Raw 8-24-15 - Post-Summerslam Show

[JohnnyJ]

Isn't the underlying problem that the fans really wants a divas revolution and what they are getting instead is more of the same? The fans have been digging nxt divas singles matches. So, lets make every match have at least 6 people in it. The fans are clamoring for the new faces that have shined in nxt. So lets pair them up and have them feud with wrestlers the crowds have been indifferent to for years. 

[Firebreaker Chip]

 

And just to explain the LOL, I don't see how anyone can take her seriously. You can't play the heel in the vast majority of the segements you're in and then flip the switch to look like this quasi-face for the Divas division. So few are going to buy that and it's going to sound like bullshit because everything else she does makes her look like an asshole. How many are going to think, "oh, she's being sincere?"

But her introducing the revolution resulted in a really hot segmet. It worked.

 

 

It worked a bit, because people were excited to see the new faces, but not as well as if they'd been portrayed as turning up of their own volition and not been buried in a three way feud that makes no sense

 

I kinda feel in general that they're due a few more explosive Shield-style NXT call-ups instead of just throwing them in a midcard match and talking about how they were good in NXT and doing nothing with them

 

I guess Owens is by far the best recent one because it acted like that was what it was and then subverted it

[Greggulator]

That was weeks ago. Since then, the revolution has amounted to pointless tag matches that would do Teddy Long proud, keeping Sasha off tv, having Brie be the fall girl, and making sure Nikki beats AJ's streak.

So wow, weeks ago there was one hot segment and since then, it's been the same old shit. If it were a revolution, then they wouldn't be maintaining the status quo.

I thought we were talking about Steph being awesome.

[Jrag]

Bringing up the NXT girls with Steph's endorsement give this a chance. People take her seriously.

If you can't see the inherent flaw in "and now, with the full support of the company, here is your Divas Revolution!!!" I don't know what to tell you.

[PuroresuFan]

But good lord that forearm at the end by Nikki to Paige was exquisite...

[JCM]

The biggest problem with it is the fact that Steph came out and told us the current divas were lame as fuck, and the entire division needed a shake up. Then you have the new call ups work 50/50 with the wrestlers you told us were ass. How does that make anyone look good?

 

The reason people cared about the US women's soccer team, and the reason they care about Ronda Rousey is because they win. They don't trade wins they fucking win.

[Eivion]

Isn't the underlying problem that the fans really wants a divas revolution and what they are getting instead is more of the same? The fans have been digging nxt divas singles matches. So, lets make every match have at least 6 people in it. The fans are clamoring for the new faces that have shined in nxt. So lets pair them up and have them feud with wrestlers the crowds have been indifferent to for years. 

The problem is the lack of characters and the feel that the feud is going anywhere. Having Nikki break AJ's record is fine. Not having any of divas actually try to win the title and instead talk up a divas revolution is dumb. You can say the crowd has been indifferent towards the Bellas for years, but just a year ago they were getting decent reactions with the Steph feud. Its more a case of WWE not giving people an actual reason to care.

 

 

The biggest problem with it is the fact that Steph came out and told us the current divas were lame as fuck, and the entire division needed a shake up. Then you have the new call ups work 50/50 with the wrestlers you told us were ass. How does that make anyone look good?

How would beating lame women make them look good either? Really you could have ended on that first sentence and you would have summed up one of the biggest problems with the divas revolution. The way they started it was just dumb. Sure it got a pop and some notice, but it crapped onto the division that was already there and made the whole revolution feel phony & forced.

[muhammedboehm]

I would like to see several weeks of RNN-style vignettes where Bo gradually Bolieves himself back to walking upright and eating solid food

 

WWE's cheerleading of their own Divas stuff also has a protests-too-much quality to it that unintentionally draws attention to the fact that they only need a 'revolution' because they're years behind the times and their women's stuff has been at best cringeworthy and at worst actively, enthusiastically misogynistic for years

 

I mean I didn't pay much attention but when UFC launched their women's division I assume they didn't spend months going "oh wow look at Ronda, so brave, she's going to try really hard to put on a fight that's just as good as the men!!", because she's self-evidently a badass with enough charisma to carry the build to a fight herself

No Dana spent months saying he would even have women matches in UFC

[Raziel]

That was weeks ago. Since then, the revolution has amounted to pointless tag matches that would do Teddy Long proud, keeping Sasha off tv, having Brie be the fall girl, and making sure Nikki beats AJ's streak.

So wow, weeks ago there was one hot segment and since then, it's been the same old shit. If it were a revolution, then they wouldn't be maintaining the status quo.

I thought we were talking about Steph being awesome.

Wake me when there's an outside chance Steph ever gets her comuppance for her "awesome" heeling that's actually going to be around the company for a while. Till then, heeling loses its coolness when your heel never ever shows ass.

For all his faults, Vince at least knew this. How shitty would Austin/Vince had been if he never let Austin get over on him, and the only people that got over were people retiring or celeberties?

[Burgundy LaRue]

It's a vicious circle that won't end anytime soon.  HHH seems to be the only bigwig invested in the women.  Vince is probably anywhere from being indifferent to asking them to dance on tables in bikinis for his 70th birthday.  If Steph actually cared, she would have went to her father years ago to improve things. Dunn probably just wants Nikki to wear even skimpier panties.  This wasn't ever about really changing things, but co-opting a Twitter moment.  I had hopes it would go OK, however faint.  How silly to have such hopes.

 

Nikki was done no favors with that promo.  Whether she was reading what was given to her or she wrote that herself--it was obtuse at best.  She said in clear terms that her winning the title, holding the title for nearly a year, and whoever wins the title from her doesn't mean anything.  That's self-defeat at its worst.

 

Whether they realize it or even care, the Bellas' presence does pose a problem for the division.  Nikki can work, but if she's determined to break AJ's reign out of spite (and let's not be blind, the Bellas had legit heat with AJ) with Vince/Dunn/whoever pushing for it, then she can't really say anything if things go wrong for her.  They must get the belt off her for anything to move forward.

 

They also need a couple of the women to cut strong promos about real motivations.  Naomi was on the right track earlier this year with when she talked about wanting her turn and not appreciating being pushed to the back of the line while an upstart like Paige wins the belt on her first night with the main roster.  Sasha, Naomi, and Becky are the best talkers.  LET THEM TALK.  Those three can get their points across clearly.  The fans will appreciate it.

 

The crowd isn't exempt from this.  The cries for WE WANT SASHA, while rude, at least were in context to the actual in-ring action.  WE ARE AWESOME does nothing for anyone and only makes them look silly.  The crowd isn't at fault, but they didn't help.  Even the Sasha chants don't help, because there's no reason to think Vince will take them into account.  He'll just look at the rest and bury the division (again) as he thinks fit.

 

It's sad that they don't know how to bring up new talent.  Outside of The Shield, who else from NXT in recent years has had a smooth transition to the main show?  Rusev and Owens were *so* close--but, Cena.  I suspect they thought by bringing up Sasha, Charlotte, and Becky at the same time, they'd have Shield-like results.  Except The Shield was an actual trio and given a real story, not just thrown into a mysterious mix and told to sink or swim with no help.

 

The looks on Charlotte and Becky's faces said everything.  They didn't sign up for this mess, and they've done nothing to bring this storm upon themselves.  But they'll go down with the ship because guilt by association.

 

Team BAD were probably wincing at their TVs, but happy not to be part of that mess.

[caley]

That was weeks ago. Since then, the revolution has amounted to pointless tag matches that would do Teddy Long proud, keeping Sasha off tv, having Brie be the fall girl, and making sure Nikki beats AJ's streak.

 

So wow, weeks ago there was one hot segment and since then, it's been the same old shit. If it were a revolution, then they wouldn't be maintaining the status quo.

This is a weird talking point I've seen brought up in this weekend.  I know one person suggested it and it was ignored, but does anyone think that maybe the reason Sasha's not being featured/wrestling after NXT is because she had big, physical match on Saturday night that culminated in her taking a reverse rana from the top rope and maybe isn't feeling 100%?  I mean, I know Kevin Dunn/Vince McMahon/WWE HATE Sasha Banks but she hasn't dropped a fall (To my knowledge) on WWE TV since her call-up, so maybe she's not being buried/taken off TV and maybe there's a genuine reason she's not on there.  Maybe?

 

But good lord that forearm at the end by Nikki to Paige was exquisite...

It's easily the best Diva move going right now on the main shows.

 

The biggest problem with it is the fact that Steph came out and told us the current divas were lame as fuck, and the entire division needed a shake up. Then you have the new call ups work 50/50 with the wrestlers you told us were ass. How does that make anyone look good?

 

There's no way they've gone 50/50 or anything remotely close to 50/50.  Both Bellas have been dropping falls like crazy lately.  Brie just got pinned at Summerslam.  Both have tapped out a few times, versus the NXT divas who have barely dropped falls/tapped since they came up.

 

I'd also like to remind everyone having a meltdown about this "failure" of the divas revolution.  It's been a month and a half.  Yeah, the crowd buried that segment last night.  You know what else a hyper-smarky asshole crowd buried earlier this year?  The New Day, and now they're the most entertaining over act on the show.  So, let's wait a little while before we wail and wring our hands, shall we?!

[Charlie M.]

 

I would like to see several weeks of RNN-style vignettes where Bo gradually Bolieves himself back to walking upright and eating solid food

 

WWE's cheerleading of their own Divas stuff also has a protests-too-much quality to it that unintentionally draws attention to the fact that they only need a 'revolution' because they're years behind the times and their women's stuff has been at best cringeworthy and at worst actively, enthusiastically misogynistic for years

 

I mean I didn't pay much attention but when UFC launched their women's division I assume they didn't spend months going "oh wow look at Ronda, so brave, she's going to try really hard to put on a fight that's just as good as the men!!", because she's self-evidently a badass with enough charisma to carry the build to a fight herself

No Dana spent months saying he would even have women matches in UFC

 

 

You know you've done something wrong when even a misogynist asshole like Dana White can figure out how to promote and build his women's division(s) better than you.

[GOTNW]

Bringing up the NXT girls with Steph's endorsement give this a chance. People take her seriously.

LOL

Steph's an awesome performer. Is this even up for debate?

Yes.

[joseph2112]

What great long term booking,it makes perfect sense. At Wrestlemania, Sting beats the mentor clean, now he comes after the pupil. This shit writes itself.

Wait, never mind.

[Dewar]

I can't believe people are calling Cena a "bully" for getting revenge on a guy who smacked him with a steel chair to cost him two titles on Sunday night. What the hell did you namby-pambys think of Jimmy Hart getting beat up by Lawler for the first half of the 1980s? Was Lawler a bully for pile-driving Andy Kaufman too?

 

Decent show. Felt bad for the divas in that tag match, but until they can cut promos above the Ziggler line, pre-taped backstage vignettes would be appreciated. Loved New Day's ring entrance, but not as good as Sunday's. Dudleys coming back for a short run (hopefully) is a nice surprise.

 

Rusev and that "Dumb French American" as a not-so-buddy tag team down the road would be great.

[Charlie M.]

What great long term booking,it makes perfect sense. At Wrestlemania, Sting beats the mentor clean, now he comes after the pupil. This shit writes itself.

Wait, never mind.

 

From the Network thing, the storyline is "I beat up Sting but I didn't beat him up enough so you go finish it because you're my lackey."

 

I'm excited for the match, though, just to see what Seth can do with the guy.

[Jamal]

 

 

They also need a couple of the women to cut strong promos about real motivations.  Naomi was on the right track earlier this year with when she talked about wanting her turn and not appreciating being pushed to the back of the line while an upstart like Paige wins the belt on her first night with the main roster.  Sasha, Naomi, and Becky are the best talkers.  LET THEM TALK.  Those three can get their points across clearly.  The fans will appreciate it.

 

 

Naomi was killing it with promos for a while before they decided she was just a placeholder until Paige came back. What they should have done was have Naomi beat Nikki and then have a feud with a returned Paige. Otherwise, what's the point of injuring her and taking her out for months? The story writes itself. 

[Firebreaker Chip]

Becky's promo stuff was awful last night but god what if someone actually wrote it for her thinking it would be good for her to say

[Jamal]

But we really want The Bellas or Alicia Fox to try and act? Alicia's only character ever was when she poured soda on her head. Legitimately, that is the only nuanced performance she has ever given. A soda. On her head. She is awful.

 

Batshit Alicia was awesome. It was probably her best crowd reactions since she started. So, of course it got toned down. 

[Jamal]

Becky's promo stuff was awful last night but god what if someone actually wrote it for her thinking it would be good for her to say

 

I cringed when she called Alicia the "wrestling Nene Leakes". This is so not the demo for that insult. 

[peterien]

Caley, what makes you say Vince and Kevin Dunn hate Sasha?

I would have loved to see Enzo and Big Cass get the Dudley spot but the writers probably though we couldnt handle 2 huge guys debuting in one night (Braun)

[Dolfan in NYC]

[Firebreaker Chip]

 

Becky's promo stuff was awful last night but god what if someone actually wrote it for her thinking it would be good for her to say

 

I cringed when she called Alicia the "wrestling Nene Leakes". This is so not the demo for that insult. 

 

Would Becky Lynch know who Nene Leakes is? Would Becky Lynch the character know who Nene leakes is? I had to Google her but I'm not American and wrestling bubble etc. It is possibly being venerated to Punk Pipe Bomb levels in the parallel universe where "sufferin' succotash" got over and became the ur-text for all future wrestling catchphrases

 

I briefly hoped Enzo and Cass were going to come out to clown Barrett/Stardust but I guess that was just a (very) throwaway segment and wasn't being set up as an actual tag match that got aborted by Cody going vengeful on Wade

[Pete]

 

 

Bringing up the NXT girls with Steph's endorsement give this a chance. People take her seriously.

LOL

Steph's an awesome performer. Is this even up for debate?

 

 

Picture the best meal you've ever had. Now imagine getting that exact same meal over and over and over for months on end, with no changes whatsoever. Wouldn't you eventually get sick and tired of it?

[Web Conn]

First off I watched the whole Miz TV segment/match. It was fine. I'd say it's more Bella related then anything else. If they did something cool like had PCB jump the Miz the crowd would have exploded but they didn't they had the Bella's blah blah blahing it up. And where in the hell was Sasha Banks?