Raw 3-10-14

[bink_winkleman]

I guess I was watching a different RAW because that crowd absolutely did NOT deflate during the Occupy Raw segment. Not one bit. I was surprised, too, because Tennessee crowds are usually the worst.

I said "half". Watch as every white dude in a ball cap - and there were quite a few - just stood around once the they got hit over the head with "Occupy." Bigger gaps in the Yes chants than there have been in a while.

And Rocky was great and so are the Wyatts. These days, though, the Rock would be pretty easy to take down on the mic just by pointing out how all that homophobia probably makes him a family values US senator type closet case.

And the verbal spanking Bryan put on Batista Friday night isn't as dynamic as Rocky's Billy Gunn take down, but it is just as brutal.

[Casey]

 

Everyone has good matches now. What about the Wyatts makes me care about them as much as or more than The Shield, Bryan, Cesaro, the Rhodeses, Cena, Brock, Taker, the Usos, Christian and Sheamus?

Why are we supposed to give a crap about what makes you care for someone?

Also, Rock's punches sucked, and he rarely if ever hit a missile dropkick.

 

Don't forget his Sharpshooter.

[goc]

To switch into a different gear, what kind of weirdos would vote for 2/3 falls as the stipulation in Christian vs Sheamus? As if one fall isn't bad enough.

Or, what is the difference between a Street Fight and a Falls Count Anywhere Match?

[mco543]

I think a Street Fight is no DQ but the pinfall has to be in the ring whereas Falls Count Anywhere means no DQ and the falls count anywhere

[Fallacy!]

Glad to see WWE doing the right thing with the Wrestlemania main event.

 

However, Daniel Bryan beating Triple H in what is essentially fodder to get to a more "important" match, then beating Randy Orton and Batista in the same night, is something that will have to be seen to be believed.

[Casey]

Glad to see WWE doing the right thing with the Wrestlemania main event.

 

However, Daniel Bryan beating Triple H in what is essentially fodder to get to a more "important" match, then beating Randy Orton and Batista in the same night, is something that will have to be seen to be believed.

the ROH boards would be down for months!

[Greggulator]

 

 

Oh my god you people are so easy to manipulate! The monster actually has some of you convinced that you can't like The Wyatts without hating The Rock and vicy versy.

WAKE UP!!!!! HE's A DEMON!!!!!!! He's A T-!000000 and you're all being brian AUsten Greeenenenenen!!!

Oh make no mistake, I love the Rock to death: But ask me to pick out any Rock match or Promo, or re-watch SHIELD/Wyatts, I'm gonna spend 30 minutes marking out over the best match wrestling has seen in god knows how long.

Seriously, has it been enough time in between that we can debate were that match stands in "Best Match of the Century" discussion? Cause I'm not sure if there is much that can top it.

Personally I'd take Cena v Umaga LMS over the 6 man but that's the only one I feel comfortable saying that about off the top of my head.

Definitely in the discussion.

 

 

Some ones I'd consider: Punk/Cena in Chicago, the first Shawn/UT match, Eddie/Brock and uhm...

That might be it. That's some really high company.

[Eivion]

 

Oh my god you people are so easy to manipulate!  The monster actually has some of you convinced that you can't like The Wyatts without hating The Rock and vicy versy.

 

 

WAKE UP!!!!! HE's A DEMON!!!!!!! He's A T-!000000 and you're all being brian AUsten Greeenenenenen!!!

 

Oh make no mistake, I love the Rock to death: But ask me to pick out any Rock match or Promo, or re-watch SHIELD/Wyatts, I'm gonna spend 30 minutes marking out over the best match wrestling has seen in god knows how long.

 

Seriously, has it been enough time in between that we can debate were that match stands in "Best Match of the Century" discussion? Cause I'm not sure if there is much that can top it.

 

There are probably a decent bit of matches I would take over it, and I have that match in my top 2 for this year.

 

[goc]

If someone had've come to any of us 10 years ago and said -

 

"Hey, you know that Danielson guy who won Survival of the Fittest? Well he is going to beat Orton, Batista and Triple H in a single night at WrestleMania to become the unified WWE Wrold heavyweight champion and he won't even win the Royal Rumble to do it."

 

How many of us would laugh in their face?

Well, he hasn't done it yet. I'm really not convinced they won't have Batista win at Mania with the thinking that Bryan beating HHH and getting in the title match will be enough to satisfy the crowd long enough to get where they want to go: Batista holding the title at the end of the show.

 

And for the record, I'm not against that idea. Batista vs Bryan is obviously the post-Mania feud and I think it's a lot more interesting if Batista is the champ.

[Cobra Commander]

1) maybe "sucks" was too harsh for Mike Rotundo. Rotundo may not have been interesting enough to suck. But I never really found myself saying "Hey, I want to watch some Mike Rotundo". It's like American Cheese. It may be acceptable in some ways, but nobody really goes out wanting to buy some American Cheese. American Cheese was never elected to represent America. It makes Coldplay seem edgy and rebellious. But yeah, i'm sure Rotundo has done interesting things, but i'm sure there's a pretty strong list of 80s/90s guys who i'd randomly watch over Rotundo.

 

2) Which one of you suggested the idea of holding a RAW pro-Bryan countershow in the parking lot? I *know* I saw it on here and it was referenced tonight

 

2b) If someone here is cribbing our ideas, which I do not discourage whatsoever, then here's an idea. HHH buries Daniel Bryan under a HHH shirt/a banner with a HHH logo/etc, in the spirit of the Russians burying Bill Watts under the Soviet flag. If you need someone to instigate that. Well, Sandow was just used as fodder tonight. Sandow just "lost" a payday due to Bryan and he disappointed HHH. Sandow could just "repay" HHH for letting him down by becoming a HHH flunky carrying around a HHH banner/poster/etc like he's fuckin' Lodi. But a few weeks of flunky work, Sandow "comes to his senses", asks Bryan to come down to the ring and apologizes for associating with HHH, offering to join the Yes movement. So obviously various HHH-allied guys jump Bryan in the process, HHH pedigrees Bryan, and buries him under the "item of burial" (which I can't decide between a ridiculous 6ft tall HHH poster, HHH banner or HHH flag). Just fucking knife the DB fans for good times sake in the leadup to crank the heat. Make some of them think you'd really job Bryan to HHH.

 

So if someone lurking is 'adapting' ideas, well, adapt away

[Big Fresh]

 

 

 

Oh my god you people are so easy to manipulate! The monster actually has some of you convinced that you can't like The Wyatts without hating The Rock and vicy versy.

WAKE UP!!!!! HE's A DEMON!!!!!!! He's A T-!000000 and you're all being brian AUsten Greeenenenenen!!!

Oh make no mistake, I love the Rock to death: But ask me to pick out any Rock match or Promo, or re-watch SHIELD/Wyatts, I'm gonna spend 30 minutes marking out over the best match wrestling has seen in god knows how long.

Seriously, has it been enough time in between that we can debate were that match stands in "Best Match of the Century" discussion? Cause I'm not sure if there is much that can top it.

Personally I'd take Cena v Umaga LMS over the 6 man but that's the only one I feel comfortable saying that about off the top of my head.

Definitely in the discussion.

 

 

Some ones I'd consider: Punk/Cena in Chicago, the first Shawn/UT match, Eddie/Brock and uhm...

That might be it. That's some really high company.

 

 

Melina vs. Alicia Fox

[MGFanJay]

Rotunda was a perfectly sound professional wrestler who had passion until some point in the late '80s. I figured "oh, he stopped giving a shit when he became a boat captain", but no, it was before that as Havoc '89 made clear. He's someone who would be good for a young to learn against because his fundamentals were quite good and he could cut an okay babyface promo. As a heel, they all came off as fake and contrived, but that could easily be due to every heel character he played largely being a caricature and not an extension of himself. As Mike Rotunda, he could talk, as IRS/Wallstreet, he couldn't. He looked the part, he'd say the lines, but you couldn't take him seriously because he was a cartoon.

[LooseCannon]

How did people feel about the Chris O'Donnell/LL Cool J NCIS Los Angeles plug?

[E.J.]

It made me feel pretty bad for Chris O'Donnel. I remember listening to some podcast and the discussion came up about how those shows are a steady paycheck for guys like Sinise, Caruso, O'Donnel, etc. Guys who were on the cusp of the A-list, but for whatever reason (Batman and Robin) their careers just never took off, or fizzled out.

[Brian Fowler]

What was amazing about the Occupy RAW thing was that not only were all the people in Bryan shirts that were brought into the ring doing it, but the whole crowd was right there with them.

 

I don't for one minute buy that this was the plan all along, but I also don't give a fuck if they actually pay off the story the right way.

[Brian Fowler]

Oh, Cena/Brock has to go in the MOTC discussion.  Just completely different from everything else ever.

[GuerrillaMonsoon]

If there was ever a time for them to reference Benoit again on TV. It'd be now, with HHH bringing up Mania 20, and the folly of how putting your idols on such a pedestal will only end bad.

 

In horrible taste I know, but seems a good way of reinforcing HHH feeling justified in his views towards Daniel Bryan, and his ilk.

[pipGofern]

Yeah, no offense dude but referencing Benoit in any way shape of form to get over an angle is pretty much the dumbest idea possible.

As for whether they're finally going to put Bryan over at 'Mania, we'll know by the placement of the match on the card. Most of you seem to be assuming the World Title goes on last. If it does, Bryan has to go over with the visual of 50,000+ YESing with him. However, they could put Taker on last in which case, I'm 110% certain Batista is going over with Bryan getting his win in Seattle.

[MushroomJones]

I'm looking forward this week's Michael Cole/HHH fireside chat

[Bustronaut]

Most of you seem to be assuming the World Title goes on last. If it does, Bryan has to go over with the visual of 50,000+ YESing with him. However, they could put Taker on last in which case, I'm 110% certain Batista is going over with Bryan getting his win in Seattle.

Extreme Rules is in NJ now, not Seattle.

[Jenalysis]

That Bryan segment was great- it was the one of two ways I could see HHH logically agreeing to that.  The other way was Bryan making fun of HHH's wrestling ability and goading him into a match that way, and that would have been more contrived.

 

-might be breaking the no politics rule here, but it's relevant.

 

As for the political bent- I don't think it worked well, because lets face, most WWE crowds are the teabagger types- it's why the RA's got over as faces.  Not too many dedicated liberals like wrestling.   That said, being kinda of west-coast socialist leftie is part of Bryan's gimmick- and why I think it's a bit of a shock he got as over as he has- because that really doesn't appeal to your typical wrestling crowd- especially in the South and West.   That said, Bryan is so over, and they put it off for so long, it worked. 

 

 

Steph and HHH's heeling in that segment was really, really great, but it's something we need to see only once or twice a decade- they need to put it back in the closet for a few years so it's special.  Steph's especially, her ability to have a breakdown is so much better than Vince's.

 

Bray does look like he belongs on the mike with Cena/Hogan, it's the ringwork I worry about.   Part of me wonders if they should just have him stop wrestling except on special occasions, and become the big "heel manager" for the next decade- WWE hasn't had one of those in ages.  

[Victator]

As for the political bent- I don't think it worked well, because lets face, most WWE crowds are the teabagger type

 

A study a few years back said that is not the case.

[Uncle Coaster]

Last night, I went from "I'm looking forward to going to New Orleans" to "I'm looking forward to going to Wrestlemania".

 

Occupy Raw was great and had me on my feet.  When HHH gave Bryan his match and then Bryan went Columbo on him (oh sir, one more thing) it was just one of those "this is why I watch wrestling" moments for me.  I called my father immediately after and he answered the phone by saying, "I saw it".  It was one of those moments.

 

Bray Wyatt is hanging with the best of them in every facet and it is great to watch.  I think the fact that his match with Daniel at the Rumble isn't being talked about more is a testament to just how great this year has been in ring already.  The fact that he was in two of the matches that overshadow it says something about his ability.  He may not have been the star of any of those matches, but each week he is showing us that he has something special.

 

Nice moment on the pre-show for the panel to give Jerry Lawler a standing ovation in his hometown.  However, I am among those that think its time for Jerry to step down from the commentary table.  Cole having to walk him through what had happened in the Shield/Wyatts Elimination Chamber match was unfortunate.

 

I'm a battle royal mark and an Andre The Giant mark.  Moving the old pre-show battle royal to the main card and giving it a name just turned it into something I absolutely am looking forward to.

[Raziel]

 

Most of you seem to be assuming the World Title goes on last. If it does, Bryan has to go over with the visual of 50,000+ YESing with him. However, they could put Taker on last in which case, I'm 110% certain Batista is going over with Bryan getting his win in Seattle.

Extreme Rules is in NJ now, not Seattle.

 

Which as far as Bryan goes, he'll get the same, if not better, reaction.

[Brisco]

I'm guessing they do a Bad News/Bret finish with the Real Americans in the Andre Memorial.

Wasn't there some battle royal where a tag team (the Road Warriors?) were in at the end and agreed to split the prize money? They should either borrow that ending or tease it and do a swerve.

Have read through 5 pages and didn't see this answered yet but The Skyscrapers were the team to split the 50,000 two ring over the top rope battle royal at The Bash 89. Sid won in ring one and Spivey won in ring two and they were supposed to have a regular match to decide the winner but Teddy Long was the voice of reason.