Ryback Hates Bullies

I thought Main Event and Superstars were the new Heat/Velocity? Your arguments are getting increasingly ad hoc. The whole idea of the roster split was to a) ensure better utilisation of a loaded (perhaps bloated) roster and 2 ) to promote internal competition. It definitely wasn't to appeal to different groups, because that would mean splitting the audience pretty much by definition. The problem was that competing did pretty much inevitably mean Smackdown doing what Raw didn't, especially with Heyman doing the writing for Smackdown. But it was not the whole point to split the audience. I guess the worry is a revitalised Smackdown might again split the audience, even more than NXT already does.

1. It was nowhere near half, and that was more true of Heat than of Velocity. Velocity was where the lower-card Smackdown guys, particularly cruisers, got more time - but they usually got some time on the main shows too. There was generally more of a sense of rotation, of fluidity. In late 2009, Jack Swagger wasn't getting much time on RAW and sometimes wrestled on HEAT. He then won MITB, and cashed a few nights later to win the World Heavyweight Title. That kind of thing is much less likely to happen now. Mark Henry got similar treatment the next year. 2. Heat and Velocity had TV deals. 3. It is a big mistake to think that Smackdown was deliberately marketed to a different section of the audience. They hated the fact that they ended up splitting the audience, which is why they ended up doing the RAW Rewinds, and probably one reason why they unified the tag titles. 4. As The Z implies, even if you accept that NXT is somehow what Smackdown was during the roster split era, you've still got this zombie show called Smackdown which they don't seem to care about. Wouldn't it be better if they just had some of the roster work that exclusively, even if not as formally, maybe had an exclusive title or cup or something? Anything really would be an improvement on the lazy ass show it is now.

Ooh the Ascension are on NXT! Yeah, shallow and pedantic. Brock wrestled most of his first run exclusively to Smackdown, Batista most of his title reigns, Undertaker most of the 2nd Deadman period, Eddy Guerrero most of his classic WWE work, Edge most of his main-event run. Comparing NXT to Smackdown is ridiculous. Other key difference: no annual draft. A move to NXT is a big step down for anyone (yes Emma has managed to make a storyline out of it, but it is what it is). Yes, Smackdown was kinda sorta a step down too - but guys who went from RAW to Smackdown often saw a push. Matchups were protected, people had the chance to tweak their characters...think about the great face turn Mark Henry did when he came to RAW and defeated Randy Orton in a gauntlet match.....then think about the great heel-turn he did a year or so later when he went to Smackdown and decided to take the gloves off. It's by the by anyway. There's a whole bunch of guys who don't belong on NXT, but are hurt by the lack of a separate Smackdown roster. You'd have to be blind not to see that, and that is what I mean by a shallow and pedantic analysis. The NXT specials are probably the basic equivalent of the Smackdown only PPVs that they stopped after a few years. When NXT has at least couple of matches on Wrestlemania, Summerslam, and it isn't extraordinary to have several NXT guys in the Rumble then your point might have some legs.

Shallow and pedantic analysis. It's not the same. It's more accurate to say NXT is the new WWECW, but it's not like they'd actually move the likes of Kane, or a Matt Hardy, or even a Mark Henry onto NXT fulll-time. NXT is network only, Smackdown has a TV deal. With the arguable exception of the NXT Title match on the 'Beast in the East' special, NXT matches don't feature on network specials.

Raw was and always is the go-home show. Smackdown before a PPV is like the Marvel movie comic tie ins that no one reads or knows exists. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Unless they specifically refer to it on RAW, whatever happens on Smackdown is non-canon. I thought the move to USA might change that a bit, but it does not look like it. There's actually a bunch of guys who would benefit from having their own show. We need the roster split back.

Fuckin' hell, Liverpool should have one that 5-1. Van Gaal is lucky to have got out of that one alive.

As someone unfamiliar with Maria post-WWE, damn that was a good promo and WWE are nuts for not signing those two on that basis alone. I knew they'd be Estrada jokes, but it's been over 7 years since he stopped managing Umaga and I thought the Summer Suit and Trainers suited Mike Bennett and looked less forced than the whole 'indy guy trying to look a big deal by wearing a business suit' thing. Yeah the jacket was a little cropped for my tastes, but Bobby Roode's suits were worse. Mike Bennett's clothing was very #menswear, and whilst that's a bit 2014 - it puts him years ahead of the rest of TNA (8 years in the case of Bram).

It's true; couple of kicks went different over the last week and Liverpool would be in the bottom half of the table. But as is, who knows right now? Liverpool got the result against Leicester at Anfield, and those home games against Arsenal and Man Utd look like potential 6-pointers again.

Seeing John Cena on Fallon the other night, I realised that it makes no sense for him to play a heel on TV because he's still gonna be the same nice guy John Cena outside of the show.

Even if Solomon Crowe made it in NXT, the chances of him making it on RAW were practically zero.

Perhaps, but WWE's set-up, pyro & ballyhoo is partly there as a warning to would be competitors - it's not likely to be scaled down as long as Vince is around (and I'm not sure HHH will think all that different, NXT is not afraid to throw down on entrances).

So WTF just happened here? Did Ronda try too hard to match Holm as a puncher? I don't know enough about this shit really, but it looks to me that Rousey had started to make her matches about more than her getting the victory and it cost her. I suggested 3 months ago that Correia basically did the right thing in goading her, and I feel vindicated. Next time I think Rousey will collect the arm though.

The Ascension are a frustration, because if they could put together offence worth a damn I think they could actually get over on RAW. Them vs Jordan/Gable is probably the first Ascension match I am actually looking forward to seeing.

I feel like Martin Prince tied up in the treehouse, but if they hadn't done the silly title reunification then you don't have nearly such a big problem. See also: The Daniel Bryan problem, the Roman Reigns problem.

Chelsea are still more likely to make the Champions League than Liverpool according to the bookies. Not sure about that, but it was certainly a six-pointer and Liverpool needed a good result and got it. Would be really funny if the rumblings about Rodgers becoming interim manager are true.

NXT is pretty much a full hour start to finish thesedays, as compared to the 80ish minutes for Smackdown minus ads. Knock out the promos with Teddy coming out to slow rolls and book tag matches and you're pretty close. Rumblings suggested that Smackdown will go live on Tuesdays when it moves to USA next year. I'm hoping this will mean the end of the 3 hour RAW, because going 5 hours over 2 nights every week would be crazy.

I think that tag-match is one of my favourite matches this year, though watching Emma mugging that Shazza also brought a smile to my face. I think Nia Jax's match suffered by comparison. But yeah, obviously that was probably one of the best put together hours of TV wrestling pretty much ever. I liked James Storm's promo too, simply but effective - I think he might be able to do the Last Call now that Breeze is gone, man do I never want to see that 8 second ride again.

Having the Open Challenge and doing the US Title change on PPV was lame. I understand the logic of keeping title changes on the Network, but teasing the audience with these open challenges and then paying off the angle, badly, on a special event really sucks. They really need a proper TV Title.

The ankle stretches Cena was doing before the match with Del Rio suggested to me he is pretty beat up, but to do all those finisher kick-out matches and then have ADR do Cena with one good shot is pretty nutty/.

I definitely miss Hunico the 'D' show superworker.

The draw odds for Chelsea vs Liverpool next Saturday look pretty attractive.

Daniel Bryan vs John Cena essentially pushes Rollins vs Kane down to 4th on the card. At this point, if I were Sheamus I'd almost be wondering if I could cash in on the US Title. Giving Daniel Bryan the real No. 1 Title ahead of the Rumble might actually be quite smart though. They can leave him out of the match and people will accept it if he's defending the US Title.

Yeah, the idea that she is NXT-only is just completely nuts. Asuka is money in all sorts of ways.

Yeah, that's some "A guy wrote it on a message board and I read it. I believe everything I read" dummy shit. Well it wasn't quite that, if you were paying attention. Mike Zeidler has an opinion, now mattsangerously has said he thinks he disagrees. Now the point can potentially be explored. 'Dummy shit'?

Aiden English may not love the gimmick he's in, but the singing gimmick also has the potential to get old very fast. The Vaudevillains were a natural progression of his act. He needs something new. Given all the trio love at the moment, I'd be tempted to put Gotch with Jordan and Gable. I see more in Gotch than in English right now.