Phantom Lord Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 What are the odds he is being punished for his brother's comments. I can't be the only one who saw a depush coming as soon as that came out. What did he say? Basically Ziggler's brother said on Twitter that none of the current NXT guys know how to work a crowd. Well he might have a point. The WWE doesn't want people who can work a crowd. They just want people who can memorize the WWE style of sports entertainment. It's only the guys who either had long runs on the indies or come from a rasslin family who seem to know how to work a crowd and do the little stuff that's missing. As for Ziggler, I just assumed he was being pushed down because of the WWE's wacky loyalty test system. Be jobbed out and made to be nothing for a long while and if you don't ask for a release then they know they can do something with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Missed some of this (like sadly most of the 6-man) but it was a really fun show and a very solid go-home overall. Bray is GREAT at the crazy character and I'm all about him. It reminds me of early Mankind but the messianic vibe gives it a nice twist. And Brodie Lee still looks scary as fuck all the time. Everyone was bumping huge tonight, especially Christian who looks older facially every time I see him which makes his bumping look more reckless. The match finish with him and Sandow was pretty innovative and cool, plus Sandow threw in the cartwheel which I haven't seen in awhile. Never seen Drake Younger before but he's got a great character-actor kinda face (and even he bumped big!). Surprisingly, none of the shenanigans with the Bryan match bothered me. It was almost "12 step" (TM Raven) booking but it worked... maybe Vince's absurd color-clashing wardrobe made me not mind, or Bryan is just that good. Probably both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Rob Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 And Ambrose without the riot gear looks like Kenickie. Yes! A cross between him and Doug Stanhope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranesi Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Curse you both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamBroken Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Surprised how short the Shield tag was but fun while it lasted. Guessing there will be some type of DQ ending with RVD/Ambrose. Bryan/Barrett was an entertaining cluster. Cane shot to Maddox ruled as did Vince's awesome suit. Also liked Christian/Sandow, great counters leading to the finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrag Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Wyatt seems more like a guy play acting than anything. I don't even know what this means. The dude is clearly more connected with his character than just about anyone else they have brought up recently. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Someone clearly reading a script. Nothing about him seems genuine. I saw him at a house show in Alabama and he did this promo about being an outcast for his southern accent. He could not even mix up his shtick a little. Then he does that shit instead of selling being scared of the Inferno match, he just does the AJ crazy cackling to no sell it. He is probably a good wrestler right now. He was improving a lot before Randy Orton killed him off and he is Barry Windham's nephew. But the promos are too pleased with themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrag Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I haven't seen enough to vouch for him as a wrestler, but the promo work seems brilliant to me. His inflection really sells some of those lines and the WWE clearly has faith in him as a talker. Hell, he even killed off the what chants, which even very good talkers like Mark Henry have struggled to do. There are countless examples of people who promo like they are reading from a script. Successful examples at that: Orton, Dolph, Del Rio etc. etc. Bray is just about the last person I would put in that group. Why should he sell fear of the Inferno match? Not all heels should be afraid 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Because that is not his character type. If he grows a few more feet then he can no sell it. And maybe it would actually generate interest in the match. Since they have won every confrontation so far. So showing moderate concern at being in an Inferno match with a monster who tried to burn his brother alive, might make fans want to watch it. But instead he just laughs about it. If he does not care, why should I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyLaw Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Not all heels are chickenshit heels. Laughing at Kane's threats (although note that the family does seem scared) is his way of standing up to Kane, which is designed to make people think "damn, this dude is crazy, Kane is going to have to step it up" in the same way Mankind shrugged off all the Undertaker's schtick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrag Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 What? That is exactly his character type. The Wyatt family was introduced as backwoods monsters under the thumb of a charismatic psychopath. Why does someone have to be afraid to care? They have clearly shown that Bray has an interest in Kane that goes beyond fear into some sort of twisted respect. Are you just missing the point of this whole thing? Edit: Also, it's refreshing to have this kind of character in the WWE again. It's like they had this huge drought where every scary/freakshow type of character was just god awful (Mordecai, Boogyman etc etc) and then they stopped debuting people like that. Wrestling needs the freaks. I can also see the Mankind/Taker parallels. Good call there, Jonny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Not all heels are chickenshit heels. Laughing at Kane's threats (although note that the family does seem scared) is his way of standing up to Kane, which is designed to make people think "damn, this dude is crazy, Kane is going to have to step it up" in the same way Mankind shrugged off all the Undertaker's schtick. Its not being chickenshit, just a little concern over being burned alive. Even Andre and Vader would look concerned. Shit Andre fainted to sell for Damien. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 What? That is exactly his character type. The Wyatt family was introduced as backwoods monsters under the thumb of a charismatic psychopath. Why does someone have to be afraid to care? They have clearly shown that Bray has an interest in Kane that goes beyond fear into some sort of twisted respect. Are you just missing the point of this whole thing? More like not entertained by it or buying it in the least. Nothing Wyatt does seems genuine. He seems like a guy who took three acting classes and thinks he is a good promo now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I enjoyed Smackdown. There were some good matches mixed in with some wackiness. Bray Wyatt is amazing. I understand that it's good for heels to be chickenshit cowards, but in his case him not being scared helps a lot. Fans see him like he's mental for not budging one bit. That and if he can scare the piss out of kids in the crowd then that's a really effective heel. I love it. I also loved the overbooked style of the no DQ match with Vince's epically ridiculous suit and HHH showing his ref skills. Maddox took the kendo stick shot like a champ, that was just tremendous. I think it did a good job hyping up the title match with all but Cena out there showing where they stand. Bonus points: I dug the guy in the front row by the ramp that had the sheep mask and bloody apron, that looked pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 And to be clear, I'm not saying he should act terrified in every promo. Just when the match was initially announced and the fire erupted. He should have sold. Someone brought up Foley vs Taker. Go back to those segments and Foley would be freaked out initially whenever Taker did something to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrag Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 They are selling those sheep masks now? That could look really cool down the line when Bray gains a little steam and they work their hot spots. I could totally see a crowd full of masks in Chicago or Brooklyn or somewhere like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggulator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 The dude thinks he's the second coming of Christ and we've entered the end days of revelation. He's fighting the devil's proxy in the Lake of Fire. He's not afraid of fire. The fire's afraid of him.Or, in other words, he's a total lunatic. I think you need to learn what "no selling" is. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I don't buy it, he seems like a guy doing his first project in improv class. Though hopefully he does not pull out an invisible gun and shoots every one. I think you need to learn what "no selling" is. I think taking a dangerous gimmick match and treating it like nothing is no selling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bink_winkleman Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 The family should be acting scared, Bray shouldn't at all. He's supposed to be nuts and fearless to the point that he was goading on the inferno match from the beginning. Then eventually, when someone does get under his skin (maybe some larger than life face, or a guy that he "pushes too far" in a good horror movie revenge porn angle, or a defected family member that breaks his brainwashing) it will be a big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyLaw Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Not all heels are chickenshit heels. Laughing at Kane's threats (although note that the family does seem scared) is his way of standing up to Kane, which is designed to make people think "damn, this dude is crazy, Kane is going to have to step it up" in the same way Mankind shrugged off all the Undertaker's schtick.Its not being chickenshit, just a little concern over being burned alive.They have repeated said the point of the fire was to keep people out, not to burn them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrag Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I think taking a dangerous gimmick match and treating it like nothing is no selling. That's twice you have marginalized this point. They have shown us absolutely nothing to support this idea of Bray being indifferent or "treating it like nothing." If he had absolutely no reaction to the Ring of Fire stip you might have a point, but Bray has embraced the idea. Perking up at every mention of it, laughing maniacally and a devilish grin is just about the opposite of "no selling." Those are significant character traits that double as build up for the actual gimmick of the match. I do agree with Bink that the Family should be afraid of Kane and the ring of fire, but not Bray. If they properly convey that, it will make the moment where they walk through the fire to help their fearless leader that much better. Harper is the key to that moment, as I feel he is miles ahead of the other family member. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggulator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I don't buy it, he seems like a guy doing his first project in improv class. Though hopefully he does not pull out an invisible gun and shoots every one. I think you need to learn what "no selling" is. I think taking a dangerous gimmick match and treating it like nothing is no selling. I think you also need to go to an improv class or show. Bray's acting (and pretty much everyone in the WWE) is Lawrence Olivier compared to improv students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 No love for the Michael Scott reference. They have repeated said the point of the fire was to keep people out, not to burn them. C'mon man, the whole selling point is someone might get burnt. Anyway I'm sure Wyatt will improve no matter what. But at the moment, I don't care for his promos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Well, WWE is PG so they're saying that to save their ass. As far as I'm concerned Wyatt WANTS the fire match, so why should he fear it? I'll third the respect for the Maddox cane shot. That's one of the only plunder headshots in the federation in ages and I'm sure it hurt like a bitch. A gripe: why does everyone have to do a faceplant finisher? Wyatt, Rhodes, god there are like three more I know. I forgive Cesaro's because it's supposed to be a Gotch-style piledriver (nice for Cole to mention that, btw). Finally, JBL namedropping Kendo Nagasaki was great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Ooooo, I just thought of something. In the Inferno match Kane's arm got set on fire. Wyatt has that black wrap on the one arm... I bet they're gonna re-do the spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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