Raw 2-24-14

[MORELOCK]

There is nothing wrong with the Neutralizer and replacing it with the jackhammer certainly wouldn't make any more sense from a psychology standpoint.

I think if they're going to bring back the jackhammer, it would be wise not to give it to someone who can be easily compared to Goldberg. So no one with a shaved head and no monster faces like Big E. Harper would be a good choice if his spinning clothesline weren't already so great.

[Pete]

Love Ray's idea for Taker's Mania entrance: they need a New Orleans funeral band. Do a slow dirge to the ring with mourners, then freak out and party all the way to the back. Then bring out Taker.

 

[RIPPA]

 

Makes my heart so happy

[goc]

The spotlight returns, Batista does some trash talking with the fans, sign me up for the Batista heel turn! Go ahead and keep doing old Attitude Era storylines and re-do the 2 Man Power Trip with Batista & Orton. Fuck it.

 

And I'm usually a Del Rio apologist but god he took one of the worst bumps ever when Batista whipped him into the corner. I also feel horrible that every time I see him I think " that guy should tan"

[RIPPA]

The Dude in the Miz shirt almost - ALMOST - makes up for it by marking out for the Emma Lock

[Matt D]

Frankly, they need to let Batista just use Bo Dallas' gimmick.

[goc]

Brock should have said "Man the last time I was here you just came out on a motorcycle and shit"

[JohnnyJ]

I think the problem with Mania this year is that so much has leaked out leading up to the "Road to WrestleMania." We've heard rumblings for at least a month that they were going with Wyatt/Cena, Taker/Lesnar and Bryan/HHH (since the Punk walk out). This takes a lot of the thrill out of these events unfolding. Especially, since this is WrestleMania XXX and all the older stars floating around for the first time in a while, there was an assumption we would getting something surprising.

 

Sheamus/Christian was really good. Really digging Sheamus since his return.

 

I don't understand the booking of the world title over the last few months. Orton has been booked as a complete lameduck champ. Even Kofi scored a clean pinfall on him. It gives off the appearance that anyone on the roster could pick him off in a match without shenanigans. So, even if Batista was getting the responses the WWE wanted, why would that be a special match?

 

To make matters even more confusing, Bryan has been booked as the true champ even though he's not getting a title shot. And Lesnar is easily the most dominating figure, keeps on demanding a title shot and he's not getting one either.

[Curt McGirt]

Emma using the Muta Lock as a finisher totally got her over with me. It's so incongruous, she's supposed to be clumsy and silly yet her finisher is this mad technical hold that I had a screencap of Benoit using on Liger on my old phone for ages. For some reason it just works, even though it shouldn't. She's great. 

 

Everyone's too caught up jerking their rage boners in here to note that Christian/Sheamus was pretty damn great. Christian needs to cut it with the "I jump off the top into your finisher" deal but otherwise, that match was aces. I need a count of how many times Christian flat-out bitchslapped Sheamus.

 

Big E/Cesaro was also good, despite the shitty crowd. Haven't seen Bootista wrestle yet in his comeback and JEEEEEEZUS did he gas out. Sucking wind during the post-match! Sad, sad. HHH's arrogant dismissal of Bryan was so spot-on to how this is all playing out it made me want to throw a brick at the screen.

 

EDIT: Hey, JohnnyJ gave Christian/Sheamus the heads up right before I posted this. Kudos. 

[ebbie]

I guess I just won't get into Emma's shtick. Then again bring hit over the hit with "Hey she is a fucking terrible dancer but she's charming or something." isn't helping. There's a fine between forcing a gimmick and being a character.

Not into Wyatts either. I just see some fat guy trying to hide his babyface with a terrible beard and shitty tattoos while doing the goddamn electric slide. Where's the subtlety?

[Kropotkin's Beard]

Really, that's what you see? So if you don't like the Wyatts I guess I want to know what you do like in wrestling because I'm confused.

[goc]

If they think they can turn Batista face by having him be all "aww shucks you guys I came back for you, the WWE Universe!" it ain't gonna happen. I see them as being too stubborn to change course, but if they played their cards right Batista could be a way hotter heel than Orton, and a way more fresh guy to build around as the #1 heel. They're too stupid to do it though.

 

I can't imagine Batista would be against it. He seemed like he was having a lot of fun during his final heel run.

[Raziel]

I've bitched and moaned about the Wyatt's being a hokey midcard act for a while...

 

Until that 6 Man at Elimination Chamber.  I'm a believer.

[Curt McGirt]

That "fat" guy hiding his babyface with a "terrible" beard and "shitty" tattoos said the human race is a virus that needs to be extinguished last night. In a wrestling promo. Sir, you have no argument. 

[Goodear]

Emma using the Muta Lock as a finisher totally got her over with me. It's so incongruous, she's supposed to be clumsy and silly yet her finisher is this mad technical hold that I had a screencap of Benoit using on Liger on my old phone for ages. For some reason it just works, even though it shouldn't. She's great. 

 

Everyone's too caught up jerking their rage boners in here to note that Christian/Sheamus was pretty damn great. Christian needs to cut it with the "I jump off the top into your finisher" deal but otherwise, that match was aces. I need a count of how many times Christian flat-out bitchslapped Sheamus.

 

Not only does Emma use the Muta Lock but she applies it better than I have ever seen anyone use it.  Her bridge is so high and tight that she can actually crank on the hold.  Normally guys get into the bridge and have to stay right there in one position so you get the initial "Ooo" from the bridge but then the hold dies.  Emma gives you more.

 

Christian goes to the top and middle ropes more than anyone I have ever seen.  I've always thought about it that he couldn't ever go toe-to-toe with anyone and win in the long term and needed to use the ring as a weapon as much as possible.  You see him use the ropes as a clothesline a bunch and really while he can sneak in a smack to get a quick transition, he doesn't win a lot of tit for tat exchanges.  That being said, him getting caught coming off the top makes sense since he spends a lot of time up there. 

[Goodear]

That "fat" guy hiding his babyface with a "terrible" beard and "shitty" tattoos said the human race is a virus that needs to be extinguished last night. In a wrestling promo. Sir, you have no argument. 

 

Remember those days where people complained about everyone being too cookie cutter and big musclebound freaks?  Now there are complaints about a fat guy (he's fat, he's fat, you know it) with an actual character and personality and a woman with an actual character and personality.

 

Its like people looked at Bray Wyatt and said,"You know, I miss Kenny Dykstra."

[Dolfan in NYC]

[jaedmc]

God I love Shield vs. Wyatts. It's the WWE first feud in a while that is just fueled by hate and badassery. It's guys just going "Fuck everything, we're desperate for our spots." 

[Greggulator]

I really wish Reigns and Bray just worked a bit faster in the first half of their match last night. Those guys really tag each other with punches. It felt hate-filled but it could have had a bit more of a total brawl instead of just a slugfest.  It picked up after the blackout/Rollins flip from nowhere (it makes sense he'd hide in wait to protect his boy, since The Wyatts interfering was obvious) and a returning Dean with a new look leather jacket further making him look like a great loose cannon to help out his bros despite their animosity towards him was great. That stuff got a really good pop and saved the segment.

 

The crowd should have responded to that match more than they did. I think that's what was counted on. Everyone craps on Batista (and they should because, ugh, he's the worst) but no one has crapped on Reigns ever and the Husky chants stopped after about 15 seconds during his debut. Those guys are also entangled in the best feud in years AND coming off a match that, after rewatching it and breaking it down, is legitimately meeting the initial hype as one of the greatest matches of all-time.

 

(Man, that match was so well-structured in terms of having so many sections build and build and build with some of the best facial expressions and character acting within the confines of an actual match. More is on the way in the years to follow since the developmental league places so much on that. Not every match will be an epic six-man affair, but even mid-card matches will have that emphasis on characterization the more guys come up, and it's awesome. But I digress.)

 

But, yeah, Reigns and Bray could have audibled a bit to get the crowd into things. They're still really young in terms of wrestling on a big stage, especially in singles matches, though. It's understandable.

Also, they should just turn Batista heel. I think the PPV showed that heel versus heel can get over with a crowd. Batista's only good run ever was when he was an aloof, Hollywood wannabe. Him in that role against the petulant brat Orton is at least an interesting dynamic. It turns the "this dude is the worst" boos into something that fits the match, at least.

 

I think, though, Batista has at least hinted that he's been a heel since the get go. His posture and the like at the Rumble and his debut and etc. show that a little bit. Plus, those pants.

[sydneybrown]

I think the problem with Mania this year is that so much has leaked out leading up to the "Road to WrestleMania." We've heard rumblings for at least a month that they were going with Wyatt/Cena, Taker/Lesnar and Bryan/HHH (since the Punk walk out). This takes a lot of the thrill out of these events unfolding. Especially, since this is WrestleMania XXX and all the older stars floating around for the first time in a while, there was an assumption we would getting something surprising.

 

But that's been every WrestleMania for years.  This year isn't some strange exception.  Usually the main card is leaked around December/January and everyone plays fantasy booker on how they get there, but instead we end up with "Hey, Brock wants to wrestle somebody.....(Taker's music hits)" as an angle.

[Valcourt]

Agree. They are all very awesome in their roles. I see nothing wrong with keeping them all together for a very long time. They obviously can't go to war for eternity (they should) but they could easily break off and be in other fueds.

 

I think it is time for stables to stay together for a long time again and not just break up. Obviously is Reigns becomes main event level guy, Ambrose can totally kill it as "Et tu Brutus?!" and be Romans big foil. But the Wyatts don't need to break up, at all. Luke Harper is going to go on and be a monster, but the 3 of them are just perfect now.

I'd even like if the two groups stay together that down the line they come back to each other, the crowd would love it.

 

Speaking of Wyatts. Since it now seems Cenas knee is a work. Does Cena REALLY need to have the whole, "MY KNEE IS JACKED BUT I WILL BEAT (AA) YOU!!!" ITs Cena, we get it, its super man. But if super man beats the Wyatts with one leg it's going to be shitty. Even for Super Cena standards.

 

 

Bootista pointing to the BOOOTISTA sign was amazing. He is so horrible. "I love this buisness...... but, I left because I wanted to do other things, but i'm back!!!"

[Goodear]

If you haven't heard John Cena's interview on Steve Austin's podcast I suggest you do and then think about this...

 

John is all about guys taking a big fucking risk to get themselves over and making their mark.  Like not just settling into a role and taking no risks and never going to management with anything (or going once and being mad they didn't use their idea).  Like Kofi and Miz are just in this rut you know? 

 

I feel on the opposite end of the spectrum you have the Wyatts and The Shield.  

 

The Shield took a bad ass gimmick as guys who never lose and beat people up all the time and have transitioned to a much more risky venture where we are waiting for them to fall apart but the characters are still holding onto the bonds they forged over the last year of war with everyone.  Will Dean's manic personality cause the others to turn him out?  Will Roman's rise break up the unit as he gets more recognition?  Will Seth continue to be the good soldier or will he get tired of being the peacekeeper and who typically gives the sacrifice so the others can get the win?  All good questions!

 

The Wyatts took a green as shit rookie and put him in a sheep's mask and a fat guy doing Waylon Mercy 2.0 and Luke Harper as the Sergeant at Arms with no mind of his own and made it gold.  They took this shit and made it work.  Like the whole package from the entrance to the (as Greggulator would call it) BLARRKRRRRKARGGGH and built it and built it and took it to the best place ever.  Just there 2 minute squash on NXT two weeks ago was overflowing with personality and  character.  The Wyatts pose no questions as a unit.  The question is what will they do next?

[MORELOCK]

Not into Wyatts either. I just see some fat guy trying to hide his babyface with a terrible beard and shitty tattoos while doing the goddamn electric slide. Where's the subtlety?

I know everyone has already laid into you for having an opinion, but could you clarify just what it is you're talking about? These aren't real criticisms, like "the way he speaks takes me out of the moment, not what he is saying." What would you have him do differently, aside from lose weight, shave and laser off his tattoos?

[Valcourt]

  The Wyatts pose no questions as a unit.  The question is what will they do next?

 

 

 

Well, probably lose to Cena. But I would like to think HHH/Steph/Vince see the value in buidling new monsters for future guys to go to war with.

[Greggulator]

I'm the biggest Wyatts mark there is and have been since dude had Eli Cottonwood under his spell and he was quoting Danzig songs while referencing the Biblical apple. (Which he did for a bit). And I'm totally fine with an overcoming the odds Cena beating Bray at WrestleMania. I'd rather he not, since I kinda want to leave my life behind and wear a Devo jumpsuit and join their ranks, but Cena doing his thing at WrestleMania is completely fine.

Bray and crew will be fine with a loss. Look at how crazy everyone gets for them. They've been here since SummerSlam (but, mystically, all along). That's not even a year and they're arguably the most over act in the company. The presentation they have is amazing. But all three of those guys are so friggin' great at the character acting side of the business that it's next level.

Bray also writes his own promos, supposedly. I really want Terry Gross to interview him out-of-character. There is so much weirdo theology in the whole thing (The sheep mask is Bray leading us lambs to the slaughter, despite humanity being a virus he's still Breaking Out In Love, the lantern shows he's the true and only light of the world, him calling Cena a "golden calf" on Twitter last night, etc.) that I want to know everything in his upbringing. There's also a lot of class conflict in his act (especially in the introductory promos and on Twitter, and the "Down With The Machine" stuff). Jim Jones gained his following by being a socialist preacher.

 

Okay, I need to actually do work and not talk about the wonders of this gimmick. But, contrary to what dude said before, this is the most gloriously subtle and subversive act the WWE has ever produced.