piranesi Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Main Event quiz: Question 1. Match the four announced main-eventers tonight with the situation in which you would be best calling each one if you need: 1) ride to the airport 2) bail $$ 3) VHS copy of Starship Troopers 4) small sticks for kindling Spoiler answer key: 1) John Cena 2) AJ Styles 3) James Ellsworth 4) Dean Ambrose Complete the following James Ellsworth narrative by filling in the empty steps: 1) Surprise main event on Smackdown against John Cena 2) 3) Get Fired 4) Spoiler Answer key: 2) Date Paige 4) Hooter's presser 3. True/False. Would you preorder WWE2k17 if your free bonus wrestler was James Ellsworth and not Goldberg? Spoiler answer key: True MORHTERFUKCERS!!! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Damn it AJ, every man with two hands deserves a handshake! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranesi Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 It makes me so happy that James Ellsworth now has at least as many WWE t.v. appearances as Mark Henry and Mae Young's hand/son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorneAgain Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Its a little thing, but I love how everyone's motivation on SD makes sense. Ambrose is pissed that a guy who was off for a month is getting a title shot against AJ. Cena's disappointed and unimpressed at Dean's performance as a championship defender. AJ doesn't give a shit that he took the easy way out, as he's the champ the runs the camp. Ziggler wants Miz to actually prove himself without cheating. Miz wants respect as a main event and is done giving title matches to unworthy people and being ignored. Hell, even Corbin got a moment pointing that as a Lone Wolf, he's not keen on teaming with anybody. Such a breath of fresh air. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Might be just a hot take, but I will take Smackdown's women's division over Raw's every day of the week. Becky/Nikki/Naomi are a good core, Nattie is totally unlikeable and works well in contrast to those three faces, and even the dead weight like Alexa and Carmella have some value. Carmella never did get a run as a heel in NXT because they swerved us and turned Alexa, so it's enjoyable watching her figure things out as a heel for the first time. Becky will drag something fun out of Alexa, who at least throws awesome temper tantrums on two-counts. What I love about Smackdown is that so many guys have taken the opportunity to try and make a run, especially with Cena as a part-time player and with Del Rio leaving the company causing a void for guys to step into. Styles looks even better than he did in New Japan, The Miz is having an incredible heel run. Heath Slater busted his ass to get himself over. Crews and Corbin are rapidly improving in the ring. The Usos are revitalizing themselves with this heel turn. Then there are guys like Ziggler, but most everyone is stepping up. Miz/Bryan is the best storyline they've run on non-NXT television since they stumbled into Bryan going on a big run and winning the WWE Championship. If I have one nitpick, it's that I hated Cena pinning Miz offhand in a nothing tag match. Miz should not be eating pins right now, especially not in a fashion that is ultimately meaningless. When he loses, it needs to be cathartic because everyone has been waiting for it for so long. Jobbing him in tag team matches like that runs contra to this. Speaking of, if you'll all indulge me in a bit of fantasy booking: The Miz and Bryan find themselves at a stalemate in terms of negotiating a new contract for Miz. Miz, true to his word, refuses to defend the IC title, and Bryan strips him of the title, though Miz still holds the belt. Bryan announces a tournament for a new IC champion, and out of the eight guys picked to be in it, Samoa Joe turns out to be one of them. Joe wins the gold when Miz shows back up, claiming that he is the real IC champ rather than Joe. Miz cheapshots Joe again and again backstage and in matches until Bryan calls for a title-vs-title match to determine the undisputed IC champion - they'll hang the belts above the ring and force both men to fight over the title in a ladder match. Basically, it's been over twenty years since the HBK/Razor feud, so let's re-use what was an effective narrative again! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranesi Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 I wonder if Daniel Bryan gets the irony of his character now being a GM trying to orchestrate a title onto the person he wants because he doesn't like the guy who won it? I'd like to think this was a clever way to build the idea that power corrupts everyone, but it's more likely just the side effect of the WWE's "If a babyface does it it's fair and you should cheer" thing, which I hate hate hate. It's also funny that "The Daniel Bryan" in this story is ultimate company guy The Miz, and that he's way better at fucking with the GM. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Bryan: "Why did you take out Apollo Crews in the back?" Corbin: "Well today was my birthday" 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranesi Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 So Becky Balboa Lynch. We need to talk about this as a psychological symptom, right? that Becky would create her "inner essence self" out of the two groups most likely to turn on each other in a bar fight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie M. Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Smackdown was back to being great again this week. Cena's chase for Flair's record should be built until Mania. He and Dean were both great and edgy in the opening. Styles was a smug prick. The Triple Threat makes sense. Miz walking out and being difficult was very good. Getting everyone pumped about James Ellsworth and using Miz to take him out was perfect. Slater's celebration was good but I wanted more. Maybe they'll film some vignettes. The women's match was a bit like the one on Sunday. A bit sloppy at times but good on the whole. Big fan of them having multiple feuds going with Becky vs Bliss and Nikki vs Carmella. Another great reaction for Becky. She is the real main roster Bayley. Swagger's promo was a bit weak but as he and Corbin have really good chemistry in the ring. It makes perfect sense to bring Swagger over and have Corbin work with him on the road for months. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Cena proved everyone who's ever said he'd be cheered as a heel right tonight. He practically Billy Gunn'd poor Deano and the crowd ate it up. Smackdown is on fire. This is such a simple, fun wrestling program. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nice Guy Eddie Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 John Cena would be great as a delusional heel that thinks he a face. He loses cleanly at Summerslam, doesn't admit that AJ was the better man, takes a month off, then comes back demanding that he wants his title back. All of that makes you a dick of Hogan-esque proportions. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 9 minutes ago, piranesi said: I wonder if Daniel Bryan gets the irony of his character now being a GM trying to orchestrate a title onto the person he wants because he doesn't like the guy who won it? I'd like to think this was a clever way to build the idea that power corrupts everyone, but it's more likely just the side effect of the WWE's "If a babyface does it it's fair and you should cheer" thing, which I hate hate hate. It's also funny that "The Daniel Bryan" in this story is ultimate company guy The Miz, and that he's way better at fucking with the GM. I mean, there is a difference between wanting a different champion than the one who beat John Cena cleanly because he's just too small for your liking, and wanting a different champion because your current champion needs his wife to blind his opponents with hair spray to keep winning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie M. Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Splitting Cena off with Ambrose is a feud I never really considered before tonight. Dean can get more of his edge back and maybe go full heel by the end of it. That leaves Styles vs Orton as the title feud with maybe some Bray involvement to stretch it out. Pretty good direction for the top of the card, IMO. I think they'll eventually get one of Joe or Nakamura too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamal Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Another fun match with the women. The women's division on Smackdown is just more interesting than what's going on with Raw. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 6 minutes ago, Smelly McUgly said: I mean, there is a difference between wanting a different champion than the one who beat John Cena cleanly because he's just too small for your liking, and wanting a different champion because your current champion needs his wife to blind his opponents with hair spray to keep winning. The other key difference is that Miz has leverage, with the belt. Bryan needed opportunities, Miz can--to some extent--dictate them. There is certainly a nice hint of "power corrupts" to the angle, but the circumstances aren't like for like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Mann Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 19 minutes ago, hammerva said: Bryan: "Why did you take out Apollo Crews in the back?" Corbin: "Well today was my birthday" Talking Smack Daniel Bryan has replaced Poland as history's greatest doormat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranesi Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 Once again Bryan is undersized for the job. It's amazing how much this angle has made me dislike his character and like the Miz's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyLaw Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Alexa Bliss was great on Talking Smack. "Oh, I get it, you had a pageant mom..." "YOU DON'T KNOW ME!" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 30 minutes ago, piranesi said: Once again Bryan is undersized for the job. It's amazing how much this angle has made me dislike his character and like the Miz's. I think the thing that hurts Bryan is this: His character--and all faces, to a certain extent--was built on responding to heel taunts with violence. Sure, you'll trade barbs for a bit. But there always comes a time when you drop the mic, and say ok, let's go. You don't always have to win, but you have to try. Bryan can't even be a sawed off Bill Watts authority figure--no, he has to send other people to do his fighting for him. He certainly can't roll up his flannel sleeves, and let the heel beg off. He has to be the one taking the barbs, and backing down. It's interesting, insofar as he's basically forced into this aspect of the heel archetype, and by being somewhat petulant about it, exacerbates that perception. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Comedian Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 I'll agree with everyone else here that the Smackdown Women are kicking ass. In fact I was thinking the same thing that Charlie M said about Becky being what they hoped Bayley was gonna be on the main roster. She's such a likable, relatable character. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Bryan doesn't need to wrestle , he just needs to put the Yes Lock on someone when it's built to that, make the guy tap and walk away all bad ass. But that'd be when they decide to switch out the GM character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 I really enjoyed the stuff surrounding the world title and Miz. Only thing I didn't like was Miz losing in the main event. Wish they went for a dq or something. The women's match was decent. I like Alexa winning. She was awesome on Talking Smack. Her reactions to Bryan were great along with her comments on Carmella. Not sure about Corbin vs. Swagger, but I am happy to see Corbin getting more of a role on the main show. He still lacks a bit of confidence on the mic, but he was fun on Talking Smack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 I don't really get how the GM who worked his ass off to become champ in a clean way not liking the guy who cheats like a bastard makes the GM the heel. Especially when the guy who cheats was pretty shitty about the GM's injuries and continues to cheat like a bastard. On another note, Becky Lynch is definitely over with the girls in the crowd. Bayley is too over on RAW, but I'm glad for Becky that she got over like that, too. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 The only way this show could've been better would've been if either Ambrose or Cena costed the other the fall to The Miz instead of that ending. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Comedian Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Perhaps more indicative of Bryan's douchiness as GM is his complicity with Shane on their treatment of Heath Slater. "Hey, here's a wrestler who needs a job to support his family and also happens to be super-over with our fans right now. Let's mock him and make him jump through hoops in order to get a contract!" Hell, at least when Slater pulled it off Shane-O was decent enough to be there for the contract signing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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