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WWE TV - 1/17 - 1/23/2022


Dolfan in NYC

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They changed WALTER's name to Gunther and they turned Sarray into a loose socks schoolgirl with an heirloom that gives her super powers.

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Edited by J.T.
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1 hour ago, J.T. said:

They changed WALTER's name to Gunther and they turned Sarray into a loose socks schoolgirl with an heirloom that gives her super powers.

Did they? I feel like that is more of a wait and see situation since they didn't really push that as anything more than a motivational vid which we saw at least three others last night.

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1 hour ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

Ah so we now have confirmation Vince's pop culture knowledge has hit at least 1989 / The Simpsons. Because there's no way Vince isn't basing this new Gunter character off of Gunther from The Simpsons...

g%C3%BCnter-simpson.gif

Wasn't there a Gunther character on Friends as well? So Vince might be some years further.

Also, one of the German TV announcers that worked for Vince (the German TV announcers were employed by WWF, I think, back to the mid 90ies) for 20 years, is called Günter (Zapf). BTW: I just read that this guy now is doing AEW commentary (alongside a former WCW announcer).

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So I went out of my way to see Walter/Roddy and ended up watching the second hour. 

Tony D'Angelo is a really bad gimmick. Totally dated stereotype that seems like a trick question for the game "Is this gimmick from 1992 or 2022?" And the guy playing it totally lacks the presence to make anything out of it. Melo, on the other hand, comes across as a real star.

Took me a while to realize KLR is a face now. Despite not being super-imposing, she has a naturally surly aura that makes it hard to be a face without a lot of work. Kind of like Randy Orton or Kyle O'Reilly. Ivy came across as lot more babyface here, although I guess Diamond Mine is kind of tweener now.

Kinda feel for Mendoza/Wilde. That's a team that deserves a run, but just keeps on jobbing. At least Santos is getting a title shot I guess?

Kacy/Kayden as mid 20s party girls instead of the pure babyface work ethic team feels pretty wrong, but at least they're still around.

Walter/Roddy was ok, but exposed the big flaw with bringing NXT into full WWE style. It's not the new people not being able to work up (they seem mostly ok despite some awful gimmicks), it's the elite wrestlers having to work down. Roddy and Walter are capable of a match 10x better than this, but neither guy really got to show their best stuff. Roddy not being able lift Walter when Bate and Dragunov could suplex him made no sense. There was way more to be done building around the two best choppers in the company. Walter's mid-match control is usually way more intriguing than a chinlock. Just felt like a lot was left on the table because ultimately, these two aren't gonna be that important in NXT.

And Gunther reminded me of the talking monkey in Futurama, which I guess is at least a couple steps up from a literal nazi.

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On 1/19/2022 at 1:49 PM, Eivion said:

Did they?

The glasses, pigtails, the collared shirt with necktie, and the hint of a plaid skirt make me think Yes or they are at least playing to a stereotype.  Not that I find it surprising or terribly offensive.  I just think she deserves to wrestle on her own merit without a gimmick like that.

It's not like she's Maki Itoh who occasionally wrestles a schoolgirl fetish gimmick on purpose.

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28 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said:

Walter/Roddy was ok, but exposed the big flaw with bringing NXT into full WWE style. It's not the new people not being able to work up (they seem mostly ok despite some awful gimmicks), it's the elite wrestlers having to work down. Roddy and Walter are capable of a match 10x better than this, but neither guy really got to show their best stuff. Roddy not being able lift Walter when Bate and Dragunov could suplex him made no sense. There was way more to be done building around the two best choppers in the company. Walter's mid-match control is usually way more intriguing than a chinlock. Just felt like a lot was left on the table because ultimately, these two aren't gonna be that important in NXT.

It was a 10-12 minutes tv main event, not the 20+ minute titles matches Bate and Dragunov had. There was nothing there saying Roddy couldn't lift Walter, Walter straight up stopped him from doing so. Why were you expecting a MOTYC on a random NXT episode?

Just now, J.T. said:

The glasses, pigtails, and the hint of a plaid skirt make me think Yes.

Do you know how Sarray dresses normally? I don't. 

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35 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

Is it just me or if TK gave one of their Joshi wrestlers a Sailor Moon gimmick, a lot less people would be complaining about it? 

I think it is just you. ?

It would not bug me if this were the early 2000's and LuFisto came in with Sailor Moon ring gear because anime was her thing, but then she'd also wrestle a classic and bleed for my amusement.

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7 minutes ago, J.T. said:

I've been to Harajuku enough times to know how what a seifuku looks like.

I get that, but the glasses and pigtails still might just be her non-wrestling look. Beyond that we didn't really see super powers there so it feels like people are maybe jumping the gun to the worst conclusion possible. I guess its eases the blow if right and people get (pleasantly?) surprised if wrong, but it just feels like a bit a stretch that Sarray is a magical school girl now.

2 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said:

Because that happened frequently over the last 6 years?

When? I don't recall random 20+ minute MOTYC happening on NXT tv regularly. They always saved that for specials or matches they would build over the course of several weeks. 

9 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

Is it just me or if TK gave one of their Joshi wrestlers a Sailor Moon gimmick, a lot less people would be complaining about it? 

There would be a lot less complaints, but that would also be because people would assume the gimmick mostly came from the wrestler opposed to a team of writers and the crazy old man they have to please. I'm think people might be jumping the gun, but I also can't completely blame them with how bad WWE has been at times. Honestly one of the biggest reasons I think people are probably wrong here is that weren't especially blatant with it which they usually are when they does these things.

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18 minutes ago, Eivion said:

I get that, but the glasses and pigtails still might just be her non-wrestling look. Beyond that we didn't really see super powers there so it feels like people are maybe jumping the gun to the worst conclusion possible.

It's WWE.  Is there any other possible conclusion to jump to other than the worst one?

It is not a stretch to think that they turned Sarray into a magical school girl.  Wendy Choo is wrestling in pink bunny slippers FFS.... but that's kinda awesome in its absurdity so maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised with Sarray's gimmick, as you say.

Edited by J.T.
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4 minutes ago, J.T. said:

It's WWE.  Is there any other possible conclusion to jump to other than the worst one?

Then that goes to another issue where I'm still befuddled as to why anyone who thinks the worst every time even bothers with it, be that watching and/or commenting.

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3 minutes ago, Eivion said:

Then that goes to another issue where I'm still befuddled as to why anyone who thinks the worst every time even bothers with it, be that watching and/or commenting.

We look on with morbid curiosity.  It is like rubbernecking to see just how bad the car crash on the other side of the interstate really is.

3 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

I agree Vince/Bruce do not get the benefit of the doubt involving stereotypical gimmicks, but I can also see the anti-WWE fanbase latching on to any potential negative to pile on. 

It takes a lot to offend me, but Bruce / Vince have not earned the right to receive the benefit of the doubt when it comes to stereotypical gimmicks.

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2 minutes ago, J.T. said:

We look on with morbid curiosity.  It is like rubbernecking to see just how bad the car crash on the other side of the interstate really is.

This has easily been the best explanation I have seen for this. 

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4 hours ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

Ah so we now have confirmation Vince's pop culture knowledge has hit at least 1989 / The Simpsons. Because there's no way Vince isn't basing this new Gunter character off of Gunther from The Simpsons...

g%C3%BCnter-simpson.gif

The Simpsons character is named Uter (debuted 1993). So I'd assume Vince isn't basing Walter on him.

But Gunther/Gunter is the name of the penguin on Adventure Time. Take that how you will, considering the nature of that character.

Regardless, hate the Walter rename (though it does mean "warrior" in German, apparently). Nice match with Roddy, though.

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12 minutes ago, Eivion said:

When? I don't recall random 20+ minute MOTYC happening on NXT tv regularly. They always saved that for specials or matches they would build over the course of several weeks.

The best NXT match from last year imo was the Dunne/Dragunov match that was just build-up to Dragunov/Walter. Dunne vs. Melo and The Way vs. Bronson/Dexter/Shotzi/Ember were two of my other favorite NXT matches from last year. The Thatcher/Ciampa fight pit and Finn/KoR rematch happened on weekly shows. They had build in the sense that they were longer feuds, but I don't think either match was hyped for more than a couple weeks and weren't on "Halloween Havoc" type shows.

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1 hour ago, odessasteps said:

Is it just me or if TK gave one of their Joshi wrestlers a Sailor Moon gimmick, a lot less people would be complaining about it? 

Riho?

I'm expecting Sarray to re-debut with a dumb new gimmick, but I'm going to at least give WWE a tiny benefit of the doubt and see where it goes before I form too much of an opinion.  I wasn't really sure if that segment was supposed to be a sitdown with Sarray in her normal clothes or if her it's indicative of her new gimmick.  Also wasn't sure if the story about the necklace was supposed to be significant.  I'm really hoping her new gimmick is not nerd Japanese schoolgirl who touches her magical necklace and becomes a Power Ranger.  We'll see.

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