cool arrow Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I think Roderick Stong is about as exciting as a washcloth, so I try to avoid watching his matches. But I did see his match against Nakamura this year, and I thought it was really good. He really is an excellent worker, but he's just so bland. As idiotic as the phrase "vanilla midget" is, in Strong's case the shoe definitely fits. Plus his ring name is "Roderick Strong." Who chooses such a dumb name? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 He's been much more of a chickenshit heel than workrate darling this year. That's my sense of it at least. Night and day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I dunno, he's pretty movez-y. In ROH, anyway. Maybe not PWG so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADCAP Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Plus his ring name is "Roderick Strong." Who chooses such a dumb name? Well, COOL ARROW.... *I'm only playing bro! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Lord Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Has there ever been a title change at a Tribute to the Troops show? I think it was the first tribute to troops show in 2003 in Iraq. They had a Big Show/Cena main event. Show was US Champion. Pretty much the same exact match they would have about four months later at wrestlemania 20. But it was non-title and Cena won. I always thought that should have been for the title. I mean US Title being defending in front of the troops in a war zone. Word Life Cena was so over the top back then. It would have been so huge had he won the title in Iraq. But blah blah Wrestlemania moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 kayfabe is dead, they should just say fuck it and retcon it. Their target demo would have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 And if it would have been the main event we could talk about it being the worst ever.It was a really terrible plan. Use new entrance music so he gets a lessened pop, have him dominated for much of the match (unlike most of his previous year where he was ass-kicker dominant), etc. Huh? It was that previous year where he started wrestling exactly like that for his matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 You know what WWE is missing these days? The usage of the former tried and true formula for getting their ace over. If you remember, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena.....et al all had a clear trajectory as they climbed to the top. They each held the midcard singles title and had a good run in that division before dropping the belt and going for the main gold. With each man, you can trace their rise to the top. Maybe it's the devaluing of the US and IC Titles but we didn't see any of that with Reigns. You can look at Cena's run with the US Title and know that he was being groomed for the next step, you can look at ANY of the other guy's IC title reigns and say the same actually. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattdangerously Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 You're going to feel awfully silly when Kofi becomes WWE World Champion. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 WWE needs to drop the US Title and bring back the European or Television Championship. We need a clear second-tier championship. The US and IC Titles devalue each other by existing together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxB Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Boxing has (in order of importance) World, Intercontinental, British Commonwealth, Continental (ie European, North American, Asian) and National titles*. So I always took that to mean that the IC is above the USA. Plus the USA is a former WCW title and therefore clearly (in management's eyes) below the old WWF Intercontinental Championship. Just like during the brand extension/ roster split the Ric Flair Big Gold Belt World title was considered to be less important than the WWE title. The company was more important than the world. Nice perspective, Vince. * And even then, you have a British Champion, an English Champion, and some regional Championships as well. I think the USA has it National title and then State titles at the pro level too, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 WWE needs to drop the US Title and bring back the European or Television Championship. We need a clear second-tier championship. The US and IC Titles devalue each other by existing together. I still say there should be a Network title, only defended on things aired on there, a defacto tv title, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Boxing has (in order of importance) World, Intercontinental, British Commonwealth, Continental (ie European, North American, Asian) and National titles*. So I always took that to mean that the IC is above the USA. Plus the USA is a former WCW title and therefore clearly (in management's eyes) below the old WWF Intercontinental Championship. Just like during the brand extension/ roster split the Ric Flair Big Gold Belt World title was considered to be less important than the WWE title. The company was more important than the world. Nice perspective, Vince. * And even then, you have a British Champion, an English Champion, and some regional Championships as well. I think the USA has it National title and then State titles at the pro level too, right? WWE sends mixed messages there. The John Cena run with the US Title was clearly ahead of what was going on with the IC Title at the time, though DB's run with the IC Title may have turned into something equal if it had ever played out. In an ideal world, we'd have a bunch of guys on the cusp fighting over the IC Title but at the moment, it seems like the IC and US Titles just float about from person to person with no rhyme or reason. Reigns should've spent the latter part of 2014 as the IC Champion fighting off various challengers but instead he didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Should the US title be the TV title...since they're basically only on the USA Network?? SYNERGY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stro Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 WWE needs to drop the US Title and bring back the European or Television Championship. We need a clear second-tier championship. The US and IC Titles devalue each other by existing together. The US Championship WAS the TV Championship all year when Cena had the belt. It's also clearly on the higher tier than the IC title, but also a clear secondary title. Changing the names doesn't do anything to change the booking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caley Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 He's been much more of a chickenshit heel than workrate darling this year. That's my sense of it at least. Night and day. He spent the better part of 2015 chasing Jay Lethal, the heel champion, for the World Title, then the TV Title. Not sure how that would make him a chickenshit heel. Unless we're talking outside of ROH?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Just like during the brand extension/ roster split the Ric Flair Big Gold Belt World title was considered to be less important than the WWE title. Not always. Whichever belt was on RAW was #1. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 WWE needs to drop the US Title and bring back the European or Television Championship. We need a clear second-tier championship. The US and IC Titles devalue each other by existing together. The US Championship WAS the TV Championship all year when Cena had the belt. It's also clearly on the higher tier than the IC title, but also a clear secondary title. Changing the names doesn't do anything to change the booking. WWE needs to pick a belt and have it be THE clear secondary title. There needs to be an 1980s- mid 90s IC Title equivalent, something that sends the signal of "if this guy has it, he's on the cusp of being the real deal." There isn't anything like that now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomAct Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 If you can track it down, Roddy's match with Zach Sabre Jr was borderline excellent. I'm really not a fan of current day indy wrestling, but I really enjoyed that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nice Guy Eddie Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 He's been much more of a chickenshit heel than workrate darling this year. That's my sense of it at least. Night and day.He spent the better part of 2015 chasing Jay Lethal, the heel champion, for the World Title, then the TV Title. Not sure how that would make him a chickenshit heel. Unless we're talking outside of ROH?! Outside ROH. He's not a heel in ROH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stro Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Is ANYONE better in ROH than anywhere else? Everyone in ROH is so bland and boring, yet they'll go to the UK or PWG and seem like totally different guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 He's been much more of a chickenshit heel than workrate darling this year. That's my sense of it at least. Night and day. He spent the better part of 2015 chasing Jay Lethal, the heel champion, for the World Title, then the TV Title. Not sure how that would make him a chickenshit heel. Unless we're talking outside of ROH?! Matt's very likely referring to his PWG work, where he's spent time being a piece of shit heel and clearly the best I've ever seen him. The first 10 or so minutes of the Bailey match from this year had me so excited and was on pace to be a clear cut MOTY. Then they went full on PWG movez mode. Still a great match but it could've been so much more with a bit more storytelling and (a lot) less moves. The match against Sabre Jr. was fucking insane too. Super Dragon and whoever else book PWG have done a great job with Roddy the past year or so. I'm so pumped up to see Zack challenge Roddy again. Shitty Little Boots and Chris Hero have been supreme this year and I will be supporting those two big time come March. I need to catch up on the post-G1 NJPW and will skim through the more acclaimed matches from ROH, EVOLVE and a few other promotions but going on what I've seen so far, there's an argument to be made for both of those guys being two of the best this year - and I've never been great supporters of either in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Can't wait for tromataker to vote Roman Reigns over Dragon Lee after I make a ten thousand word case for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacelle Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Is ANYONE better in ROH than anywhere else? Everyone in ROH is so bland and boring, yet they'll go to the UK or PWG and seem like totally different guys. The Briscoes are the best act in wrestling so you don't know what you're talking about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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