WWE.com RAW Preview
http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2014-08-18/five-point-preview-26577405
TNA Star Tells the Locker Room He is Done With the Company
At last night's house show in Hagerstown, MD, Bully Ray said goodbye to the locker room as this was his last event under contract for TNA and that he had not reached a new deal with the company.
http://pwinsider.com/article/87662/top-tna-star-tells-locker-room-he-is-done.html?p=1
Alberto Del Rio Update
In an interview, Del Rio stated that he has a 90 day non-compete clause to wrestle in Mexico and that he cannot wrestle in the United States for a year. Del Rio also breached his contract when be attacked the employee and as a result, will not get paid for 90 days by the WWE
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2014-08-18/five-point-preview-26577405
TNA Star Tells the Locker Room He is Done With the Company
At last night's house show in Hagerstown, MD, Bully Ray said goodbye to the locker room as this was his last event under contract for TNA and that he had not reached a new deal with the company.
http://pwinsider.com/article/87662/top-tna-star-tells-locker-room-he-is-done.html?p=1
Alberto Del Rio Update
In an interview, Del Rio stated that he has a 90 day non-compete clause to wrestle in Mexico and that he cannot wrestle in the United States for a year. Del Rio also breached his contract when be attacked the employee and as a result, will not get paid for 90 days by the WWE
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
So he #1 star in the company, the guy who was basically booking the fucking shows, the guy who's scheduled to go into their Hall of Fame at the one live event still booked on their calendar---- THAT GUY just announced he's leaving.
ReplyDeleteBut TNA totally is still fine, right?
Just something i mentioned in the other thread, when Brock did the situp and the smile, Cena's reaction in the corner was priceless. It looked like he was gonna cry.
ReplyDeleteGawd that was such a great spot. I love Zombielesnar.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was reported that he was in the meeting with John Gaburik telling the boys that the company was fine and. It going out of business. Bet this news isn't making them too comfortable right now
ReplyDeleteOne of the more clever spots in recent memory.
ReplyDeleteThat and the RKO were the two best of the night
"Hey guys, everything is fine!! Hey look, an inflatable raft... I'm just gonna... go over there now, for something totally unrelated.... SO LONG, SUCKERS!!
ReplyDeleteSo who's the last person to actually jump ship from TNA? I bet Samoa Joe stays to the bitter end, and STILL jobs.
ReplyDeleteDixie taps out Joe in the main event of Bound For Glory.
So does Bully get a WWE run? I think he'd be a perfect feud for guys like Roman and Ambrose right now.
ReplyDeleteThought SummerSlam was great, Rollins/Ambrose was match of the night.
ReplyDeleteWhen does devons contract run out because..I'm guessing Bubba doesn't come back to WWE without him. Or to put it better I doubt Vince is rushing to resign Bubba without Devon.
ReplyDeleteAnderson beats Joe when Dixie and Spud interfere.
ReplyDeleteGuess those house shows will drop from 250 to 230 fans now
ReplyDeleteI'm no lawyer... but if Del Rio already breached his contract can he just say to hell with the no compete clause?
ReplyDeleteIt works on a couple of levels... to mock the Undertaker, and to show Cena how undamaged he was.
ReplyDeleteWho knows what kind of deal they made him sign. Probably all sorts of clauses but Del Rio is reportedly having his lawyers work to break that and I hope he wins
ReplyDeleteWhy do you hope he wins? He sounds like a gigantic asshole who deserved to get fired.
ReplyDeleteRAW: Steph, YUM. I'll be back in a while.
ReplyDeleteTNA: EVERYTHING IS... fine? not fine? fucked? I DON'T KNOW! And your shirts are too tight too, Dixie!
ADR: Home sweet home.
The guy he slapped has made toms of racist comments and keeps his job and the non- compete clause is bullshit
ReplyDeleteMr Anderson
ReplyDeleteAs much as I'd love to see the Dudleys back in WWE, I think I'd prefer if Bully just came back on his own. The tag team division is in such a sad state compared to when they left.
ReplyDeleteIf you make a racist comment, you deserve to be slapped.
ReplyDeleteMichael Hayes? Oh, sorry...MYGGLE Hayes.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the guy can talk, he created a fantastic singles character for himself and would be a great foil for others in the WWE right now. I'd bring him back in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteHis age is a big strike against him plus he was not a singles star when he left. Not saying he can't help but the WWE always takes that into consideration
ReplyDeleteDo we know for sure the guy he slapped hasn't been punished?
ReplyDeleteI made this comment in another thread, but the guy was probably a full-time employee of the WWE, not an independent contractor, so without some complaints against him, it might be difficult to let him go in a situation like that. Although I don't know if Connecticut (where I assume the job is based) is an at-will employment state. If it is, the WWE could basically have just dropped him.
The tweets sent out about ADR being to blame was bush league also.
Has ADR fully addressed the issue?
Yeah, and I kind of doubt he'd be brought back, but personally, I think it would be a boost to the TV product.
ReplyDeleteUnlike TNA, WWE does protect their brand, which is why they treat former TNA guys like the lowest of the low on the totem pole. And due to that, they look more important than TNA. So Bully is coming back as a jobber, or nothing at all.
ReplyDelete....
ReplyDeleteAnderson.
I think he could at least be given a short run a la Kevin Nash 2011 against someone, and they can see how it goes from there. He left on good terms and is performing like never before. Vince is soft enough to give him a quick 1 month PPV run to feel him out I think.
ReplyDeleteEric Young.
ReplyDeleteLol @ Bully Ray
ReplyDeleteHe talked about there being a lot of racism in the WWE and appeared on Triplemania last night in a non-wrestling role.
ReplyDeleteThe guy he slapped still has his job and seeing how he got attacked, I can't imagine him getting punished. Society rewards agitators and punishes those who respond to them
Bully is only coming back with Devon for a short nostalgia run if he is coming back at all
ReplyDeleteThen again, James Storm has been there since day one so probably him
ReplyDeleteYep, to put over the Usos and a few other teams. AKA, what TNA should do with former WWE guys.
ReplyDeleteAnd honestly, that is a good use for them and they can get a last good payday.
ReplyDeleteI almost feel bad that Bully would be coming in post-unification, since he seems like the kind of guy who'd be a lock to get a Gold Watch Run with the WHC on Smackdown. But now, he'll top out at IC gold.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like the company doesn't have a history of being racist towards Hispanic's.
ReplyDeleteLos Guerrero's, the Mexicools, Chico Santana, the Spanish announce table jokes, etc...
The company is full of hypocrisy. On one hand they preach being a star, and on the other, not present acts of stereotypical racism frequently, but also let it be common practice in the office by employing the likes of Michael Hayes and this Social Media worker.
I salute ADR for taking a stand.
Here's where i find it really weird: he showed up at the PPV, he appeared on camera, worked an angle, and threw a hold on someone. That's gotta count, right? I can't imagine the legalese actually specifies that he can't work a match specifically, working for the competition is working for the competition no matter what you do, right? So i'm betting there is nothing stopping him from working in Mexico right now and that is just an angle, he probably can't work in the US yet though. I also hope Ricardo can do the same and he ends up in AAA.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm actually kind of excited at the idea that Jarrett might take his company and basically unite AAA, NJPW, and the leavings of TNA.
Eric Young and the Knockouts play "Nearer My God to Thee" on their violins as the ship goes down.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that they just reunite the Dudleys in WWE. The Outlaws won the belts for crissakes.
ReplyDeleteI read this in the voice of the rooster lawyer from Futurama, who'd preface every statement by announcing, "Now, I'm no big city lawyer" before proceeding to say some shit only a big city lawyer would say.
ReplyDeleteGood times, and completely irrelevant to this topic.
Carry on.
If Jarrett lets his boy Vince Russo work for the company, it will never work out
ReplyDeleteI think Cena will use the "Lesnar won because he was fresh cause he doesn't love this business and doesn't work every week for the WWE universe like I do" excuse on RAW. I'm not really sure how else the Cena character can explain that domination away.
ReplyDeleteI would like if he said Lesnar smelled poopy so he had trouble locking up with him.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose suplexing Rollins onto the lumberjacks was great, too.
ReplyDeleteBubba Ray Wyatt?
ReplyDeleteI'm not employed as a lawyer, either, but I've gone to law school. I tried writing up this entire analogy, but it was too complicated and kinda missed the point. For Del Rio...it's going to be a minefield of a legal dispute for both sides. But the simple answer is....no, if someone already breaches their contract in one way, it doesn't nullify the entire contract. But please don't take my speculation as legal advice in any way.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably gonna be the ol' "worst year of my life" Cena redoing that storyline in one month.
ReplyDeleteI want TNA to survive, but....
ReplyDeleteBully Ray was the guy telling the locker room everything is fine and they'll get a TV deal soon. Now, he just suddenly leaves...that has to be a not good sign, right? The locker room leader just up and left one day....
After that beating last night, it would actually makes sense. Then again, this match would have made sense in their first match in 2012 than what they did
ReplyDeleteWhat's more amazing is that no deal was reached, but instead of downplaying and deemphasizing Bully, they KEPT him as a serious main event player and title contender.
ReplyDeleteThere's really not one part of wrestling that TNA understands.
Yeah, it's not a bad way to go and Rocky III IS a great story to shamelessly rip off, but Lesnar winning last night really highlights how stupid him losing in 2012 was.
ReplyDeleteId bet Devon is just on a per appearances.
ReplyDeleteI would salute him for taking a stand if he had done it right... but in a civilized society you can't just go around smacking your co-workers... that is what HR is for.
ReplyDeleteNot in your workplace. There is absolutely no excuse for what either of them did.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a regular TNA watcher, but I was thinking the same thing. I've been watching all the NYC shows and Bully wasn't only a serious main eventer, he comes off as the John Cena of the company. He's the guy who put Dixie through the table!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly seems like TNA doesn't understand what they're doing. Why not have a guy who's going to be with the company for a while be the star of these stories? Why treat a guy who's contract negotiation isn't done as THE star?
I missed the show last night because the network kept saying my password was incorrect and then claiming it would mail me a reset password, which never showed up. Regardless, it was working this morning so I watched the lumberjack match and the main event.
ReplyDeleteI loved the lumberjack match. I never thought Ambrose would be a very popular face act, but he's just so great at what he does. My only complaint about the match was how they got to it. I just don't see how it makes sense for Ambrose (or Rollins, for that matter) to request a lumberjack match. That said, I loved it and I never get tired of Ambrose throwing himself off things onto a bunch of people.
I was actually surprised at how long the main was when I looked up the length of it. It didn't feel that long to me. I would have liked for Brock to be a little less methodical with his destruction and think if they cut down some time and just told him to go non-stop, it would have added to it. I hope they keep the title on Brock until WM vs Royal Rumble winner Daniel Bryan.
I think that rule doesn't necessarily apply to guys who were former WWE stars though. Especially since when they come back the vibe is like they had been retired rather than in TNA (ala Foley, Flair, Hogan). I bet if they add a block of ECW tvs to the Network then we see a Dudleyz tag run.
ReplyDeleteWithout any intimate knowledge of the meeting, I would guess that Bully Ray addressed the locker room because he was leaving. As in, the boys found out Bully Ray was gone and panicked a bit thinking TNA was closing down so Bully Ray addressed them and assured them everything was fine with the company, that his leaving wasn't related to the company closing.
ReplyDeleteObviously speculation, but that makes the most sense to me.
I was fine with Ambrose choosing a lumberjack match, partly because he's got a screw loose so he doesn't always think clear, and he seems to have an old school mentality. He was just thinking "That way, he can't run away", while not thinking of the down side.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, I just remember Christian and Gail Kim starting at the extreme bottom of the bottom when they came back. It's like they had to prove themselves all over again.
ReplyDeleteGood visual by Cena, he looked like he just did not want to be in that ring and that's such an un-Cena like attitude to have
ReplyDeleteYep. He was like "Damn it, why do I always preach to never give up? Now I'm totally fucked, cause i totally WANT TO GIVE UP... DAMN!!"
ReplyDeleteYou know who a lot of people though wouldn't be a great face act?? Stone Cold. Just saying, Ambrose has always screamed "mega star" to me personally. Glad he's getting over
ReplyDeleteAnd even then, Hogan was technically "cheated" as a camera exploded in his eyes. Cena did the 100% clean job, which Hogan did what, 1 time in his prime WWF career? Cena deserves praise for all of his clean jobs.
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy point was Hogan never redeemed it. Yoko bonzai dropped him right out of the company.
ReplyDeleteIt's that damn Yokozuna's fault for dying before Hogan's heroic 2002 return. Too soon?
ReplyDeleteAgreed on Cena. But the issue is going to be how he's booked hereafter, particularly in a future match with Brock. I actually wouldn't mind the underdog/super hero redemption booking where he goes over. It would make sense (and be well deserved). But if they do, I'd rather they hold off until WM - not Night of Champions or another throwaway PPV like Scott surmises. That would be WAY to soon to break up the mystique of Monster Lesnar.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, 2002 was Yokozuna's weight when he died.
ReplyDelete^^ the announce team needs to then sell that and hard sell it to the audience. Which we know they won't
ReplyDeleteIt was great live. I think the Cena match came off much better for the live crowd because it was about 90% anti Cena. There was a real energy in the crowd before that match and every Lesnar taunt and big move got a great reaction. I don't know how to score that match though, probably not exactly a 4 star classic at all but it was a cool spectacle. The crowd was rabidly anti Cena though. After the show he got booed out of the building and there was a huge "hey hey goodbye" thing. That kid who was screaming for Cena up front got treated to a huge "shut-the-fuck-up" chant and when he left half the people in our section chanted "let's go Lesnar/Cena sucks" at him.
ReplyDeleteI could even see the guys chanting boring during the match and the vibe I got was it was more anti Cena virtol than commentary on the match.
Jericho and Wyatt got some "divas bathroom break" treatment by the crowd but Wyatt got a monster pop.
I thought the lumberjack match was actually really good and at least a half star better than what Scott gave it. It is a crime it only got 10 minutes though.
Reigns got a Bob holly type pop and the crowd was far more in favor of Orton. Reigns was just not over at all. I actually wonder how much they sweeten his audio on TV because even the miz got a bigger pop than this guy. No way should this dude main event wm31 and that match was so bad my friend who was there who doesn't even watch wrestling was bagging on it for sucking and laughing about reigns looking like a pretty boy pin up icon.
I missed the entire Bellas thing and the segment after it smoking a butt and walking through the concession area. Lots of other people did the same thing.
I probably enjoyed it far more than I would have watching it on TV. Its sad it won't be back next year but the new york/new jersey area gets so few wwe shows why wouldn't they move the only west coast event back there?
Smallest pop of the night for the guy with the biggest push=bad news
ReplyDeleteEven the guy you pretend to like because he sucks so much got a bigger pop
I'm not sure what your opinion on smarks and the wwe is. I'll have to wait for another 5,000 posts before I make up my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe superhero redemption storyline works here, but the problem is, it's always back to square one with Cena as champion. Do you really want Cena to end mania with the belts and neon grafitti and hand towels falling from the ceiling/tent?
ReplyDeleteJust imagine the Dudley's listing their credentials against the Usos. Asking the Usos, "what have you ever accomplished?" The Usos then do a Samoan dance and scream, "WHEN I SAY US, YOU SAY O! US!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a feud!!!
I'm fine with a Rusev Lesnar brawl.
ReplyDeleteOH BURN!!!! *HIGH FIVE*
ReplyDeleteMan, I've never felt more sorry for Del Rio than I do now.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, if Bryan isn't healthy by then, I personally don't see any better options. Reigns performance last night leads me to believe he won't be ready/credible enough by then to take on and actually beat Monster Lesnar. I'm willing to wait and see on that though of course.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, not everything needs to be spelled out. Then they will be accused of treating their fans like idiots and insulting their intelligence (like when they explain the Network registration process). I think Cole/Lawler/JBL are always on a lose-lose situation on here. They're not that good, but not THAT bad either.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad state of affairs, for sure.
ReplyDeleteHoly shit, no. The Dudleys are way past their expiration date.
ReplyDeleteUp vote for your section bullying the annoying kid.
ReplyDeleteThis IS the same company who had to believe they were losing AJ Styles for good and put the world title on him while he had no contract at all.
ReplyDeleteSo probably the best move with reigns is to cut bait and job him out to Rollins and Ambrose while he still has some rub to give. Then promote those two guys as much as possible and you get two super over main event acts for the price of one ryback type stale guy who is fine big e type mid card fodder
ReplyDeleteYeah he bullied horribly but he was also being an annoying little shit.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose, yes, but I don't think Rollins is in any better position than Reigns. He's doing okay as a heel, but not setting the world on fire. Dean's the guy who should be getting more push.
ReplyDeleteThey are horrific. I have to watch modern wrestling on mute while the commentary used to be the best part.
ReplyDeleteYup the wwe is paper thin on stars right now. Time to pull the trigger on ambrose.
ReplyDeleteI swear that I just read like 2 days ago that Bully Ray had led a meeting with talent talking about how everything was cool, and that he was taking something of a leadership role.
ReplyDeleteTJ: For some reason I had a dream last night that I was watching the SummerSlam main event on TV, but it was in a TNA ring, and Cena was planning to hit Brock with an AA while standing on a platform of coolers. However, Cena slipped, fell over, knocked the coolers open, to reveal tons of Mountian Dew cans, which Cole started shilling on impact.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were sXe?
ReplyDeleteAll he needs a slightly better entrance theme (although keep the "Kickstart My Heart" opening), and he's good to go to the moon.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to see most of the BoD has moved on from Reigns. I'm reading all sorts of great comments in the various threads. I do understand getting swept up in him since he was in shield but now we just reached a point where he's been exposed for what he is and I'm happy to see the majority are with me now. Hey he could be a nice little mid card act or a job guy. I'm not saying fire him, but as the next big star...god that would have been a train wreck
ReplyDeleteHey, that was a regular dream, no drugs were involved for that.
ReplyDeleteStill think that's why Ambrose gets a movie all of a sudden, get him out of the way for awhile
ReplyDeleteHe's not going to be a job guy. He may not main event Wrestlemania (yet) but he's not going to turn into The Brooklyn Brawler overnight just because Orton had slow matches with him.
ReplyDeleteWell, we all know WWE will still push him, soooo....
ReplyDeleteNo but hopefully we'll get there eventually
ReplyDeleteWhat say you Kevin Bacon? REMAIN CALM! ALL IS WELL!
ReplyDeleteHa. A "side-burial" project?
ReplyDeleteEh, all along I've been in the too much, too soon camp. Dude has some charisma, good athleticism, comes off a lot bigger than he really is, lineage. Just they fucked up thinking his time was now
ReplyDeleteA perfect opening for RAW tonight would be for John Cena to start the show. No music, no salute, no catchphrase towel, no running. Just walking out to the ring, dejected, beaten, embarrassed. Cut a SERIOUS promo about the ass kicking he took last night, how he preaches "never giving up", but last night made him doubt himself. How he's not sure what to do next or how to respond to his fans. Make the motherfucker HUMAN.
ReplyDeleteI still say that Orton put on a better performance than Reigns last night, that is how you put on a baby face comeback.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, yeah. Sounds nuts but avoids him getting the Cesaro treatment I guess
ReplyDeleteReigns just needs a good feud to build on. Nobody looks good against Orton except Orton, and sometimes he fails at that.
ReplyDeleteUgh. I know. Gee, maybe if they hadn't buried Cesar so much recently, he could be a perfect throw away ppv prey for Monster Cena. They could even have the "Heyman guys" angle as part of it. Now it would look like a pathetic joke.
ReplyDeleteBut not last night, Orton looked like a million bucks, that Superman Punch/ RKO sequence had me thinking of how Benjamin jumped off the ropes and into the Sweet Chin Music.
ReplyDeleteNever happen. He will come out smiling. No sell the beating. Probably mouth "Gotta get back up on the horse" or something else obnoxious before running to the ring and cutting the same type of promo he always does. Of were lucky he'll use his serious voice. Since we aren't lucky he will reference both Fruity Pebbles and Scooby Doo.
ReplyDelete"Nobody looks good against Orton except Orton."
ReplyDeleteSo... you want him to cry and pout like a 4 year old because he didn't get his way? Like really, I don't get what some of you want with Cena. Of course he'll keep a positive attitude and keep fighting.
ReplyDeleteNever Give Up....
ReplyDeleteThen.....
Now....
Forever.....
I'm envisioning TNA as the Island for people who know too much from the Simpsons. The wrestlers are escaping the Island and Dixie Carter is sending a giant bubble to stop them.
ReplyDeleteSure it didn't have the great wrestling of last year (but then again cm punk and Bryan are both gone from the company) but 1)Ziggler got a token title win 2)ambrose and Rollins delivered as best they could under the odd stip that was possibly choosen to keep them from stealing the show 3)they made good on the er 2012 finish 4)the great reigns experiment started to collapse 4) I got to aj and the other one in person from very close and they are both unbelievable 5) at least Cesaro made the card and frankly he and rvd had a nice match that should have opened the ppv
ReplyDeleteHe should show some humility and actually sell the beating some. Instead he will just do all the same Cena stuff.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he could actually express his disappointment in the loss. Maybe question if he can beat Brock. Show some doubt.
ReplyDeleteHe's already technically a tweener. I think all he has to do is turn on the authority and he's the top face of the company (active).
ReplyDeleteI said something along these lines in another thread, but man, they could really use Shawn Michaels right now to try to drag some star-making performances out of Roman Reigns.
ReplyDeleteYour jealousy is so funny to watch.
ReplyDeleteIt needs to happen, but WWE would like to keep him strong for the kids, like when a parent tells them everything is going to be fine when it isn't.
ReplyDeleteThey're setting up an Uso vs. Big Show-Mark Henry feud. They could prove their "greatness" by beating the big men.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Bully Ray leaving will "impact" the TNA Hall Of Fame induction of the Dudley Boys. How could Bully Ray possibly leave the company before being given that prestigious honor?
ReplyDeleteThe longer matches are killing him. He should just come in, beat the shit out of his opponent and leave.
ReplyDeleteWhat am I jealous of? It was a great show and I'm saying as much. I saw it live and in person from only a few feet away. I have nothing but positives to say about the show.
ReplyDeleteOh, I totally agree. But if they insist on putting him in longer matches, they need to find someone who will make that guy step it up. Because he's being exposed.
ReplyDeleteWell, they could close before an award is given.
ReplyDeleteYeah, give the guy the Goldberg treatment.
ReplyDeleteHeresy... Like the Titanic, TNA is unstoppable!!!
ReplyDeleteDidn't he do that during his "redemption" storyline that everyone hated so much? People were too busy saying "predictable predictable predictable" to notice it.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe there is a heel that he can work with that can make that happen.
ReplyDeleteWell, we needed some good loses to go along with the story.
ReplyDeleteThey're trying to forces something that isn't quite there yet with Reigns.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd like to see some Brock/Bully Ray action. They had pretty good chemistry on RAW during Brock's first couple months.
That would kill Roman because who WOULDN'T cheer for HBK if he came back from retirement? Forget it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think having him wrestle on every show works for him either. He should be the Batman type, run in for the save, crush a guy here and there.
ReplyDeleteThe redemption storyline with the Rock was shit. They shoehorned that in ten months after he lost to the Rock. Dude was his usually goofy self until those video packages.
ReplyDeleteAfter getting destroyed by Brock, the redemption story actually makes sense and can work very well if they do it right.
A heel Jericho would be the best bet.
ReplyDeleteThe one where he lost once?
ReplyDeleteWhere he lost to Rock, Laurinitis, Punk like 3 times, and Ziggler? Yes, once.
ReplyDeleteGuess we can agree to disagree, because I will forever say that the year old storyline was perfectly fine and logical. People just so badly wanted something else that they refused to give it a chance.
ReplyDeleteWhat a waste of Brock.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather see Bully fight Bray Wyatt.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you jealous of? Seriously? Oh I don't know, maybe handsome men? It's okay, we're used to your envy.
ReplyDeleteHigh point- obviously the Lesnar/Cena slaughter. I don't even know how to classify that match in terms of how good it was because it was so far outside the norm for a main event match. Not just by today's "WWE main event style" standards. I can't remember ANY tippy-top face ever getting that one-sidedly (is that even a word? Don't care) slaughtered for nearly 20 minutes by the heel, ever. Cena got, what, two little flurries of punches in and one FU out of nowhere that no one bought as a finish? It was truly shocking how over-the-top dominating it was for that long.
ReplyDeleteLow point- was there really one? Nothing was blowaway awesome like last year, but everything was pretty watchable at the very least. I guess the obviousness of the Nicki turn, but I didn't have any hopes for anything different. The Steph/Brie storyline was really fucking good until the last two weeks, when I think most of us had lost all interest/hope in it (for those of us, like me, who had some from the beginning). But that outfit on Steph, though...it redeemed everything else about that match/segment.
High point: Lesnar destroying Cena to leave him lying in a heap.
ReplyDeleteLow point: Brie Bella trying to wrestle a featured PPV match.
Didn't see the whole show so I'm commenting off what I saw
ReplyDeleteHigh point: Brock's zombie situp. Brock tries to play the "too cool for school" deal but this guy cares about his ring work. The little details he adds to his character shows he is a guy isn't just about collecting checks.
Low point: The Bella telegraphed heel turn. It was so lazy. I called it once she got in the ring. Who even cares?
High Point - Lesnar destoying Cena
ReplyDeleteLow Point - Reigns being exposed for a mediocre worker in a high profile match and Bray/Jericho.
No, the first one was just Brock making one mistake, which HE learned from :)
ReplyDeleteIf he starts kissing babies, he's stealing Lawler's gimmick.
ReplyDeleteConsidering it's his first major one-on-one PPV match- which is strange to think about- I think Reigns showed some serious progress in the ring. I think he's on track to be a good power worker who can be carried to 4-star matches by guys like Ambrose, Bryan, Rollins, maybe even HHH in the right match.
ReplyDeleteHis biggest problem right now is the juxtaposition to the rise of Rollins and Ambrose. I think Reigns has the highest ceiling as a draw if they can hit the right notes with him, but Rollins and Ambrose are both just clearly more talented right now and neither is exactly lacking in any category that would seemingly hinder their long-term appeal.
High-Lesnar demolishing Cena
ReplyDeleteLow-Reigns
Agreed
ReplyDeleteHigh point: Brock Lesnar sitting up like the Undertaker and mocking Cena. Ronnie Garvin in Valentines figure four leg lock would have been proud.
ReplyDeleteLow point: Nikki Bella, after turning on her sister, trying to show emotion, but not being able to figure out which one.
Both good observations.
ReplyDeleteI think that he's a guy who doesn't give a shit about much UNLESS he's getting paid for it, and then he'll give you a fair a decent effort.
ReplyDeleteHe's only interested in getting paid, but once he is paid he doesn't half ass.
And I think that's cool.
Even though I like Orton's in-ring work personally, I think they'll chalk it up to Rollins/Ambrose being the hotter feud and Reigns/Orton just not having a chance to remotely have the same heat. If it was Reigns out for revenge against Rollins, maybe it'd be similar heat to Ambrose/Rollins.
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly playing devil's advocate here.....
OK, I'm back from the Kwik-E-Mart, let's continue. Anyway, Ambrose clearly has more heat right now, but I don't know that it's any reason to abandon their long-term planning. It's not like Reigns is anything near what any reasonable person could call a "failure" in his singles push so far.
Some peoples' TVs must be showing different matches than mine, because I thought Reigns showed real improvement in what was- let's not forget- his first PPV singles match. Orton isn't exactly a heat magnet right now and he and Reigns worked a solid, if basic, 3ish star, 17-minute match. I saw someone down in the comments call him "garbage." That's just being indefensibly silly. Some people make up their minds and just become entrenched in a viewpoint, I guess.
ReplyDeleteHe definitely needs to vary up his moveset in the next few months and keep improving, but his future value isn't inherently tied to being a workrate machine anyway. He's doing fine.
High point: Dominatrix Steph
ReplyDeleteLow Point: Nothing really awful... Cesaro losing to RVD I guess.
I don't eve know if jobbing to RVD counts as TS... he may just be a jobber at this point.
ReplyDeleteHigh point: Clearly Brock destroying Cena. We all wondered if WWE would go through with it, and did they ever. Also, Stephanie was awesome.
ReplyDeleteLow point: A tie between the Bella turn and the Jericho-Wyatt match. Bleh.
Scott Keith: "I’ve been saying for years that they should start ripping off Rocky III
ReplyDeleteand this was as close to that particular screenplay as you’re going to see. Well, except that people actually liked Stallone and in this case 90% of the audience was cheering while Cena was getting dropped on his head repeatedly"
And therein lies the problem and why I feel this angle is going to fail MISERABLY because aside from teenage girls, the majority are sick to death of John Cena's stale act and want him to go away. During the rematch, I expect to hear very loud 'Brock' chants, even louder 'Cena Sucks' chants and the announcers struggling to explain it all away while Vince screams obscenities in their ears. It'll be Royal Rumble 2014 all over again.
Sitting through Jericho/Wyatt, I would have thought that match was at least 1/2 an hour.
ReplyDeleteI think that's fair to say
ReplyDelete" crushing the dreams of teenaged girls in the audience everywhere."
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Cena's fan base is pre-teen boys and those few adult goobers who wear all of his gear.