Go2Sleep
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Posts posted by Go2Sleep
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Kinda wonder if Miz has backstage heat for something. He looked like the most impotent babyface ever in that segment. "You're not strong enough to pull this down..." Ouch. Then you had Matthews making the "But do you really think Miz can win?" comment later during some idle banter about the Rumble.
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Papa Shango would be too obvious now, right? Boogeyman, maybe? Can Sullivan still move?
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Yeah, Wyatts/Usos is definitely worth a watch. Probably won't end up on MOTYC lists or anything, but it was different and solidly in the "fun" category. Show/Brock showdown has Brock Lesnar in it, so automatic must-see there. Can't remember if Bryan/Bray promos were before or after the 6-man, but it was pretty good work from both guys. Orton/Cena segment is a must-watch if you like wrestlecrap moments. If not, you can pass on it.
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I'd love to see Angle come back for a one-night pop.
I think Sheamus and Christian are pretty safe bets to return.
Punk seems like a shoe-in for longest lasting. He'll make it well into the 20s before succumbing to some authority chicanery.
Reigns will get a lot of eliminations, but they'd be smart to keep him far away from Batista. Hope we get a solid Reigns vs. Harper sequence, though. He'll probably get dumped "accidentally" by the other two Shield guys while he's tied up in the ropes with someone else.
Kofi and Rollins will do some crazy shit.
I'm leaning towards Bryan being in it, but if he's not, #30 better be a fucking monster or that guy is gonna get booed out of the building and doom the remaining participants to endless Daniel Bryan and Yes chants.
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This show was ok. 6-man was fun, and god damn, that Usos/Wyatts slugfest was great. That sequence with Jey and Harper was absolute gold, but all four guys just have oddly great chemistry. Luke Harper is the brawler of the future.
Does Billy Gunn have worse cardio than The Rock did last year? It looked like he was taking rest spots every minute or so.
Lesnar/Show sequence was good for what it was. If you blank Lesnar throwing Show around with ease 11 years ago from your mind, this was a pretty good segment to build their match. Lesnar still bumping for every penny on his contract.
Batista got a nice comeback pop, but he's in trouble if he stays paired up with heat vacuums like Orton and Del Rio. I still don't think the fans are gonna tolerate him getting pushed over Bryan long-term regardless, but having programs with those two is only going to speed up crowds turning on him.
Overall, this show left me on the fence about the Rumble. Could be an amazing show, but there's several things that could really suck the life out of it too. I'm most confident in Lesnar/Show delivering. Brock's done nothing but bring it the last two years, and Show usually gets up for high profile matches. Only thing that could kill that is Show winning for some inexplicable reason. Bryan/Bray should be solid. Bryan's the safest of safe bets for a decent match, but Bray will really have to step it up to look like he belongs here. Cena/Orton will have very low expectations which could work in their favor. The build has been terrible, and their last match was pretty subpar by their standards, but hopefully they have enough pride to deliver an inspired match and not get overshadowed too much. If they mail it in, it's gonna be ugly. The biggest concern is naturally the Rumble. I'm not ruling out a Bryan win which would redeem any quality of show, but I'm still skeptical. I can guarantee you if Bryan's not out by #30 and any other music besides Bryan's hits, there will be an audible groan from the crowd. Perhaps it could be saved by a big name, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are noticeable Bryan chants if the final group is unimpressive.
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After being eliminated by Bryan in the Rumble, losing as pod-flller in the Chamber, and scoring a clean win over Alberto Del Rio in the third match at Mania to a lukewarm reaction, Batista begins to show signs of bitterness. He starts to whine more and throw tantrums after losses to higher-ranked guys, culminating in a worked shoot segment where he confronts HHH about his "guaranteed title." HHH gives in by stripping Ambrose of the US title (which he will not have defended on tv in over 6 months at that point) and handing it to Batista. Batista then resumes his spring 2010 heel character in the midcard, defeating the likes of Ziggler, Xavier Woods, and other less likable faces. This continues until Summer Slam when he puts over either Big E. Langston in a unification match or freshly-turned Roman Reigns. The US title then means something again for another couple months before it is inevitably forgotten.
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So, I totally checked out during all of Batista's rise to national prominence. Yes, literally all of it. What is he going to bring to the table that the current WWE needs or wants? Fill a brother in...
At his peak, Batista was a very charismatic big guy who was consistently over and could have good matches with the right opponents. He was a decent man-of-few-words promo as a face and showed some spark as a cocky douchebag heel. His underrated talent was having strong matches with lower ranked opponents. He also fell somewhere between Mark Henry and Rey Mysterio on the injury prone scale.
As for what he brings he now, I have no clue outside of some potential mainstream exposure with his movie. There's already younger/better guys all over the roster.
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I swear at the time, I thought that Punk was just trolling him given how over the top his reactions were.
Ok, first of all, there's nothing about this video that isn't awesome. Punk's Killswitch Engage theme (even though CoP is better, I forgot how much I liked this one), Burke and Cor Von looking like future stars, the pounce which RVD ate like a champ, the Punk/Cor Von/Burke trio looking badass combined with the visual of the super lame mid-90s-esque Matt Striker and Kevin Thorn jumping up and down like they were copy and pasted into a generic SvR create-an-angle set piece... Good stuff.
Back on topic, if there's 4 words that make the decision to unify the belts look like the dumbest course of action imaginable, it's "Batista guaranteed title run." Maybe they can weasel out of it by giving him the US belt. If WWE hasn't realized that giving Batista a face push at the expense of Bryan won't go very well, they're even dumber than I thought.
Also, I don't want to see Batista very much. He had a great career and I enjoyed large chunks of it, but at no point since 2010 have I thought "You know, I'd really like to see Batista again." There is no possible program with him that would excite me now. Well, I take that last part back... I was so desperately hoping that no one interesting would be wasted on a Batista program that I was ecstatic when Del Rio called him out.
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If you're wondering just how awesome that ending was, remember that after 6 pages only one person has mentioned Roman Reigns doing the Marufuji apron dropkick from the floor (and executing it better than Marufuji).
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Sheamus is one of the many writing staff victims. He's a really good wrestler who usually gets good live reactions but for whatever reason, the writers decided to write away from his stregnths and into his weaknesses. He should've been booked like face Batista, not face Chris Jericho.
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A Russo special odd pairing/random gimmick combo that pays off:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9fhv7_doug-williams-vs-cody-deaner-with-o_shortfilms?search_algo=2
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Kofi also had the great ME match with Cesaro and was a solid rotational guy in Shield 6-mans during the spring. The Hell No/Kofi/Shield match I saw live in Kansas City was one of the best Shield formula tags of the year.
Yeah, he's painfully boring 90% of the time, but he's still good for a couple fun matches a year. A poor man's Del Rio, really.
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I'm currently watching 1999 Raws and there is some vicious chair shots to the head. Do you think WWE will edit those out?I doubt it. In the FAQ, it said archived content will not all be PG.
I recently re-watched a lot of the attitude era as well, and the amount of chair shots to the head was jarring, but there was a lot less blading than I expected. Guess that wasn't a main event staple until 2002 or so.
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That's a good resource list.
Edit: Apparently Cena/Sandow was the night after HIAC, not Survivor Series, leading to me looking for the wrong date. Good, complete list.
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I wouldn't have counted FCW or OVW in years past, so no.
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My final list:
1. Punk vs. Lesnar (Summer Slam)
2. Del Rio vs. Ziggler (Payback)
3. Del Rio vs. Show - LMS (SD 1-11)
4. Bryan vs. Rollins (Raw 6-10)
5. Bryan vs. Cena (Summer Slam)
6. Bryan/Usos vs. Shield (SD 9-20)
7. Punk vs. Taker (Wrestlemania)
8. Hell No/Kofi vs. Shield (Raw 5-20)
9. Cena/Sheamus/Ryback vs. Shield (Elimination Chamber)
10. Bryan vs. Orton - No DQ (Raw 6-24)
11. Del Rio vs. Christian (Summer Slam)
12. Punk vs. Cena (Raw 2-25)
13. Usos vs. Rollins/Reigns (Money in the Bank, pre-show)
14. Cena vs. Sandow (Raw 11-18)
15. Orton vs. Christian (Raw 8-26)
16. Cody/Dustin vs. Rollins/Reigns (Battleground)
17. Bryan vs. Orton (Raw 12-16)
18. Bryan vs. Swagger/Cesaro/Ryback - Gauntlet (Raw 7-22)
19. Bryan vs. Harper/Rowan/Bray - Gauntlet (Raw 12-30)
20. Cesaro vs. Kofi (Main Event 5-1)
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Some questions:
1. Does anyone really think Bryan joining/teasing to join the Wyatts is actually more damaging to him than losing decisively to the authority at HIAC or having a two-minute title reign at Summer Slam?
2. Given that Bryan already has jobbed decisively to the authority, how would you realistically go about keeping him relevant without him being in the title picture?
3. Is it out of the realm of possibility for Bryan to take over the Wyatt cult and challenge Taker at Mania?
4.Unrelated, but who wouldn't be down for Brock/Cena 2 at Mania?
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I don't know if I've ever been the only one with a glowingly positive review in a Raw thread, but man, I really loved this show.
Punk putting over the Shield really hard after beating them 1 on 3 a couple weeks ago was kind of silly, but it set up an alright match with Rollins, some quality ringside work by Ambrose and Reigns, and an audible "Roman Reigns" chant. Definitely a net positive segment.
Again, I'm one of the few who likes Cena/Orton matches, so I was perfectly happy to hear them getting another one at the Rumble. The TLC match was underwhelming, but that's not really a good gimmick for them at this stage of their careers. I think the regular match will be better, and while I like the announcement, I was fine with those two getting the week off. Really made the show feel fresh.
Every single Brock Lesnar segment since his return that does not also feature HHH has been awesome, and this was no exception. I guess HHH was there for the intro, but he got out of the way quick. Heyman's promo was decent, then Brock actually got some mic time. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Brock isn't the smoothest speaker, but he's the most believable promo in the company. When he says shit like "The line starts here. Behind me." you believe it. Then Mark Henry came out and it got even better. For a part timer, Brock always earns his paychecks, and he took a nasty bump on to the concrete that he definitely didn't have to but it made the segment so much better. Gave Henry a pop spot that looked good, and made Brock look even tougher when he got back up and speared Henry. Then there was the splat-tastic F5 on the floor (props to Henry for taking that), but what really sold it was those high-pitched primal screams. Like I said, believable.
Then there was a lot of stuff with Daniel Bryan. First, he had a great match with Luke Harper, and it can't be said enough: Luke Harper fucking rules. Those strikes were on point, and that double chop is just perfect for him. I mean he's got a killer big boot, killer punch, killer lariat, and now that? He's the brawler of the future, but just in case you need some more moves, he busts out an avalanche powerbomb and a half nelson suplex and doesn't even look that out of character. He just grabs a guy however he can and throws him. Bryan was also great attacking the leg and working with speed based offense. Rowan match was whatever, but Rowan still kind of sucks in anything over 5 minutes. Bryan did what he could and got us to the show closing angle.
Now I hope I don't have a reputation of being a "wait and see" WWE writer apologist, because I've been very critical of WWE writing for the last several years, especially in regards to their incompetence with closing out a big angle or being able to capitalize on potential star talent. So when I say "I'm very interested in how this plays out," you know it's from the heart. First of all, to anyone saying this is the nail in the coffin for Bryan, would please shut... the hell... up? Bryan's ace hopes were dead the second HHH pedigreed him at Summer Slam, and the casket was defecated in and padlocked when Michaels kicked him at HIAC. The worst is already over for Bryan. If anything, this is a potential re-birth and a change of pace that could lead to another chance for a strong singles push. Second, anyone saying the angle sucked is delusional and blinded by misguided rage. Bryan uttering "you're right" was one of the most legitimately surprising WWE moments in a long time, and I guarantee nobody saw it coming. The Wyatts using physical torture to break Bryan and finally get him mentally weak enough to be brainwashed into their cult was very well executed. The crowd trying to bring him back was a bit drawn out, but it was definitely the intended reaction. The end graphic was the first in a long time that surprised me, as I had lost track of time being captivated by this angle. It was a very well-written and well-executed segment that was both shocking and emotionally compelling. There's a lot of good places this could go: a full on Bryan heel run, Bryan/Bray as tag champs with all the great potential challengers there, killer 6/8-man combos, Bryan going for a long con and destroying the Wyatts from within, Bryan seeing the light, a singles match with Bray at Mania, Bryan taking over the cult and being a dominant heel... Who knows?
Could it be botched? Sure. Has the writing team let us down many times in the past? No question. Am I disappointed they failed to capitalize on their most over babyface in favor of the establishment guys like Orton, Cena, and HHH? Yes. But all that is done and over with, and it doesn't change the fact that Bryan isn't in the title picture for the time being. He can either be out of the title picture and forgotten, or he can be out of the title picture in an angle with a strong stable and couple great young guys with interesting characters that gives him an avenue back into the title picture down the road. Maybe I'm just farther along the coping process since I recognized HIAC was rock bottom for Bryan's push, but I really don't think anyone should be disappointed by this turn of events (unless it's the markish emotional disappointment you're supposed to feel). There are a lot of good places for this angle to go and Bryan has proven to make the most of everything he's gotten. And by his standards, this is actually a lot to work with. I'm very interested to see how this plays out.
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The Cena match made it really clear to me how badly miscast Rollins is as a heel. It is a testament to his ability that he's producing so many high end matches, but everything about him screams babyface except for maybe his awesomely douche-y hair. His strengths are bumping, quick counters, and flashy moves. I have no doubt he has the talent to pull off a real show-off heel gimmick like AJ Styles could in his prime, but it doesn't really fit in with the Shield's mercenary gimmick or WWE's general desire to make their heels all plodding and "methodical."
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We would have been crazy about that Usos/Wyatts match in 1999 if it was on Raw then.
First thing I thought after that match was over was how much it reminded me of the early Hardy Boys matches. Fun stuff. Rowan and Harper are a great sprint team, too, because it really helps to hide Rowan's weaknesses and Harper can hit his big moves in rapid succession.
The Shield series was really fun, and I think a big part of it was all 4 non-participants work around ringside. Ambrose and Henry never stopped selling their matches, and Reigns was tearing it up with his facial expressions and trash talk as per usual. Then the final brawl was very effective with no wasted motion and ensured no one lost any heat. The individual matches were all pretty good too. Roman looked amazing in his match against Henry. I'm fully on board with him now. His strikes were on point, he showed a great mix of speed and power, and had a videogame-esque finishing run. I think Cena/Rollins could've benefited from being a little shorter. Didn't really buy the first half with Rollins controlling Cena in a slugfest. The bomb-trading finishing run was as good of one as you'll see in that style, though. Rollins is going to be a really good upper midcard/main event babyface one day. He's everything Dolph Ziggler wants to be, but effortlessly.
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Reigns vs. Henry and Cena vs. Rollins are two pretty interesting matches. Definitely have to check those out.
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So is Del Rio hurt now, or are the writers finally admitting they have nothing for him and are just keeping him off tv? Was his last tv appearance jobbing to Sin Cara v.2?
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Kind of wish Nikki would use the burning hammer as a finish.
Because if there's one person on the WWE roster who should get a dangerous head-dropping finisher from 90's-era AJPW, it's the less talented Bella...
Reactions like this is what makes it work.
But more seriously, doing "movez" would probably help the divas stand out a lot, since I don't think anyone but AJ has had a storyline or character worth a damn in 3+ years. Yes, ok, if we need to cut through the sarcasm, we can probably leave out the burning hammers and TD91s, but surely some of them are capable of doing a shiranui or northern lights bomb or something. When you're talking about matches and wrestlers with such low expectations, one move actually can make a big difference to how they're perceived.
Royal Rumble
in WWE PROGRAMMING
Posted
The Rumble got off to a great start with Bray/Bryan. That was a legit MOTYC and the easy frontrunner for now. The match structure and spot ideas seemed like they were all Bryan, but Bray really stepped up and held his own in there. His timing was great, he was in good position for Bryan's moves and delivered all of his own moves perfectly. Definitely looked like he belonged in a high end match. And if you told me 3 years ago that Husky Harris would be in a ppv match getting "This is awesome" chants, I would've thought you were crazy. While there will be plenty of time for bemoaning the misery of being a Daniel Bryan fan, I am quite happy for Bray getting a big moment here.
The Show/Lesnar post-match went on way too long, but the pre-match and all 2 minutes of the actual match were great. Lesnar getting in with a quick sucker punch, then taking Show down with ease and going to the G&P was beautiful. He also ate the fuck out the KO punch during Show's comeback. Looked like he was straining a little bit more with the F5 than he was in 2003, but he still hit it nicely. Also, how much do you think Show hated hearing the match layout from the agent? "So, we're thinking you need to take about, oh... 100 chair shots from a guy who is notoriously stiff and has been bumping like a freak the past two weeks to get you over... This is the only time we're giving him to get any heat on you..."
Anyway, at this point, I'm thinking we're on pace for an all-time great ppv. Excellent MOTYC level opener, decent (if not long) heat grab for Lesnar, and Bryan jobbing to set up a triumphant return later... Well, you know what happens.
Cena and Orton had no chance to get over in their match and they both knew it. You can tell they gave up after about 30 seconds. Terrible performance by Orton who has no business making to Mania with the strap(s). I've been a big defender of Orton in the past (and this by no means invalidates his previous good works), but he has been truly abysmal since HIAC. barring the one good Raw match with Bryan. Not one of his ppv matches since then has had an ounce of heat and two of them feature the crowd actively shitting on it. He's booked terribly and is beyond mailing it in inside the ring. Cena wasn't particularly good here either, but I can't blame him for not trying. The crowd wasn't having any of it, right or wrong. Going to the Rock/Cena MOTY-winning formula of no-transition finisher exchanges was the diarrhetic icing on this shit sundae.
The Rumble was pretty much what I expected. Solid stuff as usual for the early stages, and the overall impression would be determined by Bryan winning or not. Reigns was a house of fire, and most of the Shield stuff was pretty good. Sheamus looked solid in his return. Nash gingerly lowering himself to the floor and still clutching at his knee when he touched was sickly hilarious. Kofi's jump was amazing. That Rusev guy didn't look half bad, way better than Bo Dallas at least. Of course, the lasting memory was the crowd's vile hatred of Batista. I knew people would turn on him eventually if he got pushed over Bryan, but I didn't think it would be undeniable by his second appearance. I never wanted to see Batista back, now he's immediately my least favorite guy on the roster, below the Miz and Curtis Axel.
Overall, I'm glad we got Bray/Bryan and the Lesnar/Show bit was good until the second bell, but let's just say I'm not as enthused about my Wrestlemania ticket purchase as I was 3 months ago... After tonight, they have to at least contemplate Bryan/Taker for something to put on last. Batista/Orton for the title will be a Lesnar/Goldberg clusterfuck at best. There can't be anybody who seriously thinks running that match in front of a Mania crowd is a good idea, especially after the Rumble. I know I personally will partake in every effort to make the DVD-editing guy earn his paycheck if that's actually the main.