OT: WWE/Pro Wrestling Thread: World WRoman Entertainment

[BroadwayStorm]

I thought it sucked. I was pretty pissed when he showed up actually. Completely destroyed the flow of the show and the backlash from Royal Rumble. Vince was probably like "Oh Rocky you're in Miami?! We're in Miami! Come to the show!" Notice HHH was nowhere to be seen during most of the show he must have been pissed.

I was mad when Daniel Bryan didn't show up and the rumor was red hot. I heard they scratch the sister Abigail story for after WM.

 

[NYROrtsFan]

I'm a fan any time Rock shows up... Just nobody else close to him on the mic.

New Day has been fantastic though. Those three turned an absolute garbage idea into something pretty entertaining.

Still hate that they are pushing Roman to the moon. Brock(and Heyman) is the best thing they have going so I wish they'd focus everything around him.

No problem with TripleH being champ.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

People are whining that Rock "objectified Lana" but that was just stupid comedy. I don't know what you guys think but to me it's ok to have stupid comedy every so often. My problem is that she's consistently nothing more than a **** joke when she's proven she's a friggin awesome manager. Vince is a petty, out of touch hypocrite. He lets his daughter post "I play a bad guy on TV" to twitter as her bio but goes nuclear b/c lana posts a wedding ring picture.

She went from being a BADASS heel manager who made for a near main event level manager/heel combo to consistently being a **** joke and nothing more. Gone is the great heel who spit on every American. Gone is the vicious demoness who ruthlessly pushed Rusev to break everything in his path. Now she's a dumb blushing ***** because that's what they've booked her as. You can do the rock joke. It's consistently booking her as nothing more than a **** joke that's irritating.

So much talent has been utterly wasted because of what seems like pettiness and idiocy.

I sincerely buy what Punk said in that amazing promo about the company being better after Vince is dead. (Not that he has to die he just needs to friggin retire)

 

[Edge]

Really not feeling H as the champion.

You can't even say "at least it's not Reigns" because 1)it's really not better and 2)it just sets up Reigns to win it back at Wrestlemania.

I don't mind Triple H has champ, it's the forcing Reigns down my throat that gets annoying. I thought they booked him horribly at the Rumble. You're building a guy up to be a bad ass and you have him take a 15 minute break in the middle of the Rumble?

The most interesting aspect of the WWE is it's mid-card. I'd probably argue that it's been years since they had this kind of talent at that level, or such a high level of in-ring ability.

But there's just too many guys I don't care about - Big Show, Reigns, Sheamus, Mark Henry, Kane, etc.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

Saw the Kalisto vs Neville match on smackdown. What a match! AJ Styles is looking good in the ring too.

 

[Edge]

Saw the Kalisto vs Neville match on smackdown. What a match! AJ Styles is looking good in the ring too.

I'd probably make the argument that the WWE has more capable workers than at any point in it's history.

Of course one can certainly say that much of the booking and storytelling is lacking these days, but that's a different story.

 

[a tribe cq]

I'd probably make the argument that the WWE has more capable workers than at any point in it's history.

Of course one can certainly say that much of the booking and storytelling is lacking these days, but that's a different story.

From a pure wrestling standpoint, agreed.

I'd love a Jericho/Styles feud, that gives Jericho time on the mic with no censorship.

That's a dream feud for me....

Although they got one match apparently Jericho is going to job to Ambrose instead.

 

[Vickers8]

IMO...Triple H as champ and Authority are oh so old and stale, give it a rest

 

[haohmaru]

I'd probably make the argument that the WWE has more capable workers than at any point in it's history.

Of course one can certainly say that much of the booking and storytelling is lacking these days, but that's a different story.

Ability wise, yes.

WWE is suffering from a lack of charisma among its "stars" and putrid storytelling/story lines.

 

[a tribe cq]

IMO...Triple H as champ and Authority are oh so old and stale, give it a rest

I agree, I think it may have been a necessary movie - I mean you hate it? It's heelish, and will put over Reigns in a cheap manner in a few months.

Ability wise, yes.

WWE is suffering from a lack of charisma among its "stars" and putrid storytelling/story lines.

It's all about the writers.

Owens, Ambrose, Ziggler, New Day, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper etc, all have phenomenal charisma and mic work.

The writers have been putting together awful story lines and feuds for a while now.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

I don't know if you guys listen to the podcasts on podcast one or colt cabanas or ric flairs but there was one that stone cold did with mick foley recently and they really went over what is wrong with the wwe creative these days. And Mick is pretty critical of the product which gets him in trouble but Mick gets it. And of course so does Stone Cold. And the thing they pretty much said if you narrow it down to just one out of many things is the orthodox scripted nature of the promos and the talking. How some performers are told exactly what they should say or do and there is no improvisation or playing off of the other guy and because of this the guys do not learn how to get comfortable and sound genuine on the mic. They talked about how they used to get bullet points of things they needed to say instead of scripts. I feel that wrestlers are kind of like actors but not really. They are more like method actors. They become these larger than life characters that are usually best when these characters represent a genuine characteristic of the wrestler but amped up to the nth degree. So a wrestler who is kind of an ******* is going to make for a better heel and a nice guy would unless his acting is outstanding. Like the Rock who can be both. But quite honestly I feel the bullet points are the best approach. That is where you really see who sinks and swims. Who has it and who doesn't. You have to give these guys a little more say on their character. A guy like Fandango never had a chance with that terrible gimmick. I feel gimmicks work but not in a pg audience where you can't play to their extremes. In the attitude era someone like Adam Rose would have worked. Without that it looks silly. Even Bo Dallas would work if they let him be more of a punk and less of a clown. IDK.

Either way I was about to bow out until I heard about the new japan guys coming over. Bryan wont wrestle for wwe again it seems and neither will cm punk and without those two guys the product sucks. And its because those guys could get over in spite of wwe. Which is how a great wrestler emerges these days. When you get over in spite of them. Think about that.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

The Wyatt family is such a great concept. And Bray is so awesome. And just their dominating physical nature. Look at a guy like Harper. There isn't a nicer guy that everyone likes than Harper in real life. And he can definitely play that cultist right hand man in the perfect way. And he does all his talking with his facial gestures. And then theres the physical nature of those beasts. And they are all really nice dudes when you meet them which is weird. That said WWE is strangleholding them. Just when you think Bray is about to become THE mega heel for the company they make him lose to the undertaker or John Cena. Or even Kane! At this point in those dudes careers... its frustrating as hell.

I feel like Rollins, Ambrose, Cesaro, Owens and pretty much all the indie guys are likeable for the reason that you can tell they have had a lot of seasoning way before they got to WWE. And guys like Roman who I want to like are just so brutally callow. And the company pushing them just continues to bury them. Idk, those little kids will make their mommies buy them the toys and the t-shirts but those same little kids grow up pretty fast which is why Cena keeps getting booed mercilessly.

 

[haohmaru]

It's all about the writers.

Owens, Ambrose, Ziggler, New Day, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper etc, all have phenomenal charisma and mic work.

The writers have been putting together awful story lines and feuds for a while now.

Yes and no. I think the above guys are talented, but when you put them against the heyday of the WCW/WWF, I don't think it's close.

 

[Edge]

Yes and no. I think the above guys are talented, but when you put them against the heyday of the WCW/WWF, I don't think it's close.

But I don't know if that's a reflection of their ability, so much as the environment in which they're working.

As WWE has gone more corporate, it's also restricted a lot of creative freedom. You'd never be able to have a DX, or Austin or Rock shine in today's landscape.

Another challenge is that there are a lot of guys who all want to play the same character - the cool kid in class.

I'm also not sure the amount of content being produced does the talent any favors. We're talking about 8 hours of content a week, not counting online/behind the scenes content and monthly events. That's a lot of time and it's very easy to get overexposed.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

I don't think the content is the problem. They have more than enough superstars and divas that dont get tv time. The problem is the sponsors. The pg rating. You don't need to curse or do bikini contests or show blood to draw an audience but you do need continuity. You do need a storyline. You can be all those things with creative freedom. It just takes more skill from your talent but I think they would be better off than to be given garbage scripts. Not only that some storylines make zero sense so you don't get invested in the characters. The only storyline Vince cares about is the main event. All the others are just a bunch of matches with very primitive conflicts that sometimes lack resolution or come out of nowhere. Its very frustrating because it definitely is on Vince. If you look at NXT where Vince does not interfere the show runs 100 times better with less resources. That's why I can't wait for HHH to take over because he has proven himself to me in that department love him or hate him as a wrestler he knows how to put his guys AND girls over. He's the first guy to put to women wrestlers on a main event of a ppw and months before put up a show that was better received than the summerslam the next day. He also signs indie wrestlers and puts them on top right away while still signing athletes that they feel have something and letting them season for a long time in developmental.

 

[Edge]

I don't think the content is the problem. They have more than enough superstars and divas that dont get tv time. The problem is the sponsors. The pg rating. You don't need to curse or do bikini contests or show blood to draw an audience but you do need continuity. You do need a storyline. You can be all those things with creative freedom. It just takes more skill from your talent but I think they would be better off than to be given garbage scripts. Not only that some storylines make zero sense so you don't get invested in the characters. The only storyline Vince cares about is the main event. All the others are just a bunch of matches with very primitive conflicts that sometimes lack resolution or come out of nowhere. Its very frustrating because it definitely is on Vince. If you look at NXT where Vince does not interfere the show runs 100 times better with less resources. That's why I can't wait for HHH to take over because he has proven himself to me in that department love him or hate him as a wrestler he knows how to put his guys AND girls over. He's the first guy to put to women wrestlers on a main event of a ppw and months before put up a show that was better received than the summerslam the next day. He also signs indie wrestlers and puts them on top right away while still signing athletes that they feel have something and letting them season for a long time in developmental.

I tend to think the business has passed Vince by.

I've also always been one of the (few?) fans who always liked Triple H.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

It amuses me immensely that what Jericho said in his RAW debut years ago applies so perfectly to today.

It's also hilarious watching a bunch of Beyond the mat documentaries on the network. They CONSTANTLY talk about how they listen to the fans. Where? I don't see it.

A lot of what he did was arrange celebrities to bring new eyes right when the hottest faces were getting their hottest. Quite frankly if you read bt the lines a significant # things that catapulted the WWF into the stratosphere came despite McMahon being there. In fact many of the ideas that were brilliant Vince actively fought against. DX would have been ended extremely quickly for instance. Punk was out the door were it not for his amazing promo (done as a worked shoot, not scripted). Bryan was wrestling Sheamus AGAIN at WM XXX. Vince is not a writer. He needs to step the hell back and let his players play.

I was hoping that when Roman was standing there looking awkward and flubbing his lines (I saw him open his mouth to speak, get an "A..." out there and then close his mouth while Steph trampled over his line multiple times) he'd just grab the belt, taunt Steph and leave the arena with it. It would have done way more for me than anything else he's done since he destroyed HHH. Screw the McMahons (in kayfabe) if you're Roman. They're scum. Let HHH meet you in the ring, you'll rip him apart. Instead he just stood there and got alpha'd by Dean and Steph in the same promo.

Feel bad for the guy.

 

[Leetch3]

RIP Axl Rotten

 

[BroadwayStorm]

What I don't get is why Roman Reigns? Why?! He is a good athlete with a limited move set which in a way makes him look cartoonish. He is a poor man's John Cena with none of the charisma. They dress him weird too. What is that? A bullet proof vest? He'd be better off in leather pants and a leather jacket and more of a badass biker look. Or hell, even in wrestling gear. But that's besides the point. There are better guys than him to push. Hell the dudes from the SHIELD all were better than Roman. I hope they push Ambrose hard because if they cut him loose he has Stone Cold lite written all over him. That said they don't have guys that can work with Brock Lesnar. Who looks believable in a ring with Lesnar that he hasn't already destroyed? The Wyatts, Cesaro, and damn come to think of it... Roman Reigns. Yikes. That's probably what they've been asking. I would say do David and Goliath with Daniel Bryan since Bryan looks believable as a wrestler with hard hitting moves that could stay in it with Brock but ultimately fail heroically. But they won't let him wrestle again. And AJ Styles is not going to be buried by WWE just yet unless he pisses people off. I guess they could have him destroy KO or Samoa Joe but for what? He is going to wreck the Wyatt family for the next 4 months or so but what after that? I still hold out hope that CM Punk will get over his hissy fit and return they would push him immediately despite everything. As long as Vince is still around. I doubt HHH will. That said I want Vince gone and HHH to take over. I can live with Stephanie.

 

[NYROrtsFan]

What I don't get is why Roman Reigns? Why?! He is a good athlete with a limited move set which in a way makes him look cartoonish. He is a poor man's John Cena with none of the charisma. They dress him weird too. What is that? A bullet proof vest? He'd be better off in leather pants and a leather jacket and more of a badass biker look. Or hell, even in wrestling gear. But that's besides the point. There are better guys than him to push. Hell the dudes from the SHIELD all were better than Roman. I hope they push Ambrose hard because if they cut him loose he has Stone Cold lite written all over him. That said they don't have guys that can work with Brock Lesnar. Who looks believable in a ring with Lesnar that he hasn't already destroyed? The Wyatts, Cesaro, and damn come to think of it... Roman Reigns. Yikes. That's probably what they've been asking. I would say do David and Goliath with Daniel Bryan since Bryan looks believable as a wrestler with hard hitting moves that could stay in it with Brock but ultimately fail heroically. But they won't let him wrestle again. And AJ Styles is not going to be buried by WWE just yet unless he pisses people off. I guess they could have him destroy KO or Samoa Joe but for what? He is going to wreck the Wyatt family for the next 4 months or so but what after that? I still hold out hope that CM Punk will get over his hissy fit and return they would push him immediately despite everything. As long as Vince is still around. I doubt HHH will. That said I want Vince gone and HHH to take over. I can live with Stephanie.

It really comes down to the look, he's a nice guy, and he's willing to work a lot. From a manageability standpoint, he's perfect for Vince and company.

It was the same as Cena. But like you said, Cena AT LEAST had some charisma. Reigns just lacks it... Maybe he can develop more and get somewhat close to an acceptable level, but it's just not there yet.

Thank god they lucked out on the New Day coming out of nowhere. Those three are entertaining during a time that there just isn't enough entertainment.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

My eyes were bawling when Daniel Bryan was giving his retirement speech with man tears of gratefulness. I remember Stone Cold and the Rock moving crowds at will and not since them have I seen anyone command a crowd like Daniel Bryan with that Yes Chant and everyman persona. Not to mention his hard hitting/ high impact style of wrestling which eventually did him in. HOF for sure.

 

[Vickers8]

My eyes were bawling when Daniel Bryan was giving his retirement speech with man tears of gratefulness. I remember Stone Cold and the Rock moving crowds at will and not since them have I seen anyone command a crowd like Daniel Bryan with that Yes Chant and everyman persona. Not to mention his hard hitting/ high impact style of wrestling which eventually did him in. HOF for sure.

Sad they will miss him, his best was I'm am the tag team champions (he and Kane)

 

[Dagoon44]

having known DB for 17 yrs it was really tough to watch last night.. The guy is the Adam Graves of the WWE. never not in a good mood always taking a picture or signing autos. First time I met him was at Kennedy airport .. He walks off the plane and we start talking and he says I sat with two really nice people we talked a lot.. They were really nice and people kept walking up to them. Two minutes later here comes Angelina and Bill Bob Thornton lol.. The kid just loved wrestling not the backstage bull crap.. hope he is well enough to start a family and stays there as a trainer.

 

[Machinehead]

I've defended WWE many times and I've defended Roman Reigns many times.

But that - that was a ****ing disgrace of a PPV.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

I've defended WWE many times and I've defended Roman Reigns many times.

But that - that was a ****ing disgrace of a PPV.

Yea that was....it....sigh...that happened.

No sell city at the end