MORELOCK

I think this is the sticking point. Dave gonna Dave. I don't know if WWE has necessarily fallen that far in mainstream exposure, it's just that by Vince mandate the brand rather than any individual wrestler is now presented as the star. So as much as it seems like they try to make Roman a big deal on the TV shows, it doesn't translate to mainstream because he still isn't presented as the star outside of the shows.

This is why I mentioned the NXT:UK "open" contract thing - he first teams with Lorcan just after Mania in 2017. The team is regularly featured on TV and regularly gets wins on the Florida house show loop for full year before "Martin Stone" stops working indy dates. I find it hard to swallow that Burch was featured so heavily on TV for a full year without having *any* kind of contract in place. This is WWE, after all.

I hope they acknowledge the engagement on TV just so we don't ever have to hear the "Seth and Becky are BOYFRIEND and GIRLFRIEND!!!" horseshit again.

I thought the same thing and went to check - he's billed at 190.

Same with me as of yesterday, so I assume it's part of the update.

I mean "technically" we haven't declared war at all, but that's getting into points other than the one I was making.

We are still at war with Iraq and several other countries in the region. It would be much, much cooler if the gimmick was outdated.

I know some want to insist I'm a Sasha hater, but I'm way higher on Sasha than I am on Nattie. Nattie is about as useful on the current roster as Ziggler is.

The Rowan double, if anyone was wondering, is one of the catering chefs.

No, you're right about that - Martin Stone is the name he used when working indies, presumably because he wasn't allowed to use Danny Burch. He was initially let go from NXT, went to work indies, and then came back. I believe he received the same sort of contract as Bate, Dunne, and other UK guys in that he was part of the NXT brand but could still work indy shows, as NXT:UK was still struggling to get off the ground at that point. He worked those indy shows until around Mania time last year as Martin Stone, even when he had begun appearing as Burch again in NXT. Kind of confusing.

The problem with comments about Anvil specifically is that for the comeuppance to happen, Nattie has to win matches. No one wants that.

I don't know, according to some poster here a monthish ago the Al Wilson stuff was highly entertaining, not tasteless. I would post-dive and find out who but for some reason I can't stop laughing.

Is NXT really that flawless? There may not be 20 minute promos, but there are lots of segments building up to the Takeovers that seem overly drawn out or unnecessary. They also aren't always great at payoffs. Ember Moon didn't get her big win over Asuka and is still suffering from it. I don't know where the arduous Gargano arc is supposed to be now, but it doesn't look like it's in danger of paying off any time soon. I can't stop anyone from winding themselves up over possible negative things happening in the future, but I feel like a wait-and-see approach would be the smartest and safest one to take.

The fuck is Jericho talking about anyway? Regarding NXT's already existing similarities to the main shows - has anyone worked out the time spent on video packages/replays vs. time spent on new segments in any given hour of NXT? I haven't, but my gut tells me it's pretty damn close to the main shows already.

He was working NXT as Danny Burch as early as 2013. No idea why he reverted to Martin Stone for this appearance.

NXT absolutely needed to be shaken up and I think most people agreed on that. They certainly have the roster to fill more time. This could easily be the breakthrough that people lost in the shuffle need. Until we get Commissioner Stephanie and the same tiny fraction of the roster across three shows instead of two, it isn't time to burn the internet down. Unless the extra 20 minutes is filled with Johnny Gargano. THEN fuck this company.

Sonya is the better worker, but I don't think the gulf is so large that anyone should be groaning about it. I don't feel like I've seen much of anyone complain about Roman potentially getting a world title run lately, but that's also because everyone's venom is currently directed at Rollins. I don't know if it would last if he got the title again, especially if it meant taking it off of Kofi.

That'd also mean Vince isn't the only one that loves tastelessly bringing up dead wrestlers.

So I noticed that angles involving urine are as stupid on the indies as they are in WWE.

Probably - what I mean is that they are billed as "Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville" on the graphic and by the ring announcer.

Has there been anything that has come out about why they refuse to refer to Mandy and Sonya as "Fire and Desire" or is that just another one of those dumb things?

"Samoa Joe never wins!!!" *gives Samoa Joe a win* "But I wanted Cesaro to win!!!"

On the subject of entrance attire not being a character: Joaquin Wilde is even more DOA than the others if his whole thing is *exactly* like that thing that Ali is already doing on the main roster.

You're probably right. Kalisto has just been far more prominent on WWE programming and as such has had far more opportunities to be annoying.

Kalisto is a great example of someone who is just taking up space that should be allowed to leave. They've tried for years to make him Rey II and he was terrible at it. Now they not only have Rey I back, but several others that would be far better at being Rey II (including both other members of LHP). Also, I'd be filled with joy if I never had to see that stupid heatless "Lu! Cha!" pose/chant again.