Raw 3-23-15 - WM Go-Home Show

[Tromatagon]

Needed more Dario Cueto is my Homeboy sign shots

[Brysynner]

Random thought but related to Reigns....what if Reigns had Bo Dallas NXT gimmick of thinking he's a super over babyface and doesn't understand that he's getting a negative reaction

[Burgundy LaRue]

Random thought but related to Reigns....what if Reigns had Bo Dallas NXT gimmick of thinking he's a super over babyface and doesn't understand that he's getting a negative reaction

 

You know what would be really great?  If they write where Reigns' psyche fractures--that the negativity drove him over the edge--and  he takes the Roman Empire angle too seriously and starts addressing his fellow superstars as his court.  Remember the Maxamillian Zeus character from Batman: The Animated Series?  Go that route.  Have him thinking Ambrose and Rollins are really his brothers, and have them fighting over him--Rollins because he wants to steal the empire/belt, and Ambrose because while he's crazy himself, he actually does care about Roman's well-being.  Heck, go King Lear somewhat and insert a third 'brother' (Orton, maybe) and really go to the hilt with it.  See if they can get Sting to make a few appearances where he can help Roman sort out stuff eventually.

[J.T.]

Random thought but related to Reigns....what if Reigns had Bo Dallas NXT gimmick of thinking he's a super over babyface and doesn't understand that he's getting a negative reaction

 

Then he would be John Cena?

[JohnnyJ]

Random thought but related to Reigns....what if Reigns had Bo Dallas NXT gimmick of thinking he's a super over babyface and doesn't understand that he's getting a negative reaction

 

He'd have to go full-Sheamus. Lots of smiling. Using all of the buzzwords WWE loves (i.e. Sports Entertainment, WWE Universe). Dropping promos clearly written by Vince (i.e. Sufferin Succotash!)

 

This could actually work. 

[Brysynner]

 

Random thought but related to Reigns....what if Reigns had Bo Dallas NXT gimmick of thinking he's a super over babyface and doesn't understand that he's getting a negative reaction

 

Then he would be John Cena?

 

 

So then the plan worked...Vince is a genius

[Tromatagon]

I couldn't sit through a Maximilian Zeus episode as a kid of an adult, so its a pretty good gimmick for RoRo

I even liked the one where Batman had amnesia and became homeless FFS

[caley]

I loved the 10-man tag with everyone getting a little go in there.  I'm totally baffled that they don't throw 6-10 guys every week in multi-man tags, rotate their partners and which week they appear on, just to keep them on Raw so you don't get the "Oh hey, Zack Ryder is still employed" comments all the time.  It would also be good for working guys back into shape in front of live audiences (Like Darren Young, whom I thought looked really good last night) without having to write programs for them.

 

I enjoyed Bill Simmons' commentary last night for the sheer "Why?" factor (Like who thought "Oh man, people are gonna be so stoked that Bill Simmons is doing commentary this week...gets us closer to our dream of having Peter King call an El Torito match!") but also for imagining Vince on the headset going "NO! Not Ventura!  We gave him a chance to pick Heenan, goddamnit!"

 

Paige-Nikki was actually quite enjoyable and I think the biggest under-discussed talking point of the past year or so is how good the Bellas have gotten.  I still hate the sounds they make in the ring...just hate it...but they've become solid wrestlers.

 

The ending was embarrassing but only because it was so obvious that they didn't want Reigns-Lesnar to physically interact so they had two grown men playing tug-of-war over a belt, as if Lesnar crushing Reigns with a clothesline, or Reigns ducking and knocking Brock over the ropes is going to make someone go "Oh, I saw them fight already, I don't want to see a full match" rather than the weird WWE idea that "If people don't see them touch each other, then they'll have to pay to watch it!"  I actually loved the reaction of Reigns taking the belt, a kinda hushed "Ohhh no he didn't".  I don't think the reaction sounded nearly as negative as the way people are painting it.

[BobbyWhioux]

I enjoyed Bill Simmons' commentary last night for the sheer "Why?" factor (Like who thought "Oh man, people are gonna be so stoked that Bill Simmons is doing commentary this week...gets us closer to our dream of having Peter King call an El Torito match!") but also for imagining Vince on the headset going "NO! Not Ventura!  We gave him a chance to pick Heenan, goddamnit!"

 

I enjoyed it because he used the forbidden W-word.  Repeatedly.

[Burgundy LaRue]

The ending was embarrassing but only because it was so obvious that they didn't want Reigns-Lesnar to physically interact so they had two grown men playing tug-of-war over a belt, as if Lesnar crushing Reigns with a clothesline, or Reigns ducking and knocking Brock over the ropes is going to make someone go "Oh, I saw them fight already, I don't want to see a full match" rather than the weird WWE idea that "If people don't see them touch each other, then they'll have to pay to watch it!"  I actually loved the reaction of Reigns taking the belt, a kinda hushed "Ohhh no he didn't".  I don't think the reaction sounded nearly as negative as the way people are painting it.

 

That was funny.  It was just the aftermath of Reigns taking the belt--the IT'S MINE GIVE IT BACK, NO POOPYHEAD IT'S MINE NOW preschool struggle that took a OH SHIT HE DONE DID IT NOW moment into a DEAR HEAVENS NO ANYTHING BUT THIS swirl around the drain.

 

In any case, it'll be fun to watch minds explode one way or another.  If Reigns were to come out next Monday and start singing "It's mine now, hey now, the belt is mine!" while dancing like a madman--I'd howl with laughter.

[Cristobal]

On the downside, he talked about JBL putting Cena over.

[ebbie]

Paige-Nikki was actually quite enjoyable and I think the biggest under-discussed talking point of the past year or so is how good the Bellas have gotten. I still hate the sounds they make in the ring...just hate it...but they've become solid wrestlers.

All of the divas need to stop. Paige sounds like she had Down syndrome and is going into a Tourette's suffer rage when she shouts 'This is my house!' And Summer sounds like a mix between a dying dinosaur and two cats fucking and she keeps it up for 3 minutes nonstop. I'd like to think that's why she's not wrestling every show any more.

[Overly Critical Man]

Nikki Bella was kicking out of superkicks to the head at one and the Rampage with AUTHORITY. She's basically female Brock at this point or she was going into business for herself. Who would have ever thought Nikki Bella of all people would be the monster heel of the divas.

[Pete]

I loved the 10-man tag with everyone getting a little go in there.  I'm totally baffled that they don't throw 6-10 guys every week in multi-man tags, rotate their partners and which week they appear on, just to keep them on Raw so you don't get the "Oh hey, Zack Ryder is still employed" comments all the time.  It would also be good for working guys back into shape in front of live audiences (Like Darren Young, whom I thought looked really good last night) without having to write programs for them.

 

I've always said they should run those 10-man tags more often- it's one of the best things they do in-ring. Just load a match up with dudes and give them 10-15 minutes.

 

Are they still running with #GiveDivasAChance or did Torito pinning Nattie sort of put paid to the concept?

[Patrick B.]

Finisher kickouts has become a pet peeve of mine.  Yes, I'm Mr. Indie Dork, so that just means I see it A LOT and it bugs me there too.  Especially when someone's kicking out of a finisher in a nothing TV match.

[SirSmUgly]

WWE's insistence on having only finishers and flash pins win matches has led to finisher kickouts to get convincing near falls, so they should just go with my idea (and probably the idea of lots of other people who have thought about this) and basically have tiered finishers.

 

For example, using Paige: 

 

Paige Turner ---> beats mid-level wrestlers consistently, never beats upper-level wrestlers unless she spams like three of them in a row.

 

Scorpion Crosslock -----> gets submissions on mid-level wrestlers consistently, gets submissions on upper-level wrestlers only sometimes and may take multiple applications to do so

 

Rampaige -----> Beats everyone and is kicked out of only rarely when high-level opponent's adrenaline is going due to big show excitement (like at WM).

 

This way, Paige can get wins with the first two moves fairly regularly so that when someone kicks out, it's more of a surprise. 

 

Signature moves should get more pinfalls and each wrestler should have three of them on top of their one or two finishers. 

[Jenalysis]

For example- Barrett- why does Wasteland no longer give pinfalls- is the move less effective now due to injuries?

 

This works better for certain guys- it would be a lot better for Sheamus than it would be for Bryan or Cena as an example.

[MGFanJay]

Needed more Dario Cueto is my Homeboy sign shots

I've got one of them somewhere in the big gallery.

[SirSmUgly]

Puro style is slightly different to me. Most Puro I've seen has it so that, for example, I might not beat you with my head-drop finisher, but I will do enough damage that the regular ol' right hook I land after you kick out of it will put you down for three. It's more like an "accumulated damage" thing than a "tiered finisher" thing; I guess more modern NJPW leans more toward the tiered finisher idea I'm talking about, though, and some finisher spamming that guys like Tanahashi do is really reminiscent of WWE-style use of finishers. 

 

I could be wrong, though, not being nearly as much of a Puro follower than many people here. 

[Patrick B.]

Trying to figure out the Sting-HHH deal.  Sting has said a few times that it's not about WCW, he's taking down the corrupt Authority.  HHH and Steph insist it's a WWE vs. WCW thing.  I guess you could say that, in character, HHH is an egomaniac who OF COURSE thinks that he's greater than he actually is and that everything revolves around him.  Of course he, the heel character, would hog the credit for DeGeneration X being a big part of the turnaround of the Monday night wars.  Of course he wouldn't see himself as corrupt and would see Sting as simply trying to take down the "top dog".  Of course, the winners write the history books.

When was the last time Ryder got a win on Raw?

Can I think Nikki Bella is hot and that she has improved a lot in the ring while still thinking she's mostly pushed due to her relationship to John Cena?

Now getting to Ziggler-Bryan.  Bryan's a lost cause so at least they seem to be pushing Ziggler with wins over him.

[nofuture]

Can I think Nikki Bella is hot and that she has improved a lot in the ring while still thinking she's mostly pushed due to her relationship to John Cena?

 

 

I think she's getting pushed cause she's the "star" of Total Divas and the current Diva roster is pretty weak.  AJ and Paige have held the title for the last 2 years so they needed someone different to put the title on.

[muhammedboehm]

Can I think Nikki Bella is hot and that she has improved a lot in the ring while still thinking she's mostly pushed due to her relationship to John Cena?

I think she's getting pushed cause she's the "star" of Total Divas and the current Diva roster is pretty weak. AJ and Paige have held the title for the last 2 years so they needed someone different to put the title on.

And couldn't it be argued that Total Divas only really happened because they needed something to do with Nikkie and to an extent Brie

[BobbyWhioux]

Nikki Bella was kicking out of superkicks to the head at one and the Rampage with AUTHORITY. She's basically female Brock at this point or she was going into business for herself. Who would have ever thought Nikki Bella of all people would be the monster heel of the divas.

 

Spitballing Theories:

 

1.)  She's been inspired by an old puro compilation she borrowed from Brie after Daniel Bryan left it at Brie's house one night.

 

2.)  John Cena's mutant healing factor stems from a heretofore undiscovered sexually transmitted disease.

 

3.)  Trained by Fit Finley and/or Meng on the down low.

 

4.)  Honestly who cares, as long as she keeps throwing that death elbow at people I'm not going to get too caught up in trying to explain it and just enjoy it. 

[Patrick B.]

So Rusev kept the camel clutch on Swagger to lure out Cena for the save so he could beat him up...except Cena usually DOESN'T save people, but he actually did here so the plan could work.  Weird.

[Personal Jesus]

So Rusev kept the camel clutch on Swagger to lure out Cena for the save so he could beat him up...except Cena usually DOESN'T save people, but he actually did here so the plan could work.  Weird.

 

He knows Cena's a dick who wants to attack him, but needs a "noble" excuse so he gave him one. Rusev knows Cena has that "I'm doing this for me, but I'll pretend I'm trying to help someone else" attitude that puny Americans specialize in, as Rusev has studied the American people to know how to best destroy them.