Josh Mann

You can pick nits over which match was better and at the end of the day a case can be made for both. But here's the only thing that matters: At about 9:15 EDT the consensus (including mine) was that there was no way Cena-Bryan could match what had just happened. At 10:55 EDT, NO ONE was talking about Punk-Lesnar and in the ensuing 12 hours has become an afterthought. That's pretty impressive. The bar was sky-high and it got matched.

The shoot explanation for the Two Man Power Trip was they felt the best way for Austin's heel turn to take was if they lined him up with another strong heel. Good theory, bad practice. The 2009 stuff, going further can still be explained off as just business by pointing out that if they wanted a younger HHH, that COOHHH came to terms with the fact that that's exactly what younger him would have done. It's not brain surgery.

What Orton did in 2009 was business, not personal. There, done. Easy explanation.

Thank you.Also Shawn Michaels in 2007 in that near-hour match on Raw. Which i think only proves your point further.Edit: Goddammit

Batista at The SummerSlam 5 years ago.

By the way, we haven't discussed the real tragedy of tonight. RIP Cody's mustache :`-(

Hell, the Orton PUNT OF DEATH got over as a finisher because it was sold properly. If he can beat Cena with it, he can beat anyone with it, period. The most over and effective finisher in the history of WWE is an inverted jawbreaker. If booked and sold correctly, anything can be a finisher.

Lost in all of the mucketymuck is the fact that DB just got his last piece of the WWE main eventer puzzle: A sudden impact finisher. And by killifying Cena with it he got it over in one night. He's going to be just fine.

I always just assumed his "no HHH policy" was just code for "That'll be another half a mil."

I think it's understanding that this a means to an end and it has the virtue of being business sensible. Orton gets the turn he needed, Bryan gets elevated and then screwed without being buried and the company gets the money feud they've been lacking that isn't the same old same old. Win-win-win.

Winners: Orton, Bryan, Punk, Lesnar Loser, undisputedly: Drew McIntyre, for pulling that shit after TNA closed its coffers.

And oh by the way, the main event and resulting angle managed to steal the show back from a showstealing legit MOTYC. So there's that.

What's funny is for all the talk of false scripts and closed circle discussions, if Reddit guy were to have out and said "This match ends clean on a Kenta Kick", does anyone actually believe it?

Hi. Who ordered the Internet Sharknado?

The West Texas Rednecks v No Limit just might be the most demographically ass-backwards thing WCW ever booked, which is saying something.

That would certainly be a leg up on Michael Egnew. I had just drafted him, too. My fault.

For 50 bucks, or $101,999,050 less, Tebow could have made the same wide open overthrow Romo did.

There isn't much from Rude's 1991-94 WCW run that isn't awesome. His heat at Superbrawl II in particular is nuclear with extra picante.

If the Patriots want to dedicate a roster spot to a Mike Vrabel-like goal line specialist and ONLY a Mike Vrabel-like goal line specialist, that's their madness.

That's one less yard than my deceased grandmother threw for tonight.

Long version: No.

Someone on Chicago sports talk radio will suggest offering a 6th-rounder to the Skins for HIM. I'm calling it right now.

Never explained outside of Hulk's hysterical speculation. Although if we're going on a Story Logic Free Ride, it would dictate that Dibiase paid off whoever assigned referees in order to have Dave Hebner assigned for the purpose of bringing in his also-paid-off twin brother. The one gaping plot hole is you would THINK Dibiase would have some kind of legal Consigliere who would have pointed out the whole plot was going to be thwarted by the rulebook, but his character had so much hubris that person's advice was probably ignored. It HAD to happen, it was the last piece of the puzzle required in order to vacate the title, but still.

I don't know what else he has once he moves up in fighter class, but he's got a hell of a right hand.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I just really don't like the fact that my best friend, whose rampant misuse of the word should be a federal crime, gets to claim victory retroactively.