BobbyWhioux

And Rusev getting the Russian National Anthem and a TANK~! was delightful. And honestly, Cena pinning him after a Lana bump was probably the best case scenario as far as protecting him in defeat goes.

Caveat: I have no idea what form that better booked second chance would take. But it's possible.

You know, I came for the schadenfreude of how the fans would react to the main event, and instead I got an ending I actually enjoyed on its face. And I don't mind at all. (thought to be fair my schadenfreude itch got quite well scratched regardless) Well, pending future booking as with all things. But yeah. Instead of having his crowning Wrestlemania Championship win being shit on and rejected, now he still has that in his future. Now he's the guy who took that beating from Brock and survived it and still had to be screwed over by Rollins at the end. Adversity to hopefully overcome and be "the man" more organically/better accepted next year. As far as I can tell from when I hopped back on the train here, the fan rejection of Reigns is really not him per se but how forced his recent rise has seemed and how predictably he's been booked on his fast track to tonight. People were booing him kicking out after the F5 and at the start of his comeback offense because they "knew" what those meant, just like they booed at the Royal Rumble when Daniel Bryan was eliminated and again when Reigns came in. They knew those were the only two guys who could win, so when Bryan lost they knew he would win. Every time Reigns kicked out of the F5 tonight, people booed because they knew it meant he was going to win because they've seen years worth of WWE Main Event Matches, and it confirmed their beliefs that Roman Reigns was (inorganically) anointed as the guy and tonight was going to be the night it got made official. Now Roman can have another (better booked?) chance at the long chase.

It's funny how the crowd was dreading Reigns' coronation so much that it worked like the heat segment of a thousand tag matches of the past, with Rollins hot-tagging himself in to save the day. Reigns' comeback and finisher spam looked so on-formula it used fan meta-knowledge against them/us. And that ending helps all three guys.

If the scrubs revive as an entrance theme I'm all in.

Spitballing Theories: 1.) She's been inspired by an old puro compilation she borrowed from Brie after Daniel Bryan left it at Brie's house one night. 2.) John Cena's mutant healing factor stems from a heretofore undiscovered sexually transmitted disease. 3.) Trained by Fit Finley and/or Meng on the down low. 4.) Honestly who cares, as long as she keeps throwing that death elbow at people I'm not going to get too caught up in trying to explain it and just enjoy it.

I enjoyed it because he used the forbidden W-word. Repeatedly.

If Sting vs the NWO in 97 was Pro Wrestling's take on Achillies and The Odyssey, that Ladder Match Dress Rehearsal was Sisyphus with the Boulder. For almost all the roster, so is the whole WWE.

That the segment ended with having none of them left standing, let alone left standing with the belt, and the IC Belt left danging impossibly out of everybody's reach is the most fitting summation/symbolism of all. Especially if that apparent Luke Harper ankle injury from the ladder falling over on it turns out to be legit and he has to actually miss the match now.

Even Michael Cole and JBL are essentially telling you You're A Moron If You Actually Buy This On PPV for $65.

Instead of a bouquet toss, Nikki gives one random lucky wedding guest a Roaring Elbow. #DVDVRiest Wedding

Gonna cross post this in the .gif thread, I think

I saw the ending segment with Reigns. Between him not even coming close to a live microphone and the fade to black during the tug-of-war that seemed so abrupt, it made Reigns look like they are losing confidence in him. Which only cues both the live and the television audience to turn on him even more. They're so unsubtly hiding his weaknesses that people are reacting to him as though they see the weaknesses anyway. If I didn't know better thanks to Daniel Bryan's segments I'd swear they were now giving up and burying Reigns deliberately.

That'll be $5000, Mr. Lawler (yes, I'm aware this is the match that precedes/inspires that promo)

CHOPPY CHOPPY YOUR PEE PEE Also "Reek" seems such a classic "Vince McMahon makes backstage rib into on-air gimmick" re-packaging of a guy.

Please tell me that in all this time I haven't been watching, Dolph has been doing this regularly. Close enough, Dolph. Appreciate the thought. Been waiting a long time to see someone at least try to rip it off.

It's all about the game of human chess, and how you play it It's all about control of the queen, if you can take it

Since it was discussed on this very board several months back: Saw a blurb in the local paper this morning mentioning how Dan Uggla did, in fact, get a 2014 World Series Ring.

Exactly. It's a 4000 year old finish, it's already written for you, and it has always worked. How do you fuck it up, anyway? Poor stupid WCW.

It really was fun to see the lights go out, come back on, and have Silent Sting clear the ring of evildoers with a black baseball one more time. It just feels right.

That footage of Sting rescuing DDP still gives me goosebumps. Sting's appearances were legitimately my main reason for tuning into WCW back then Likewise for me. I've always loved Sting vs. the n.W.o from September 1996-December 1997. That time is my favourite from Sting's career. Is it weird that the best time period in a person's career they only wrestled one match? WCW actually did an adaptation of classic hero's journey mythology and did it pretty well. The hero is banished/exiled, the kingdom withers and suffers in his absence and under the thumb of the usurper, he goes to the underworld and back, and finally he makes his triumphant return and sets right what has been wrong. The land is healed and he is vindicated. He went from Achilles sulking in his tent ("all of you that did doubt the Stinger, you can stick it") to Odysseus clearing his house of the squatting suitors. Implicitly grafting on the plot of The Crow without overtly drawing the parallel, just planting the association in people's minds by having Sting co-opt the look was a nice touch too. They do nothing, thus they cannot screw it up with bad wrestling company writing, the work is all done for them in the fans' heads. Except they completely fucked up the ending, of course.

Memories of Survivor Series 1990 leave me wanting there to be a Kerry Carrie Von Erich with them

Aren't they all? If these changes go through then practically EVERY play becomes a review. With them sending everything to the guys in NYC we get plenty of time for a 15 second spot from the sponsors. "It's 3rd and 8. Brady with 3 wide left, Gronkowski in the slot. Tonight of course the 3rd downs are brought to you by Skittles. Taste the rainbow." State Farm Discount Double Check Review "...after further State Farm Discount Double Check," Ed Hochuli bellowed between conspicuous sips of Coors Light with the can prominently displayed on camera, "the call on the field stands. [Team X] will be charged a Citizen Eco Drive Time Out, and is out of challenges for the half!"

Was the Garvin Stomp delivered to the chest?