After reading the updated card, I'm left wondering if fans will stay in their seats for the main event...
Scott Steiner & Kevin Nash (w/ Shawn Michaels) vs HHH (w/ Ric Flair) & Chris Jericho
Check out the rest of the card here. British PPVs always have odd matchups as there's always several card changes before match-time, but there still tends to be plenty of crowd heat as us Brits are suckers for the few WWE events we get. Two Bad Blood matches are booked here, and the rest is mid-card madness as random face goes against random heel. I get the feeling the crowd will be hot for a lot of this event (especially Booker, we can't get enough of the guy), but I'll be very interested in how the main event turns out. I'm guessing HBK and Flair will be shifting their weight outside of the ring, and Y2J will be doing everything in his power inside, to deliver an S.E. extravaganza despite Nash and Steiner's lack of everything, and HHH - who more and more people are getting apathetic to. (I try not to bash HHH in the typical ways, but my markish friends are getting tired of him too and I can't deny them their voice, right?)
The shame is, this'll be the first UK-only PPV that I'll miss since I started ordering in May 2000, so I won't be able to see this for myself until a commercial release down the line. Am I ordering out of protest or lack of funds? No. I simply have better things to do (Somehow, most people I know have June birthdays) that night and I can't find anyone else I know to tape it. Recaps for me, then.
The point of discussion here is a) Your opinion of the main event/rest of card b) If you're in the UK, would you order it?
Well the main event sucks, I hate any tag match as a main event if nothing is on the line, and the fact that Steiner and Nash are possibly the stupidist pair to be the FACE team. I'm in the UK and I will not be ordering it because it's just a house show that is being put on TV, nothing important will happen, no titles will move. We're paying for a mediocre episode of Raw, especially with no Austin, Goldberg and Bishoff.
The lame line up and repeated card changes show how little WWE cares about it's fans, especially those who aren't able to purchase PPV's here in the states. But the crowd will be into it and the talent will bust their asses.
Originally posted by y4j1981Well, WWE pulled the line up again on the website. So who knows what the card will be now.
Holy crap you're right! That's so poor it's untrue. I wouldn't be wrong in thinking that some people like to know what to expect beforehand, would I?
I'll agree with Nenz about this kind of tag main event. It's the cop-out, safe option that's been used to death in pre-PPV TV shows, keeping feuds on life-support while killing time. Us Brits are already aware that nothing significant happens at UK PPVs (except a token European title change and the Bulldog winning the Hardcore championship in 2000), and even Vince said so in a heel promo at a 2000 UK PPV. Why not start an angle, or change a title, and then just replay it to death on the following Raw? Anything used to happen in the WWF/E, but only if it was State-side.
Hell, just swap Michaels with Steiner and you've got a start, but I think a HHH vs HBK main would be a far braver thing to do. Have Nash and Flair at ringside; chuck Steiner in a tag-team opposite Test and a partner, and make an IC triple threat with Jericho, Christian and Booker T... then business may be about to pick up, if only for one night.
Speaking of British PPV's, I just want to go off on a rant for a second. Remember back when, when HBK beat the British Bulldog for the European title? They did replay the hell out of that, and what always stuck in my mind was HHH shouting at the Bulldog "Scream Bulldog! Scream for your country!" which I always felt was about the worst heel act I've ever seen. Bulldog went out with an injury, and then left the company with Bret Hart. But when he came back, he was put in a small program with HHH, and they never brought that back up. It's a small thing, but it's always bothered me. I just wanted to get that out of my system.
Yeah, I've seen that. I've managed to get a taping organised so I'm going to be able to see the show after all. There's no anticipation, though, it's going to just happen in front of my eyes as I wait to be surprised.
I would NEVER order these UK-PPVs. Nothing remotely interesting will happen and the matches are pretty poor (jet-lag).
I went to the Smackdown Tour De Force show in person at the London Arena and whilst it was good entertainment to be there live, the actual wrestling was crap.
What I'm trying to say, there is no way I would order a UK PPV if I was at home.
If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
Originally posted by Marty McFlyI would NEVER order these UK-PPVs. Nothing remotely interesting will happen and the matches are pretty poor (jet-lag).
I went to the Smackdown Tour De Force show in person at the London Arena and whilst it was good entertainment to be there live, the actual wrestling was crap.
What I'm trying to say, there is no way I would order a UK PPV if I was at home.
Hey McFly, I was at the same show and I'd have to agree with you. I was stoked to be there live and I had a really good time, but the wrestling quality ranged from passable to average, except for Benoit vs Cena, and Los Guerreros vs Team Angle, which was pretty good. The thing to bear in mind with that show, and in fact the whole tour, was that it was a house show. No TV exposure, no PPV exposure and no huge payoff. It's best not to go to any stupid lengths in those circumstances, although it didn't stop Chavito buggering his arm.
If you want to see wrestlers busting their nads for less, then support your local indy. I try to as often as I can, and I'm often pleasantly surprised.