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His "little Jimmy" thing had me laughing hard. All that was missing was him dropping the f-bomb followed by quickly whipping a cigarette from his pocket.
I guess he is just a natural heel, as he sounded more comfortable than he ever has in the WWF/E, last night.
Definitely interested for next week -
- Fallout from the draft
- Fallout from Extreme Rules
- R-Truth's next move (seriously can't believe I am typing this)
- ROCK
He was right on the money with the 'what?' chanting though, so damn annoying now it's ridiculous.
Wasn't R-Truth one of the top heels in the early years of TNA though? So if he's doing a good job it shouldn't be much of a surprise. I've obviously not seen any of his recent stuff though.
Just found this on youtube:
WY9xMffdbIg
EDIT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY9xMffdbIg&feature=player_embedded
Supplementary draft (bolded those of any relevance):
Raw
Jack Swagger
Kelly Kelly
JTG
Drew McIntyre
Curt Hawkins
Chris Masters
Kofi Kingston
Tyler Reks
Beth Phoenix
Smackdown
Daniel Bryan
Great Khali
Jimmy Uso
Alicia Fox
William Regal
Yoshi Tatsu
Natalya
Jey Uso
Ted DiBiase
Tyson Kidd
Tamina
Alex Riley
Sheamus
More than I was expecting.
So we've got both mid-card titles on Smackdown, Orton with no fresh feuds to work with and A-RI is screwed. Not sure why many are even being drafted as they'll never appear on the show. Curt Hawkins won't make it past Superstars.
muscularmatt
26-04-2011, 23:31
Yeah half of those are likely to be future endevaoured within a couple of months.
But Ron Killings is a fantastic heel. I'm amazed they haven't turned him quicker than this. But WWE has a history of making turns about a year too late.
"CROSSING MY FINGERS TO BE DRAFTED TO EITHER RAW OR SMACKDOWN FROM SUPERSTARS!"
Ryder :lmao:
"CROSSING MY FINGERS TO BE DRAFTED TO EITHER RAW OR SMACKDOWN FROM SUPERSTARS!"
Ryder :lmao:
:laugh:
Bless.
He's just flavour of the month due to his YouTube shows, but anyone who puts in that much effort to be noticed and reach the fans deserves the opportunity on Raw or Smackdown, even if it is competing at lower-mid card. Ryder's a strange one though because while he's becoming popular amongst all of the geek fans, he's still supposed to be a heel so his reception will be mixed to say the least if/when he appears on the main shows. It'll be a little weird, but it's still worth just seeing what happens with him.
muscularmatt
27-04-2011, 01:21
Zack Ryder is awesome, and the fact that he is not being used despite having a pretty decent cult following shows how fucking thick creative are right now.
Also, forgot to say, but who else chanted BULLSHIT at their TV when Cena got drafted back to Raw. What was the point in that? Just another cheap trick to try and mask the fact that fuck all exciting happened.
:laugh:
Bless.
He's just flavour of the month due to his YouTube shows, but anyone who puts in that much effort to be noticed and reach the fans deserves the opportunity on Raw or Smackdown, even if it is competing at lower-mid card. Ryder's a strange one though because while he's becoming popular amongst all of the geek fans, he's still supposed to be a heel so his reception will be mixed to say the least if/when he appears on the main shows. It'll be a little weird, but it's still worth just seeing what happens with him.
Wasn't Ryder playing a babyface during his tag run with Primo then? I didn't watch Superstars at the time, but I'm sure that's what my mate said...
And I know he definitely got a face reaction at the Rumble.
muscularmatt
27-04-2011, 19:09
And who can forget him singing 'Friday' at Wrestlemania? That was amazeballs.
Haha, Cole got Laytth the Smackth down. :laugh:
Was a great moment. Pity him & Bryan are the only ones who've managed it the past 12 months.
The USA love was so cringey last night. They love to isolate their international audience.
I like to comment on Maryse & Kelly (was my dream match-up last night :joel:), and yes even Layla, but fucking hell, Natalya at the party on Raw & Beth at Extreme Rules were amazing.
muscularmatt
03-05-2011, 23:49
cringey
I've beent trying to find the word for how I felt watching that, but you got it there. It was horrid. The whole thing was just crying out for a chorus of AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!!
Mason heading his own way?
muscularmatt
04-05-2011, 14:45
Hope so. It would be fucking rad to have a Welsh Batista in there tearing shite up.
Yh man that would be awesome.
Raw spoilers;
Very fun Raw, I thought. Some decent matches, and I'm glad they gave Kharma time to explain her situation and just be straight up about things. Some have complained about The Bella's coming out and calling her fat, but eh, I'm sure she's been called worse and was totally cool with it - it gives people something to look forward to.
A-Ry is a fucking beast, by the way. I don't see this as a Batista type rise, but wow, he's getting over just as fast as him during the Evolution feud.
So, Raw wasn't exactly amazing last week - I know it wasn't amazing, because I can't remember too much of it.
3 hour "All Star" Raw tomorrow though! I'm off work til Thursday, so I will watch live. Zack Ryder fans, if they don't do anything with him in his HOME TOWN, they never will. Team him with Cena - something. It worked for Evan Bourne.
He's still a heel. They'll make him job to Cena in 15 seconds then R-Truth will beat Jawn down.
Well, he's a heel on Superstars, and got matched against a face last week, but he's Cena's buddy almost every other week.
As I said before on this page infact, it's fucking moronic that he's still a heel. There is absolutely no sense in that. However with Christian, Mark Henry and several others turning heel recently this may open a few spots for a few faces to come through, with tomorrow being the opening of Zak Ryder's new face role since it's his home town?
Oh, and when Truth marched down the ramp last week singing Lil' Jimmy I must have replayed it several times pissing myself with laughter.
Yeah. R-Truth, Vince and Austin (opening segment) were the only good things about Raw last week.
Truth has been fantastic on the mic. He actually has me angry at Lil' Jimmy. What a spoilt, son of a bitch, Lil' Jimmy must be!
#RYDERORRIOT !!!
Who's watching live?
Oh dear, he was on Superstars :lol:
muscularmatt
14-06-2011, 13:26
That's fucking bullshit. Just shows how out of touch with the fans the current creative team are. They don't push people despite them being popular, they give pushes to people no one gives a shit about, and they get the face/heel turns totally wrong all the time. Fuck off and get cancer.
To be quite honest though, Ryder's reactions aren't exactly huge when he's on Superstars. I know he's the heel and all, but if he had THAT much backing, you'd at least hear more than a pin-drop when his music hits.
muscularmatt
14-06-2011, 17:52
He needs a posse. And Jersey Shore style interviews backstage and shit. That'd be totally rad.
I did hear that he had one of the biggest pops of the night when he came out for his match on Superstars, so I'll be looking out for that.
Obviously, not because of a "RYDER REVOLUTION" ...more that they were in LI.
I'm just watching Raw now.
Only up to the second match, but the WWE Universe really voting for Mason Ryan? I don't buy that for a minute to be honest.
Was Punk's big announcement just the segment at the start too with him saying he should be No.1 contender? Disappointing in a way, but on the flip, it probably means he'll be getting a relevant push now.
No it wasn't. Though it has relevance.
Yeah, they really do like to insult our intelligence. Like Mason Ryan would get more votes than Sin Cara :lmao:
They totally fucked that one up lool.
Punk, leaving either way, with or without the title after MITB.
Your thoughts lads.
I'm not convinced he'll leave to be honest, not permanently anyway. I really think considering this new push he's getting the WWE might be upping their offer, including a few months break soon which is what Punk wants along with better booking.
What is everyones salery like in the wrestling business?
No idea to be honest, but from what I hear, unless you're a top star it isn't as much as some people might expect.
muscularmatt
22-06-2011, 13:17
If he leaves, it will make the WWE weaker. He really is one of the best all round performers on the roster right now. Excellent worker, great gimmick as a face or a heel, and incomparable mic skills.
Obviously he won't win the title if he is going, but it would be a good angle for him to win it and pretend to be going by being off telly for a few weeks. Hell, why not recycle another angle and spraypaint and big 'N' on the strap or something.
No it wasn't. Though it has relevance.
Yeah, they really do like to insult our intelligence. Like Mason Ryan would get more votes than Sin Cara :lmao:
They did clear it up on WWE.com. Ryan was option B, like Kelly Kelly was before him, and their votes got mixed together. Sin Cara actually got 90% of the vote, so they're having the match next week instead.
Punk leaving will be no more than a break. I honestly believe he is the best in the world, and I'd love him to leave as champion. It'd be a great nod to him for all of his work, I think. He's a guy who, even when injured, WWE wanted to keep on TV. They had him do commentary for goodness sake, and he was still better at that than the current batch.
CM Punk is the best for me because wrestling nowdays isn't all about wrestling.
It's about, the intensity, how well you work the crowd, either face or heel,
how well you do the part, how goood you are at improvising, Ofcourse wrestling moves and how well you execute them, mic skills (very important) and stuff like this. CM PUNK is GREAT in these all. So anyway I do hope it's a break.
I have been watching CM Punk since 2005 and I watched almost every time he was in the ring or talking. He was my favourite wwe superstar so I HOPE TO GOD IT'S JUST A BREAK.
Anyway Rtruth has been awesome aswell. His mic skills and acting have been excellent. He never looses focus. :)
muscularmatt
23-06-2011, 15:54
How they didn't turn R Truth heel earlier is beyond me. He's awesome at it. But yeah, CM Punk is king. WWE will be alot weaker without him.
Remind me not to look at wwe.com without checking other sources. Thought the suspension was legit. :hmm:
EDIT: I should say, I hadn't seen or known about the promo. It just said he was cut off and Vince suspended him.
Probably the best worked shoot in history.
BarnDoor
28-06-2011, 12:30
Calm down. It was pretty tame really and rather too obvious all in all. Best part was his mention of bringing the belt to New Japan or Ring of Honor.
Find me a better worked shoot on the company they work for, on their live show, Barn.
BarnDoor
28-06-2011, 12:43
It's difficult because there aren't too many - hence why this smacks of desperation. I recall worked shoots at stages in other companies' histories - 2000 WCW, early TNA - which were nothing more than publicity grabbers. There's some exceptions, like those of Heyman and in 1995-era ECW (Austin, Pillman), but I observe that you mostly only really see worked shoots either when a company is trying to revive itself or when one is starting out and trying to make a name for itself. If I didn't know better, I'd say WWE were trying to go edgy again and are harking back to the Attitude era.
Whether or not a show is live doesn't matter, as it's still scripted and edited, and he can be cut off at any time. The point is that Vince WANTED people to see this, just as he would on a pre-recorded show. We all know Punk won't do any of these things and will end up staying on at the company, so it all seems rather hollow. The only reason people are waxing lyrical about this is because wrestling is so dire these days and anything remotely different and good is praised as the greatest thing in years.
This is far more believable and better done, even if it wasn't a live show (ECW didn't have live shows at the time) and done for a smaller company:
iRa-Yh6HAUM
It's difficult because there aren't too many - hence why this smacks of desperation. I recall worked shoots at stages in other companies' histories - 2000 WCW, early TNA - which were nothing more than publicity grabbers. There's some exceptions, like those of Heyman and in 1995-era ECW (Austin, Pillman), but I observe that you mostly only really see worked shoots either when a company is trying to revive itself or when one is starting out and trying to make a name for itself. If I didn't know better, I'd say WWE were trying to go edgy again and are harking back to the Attitude era.
Whether or not a show is live doesn't matter, as it's still scripted and edited, and he can be cut off at any time. The point is that Vince WANTED people to see this, just as he would on a pre-recorded show. We all know Punk won't do any of these things and will end up staying on at the company, so it all seems rather hollow. The only reason people are waxing lyrical about this is because wrestling is so dire these days and anything remotely different and good is praised as the greatest thing in years.
This is far more believable and better done, even if it wasn't a live show (ECW didn't have live shows at the time) and done for a smaller company:
iRa-Yh6HAUM
Spot on. You see it with other instances, like comparing those rookies invading last year to nWo. There's so little to get excited about with the current product that when eventually something interesting happens, people often over react. Saying that though, I do like Punk and think he's the only entertaining thing today and the only one who wouldn't have looked out of place when the genuine stars were around.
Pillman's shoot work was above everyone. He literally lived his character 24/7. I recommend watching his dvd, never be anyone like him in the business.
muscularmatt
28-06-2011, 17:52
I think the cutoff could have come a touch earlier to make it really convincing. But an excellent fake shoot none the less. Really hope he doesn't leave, he really is the best in the world today.
i like the new mark henry but its a bit late don't you think?
muscularmatt
29-06-2011, 15:07
This isn't the new Mark Henry, this is just the return of 2006/7 Mark Henry. Should have kept him heel all along.
This isn't the new Mark Henry, this is just the return of [b]2006/7 Mark Henry.[b] Should have kept him heel all along.
wasn't watching wrestling that time around.
muscularmatt
29-06-2011, 15:30
He was exactly the same as he is now for ages, then everyone got bored of him not being able to wrestle, so they turned him face. Everyone realised he can't do that either a couple of months later, but they still persisted with it for like three years.
I'm sick of this 'massive = awesome heel' mentality. It's simply not true.
He was exactly the same as he is now for ages, then everyone got bored of him not being able to wrestle, so they turned him face. Everyone realised he can't do that either a couple of months later, but they still persisted with it for like three years.
I'm sick of this 'massive = awesome heel' mentality. It's simply not true.
Not true at all. People started to cheer him and eventually he had that encounter with Orton and the crowd marked the fuck out when he beat him (as Baddar was saying). That is why he turned face.
To be fair, Mark Henry's good to watch right now, he's doing an impressive job as the heel.
I was so impressed with Raw on the whole, and I'm quite looking forward to Smackdown now, always funny hearing Cole and Booker go back and forth while Henry is hurling people towards them. :lol:
- Sources report that CM Punk's entire promo at the end of RAW this week was improvised by Punk and not scripted. Nobody in the back knew what Punk was going to say until he said it live on RAW.
WWE officials told Punk to go out and say in his own words why he was leaving the company, why he wanted the WWE Title and why he wanted to leave with it in his possession. There was a discussion that when officials felt Punk was going too far, they would pull the plug on the segment and cut his mic.
It's said that Punk was upset months ago when Triple H came back to feud with The Undertaker and while some of his comments on RAW towards Vince McMahon were well thought out to appear not as a shoot to the average viewer, most believe that Punk's comments towards Triple H and John Laurinaitis were strictly a shoot.
Word also is that Punk had some notes for his speech jotted down on his wrist tape.
As far as his contract status, Punk's deal apparently expires the second week of July but he signed an extension to work through Money in the Bank. Still with last night's new storyline development, sources maintain that Punk is leaving at Money in the Bank.
.
BarnDoor
29-06-2011, 22:22
I think that's a load of bollocks to be honest.
muscularmatt
29-06-2011, 23:13
Yeah, 'sources' always means someone who's in on the act.
muscularmatt
12-07-2011, 15:52
Errrm was I just smoking too much last night, or has CM Punk just clearly turned face??
Not exactly. He was just simply being CM Punk. It's upto you to judge what side he stands on.
Plus, he's gone on Sunday anyway.
That was a pretty epic Raw.
The whole last segment was just fucking awesome. You clearly see the difference in that segment compared to what has been on TV the last 6 months. The whole crowd were on their feet throughout, grasping onto every word that Punk, Vince and Cena said.
I loved the bit when Vince sat down though and the seat was too low, that was a nice touch. :laugh:
So super.
One of the best Raw's I've ever seen. CM Punk is just awesome. Up there with HBK, Taker and those names. For me, CM Punk was never heel, because I always enjoyed watching him wrestling and on the mic.
I really hope he does come back. Maybe all this is just for him to rest (or maybe reduce hours by working for a smaller company).
muscularmatt
13-07-2011, 14:38
It is just me or did Vince not look particularly well either?
It is just me or did Vince not look particularly well either?
Hopefully.
It is just me or did Vince not look particularly well either?
What, like his age? :lol:
He probably even looks great for his age, minus the tan which is a little too strong of course.
His acting was absolutely on point again as usual though. The man just oozes 'it' factor.
Hopefully.
:laugh: Why are you and BarnDoor so bitter towards the guy? You act as though you were employed by him.
:laugh: Why are you and BarnDoor so bitter towards the guy? You act as though you were employed by him.
I was. I'm actually Nailz.
I just feel since he bought out the competition he doesn't give a shit about the quality of his product anymore. That, plus the amount of stock footage he has that could be available for the public, old NWA, WCW,ECW,WCCW,AWA, he refuses to release because of his massive ego. Basically, I think he's responsible for ruining wrestling since 2002.
BarnDoor
13-07-2011, 15:24
:laugh: Why are you and BarnDoor so bitter towards the guy? You act as though you were employed by him.
Because we're not saps who happily follow the product and take greater enjoyment from a time when wrestling was actually good. Not that things will get any better when he does snuff it though.
It's many things - the poor handling of the ECW/WCW and later NWO invasion, the revisionist DVDs which are frankly sickening, and by the same token the fact he is making money off other companies with such releases. I love how the NWO are painted as a rip-off of the Four Horseman - the only rip-off off the Four Horsemen I can remember was Evolution, just like D-X were always a poor man's NWO.
Bishop they'll never open up the archives as we'll be reminded of how great WWF and wrestling in general was in the past compared to this tripe. On a practical level, I guess the editing and clearancing-issues involved (music and such) would make it a costly and time-consuming experience. They can release their shitty 'Best of...' DVDs and cunts will buy them - I'll take my PPV broadcasts and full seasons, it's the only proper way to appreciate wrestling.
At times I just think a lot of wrestling fans are genuinely stuck in the past. Sure the quality hasn't been great this year, but it's still better than most shit on TV, and considering I just watch it in my spare time during the week, I'm more than happy to keep doing so.
It seems as I've said several times as well that WWE is seemingly beginning to gather some momentum as far as setting things in place to develop well for future years. It'd be in an even stronger position if of course Kharma would still be around, no doubt that blow hurts having signed her probably to a decent contract only for her to get herself knocked up, and sit back on the WWE payroll. But we now have an immense CM Punk/Vince angle right now with Cena sort of in there. The Mark Henry/Big Show feud I'm quite enjoying since Show is an excellent in-ring worker, not to mention he's great at selling injuries so it's been quite entertaining. I'm quite a fan of The Miz too who has a massive future ahead of him.
It's a shame that Del Rio is being pushed down our throats so much when he can barely speak English well enough to string together sentences fluently in order to gather heat, doesn't help he's been seemingly giving the same promo for 5 months mind.
But overall I'd definitely say I can see the light at the end of the tunnel here, and there does seem to be a kickstart happening. From the reintroduction of real tag teams, to more entertaining matches as of late I reckon, to more mic freedom (see Truth and Punk), to better ideas on the whole such as Truth's conspiracy work and what would have been Kharma destroying everyone, then there's now the possibility that the WWE title may change design which would be the icing on the cake for right now. Sure it's not amazing yet, but there's certainly been glimpses of this the last month or so, and the WWE seem to be making a very slow and steady change, but a change nonetheless.
Look to the future instead of grasping onto the past! I love the 90s as much as the next wrestling fan but to endlessly just tout today's product as shit is a bit pointless, instead try and take the tints off and look at the positives as it's always too easy to focus on the negatives.
Jonno394
13-07-2011, 16:37
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/1188887222027.gif?t=1310571458
BarnDoor
13-07-2011, 18:05
Look to the future instead of grasping onto the past! I love the 90s as much as the next wrestling fan but to endlessly just tout today's product as shit is a bit pointless, instead try and take the tints off and look at the positives as it's always too easy to focus on the negatives.
People think me and Bishop are just on about the Attitude era, which I honestly think is what most of you lot are chiefly familiar with. I'm not. I don't really rewatch that. But what I rewatch is ECW, WWF late 80s/early 90s, and NWA/WCW from about 1988-early 1999. Alright mid-94 to mid-96 WCW sucked phallus but it was still great entertainment, and Bishop aside I don't think anyone here truly appreciates just how brilliant WCW was.
You watch the Giant in WCW and tell me he wasn't on a different level to what he is now - a fat cunt. And to be honest, it didn't take him long to get that way in the WWF. That being said, aside from his early WCW run, I'm not sure anyone ever really utilized him the way he should have been. You'll never see someone again of his size with that much athleticism.
80s or 90s, it's still the past, and while it's always great to appreciate them, endlessly comparing them to the current product of WWE isn't exactly great.
No doubt my wrestling years don't go back as much as some, but that's only natural being that myself and many others are, ya' know, 'younger'. I did love watching WCW mind, probably just as much as WWF back in the day and even went to a WCW show in the UK. I don't remember much from it mind except I think Booker T and Vampiro were there. For some reason I remember Vampiro's entrance above everything else that night, guess memories are strange like that.
It's obvious the quality today isn't what it used to be, but it's also probably worth noting that we have fonder memories of the older days purely because we were all younger as well at the time.
It's just the regular slandering I see of the current product, especially on the internet that bothers me, purely because people are thinking so negatively.
80s or 90s, it's still the past, and while it's always great to appreciate them, endlessly comparing them to the current product of WWE isn't exactly great.
No doubt my wrestling years don't go back as much as some, but that's only natural being that myself and many others are, ya' know, 'younger'. I did love watching WCW mind, probably just as much as WWF back in the day and even went to a WCW show in the UK. I don't remember much from it mind except I think Booker T and Vampiro were there. For some reason I remember Vampiro's entrance above everything else that night, guess memories are strange like that.
It's obvious the quality today isn't what it used to be, but it's also probably worth noting that we have fonder memories of the older days purely because we were all younger as well at the time.
It's just the regular slandering I see of the current product, especially on the internet that bothers me, purely because people are thinking so negatively.
I don't agree with that. I can still enjoy current stuff if I see something worthwhile. TNA might be shit but I enjoy watching their matches just as much as I would seeing stuff in the 90s. Remember when it looked like Sting would wrestle Taker at WM this year? I was hyped for that match as much as a great rivalry match back in the 80s, 90s.
I don't think I'll ever outgrow good wrestling, I just outgrow a mediocre product because I've seen the standards they set before.
Is Punk after more monies? or his name on tea cups, etc?
I don't agree with that. I can still enjoy current stuff if I see something worthwhile. TNA might be shit but I enjoy watching their matches just as much as I would seeing stuff in the 90s. Remember when it looked like Sting would wrestle Taker at WM this year? I was hyped for that match as much as a great rivalry match back in the 80s, 90s.
I don't think I'll ever outgrow good wrestling, I just outgrow a mediocre product because I've seen the standards they set before.
I never said that because we're older we stop enjoying it. Just that when you're young you're most likely ignorant, and therefore buy into it all as if it was life itself, making the ante of the rivalries so much more. Obviously when you're older it's still entertaining, but the entertainment factor is slightly different in that you appreciate it's artform probably more than you did when younger. Different.
Well I guess that is the end of the Vince McMahon on screen character.
Well I guess that is the end of the Vince McMahon on screen character.
How come?
(btw I don't watch WWE anymore but did record and watch MITB last night, so not up to scratch with all storylines etc).
How come?
(btw I don't watch WWE anymore but did record and watch MITB last night, so not up to scratch with all storylines etc).
Triple H came out and told him the board of directors have blocked his decision making, put HHH in charge and then HHH said he is relieved of his duties. They were both crying.
I still think he's running the company, but I don't think we'll see him on screen anymore.
BarnDoor
19-07-2011, 13:05
I love how the board of directors have apparently lost confidence in Vince only now, after over a decade of crazy bullshit.
Better late than never right?
Loved Raw, it really does seem to be in a massive turning point as of late and it's heading in a great direction.
As a side note, Vince's purple suit jacket was immense. :lol:
Well I guess that is the end of the Vince McMahon on screen character.
Thank god.
muscularmatt
19-07-2011, 22:07
Well I guess that is the end of the Vince McMahon on screen character.
Nah, he'll come back and do one last faction angle. He'll somehow split power with HHH, or split the shows like he did with Ric Flair, and have somekind of power struggle for a few months before he's finally killed off.
As a side note, Vince's purple suit jacket was immense.
Yes, yes it was.
Good to see JR back... I mean for every show that is.
So, what is this new era called???
The "What will CM Punk do next?!" era.
Yeah, this is definitely a new era upon us, thankfully it looks to be shaping up pretty damn superbly.
I've just got finished watching Raw, and it was brilliant to say the least. The unpredictability was fascinating, not to mention the very good wrestling matches themselves (minus of course the "Divas" match).WWE just seems to be progressing steadily each week, and it's really starting to come to light I think. From minor improvements such as Del Rio's attire, and more recognisable theme music (Alex Riley, Kharma, Sin Cara, CM Punk etc) to major improvements in not just the storylines (Truth's conspiracy, CM Punk leaving, HHH taking reigns, Mark Henry looking super bad ass, to also what would have been a hugely interesting Kharma story) - and there's even improvements at the core of the 'product' such as Jim Ross on Raw again, to Joey Styles on Superstars. Let's not forget about Zack Ryder being given his just opportunity as well, his attire looks extra sweet too.
It just seems the overall product is going through a major overhaul, and more importantly is most definitely going in the right direction. Maybe HHH really is taking more control backstage and voicing his opinion more, afterall, he did become a very important figure backstage just a few months ago, maybe a lot of his ideas are beginning to come into play after the old era just needed some time to phase out and have the strings worked through for their stories to finish properly.
It's finally legitimately captivating once again, as opposed to just quite entertaining.
It was a little obvious mind that the WWE title on the night was a replica with the gold parts too flat and the strap too large - it looked real odd, not as if the genuine article doesn't look odd itself mind. :lol:
muscularmatt
26-07-2011, 20:18
These past two episodes of Raw have made me look forward to seeing the next one, and that's the first time that's happened for years. When CM Punk re-emerged on the stage with the original WWE championship I marked out. The new theme song is cool too.
Ah Cole still around.
Summerslam's gonna be good.
Plus, Beth's back to her old self.
muscularmatt
02-08-2011, 18:36
Hopefully, and this episode of Raw was a good sign, they'll really change the dynamics of some of the characters on the show in coming years. I think audiences have grown beyong the whole "Oh I thought he was good but he did something bad so I'll boo him now" and the reverse.
The Punk/Cena angle is likely to be an experiment into this new way of thinking. Neither should be the face or the heel, but they should be both to different parts of the audience. Cena will remain as he is, the face for the younger viewer or the redneck, while accentuating all the things that make the smart marks hate him. Punk will do the reverse. He won't start behaving like a traditional face, but he'll sat what alot of the smarks want to be said on the show.
This really could represent a big change to how the dynamics of this form of entertainment works.
Will Undertaker come back for the next Wrestlemania? If so, you think this is his last one? How will they 'erase' him after retirement? I'm just curious. The day he goes, shit I'm going too.
I really enjoyed Raw, yet again.
While I don't particularly like Otunga and McGuilicutty or whatever his name is, as tag champions, at least by winning, it gives the team and the belts just that little bit more stock. I'm sick of seeing champions lose, but keep their belts because the match was a 'non-title' bout. Really makes a mess of things that way. So tonight was quite pleasant in that respect.
I'm also beginning to enjoy Dolph Ziggler more and more by the week, he's looking more comfortable on the mic every time I see him. Obviously having Vickie helps a great deal by his side, but despite what some people may say 'oh, he needs a manager' etc - so what? They're great together I think, and I don't mind seeing it run on a bit more before obviously coming to an end soon enough. Vickie's a great asset for the WWE quite clearly.
I was really surprised though at just how many John Cena fans were in the audience. It was like kid central in the arena, it was crazy, there was far more bright red shirts and caps than usual for sure. Don't get me wrong, Cena's great, his mic work is amazing, he's athletic albeit a touch slow at times, but ultimately it's just good business to have him very limited and catering to the younger audience. We all know he can diversify his moveset, change his promo work to be more broad and even coarse, possibly more edgy, but it wouldn't cater to the kids. So hating Cena is possibly a little twisted, but I guess it's easier to hate an on-screen character as opposed to corporates backstage.
Will Undertaker come back for the next Wrestlemania? If so, you think this is his last one? How will they 'erase' him after retirement? I'm just curious. The day he goes, shit I'm going too.
The day he goes, you're going too?
It's not like he's on WWE anyway. You're essentially gone anyway if you don't watch it but once or twice a year. :lol:
No idea if Taker will be at this years, or whether he'll wait another year. Either way, it's very likely to be his last match.
Yeah I agree, all good things come to an end.
OK I am non-existent in WWE these days but I was a huge, huge fan back in the days. Undertaker is what links me to that beautiful, memorable past if you know what I mean.
Will Undertaker come back for the next Wrestlemania? If so, you think this is his last one? How will they 'erase' him after retirement? I'm just curious. The day he goes, shit I'm going too.
If he's competing at next year's, it won't be his last. His retirement would be completely overshadowed by Rock/Cena. They've got their big selling attraction. When he goes, WWE will want it to be the main event with the streak in real jeopardy i.e. Cena at WrestleMania 29.
Personally I think he should keep away and recuperate until next summer/autumn, ready for his final run. If he's only got one more WM match in him, you don't waste it.
Wow, that contract signing last night. Cena mentioning his 5 moves of doom and needing a heel persona, and Punk referencing those who were fired last week.
http://gifsforum.com/images/gif/sht%20just%20got%20real/grand/just_got_real_gif.gif
Yeah. I'll be quite honest and say the promos stole the show, and were far and away more captivating than the matches on show. The divas match was laughable, so many botches it was just painful to watch unfortunately.
But yeah, I have to share your sentiments regarding the contract signing. My jaw was on the floor when Cena brought up the '5 Moves of Doom', and 'heel persona'.
Shit just got real indeed, brother.
:cool:
muscularmatt
10-08-2011, 00:35
If I'd had a quid for everytime I've loudly chanted 'CM Punk' at my TV in the past month, I'd be rich.
Yeah. When Punk came out for the final segment, I was surprised at just how 'average' his reception was. Soon enough though, as soon as he picked up the mic, he flipped the crowd round to love what he stands for and what he was saying within a minute. Amazing.
It'll be interesting now as well to see how Dolph and Vickie will fair now as well to focus on a different segment of Raw. I'm a fan of Dolph, needs to improve quite a bit still, but he's slowly but surely getting there and he could be a good solid midcarder for the WWE. People emphasise too much on the main event scene nowadays, but that's only because all belts besides the world titles are deemed pointless. Hopefully with more solid midcarders, who 'stay' midcard for a while can cement a real feeling of midcard divisions.
Could do with the "Divas" division being switched back to the Women's division.
muscularmatt
10-08-2011, 01:08
Totally with on that, even the use of the word 'Diva' on a title belt is pathetic. The whole division is the antipathy of what Womens' wrestling should be.
As for CM Punk, this is all very experimental. As I've suggested, I think they are genuinely trying to change the traditional two dimensional dynamic of on-show characters. Will it work? We'll see in a month or two. My biggest fear is that not enough people will embrace CM Punk so they'll just turn him back heel again.
No chance. Punk speaks the truth. It's what everyone wants. He is going to continue getting cheered like hell in every building.
What you should be worried about, is that they may try to turn him into a pandering loser due to the cheers.
muscularmatt
10-08-2011, 01:33
I suppose once his angle with Cena's over, they can treat him like a proper face without as much conflict.
* Sigh *
Ah well, stupid me for thinking something innovative might happen.
It could go that way. But at the same time, Punk seems to have a lot of pull since signing that new contract. And he is the last person to want to go in that direction.
I was just saying that this was more likely to happen than the fans not accepting him.
If Cena wins on Sunday...
muscularmatt
10-08-2011, 01:57
If Cena wins on sunday, I fucking riot!!!
Must say, I absolutely loved this weeks Raw. I was hooked.
Great promos, mostly great matches - Cena vs. Punk again! It was just overall, pretty damn sweet. With new tag champs as well, I'm expecting some more exciting tag matches from here on out, with a faster pace, more high-flying obviously etc.
Oh, I almost forgot The Miz and R-Truth segment, that was fucking gold. Absolutely loved that, they are just so damn funny on the mic. Huge fan of them both to be honest.
It's looking really quite bright at the moment, and I can't wait for the next Raw now.
R-Truth and Miz definitely stole the show :lol:
Them stole the show.
NsPtdM_UgdQ
:laugh:
I'm actually loving this idea of the seperate brand rosters becoming just one. Sure it might mean a slightly tougher workload for the wrestlers, but in reality, they don't necessarily have to wrestle on both Raw and Smackdown, as a short promo would be enough to continue the story and add intrigue while also giving other wrestlers ample time to develop.
I've always said that the roster split could do with ending, and I just hope it continues this way as the star power is looking real nice when on one show together.
PS: Hunico sucks.
http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2011-09-19/hugh-jackman-on-raw
A legit famous person :ohmy:
muscularmatt
13-09-2011, 16:20
Well, a template is evolving for Raw. Last nights show, as the past 6 or 7 have, followed the same pattern - the bit with CM Punk is fucking mint, the rest of the show is meh. Notable mentions for Truth and Miz too.
Also, we must have now noticed the content is moving in a different direction. I've heard the term 'Reality Era' banded about, do we think this is going to be the case now? Is the PG Era finally over?
I'm loving the use of 'behind the scenes' language on Raw. And Punk calling Trips Paul was very good. I think I'm falling in love with this guy.
BarnDoor
13-09-2011, 17:07
Well it's hardly groundbreaking Matt. There is a lot to be said for using real names in certain situations, it always makes things seem more personal. Like when Piper and Flair would sometimes call Hogan Terry during the NWO era as if they were sincerely trying to appeal to his better nature. Of course it never worked.
muscularmatt
13-09-2011, 17:28
I know, but it just never happens these days. I think I'm just finding CM Punk so refreshing because he's saying all the shit I'd want to say if I was in there.
Anyway, I thought you pronounced the 'S' in Levesque?
BarnDoor
13-09-2011, 17:31
You just want his cock.
How did he pronounce it? Lev-eck?
muscularmatt
13-09-2011, 19:22
Yeah, just like that.
Right, I finally written a good length post for the first time in a while with my thoughts into the WWE and Raw right now only for it to be deleted when I tried to post it. So this will now be a sliced summary of sorts:
- I was skeptical about Hugh Jackman's appearance at first, but WWE made it work incredibly well, and we received a very good, entertaining match with an excellent atmosphere out of it.
- Ryder may need to be a little less goofy I think if to be taken seriously, as there's only so far he can go at the moment. I'm not saying end the gimmick, not at all, it's quite brilliant, I'd be tempted to say he's ahead of his time as far as outlook goes, but it's more so that WWE is behind the times a bit I think really.
- I love Dolph, and he's developed very well on the mic, which makes me believe he'll be successful for sure without Vickie doing most of his mic work. I'm looking forward to this Swagger vs. Ziggler feud, with Vickie in the centre. Not to mention I think Swagger's video montage that WWE aired as a real nice touch.
- The 8 man tag match was short but sweet, exciting, entertaining so definitely a good point in the Raw show.
- Awesome Truth are GOLD. Their facial expressions paint pictures. Anyone else notice how it's always Truth who gets cheap-shotted on the ring apron while he's waiting for a tag too? :lol: I'm loving the whole firing story now, as it adds another layer to the conspiracy claim for sure. I have to take my hat off to the WWE for the way they handled the firing too, because the production, camera work and wrestler involvement was excellent, I was incredibly impressed. It's what I love about the WWE as well, more often than not, things are timed to absolute perfection and it's like art in itself, and is wonderful to see.
Here's a little video from the WWE site as well (which I've just noticed they've changed the layout for), and it gives an extra dimension into the whole 'firing business' that went on at Raw, offering some backstage views. Hopefully WWE will continue to do a few more of these as they are excellent extensions of the WWE Universe:
Video Link (http://vids.wwe.com/13334/wwecom-exclusive-wwe-superstars)
You know what Swagger's part reminds me of? Eminem in the "Forgot About Dre" video, the interview segment:
"All I know is I'm upstairs listening to my Will Smith CD..."
:lol:
The anal bleeding line almost killed me. Booker's reaction was fantastic as well.
The anal bleeding line almost killed me. Booker's reaction was fantastic as well.
:lmao:
Oh snap! I just logged onto the forum here to post up the YouTube video of it - I only just finished watching Raw about an hour ago.
D6Po7mf34p0
It wasn't even the comment, but Cole's deadpan look while Booker turned to him in shock, all the while JR on the end turns away and shakes his head in disgust that Cole would even say such a thing. How Cole managed to keep a straight face...
I died with laughter when he said it though, I was seriously creased over. I've seen it about 10 times since.
Classic. :lmao:
And then to follow it, Otunga is wearing a bow tie talking to Laurinaitis :lol:
:lol:
I really enjoyed Raw. I thought it was great this week. The opening segment was excellent, I'm really liking how Ziggler's personality is now shining through on the mic - plus I already like Cody due to his deranged uniqueness. Then when Triple H told Christian he'll be facing John Cena, to which Christian replied looking giddy "is it for the title?" - I almost died laughing. It was just so well timed and delivered, got to love it. :lol:
I was reading through an article on WWE.com yesterday, and they were highlighting how impactful Vickie has been, and could continue to be as a manager. I personally think she's freakin' amazing as a manager. She gets consistent heat wherever she goes, and has been getting it for years now. So does anyone else think she's got the ability to sustain a great career as a manager and even go on to be considered one of the great managers?
Yeah, that first segment was good. As you said, Christian face of joy, followed by him storming out the ring shouting, 'this is unacceptable! this is unacceptable!' was hilarious.
Vickie is a really good manager. It's crazy the amount of heat she gets. But she won't reach the level of a Heenan, Fuji, etc.
I love Vickie. The stick she gets from people for having "X-Pac heat" instead of proper heat is fucking nonsense.
muscularmatt
27-09-2011, 23:56
Vickie is a good manager, she's got some development to go through if she wants to be one of the greats though.
Obviously the anal bleeding thing totally murdered me. Got my money's worth out of Sky+ this month. Why the hell did he even say that??
Vickie is a good manager, she's got some development to go through if she wants to be one of the greats though.
Obviously the anal bleeding thing totally murdered me. Got my money's worth out of Sky+ this month. Why the hell did he even say that??
Don't talk like it's actually a possibility.
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 12:36
Vickie is a really good manager. It's crazy the amount of heat she gets. But she won't reach the level of a Heenan, Fuji, etc.
Bishop is beyond right. Joel why are you even making such absurd statements like there's even a possibility? She's not even a Sherri let alone any of the great 80s ones. To even mention this disgusting cunt alongside those true greats is frankly inexcusable. I'm not surprised at Matt spouting such bollocks, but I expected better from youself.
In which way did I make it seem like there is a possibility? :unsure:
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 13:05
By even mentioning it.
I didn't you clown! WWE.com did.
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 13:10
Well I don't read that shit do I?
It was mentioned in this thread.
I want an apology, Barn! Jesse Jackson style.
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 13:24
I'm sorry. Actually I just read Hunter's post again and his is much worse, my disdain has now turned to him. It was a disgraceful statement and I demand he retract it, along with offering a sincere apology to me, the great managers of the past, and the entire wrestling community.
I love Vickie. The stick she gets from people for having "X-Pac heat" instead of proper heat is fucking nonsense.
It is X-Pac heat. I want her off my screen and into the depths of hell.
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 13:38
Exactly. She gets heat as everyone hates her for being a repulsive human being; it's no reflection on her on-screen character.
The term X-Pac heat to me is beyond ridiculous. If X-Pac heat really existed, especially today, then it'd be applicable to half of the roster - yet instead of "X-Pac heat", they simply get no reaction.
Vickie plays her role incredibly well. The fact you want her off the screen is testament to how annoying you deem her.
Vickie >
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 14:17
The fact she's on the screen in the first place is because her husband died young and they thought they'd make an angle out of it. Presumably she's still there as the WWE feel some sense of obligation to Eddie's family. And you know he had countless women on the side anyway.
Sure she was given the opportunity for obvious reasons, but it doesn't detract at how genuinely brilliant she has been in the role.
If she's there only due to WWE's perceived obligation to Eddie's family, then you have to question also why Chavo wasn't given more of the ball to run with? Oh, wait, it's because he wasn't all that amazing in the WWE and didn't connect to the crowd as much - whereas Vickie does. Rey, Chavo, Vickie; they were all given opportunities and air time to shine following Eddie's passing, but only two of them really grasped the opportunity and pushed full force with it - Chavo did not.
Anyway, I've just been watching Mick Foley's 'Greatest Hits and Misses' DVD set which my dad bought me some years ago now, and I've watched two of my favourite matches from him. The 1998 Over The Edge PPV main event in which as Dude Love he faced Stone Cold Steve Austin. I used to have the official VHS of it, and played it to death, so seeing it again on DVD was nostalgically wonderful. It was just such a well worked match, as I remember leading up to the PPV, Vince McMahon (being the special guest referee) said to Austin something along the lines of "the only way you can win is if my hand hits the mat for the 3 count". If no one's seen it, just watch it on YouTube and enjoy every moment.
The second match I've watched this morning is of course the 1998 Hell In A Cell with the Undertaker and Mankind. There's literally not many words you can use to describe what went on it was that stunning. I wanted to learn a little more about the match itself, so had a look online, and found this article which is quite interesting - albeit lengthy, but for those intrigued, it's absolutely worth reading through:
"King of the Ring 1998
The Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring 1998 between The Undertaker and Mankind (Mick Foley) has since become one of the most famous professional wrestling matches in history. In preparing for the match Mick Foley asked longtime mentor and friend Terry Funk for his advice on how to top the first Hell in the Cell, which Foley considered a great match. Funk's fateful advice was to start the match on top of the cage. In his autobiography, Have a Nice Day, Foley jokes (after a previous Funk suggestion had caused both men serious burn injuries in Japan) that "You'd think I would know better by now than to listen to Terry Funk."
Mankind's first fall from the top of the cellWhen the match started, both men climbed on top of the cage before the bell had even rung. As the two walked on top of the cage, one of the caged sections buckled and broke through under their weight. After a short battle, The Undertaker threw Mankind off the top of the cage through the Spanish announcers' table 16 feet (5 metres) below, narrowly avoiding monitors and other A/V equipment. Emergency medical technicians and other staff quickly rushed to his aid, while announcer Jim Ross screamed "Good God almighty! Good God almighty! That killed him! As God as my witness, he is broken in half!" Foley was lifted onto a gurney, and the technicians started to wheel him up the aisleway. Meanwhile, Undertaker remained atop the cage, which had begun to rise back towards the ceiling to allow room for the EMTs to wheel Mankind away on a gurney. Even though the fall from the cage was planned and well executed, Terry Funk and Vince McMahon broke kayfabe ? at the time, both were involved in feuds with Mankind ? to come down ringside and check on Foley's condition. Later, Foley would claim that he had introduced the idea of the throw from the top of the cage earlier in the day; the wrestler portraying Undertaker, Mark Calaway, at first resisted, asking him, "Mick, do you want to die?", but reluctantly agreed.
As he was being wheeled up the aisle, Mankind got off of the gurney, and, despite a dislocated shoulder, walked back towards the ring and climbed back on top of the cage, much to the delight of the fans. The match continued, even though the roof of the cage was buckling under both of them with every step they took.
Mankind's second fall through the roof of the CellDuring the ensuing fight, The Undertaker chokeslammed Mankind on the roof of the cage. Unlike the throw from the top of the cell, what happened next was not planned or even anticipated by either Foley or Calaway, as the section of the cage roof that Foley landed on gave way and Foley fell hard into the ring where he suffered a concussion and was knocked out cold for around a minute and a half. Power Slam wrestling magazine claims that this second fall was also planned, and in Have A Nice Day, Foley does not specifically claim that this was unplanned, and he also states that he and Calaway hoped that it might cause a slight break in the cage. The weight from the two wrestlers (almost 600 pounds) on top of the cage both before and after Foley's fall was said to be a key reason for the collapse of the cage. Making matters worse, the ring was one of the older style rings used by the WWF, which had less give to its surface so as to make the matches more realistic looking on television. In addition to the fall, a steel chair lying on the roof of the cage fell through and struck Foley in the face, dislocating his jaw and knocking out one and a half teeth as well as creating a large cut beneath his lip (Calaway has since stated in interviews that after the fall, he thought for sure Foley was dead). Upon seeing the fall, Jim Ross yelled out, "Good god, good god!" whereas Jerry Lawler simply stated, "That's it, he's dead." Ross continued by pleading, "Will somebody stop the damn match?! Enough's enough!" Terry Funk and other personnel immediately ran into the ring to aid Foley.
A famous picture taken a few minutes after the fall through the cage depicts Mankind apparently smiling while one of his broken teeth, which he had aspirated into his sinus cavity, protrudes from his nostril. In his first autobiography, Foley claims that he was trying to show off the hole below his lips by sticking his tongue through it, but because of his thick beard and excesses of blood, the hole was not seen and this was misinterpreted as a sick smile.
The Undertaker jumped down through the new hole in the cage roof (despite a broken foot which he suffered before the match, which nearly caused him to lose his balance when he landed) and improvised a bit with Funk to give Foley a few minutes to recover. Despite suffering from a head injury, Foley was able to continue and finish the match (Calaway would continue by deliberately over-selling Foley's offensive moves in order to work at a pace more conducive to Foley's heavily injured state), which ended when The Undertaker backdropped and chokeslammed him onto a pile of thumbtacks and followed up with a Tombstone Piledriver, winning by pinfall. Despite his injuries, Mankind managed to go ahead with his planned interference in the main event later that evening, a First Blood Match between Kane and Steve Austin (in which The Undertaker also interfered).
In the end, the match left Foley with a dislocated jaw, a dislocated shoulder, a bruised kidney, 2 broken ribs, one and a half missing teeth, a concussion, and 14 stitches for the cut beneath his lip. He took 2 months to recover, and the match almost certainly helped shorten his active wrestling career. In one of Mick Foley's autobiographies, he said he could only remember bits and pieces of the 1998 Hell In A Cell match up until the second fall, and absolutely nothing of the match after that, and had to rewatch the entire event in order to write about it in any detail. Additionally, he wrote that his wife frantically tried to call him immediately after the match, and pleaded with him to never do anything like that ever again. Vince McMahon even reportedly gave very serious thought after the match to never holding another Hell In A Cell, due to the severity of the injuries that Foley had sustained. By Foley's own admission, some of those injuries never fully healed.
A humorous anecdote Foley has shared several times, including his first autobiography, was when he and the Undertaker were receiving medical attention backstage shortly after the match. Still rather dazed, he reportedly turned to the Undertaker and asked "Did I use the thumbtacks?" (the use of thumbtacks had become something of a trademark of Foley's during his time in Japan), to which The Undertaker replied, "Mick, look at your arm." He did so, only to discover numerous thumbtacks still lodged in his arm, in addition the ones lodged in his back and legs. Foley also wrote that The Undertaker was extremely concerned during the match. Undertaker thought that the first time he threw Foley off the top of the cell that he had paralyzed him and ended his career, and that the second time that he had killed him, but continued the match without breaking character (a testament to Undertaker's professionalism in the wrestling business). He was also understandably quite relieved when Foley was able to get back up both times and continue the match, especially since he and Foley are very good friends in real-life.
Many elements of this match, including the fall through the roof of the cage, were reused in Foley's retirement match against Triple H at No Way Out 2000. Video clips of the two falls have been some of the most replayed clips on WWE television."
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TBwqlu5zTKc/Siap3OazoqI/AAAAAAAAACI/k2ofjY_pwhY/s320/vlcsnap-20844.png
Jonno394
28-09-2011, 15:13
They should hire Chris Benoits wife too...........
muscularmatt
28-09-2011, 15:17
Don't talk like it's actually a possibility.
Okay, point taken.
I want an apology, Barn! Jesse Jackson style.
:laugh: Kiss it!
The fact she's on the screen in the first place is because her husband died young...
One can't help but think sometimes that it was a bit of a "We'll give you a cushy job if you promise not to sue us for killing your husband" deal.
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 15:35
Sure she was given the opportunity for obvious reasons, but it doesn't detract at how genuinely brilliant she has been in the role.
If she's there only due to WWE's perceived obligation to Eddie's family, then you have to question also why Chavo wasn't given more of the ball to run with? Oh, wait, it's because he wasn't all that amazing in the WWE and didn't connect to the crowd as much - whereas Vickie does. Rey, Chavo, Vickie; they were all given opportunities and air time to shine following Eddie's passing, but only two of them really grasped the opportunity and pushed full force with it - Chavo did not.
You're talking about Vickie Guerrero having talent; honestly do you know how you sound? 'Connecting with the crowd'? It's quite obviously a case of what has been termed (somewhat absurdly) 'X-Pac heat'.
Ray was already over; the fact he was given a title run though was simply ridiculous and only came off the back of Eddie's death. Chavo was never a huge talent, and beyond the relationship with Eddie offered little room for major angles. The fact that the WWF kept him as long as they did was undoubtedly out of some sense of obligation that they probably felt had expired. As for Vickie fuck knows how she's still there - seriously - maybe they felt obliged to have at least one Guerrero on their books; she's probably on a lot less than Chavo anyway. Why is Mark Henry still there? Great Khali? Michael Cole? Just because you're lucky enough to still be there doesn't mean you have actual talent. In the past many truly talented individuals have been released having never got a fair run.
That she's where she is now is purely an indication of how shit wrestling is now and has been for the past 6 years.
Why is Mark Henry still there? Michael Cole?
Honestly, do you know how you sound? ;)
Michael Cole became quite annoying when he stopped actually calling matches as a commentator - it's the type of thing you've got to think about when WWE will be putting DVDs together. Because in 5-10 years time, when you're watching old matches, and all you can hear is Cole spouting nonsense during a match, effectively ruining it's atmosphere, then it has a negative impact upon profits and even stories.
The last month or two though, since Cole's gimmick has died, and he's started calling matches, he's been pretty good. A lot better than most commentators in the WWE anyway.
As for Henry, at least he's one of the more interesting characters in the WWE today, and his run as of late has been great to watch. I think I've already discussed this as recent as just this last week or two mind.
muscularmatt
28-09-2011, 15:47
...how shit wrestling is now and has been for the past 6 years.
Basically since I started watching it again. Coincidence, or have I somehow ruined wrestling?
Basically since I started watching it again. Coincidence, or have I somehow ruined wrestling?
I've only really started watching WWE again religiously since the beginning of this year, but I can already see some progression from early this year till now. Granted, it's baby steps, but I sure as hell wouldn't like to be a writer for the WWE considering how tough a job it's supposed to be.
Hopefully we're seeing a positive transitional period now though, as it seems the wrestlers are getting a little bit more freedom in their roles to be themselves, and it's coming off as more natural I think. Hence Dolph's improvement on the mic and his personality shining through more, to Ryder beginning to get some time on screen, to CM Punk's promos. It's all coming across as somewhat more natural and while stories still become questionable at times, and rushed, I think it's more so down to the contractual obligations of putting on 12 PPVs a year as opposed to say 8-10. "If" there were less PPVs in what is deemed a more struggling economy, then buyrates I think would probably increase a little, and the stories would have more time to develop and ultimately become interesting. I just hope when WWE signed the 12 PPVs a year contract, it wasn't a long term deal, and can be amended for the sake of the writers, and us.
Vickie plays her role incredibly well. The fact you want her off the screen is testament to how annoying you deem her.
Vickie >
Yes, it certainly is testament to how annoying she is. I skip segments when she has a microphone in her hand. And if I was watching live, I'd change channel. The only times I 'cope' with her is when she's managing at ringside as Ziggler is a good wrestler with entertaining matches. The sooner he breaks away from her the better. I wish she was in an alliance with The Miz so I could bypass them completely.
Vickie only gets heat because of her 2 word catchphrase. Does she know how to cut a promo? Does she know how to build up the wrestler she's working with? Does she have a clue about the manager's role at ringside? Does she fuck. The chasm between her and the likes of Heenan, Fuji, Jimmy Hart etc is astronomical.
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 16:37
This is what I'm trying to tell you Hunter. On the occasions I see her, it's not 'Boo! What a nasty character!'; it's more 'Get that disgusting fat cunt off my screen now or I'll put my fist through it, she's literally making me vomit blood, I want to eviscerate her and then fuck her dead husband in hell'. You see the difference there? It's Renegade levels of hatred.
This is what I'm trying to tell you Hunter. On the occasions I see her, it's not 'Boo! What an evil person!' it's 'Get that disgusting fat cunt off my screen now or I'll put my fist through it, she's literally making me vomit blood, I want to eviscerate her'. You see the difference there? It's Renegade levels of hatred.
...in your opinion.
You can't speak for every wrestling fan out there, that'd be ludicrous.
Haribo's opinion obviously is void since he thinks The Miz is awful. :joel:
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 16:45
Haribo speaks sense.
See, that's the thing though - off screen, she seems like a decent person. If she was getting no reaction at all, I'd say fair enough, but Vickie gets the fans to hate her. So what if it's because of a catchphrase? A catchphrase is getting a reaction in WRESTLING?!
...exactly.
muscularmatt
28-09-2011, 16:52
Haribo's opinion obviously is void since he thinks The Miz is awful. :joel:
And he thinks FIFA is better than PES.
BarnDoor
28-09-2011, 16:55
See, that's the thing though - off screen, she seems like a decent person. If she was getting no reaction at all, I'd say fair enough, but Vickie gets the fans to hate her. So what if it's because of a catchphrase? A catchphrase is getting a reaction in WRESTLING?!
...exactly.
But I don't even know what her catchphrase is and I loathe her, and I suspect many others are the same. Just her presence and voice makes me hate her.
muscularmatt
28-09-2011, 16:57
She has got a dreadful voice. I think she puts it on to a degree.
But I don't even know what her catchphrase is and I loathe her, and I suspect many others are the same. Just her presence and voice makes me hate her.
Excuse me?
muscularmatt
28-09-2011, 17:09
E-qBxONi8GA
To be fair, I do get Barn's point. The crowds do sometimes sound like they really hate her.
Yeah Sho, just finished watching it about 5 minutes ago.
I thought it was awesome. I really loved it. The atmosphere was burning to say the least! It really was one of those start to finish shows that just captivated me. Needless to say, it's been a good week for WWE I think. As I mentioned earlier in the Hell In A Cell thread I think, while there's less individual storylines, this overwhemingly huge story is more than making up for it. I can't wait to see where it goes!
:cool:
They had a 6-man Hell in a Cell dark match last week on Raw. There aren't enough facepalms to cover my disgust.
Can't wait for smackdown now.
Just posting this for Andy, because I care for him:
QiweppC1f2Q
Next Monday, Rock returns to Raw
the awesome truth officially over, I'm gonna miss the "You Suck" entrance
Even though The Awesome Truth are finished as a team, I really hope R-Truth remains a heel once he comes back from his suspension.
Truth is just such an amazing comedy heel. I still laugh out loud at the mere thought of Truth marching down the ring in the Confederate uniform singing 'when Little Jimmy comes marching down..." :lmao:
I'm not sure about Miz though. He's brilliant, and he's always improving, but I'm not sure if he should remain a heel for too much longer. I think fans are beginning to respect him for the improvements he's made over the years, and there's just something about him. While he talks a lot of trash and boasts, a lot of the things he says on the mic are true to an extent, so I guess fans relate to it somewhat.
muscularmatt
22-11-2011, 23:30
I can't help but feel that for Miz's face turn to be really hot, it should have come alot earlier. Don't know why, but I don't think I'd respond as well to it now as I would have 6 to 12 months ago.
Just thought I'd post in this thread, even if it is quite late (although I only finished watching Raw this morning), that this weeks Raw was brilliant I thought.
The opening segment with John Cena's in Piper's Pit had me on the edge of my seat. It was just amazing. We need more enthralling, and fascinating segments like that. Seeing Piper hand Cena the HoF ring, and close his palm, was quite a nice moment I thought. Then to see Piper slap Cena, while screaming "FEEL THE ENERGY!" had me dying with laughter - the camera pans to Cena looking annoyed, then pans back to Piper looking legitimately crazy with those eyes. It was just so damn funny! :lol:
The matches on Raw were great as well I thought, and Michael Cole didn't seem as intrusive as he usual is, and so overall, it made for a wonderfully enjoyable show.
I'm going to start watching Smackdown tonight I think, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.
muscularmatt
13-12-2011, 01:25
That was literally the worst openning segment I've ever seen.
I'm trying to think of another bad one. I can't.
Well at least his gut and tits are covered up. But I just can't care for Kane anymore. Mask or no mask.
muscularmatt
13-12-2011, 20:48
http://www.wwe.com/f/ep/image/2011/09/20111212_raw_v_kane_c.jpg
http://www.wwe.com/f/ep/image/2011/09/20111212_raw_kane4_c.jpg
I thought he looked good. Obviously wait a week or two to see what he looks like in the light and how they book him and such, but I've always liked Kane alot so nice to see him getting some attention.
And I still firmly stick by my last comment Joel. That was the very worst openning I've ever seen on Raw. I understand the odd goofy comedy bit, but that was just embarrassing.
I really, really enjoyed this episode of Raw. It was great.
As for Masked Kane. Well obviously, they will need to elaborate on that, by making Kane speak about it, and why is he back with the mask. If it is done well, the story of Kane getting his mask back could be AWESOME. Kane was and still is a great overall well rounded performer who deserves attention.
I really, loved his new attire too. It has a vintage look, but Kane's character as a whole works alot better when he has that attire. It makes him more mysterious, darker and brings out his character more.
Obviously they need a good story behind it since everyone knows Kane's face, but I am guessing it would involve the following:
You know, some time before Kane "was taken out", he bragged about not feeling like a monster anymore. Well, maybe that's the reason behind the mask and all. Really enjoying it to say the least and I am really interested to see where it goes. Oh and it looks like he lost a bit of weight. However the attire helped in that regard aswell.
As for CM Punk. How awesome is he. :) Anyway, I think that he shouldn't loose the title, simply because if he does, then the title value would drop, since there has been too many title changes in a short period of time.
All in all, WWE is the best entertainment period. :)
Opening segment? Horrendous. Truly, just awful.
Ending? Wow. Amazing.
Will start in the middle. I loved the Fatal Four Way. We were watching probably the future of the WWE battle it out in the ring. It was just a very good match. The modified Rough Ryder looked brilliant, as well as pretty much everything else in the match. I may watch it again later tonight I think in fact.
Now, onto the ending. I thought it was freakin' amazing. The production was excellent - the low camera on the ramp, with Kane stood still towering over. When we saw glimpses in the darkness, I thought 'what the hell kind of mask is that' - then it became apparent if was merely a cover. The attire I think could still be better in that it looks a little too transparent, and the small yellow flame on the leg looks quite camp. The mask itself though is awesome as hell.
I'm sure the WWE can make masked Kane interesting. They essentially just need to follow a similar formula to that of Cody Rhodes. Really playing on the idea of it being a psychological scarring, and obviously not physical.
Anyone else notice the classic 'pull back of the glove' as Kane began walking down the ramp? Nice touch.
muscularmatt
14-12-2011, 17:33
I've watched that last two minutes like a dozen times on Sky+ now.
But it has to be mentioned again how awful the first nineteen were. It almost gave me cancer.
This week's Raw was very good.
Rosa Mendez is looking hot.
I also enjoyed raw. Again a shame for Mark Henry if he is truly injured because Kane vs Mark Henry would have been great if there was a good build up. So I guess it'll be kane vs John cena. It may also turn up great. Again, it depends on the build up.
Kane looked impressive with that mask and attire btw. He felt like a monster again. It really brought his character again and he looked like he lost a bit of weight too, which is always good. I like this new kane with no to few words, where actions would speak louder than words.
BTW, I wonder what Kane will do with that thorn John cena t shirt lol.
muscularmatt
20-12-2011, 21:28
Be interesting to see if Kane goes over him. Cena's already been on the losing end of two major rivalries recently, would a third hurt him? But then it wouldn't make sense for the monster to be 'resurrected' and then lose his first feud?
Be interesting to see if Kane goes over him. Cena's already been on the losing end of two major rivalries recently, would a third hurt him? But then it wouldn't make sense for the monster to be 'resurrected' and then lose his first feud?
Cena shouldn't really be jobbing much now, as it's getting close to WrestleMania.
Seriously, fuck Kane. He should retire already.
muscularmatt
20-12-2011, 22:17
Why? I can see it panning out like so - Cena loses to Kane, gets eliminated by someone shit at the Rumble, and then goes onto be on the wrong side of another feud, sparking the whole "He's having such a shit time how on Earth could he ever beat The Rock" talk.
Why? I can see it panning out like so - Cena loses to Kane, gets eliminated by someone shit at the Rumble, and then goes onto be on the wrong side of another feud, sparking the whole "He's having such a shit time how on Earth could he ever beat The Rock" talk.
No one wants to see Rock or Cena going into the biggest match since Hogan vs The Rock with no momentum.
And I don't think they will book it that way either.
muscularmatt
20-12-2011, 22:29
What will they do with Kane, then? He can't come back like this and then lose his first feud, that would be literally the stupidest thing ever.
I wouldn't be surprised if Kane has a part to play in the Rock v Cena match at Wrestlemania. Kane by the way looks bloomin' awesome back in the mask ... credibility and menace returned en masse.
I agree. Just watched a bit of Raw and Kane looked fucking boss.
muscularmatt
22-12-2011, 23:45
Yeah Joel, stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
muscularmatt
29-12-2011, 16:35
Another observation on Cena's recent antics. I like what they are doing with him. They are keeping kayfabe intact for the kids, but they are making some reasonably obvious references to the whole character alignment dynamic.
It all starts with The Rock teasing Cena about the fans' relative reactions at Survivor Series. Then on Raw, Roddy Piper enourages Cena to "Tell them (the fans) what he thinks of them" and now Kane telling him to "Embrace hate". It's all a part of teasing a heel turn.
Another observation on Cena's recent antics. I like what they are doing with him. They are keeping kayfabe intact for the kids, but they are making some reasonably obvious references to the whole character alignment dynamic.
It all starts with The Rock teasing Cena about the fans' relative reactions at Survivor Series. Then on Raw, Roddy Piper enourages Cena to "Tell them (the fans) what he thinks of them" and now Kane telling him to "Embrace hate". It's all a part of teasing a heel turn.
Which will not come and the IWC will rage.
muscularmatt
29-12-2011, 20:02
They'll just tease like this more and more intensely up until Miami, the Raw before 'mania someone will probably even say the word 'heel' to him, and then he'll just cleanly beat The Rock and we'll forget this ever happened.
I hope not, but that's what's most likely.
As long as it's captivating viewing, I'm game. Even if Cena doesn't actually turn heel, but his character develops, I'm happy. It's all about character development - that's what makes Superstars interesting. It's not always as simple as just 'heel' or 'face'.
One of the reasons I love Cody Rhodes is because he's probably one of the finest characters today in terms of development. He's not changed. But he's evolved. We can view his character's development - yet we can't see it as such, because his development has come psychologically. His 'tragic' facial reconstruction, ultimately tainting his previous self-loving image - despite not actually tainting his looks physically. Cody's character is, and has been brilliant.
Cena doesn't necessarily "need" to turn heel. The WWE just need to develop and evolve his character, so that he becomes interesting. The fact that he's really beginning to acknowledge the crowds mixed reactions, but also show that it's perhaps getting underneath his skin a little - is interesting in itself. The WWE just need to continue to tease this character development, and advance it gradually.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgBf6Ld5csE/TakS2VpoWPI/AAAAAAAABq0/GtMqBDkDTqE/s1600/Rey+Mysterio+attacks+Cody+Rhod es.JPG
muscularmatt
30-12-2011, 14:47
Exactly. They don't need a Cena turn, because he's already behaving like a heel to half the audience - doing the things that winds them up on purpose. I like it as it is, aslong as the put him into programs with the right people.
I agree with Hunter. Well said.
Now about Cena. Some people say he's for kids so they hate him to look like adults? Really? Isn't that a retarded thing to do? I mean that's for those people who want to look like adults and want to act tough.
Anyway my point is that he doesn't deserve the amount of hate from some fans.
Yes in the ring he is not Cm Punk BUT, his mic skills are amazing, he rarely and I mean rarely makes a mistake or when he does he makes sure to covers it up well and he also had some memorable feuds like that with Edge and the Nexus which were intense and great.
But anyway leave that.
Both Raw and smackdown were great. The way Raw ended was great and left you speechless. Kane is awesome on the mic btw.
I also like the whole Raw GM vs CM Punk thing. John tries to make it look like he is not involved when in fact he is. It's an interesting story nonetheless.
So what did everyone think of Raw then? I've discussed my thoughts in the 'It Begins 2012' thread, but here's an interesting article, worth a quick read from WWE.com:
"MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Thanks to a wild WWE Championship Match between CM Punk and No. 1 contender Dolph Ziggler, the WWE Universe was reminded of two things during the inaugural Raw SuperShow of 2012. First, the WWE Championship cannot be won via a count-out. And second, Dolph Ziggler isn’t exactly the most humble WWE Superstar in history.
After a match that left The Second City Savior exasperated by yet another untimely distraction by Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis, Ziggler was deemed the winner by count-out. Although traditional match rules explicitly state that a championship cannot be won in this fashion, The Show Off lived up to his moniker and inexplicably ran into a bewildered FedEx Forum crowd with the WWE Championship in tow.
So why did Ziggler run away with the WWE Title if he is not the titleholder? Was Ziggler simply toying with The Voice of the Voiceless, playing a series of mind games to further slither his way into Punk’s head? Will the fact that he’s now beaten Punk in two consecutive matches work in Ziggler’s favor when they meet for the WWE Title at the 25th anniversary of the Royal Rumble later this month?
Then there’s the matter of the WWE Title itself. Ziggler disappeared into the crowd after his match and the WWE Championship went with him. So where is the title now? Has it been returned to its rightful owner? Does Ziggler still have it? Or is Vickie Guerrero having it made into a new pendant to replace her “Cougar” necklace?"
http://www.wwe.com/f/article/image/2011/09/dolphziggler308.jpg
WWE.com (http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2012-01-02/ziggler-title-runaway)
As I've discussed previously, there's so many different, but equally interesting storylines beginning to develop right now, that this new year is looking really brilliant. Could this even be, at a stretch, a sign of a new WWE title belt on the horizon?
Yup I myself enjoying all those storys. I just hope they live to the build up.
Question I'm confused with Y2J celebration, was he mocking the fans or something ?
Question I'm confused with Y2J celebration, was he mocking the fans or something ?
I think many of us are a little confused by Y2J's return. :lol:
I think he was mocking the fans though. It all seemed a little strange. It didn't seem 'real enough', or genuine enough in terms of sincerity from Jericho, to the fans. It felt as if Jericho was taunting them, and reeling them in. I'm not too sure though, but this is just my take on what happened. It's so fascinating though. The fact that I don't really know what is going on is just brilliant, it makes me so much more excited about his return now. There's so many paths and directions in which Y2J can take this!
Y2J was 'trolling' the fans
Sminky watches wrestling :tongue:
Sminky watches wrestling :tongue:
Since 1984 :)
You vintage, I only strated around the WM15. Before that use to watch WCW but wasn't a huge fan.
I was watching British wrestling back in the day, I got into WWF as it was in the late 80s.
muscularmatt
04-01-2012, 17:13
WORLD OF SPORT!
http://izit.org/sites/izit.org/files/1296630879032_40965.jpg
Respect to the oldschool.
I'm quite sure you can't win a title by count out, I'm a little confused.
You can't win a title by count out, if you're referring to what I think you are its just that character being a wind up merchant.
Raw's gm needs a ass kicking I hate that voice.
Raw's gm needs a ass kicking I hate that voice.
He reminds me of Funkhouser off Curb :laugh:
Raw's gm needs a ass kicking I hate that voice.
He's awesome.
He reminds me of Funkhouser off Curb :laugh:
They don't call him that for no reason! :D
They don't call him that for no reason! :D
Do they? Ah this is the problem watching the show sporadically :lol:
Do they? Ah this is the problem watching the show sporadically :lol:
Mostly members of the IWC, although I think Punk did call him it on Raw one time.
Can't wait for Raw tomorrow to see how they follow up Jericho's return. I thought it was genius what he managed to do and loved his return last week.
Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to Raw tomorrow (or Tuesday rather given that's usually when I actually watch it).
Jericho. Kane. The Miz and R-Truth.
:cool:
I can see Johnny putting Ryder in a match with Kane - maybe not this week, but soon. It wouldn't hurt Ryder to lose, but I'd favour a non-finish with Cena's interference.
I've no idea what to expect from Kane this week. I can't wait to see what's in store for us though. :cool:
I hope he no shows and gets fired. http://i55.tinypic.com/2v8sjl3.gif
wtf, why they changed Brutus clay for? There was me thinking he can be the next big thing. What's with Y2J getting all emo?
Cena/Kane story getting even better. The more I watch truth the more I like him.
Cena/Kane story getting even better. The more I watch truth the more I like him.
Personally I'm finding it a bit over-cooked. Its lost its edge and a lot of subtlety. Kane was never a hide and seek predator, he'd ambush his opponents in plain sight and he'd wipe them out before they could lay a punch on him. As great as Kane is I hope the wrap this feud up with a monumental match at The Royal Rumble or even have them as the final two in the Rumble match.
Raw was really top draw this week.
From the main stars, down to even the mid card; it was interesting or entertatining. I find Santino hilarious, he just seems to be a naturally funny guy to be around. Anyway, he gave me a good chuckle when he squared off with Wade Barrett towards the beginning of Raw in the Tag Team match, as he said to Barrett in his comedic accent; "I will punch you right in the nose." :lol:
The Miz's constant backstage pestering for an accomplice/bodyguard was great to watch - as well as John Laurinitis's segment in his office, as he proclaimed to be 'Big Johnny', with what had to be the greatest smug face I've ever seen. :lol:
Brodus Clay's debut was such a damn surprise. We've already got quite a few big guys/monsters at the moment, with Mark Henry, Kane and also the Big Show to an extent, with perhaps The Undertaker returning at some point (who knows?), so having something a little different is refreshing. I'm honestly digging it. I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt like they were watching a modern-day reinvention of Dusty Rhodes' jiving. We'll see just how much the crowd respond to it in the coming weeks, but I think it's got some great potential. Clay's size speaks for itself, and as such it's easy to believe he'd dominate his opponents, and so I think it makes it that bit easier to have him maintain a cool, jiving gig while still winning frequently. I'm certainly interested in seeing where this goes, but I tip my hat to the WWE for being more risky here. Hopefully we're going to see a 2012 where boundaries are really pushed as far as character development, risks and more interesting storylines are involved.
The Jack Swagger (with Vickie & Dolph Ziggler) vs. CM Punk match was really quite good. I was entertained throughout and there was some great back and forths between Punk and Swagger. As dull as I usually find Swagger's character, he's not bad in the ring and he showed why tonight. Having Dolph wearing a Swagger shirt too, with cut off sleeves while sporting a white towel just reminded me so much of the stereotypical sports coach look. :lol: Did anyone else notice Big John Laurinitis also texting in the background on his phone whilst standing next to the announcer's table? The guy is just comedy gold. I was drastically fooled by the match ending as well, I hadn’t a clue what was going on. By Punk’s attempted Anaconda Vice, and seeming frustration, I absolutely thought it was the referee ending the match early on authority from the back (via earpiece). Then to see the commencing arguments between Vickie, Dolph and John Laurinitis put things a bit more in perspective I think. Nonetheless, it was really well done I think.
What I perhaps enjoyed most about this week’s Raw though was something I’ve not truly felt for a while – a real sense of unpredictability. The storylines right now seem really ‘open’, in that there’s a lot of room to maneuver, and paths to follow. It’s making for some very interesting viewing right now.
Hopefully on Smackdown though we’ll see Mark Henry back soon, ready for new inductees into the Hall of Pain. One thing going for Smackdown, maybe above all else, is the budding Tag Team division. It’s proving to be quite promising thus far, and with steady, gradual progression, I think soon enough we’ll have some must-see Smackdown shows.
I think the Kane storyline has been handled superbly. Things haven’t been rushed, and I can’t help but think this has all been meticulously thought through. When Eve came to the ring ready for her match, and then her opponent was revealed; Kane, it sent shivers down my spine. It was quite strangely frightening. The mere thought of Kane getting his hands on Eve, abducting her. I’m loving this story though, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
Overall, I thought Raw was excellent. There wasn’t a single moment throughout the entire show where I felt bored, or even remotely ‘indifferent’. I loved it.
Perez Hilton is on Raw tonight.
http://th721.photobucket.com/albums/ww220/omonafiles/gif/th_clapsss.gif
Perez Hilton is on Raw tonight.
http://th721.photobucket.com/albums/ww220/omonafiles/gif/th_clapsss.gif
When I seen that on WWE.com, I just had to pause for a moment. As positive as I like to be, I'm genuinely baffled by this one. At least The Muppets are a worldwide phenomenon, and funny too at times. There was some very good moments when they guest hosted WWE.
Perez Hilton though? He's certainly not a well known 'personality' across the world is he? I guess we can only hope that Kane sets him on fire.
I read somewhere that he has 4 million followers on twitter. I'm sure if he advertises it he'd gat a small ratings boost
I take it you have started watching wrestling again, Sully?
e9jsivRWdeM
He could get more heat than Vickie Guerrero + Michael Cole COMBINED. Just from that initial "hellooo".
Some amazing work from ACE and Jericho tonight.
Was a decent Raw, I thought. Some great mic work from Dolph and Foley at the beginning.
Tag match wasn't really given the time it should have and they could have at least give the new champions an entrance.
Divas stuff was shite as usual (including Perez).
Ryder situation was interesting. Didn't think he would have lost the belt so soon. Kinda says that they just gave it to him to make the fans happy. I guess it was also part of the Cena/Kane development. Which leads me to...
For the first time, the Cena/Kane feud interested me. Even before Kane came on the screen, it was clear what was happening here. Cena starting to "embrace the hate". Got to say, they done this really well. It will be interesting to see what happens next week now (a week before their Rumble match).
For the first time I enjoyed R-Truth as a face. Decent segment with Barrett. Decent match after too. Needs to cut the damn dancing though.
Don't know how to take Brodus. Part of me wants to like him, while I'm also thinking, "what is this?". Oh well, always good to see Naomi and dat ass.
:datass:
Main event was ok. Tbh, I didn't care for the match, I just wanted to see how Jericho was going to execute his part, as it was obvious he was going to just leave without wrestling. It was done really well though. The guy is just brilliant.
Ending segment with ACE, Punk and Foley was good. ACE and Punk really is heating up. They're trying to make it McMahon vs Austin. It can never reach that level, but it'll still be decent. ACE's raging at the end was brilliant. We may see him turn into a full fledged evil boss now. Will be interesting. He's definitely one of the reasons I watch though.
The "my bad" and "shut your mouth and show respect to authority" to Eve were awesome.
oh Jericho why? Big John finally has some balls lol.
Another great MNR.
I take it you have started watching wrestling again, Sully?
I've watched the past few episodes of Raw because my little bother told me that Jericho had returned. Not really watched smackdown or taken any interest in much else. Zack Ryder annoys the hell out of me on Raw tho....
Some amazing work from ACE and Jericho tonight.
Was a decent Raw, I thought. Some great mic work from Dolph and Foley at the beginning.
Tag match wasn't really given the time it should have and they could have at least give the new champions an entrance.
Divas stuff was shite as usual (including Perez).
Ryder situation was interesting. Didn't think he would have lost the belt so soon. Kinda says that they just gave it to him to make the fans happy. I guess it was also part of the Cena/Kane development. Which leads me to...
For the first time, the Cena/Kane feud interested me. Even before Kane came on the screen, it was clear what was happening here. Cena starting to "embrace the hate". Got to say, they done this really well. It will be interesting to see what happens next week now (a week before their Rumble match).
For the first time I enjoyed R-Truth as a face. Decent segment with Barrett. Decent match after too. Needs to cut the damn dancing though.
Don't know how to take Brodus. Part of me wants to like him, while I'm also thinking, "what is this?". Oh well, always good to see Naomi and dat ass.
:datass:
Main event was ok. Tbh, I didn't care for the match, I just wanted to see how Jericho was going to execute his part, as it was obvious he was going to just leave without wrestling. It was done really well though. The guy is just brilliant.
Ending segment with ACE, Punk and Foley was good. ACE and Punk really is heating up. They're trying to make it McMahon vs Austin. It can never reach that level, but it'll still be decent. ACE's raging at the end was brilliant. We may see him turn into a full fledged evil boss now. Will be interesting. He's definitely one of the reasons I watch though.
The "my bad" and "shut your mouth and show respect to authority" to Eve were awesome.
I'm a bit late posting in this thread with my thoughts, but I couldn't agree more with you Joel, and Sho. Raw was really fantastic this week. I even watched it a second time the other day (well, most parts).
Even though it's still Thursday, I'll still tag my thoughts below, as it keeps things neat too I guess.
As I say, I agree absolutely with you here Joel. Pretty much every point you've made I've been nodding to as I've been reading through.
Raw was stacked, from start to finish with engrossing segments and matches. It was like entertainment heaven. Hell, even Perez appearing I quite enjoyed, simply because all he did was play a small role in the Divas match. He made me ever so slightly curious as to what would happen in the match with him at ringside. Win/win out of a potentially disastrous situation, so hats off to the WWE for keeping his appearance minimal.
CM Punk can criticise The Rock all he likes - as other Superstars have done. But the reality is in my opinion, that The Rock's returns has lit a fire under the ass of all of the talent. They realise they need to step up, especially if they want to be bitter. 2011 was just the beginning, and while the transition has been slow, the progress has been excellent in my opinion. It's been gradual, but steady. Sure there was a few bumps along the way - Cena winning the title again due to the drop in ratings, as WWE panicked, only to realise Cena winning was pointless, having him drop it again a few weeks later. Along with suspensions, injuries etc which seem to have been in abundance in 2011, but overall, we're in a very exciting time for the WWE I think. They're finally putting stock in their Superstars, and allowing them freedom to express themselves finally to an extent. As I say, I think CM Punk criticising The Rock is totally understandable, but he's perhaps missing the bigger picture. We need to avoid the sudden rushes into the title pictures and build the Superstars slowly for the most part, so that we actually have time to develop a relationship with them, whether it be to hate them or love them (kayfabe).
CM Punk is gradually making his way up, and even though he's the WWE Champion right now, he's still got a way to go I think. In my opinion, Ziggler owned his segment on Raw, and made everyone around him look unworthy. That's how fucking good he is right now. What's amazing is that Ziggler is still fairly young at 31, and is already very good in the ring and improving at a frighteningly sharp pace on the mic. This guy is just blowing everyone out of the water right now, and he's damn well deserving of this praise. In December's WWE Magazine issue, he mentioned in his interview that he never stops working. Even when he's not in the ring, or at an arena, he's still working constantly to better himself (quite like Eddie Guerrero used to - spend hours every day talking in mirrors and working on facial expressions). I read online today as well that Ziggler has stated he isn't happy with simply being a WWE Superstar or even WWE Champion. He wants to be the 'greatest ever'. Of course, with TV ratings down, and pro-wrestling no longer seemingly 'cool' amongst kids thesedays, a boom period may not happen again in Dolph's reign which could hinder how he's viewed in that respect - but as for his ambition, I honestly wouldn't bet against him becoming one of the top Superstars of the last 10 years if he continues improving at the rate he currently is.
I can understand Sully's comments though, in that Zack Ryder annoys him. We have to remember though, that as goofy as Zack seems, and as bad an actor as he is, at least he's being given the opportunity to really do some interesting work in his career as a Superstar - alongside some veterans. It's going to be a great experience for him, and I just hope he's really soaking every second of it up.
Jack Swagger on the other hand just flat out sucks. He's not bad in the ring, but his acting is so bad, that I think it's actually getting worse. He's like a deer in headlights when he's out there. He doesn't seem to know where to look as far as the cameras go, or even how to give a facial expression. Not to mention his backstage segments are so painfully delivered as he directly reads from a prompter without even looking at who he is talking to. I want to like him, I honestly do. His look is great, his entrance is decent and his music isn't bad, nor his in-ring work. It's just he's got the charisma of a stone. And not even a nice stone like gneiss, gabbro or schist, but just a plain old regular stone. Hopefully though, now that he's got the US title, it will give him some confidence back that I think he's lost a little bit.
Cena kicking the living daylights out of Swagger was done immensely well I think. It was just 'must-see' TV. They made it work well, and Cena had that real intensity within him, and I'm loving the 'embrace the hate' storyline for sure.
I'm looking forward to Smackdown it has to be said. :cool:
Not sure if you gents are aware, there is channel on YouTube uploading Raw every Tuesday in its entirety as opposed to segments. If its not a bone of contention I'll post the Channel name, its in HD.
... for those who haven't seen this weeks episode ...
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Best part of this week's MNR
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For those who've missed it or not seen it ...
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Best part of this week's MNR
http://i44.tinypic.com/15fngbq.gif
It was clearly Big Johnny no selling a GTS.
http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/955981/20120123_raw_v_jl_gts_c.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SoG3f.jpg
:lmao:
muscularmatt
25-01-2012, 23:32
It begins 2012...?
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/7320/2212110130.jpg
Oh fuck yeah it does!
Who takes these daft photos of you, Matt?
Who takes these daft photos of you, Matt?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__mf85tpaHs/Tp2_Nq3JjaI/AAAAAAAAQxc/0N2hJWU0rGc/s320/John+Laurinaitis+RAW_960_Photo _003.jpg
muscularmatt
25-01-2012, 23:45
Whoever's got a camera and a pulse, J-Dawg. I'm must see.
Who takes these daft photos of you, Matt?
http://mimg.ugo.com/201201/8/1/6/215618/cuts/photo05_528x297.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SoG3f.jpg
:lmao:
:lol:
Taker's back for a another Mania
This weeks Raw VJ6xyH-MKRE
Can't wait for next weeks show.
Well John Laurinaitis has survived for now and I'm guessing he'll remain a fixture if its Triple H v Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Loved Kings remark about Guerrero "She'd give Freddy Krueger nightmares!"
Well John Laurinaitis has survived for now and I'm guessing he'll remain a fixture if its Triple H v Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Loved Kings remark about Guerrero "She'd give Freddy Krueger nightmares!"
Lawler was funny, as well CM Punk. "Nah nah nah, hey hey goodbye". Big Johnny you serious! HHH ain't vince.
muscularmatt
31-01-2012, 22:39
HHH is a great worker, and has given us some brilliant matches when with the right person. But here's the thing - he's crap on the stick.
What an absolute disgrace of a show last night. It was just video packages. They better not pull shit like this again.
For those who haven't seen it ... the Triple H segments are probably the best thing about this week.
Full episode available to view below
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Finally Y2J...
Do it HHH.
A heel Y2J vs a face Cm Punk could be one of the best things ever if handled right by the WWE that is.
Those 2 are great in everything, actually 2 of the best ever.
Yes even though Cm Punk might not have yet reached a legend status like Jericho HHH, Taker and Kain, I think he's up there with them.
As for Kain. I like this new Kain and the mask makes him more evil which is always great for his character. I hope he gets an interesting feud for Wrestlemania with this kind of evil because John Cena cannot feud with him since he's against The Rock.
Taker vs HHH is also great. Let's hope that the build up to it would be great aswell because build ups are what makes feuds great. But judging so far it seems original because it will continue after a year and seeing that for the first time, HHH says he knows Taker's limits. It's an interesting concept, a trade sort of. Taker gets his vengeance on HHH, while HHH gets another shot at Taker's undefeated streak which he claims he can break because he knows Taker's limits. Great concept. Now, it all depends on the build up.
muscularmatt
08-02-2012, 21:19
Why so bad, Joel? I thought it was okay.
Half of the show felt like video packages. Then a quarter was promos. And the other was wrestling - and those wrestling matches included Sheamus and Otunga in a squash match, a divas match and Bryan and Big Show's 100th encounter.
Just didn't enjoy it.
muscularmatt
08-02-2012, 21:47
I suppose from a wrestling point of view it was a little thin, but you know me - I'm such a drama queen that I like the promos and the hype building. Jericho/Punk could be the best rivalry since Austin/Rock if they get this right.
That said, I ended up fast forwarding half of it, as I do most weeks.
Big johnnycake retains GM for Raw.
muscularmatt
11-02-2012, 00:02
Until Mania' at least.
Big johnnycake retains GM for Raw.
It's no great shock for me, seemed far too obvious. I wonder if Taker will be shot of the wig he was sporting by then.
muscularmatt
11-02-2012, 01:06
He'll win the match at Mania by slipping it off and rolling up HHH like Eddie did to Kurt Angle with his boot.
^ :) haha.
Anyway, who said that Taker truly had a wig? Yeah he looked different, but that it's enough to prove he had a wig. He might have had though, I am not sure. Maybe next Monday, he'll take his hat off ;)
^ :) haha.
Anyway, who said that Taker truly had a wig? Yeah he looked different, but that it's enough to prove he had a wig. He might have had though, I am not sure. Maybe next Monday, he'll take his hat off ;)
Both Mark Calloway and Glenn Jacobs are having to wear wigs because their hair hasn't grown back enough yet :D
muscularmatt
12-02-2012, 00:28
Yeah, Calloway (Taker) shaved his hair off to number 1 sometime in the summer. Same as Kane, you can't go from baldielocks to long hair in six months.
http://tribalwrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/Undertaker-Bald.png
As I say, that's from sometime in the summer of 2011.
I wonder what prompted him to shave his hair in the first place knowing how its quintessentially a part of his character on WWE.
P.S He looks like a Jazz player in that photo :lol:
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