You're proud of it and basically turning your weird hang up about fat people into a pathological need to embarrass them (you admitted as much: it wasn't just snapping towels at them, you targeted them by trying to embarrass them). If you'd just shown a shred of growth and said, "yeah, it was shitty, I wish I hadn't done it. But teenagers are idiots" I wouldn't have overreacted (which doesn't excuse my overreaction, which I do apologize for). But no, you just stubbornly insisted you weren't a bully when you sound like the villain from an 80's movie.
Part of me thinks this is Kane's last hurrah before either retiring or becoming a special-attraction part-timer, so my guess is that he just disappears from TV for a while after Extreme Rules.
If they'd done a better job of legitimizing him, Curtis Axel would've been perfect for Evolution. Swagger would be my next pick. I always thought (with a definite repackaging) he would've been an interesting alternative to Orton as the Corporate Champion.
If WWE actually gave a shit about the tag division I'd say pair him with Evan Bourne. Given their fondness for that Humbolt County lettuce they'll probably be traveling together anyway.
I choose Ryback. Someone that could actually get something out of a short run with the champion. A good champion can elevate anyone by association, why not give Ryback the beat down and the match? Could throw Del Rio out there to target Bryan's injured shoulder which got healed 24 hours after Wrestlemania. Any one of those 11 guys protecting a Evolution might have worked.
2004 Evolution was really fantastic. People crap on Evolution because of 2003 but really, 2004 was Evolution's golden year. Lots of great matches, plus it spilled into '05 and the Batista turn and subsequent victories.
only thing that I disagree with: I almost sure their feud will do hardly anything for Swagger. he will lose and go back to being lost in the lower levels of the card (where he was pre-his WrestleMania title shot in 2013).
It wasn't just specific events that made RAW Is Evolution so shitty in 2003, it's that it followed a really unentertaining main event formula: Evolution standing tall for three weeks over the challenger of the month, HHH shows a little ass on the Monday before the PPV just so it looks like the challenger is getting momentum (HHH: "SEE?! I'M PUTTING THEM OVER!"), then SPOILERS HHH WINS ON SUNDAY. Rinse, repeat for 15 months aside from the pitiful Goldberg run that was one month too late.
I mean, Jesus Christ, HHH was fucking injured going into SS, and if they were going to put the belt on Goldberg anyway, why would it not make sense to drop it there, have Hunter come out on RAW, and say something to the effect of, "Congratulations, Goldberg, you're the World Heavyweight Champion! And you did it beating an injured champion in a multi-man gimmick match! You know what you proved to me last night? Absolutely nothing!" (insert 20 more minutes of talking here) "So let me spare you the drama, at Unforgiven, I'm invoking my rematch clause and I'm gonna be at my physical peak come that Sunday, and all your pyro and piped-in chanting and your scary faces won't mean anything, because I've proven every time, that one-on-one, no one is more skilled, more cerebral, and more dangerous than me. You were a big fish in a small pond in WCW, but here....you're just another guy. Just another legend who winds up as a notch on my belt. Game on."
But yeah, 40 weeks of Evo beating all comers and killing the heat of the few who could make a solid threat pretty much made 2003 a shit show, and the viewers turning away in droves speak for themselves. But hey, cool music, suits, and if you put them all together, they're like a 270 OVR in WWE2K, so let's bring them back! ZZZzzzzzzzzz.....
I don't know what your problem was. It was a terrific show. And most of the stuff...let me Let you in on some smark terminology. It called building heat. Its crazy I know, but the more the guy you like gets beat up...the more you want to watch him win. Revolutionary stuff really.
1. the guys dad dies hours before raw. They booked it to 1. make kane look like a monster again and 2. give the DB some time off to attend to personal matters far more important than Extreme Rules. Should they have run Bryan out for 3 segments last night including a 20 minute promo that he probably wouldn't have made it through without breaking down and crying?
2. Cesaro is above the IC championship. He'll beat Swagger and move on. No big deal.
3. I got nothing. But the Wyatts are still a thorn in his side or something, even though Cena wins every time he faces them. Or something like that.
I have a feeling he's still a de facto face. Sort of like the British Bulldog when he was with the Hart Foundation, or RVD with the Alliance. Yesterday's finish was a great example, as it was the "heel" who got screwed out of the win, not the face. I sense an official face turn coming very soon.
There is literally NOTHING about Bray that has a "Just another guy" feel. Even if he had Barry Horowitz's win-loss record. The term "just another guy" just gets used way too often, it's lost all meaning. same for "50/50 booking" and "buried"
I have a feeling the 3rd one is slightly aimed at me. :)
How about this direction: Bret beat Austin every single time they faced, but Austin just kept going after him no matter what, until Bret finally cracked. Maybe that's the direction they're going here. Wyatt doesn't really seem phased by losing.
Maybe. If that is the direction they are going, Cena should win by something less than the AA every time (or just about as on Monday). Bray's promo was fantastic though
I HATE the thinking behind number 2. NO person should feel he's about any Championship. They could at least say "If I'm the champ I get bigger paychecks" or something.
They have no idea how to book Daniel Bryan, because all Creative has come up with for 9 months are beatdown angles. Imagine if Stone Cold or the Rock did a stretcher job every 3 weeks.
Kane isn't winning the title. So why not switch it up, have Kane tease returning to his monster roots, build some intrigue that way. Hell, if you Creative needs to do the stretcher job, do it at the beginning of the PPV to pay off Kane returning as a monster.
In reality, they're just killing time until the Bryan thing cools off and they can put their guys back in the main event.
Stone Cold was a legit 6'4 , 250 lbs. Rock was even bigger. Daniel is barely 200 lbs. It's ridiculous to compare them, of course Daniel will get beaten down by bigger guys, his strength is taking a beating and outlasting his opponents through sheer will. It's not beating them down. So yes, Daniel will continue to get beaten down. But unlike Zach Ryder, he will end up winning his matches and will stand tall at the end.
Agreed. It's like when they brought the IC title back a few years ago and "all" of the IC champions were supposed to be in it, but Shawn Michaels oddly didn't appear in it, which really did harm. His absence sent the impression that the title (the one you're making a big deal about returning) isn't worth appearing in. Yet for him to appear, only to lose (which is fine, it was a battle royal) would have added serious star power to the match and would only make the eventual winner look better.
I would say his strength is having great matches with pretty much any one on the roster. That's what I would like to see him do -- elevate the young workers, give them the opportunity to get over on their work. I have no problems with Kane but he's clearly the choice for a run with a champion when they are trying to take some of the steam off of said champion. No one wanted him to hijack the action between Bryan and Punk in...2011? 2012? and they managed somehow overcome him to have a couple of good one on one matches anyway.
Besides what happened to his shoulder injury? Dude is like a player in Tecmo Super Bowl with his recovery skills.
As Kane started to administer the beating, I was kinda "Meh" and not paying attention but then he just kept going and the crowd reaction was great so it turned into a very good segment, IMO.
I think Cesaro needs to quickly squash Swagger and then work exclusively with top guys. That's how he'll get more accepted in that role in a faster time frame.
I ignore most any Cena segment so whatever happened at the end, I didn't see. I just factor in Cena as the cost of doing business, I guess.
I think their hands were tied with Bryan last night. And the angle wasn't a total squash. Bryan kept fighting back until he took a risk and it didn't work.
So how else do you give DB time off to morn his father without a beat down? You guys are WAY over estimating Cesero. Dude was in a jobber tag team until two weeks ago. You guys see him as on the same level as Bray Wyatt as that upper mid card range when in reality he hasn't done anything but win a battle royal. Give him a feud with Swagger, let him win that and slowly move him up the card. Aren't you guys always the ones saying "you can't just throw someone into the main event there has to be a build to it" yet thats what most of you want for Cesero. Matter of fact dude went from being a Real American one night to most everyone on here saying "Cesero vs. Bryan for the title at WM 31". Even though even the most delusional of you have to know thats not going to happen. Let it play out and see where it goes. They're telling stories.
Even though he was listed at 6'2" and admitted he's more like 6'1", I'm glad Austin continues to grow in your eyes.
And if we have to mention Zack Ryder and Bryan in compare/contrast debate, we're in trouble. Two bland and blah shows in a row for Raw, though. Their post-Mania momentum has just about come to a halt.
Ok, my bad. Just saying that he's definitely considered a bigger than average guy, even when facing guys like Rock/Taker/Kane. He's clearly an ass kicker, Daniel Bryan is more of a small/technical guy.
Just saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a guy nearly a foot taller and 100 lbs heavier than him beating him up, especially when he sneak attacked him. People are acting as if Daniel is being booked like a chump. I don't get it.
I like that idea as well, then I think wait HHH fired Cody and was fucking with their whole family just a couple months ago in their best story at the time. But in wrestling it probably would be fine.
Everyone wants to know how to give time off to DB to mourn his father. Um, why not just tell people the truth? What's so awful with building real, emotional sympathy?
And, to build to the PPV, Stephanie can tout a mystery opponent. Or have Kane destroy Los Matadores or someone else.
The beating on Bryan had purpose because of his dad, not to mention it actually managed to make Kane look like more of a threat and less of an old man lumbering around. Cesaro SHOULD have won, but I'm happy they're keeping continuity up with finishing the beef with Swagger. Like others have said, he'll beat him then move on to feuding with whoever has the IC title. The Shield vs. Evolution program is still pretty hot and moving along nicely. Extreme Rules should be a bit more EXTREME than just 1 cage match on the card but whatever, it's WWE. The only thing that's really inexcusable now is how they're booking the Cena/Wyatt feud. I mean they basically set it up to expose how much the crowd just doesn't care about Cena anymore. What was the point of that vote? If they still want to believe that Cena is a beloved top babyface that sure was a black eye on the proceedings. And then he can't even lose against ALL of them, it has to be a non-finish. You wanna shit on something, shit on that. The rest was fine.
That wasn't just a beat down. 3 tombstones, getting progressively worse with each one. I actually am kinda interested in their match now, which I'm assuming will be a stretcher match.
Tony Caesar will be just fine. I actually am much more intrigued by RVD getting into his head that Heyman is a crook than a feud against Swagger. Is it just me or does RVD look old and out of place? Like when Snuka came back in the early 90s.
As for Cena...eh, I can't defend it. As much as people give Cana credit for working the mid card while DB is on top, he's done nothing to elevate the Wyatts and if he continues not to do that, then this will be a huge mistake. Also, enough with the "he's got the whole world..." it was cool once, now it's just annoying. Be a heel. Don't get the crowd to sing along with you.
Jesus SK, weeeee bit of an overreaction here. His dad just died, they wanted to quickly write him off the show. Would you have preferred Bryan cried through a 20-min promo and then wrestled a gauntlet match?
And aside from that, he's GONNA BEAT KANE AT THE PPV. They just built some heat towards the PPV match. Why is everyone freaking out about this?
They have FOUR PPVs between now and Summerslam. Bryan's gonna cycle back to Orton/HHH/Batista right after Extreme Rules--- what's the huge problem everyone has with Bryan just getting a PPV win over a veteran big guy to kick off his reign? Did you really think he's gonna start off with a 60-min Iron Man match against Cesaro?
It's not about starting with a 60-minute Iron Man match against Cesaro. It's that, in Scott's mind, Cesaro as I-C champ running through the tournament made the most sense, and Daniel Bryan is telling the same story he always does. Now, it's known that the WWE has trouble diversifying their stories and they do ride a horse until it dies, but you make him sound ROHbotic (spelling very intentional). He's not. He's just not happy with the booking.
I mean, he's still overreacting and all, but not as badly as you make it sound.
RVD is too old to be wrestling his usual style, that's for sure. Needs to learn from HBK and switch up to adding a lot more psychology & spacing out the flashy moves more so he doesn't' get blown up 2 minutes in.
" I mean they basically set it up to expose how much the crowd just doesn't care about Cena anymore. What was the point of that vote? If they still want to believe that Cena is a beloved top babyface that sure was a black eye on the proceedings."
To be fair, has WWE EVER denied that the crowd reaction is split to say the least? They've always acknowledged and even embraced the 50/50 crowd reactions.
True, but now it's not even 50/50, now only 10-and-unders are the only ones cheering for him. The rest of the crowd buys his merch then goes out and cheers for Wyatt anyway. It looks bad for how they insist on booking things. If they were booking it differently it wouldn't matter, so embracing the crowd split would be fine...makes it feel like half the crowd is actually influencing things. THIS shit literally says "Fuck you, we want this.", which we know is the truth but it just looks shoddy. It's not different than Cole orgasming over Reigns every time he comes out...it's forced, and with crowds now, forcing things = disaster.
I don't know, Cole and Lawler often mentioned how worrisome it is that more and more people are chanting along with Wyatt. It's an official part of the storyline, Cena seems to be losing more and more support, and he might crack. It's not like 1995 Hogan where Cole is saying "The entire WWE universe is totally behind Cena!!! He is our hero!"
The wins/losses thing has been booked strange, I admit that, but this crowd thing is pretty cool.
I don't think many are freaking out or anything, but there's this air of disappointment coming off of Mania weekend. Two mediocre shows in a row will do that.
If they didn't do the faux stretcher job at Mania, I'd be fine with yesterday. As it stood, it was okay. But no top guy should be associated with going out on a stretcher. You'd like to see the top guy having to be pulled away from the action kicking and screaming, not be carted away from it.
The Cesaro booking made sense to me, especially considering the tournament was made for Bad News Barrett. Still, if they're not going to build Swagger up, the feud doesn't add up to much. Swagger's been jobbing in the majority of his singles matches. To me, a renewed monster-like push (similar to what they're doing with Rusev) for the retooled Cesaro would make more sense to show that the Cesaro-Heyman duo is dominant/better than ever. Then, put him in an upper midcard feud.
It's still a hopeless pipe dream, but this just makes me think how fucking awesome it would be to have a heel Cena vs, Bryan feud. I mean, they have to know at this point turning Cena will immediately make him beloved again (ironically) and the merch will pick up on the adult side to make up for the kids. Just sell Shield hoodies & facemasks and you'll split the difference! Seriously, I'd buy a Shield hoodie & facemask in a heartbeat.
I'd be a tad more concerned about the fact that they're booking Bray Wyatt as though he is (or should be) the face in that feud. He's almost literally the devil's avatar, and he's pandering to the home towns and leading singalongs. No wonder the crowd's on his side. The story is about Cena trying not to become Bray, when there should be lip service to Bray becoming Cena.
Quick question: Was the poll last night legit or was it rigged to add more to the Wyatt's gaining more fans/Cena's losing it angle they're going for? It'd be a lot more interesting if it was rigged. In fact, it might be the first interesting thing they're doing with the Cena character in years.
John Cena gets beat up by the Authority! Hot midcarder Reigns does a job thanks to miscommunication with his partners! Cesaro wins a handicap match against all odds!
With just a few small tweaks, the show suddenly seems a lot better.
The Cesaro/Heyman pairing has been a dud so far. He didnt need Heyman after breaking away from Zeb and Biff Tannen. It killed all his momentum from the split when he aligned with Heyman.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what show you were watching, but I liked it. Kane beating up Bryan was hot and it made me excited to see the main event (full disclosure: I'm a Kane mark and I'm excited to see him back in full mask and ring gear), Cesaro is in feuds with both RVD and Swagger in the midcard, Barrett is continuing his ascension back to an Intercontinental Championship match, John Cena only won by DQ and Bray Wyatt got an awesome Raw moment, and Miss Cobra and Hornswoggle in 3MB were dumb in a good way.
ReplyDeleteNot only that, there's a promising newcomer whose vignettes are pretty funny and if he can keep up that level of charisma on a live mic he should do well right off the bat.
Normally I'd agree with you, and I DID find the show mostly boring, but Cesaro was protected by the count out and subsequent attack after the match, and Cena technically won, but never overcame those odds.
ReplyDeletethe first hour was awesome.
ReplyDeleteThe rest had its moments but they have completely botched the Bray/Cena feud. They had something there
Come on now.
ReplyDeleteNeeded to build up Kane (even if he is a weak choice) plus allows Bryan some time off for Dad; music + joining Heyman hurt Cesaro more than interference (though would have saved Sheamus-Barrett for final); Cena won by DQ, not because he made Bray immediately tap after hitting all three with two AAs.
Well buyrate should still be at least 660,000, considering all the subscribers that are locked in, making it the most purchased April PPV of all time, even before you count PPV buys.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing for Cesaro was to not win this tournament. He needs to be kept away from the IC Title.
ReplyDeleteThe buyrate doesn't smell good.
ReplyDeleteThat's true.
ReplyDeleteI personally would like him to win, start a feud with Ambrose to unify it with the worthless US Title. The intercontinental belt was worth something when Patterson, Ultimate Warrior, Razor, Bulldog, HBK, Jericho etc held it. Cesaro seemed like the man to make it worth something again, so I personally would have booked him to win.
ReplyDeleteCena wins in the end Bray becomes just another guy.
ReplyDeleteit smells great.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they've booked it backwards, but I think it can still be salvaged. It's sad that WWE forgot their Mankind playbook in 1996.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of conflicted because there are quite a few guys I'd like to see have the title, I think it's pretty awesome that there are so many players in for the IC title at the moment, I'd like to see Dean Ambrose lose the US title and have it become a strap for debutants and lower card guys to fight over. There are definitely too many midcarders for the IC title so I think the US title still has a proper role in the WWE.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate cynicism as much as the next guy, but come on.
ReplyDeleteThe Kane beat-down was well done. How do you want to progress the feud between the two? Have Bryan beat up Kane every week, then beat him on PPV? Yeah, that will make people invest in the storyline.
Caesaro doesn't need the belt right now. Big E is a face champion, and as much as WWE wants to push Ceasaro as a heel, we all know he's getting cheered based on ring-work and smark cred, so why put the title in that situation? Let Big E feud with another up-and-coming heel in Barrett, let Caesaro cut ties with Swagger in a short feud that may actually elevate Swagger somewhat too if he puts in a good performance, and then have him move on.
Cena does what Cena does. I'll complain if he wins the steel cage match, but for now I have no problem with it.
Evolution vs The Shield is red hot too.
WWE is actually doing good things right now. Let them fuck up first before we start attacking them for fucking up.
They also need to write Bryan out for at least a week while he's out on bereavement. I think we should be incredibly thankful that he was on the show at all.
ReplyDeleteSo Kane shouldn't beat up D-Bry to build to their title match?
ReplyDeleteI don't think they botched the Bray/Cena feud yet.
ReplyDeleteBray's promo tonight, where he actually factored the crowd reactions directly into the storyline by claiming that every time he fought Cena, more and more of the audience was turned to his line of thinking, is a great move. He's beating Cena without needing to beat him in the ring.
I think if Bray beats Cena in the cage, then the feud is still strong. Should Bray have gone over Cena at WM? Yes. But honestly, had they actually executed the storyline they were going for at WM better (which they likely could have done with more blood) then we probably wouldn't be complaining about it.
He may have technically won, but Cena sure didn't look like a winner at the end.
ReplyDeleteThat was the sickest beatdown I saw on WWE television in a while and Stephanie telling Kane to stop, even if it seemed insincere at first, turning "real" by the end of the beatdown was a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteI can't figure out the reasoning in turning him heel, and then having him feud with another heel. The audience very organically turned him face. All his moves are very face like. Whats the point of him being heel?
ReplyDeleteYea, the Kane beatdown was really good and instantly establishes him as a threat to D-Bry. They need to play up more of their history
ReplyDeleteTo be fair 1. Bryan got beat down by Kane to let him go off and grieve while also building up Kane as a monster. 2. It looks like Cesaro will be going into a fued with RVD or it builds up him beating his former partner. It also looks like Barret will get a shot at the IC Title and that's not bad news. 3. Cena won by a massive beatdown by The Wyatt's and was left unconscious in Brays lap.
ReplyDeleteBut yes Bryan should stand tall every RAW and face no real opposition.
Its been booked ass backwards.
ReplyDeleteCena wins at Mania, does not get attacked after the match
A week later, Cena comes out to interrupt Bray, challenging him to a cage match at Extreme Rules
Tonight, there is a poll and choice that wins saw him face off against the entire family. The Wyatt's beat him down to close the show.
Its unbelievably fucked up in how they booked the feud leading up to the cage match
Nope! Bryan should stand beat everybody up every night. The Authority should never get the upper hand on anybody even though they are dastardly heels.
ReplyDeleteThe Giant Swing is a great face spot and he could have used that to beat monster heels. I dont get it why they did this
ReplyDeleteOh come on. The Bryan/Kane feud has heat now thanks to that beatdown, and Bryan will look stronger when he wins at Extreme Rules. RVD only beat Cesaro by count out after interference from Swagger, Cesaro didn't look weak at all. And Cena only won by DQ and then was destroyed by the Wyatt Family to end the show.
ReplyDeleteThey should build up Kane as a title challenger by having Bryan beat him up instead.
ReplyDeleteDid you see your performance on BoD RAW?
ReplyDeleteDidn't watch the show but don't we all already know the show starts to suck right about now traditionally? Hey you can watch extreme rules for free so what more do you really want for them, or expect for that matter?
ReplyDeleteWas rvd vs cesaro good? Should I try and find it to watch?
RVD vs Cesaro sucked.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I've got to say that NOBODY looks stronger by beating Kane any more. They've worn out the "heel monster that the face can beat on his way to his REAL challenge" trope with him.
ReplyDeleteThe Blog is turning against Scott, uh oh.
ReplyDeleteI liked RVD vs Cesaro enough but it didn't blow me away or anything.
ReplyDeleteBah, he knows we'll come back.
ReplyDeleteWell not much to see then I suppose.
ReplyDeleteWatch Barrett vs. Sheamus
ReplyDeleteI really think their reasoning has to do with Cesaro's mic skills. They want to push Cesaro as a top guy, but they don't trust him on the mic, so they have to give him a manager. Heyman is the best manager in the world, especially after Lesnar ended the Streak, so they see this as instantly elevating Cesaro to the top. It just sucks that it is at the expense of a Cesaro face run because everyone wants to cheer him.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important thing with Cesaro right now is keeping him strong, which so far they're doing.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the only time the April/May period was ever good for WWE was during the Monday Night Wars because it was NBA playoff time, which meant WCW getting pre-empted for basketball and giving the WWF a prime opportunity to lure their fans away.
ReplyDeleteSMELL THE BUYRATE! doesn't have as much meaning as it once did.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Kane is a poor choice for Bryan's first title defense, but since he is the guy they've chosen, at least they did as good of a job as possible at making him look like a threat.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan got beat up so he could be off the show early for family matters.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the company sees the IC title as beneath him I think and he is primed for a nice run as a singles. I just thought they had something special with him as the face. That pop after he tossed Big Show at Mania was massive.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I think was the case. Show up early for a segment then rush him to the airport.
ReplyDeleteDammit I want more Cesaro/Sheamus matches though. Maybe after the Swagger thing is done.
ReplyDeleteBarrett and Sheamus have great chemistry in the ring. I remember they were rumored to face each other at last year's Mania, it's a shame that didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteDidn't watch this live but heard it was mostly average with done good spots.
ReplyDeleteThe phrase "damning with faint praise" comes to mind. I'm very over Kane as the monster. It was ridiculous and passe in 2012 with Cena and even more so now.
ReplyDeleteI had family over for Mania, and my living room exploded when Cesaro tossed Big Show and won the battle royal. Awesome moment
ReplyDeleteI think if they put Barrett/Sheamus in a Best of seven, you will elevate the winner to the point they are instantly a credible contender to the Heavyweight Title. Plus, Sheamus needs a jolt since returning from injury. Its been a uphill battle for him. Barrett would get over like crazy too, regardless.
ReplyDeleteThe initial mask thing from late 2011 was great but then Ryder got added and the whole thing turned south fast. But I'll hand it to them for being able to rebuild the Kane character at will.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess Cody and Dustin are breaking up with Cody seemingly going heel. I'm fine with that but hopefully the tag division doesn't suffer too much because of it. The division has cooled off recently but IMO has been rebuilt enough that just a few more teams added will start another good run.
ReplyDeleteI'm just not sure who they could have put in place of Kane to challenge Bryan if they were dead set on doing Evolution vs Shield. I wouldn't want Wyatt jobbing again after losing to Cena at Mania. I definitely wouldn't want to sacrifice Cesaro. Who does that leave?
ReplyDeleteAnd after Kane Bryan has the entire Evolution stable to has singles title matches with, plus Cesaro if they wish.
ReplyDeleteYou mean SMELL THE SUBSCRIBERS!
ReplyDeleteAre people really excited about Barrett getting an IC Title shot (potentially)? Remember, he lost it to CURTIS AXEL last year. Same old shit, different year.
And seriously, I said it in the Live Thread, but these bonehead writers are really passing up an opportunity by changing Axel's name to Average Joe.
It writes itself.
I really like someone's idea of Cody joining Evolution as the "future." Heel Cody seems like he'd fit right in
ReplyDeleteI assumed it was because he had to drive to the show in a five year old Infiniti and wanted to leave early so he wouldn't be embarrassed when people saw him take off in it.
ReplyDeleteCody and Dustin vs. Orton and Batista in a feud for the titles could have been epic.
ReplyDeleteEh, maybe I guess. Could still happen as a set up for the official break up.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan gets beaten up by the heel challenger that he's going to defeat at Extreme Rules and who needed to be re-established as a monster after being a flunky for six months.
ReplyDeleteCesaro is taken out of the title tournament, will beat his dead weight partner, and will go to bigger and better things because he's too good for the IC title and you know it.
John Cena... well, I didn't get that one either.
One out of three. Even a blind Canadian moose finds a nut once in a while. Not sure if you're the moose or the nut, though.
dafuq?
ReplyDeleteOoh, that could end up working, especially with Dave leaving for a bit after ER to I guess promote GotG.
ReplyDeleteThey show Family Matters at 9 p.m. in Baltimore?
ReplyDeleteBut contrary to my wish to see Cody and Dustin feud with Evolution's present team for the titles, Cody would be a great candidate, probably the best candidate, for the future role. Can't think of anyone else actually. Ziggler needs a complete rebuild. Miz might have suited The Authority, but I don't see him in Evolution. Sandow's gimmick is too thick. There isn't an ideal guy in NXT (Dallas is too comedy). Swagger maybe, but I don't think he's breaking away from Coulter. Cesaro's locked up with Heyman (plus he'd outshine Batista as a power guy).
ReplyDeleteIt pretty much has to be Cody.
He had to save Eddie and Waldo from snorting blow at a party
ReplyDeleteHey, them doing that for Bryan is fine by me.
ReplyDeleteIt's fine for a month long feud, especially given the history they have together and Kane's relationship with The Authority. A hardcore match can protect Kane giving the match a better chance to succeed, D-Bry will win, fans will go YES and everyone is happy.
ReplyDeleteI don't see the issue. Let Cesaro get built up more rather than as a lame duck challenger.
Waldo wrote back to me on twitter once. Marked big time.
ReplyDeletePlus, Bryan is going to win his first defense anyway, so why job out a guy with potential when you can finish his story with Kane
ReplyDeleteDoes he still act
ReplyDeleteDepends on if you think RVD has had a good match since 2006. If so, you'll probably like it.
ReplyDeleteWaldo Geraldo Faldo?
ReplyDelete9 AND 9:30
ReplyDeleteHe's gonna be really passive aggressive about it next week though.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fw9yHZrg48
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. I asked if he wanted to do a podcast and he said he doesn't do interviews and that his memory is awful.
ReplyDeleteHe did like that I remembered the best Waldo moment when he testifies after Carl kills Urkel's bug.
State your name.
Illinois.
Also nay I add Lana is fast becoming my favorite character in WWE. Rusev is fine and all with his kickass theme but man Lana is great.
ReplyDeleteSup
ReplyDeleteI thought Cena's promo was really good, especially coming on the heels of Bray's promo. It would have worked a lot better if their Mania match went differently but I still enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteBarrett/Sheamus rocked. The Bryan/Kane beat down was violent and the crowd was behind Bryan and not chanting random stuff. Not a fan of Kane/Bryan for Bryan's first title defense though.
Sure Raw during the Evolution era is generally shat upon but I couldn't help but think it was cool when they came out in suits to the music again. Their promo and the Shield's rebuttal were great. Hoping they add Cody Rhodes to Evolution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pop_f9pxwMQ
ReplyDeleteHe's mad at me because I was too poor to drive a new car in high school.
ReplyDeleteI think the difference is that the IC title has a larger and better pool of challengers, and Barrett has beaten Rey Mysterio and won tournament matches against Ziggler and Sheamus.
ReplyDeleteHe's had tons of them including a **** match against Jericho on raw.
ReplyDeleteThis should get interesting.
ReplyDeleteOpinion seems split on RVD. If you think he's just going through the motions you won't enjoy the match. If you've enjoyed his stuff, it's worth a watch other than a truly horrendous finish.
ReplyDeleteI'm still torn on Kane being defeated by Bryan at ER. On one hand I'm glad they want to push Bryan strong by feeding him a monster so soon but where does Kane go after? Back to being corporate?
ReplyDeleteThat show is truly hilariously bad. It reminds me of one of my favorite throwaway jokes from Greg the Bunny where Greg is talking to a network exec played by Sarah Silverman who is crying and says she wrote a terrible Full House script and Greg tries to console her saying, "hey, no one's first script gets made" and Sarah Silverman says, "no, they made it"
ReplyDeleteI guess the bigger question is this, Scott: what did you want? Cesaro to hold the I-C title and not get pushed because the writers think the title is push enough? Daniel Bryan to destroy everyone around him without blinking? I really think you're just marking for certain wrestlers and letting it cloud your vision.
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of questionable booking decisions in late 2003 - through 2004, but I honestly thought Evolution was one of the better parts of WWE at that time. Dominant heel stable, building two new stars, generally good matches from the guys involved.
ReplyDeleteReally the only horrible moments with Evolution that immediately come to mind for me are the Kane Katie Vick debacle leading to his unmasking, and the fact that there was a stretch of time there where the audience clearly wanted to see Goldberg with the belt, and they didn't pull the trigger until it was much too late.
But both of those things happened in 2003, whereas 2004 was really when Evolution was the big deal.
That wasn't my point. I don't begrudge you having rich parents or them buying you a luxury car. But I don't like bullies, I never have. And it irks me that you refuse to acknowledge that what you did was bullying or that it was wrong. So yeah, I gave you shit over it.
ReplyDeleteI liked Cenas promo too. Also the look on his face when it was revealed he would fight all three Wyatt's. Like a look into the crowd of "why"?
ReplyDeleteI wish they'd use a top ten contenders list and make the IC champ (after unifying it) an automatic top three contender so top guys (and the fans) would see it as a means to a World Title shot and actually worth winning.
ReplyDeleteBut they're TELLING STORIES
ReplyDeleteWell like I told you in the last thread 1)I didn't have rich parents by any reasonable standard of wealth 2) my parents only paid half my tuition because I had a scholarship and otherwise I wouldn't have been there 3)I had a five year old car that my parents didn't use and it sucked compared to other people's car 4)whipping a fat slob with a towel is a funny goof and not bullying because a)its a funny thing everyone did for laugh and only a complete pussy would think it hurts b)over self indulgent greedy pigs with no self respect don't get a free pass from me (or most of the world) 5)telling someone you are you going to kick their teeth down their throat and wishing great harm on them over the internet is much worse than anything I did 14 YEARS AGO AS A KID
ReplyDeleteCan you link me to this argument? I'm lost
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rspwfaq.net/2014/04/ddp-yogis-thread-1.html
ReplyDeleteIts somewhere in that waste land. I said something in an old thread and at like 2am Saturday morning someone started trolling my posts in there.
Beating RVD means just as little as beating Big E does. Both are severely damaged goods.
ReplyDeleteAnd we just had months of Bryan getting beat up because he's the scrappy underdog. I would like them to find another storytelling mode for him.
I never said I was going to kick your teeth down your throat (and saying I hoped it happens was an overreaction on my part). The crux of the issue is the bullying. We can drop all the pretense of your private school because it was tangential to the main point. You bullied fat kids. In and of itself, not the end of the world because seriously, teenagers are awful. What irks me is that you have no remorse or empathy. You're proud of it and basically turning your weird hang up about fat people into a pathological need to embarrass them (you admitted as much: it wasn't just snapping towels at them, you targeted them by trying to embarrass them). If you'd just shown a shred of growth and said, "yeah, it was shitty, I wish I hadn't done it. But teenagers are idiots" I wouldn't have overreacted (which doesn't excuse my overreaction, which I do apologize for). But no, you just stubbornly insisted you weren't a bully when you sound like the villain from an 80's movie.
ReplyDeletePart of me thinks this is Kane's last hurrah before either retiring or becoming a special-attraction part-timer, so my guess is that he just disappears from TV for a while after Extreme Rules.
ReplyDeleteWait was that you? You post here under two accounts? Why?
ReplyDeleteI got banned from Mediaite so a buddy let me use an SN he doesn't use. I posted on my iPad and that's where the SN was logged in.
ReplyDeleteIf they'd done a better job of legitimizing him, Curtis Axel would've been perfect for Evolution.
ReplyDeleteSwagger would be my next pick. I always thought (with a definite repackaging) he would've been an interesting alternative to Orton as the Corporate Champion.
What was Greg the Bunny? I heard Family Guy reference it once as one of FOX's failed shows, but I'd never heard of it before that.
ReplyDeleteI think they over thunk the Heyman/Cesaro pairing. Fans are just way too confused right now,
ReplyDeleteNitpick: you're conflating. Katie Vick was October 2002 and led to the temporary death of the I-C Title. Kane unmasked in July 2003.
ReplyDeleteRandom comment: did Scott come up with "SMELL THE BUYRATE!" himself, or is it like IN THIS BUSINESS where it was lifted from someone IN THIS BUSINESS?
ReplyDeleteDid you know: 600,000 subscribers to the wwe network decided to watch Battlebowl 93 instead of Extreme Rules on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteIf WWE actually gave a shit about the tag division I'd say pair him with Evan Bourne. Given their fondness for that Humbolt County lettuce they'll probably be traveling together anyway.
ReplyDeleteBattlebowl 93?
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind they're doing this "special" in Jersey so there will be a clearer heel-face dynamic then.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the one chick is still doing porn.
ReplyDeleteit pales in comparison to the ass-kicking that Trips laid on Bryan before rasslemania
ReplyDeleteClearly, this show needed Sting.
ReplyDeleteWhy does it matter where Kane goes?
ReplyDeleteI choose Ryback. Someone that could actually get something out of a short run with the champion. A good champion can elevate anyone by association, why not give Ryback the beat down and the match? Could throw Del Rio out there to target Bryan's injured shoulder which got healed 24 hours after Wrestlemania. Any one of those 11 guys protecting a Evolution might have worked.
ReplyDelete2004 Evolution was really fantastic. People crap on Evolution because of 2003 but really, 2004 was Evolution's golden year. Lots of great matches, plus it spilled into '05 and the Batista turn and subsequent victories.
ReplyDeleteIt was a better-than-average fox show with the premise that puppets were another minority.
ReplyDeleteonly thing that I disagree with: I almost sure their feud will do hardly anything for Swagger. he will lose and go back to being lost in the lower levels of the card (where he was pre-his WrestleMania title shot in 2013).
ReplyDeleteMaybe some AJ Lee chants too during the Tamina/Paige match. Since she's now "on hiatus" with Punk...
ReplyDeleteWhen he says "on hiatus", he means fucking.
ReplyDeleteTHAT IS BRAND NEW INFORMATION
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't just specific events that made RAW Is Evolution so shitty in 2003, it's that it followed a really unentertaining main event formula: Evolution standing tall for three weeks over the challenger of the month, HHH shows a little ass on the Monday before the PPV just so it looks like the challenger is getting momentum (HHH: "SEE?! I'M PUTTING THEM OVER!"), then SPOILERS HHH WINS ON SUNDAY. Rinse, repeat for 15 months aside from the pitiful Goldberg run that was one month too late.
ReplyDeleteI mean, Jesus Christ, HHH was fucking injured going into SS, and if they were going to put the belt on Goldberg anyway, why would it not make sense to drop it there, have Hunter come out on RAW, and say something to the effect of, "Congratulations, Goldberg, you're the World Heavyweight Champion! And you did it beating an injured champion in a multi-man gimmick match! You know what you proved to me last night? Absolutely nothing!" (insert 20 more minutes of talking here) "So let me spare you the drama, at Unforgiven, I'm invoking my rematch clause and I'm gonna be at my physical peak come that Sunday, and all your pyro and piped-in chanting and your scary faces won't mean anything, because I've proven every time, that one-on-one, no one is more skilled, more cerebral, and more dangerous than me. You were a big fish in a small pond in WCW, but here....you're just another guy. Just another legend who winds up as a notch on my belt. Game on."
But yeah, 40 weeks of Evo beating all comers and killing the heat of the few who could make a solid threat pretty much made 2003 a shit show, and the viewers turning away in droves speak for themselves. But hey, cool music, suits, and if you put them all together, they're like a 270 OVR in WWE2K, so let's bring them back! ZZZzzzzzzzzz.....
Ah choom, chchchchch! *piano*
ReplyDeleteBadda bop baada bop...hey!
ReplyDeleteUnderrated as hell show, too good to last
ReplyDeleteI don't know what your problem was. It was a terrific show. And most of the stuff...let me Let you in on some smark terminology. It called building heat. Its crazy I know, but the more the guy you like gets beat up...the more you want to watch him win. Revolutionary stuff really.
ReplyDeleteBray is going to win at Extreme Rules. The show was fine.
ReplyDelete"Its crazy I know, but the more the guy you like gets beat up...the more you want to watch him win."
ReplyDeleteUnless that's the thing he's been doing for the last eight months and are ready for him to be in a fresh angle.
This.
ReplyDeleteThat just sounded like complaining for the sake of complaining really.
I'd personally rather have seen the Swagger interference next week like everybody else but this isn't that bad.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bryan's beat down looked like an audible to get him out of there because if his dad. It's not like he's going to lose Sunday.
They should have made a Bryan vs Orton rematch...oh wait. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBut actually, that would have made more sense. Kane could have a match against Roman Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins against Batista and Triple H or so.
Parts Unknown. He goes to Parts Unknown.
ReplyDeleteScott is a delusional and angry old wrestling fan who can't enjoy anything because he wishes Bret Hart was wrestling a broom every week.
ReplyDelete1. the guys dad dies hours before raw. They booked it to 1. make kane look like a monster again and 2. give the DB some time off to attend to personal matters far more important than Extreme Rules. Should they have run Bryan out for 3 segments last night including a 20 minute promo that he probably wouldn't have made it through without breaking down and crying?
ReplyDelete2. Cesaro is above the IC championship. He'll beat Swagger and move on. No big deal.
3. I got nothing. But the Wyatts are still a thorn in his side or something, even though Cena wins every time he faces them. Or something like that.
"We went to see jfk."
ReplyDelete"That's J-F-K"
"oh, I know how it's spelled."
I have a feeling he's still a de facto face. Sort of like the British Bulldog when he was with the Hart Foundation, or RVD with the Alliance. Yesterday's finish was a great example, as it was the "heel" who got screwed out of the win, not the face. I sense an official face turn coming very soon.
ReplyDeleteThere is literally NOTHING about Bray that has a "Just another guy" feel. Even if he had Barry Horowitz's win-loss record. The term "just another guy" just gets used way too often, it's lost all meaning. same for "50/50 booking" and "buried"
ReplyDeleteBecause Ryback is sloppy and dangerous?
ReplyDeleteIt was an awful WCW ppv they had in November of that year.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone can be a top guy. I'll happily throw Swagger down in the lower levels in exchange of him putting Cesaro over huge.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling the 3rd one is slightly aimed at me. :)
ReplyDeleteHow about this direction: Bret beat Austin every single time they faced, but Austin just kept going after him no matter what, until Bret finally cracked. Maybe that's the direction they're going here. Wyatt doesn't really seem phased by losing.
Its done in jest, not spite just so you know.
ReplyDeleteMaybe. If that is the direction they are going, Cena should win by something less than the AA every time (or just about as on Monday). Bray's promo was fantastic though
Correct. It was just Flair and HHH at that point.
ReplyDeleteI remember magazines used to do rankings like that. That would be a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you get it. They're doing the exact same thing they've been doing for the past 9 months. At some point, you need to evolve.
ReplyDeleteJust because Daniel Bryan is small doesn't mean that EVERY feud has to involve him getting stretchered off.
By the way, you're not a smark. You're a mark buddy.
I didn't notice it before, but those "WHAT A BASTARD!" chants were hilarious.
ReplyDelete"It's not like he's going to lose Sunday."
ReplyDeleteExactly! So why do the exact same shit they've been doing for 9 months?
No. She in a rehab. Fucked up how her parents ran through her money.
ReplyDeleteI HATE the thinking behind number 2. NO person should feel he's about any Championship.
ReplyDeleteThey could at least say "If I'm the champ I get bigger paychecks" or something.
They have no idea how to book Daniel Bryan, because all Creative has come up with for 9 months are beatdown angles. Imagine if Stone Cold or the Rock did a stretcher job every 3 weeks.
ReplyDeleteKane isn't winning the title. So why not switch it up, have Kane tease returning to his monster roots, build some intrigue that way. Hell, if you Creative needs to do the stretcher job, do it at the beginning of the PPV to pay off Kane returning as a monster.
In reality, they're just killing time until the Bryan thing cools off and they can put their guys back in the main event.
I never thought Kane's goal was to win the title. I though it was to eviscerate him.
ReplyDeleteWait, Scott is trolling the smarks now?
ReplyDeleteStone Cold was a legit 6'4 , 250 lbs. Rock was even bigger. Daniel is barely 200 lbs. It's ridiculous to compare them, of course Daniel will get beaten down by bigger guys, his strength is taking a beating and outlasting his opponents through sheer will. It's not beating them down. So yes, Daniel will continue to get beaten down. But unlike Zach Ryder, he will end up winning his matches and will stand tall at the end.
ReplyDeleteDid they ever explain her absence on the show? She was just gone one day.
ReplyDelete... Because it's been working?
ReplyDeleteI'm 75% sure that's an SK creation.
ReplyDeleteShut your blasphemous mouth! That show rocked!
ReplyDeleteWhen did Swagger become Biff Tannen? LOL that is great!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It's like when they brought the IC title back a few years ago and "all" of the IC champions were supposed to be in it, but Shawn Michaels oddly didn't appear in it, which really did harm. His absence sent the impression that the title (the one you're making a big deal about returning) isn't worth appearing in. Yet for him to appear, only to lose (which is fine, it was a battle royal) would have added serious star power to the match and would only make the eventual winner look better.
ReplyDeleteI would say his strength is having great matches with pretty much any one on the roster. That's what I would like to see him do -- elevate the young workers, give them the opportunity to get over on their work. I have no problems with Kane but he's clearly the choice for a run with a champion when they are trying to take some of the steam off of said champion. No one wanted him to hijack the action between Bryan and Punk in...2011? 2012? and they managed somehow overcome him to have a couple of good one on one matches anyway.
ReplyDeleteBesides what happened to his shoulder injury? Dude is like a player in Tecmo Super Bowl with his recovery skills.
Family Matters? Full House? Greg the Bunny? Because I love me some Greg the Bunny.
ReplyDeleteThere was a run from about 2001-2004 where every show that I loved got cancelled. In short order Fox cancelled Greg the Bunny, Titus, and Firefly.
ReplyDeleteCesaro didn't say he's above the IC Title. From a booking/presentation standpoint, he's bigger than the IC Title.
ReplyDeleteAs Kane started to administer the beating, I was kinda "Meh" and not paying attention but then he just kept going and the crowd reaction was great so it turned into a very good segment, IMO.
ReplyDeleteI think Cesaro needs to quickly squash Swagger and then work exclusively with top guys. That's how he'll get more accepted in that role in a faster time frame.
I ignore most any Cena segment so whatever happened at the end, I didn't see. I just factor in Cena as the cost of doing business, I guess.
No. She was just written off.
ReplyDeleteAlways nostalgic for old TGIF shows.
ReplyDeleteI think their hands were tied with Bryan last night. And the angle wasn't a total squash. Bryan kept fighting back until he took a risk and it didn't work.
ReplyDeleteSo... you really CAN'T see him....
ReplyDeleteSo how else do you give DB time off to morn his father without a beat down? You guys are WAY over estimating Cesero. Dude was in a jobber tag team until two weeks ago. You guys see him as on the same level as Bray Wyatt as that upper mid card range when in reality he hasn't done anything but win a battle royal. Give him a feud with Swagger, let him win that and slowly move him up the card. Aren't you guys always the ones saying "you can't just throw someone into the main event there has to be a build to it" yet thats what most of you want for Cesero. Matter of fact dude went from being a Real American one night to most everyone on here saying "Cesero vs. Bryan for the title at WM 31". Even though even the most delusional of you have to know thats not going to happen. Let it play out and see where it goes. They're telling stories.
ReplyDeleteEven though he was listed at 6'2" and admitted he's more like 6'1", I'm glad Austin continues to grow in your eyes.
ReplyDeleteAnd if we have to mention Zack Ryder and Bryan in compare/contrast debate, we're in trouble. Two bland and blah shows in a row for Raw, though. Their post-Mania momentum has just about come to a halt.
Ok, my bad. Just saying that he's definitely considered a bigger than average guy, even when facing guys like Rock/Taker/Kane. He's clearly an ass kicker, Daniel Bryan is more of a small/technical guy.
ReplyDeleteJust saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a guy nearly a foot taller and 100 lbs heavier than him beating him up, especially when he sneak attacked him. People are acting as if Daniel is being booked like a chump. I don't get it.
I like that idea as well, then I think wait HHH fired Cody and was fucking with their whole family just a couple months ago in their best story at the time. But in wrestling it probably would be fine.
ReplyDeleteHey thats my name!! Gimmick infringement!!
ReplyDeleteEveryone wants to know how to give time off to DB to mourn his father. Um, why not just tell people the truth? What's so awful with building real, emotional sympathy?
ReplyDeleteAnd, to build to the PPV, Stephanie can tout a mystery opponent. Or have Kane destroy Los Matadores or someone else.
Sometimes the easiest answer is the best answer.
The beating on Bryan had purpose because of his dad, not to mention it actually managed to make Kane look like more of a threat and less of an old man lumbering around. Cesaro SHOULD have won, but I'm happy they're keeping continuity up with finishing the beef with Swagger. Like others have said, he'll beat him then move on to feuding with whoever has the IC title. The Shield vs. Evolution program is still pretty hot and moving along nicely. Extreme Rules should be a bit more EXTREME than just 1 cage match on the card but whatever, it's WWE.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that's really inexcusable now is how they're booking the Cena/Wyatt feud. I mean they basically set it up to expose how much the crowd just doesn't care about Cena anymore. What was the point of that vote? If they still want to believe that Cena is a beloved top babyface that sure was a black eye on the proceedings. And then he can't even lose against ALL of them, it has to be a non-finish. You wanna shit on something, shit on that. The rest was fine.
You think Austin was 6-4? Seriously?
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't just a beat down. 3 tombstones, getting progressively worse with each one. I actually am kinda interested in their match now, which I'm assuming will be a stretcher match.
ReplyDeleteTony Caesar will be just fine. I actually am much more intrigued by RVD getting into his head that Heyman is a crook than a feud against Swagger. Is it just me or does RVD look old and out of place? Like when Snuka came back in the early 90s.
As for Cena...eh, I can't defend it. As much as people give Cana credit for working the mid card while DB is on top, he's done nothing to elevate the Wyatts and if he continues not to do that, then this will be a huge mistake. Also, enough with the "he's got the whole world..." it was cool once, now it's just annoying. Be a heel. Don't get the crowd to sing along with you.
Jesus SK, weeeee bit of an overreaction here. His dad just died, they wanted to quickly write him off the show. Would you have preferred Bryan cried through a 20-min promo and then wrestled a gauntlet match?
ReplyDeleteAnd aside from that, he's GONNA BEAT KANE AT THE PPV. They just built some heat towards the PPV match. Why is everyone freaking out about this?
They have FOUR PPVs between now and Summerslam. Bryan's gonna cycle back to Orton/HHH/Batista right after Extreme Rules--- what's the huge problem everyone has with Bryan just getting a PPV win over a veteran big guy to kick off his reign? Did you really think he's gonna start off with a 60-min Iron Man match against Cesaro?
CHILL OUT.
As he should.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about starting with a 60-minute Iron Man match against Cesaro. It's that, in Scott's mind, Cesaro as I-C champ running through the tournament made the most sense, and Daniel Bryan is telling the same story he always does. Now, it's known that the WWE has trouble diversifying their stories and they do ride a horse until it dies, but you make him sound ROHbotic (spelling very intentional). He's not. He's just not happy with the booking.
ReplyDeleteI mean, he's still overreacting and all, but not as badly as you make it sound.
RVD is too old to be wrestling his usual style, that's for sure. Needs to learn from HBK and switch up to adding a lot more psychology & spacing out the flashy moves more so he doesn't' get blown up 2 minutes in.
ReplyDelete" I mean they basically set it up to expose how much the crowd just
ReplyDeletedoesn't care about Cena anymore. What was the point of that vote? If
they still want to believe that Cena is a beloved top babyface that sure
was a black eye on the proceedings."
To be fair, has WWE EVER denied that the crowd reaction is split to say the least? They've always acknowledged and even embraced the 50/50 crowd reactions.
Building real, emotional sympathy is one thing, but legitimate deaths of friends and family should IMO be off-limits.
ReplyDelete"Would you have preferred Bryan cried through a 20-min promo..."
ReplyDeleteAKA, the "Big Show" promo
Stop saying "You guys..."
ReplyDeleteRacist
Or CM Punk backstage the day after the Rumble.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but now it's not even 50/50, now only 10-and-unders are the only ones cheering for him. The rest of the crowd buys his merch then goes out and cheers for Wyatt anyway. It looks bad for how they insist on booking things. If they were booking it differently it wouldn't matter, so embracing the crowd split would be fine...makes it feel like half the crowd is actually influencing things. THIS shit literally says "Fuck you, we want this.", which we know is the truth but it just looks shoddy. It's not different than Cole orgasming over Reigns every time he comes out...it's forced, and with crowds now, forcing things = disaster.
ReplyDeleteDude, I was scheduled to work against the companies biggest heel on the biggest show of the year. That clearly wasn't good enough.
ReplyDeleteYou would cry too if it happened to you
I don't know, Cole and Lawler often mentioned how worrisome it is that more and more people are chanting along with Wyatt. It's an official part of the storyline, Cena seems to be losing more and more support, and he might crack. It's not like 1995 Hogan where Cole is saying "The entire WWE universe is totally behind Cena!!! He is our hero!"
ReplyDeleteThe wins/losses thing has been booked strange, I admit that, but this crowd thing is pretty cool.
Thumbs up for the Tecmo reference.
ReplyDeleteSo does that mean John Cena is Bo Jackson? Or maybe Christian Okoye?
I don't think many are freaking out or anything, but there's this air of disappointment coming off of Mania weekend. Two mediocre shows in a row will do that.
ReplyDeleteIf they didn't do the faux stretcher job at Mania, I'd be fine with yesterday. As it stood, it was okay. But no top guy should be associated with going out on a stretcher. You'd like to see the top guy having to be pulled away from the action kicking and screaming, not be carted away from it.
The Cesaro booking made sense to me, especially considering the tournament was made for Bad News Barrett. Still, if they're not going to build Swagger up, the feud doesn't add up to much. Swagger's been jobbing in the majority of his singles matches. To me, a renewed monster-like push (similar to what they're doing with Rusev) for the retooled Cesaro would make more sense to show that the Cesaro-Heyman duo is dominant/better than ever. Then, put him in an upper midcard feud.
It's still a hopeless pipe dream, but this just makes me think how fucking awesome it would be to have a heel Cena vs, Bryan feud. I mean, they have to know at this point turning Cena will immediately make him beloved again (ironically) and the merch will pick up on the adult side to make up for the kids. Just sell Shield hoodies & facemasks and you'll split the difference!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'd buy a Shield hoodie & facemask in a heartbeat.
Actually, the faux-stretcher job at Mania explains the third Tombstone. Can't believe I only just now made that connection.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with you on #2 if all the recent IC champs weren't made to look like chumps and jobbers once they get the belt.
ReplyDeleteI'd be a tad more concerned about the fact that they're booking Bray Wyatt as though he is (or should be) the face in that feud. He's almost literally the devil's avatar, and he's pandering to the home towns and leading singalongs. No wonder the crowd's on his side. The story is about Cena trying not to become Bray, when there should be lip service to Bray becoming Cena.
ReplyDeleteQuick question: Was the poll last night legit or was it rigged to add more to the Wyatt's gaining more fans/Cena's losing it angle they're going for? It'd be a lot more interesting if it was rigged. In fact, it might be the first interesting thing they're doing with the Cena character in years.
ReplyDeleteThey are attempting to turn the crowd against Cena instead of turning Cena. Its an interesting way to do it. We'll see if it works.
ReplyDeleteJohn Cena gets beat up by the Authority! Hot midcarder Reigns does a job thanks to miscommunication with his partners! Cesaro wins a handicap match against all odds!
ReplyDeleteWith just a few small tweaks, the show suddenly seems a lot better.
Yeah, like all the great business that Battleground did, or Night of Champions, or Survivor Series, or TLC...
ReplyDelete