WWE TV - 5/8 - 5/14/2023

[Matt D]

1 hour ago, Casey said:

isn’t this new title exclusive to RAW? why are Smackdown people in the tournament when Smackdown already has a World title?

Not to play devil's advocate for these jokers, but if I'm in one department at my work and there's a new position available in another department at a higher level and I'm qualified, I'm going to apply for it.

[Just Adam Bay Bay]

7 hours ago, Goitre said:

Aren't they one and the same? And you're not interested in title histories, but who held the belts does interest you? I'm (easily) confused.

I meant the fact that Roman is holding the belt for a million days doesn’t interest me, but I find it odd that certain talent never gets a run with the belt yet guys like Alberto Del Rio got multiple title runs despite being awful in the ring, and not much on the mic. I should have phrased it better.

[Just Adam Bay Bay]

1 hour ago, Casey said:

isn’t this new title exclusive to RAW? why are Smackdown people in the tournament when Smackdown already has a World title?

So Seth can beat either Theory or an Uso to become the champ. I’m not convinced that they don’t have Solo wipe out someone before a triple threat Friday and steal their spot. But if they don’t go down that road then it’s Theory vs Rollins at Night Of Champions. I don’t see them having Rey, Edge, or AJ win as they don’t usually run face vs face in the title matches that headline a show.

[Casey]

That still doesn’t answer the question of why they’re having Smackdown brackets for a Raw title a week after they did a draft. I mean, I know it’s WWE and they don’t care about keeping the rosters separate, but… come on.

Rollins beating Theory or an Uso or someone is a weird justification when he can… just beat a heel from the Raw side instead?

If I was a casual watcher or whatever, my impression would be that Smackdown guys could challenge for this title after the tournament concludes, since they’re a part of it. Which would be a convenient way to let Reigns continue his, uh, reign.

[AverageKong]

Debuting Zoey Stark the 1st week with no vignettes or any kind of build up and pairing her with a character like Nikki that's been MIA for months now was a bad move. The crowd could have cared less.

I'm a big fan of Stark. I feel like she needed that moment in NXT that took her to another level though (the title). Looks like they'll give her a few wins and just to start using her as a hand before long

Trish vs Lynch is not what I want in 2023. I'm sorry. I understand that there aren't anymore true stars for Becky to beat until they can position her into an angle with Rhea but I dont think this match is going to translate well in the ring. 

 

[Iron Moose]

Bracket for the NXT Women's Title is out: 

Spoiler

Very clever booking, I think -- the less-favored halves of the quaterfinals are feuding with each other (Fallon/Kiana, Gigi/Jacy), so we can get interference in either direction.

In terms of scheduling, I'm guessing one from each side of the bracket today, the remaining quarterfinals on the 16th, semifinals on the 23rd. My thinking is that they'll want to avoid doing the Roxy and Tiffany matches on the same broadcast... 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Iron Moose

[Iron Moose]

32 minutes ago, AverageKong said:

Trish vs Lynch is not what I want in 2023. I'm sorry. I understand that there aren't anymore true stars for Becky to beat until they can position her into an angle with Rhea but I dont think this match is going to translate well in the ring. 

They're in their own little bubble. It would be really easy for Trish to interact with Rollins or comment on Nattie's return or something. Her character should have more to say than jibes at Roux.

[Dolfan in NYC]

10 hours ago, Phantom Lord said:

Did get a good laugh from Otis tonight when he couldn't decide between who to listen to. Chad or the pretty lady.... Oooh yeah. 

They'd never do it in 10 trillion years, but if Otìsè were to come out as bi, this storyline would be the greatest thing ever put on TV. 

[hammerva]

I am not sure if the world or him for that matter where Otis is the WWE version of Parrow.

I hope I am never as hated or looked down on as the WWE does Dana Brooke.  Never mind she comes back after months or nothing but Main Event matches she get absolutely destroyed.  And here comes Natalya in one of the slowest run-ins ever

 

 

 

[Greggulator]

I only checked out the Trish/Bex promo. Huge fan of Trish saying Bex was holed up in a dank Iowa room and her daughter was dumb (“She’s two and doesn’t even know her colors!”) Very vivid and specific with her insults and I appreciate the level of detail.

[Craig H]

3 hours ago, Casey said:

That still doesn’t answer the question of why they’re having Smackdown brackets for a Raw title a week after they did a draft. I mean, I know it’s WWE and they don’t care about keeping the rosters separate, but… come on.

Rollins beating Theory or an Uso or someone is a weird justification when he can… just beat a heel from the Raw side instead?

If I was a casual watcher or whatever, my impression would be that Smackdown guys could challenge for this title after the tournament concludes, since they’re a part of it. Which would be a convenient way to let Reigns continue his, uh, reign.

Because Vince. And if not Vince, then because HHH spent too much time around Vince.

[Cobra Commander]

In theory, they should say that if a SmackDown talent wins the Raw title, that talent goes to Raw and Smackdown gets to pick someone to make up for their loss (with an unknown list of people that Raw is protecting from the compensation draft)

and then Rollins will win anyways and we won’t get to do a comp draft

[Craig H]

I'm sorry, I just can't watch that Brock promo without laughing my ass off. LOOK AT THIS FACE~!

[Cobra Commander]

Where Brock comes from, the only thing that can bust you up like that involves a tractor falling on top of you

[caley]

42 minutes ago, Craig H said:

I'm sorry, I just can't watch that Brock promo without laughing my ass off. LOOK AT THIS FACE~!

Whereas I actually really liked the promo because I didn't come off as scripted to me. Brock's never been the best talker, but the rambling, the talking into the mic that wasn't on, the repetition made it feel like someone losing his mind in the moment and becoming unhinged. If I still had friends who watched wrestling, ('d be texting and saying "Look at this face!" all day long.

I laughed really hard at Natalya's walk-in, then laughed when Graves addressed it.

I enjoyed Imperium-Sami/KO quite a bit. Was chuckling to myself at the WWE-edness of Imperium's time in WWE. Bring them to NXT together, push them as Imperium. Rename Walter, promote him with Kasier, renaming Vinci and splitting him off with his own NXT push, then putting him right back with Imperium with no explanation of why. 

Looking at the field for the NXT Women's tourney, there's a pretty easy path to the semis of Stratton-Perez and Jade-Lyra (seeing as they've been feuding this way too) but I can't help but feel none of them should be champ: Roxy just had it and her chase should be longer, Stratton, Lyra and Cora are close but don't feel quite ready for that level. I wish WWE had brought Meiko back to be champ and have the rest of the women beating each other up in order to be #1 contended for whenever she is able to stop in and wrestle.

[Dolfan in NYC]

The only person who can break Sami is Kevin. 

They need to never lose those titles.

[Cobra Commander]

Jesse the Body voice ON

there were some scared heroes who threated to not take part in the tournament if Gunther or Omos were a part of it, they played politics and kept Gunther/Omos out because they're scared.

Jesse the Body voice OFF

[Ziggy]

Cody defeating Brock would be Something and would put Cody in the position to where people would be ready to see him beat Reigns 

[Dog]

Some weird guy wore a Nekrogoblikon shirt on NXT tonight!

[username]

12 hours ago, hammerva said:

I hope I am never as hated or looked down on as the WWE does Dana Brooke.

Man they've kept paying her to do very little for a decade now, that's a better run than I've had at pretty much any job. I personally think they should probably release her as if she's not all that good after a decade she likely isn't gonna start any time soon but apparently at least someone there likes her.

[Goitre]

Don't know if it's safe for KO to be wrestling, now that he's in the third trimester.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Goitre

[Cobra Commander]

3 hours ago, Ziggy said:

Cody defeating Brock would be Something and would put Cody in the position to where people would be ready to see him beat Reigns 

they're probably running Cody/Brock again with a finish that doesn't amount to Brock slipping on a banana peel and losing.. has it been long enough to run another Last Man Standing match with Brock Lesnar?

(edit: just thought of the idea of a Cody/Brock Texas Bullrope match)

it might be a problem that Cody Rhodes doesn't really have a move that can convincingly beat Brock Lesnar. A third of Cody's moveset are goofy springboard moves and his finisher is the Roll the Dice. Like maybe Cody can invent a Shining Wizard knockoff and finish guys with running elbowsmashes to seated opponents?

Edited May 10, 2023 by Cobra Commander

[Peck]

Favorite thing this week has been friendly tag team match between Hank/Tank and Briggs/Jensen all of a sudden becomes four guys beating the shit out of each other for 5 minutes, complete with LOST TOOTH~! That was awesome.

[Dog]

All of NXT was hard-hitting for some reason. I don't know if someone passed around a Bloodsport DVD last night or what.

[Hail Sabin]

Every since the NXT UK Ladies & Gents became part of the permanent roster the stiffness has gone way up.