WWE NETWORK GENERAL DISCUSSION THREAD

[Nice Guy Eddie]

That was the only time the Russo swerve worked. I'd say WCW Mayhem in '99 almost worked, but...rehashing the nWo? WCW was already fucked up beyond repair at that point, so it really didn't matter what they tried.

[twiztor]

Survivor Series '98 remains one of the best single day tournaments in pro wrestling history.

everything was perfectly booked. as mentioned, all of the swerves were executed flawlessly and the surprise was actually that. masterful.

[elizium]

"Whatever it takes to win, I will do. Because that's the way I was raised and that's the way I'm gonna raise my kids...if I ever decide to have any."

Bad News continues to be the best. I get why the gave Warrior the IC title in 88, but man would I have been way more into Bad News owning the mid-card.

[Gorman]

Thoughts on WWF Capital Carnage (UK-only PPV)

The Brood was booked all over the place. Gangrel was a heel against Al Snow, Edge was a babyface against Tiger Ali Singh, and Christian teamed up with Sable, of all people.

The British fans hated Droz as Animal's new partner so much that they cheered the Headbangers and didn't pop for Animal's comeback.

Vince McMahon won the MVP award by cutting a great pro-American, anti-British promo on the fans. He got so much heat that he didn't even need. Vince dismissed "tea time" as "a pious load of crap."

Then poor Tiger Ali Singh immediately came out and also cut an anti-British promo, regarding the UK's alleged oppression of India. Just like on the first UK PPV,  Tiger would have been better off not talking on the mic at all.

Jacqueline losing her top could have only happened in the UK. It completely stole the thunder of Marc Mero, who had just wrestled his final match.

Steve Blackman was challenging Ken Shamrock for the IC title when he decided to attack the Big Bossman, who was doing nothing at ringside. Bossman immediately interfered and cost Blackman the match.

In 1998, Jeff Jarrett came to the ring with Jim Cornette, Barry Windham, The Rock & Roll Express, Tennessee Lee, Southern Justice and Debra McMichael.

When the Corporation took Triple H's title shot away and gave it to X-Pac, they should have simply said X-Pac was getting the shot because he was the European champion.

Football "bad boy" Vinny Jones was really over with the fans, but he cut the worst promo of the year. He could barely string a coherent sentence together. Gerald Brisco gave him a red card when he shoved Bossman out of the ring, but he still came back at the end to have beers with Stone Cold. 

[Gorman]

Thoughts on In Your House 25: Rock Bottom

Golga hit the slow-turning powerslam and then went for the sit-down splash as if he were trying to tell the crowd, "Hey! It's me! Earthquake!"

Steve Blackman finally got a singles win on pay-per-view, but it would have been better if he had pinned or submitted Owen Hart. Instead, Owen just walked out of the match.

Bob Holly and Scorpio probably weren't happy to be on a team called the JOB Squad, but at least they had jobs. Of course, they probably would have made more money and worked less in WCW.

Shawn Michaels was a heel commissioner, but he couldn't resist the urge to reverse the decision of the Goldust-Jarrett match, so Debra had to do a striptease. Blue Blazer covering up Debra fit his goody-two-shoes superhero character perfectly.

I totally forgot that Michaels was the Corporate Commissioner and actually opposed the DX faction that he helped to establish. He got great heat at ringside, and the Outlaws really looked impressive by overcoming the stacked odds to beat Shamrock and Bossman.

Austin's Buried Alive win over Undertaker had an anti-climactic ending. Kane did the dirty work by hitting a tombstone on Undertaker, and Austin was basically coaching the backhoe operator to dump the dirt onto Taker.

Mankind had super-charged new "I won the match" music to replace his soft piano theme, and it played when he apparently won the title. Mankind also foreshadowed his title match at the Royal Rumble when he tried to force Vince to admit that Mankind would never say "I Quit."

The difference between the People's Elbow and the Corporate Elbow is that The Rock doesn't throw the elbow pad to the people; he spikes it onto his opponent. 

The Rock is the MVP of his own pay-per-view. He cut a great promo at the outset, predicting that this would be the first of many PPVs named after him. He did commentary during his own title defense. Even though he lost in the middle of the ring to the Mr. Socko Claw, he somehow walked out with the WWF title.

[Gorman]

Thoughts on Royal Rumble 99

We start the Year of Nonsensical Booking with Big Bossman vs. Road Dogg. It's a hardcore match, but Vince doesn't put Road Dogg's hardcore title on the line. Nothing really hardcore happens, Bossman wins clean and doesn't bring the title back to the Corporation.

On the other hand, Ken Shamrock was finally booked correctly. He came in with the IC and tag team title, and he beat Billy Gunn with the ankle lock. Too bad he was an also-ran in the Rumble match.

Luna showed up for a strap match in an outfit that exposed her entire back and buttocks. Even Jerry Lawler said it was a bad idea.

I've given Mankind several MVP awards based on the insane amount of punishment he took in his matches, but I think we can all agree that what happened to his brain in the I Quit match was a bad idea. During one of his live shows, Foley said everyone asks him about the Hell in a Cell match, but he arguably suffered more damage here. It was so bad that the WWE Network put up three TV-MA warnings in a row at the start of the Network broadcast.

The first part of the Rumble was so filled with angles and lower-card wrestlers that it began to seem like it didn't matter who won the Rumble. The storyline about a $100,000 bounty on Austin was lost on the guys who were in the ring while Austin was traveling to and from the hospital. Undertaker wasn't in the Rumble because he was too busy taking Mabel away in a hearse, and Kane was only in long enough to clean house and then chase away the mental-hospital personnel.

Vince McMahon is the default MVP of the show. Despite getting stuck in the No. 2 spot, he recruited enough goons to battle Austin throughout the night.  He also brought The Rock out to distract Austin at the end to cap his master plan and set up the Austin-Rock showdown at WM 15.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

The '99 Royal Rumble...so, so awful

[GuerrillaMonsoon]

That WWE Story Time show. With the exception of maybe Coach, is there anyone on there that doesn't come off as a total asshole?

This week, the Rock reflects on throwing a 100 pound typewriter off a balcony at 14 before throwing eggs at people down below. Jake Roberts/some guy was afraid of snakes legit so I fucked with him story that seemingly appears every week, etc. etc.

[elizium]

One weird thing about Prime Time, they overdub Rick Rude's music. I always assumed his music was public domain.

Also, who thought Brother Love was a good idea? I mean, I know who did, but why? I hated him as a kid, because he was annoying, but age and an understanding of satire has not improved the act at all. His first appearance, he comes out, says "I love ya" over and over for 2 minutes and leaves. He's introduced as Bobby Heenan's spiritual advisor and maybe there's something there if you play out how he's bilking all the heels out of their money for spiritual enlightenment, but they never really go there. As it is, I'm not sure I can relive 2+ years of Brother Love segments, even the good ones, like when Earthquake smooshed Hogan.

[joseph2112]

4 hours ago, elizium said:

One weird thing about Prime Time, they overdub Rick Rude's music. I always assumed his music was public domain.

Also, who thought Brother Love was a good idea? I mean, I know who did, but why? I hated him as a kid, because he was annoying, but age and an understanding of satire has not improved the act at all. His first appearance, he comes out, says "I love ya" over and over for 2 minutes and leaves. He's introduced as Bobby Heenan's spiritual advisor and maybe there's something there if you play out how he's bilking all the heels out of their money for spiritual enlightenment, but they never really go there. As it is, I'm not sure I can relive 2+ years of Brother Love segments, even the good ones, like when Earthquake smooshed Hogan.

Brother Love segments are legit the first time I can remember watching wrestling and flipping the channel to something else and switching back every minute or so to see if it was over yet.

[RIPPA]

Ride Along Season 2 started last night with the Shield in one car and Sasha/Bayley in the other.

The commercial also showed one with Bo Dallas (I am assuming he was with Curtis Axel but I missed it so I am not 100% sure)

[Rev Ray]

3 hours ago, RIPPA said:

Ride Along Season 2 started last night with the Shield in one car and Sasha/Bayley in the other.

The commercial also showed one with Bo Dallas (I am assuming he was with Curtis Axel but I missed it so I am not 100% sure)

I'm pretty sure it's Bo and Axel.  The Hardys are another.

[CSC]

"Fuck Ride Along"

I love Neville. 

[RIPPA]

That Shield/Bayley/Boss episode is one of the best episodes of Ride Along - it just is too damn short

I am also amused at what shows Vince is willing to be filmed on and which ones he isn't (Since it was clear they were not allowed to film Vince headed to his limo)

[CSC]

I found it amusing, and not at all surprising, that Reigns is pretty much the worst road trip partner.

Just chills in the backseat, falls asleep half the time and bugs fast food places that are closed to let him inside to use the restroom. 

Now Rollins on the other hand ... "maybe I should get 2 double doubles!".  My kind of guy. 

[Cristobal]

Ambrose getting nothing but fries is doing In-n-Out wrong.

[CSC]

Animal Style fries, sure.  That's a meal.  But regular fries?  Come on.

I should probably stop devolving threads in the wrestling folder into fast food discussion...

[DeathyBoy]

Ambrose is such a whacky guy.

Also this forum looks awesome. Recently fled another one and glad not all places are festering dumpster fires run by evil people. WWE has decent lore at least. 

[Gorman]

Thoughts on In Your House 26: St. Valentine's Day Massacre

The fans didn't get into Goldust-Bluedust at first, but Bluedust got some heat by stalling outside the ring, and then Goldust got everyone pumped up for Shattered Dreams. I'm amazed that nobody made a "blue balls" joke.

Bob Holly and Al Snow battled in the Mississippi River on a 30-degree night, which made the Hardcore title seem like a worthy prize.

On the other hand, the IC title was an afterthought as Val Venis won it from Ken Shamrock in a match refereed by Billy Gunn. Even Michael Cole admitted that Ryan Shamrock was the focus of the match. And how many of us big brothers have had to yell at our little sisters: "Blood is thicker than water! (slap me)."

Ivory did her job of keeping Mark Henry from focusing on Debra, but the ladies' fight outside the ring distracted the referee, who didn't see Owen Hart hit Henry with a guitar.

The fans chanted "Boring" during the Bossman-Mideon match. Nobody cared about the Corporation-Ministry feud, so it's a good thing they merged. Besides, I love stables with way too many members.

Just like Shawn Michaels two months earlier, I totally forgot that Kane and Chyna both joined the Corporation. Chyna did it for money, while Kane was trying to avoid Vince throwing him into the insane asylum. X-Pac chased Shane McMahon to the back, which basically doomed Triple H to lose to Chyna and Kane.

Mankind and The Rock had a great Last Man Standing match, which doesn't get its proper place in history among their other battles. Although, it didn't make sense for Mankind to be knocked out from one chair shot to the shoulder after taking 10 to the head in the I Quit match.

Stone Cold Steve Austin is the MVP after delivering on his promise to annihilate Vince McMahon in a steel cage. Austin had the victory in the bag several times but kept coming back to destroy the boss. It was a strong blowoff to one of the best and most lucrative feuds in wrestling history.

 

 

 

[Curt McGirt]

I forgot all about that Hardcore match. Who's bright idea was it to go into the river?

[Brian Fowler]

If that had actually been the end of the Austin/Vince feud...

[DeathyBoy]

23 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

I forgot all about that Hardcore match. Who's bright idea was it to go into the river?

Always amazed no one ever did a Matt Foley style motivational speaker gimmick. Easiest heat ever - just a big guy telling people they're two bad life choices away from living in a van down by the river. 

 

 

[Gorman]

Thoughts on WrestleMania XV

Switching the New Age Outlaws' feuds over the Hardcore and IC titles made absolutely no sense. If Hardcore Holly was just going to win back the title, why not have Road Dogg in the match? For the same reason, why move Road Dogg into the IC title match when he had nothing to do with Ryan Shamrock?

Speaking of Ryan, the Blue Meanie wore a hilarious shirt depicting himself cozying up to his "mommy" Goldust while giving Ryan the Heisman.

D-Lo Brown tried to win the tag team belts from Owen & Jarrett, this time with Test as his partner. The match had the same result: Ivory fighting with Debra, distracting the referee from the champs cheating to win. Terri and Jackie joined the ladies' argument for no reason whatsoever. 

Gorilla Monsoon got some much-deserved love from the crowd. Despite his poor health, Gorilla still checked on Bart Gunn after his devastating loss to Butterbean. Gorilla will always be my favorite announcer.

Big Show turned babyface just one month after his debut, establishing the theme of his WWF run.

Sable was very well-suited to being an arrogant heel, and Nicole Bass was great as her muscle. Too bad that pairing didn't last longer. I love how Sable's stalker Tori just happened to be a wrestler so they could have a title match at WrestleMania. If Tori were a mail carrier or interior decorator, it just wouldn't have worked.

Regarding Chyna apparently turning babyface to reform DX, only to have Triple H and Chyna turn on X-Pac ... I see that they were going for some next-level, Deadly Game-like storytelling. The problem is that Chyna had just turned heel less than two months earlier, and these two swerves happened almost in back-to-back matches (the Sable bout was in between). It was just too much. 

The fans turned on the Undertaker-Bossman Hell in a Cell match because they had no rooting interest in the Ministry-Corporation feud. Do we cheer for the evil boss's henchman or the devil?

Well, it looks like the poor Bossman has been hanged. Let's check out some clips from the WrestleMania Rage party!

Austin is the MVP because he won the only important match of the night. The referee switches, culminating with Mankind's reappearance, were fun. Earl Hebner again barged into the championship celebration just like he did three years earlier when Shawn Michaels won the title.

[Brian Fowler]

Luckily for everyone, Rock and Austin had a much better match at Backlash the next show.

[BurningBeard]

I remember the pop for Triple H and Chyna reconciling being huge, then the double turn seemed to kill the crowd.

How long was it between Triple H just sort of hovering in the background with the Corporate Ministry and THE GAME being unleashed on the world? Six months? My memory is all vague about that period (I blame going through puberty)