I think my appreciation of Piper's promo was magnified by my relief that he was not in crazy-non sequitur mode. He was focused and feeling it, and he had the plum assignment of selling the main event of a Big Four PPV. And, Good Lord, he delivered. It helped that he was working with Cena, a performer who works to the level of his fellow performers. Tremendous work by both guys.
Michael Cole, however, can fall into a volcano. His shtick forces me to mute the TV. I invoke the X-Pac Reference. JR hasn't missed a beat.
The Ziggler/Vickie angle is interminable. It's maddening. But how about that INSET PROMO from Dolph as the match started. Yes yes yes.
I appreciated the curtain call for the legends, even as I noted how few main-eventers that line represented. So many names lost to death or politics.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by John OrquiolaThe return of UPDATE.
Yeah, after we got the inset interviews during the first match, the one other thing I needed to see was an Update segment, and Mean Gene came through.
I guess the only other things that could have really sold it would have been some local house show ads featuring the old "Full Screen Wrestler Logo Followed By Wrestler Cutting A Solo Promo That Sums Up His Entire Character In 25 Seconds" set-up.
You know, those old bits where they'd show the Bossman's logo, then the Bossman would be seen pacing in front of a steel cage panel, promoting his steel cage match vs. Hulk Hogan by quickly ranting "Hulk Hogan, if anybody knows anything about working behind bars, it's the Big Bossman, and I'll tell you right now you're in for the night of your life [holds up nightstick] when you get into that cage with me at the Cow Palace this Wednesday Night at 7:30 PM so get ready for some HARD TIME ha ha ha!"
Also, maybe if JR and Lawler did commentary for the whole live show, but it was all presented as previously taped clips hosted by Cole and Matthews from the Prime Time Wrestling set, complete with Cole having a Miz action figure beat up a Daniel Bryan action figure.
Originally posted by John OrquiolaNothing popped me like "Jive Soul Bro" and Slick, though. He's kind of fat.
This was also awesome, and unexpected. And come on, man, he can't be in too bad shape considering he was able to sing without running out of breath all the way to the ring, and still sounds exactly like he did 23 years ago!
Originally posted by It's FalseMercifully, the Hart Dynasty breakup is done.
I was hoping that, after weeks and weeks of break-ups that didn't take, what would finally make the Hart Dynasty Explode would be a difference of opinion over Tony Atlas and his storytelling ability. David Hart Smith could have been all "Geeze, what a windbag this one is" and Tyson Kidd could have freaked out and attacked Smith.
Also, it somehow took me all this time to realize that Tyson Kidd is named Tyson Kidd so it will sound like he's related to the Dynamite Kid, as if Dynamite was his first name and Kid(d) his last. That is amazing. They should run with that and have his entire heel persona modeled after all the stories of the horrible shit Dynamite Kid used to do backstage and claim that it's in his blood.
Originally posted by Justin Shapirothe TAMPA BAY REYS vs. the CARASVAN
In a better world, the teams would be:
THE BIG DEALS Albert Del Rio (C) Jack Swagger Luke Gallows Vance Archer Shad Gaspard
vs.
THE FAIRLY QUICKS Rey Misterio (C) MVP Kofi Kingston Kaval JTG
Vince dishing out his annual televised bashing of JR (through Cole) really was just kind of sad. I can understand the company wanting to move on to younger announcers, but why freeze someone with as much to offer as JR out? Replacing Lawler with JR would be a stellar move, in my opinion, if they don't want to move Josh up just yet.
Is it just my imagination, or is The Cobra and by association Santino on the verge of getting over pretty big? The Sheamus storyline has helped him, and the pop for The Cobra was one of the biggest on the show. It clearly wouldn't hurt a fly, but it's fun and goofy in a good way, much like the Worm and the People's Elbow...
Originally posted by superfurryVince dishing out his annual televised bashing of JR (through Cole) really was just kind of sad.
Yes, it really was. But the rest of the show was as well, in my opinion. What a waste of time. The only good thing was the Daniel Bryan match and they ruined that as well (with their stupid commentary stuff).
F'N SHAPIRO: Jim Ross is so much better than everyone. Cole is terrific but (the people producing) Cole (who kept telling him to jump in) partially ruined a great moment.
Yeah. Except for the BBQ sauce.com, he no sold Cole. That ruled. Bryan may or may not be at a level where they take him seriously, but JR calling his match was like icing on a cake.
Two things that bummed me out on an otherwise great show was 1) no Pat Patterson 2) I hate Piper
No sense in going into detail again re: Piper, but fuck him
Also...no Vince?
I forgot 3) Santino is the worst wresler ever. Cornette should have slapped him harder
FLEA
(edited by RYDER FAKIN on 16.11.10 1448) Demonstrations are a drag. Besides, we're much too high
Due to not believing IN THE LAKERS, Frosty is walking around with $20 of my money!
Well that was more fun than I expected. Bravo WWE.
The only thing that could have made it better was a cutaway to a kid in the crowd eating a WWE ice cream bar.
Might have been funny to have the GM laptop replaced by a Commodore 64 or something, with a shrieking modem noise and Cole having to wait for the whole message to load.
Wasn't there some stipulation where Cena was not allowed to touch Wade Barrett, or maybe that was temporary.
Poor Mean Gene couldn't hold that mic steady. If they do this again, I hope to see some different legends as they always seem to trot out the same ones. George Steele was a nice surprise though. In all the years I've watched, I have never heard the name Chavo Classic -- was he pre 1980's?
Chavo Guerrero Sr. wrestled in Los Angeles in the 70s and WWE in 2004. He's called Chavo Classic on WWE TV because of the rule that no one on WWE TV can be called junior or senior, like Rey Mysterio and John Cena's father Mr. Cena.
Originally posted by dwatersIn all the years I've watched, I have never heard the name Chavo Classic -- was he pre 1980's?
Chavo Guerrero Sr. has been in wrestling for many years, but he had a cup of coffee with the E backing up Chavo Jr. for a while. Cole even noted on the show that Chavo Sr. won the Cruiserweight Title at one point, which I believe was the beginning of the end for that belt.
Of course, since the E has something against the "Jr." moniker, you couldn't have TWO Chavo Guerreros running around, so they (brilliantly!) labeled him Chavo Classic. Chavo Classic even became a bit of a cult figure on this very message board. Nothing could beat the tandem of Chavo Classic and New Chavo. Classic got in some trouble, though, when he started no-showing events (EDIT: I don't know how I forgot this, since I was actually the one that originally started that thread) and he wound up being released.
Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, Chavo Jr.'s career has been in the toilet ever since.
George Steele wandering to the ring to obliterate a turnbuckle really made my night. Nikoli singing the anthem usually gets me going, but he's lost some of the bass in his voice.
There's a way for Cole to get the point across without being annoying while not ruining the match or the moment. He missed on all levels. I get what they were trying to do, but they really blew it ... Of course if Ross is the GM that Cole has been sucking up to, well lol on him.
Originally posted by I Breastfeed John MaddenIs Rikishi really that busy that he couldn't be there?
Jericho tried to work people earlier on Monday too, saying something like "It's great to be hanging out with Hacksaw, Piper, and DiBiase again!". It was erased an hour later or so. I'm convinced that Jericho just sits on his couch drinking Grey Goose and Twittering all day and night now.
Originally posted by SLAM! Wrestling With Mae Young's win over LayCool on Raw last night, she becomes the only wrestler (male or female) to wrestle in nine consecutive decades - the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and the 2010s.
"All RAW is these days is a cheap version of Saturday Night Live, so if you wanna tune in to watch the amazing star power of Al Sharpton and Nancy O'Dell, go ahead! Who's gonna host next week, Big Bird? Wow, that's must-see TV!" - John Morrison (10/16/09 Smackdown!)
Thread ahead: Black Friday: A bunch of people released from WWE Next thread: Eddie Guerrero, five years ago Previous thread: TNA Impact 11.18.2010 - "Morgan Whooo's The Nature Boy"
In case you missed it – Shooting Star Press Presents: Money In The Bank – a Vlog special.
A new month is here on the Prime – July is in the hizzle, and Johnny B Badd is STILL the face of the show! THIS … is WCW!