StretchMediatedHypertrophy

If they were going to replace Batista then Langston is the obvious choice, but I think it is more likely that we would see HHH form a completely new Evolution (Cody, Bo, Langston, maybe Barrett) or else creates a heel version of the Shield (Graves, Connor and Viktor).

I thought it was funny, but I'm not sure Fandango would deny that Cesaro is a better match worker. Jericho was and still is clearly a bit miffed about doing the job for Fandango at Wrestlemania and I think that's pretty understandable. Jericho was, at the end of his last run, taken out by Ryback. I am sure Jericho wants a match with Daniel Bryan and he will come back, but I think he will be more careful next time.

Oh man, WeeLC has to be one of the greatest pieces of Wrestlecrap of all time - and I mean that in a good way obviously. I actually think 3/4MB really deserve a title reign. Nothing big; they can drop them back to the Usos after a few weeks and then decide if Drew should be finally taken out of the doghouse - guy is 28 and can still be a player. I like Paige's stuff a lot but she's not quite got her pacing right for WWE somehow; doesn't bother me much but it bothers the crowd. She does remind me a bit of Kaitlyn in that respect, which should be a warning, although she is clearly better. I think the Scorpion Crosslock is a problematic finish because Natalya already does a lot of the obvious sequencing that would lead to that move as part of her matches. I like the fact that she wears Doc Martins in the ring though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu3McjajsNE

I watch both products religiously so I know better than a lot the people comparing Daniel Bryan and EY because from what I can tell a bunch of them don't even watch TNA or they would know better. I'm not saying there's no similarities between the two because there are. Both won the title after wrestling earlier the same night, both were underdogs and both have beards, but other than that there's nothing else that's really that similar. I'm also not saying that it wasn't their intentions to capitalize on the Daniel Bryan craze, but I doubt it. Even if it was, I don't care because I've enjoyed the past few weeks of TNA more than anything since sometime in 2012. In my opinion Abyss is more of a mix of Cactus Jack with a touch of Kane than anything else. I appreciate that Daniel Bryan has a different style than EY, but let's face it - he's 5 times better than EY, who is fine and all, but still a little goofy for my tastes. Abyss is no Cactus Jack either - Foley isn't cool thesedays but c'mon man, Abyss is beyond terrible. What was wrong with Joseph Park? I don't really see how Magnus is supposed to have gone soft after he kicked out of both if EY's finishers. The show is back to being watchable, so I am almost a defender of the Crash TV approach. I still think that EY has been given too much too soon; it should have been Roode - by having him take out A.J. Styles they kind of had to wait on that passing over, but it still feels like that's the general shape of things. I see EY as a transitional guy and doubt he'll be defending at BFG. The BFG series could be a lot of fun though - it's the one thing that differentiates them from WWE.

I think a lot of what WWE are doing wrong at the moment is overlooked because of the wider context of a really strong roster being given regular time to work decent matches. The TNA booking isn't actually that bad right now, but Eric Young is no Daniel Bryan, Abyss is no Kane and everything else is detail really.

Although the pace of change in TNA is very silly obv, MVP's heel grouping does at least provide fresh matches and angles for Eric Young. It's not a bad idea per se; MVP will probably be more fun as a heel anyway. Knux's Carny Crew look kinda fun, hopefully we get the Willow heel turn in 3 months and they form the next superheel group.

I feel sorry for Burch as he never even got a shot on the main NXT roster, I did always wonder how much legs the football hooligan gimmick had but it feels like he never really got a try. Magnus could be building a Team Britain over in TNA, Burch and Grey would be alright against the Wolves so they wouldn't be bad signings.

No he walked before that. Eric Bischoff gave a speech where he said that anyone who wanted to leave could go - no strings. Raven was all 'yes please' (he wasn't the only one), but then Eric Bischoff said that they could go but not to WWE. Raven left for ECW anyway, but got signed by WWE soon after the WCW contract expired.

Storm-Gunner was indeed a decent brawl, but it's the only thing separating the show from an extended IMPACT I like EY, but he'd have been been better off as the TV Title guy for a while instead. His work hasn't adjusted as it needs to for being the champ; he also shouldn't have to go into multiple finisher mode to beat Magnus, who isn't good enough to run on top either. The Bully Ray match was the usual crap, but the Dixie reveal did succeed in being all creepy and WTF. I am sure there will be at least one .gif if nothing else good comes out of this PPV. This PPV would have felt liike a bigger show if they waited until tonight for Aries vs MVP. Lack of Kenny King when he's clearly being pushed was odd too, as well as no Abyss.

I like the tie actually; gotta have some pattern somewhere.

I'm completely for Sting having matches, I just have trouble understanding the upside of throwing him in with Taker now that the Streak is over. Sting vs Cena would be just as historical and a better match. Ditto a bunch of other matches. Also remember that Sting is not coming down from the rafters. No matter how popular he might have been in WCW, he kinda is Dancin' Homer to Taker's Capital City Goofball. Alright I'm exaggerating, but if I'm Taker and I just got asked to do the job at Wrestlemania (according to Meltzer), maybe I don't want to come back and sell Sting's comparatively silly offence like death.

True dat. It ain't about workrate, folks. It kinda is though. If they can't do justice to it in the ring, then, as suggested, it's better off on WWE '14. Sting can't play a psychopath, or really a heel at all. He can play a loony, but his pseudo-Joker act had justification in TNA - I don't see how that works in WWE.

I have to grudgingly agree. Presumably we're talking about a face vs face match - I just don't see Sting having anything to carry his end of that. His last match against Magnus was bad, the match against Bully was a hate-brawl with weapons and an interference finish. Neither went 15 minutes - Sting has never really been a 20 minute match guy anyway. I think we'll see Sting do something, but I don't particularly see any natural chemistry with the Undertaker and, now The Streak is gone, little value in the match. Sting vs Cena might be fun, but really he's better off against heels. I suspect he could have a better match with Orton than he could against Taker. And I suspect Taker could have a better match against Orton than against Sting. I sort of get the Phenom vs Phenom thing, but it sounds better on paper than it would probably work in practice, and so I'd probably go a different way. If they must do it, run it at The Rumble which is a big PPV/Special Event but where people won't expect a long match, maybe have them in the Chamber match - and then let them respect tag at Wrestlemania against The Wyatts or something. Though if Taker has got 1 more great Wrestlemania singles match in him, I'd probably just feed him to Bryan, Cena, Reigns or maybe Orton at this pont.

The crap just hit the fan for sure. The bookmakers still think this is Liverpool's title though.

I am embarrassed to say that I have seen the awful TV movie he was in; 'Witness To The Execution'. Eep

I can see why people have Lashley as better than Ahmed; the former got schooled by Finlay and others, and was able to work within a WWE formula. Ahmed came from a different time and obviously didn't get that kind of help, but he had an intensity that Bobby Lashley didn't. Mr Anderson was No. 7 in the 2011 PWI 500. A choice between watching him wrestle RVD (No. 11) at Victory Road that year and watching an Ahmed Johnson match is no choice at all. I'm not saying Anderson is a worse wrestler, but he sucked pretty bad that year.

I kinda agree, I think we're supposed to somehow know that Big E isn't boring - which he isn't, but they've been lazy about conveying that on TV. Perhaps because it is Main Event which is on the Network it matters less but he definitely shouldn't do that on RAW.

That could work, but I think this should be Bo's spot. Have Mason Ryan clubber them, then Bo does the 'lamest spear since Edge' for teh winz.

Good to see the BNB podium back; most people respect the Bullhammer, everybody respects the Gavel.

Well I'd be surprised if contracts regarding relationships between businesses would be publicly declared; there is a difference between that and listing your salary bands and board member remuneration.

Wrestlers are not salaried.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZsf4F7Oe7A This is not being received well, but I think it's pretty amusing. Edit: Thank you Rippa.

From everything I've heard, DDP's insane match planning rubbed people the wrong way. Coming from a company that does walk throughs for entrances. Wrong guy for that angle period. Glad people forgot about it band he transitioned to positively a page quick. Apparently, DDP also infamously gave Vince an overfamiliar big hug when he arrived in WWE. Which was then ribbed on by the Austin hugging Vince, and then others hugging Vince, and then Austin turning on Vince because their hugs were no longer special. I might ask Austin about that actually.