Wrestling Thread Vol. 3

[AtariLegend]

Good news though. It might suck that Seth is out, but if Seth is out... Triple H might end up facing Nakamura. You have to know the Triple H match will be pushed as hard as Goldberg/Lesnar match going into the show.

The card is real, that's what the Observer was told the card was pre Rumble, except they weren't sure about A.J., Cena's match until afterwards. 

Not sure why people are surprised though, the show was ridiculously long and dull last year. Fans chanting "this is awesome" at the idea of a Shane McMahon match sends the wrong message. 

[luciusfunk]

Has anyone noticed PPVs have steadily gotten worse since the Network debuted?

[username]

Just now, luciusfunk said:

Has anyone noticed PPVs have steadily gotten worse since the Network debuted?

The first few Smackdown PPV's were surprisingly good. And Survivor Series was good too. But overall, yes. Buyrates don't matter much anymore. Which is quite bad, because that doesn't give WWE the kick in the nads they need.

[AtariLegend]

Survivor Series was good?

It had a 52 minute match where Shane was in the ring for almost 30 minutes. The main event lasted 86 seconds so they could create "a moment". 

Fans accepting mediocrity and chanting this is awesome is the reason they don't need to try.

[axlslash]

4 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

Survivor Series was good?

It had a 52 minute match where Shane was in the ring for almost 30 minutes. The main event lasted 86 seconds so they could create "a moment". 

Fans accepting mediocrity and chanting this is awesome is the reason they don't need to try.

Shane was an absolute non-factor spot monkey. He was "in the ring," sure, but spent most of it lying down doing nothing, did his holy-shit spots (which, by the way, were spectacular as spots go) and let the real wrestlers do the real work. And the Goldberg-Lesnar match was perfect. The speed with which Goldberg put the Beast down there combined with the speed of the elimination in the Rumble is gonna make the two-count when he spears and jackhammers Brock to open the Mania match pop hard. Then when Lesnar pins Goldberg to win the match (and if rumors are to be believed, the big red belt), it will add that much more both to Brock and th belt. There's a lot about the PPV booking that I haven't liked, but those two things ain't among them. 

That said, I think the network is absolutely horrible for WWE in general and PPVs specifically. Adam Blambied from WhatCulture is dead on with this one. 

 

[luciusfunk]

37 minutes ago, username said:

The first few Smackdown PPV's were surprisingly good. And Survivor Series was good too. But overall, yes. Buyrates don't matter much anymore. Which is quite bad, because that doesn't give WWE the kick in the nads they need.

I take it back. Sort of. Apart from the Smackdown specific PPVs, the PPV quality has gone downhill. Glad Smackdown gets Elimination Chamber!

[AtariLegend]

1 hour ago, axlslash said:

Shane was an absolute non-factor spot monkey. He was "in the ring," sure, but spent most of it lying down doing nothing, did his holy-shit spots (which, by the way, were spectacular as spots go) and let the real wrestlers do the real work.

 

It was a 50 PLUS minute match, he was in for more than half of it. Even Roman fucking Reigns was selling for him. That is not a non-factor.

Edited February 3, 2017 by AtariLegend

[axlslash]

57 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

It was a 50 PLUS minute match, he was in for more than half of it. Even Roman fucking Reigns was selling for him. That is not a non-factor.

McMahon didn't eliminate anyone. The closest he came was the Leap Of Faith to Strowman, but Ellsworth holding the ankle was really the only reason Strowman couldn't get back in. Shane was in the match, but he didn't have any impact on the outcome except for his Leap of Faith and Coast-To-Spear spots. He was an absolute non-factor in the match's outcome. James Ellsworth, the mascot, had more of an actual impact. 

[AtariLegend]

PRO-TIP;

Never watch NJPW with English commentary. 

[username]

Can't believe I was excited 2 weeks ago. This now feels like the Road to DepressalMania.

[luciusfunk]

On the bright side, if Rollins is out, it could save Styles from a match with Shane. The new rumor if Rollins is out is HHH/Shane. 

[PsychoKiss344]

Imagine Styles vs Finn

[AtariLegend]

I take it no one watched Suzuki vs. Okada?

[Gackt]

Paul Heyman will likely be the inductor, because giving Jim Cornette a live mic would be an absolute mistake 

[AtariLegend]

On 2/5/2017 at 10:11 PM, AtariLegend said:

I take it no one watched Suzuki vs. Okada?

Just a quick comparison between Okada and Steen.

Okada's been IWGP champion since the 19th June 2016. He's made 3 title defenses since (all 3 of which have been different styles of matches against different opponents, but fantastic) and likely won't defend again until April if not June.

Steen's been Universal Champion since the 29th August 2016 and made 9 title defenses (37 if you count un-televised), several on TV. None of which I can remember except for the last one at the Rumble. 6 of the 9 title matches that were televised were against Seth Rollins.

Edited February 7, 2017 by AtariLegend

[luciusfunk]

Ooh. A Roman/Joe feud? I can dig it. 

[AtariLegend]

Didn't watch RAW (I've got a life to live!), but I seen the Joe vs. Reigns bit.

Great that Joe in his first match on the main roster needed the distraction win so that WWE could emphasize Reigns would have won else-wise. Even better knowing that Strowman is getting a stronger push than Reigns and the whole point is just so he can make Reigns look strong, before Reigns inevitably beats Taker at mania!

[axlslash]

WWE didn't know whether they could go ahead as planned with Joe/Game/Rollins. The way they booked that match let them give Joe a one-off go-over match that advances Roman's feud with Braun. I have no problem with it. And I expect the fastlane match will be similar. Taker will interfere, cost Roman the match, Roman turns heel either right then by attacking Taker or in a promo the next night on Raw. I like it.

And in terms of your regularly scheduled programming, Meltzer reporting that Seth's checkup in Birmingham went well, and that docs are confident that he'll be cleared by Mania. As of right now, HHH/Rollins is on for Mania. Just means they need something for Joe to do at Fastlane instead of the match with Rollins. 

[username]

1 hour ago, axlslash said:

WWE didn't know whether they could go ahead as planned with Joe/Game/Rollins. The way they booked that match let them give Joe a one-off go-over match that advances Roman's feud with Braun. I have no problem with it. And I expect the fastlane match will be similar. Taker will interfere, cost Roman the match, Roman turns heel either right then by attacking Taker or in a promo the next night on Raw. I like it.

And in terms of your regularly scheduled programming, Meltzer reporting that Seth's checkup in Birmingham went well, and that docs are confident that he'll be cleared by Mania. As of right now, HHH/Rollins is on for Mania. Just means they need something for Joe to do at Fastlane instead of the match with Rollins. 

I could see them going for a triple threat with Roman and Braun at fastlane. Then at Mania it'll be Roman-Taker and maybe Braun-Joe? 

[axlslash]

26 minutes ago, username said:

I could see them going for a triple threat with Roman and Braun at fastlane. Then at Mania it'll be Roman-Taker and maybe Braun-Joe? 

I like that generally, but Joe has to go over at Mania, as does Braun the way they've booked him. Can't have them both go over in the same match...

Joe has been talked about as a legit match for Brock. So, if things go the way they look right now, Lesnar/Joe program for Brock's Universal title after he takes it from Goldberg? I'll take it. 

[PsychoKiss344]

So it looks like we are getting Seth vs Triple at Mania still.

Who could Samoa face? Could we see Finn return and interfere one of his matches setting up a feud for Mania?

[AtariLegend]

Could we see Devitt return and set up a match with Joe? Seriously, you're more likely to get Joe doing the job for Big Cass with this company and Balor making his glorious return in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal.

Oh you sweet summer children that started watching in the late 2000's. So optimistic. 

Anyway we already seen almost every combinations of Devitt with Joe multiple times over the past two years. The longest break came when Devitt got called up then injured. 

 

Edited February 7, 2017 by AtariLegend

[PsychoKiss344]

3 hours ago, AtariLegend said:

Could we see Devitt return and set up a match with Joe? Seriously, you're more likely to get Joe doing the job for Big Cass with this company and Balor making his glorious return in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal.

Oh you sweet summer children that started watching in the late 2000's. So optimistic. 

Anyway we already seen almost every combinations of Devitt with Joe multiple times over the past two years. The longest break came when Devitt got called up then injured. 

 

Just hoping lol, it would make the card 10x better even though we have already seen it in NXT.

[luciusfunk]

[AtariLegend]

Apparently TNA and NOAH have come to a working agreement. 

Bizarre. Not sure who it benefits. It's been proven time and time again that fans in Japan couldn't care less about foreign talent unless they're exceptional. When NJPW had TNA talent working it's under card for a few years, it meant nothing. Two radically different styles that didn't suit. TNA do low rent American budget sports entertainment, NOAH do hardcore puroresu. 

If anyone's wondering; NJPW sold it's stake in NOAH a while back. NJPW practically ran NOAH as side promotion for a few years. When NJPW sold it's steak, they took practically half of NOAH's roster.

NOAH is on it's dying legs have barely got anything left except Nakajima the champion (who you'd have to assume well end up back in NJPW) and Naomichi Marufuji (who's awesome if he's working a NJPW show)/Go Shiozaki both of whom help run the company. Neither of whom are likely to even consider doing the job to TNA talent.