Patrick B. Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 As much as I liked Bálor/Itami, I felt like they could do even better than that. I'm sure it won't be the last time they cross paths. I liked that they gave some camera focus to Emma's disappointment after her loss, showing that there's SOMETHING in the works for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Hearing Alex Riley talking about how he is "all about that bass no treble" when it is clear he has no clue what that means just drives me nuts. His attempt at being a Michael Cole 2010 clone is just embarrassing at times but that isn't saying anything new I have no idea what you do with Bull Dempsey vs Baron Corbin 3 at Takeover. he has kind of squashed Bull the first two times and if you don't make it competitive then aren't you giving Bull the Mojo Rawley treatment when at this point it isn't needed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 God, I just looked up that Solomon Crowe promo video...why are we excited about him showing up? Weirdly, Carmella's match might have been the highlight of the show for me. I love that trio. I love that she didn't just randomly show up. She got an origin story: she was Enzo's hairdresser that he had a thing for and then he got her fired via hair removal cream on a dog drama, and to make up for it/try to woo her, he started helping her train at NXT. She had a string of impressive and lucky wins, and then ran into the BLUE PANTS wall, which was completely believable, as she's a rookie that was still cutting hair like 6 months ago. Finn Balor being Coldplay The Wrestler is so spot on. He is doing WAY TOO MUCH and it looks absurd. He looks like a Southern Baptist kid that realized he just wants to do theatre a semester into state college during his entrance. He can't even do parts of it: if you can't walk across the stage backwards without looking over your shoulder, maybe cut that part. It's just annoying because I love the shit out of that guy and then he has to Black Swan for ten minutes before he starts killing people. If they ever let Hideo use the GTS, I want them to do an extreme zoom to his face while he battle yells. He seems to work as a babyface underdog because anytime his music hits my wife comes in and watches and just cringes like he got shot every time he bumps. "Oh he wasn't supposed to land like that..." after the corner bump and subsequent sell. There is nothing better than non fans getting caught up in the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig H Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Sometimes I feel like some of you are seeing a different Finn Balor. Also, I completely agree with Jraq regarding Neville. Neville went from someone I thought was pretty good, but not interesting, to someone who is so awesome in nearly everything he does. He's improved by leaps and bounds from the 4 way until now. I think the feud with Zayn helped him more than anything else. He's just awesome. He really reminds me of a more high flying Chris Benoit in that a ton of what Neville does is so crisp and has such a snap to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brysynner Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 With there being a no DQ match at Takeover: Rival. Can we get Dusty as guest commentator for that match? I feel it would add more to the match and it would sports entertain me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggulator Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I am the first to admit I carry a bias. I love Bray. He's my favorite wrestler. I think it's the smartest, coolest and best gimmick in ages. On top of an awesome shtick, he's had nothing but wonderful matches. Some of them are gimmicky -- the demon child -- but that's some Undertaker/Kane stuff, and it's fun and goofy metaphysical wrestler stuff. It's what I want to see, to some degree, in my wrestling. Part of my love for him is that I got to see him evolve. I saw his first FCW promos and was blown away. And then I got into NXT because of his Reign of Terror. I'll forever be into everything he does -- just like Luke Harper and Eric Rowan and Bo Dallas and Emma and Paige. I got to see them from their start and turn into what they became.But I think a lot of indie/Japan fans have that same bias with their guys. And I get that -- I have the same exact thing. I have absolutely no exposure to Devitt. I don't want any. I already spend too much time watching/thinking/etc. about play wrestling. So I can only go by what I see with him, and that's what Scraylo sees, too. Different strokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Sometimes I feel like some of you are seeing a different Finn Balor. Also, I completely agree with Jraq regarding Neville. Neville went from someone I thought was pretty good, but not interesting, to someone who is so awesome in nearly everything he does. He's improved by leaps and bounds from the 4 way until now. I think the feud with Zayn helped him more than anything else. He's just awesome. He really reminds me of a more high flying Chris Benoit in that a ton of what Neville does is so crisp and has such a snap to it. Absolutely on Neville. I love that his high flying and cartwheeling and running all seems LOGICAL, too. I can appreciate a dude that does spots and flippy moves, but every over the top fast thing Neville does seems to make sense in the context of the match, too. It's super impressive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggulator Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Neville is awesome. His timing with when he uses his big moves are unreal. He's also very good at making the offense he takes look like death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stay Gold Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I've also seen the Bray character develop since the beginning, and was really excited about him for a while, but I don't think he's really evolved as a singles wrestler since that time. To me, a guy like Neville has evolved consistently in the last 5 years. It's amazing stuff to witness. Balor's new entrance is overly dramatic, I agree. I wasn't crazy about it when he did it that first time at the Dome show a couple of years ago, but I'll admit I popped for it when he brought it at Takeover. It works way less without the over the top body paint. I do still like the guy though. Was never one of my favorites, but it's exciting to see where he's at right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Coaster Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I normally like Alex Reilly, but the dude wouldn't let go of the friendship angle with Neville on commentary. That was odd. The thing I fear with Balor is that the NXT crowd knew who he was when he got there. The main roster crowd won't. If he comes out with even just a few weeks of hype videos and tries to do his current entrance, I'm afraid it will be mocked and he becomes a comedy guy. Not sure what best way to introduce him would be. Seems odd to say this, but glad to see Emma on NXT as long as it means she's on tv more often. I miss seeing her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brysynner Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 The thing I fear with Balor is that the NXT crowd knew who he was when he got there. The main roster crowd won't. If he comes out with even just a few weeks of hype videos and tries to do his current entrance, I'm afraid it will be mocked and he becomes a comedy guy. Not sure what best way to introduce him would be. IC Champ Seth Rollins runs his mouth about how he can beat anyone in the back. Balor's music plays, he does a toned down version of his entrance, hits all his spots, diving double stomp wins the belt in like 4 minutes. Or you just debut him in a "smart mark" city or Orlando where odds are the crowd will know him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Fresh Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Finn Bálor's debut feud had to be with Bray Wyatt. That would make the face paint for their PPV match make sense. "To beat a monster, I must become one." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I think Balor would get the exact same results if he cut like 80% out. Start with the lights turning on at the top of the ramp and he's already at his spot raising his arms, walk to the ring, and then maaaybe let him sit in the corner and then perch on the turnbuckle. The message still comes across just as strong and it doesn't look as clumsy. Also, again, I love that dude. And Riley is just god awful. He wasn't in an hour long loveless marriage scream fight this week, but we now know he's just as terrible when he doesn't have Renee or Albert to hiss at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Fresh Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I'd make Bálor's entrance longer because I love to hear more of that badass entrance music. It's the best thing Johnson has done in years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I'd make Bálor's entrance longer because I love to hear more of that badass entrance music. It's the best thing Johnson has done in years. It's so, so good. But does it work with Taylor Swift vocals as well as Sami Zayn's does? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stay Gold Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Haha, that's great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRGoldman Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Balor is an attractive dude in body paint, coming out to an awesome song, and doing some pretty good high spots. The fans won't treat him like a comedy character, they'll treat him like Jeff Hardy. Also for Gregg and Scraylo, that promo video is pretty bad, but I thought that Crowe was consistently one of the better promos on the indies in the year or two before he signed. Granted, he wasn't at the level of Ambrose or anything, but certainly he was a much better promo than Seth Rollins or any of the other indy darlings who have signed recently. My issue with the hacker gimmick is that it is clear (to me at least) that Crowe/Callihan is really just a redneck from central Ohio. Like, in all his indy promos he was dipping. I don't buy that the guy who probably grew up in a town with a still active roller rink is the biggest computer whiz in the world. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 When Emma did the tarantula spot, Riley said something like, "The ref had to break that hold, or Emma could've won the match right there!" Uhhhmmm... not really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stay Gold Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Crowe's promos were fine in the indies because he was pissed and shouty. So while it wasn't ground breaking stuff, it was easy to buy into. I agree that he's not believable in this role. There is room for growth though, obviously. You brought up Rollins, who was just abysmal with a mic as Tyler Black, and has come a long way since then with his confidence and delivery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCM Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Agreed on Neville. Six months ago I could've cared less, but he's really come around as a performer. I'd say second best guy in NXT if we're not counting Kidd. Riley asked Neville 10 variations of the same question. Just shut up and call the match doofus. As far as the whole indy favorite thing I haven't followed indy wrestling since ROH in 2008. I'm just going by what I see on NXT. Becky and Balor have been a little underwhelming (though I could see Balor breaking out if he keeps up with Neville), and non indy darlings Sasha and Breeze are in my NXT top 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 They should really book Balor like Mutoh/Great Muta. Jekyll and Hyde type stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what Trips has in mind for him. Call it a hunch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 And Riley is just god awful. He wasn't in an hour long loveless marriage scream fight this week, but we now know he's just as terrible when he doesn't have Renee or Albert to hiss at. Is this just me or does Graves make things better because he brings whatever the fuck Riley is talking about back to the subject better than anyone? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 And Riley is just god awful. He wasn't in an hour long loveless marriage scream fight this week, but we now know he's just as terrible when he doesn't have Renee or Albert to hiss at. Is this just me or does Graves make things better because he brings whatever the fuck Riley is talking about back to the subject better than anyone? Agreed. Graves has been like a band-aid for the awful influence that Riley brings. Honestly, Riley is the drizzling shits. It's like he goes into brain lock and can't move on. He's JBL without the charisma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StretchMediatedHypertrophy Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 +1 for Graves. Riley: Stay Down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godfrey Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I liked Neville/Corbin but I agree Corbin needed to step it up a little. He needs some mid-level power moves like a tilt-a-whirl something or a cool suplex. Also, ever since that Sad Corbin Twitter pointed out his torso looks like a face I think he needs a shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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