Raw Spoilers for 12/23/13

[ebbie]

 

She's great at playing a character most women would be good at

Umm...

 

 

As a woman, I think all women are crazy by nature tbh Besides, the divas that are heels only get two characters: bitchy and crazy. Once they tell her to tone down the crazy, AJ isn't going to be interesting to many people.

 

She's made Nattie finally look like the legit wrestler that she's been claiming to be, very attractive, great natural charisma, and has made the Divas division relevant again. What more do you need from a top female wrestler. Her promo's haven't been good recently, but I really can't think of one female wrestler who's been week, after week one of the best talkers in the business. 

 

Nah. The Bellas are the reason there are diva matches on almost every Raw these days. It was like that a year or so before they left. Hell, even AJ's biggest stalkers still don't look forward to diva matches, despite the fact that they have been given more time and have been enjoyable for what they are.

[Jrag]

I just can't imagine any of the other girls who get regular screen time playing AJ's role with any amount of success.  The prettier Bella can't even feign distress when her actual real life fiancee is getting a beat down.

[Niners Fan in CT]

Kaitlyn has more natural charisma. If you watch her on the WWE YouTube clips or in little things she does with Big E (who is also underutilized) it really is a mistake that she's not given more TV time.

[Greggulator]

They had a real tough time figuring out the face/heel structure when AJ did the Pipebombshell (on the short-list of best promos of the year). But they worked that out as AJ has become a total snotty priss and the Divas are the faces. AJ's not really doing the crazy act when she's on color commentary as much as she's doing a very good arrogant heel who never expects to lose and talks a big game but hides behind her muscle. It reminds me more of Shawn and Diesel than anything.

The Bellas work better as faces, Brie especially. They were the most worthless people getting regular TV time and they've actually started to try and they're better now. Nattie did some good stuff on NXT in-ring recently but she's really bad at the character acting part of wrestling.

AJ is by far the best at that part of the game in the divas division and is one of the best in the WWE. And she has been for a really long time. She's also very solid in the ring. I mean, I don't think she's this superworker or anything but she knows what she's doing in terms of wrestling to her character, working the crowd, etc.

Summer Rae's about to become the second best diva any second now. She's been a revelation on NXT. She's great as Fandango's second, too. Paige and Emma are also going to skip the line, too.

[Patrick B.]

Kaitlyn's "natural charisma" doesn't seem to translate well to the in-ring side of things; she's always struck me as really bland in the personality department.

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

Kaitlyn has more natural charisma. If you watch her on the WWE YouTube clips or in little things she does with Big E (who is also underutilized) it really is a mistake that she's not given more TV time.

Big E is underutilized? Christ.

[Matt D]

The Bellas work better as faces, Brie especially. They were the most worthless people getting regular TV time and they've actually started to try and they're better now. Nattie did some good stuff on NXT in-ring recently but she's really bad at the character acting part of wrestling.

 

 

 

Wait, are you saying you don't want Brie to get kidnapped by the Wyatt's and possessed by the spirit of Sister Abigail? 

[Greggulator]

 

The Bellas work better as faces, Brie especially. They were the most worthless people getting regular TV time and they've actually started to try and they're better now. Nattie did some good stuff on NXT in-ring recently but she's really bad at the character acting part of wrestling.

 

 

 

Wait, are you saying you don't want Brie to get kidnapped by the Wyatt's and possessed by the spirit of Sister Abigail? 

 

 

Oh, I want that more than anything. Ever.

[Niners Fan in CT]

 

Kaitlyn has more natural charisma. If you watch her on the WWE YouTube clips or in little things she does with Big E (who is also underutilized) it really is a mistake that she's not given more TV time.

Big E is underutilized? Christ.

 

 

Definitely. They are not allowing him to show his natural charisma and that's a mistake. In a couple months someone will ask "Why isn't Big E as over as he should be?" and that will be your answer. Right now he's playing it straight which will not end well if they continue down this path.

 

Why hasn't Kaitlyn's charisma come across on TV? Same thing. They don't allow her to show it. It's difficult to "translate" well when you are not given the opportunity to do so.

[Greggulator]

There's also a difference between doing stuff on NXT in an arena of smarks (albeit nice ones) and YouTube and doing things in front of a live arena of 15,000 people on live TV. It's like sketch comedy -- everyone I know who sees Saturday Night Live in person says it's the greatest but on television it's really hit or miss. There are different expectations and performance techniques. Some club stand-up comics are great but if you put them in a room of more than 250 people, mostly hardcore comedy nerds, and they're eh. However, Dane Cook's material is hated on but the dude is one of the only comics ever who can sell out a gigantic arena. He knows how to play to the back of the room and he knows how to allow his charisma to get to the back of the room. That's something only a few magical people know how to do in any artistic medium.

 

It's like when people still cry about Zach Ryder. The dude sucks on live TV. In a comedy setting on YouTube? He has his merits. But outside of that? He blows. I know the feud they put him in where Kane kidnapped Eve was Wrestlecrap but is it really that different from Team Hell No? Bryan became the second biggest star on the roster taking what, on paper, should be an absolute bomb because he has "it."

 

It's not so much they don't "allow" anyone to show it. No one is saying "Hey, can you tone down everything interesting about you?" Also, I thought Big E. looked just fine in the SuperFriends promo he did. They even gave him the last line in the promo. You know Punk and Cena won't let a dude they don't trust in that spot to speak.

[Dolfan in NYC]

 

Why hasn't Kaitlyn's charisma come across on TV? Same thing. They don't allow her to show it. It's difficult to "translate" well when you are not given the opportunity to do so.

 

Last time Kaitlyn tried to show personality in the ring this happened:  

 

AJ's champ right now as the tallest midget scenario. She's an above-average-to-good worker and talker in a sea of (improving, but) bad workers, but she would've gotten lost in the Lita/Trish/Mickie/Victoria/Ivory years.

[Pete]

 

I'm not quite sure how to feel about that image.

 

If Renee threw her fist in there it'd be like Fantastic Four: The Next Generation.

 

[Niners Fan in CT]

 

It's like when people still cry about Zach Ryder. The dude sucks on live TV. In a comedy setting on YouTube? He has his merits. But outside of that? He blows. I know the feud they put him in where Kane kidnapped Eve was Wrestlecrap but is it really that different from Team Hell No? Bryan became the second biggest star on the roster taking what, on paper, should be an absolute bomb because he has "it."

 

 

 

I'm not disputing anything about Ryder...  but he was at least given a chance to talk. We don't know what someone like Big E could do because so far he hasn't been allowed to do it. They've had him on commentary now a couple times and he was playing generic muscle guy out there. Maybe you're right.. maybe he wouldn't come across as well as he does on social media but I will ask you this...  who is the last generic muscle guy to really get over and sustain it? He needs to be more than that and I think he can be.

 

Also, am I missing something on that Kaitlyn video? First, that was actually a good match between her and AJ and no AJ didn't "carry it"..  Kaitlyn took some serious bumps of her own. I'm not sure what I am supposed to be seeing on that video..  she looked legit upset about losing that match.

[Brian Fowler]

I think the crowd laughing their assess off at her, when she was the alleged face, was the issue.

[Niners Fan in CT]

That's not her fault. They booked her as a crybaby.

[Victator]

 

 

I'm not quite sure how to feel about that image.

 

If Renee threw her fist in there it'd be like Fantastic Four: The Next Generation.

 

 

More like Chief Wiggum trying to rejoin the Be-Sharps.

[Hagan]

There's also a difference between doing stuff on NXT in an arena of smarks (albeit nice ones) and YouTube and doing things in front of a live arena of 15,000 people on live TV.

 

This is a really interesting point. And I don't want to use the talking point about WWE creative over-scripting or writing terrible comedy BUT a lot of the NXT and of the Youtube stuff (I assume) allows the guys and gals to probably come up with their own stuff. The point about playing to a larger audience is very valid, but I gather once you get on the main stage you're definitely restricted about what you can do or say.

 

I mean, look at the JBL and Cole Show. Everyone seems to be much more natural and having a good time on there than they do on their comedy skits or whatever on Raw or SD. Kaitlin and others have so much more natural charisma and personality on stuff like that, or even when they were all in that parellel NXT online universe for a few years, then they do on Raw or SD.  

[APO]

That's not her fault. They booked her as a crybaby.

 

They booked her like shit during that entire feud.

[BEN!]

Take out the two six mans and this show was brutal.  Add a reindeer suit match and it was your average Christmas Impact.  They even had a pole match.

 

Is Barrett in jail?  Cause you can't go around collecting money as a charity and then turn around and keep the money for yourself.

 

Natalya and Beth Phoenix putting LayCool through tables was good times because LayCool was fucking awful.  If Natalya went out there and put most of the current Divas through tables every week it'd fix a lot of her problems.  That and she should quit shaving off her goatee.

 

Cena kinda looks stoned, to be honest.

He clearly just did coke for the first time and the high wore off.

[Curt McGirt]

 

 

Take out the two six mans and this show was brutal.  Add a reindeer suit match and it was your average Christmas Impact.  They even had a pole match.

 

Man really, what did you expect? We're lucky we got what we did. They do this shit every year, every holiday.

[Hooker]

Wade Barrett is the new Mike Awesome: saddled with the worst, go-nowhere gimmicks one after another.

 

What's amazing to me is that his segment tonight is about as compelling as that segment could possibly be.  Insofar as you can kill it polishing up a turd like that, he did.