Is It Chilly In Here? I Feel a DRAFT - Smackdown - 7/19/2016

[Peck]

1 hour ago, Technico Support said:

• Same old look.  Can't upset Kevin Dunn's lazy, cookie cutter, McDonald's approach to his "craft."

 

FWIW:

 

[RIPPA]

Couple of Random Notes from WON Radio show specifically about Draft

- Not really surprising but Cesaro's interview was a shoot that they clearly are trying to turn into an angle now. 

- Nakamura and Joe "will be up" just a matter of when (I am assuming that is what Dave meant with the Sept callups on the Observer)

- STILL no decision on what they are doing about belts (though Dave is fairly certain they will just add more belts)

[Technico Support]

34 minutes ago, Peck said:

FWIW:

 

Ah, cool.  Thanks for the update.  #bringbackthefist

7 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

Not really surprising but Cesaro's interview was a shoot that they clearly are trying to turn into an angle now.

During the interview, the graphic lists him as a 9-time tag team champion.  Are they counting indies now? 

7 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

- STILL no decision on what they are doing about belts (though Dave is fairly certain they will just add more belts)

 

 

[The Natural]

1 minute ago, Technico Support said:

Ah, cool.  Thanks for the update.  #bringbackthefist

During the interview, the graphic lists him as a 9-time tag team champion.  Are they counting indies now? 

As I said to someone (might be you), be careful with that hashtag...though I wouldn't know why ; ).

[NikoBaltimore]

I am okay with a wait-and-see approach for Smackdown.  I get there's future plans and that's wonderful.  But what I can't figure out is the reasoning for who's been drafted now.  The most egregious set of picks are Owens and Zayn on Raw.  The point of Battleground was it was supposed to be their blowoff match before splitting up for a year.  I love seeing them fight forever (like the shirt says) but could have used a break.  A year of them shit-talking on separate brands while doing other feuds would have been swell.  Instead them on the same show makes their upcoming match pointless.  On a similar note, same goes for Natalya/Becky, but that can have more to it if they go full-bore with their history together.  And Cesaro should by all accounts have been on Smackdown, but hopefully they find the time for him.

[joseph2112]

14 hours ago, AxB said:

How's this for an idea: The World title* lives on whatever show the person holding it works, BUT he has to defend it on every PPV, so if the champ's on WWE Red, he defends on WWE Blue PPVs (against blue opponents) every sixty-or-so days. So the onus is on the GM of the brand without the title to pick the best possible challenger to send at him, so they can try to steal the belt and have the champ on their show instead of the other one. Whilst the GM of the show that has the champ can send a bunch of lame ducks to give him easy defences and keep him fresh (or alternatively a series of unstoppable super legends to strengthen their hold on the belt by having a stronger champion holding it). Makes it more of a team game, then.

* And possibly other titles as well. Women's and Tag Team, IC and US can stay brand exclusive.

I actually was thinking about something like this during the first draft, although I thought it better to just fuse the US and Intercontinental into one and use it as an "inter-brand" championship. Then you have a champ on each brand and this one, making them all sort of unique. Then you could have an excellent reason to have dream match ups and a different sort of story telling device to start feuds and such.

 

[The Natural]

9 minutes ago, NickMD said:

I am okay with a wait-and-see approach for Smackdown.  I get there's future plans and that's wonderful.  But what I can't figure out is the reasoning for who's been drafted now.  The most egregious set of picks are Owens and Zayn on Raw.  The point of Battleground was it was supposed to be their blowoff match before splitting up for a year.  I love seeing them fight forever (like the shirt says) but could have used a break.  A year of them shit-talking on separate brands while doing other feuds would have been swell.  Instead them on the same show makes their upcoming match pointless.  On a similar note, same goes for Natalya/Becky, but that can have more to it if they go full-bore with their history together.  And Cesaro should by all accounts have been on Smackdown, but hopefully they find the time for him.

With you on all you say. I was also surprised Owens and Zayn drafted to the same show.

[nate]

2 hours ago, MORELOCK said:

Not sure why you're indirectly taking a shot at Gregg here for calling Nate out on his shit. Maybe he's absent because he doesn't want to constantly argue with the people that ride his ass all over the board for liking the product. I know *you* didn't say it, but this is a direct quote from the locked thread:

'I actively hate Stephanie McMahon.  Everything she does, everything she says, how she says everything, how she walks to the ring, how she stands in it.  She's no actor, so I'm almost 100% convinced based on her body language alone that she is a most loathsome person.  I imagine that HHH has had several more-than-passing fantasies of killing her in her sleep (or at least farting in her mouth) after some argument over the toilet paper roll or dishes piling up or some shit.

It's not at "I hope she dies in a mass shooting" levels, but I'm at a point where I'd settle for at least "nicked".'
 

Stephanie's presence on WWE TV is quite irritating, and not in a heelish way, but that is some seriously vile woman-hating bullshit - and it's not the first time that particular dude has spoken that way.

Nope.  None of this.  You're 100% wrong, not only about me but you also expose your SJW BS.  Go eat your ice cream, you'll feel better.

[(BP)]

Whatever they have planned for Cesaro will end with him putting Cena over after an epic thirty minute match, Cena telling everyone they just saw the birth of a huge star, and Cesaro spending the next two months on Superstars. It's becoming an annual tradition. 

[JonnyLaw]

This ended up being a little depressing, but I looked at a week of Raw and Smackdown from two months ago to see how much things would be different with the Brand Split.

The answer: Not much.

RAW

·         Seth Rollins/Roman Reigns promo

·         Renee Young interviews Sheamus, who mocks Sami Zayn

·         Sami Zayn v. Sheamus

·         Renee Young  interviews Apollo Crews Neville who is attacked by Sheamus

·         New Day v. Social Outcasts (Heath Slater)

·         Miz Rusev v. Cesaro

·         Renee Young interviews Rollins

·         Jericho v. Apollo Crews Neville

·         Darren Young/Bob Backlund segment

·         JoJo interviews Baron Corbin Braun Stroman re: Ziggler Big Show

·         Bubba Ray Dudley v. Big Cass

·         Charlotte w/Dana Brooke segment

·         Dean Ambrose Titus O’Neil v. Dolph Ziggler Sin Cara

·         Shining Stars segment

·         The Club (w/AJ Styles Finn Balor) segment

·         AJ Styles Finn Balor v. Kevin Owens

 

Smackdown

·         Segment with Ambrose, Owens Orton, Zayn Wyatt, and Del Rio

·         Del Rio v. Zack Ryder

·         Enzo & Cass American Alpha promo on Dudleyz Ascension

·         Ruzev Corbin v. Kalisto

·         Natayla v. Dana Brooke Carmella

·         AJ Styles interview

·         Breezango v. Golden Truth The Usos

·         Rollins Cena promo

·         Miz v. Cesaro Ziggler

 

[Rev Ray]

For people complaining about too many belts, unless they are going to do touring world champion with Heavyweight, Tag, Women's working both show, what the fuck does anyone in the women's division or tag division have to do but sit with a thumb up their ass for a year until they shuffle up the deck again.  I'd almost like they do have the gimmick where world champs work both shows on an alternating schedule and have it where if a brand's champion wins the belt, the former champ gets planted on the other brand.  So say, Roman wins the belt from Dean, Dean's now on Raw to fill Roman's spot.  As long as they're not hot potatoing the belts around, it gives them sort of an out to move guys from one roster to another and then keep some "new" match ups when you have a title change and not wait for the next draft or until vince decides "well damn it, it's Super Smackdown now.  everyone from Raw works Smackdown again.".

[DJ Hero Morganti]

Smackdown has a "look USA we are gonna do our best to bring up the ratings" roster.

The draft show did better than raw did this week.

[RIPPA]

The thought is that "personal issues" will drive the storylines and that people will just want to see each other fight because the belts are meaningless anyway

Though of course the only people with "personal issues" and they have already fought so many times that that has lost its meaning

[Rev Ray]

Just now, RIPPA said:

The thought is that "personal issues" will drive the storylines and that people will just want to see each other fight because the belts are meaningless anyway

Though of course the only people with "personal issues" and they have already fought so many times that that has lost its meaning

Isn't the favorite saying of a bunch of wrestling people "If your goal is not to become the world champion, you're in the wrong business?"

[Craig H]

I remember when Vince Russo thought belts were meaningless and then David Arquette and Vince Russo became champions.

[JohnnyJ]

16 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

The thought is that "personal issues" will drive the storylines and that people will just want to see each other fight because the belts are meaningless anyway

Though of course the only people with "personal issues" and they have already fought so many times that that has lost its meaning or were just both chokeslammed by Kane for some incomprehensible reason,

*fixed

[Technico Support]

Both were allowed to team up and kick Jericho in the face because he was being obnoxious.  But when faced with Kane, they were powerless to stop him and had to stand there with his hands on their throats, time standing still, waiting for the chokeslam..  Absolute shit.

21 minutes ago, Morganti said:

Smackdown has a "look USA we are gonna do our best to bring up the ratings" roster.

Now that's a good point that I hadn't thought of. 

 

[Spritenaut 32]

If you're not going to have touring champions wrestling on both shows, you almost have to have two sets of belts (heavyweight, tag and women, at least).  Otherwise, you have a lot of wrestlers not doing much of anything.  Of course, if you do that, you have too many belts and water down their importance.

Then again, from a kayfabe perspective, I'm not really clear why Daniel Bryan and Shane waited until after Charlotte, Sasha, and the women's title were drafted to RAW to start making a half-assed attempt to build a women's division.  It seemed like a lost cause at that point.  Splitting up the women's roster seems counterproductive since the women's division is small anyway and splitting them up probably either leads to two belts for a division with a half dozen women on each show, or a women's division with nothing to do on Smackdown.  I really hate to think what sort of "personal issues" they'll come up with for Becky and the Smackdown crew.

"Personal issues" sounds like a bad road to go down in general, given creative's track record.  I don't really want to see Cena and Nikki Bella vs. Bray and Bayley Wyatt in a hamper match.

 

[Nice Guy Eddie]

33 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

The thought is that "personal issues" will drive the storylines and that people will just want to see each other fight because the belts are meaningless anyway

Though of course the only people with "personal issues" and they have already fought so many times that that has lost its meaning

The shows would be more interesting if the roster were battling their inner personal issues rather than personal issues with each other. 

ex. Braun Strowman battles bi-polar disorder

Dana Brooke battles body and self image issues

Sheamus battles gender identity issues

The Hype Bros. battle pill and alcohol addiction

 

[Wyld Samurai]

Bayley Wyatt is going to be the hottest thing ever.

[piranesi]

7 minutes ago, Wyld Samurai said:

Bayley Wyatt is going to be the hottest thing ever.

Bayley as Becky The Farmer's Daughter but with 60% more Christina Ricci from BLACK SNAKE MOAN?

I'll just give you all some time to process that.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

We should have gotten Emma Wyatt after her main roster failure and shoplifting arrest.

[evilwaldo]

48 minutes ago, Vader does my taxes! said:

If you're not going to have touring champions wrestling on both shows, you almost have to have two sets of belts (heavyweight, tag and women, at least).  Otherwise, you have a lot of wrestlers not doing much of anything.  Of course, if you do that, you have too many belts and water down their importance.

Then again, from a kayfabe perspective, I'm not really clear why Daniel Bryan and Shane waited until after Charlotte, Sasha, and the women's title were drafted to RAW to start making a half-assed attempt to build a women's division.  It seemed like a lost cause at that point.  Splitting up the women's roster seems counterproductive since the women's division is small anyway and splitting them up probably either leads to two belts for a division with a half dozen women on each show, or a women's division with nothing to do on Smackdown.  I really hate to think what sort of "personal issues" they'll come up with for Becky and the Smackdown crew.

"Personal issues" sounds like a bad road to go down in general, given creative's track record.  I don't really want to see Cena and Nikki Bella vs. Bray and Bayley Wyatt in a hamper match.

 

Six to eight people on each side means the match selection wears itself out pretty quick.  Hence the two to three minute matches leading to seven minutes total for women per show.  Go out, hit our spots, distracted rollup, win.

Tag titles will be the same way.  

Even with the B shows there is only so much television time to go around with all of the divisions.  If you are not Main Eventing you can easily get lost in the shuffle.

 

[JCM]

They've only used 4-6 women on tv at a time this entire year so the brand split shouldn't be much different.

[Technico Support]

6 women gives you 15 possible singles matches that's plenty its just simple maths bro