Greggulator

Adam Rose's floor with his character is as a face Fandango. The gimmick is super fun and he can work. He really perfected Leo Kruger in the ring down in NXT. He wrestled wonderfully as a hunter stalking his prey. But I think they read it right that the gimmick didn't have much potential on the main roster. If he can get some cool face offense to go along with the character, it could really take off. The Bo Dallas videos were so wonderful. That's the perfect way to introduce him to the WWE universe without having to start his story from scratch. Just make him come in as a total cheeseball who speaks in motivational posters and the audience is going to turn on him right from the get go. The one thing I wish they did in NXT is get over how clever he is in the ring. Turnbuckles always mysteriously get untied and he uses the ring apron and the like. He's pretty devious and they never really put that fact over. Man I really wish they figured out this developmental system years ago. There are so many guys on the main roster who came up in the mid and late 00s that would be so much better if they had that system. Imagine how great Sheamus could have been if he came up in this? Or Dolph? Or Nattie? Or Titus? All of those aforementioned folks are just missing the little puzzle pieces. Sheamus can work but he's just so friggin' awful at the character work. Dolph has never really found his voice as a character. Nattie's all over the map. Titus could be such a huge star, too. I get the opinion that they had absolutely no oversight with the never ending NXT Redemption stuff. There was probably a little bit more with FCW (since Dusty and a few other trainers were down there) but it still isn't what NXT eventually became. Some folks are talented enough that they could overcome a non-existent/crappy developmental system. But there's essentially a lost generation of middling guys who, if they had just that extra tweaking that a really supervised system with just a huge focus on everything that makes a great wrestling provides, could have really increased their stock.

I had great hopes for The Ultimate Warrior last night. I mean, he came out wearing that coat over an already ridiculous suit. And then he took out that mask... but he left me disappointed. I really want an art critic to compare his work against that of George W. Bush.

NXT doesn't also work house shows regularly. They tape a few weeks of shows at one sitting in the old-school fashion. Pretty easy to just get someone to duck out of a house show date to do some NXT work and go back to the roster.

If I only had the power to gloat ala Heyman last night or Heenan after Flair won the Rumble. In all honesty: I don't know if and when Bryan getting his moment last night was the backup plan. But none of us know. Anything that gets reported in wrestling newz~ -- even from Meltzer -- has to be taken with the biggest grain of salt. But either way, Bryan winning at WrestleMania was so friggin' rewarding and awesome and epic. I'd rather have him win the way he did it at WM than if he won it months earlier like some people wanted. Look at what taking it slowly did for other people, too. The Wyatts were the biggest beneficiaries. Those few months with The Wyatts put those guys right at the cusp of the main event, just waiting for the trigger to get pulled anytime they want. It got everyone in an uproar about Bryan being "buried" and he got even more over from it and gave those guys his rub, too.

Good on Rey and Sheamus for doing subtle heel stuff tonight, too. They didn't do a lot -- just a mocking of the Bray pose and a pause on the top to glare at the crowd. But that's all you need.

They fight crime in their spare time and have to hide their identities. No but seriously, those masks are probably the single best thing to come out of the marketing department in ages. Whoever came up with it deserves a billion dollars. It's shit like that which will turn them into huge stars, not by improving their hair conditioning routine (Reigns is obv a H&S guy). Are they on sale yet? Because I will buy those in bulk.

And here I am now tuning into The Network because I need to eat all this up. Also: Shield vs. Wyatts tomorrow night!!! AHHHHHHH!!!

That's an interesting point -- will controlling how the content gets distributed change the content itself? We might start to see that now.

The past two nights were total gamechangers for the WWE. They built up a ton of awesome stars the past year or so by going really slowly. We now live in a world where eight of the ten top guys in the company are Daniel Bryan, The Shield, Cesaro and The Wyatts. Also, Paige. Kudos. Tonight's crowd was awesome, too.

I'm anticipating Paul Heyman to do one of the great heel/manager gloat jobs in the history of mankind tonight. In order to properly compare/contrast, what are some other good ones? Flair's "A tear in my eye!" as Heenan and Perfect cackle in the background after the Royal Rumble comes to mind. I also love Mr. McMahon's antics at Survivor Series and on Raw the next night after they introduce The Rock as The Corporate Champ. What else am I missing?

Can I ban them ceremonially before you delete the account? Also, I forgot who Dylan told me said this (Ryder? Scherer?) but this really makes wrestling unpredictable again. No outcome is safe. Wrestling is best served when there is doubt in your mind who will win and would have done wonders for that Taker match. I think this match has reinvented the "near fall" for the next five years or so.

The streak is one of the most iconic things in wrestling history, though. It's also broken through into non-wrestling fan pop-culture. It was definitely an "oh, damn" moment for me and I'm not a huge Taker or Brock fan. (I get why everyone else loves them, just not my cup of tea.)

Is the show in New Orleans? If so, an entire arena singing The Whole World In His Hands for The Wyatts. I see that becoming the next big crowd thing. I love the post-WM Raw so much. The best part about wrestling is that it's the only form of theatrical performance where the crowd is a character, too. The post-WM shows are usually the most active crowds. It's a blast watching it unfold.

I think everyone's sleeping on Bray/Cena. That match was so great. Those guys really went for a completely different type of match than anything else I can remember seeing in years. The only match I can think of that had such a weirdo structure was Cena vs. Orton in the I Quit match when Orton cuffed Cena and beat the f out of him for 45 minutes. And it totally make sense to do it -- there was the epic HHH/Bryan opener, then I assume they knew Taker was losing and that was going to be a heavyweight battle, and then there was going to be a crazy shmozz-type of triple threat with a table bump. Those two went balls-to-the-wall in trying to tell a psychological thriller. It was such a completely different type of wrestling storytelling and they did it very, very well. As far as Cena winning: 1) Undertaker lost. Obviously Daniel Bryan going home was the huge payoff but The Streak was going to be the story. you can't overload with too many heels winning. 2) The Wyatts continue to chase Cena. This match wasn't about Bray beating Cena cleanly. This match was about Bray breaking Cena's will and making him destroy his image by going to the darkside. Now Bray can focus on just beating the man. 3) What's the percentage of people who order WrestleMania because their kids at Cena fans? It's a gigantic percentage. That dude should win every WrestleMania match just because of that. The show is built around the big moments of the hero walking off triumphant.

Yeah, in retrospect, having Brock beat the streak is great. That's an IMPOSSIBLE mantle for a new guy to work with. I love Bray and Roman and Cesaro and etc. but you can't really top "Breaking the Streak" for a career mark. Brock's the one dude they have who already has accolades of that magnitude. Maybe Cena's the other guy but the backlash if he beat the streak would be terrible.

Ugh, I HATE that crab walk. The more reason you kick him in his fucking face because he's defenseless. Or JYD to headbutt him from that spot. Somebody will some day. It's still a new spot. They can milk the "WTF???" for a bit until someone gets hip to the move.

Yeah, tonight felt like the changing of the guard thematically. JBL had the money quote: "Goodbye, Attitude Era!" when The Shield did the powerbomb.

There is no bigger Bray Wyatt fan than I. But Cena should win pretty much every WrestleMania match he's in.

Such an awesome night. It made me forgot I had bronchitis for a few hours. 1) The pre-show tag match was a total blast as a car wreck. I thought Cesaro getting the swing on Swagger was going to be his moment. Welp... 2) Bryan vs. HHH was AWESOME. Just an incredible match and great performance from both guys. HHH came off the best he has in years -- the true "cerebral assassin" who knows every trick in the book. But D-Bry is maybe the best underdog ever. I don't think that's hyperbole right now. 3) The Shield just slaughtering Kane and The Outlaws was great. They just tore through them like it was no thing whatsoever. Great. 4) That battle royal was WAY more fun that it had any right to be. Kofi's non-elimination was nuts. Cesaro breaking through by tossing Show out was a star making moment. That's the way to book the Andre The Giant memorial. 5) Cena vs. Bray was so friggin' good. I don't really remember a match like that ever. Just an awesome story. The crowd chanting "He's got the whole world in his hands" was so awesome, too. It felt a lot like the Orton/Cena I Quit match in that it was just such a weird structure. A match based around John Cena not wanting to give in to his demons yet needing to find a way to beat this madman freak was executed perfectly. Bray's running this game for the next 15 years. 6) Brock ending the streak was the most unexpected moment ever. The reactions of everyone in the crowd... just chilling. There hasn't been a reaction to a match like that in years. Maybe ever? The air just got completely sucked out of the place in the best way possible. 7) The divas match was whatever. It was a somewhat entertaining car wreck and I love that AJ stole the pin. 8) That main event... wow. So many great storylines woven into one match. I loved Scott Armstrong coming back from the dead as a crooked ref. Just an awesome story from SummerSlam to WrestleMania. Who cares (or even knows?) how they got there? They did, and it was amazing.

Daniel Bryan just absolutely crushed it out of the park with his rallying cry promo.

THE NEXUS VS. TEAM WWE, SUMMERSLAM 2010 -- I thought this was a good match to watch since I'm in my third day battling a really bad cold, just a few hours away from watching Daniel Bryan take the stage as the story headed into WrestleMania. This was Bryan's first real match in the WWE -- not part of the dumb NXT stuff, but as part of what was a really hot feud and storyline. I think this is one of the most smartly laid out matches ever put together. And, in a big way, it was designed to get Daniel Bryan over as a star. Bryan is the last entrant of Team WWE named -- to the chagrin of The Miz -- and gets the first elimination by tapping out Darren Young just seconds into the match. Team WWE also quickly eliminated Michael Tarver after John Morrisson hit Starship Pain. This make so much sense kayfabe wise -- of course the veterans should have control early, until the Nexus gets to what works. And what works is Skip Sheffield. It's really weird seeing them call Skip by that name since he's doing what eventually became Ryback a few years later. He just mows everyone in his path down. He takes out John Morrisson with a lariat and then, just seconds later, does the same to R-Truth. The crowd is super hot for Bret throughout this match but, of course, he's really limited physically in terms of what he can do. Heath Slater really does a great job making Bret look aces here -- that became Heath's calling card a few years later, when veterans would come back and just pummel him. Bret gets the SharpShooter on Heath but Wade Barrett coyly slides in a chair. Heath tags in Skip and Bret uses the chair on Skip for the elimination. Jericho comes in and hits the Codebreaker on Skip, leading to Edge taking him out with a spear. Tough talking Otunga wants in on Jericho after he got worked over for a bit, but the cagey veteran makes easy work of him and hits a really nice looking Lionsault and The Walls. 4-3, WWE. But this leads to Jericho bumping into Cena and getting backjumped and eliminated by Heath Slater. This prompts Edge -- Jericho's fellow heel and reluctant Team WWE member -- to get into it with Cena, leading to him getting rolled up and pinned. This leads to Jericho and Edge turning on Cena and attacking him at ringside. This leads to a desperate situation for Team WWE -- John Cena, being beaten and picked apart by The Nexus, needs to tag in Daniel Bryan. Can he even trust Daniel Bryan? Is Daniel Bryan any good? This builds to a really, really, really hot tag (Team WWE's apron work was great the whole match) and when Daniel gets in, he's a house of fire. It's so weird seeing his comeback. It's the same comeback he has now, essentially, but not quite perfected. Either way, he has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. He gets a "Daniel Bryan" chant in this and eventually taps Heath out to even the odds at 2-2. This, of course, leads to a jealous and petulant Miz to crowd Bryan with a briefcase leading to his elimination. The final segment is controversial. Cena gets beaten up, takes a DDT on the floor but makes a comeback against Gabriel and Wade to save the day. The DDT on the floor was a bit much for what they were going for with Cena's miraculous comeback. My actual biggest problem with the match was with Bret Hart and Skip's segment. They could have built to that a lot better than they did. I mean, Skip was just crushing dudes. He's the equalizer for The Nexus. He should have been more desperate in using the chair -- like he knows he HAS to use it to put down Skip, even though it will cost Team WWE a body and his veteran leadership. He just sort of hits him with a chair and can't believe he got DQ'd as a result. But either way, this match is a blast and very well put together. It's a really good match with smart layout throughout. In a very big way, it was intended to get Daniel Bryan over and into a feud with The Miz beyond their NXT stuff. And it worked.

Paige's character is that she's always wanted to be the best and, as of now, she is the best. Everyone else has a goofball edge to them and/or is obsessed with glamor and the like. She's the antidiva because every single other diva has always been this tanned barbie who aren't focused on being the best at what they do.

SAMI ZAYN VS. COREY GRAVES, NXT -- This is a secret gem of a match. It's a great coming out party for Corey Graves, who has followed the Bo Dallas career arc of going from unlikable babyface to great heel. But unlike Bo Dallas, Corey's a HEEL. He gives the fans absolutely nothing to like at all and is just a contemptible human being in all aspects. This was set up a few weeks ago when Corey Graves lured Sami Zayn into a trap and smashed his head into the corner. Sami had concussion-like symptoms from it and barely cleared the doctor's tests to have this match. It starts off great, with Graves doing some Zbysco stalls in order to lure Sami to the floor, like he did against Yoshi Tatsu a few weeks back. But Sami's ready for it, gets control and hits his great dive to the floor. Sami's a house on fire but Graves hits a cheapshot knee when on the apron to Sami's skull. The rest of the match is built around Graves hitting strikes to Sami's skull and doing head-based submission stuff, mostly a reverse chinlock. Graves adds some street punch cheap b.s. in this with face rakes and the like. Sami has great comeback spots but Graves can cut him off with his strikes. Sami has to go for some big bombs to win the match and Graves sells these like a champ but escapes every time. Sami's going to the top for a big move but can't make it because he's probably concussed. Graves ends the match by hitting his Lucky 13 finisher with Sami knocked out cold. The ref was fantastic in this. So much of the match was him checking on Sami's condition. But he never distracted from the match itself. It's great usage of the ref heightening the story of a match. This reminds me a lot of that Masters vs. Drew Cassidy match from a few years ago. It's just great face vs. heel stuff. It's nowhere near the top of the MOTY list but just a very good, simple match that follows a time-honored wrestling storyline. Sami sells better than anyone in the WWE, Graves is a total jerk prick heel and it's gold.

Corey Graves vs. Sami friggin' RULED. This is so secretly great and just an awesome in-ring story and a coming out party for Graves, who has finally figured out who he is in the ring and as a character. Corey Graves starts with some Zbysco-type stalls in an attempt to bait Sami, ala what he did against Yoshi a few weeks back. But Sami's ready for this and keeps control and does his wonderful no-hands somersault plancha to the floor. But any shot to Sami's head is going to be more devastating since maybe he shouldn't have taken this match as he barely passed a concussion test after Graves jumped him a few weeks back. Graves knows this and cheapshots Sami with a knee to the head when he's on the apron. Almost the rest of this match is Graves in control with strikes and stuff like a nasty chinlock that he really, really works. I love him doing stuff like raking Sami's face while in the chinlock. Great camera work by having a close-up of it that works. Corey's punches are dynamite. Sami's a great comeback wrestler and tries for some huge moves to steal the match but Graves escapes and then finds a counter every time. Zayn finally has Corey in his control and is going to the top but he's taken such a beating to the head that he's too wobbly and can't fly. Match ends with an unconscious Sami hooked in Graves Lucky 13 -- the ref calls for it quickly because Sami's out cold. Kudos to the ref for his work in this, too. The ref was a major part of this match and played it perfectly. He had to keep checking on Sami's condition throughout to put over Sami's weakness. But he did it without getting in the way of the action. Bryan's still the best face in the world because he has historically great comebacks. But Sami's better at selling accrued damage than anyone right now. He's the Ricky Morton of our era. Corey's really gotten good the past few weeks. He's figured out the character. I also love how he does absolutely NOTHING for the crowd to like him. There's nothing fancy in his moves. He doesn't need to do any cheap heat stuff and the crowd absolutely hates him. His cocky-ass walk to the ring, cold eyes and the like rule. This is the match, though, that really made him. Kudos to everyone.

I think this is the very first Bray Wyatt promo, actually.