Burgundy LaRue
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Posts posted by Burgundy LaRue
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Alexa rolling up R-Truth in an effort to win the 24/7 title was a nice touch. They need to include the women more in that chase.
The great thing about this PPV is that nearly story was advanced. There wasn't any filler and everything moved at a decent clip. I think all companies should try to keep their secondary PPVs to three hours, but CoC didn't overstay its welcome.
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That crowd reaction for Rollins was bad. Not because of the boos, but because you could hear the indifference behind the boos. Apathy is far worse than hatred.
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10 hours ago, D.Z said:
Rowan vs Roman might be last.
About that. . .
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Roman wasn't going to be left off two PPVs in a row, him not being on SummerSlam was weird enough. And with how Mike Johnson got snippy over Adam Cole having an incidental scrape, my guess is blading is no going right now.
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Eddie Money is a singer/musician who quietly finds his way unto your favorites list with several of his songs. RIP.
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3 hours ago, PB-13 said:
So it's all the fans' fault, in other words?
SK has a point. I don't think he's blaming the fans. One of biggest keys of being a strong babyface in WWE is to have self-agency. One of the recent examples of this is when Shane called for a SDL town hall. Nearly everyone, face and heel, was waiting for whatever Principal Shane O'Mac had to say. Roman Reigns walks in from the back, goes to a microphone, and tells Shane to kiss his ass. Then leaves to huge applause because he didn't kowtow to the Authority figure.
It's simple, but only a precious few get to do it. When KO was being coronated Universal Champ by Triple H or headbutting Vince a while back, it felt like he was going to be in that rarified group. What happened? I have no clue.
SK's overall position isn't much different than anyone else's. We're all thinking the same thing: when everyone is put on the same level, no one feels special. It's not a surprise Roman and WWE's Four Horsewomen are the only ones who feel unique. And even they can/have fallen victim to bad booking/writing. But they've been elevated to where they can weather most storms or at least be rebuilt with some tweaks if needed.
So the big question is why aren't wrestlers given more agency in storyline? I know many believe we're in the Brand Era where wrestlers are de-emphasized. I agree with some of that viewpoint. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it feels like something else is part of that decision. What can be said for Roman and the 4HW is they fill several key demographics. It may be just a case of following the money.
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What gets me about the Gable short jokes is how they presented Andrade as being the bigger deal between the two. Andrade is one inch taller than Gable and not as strong.
The KO situation is confusing. He's become a smaller version of Big Show where he can be menacing as a heel, but becomes weepy as a face. I think they screwed up by having him destroyed by Braun last year. It's one thing if KO had gotten the best on Braun at least once during their feud. But it was all Braun, throwing KO off every ladder and cage in the arena. Getting flipped over in a port-a-potty. Having rental cars destroyed. Being a putz for Shane is par for the course.
But there are also several bright spots. Who could have predicted Cedric Alexander and Chad Gable winning main event matches at MSG? Or Erick Rowan getting anything resembling a push? Or Kofi Kingston still being WWE champ this far out after WM? For all the talk of WWE being status quo, they have worked new people into the mix, at least for now.
This isn't to say WWE is perfect, far from it. But there's some good stuff being put on the table, IMO.
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I want to say the last time RAW's third hour crashed like that, it was with Seth/AJ in the main event right after the Superstar Shakeup. It was from that that we got the Wild Card rule.
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21 minutes ago, PB-13 said:
I really have no horses in the race (won't make that stupid mistake again), so to each his or her own.
Under the radar news item: Roman got a haircut. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...
No, he just had his hair pulled back in a bun. He does that whenever he's not wrestling.
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TBF, a big reason ticket sales for the two MSG shows are slow are high prices. Most fans don't want to spend that much for a regular TV taping when school just started back and the holidays are around the corner. Seeing Austin and Taker is nice, but not at that price under everyday circumstances.
One of Rollins' biggest problems is he doesn't carry himself like a star. I've had several folks say being in an arena where other wrestlers own the stage. They give a sense of belonging. For whatever reason, Rollins doesn't give that vibe. They're trying to make him and Becky into the new power couple with the red carpets and magazine covers. I don't think it's working. We all know that anyone in that spot is being promoted and pushed by WWE to be there. I's not a question of it feeling artificial because of that. What we have is a guy being pushed as someone opposite of who he really is. It weighs down the energy around him.
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11 hours ago, just drew said:
They cannot get out of their own way trying to get Seth Rollins over by having legends give him the rub. At the end of the day, it's still captain charisma-less.
The opening segment was a microcosm of the haves and the have-nots. AJ came across the best against Austin. He felt like a real star, even as he played the whiny yokel heel. Braun showed natural charisma and wasn't overwhelmed by the moment.
Rollins felt like a fan who was just happy to be there. It didn't help that when he said he was the best wrestler in the world, the crowd groaned and booed. It's fascinating to watch how he comes out to strong pops every week, then see the enthusiasm die as he starts talking.
Rollins is far from my favorite, but I don't think he's a total waste of time. Yet whenever he's put into a big moment, he often doesn't meet the mark. Whether it's with a bad promo or not keeping the crowd invested, something doesn't click. Fans can be fickle (TM) and do their own thing at times. But it happens a lot to Rollins.
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4 hours ago, Ziggy said:
I'd switch New Day to Raw and start to build Big E as the guy on Raw. I'd have Balor return as a heel in the OC. They can feud with New Day. Put Boss n Hug on SDLive together, move Charlotte, Andrade and Zelina to Raw. Black would obviously have to move too. I'd keep Alexa, bring Ember and the Kabuki Warriors over. I'd bring Rey back to SD and bring Bryan in another top heel on RAW
It's hard to see Charlotte going to RAW, with all the PR she's done for the SDL move to FOX.
I have no clue how this draft will go. Outside of a few near-locks, it's hard to predict.
EDIT: Came back because I remembered: Miz was moved to RAW during the last Superstar Shakeup, supposedly because Miz and Mrs. is on USA. FOX allegedly doesn't want to do a lot of cross-promotional stuff. So who knows at this point.
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3 hours ago, joseph2112 said:
I feel very strongly that Roman will be on SD. Follow the money on that one.
Roman was in the center of the mini billboard FOX Sports had for their Fall upfront panel. They've hung a poster of him alongside others in their studio. Roman will be on SDL. His CFB/NFL background is enough to make that happen.
The question is whether USA tries to convince WWE into keeping him as a free agent.
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Scarlett apparently is getting a NXT tryout. Kross would be a good addition to that roster.
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8 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:
Oh thank God I don't have to live under the reign of King Andrade. Go Gable!
Andrade really isn't over. He usually comes out to no response and even being a good wrestler doesn't matter because nearly all his wins are dependent on Zelina's antics. Gable connected more with the crowd in one night than Andrade has in months. Credit to both guys and Zelina playing their roles perfectly. Gable has a certain charm that can translate into him being the scrappy underdog they haven't had in a while.
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I wouldn't blame Sasha for Paige's retirement. That was always going to happen, it was simply a matter of who would be Paige's opponent who delivered the blow. Paige likely shouldn't have been cleared to wrestle again, anyway.
The multiple nose fractures Alexa suffered only working with Sasha is concerning.
Many of today's wrestlers grew up wanting to do it, and they have trouble wrapping their minds around other wrestlers not feeling that way for their entire lives. In other words, they're marks for themselves on a pedantic level. They, and we, can't determine someone's passion or determination. That's not an issue exclusive to Sasha, but I think she tends to wear it on her sleeve.
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16 minutes ago, Overly Critical Man said:
So Roman’s storyline has all been to make an Erick Rowan push? That can’t be it, can it?
If Lars being in line for a big push were true, then it's likely Rowan took that spot. Let us be grateful. For Rowan is a much better wrestler, pleasant to look at, and most of all, not human garbage that Roman would have been stuck carrying for months.
Really good show. Bayley being delusional can go in a number of directions. Both KOTR matches were a blast. Should have known Gable would go far, as he's the one with a story attached to the tournament. Women's tag match was fun. 24/7 stuff was short but a good breather. The Reigns/Bryan saga is moving along well, with twists that keeps one on their toes. Bryan will likely still be behind the whole thing, but I'm interested in seeing where it goes, regardless.
The only quibbles were the Nakamura match as a non-factor and how they keep finding ways to make Black seem goofy. I thought he was about to strip during his promo. And it only took him five months to realize that *maybe* going to the ring was the way to get a match. For someone supposedly that cerebral, he's slow on the draw.
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Watching Bayley wallop Becky with a chair is akin to an American Girl doll beating up other toys under the Christmas tree. I should have heard shrieks of horror at the sight. Not only was she cheered, she was cheered while doing it to someone who they claim to love. Come on, folks, work with us a little!
Though if this doesn't result in Bayley stabbing one of her buddies, what's the point?
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For me, it's about tying the loose ends. I understand they're still learning. But it's too rough around the edges. For example, almost none of their entrance music is good. They can work with small bands who would be happy to license a song at a reasonable price for the exposure. Have a music director scanning YouTube for songs, so can AEW (and so should WWE, for that matter). The same goes for entrance videos. Nearly every promotion can do better with this, it can't be that difficult or expensive.
Why are they using the same stage setup for their shows? If it bothers you when WWE does it, seeing AEW's outdated design should drive you up a wall. Why aren't we getting pre-recorded promos shown during PPVs to help introduce talent? Are more vignettes coming? The Wardlow intro was bad, but at least it's something.
What are they doing to maintain quality control? Bad camera shots, not timing out certain shows correctly--that should be the rare exception and not repeated bad habits. Having pyro unintentionally go off is flat-out dangerous, imagine if that happens close to some fans and someone gets hurt.
How are they going to handle problems between wrestlers? Because Bea Priestley and Sadie Gibbs are going to wind up fighting for real at some point.
AEW may be new, but with as much money is being put into it, most fans are going to expect a more polished show. They have the needed people on board to help make that happen. They just have to bunker down and do it.
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AEW has to do better with their battle royales. Not only was this sloppy, but the big names--Mercedes Martinez, Jazz, Tenille Dashwood--didn't get to do anything. Nyla Rose was finally booked as a monster, so that was good, as was furthering the Bea vs Britt rivalry.
Private Party is still rough around the edges, but their ceiling is sky high. Nice to see them win. Angelico/Jack Evans' heel turn is fine.
Jurassic Express are breakout superstars in the making. SCU are the perfect guys to open every show. They get in, do their bit, wrestle well, and get out in 11-12 minutes.
Surprised to see PAC-Omega go so early, even more surprised that PAC won. It presents a good story for Omega needing to discover himself again. That frankensteiner sequence was a mess, but good match overall.
The Cracker Barrel 3-way was a train wreck. Ugly, but entertaining. Thought it was goofy at the beginning, but came around on it. Would have been nice to see Allin win, feels like they're wasting the time-limit draw he had with Cody. I need Darby to think of his vertebrae, he's going to be in traction doing the Coffin Drop.
Dark Order is awful and third rate. At least get better outfits, give us a back story where they sold their souls, anything! Don't know much about Orange Cassidy, but I'm willing to see where he goes.
Riho-Shida was very good, too bad the crowd didn't care.
They spent all that time building Shawn Spears, and that's what we get from it? Not that I had high hopes for him, but still. The match was fine, but felt anti-climatic with how Spears was reduced to nothing. And that poor doggy, I felt bad for him.
The ladder match did nothing for me. I was pretty much out after the first double table spot. I kept asking why wouldn't one prevent the other from crushing their respective brother? I also didn't need to see the Bucks die multiple times. LAX's intro was great, enjoyed watching them in Impact.
Main Event told a good story of Page being unproven, but able to bloody the veteran Jericho and give himself more of a chance. Page didn't lose because he wasn't good enough per se, but from a lack of experience in how to stay firm when dealing with someone with Jericho's pedigree. Jericho as champ is the right business call, but does nothing to separate AEW from any other promotion that relies on older guys.
For me, All Out felt like a meal that forgot the seasoning. Edible, but lacking the spice to make it really good. AEW's tag division is the strongest thing they have going into TV. The midcard scene feels like it'll be OK. I guess Cody gets the first shot at Jericho? I still barely know anything about the women. They need to do better with vignettes or pre-taped promos. That bit with Wardlow? Don't know who he is, but that was rough. Why did the other guys stand there as he took off his shirt? Why didn't someone grab his GF to distract him? I get why, but it looked dumb.
I don't hate anything, but I also don't love anything. Except for Jurassic Express, that's a great gimmick. It's fine beyond them, but I keep looking for more.
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Bayley has had good matches with Nia, who most here hate with a passion. Charlotte's match with Lacey was a mess.
I think the key to Bayley is she exhibits more patience than the others. Whether that leads one to thinking she can carry less experienced wrestlers is a good topic. But she's really good in the ring, and I'm surprised at how often many seem to think differently (March Madness aside).
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But who does Buddy go against? He's already had matches with Reigns and Bryan. There's Rowan, but that would probably be a squash match against Murphy. Orton is busy with Kofi/New Day. Nakamura is getting Miz. Elias is in KOTR, but involved with Shane/KO. There's Shelton, who could be a stop gap.
Not putting them against each in the first round is a solid point, but they likely would have met later on and the same problem would arise.
I think we essentially agree, just using different routes to get there. IMO, the major problem is not having a strong tiered system for talent to climb. The space between top talent and rising stars is too wide because the upper-midcard isn't fully viable.
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Ali's trajectory shifted when he got hurt earlier this year. Otherwise, he would have been in the SDL Gauntlet match instead of Kofi, and we wouldn't have gotten Kofimania.
Who are they supposed to pick for the win if they're high on both guys? I'm not being sarcastic, it's a real question. It sort of shows the gap in the WWE hierarchy, where they don't have enough upper midcard folks to help build new stars, despite having a stacked roster. They can't have everyone fight Roman and Bryan.
As far as Aleister goes, I'm not surprised, sadly. I think he's in a spot where they know he has something different to offer and are trying to protect him. But that's also keeping him off TV, except for three months of babbling promos where he's chomping his teeth while locked inside a boiler room. He's in no man's land, which is the worst place to be in WWE.
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16 hours ago, JonnyLaw said:
It is pretty amusing that the 24/7 title was apparently USA’s idea, and it’s being used to promote the move to Fox.
And if they do something with NFL on FOX, there's a chance Michael Strahan wins it and carries the title to his talk show on ABC.
Clash of the Champions XXXVIII - 9/15/2019
in WWE PROGRAMMING
Posted
The two guys who can absolutely get a quality 15-minute match from Bray are both on SDL. It may not be an accident that they're both mixing it up with Bray's former lambs.