I was talking to a friend of mine about the Cena/Punk situation. The analogy I made is WWE's the surely regular customer at a 5 star restaurant. You can talk all day long about your specials of the day, but at the end of the day they are going to pick the steak which they have picked almost every day they have been in. When they do order something other than steak they will return it to the chef, because the fork is on the wrong side of the platter or the napkin is not folded correctly. Then they will go back and order the steak again after someone slaved over the entire process only to be fired after the night is over.
They have a lot of great options at this year's Summerfeast and I have no doubt they will go with Cena winning then ADR cashing it. I am sure they will add some HHH screwjob to Punk for some flavor, but at the end of the day they are choosing some form of Cena chasing the title or outright holding the title. They could turn Cena. Hell the fans even in Boston have booed him. They could make Punk, the next Austin by being the one who overcomes the odds not Cena. They could do a Rock run in to set-up something with HHH to bide his time til Survivor Series or further the Cena feud. They could do a lot of things, but they won't.
Also, four matches for the second biggest PPV of the year. One of them is Kelly Kelly match? I could see Daniel vs. Wade being added, but they really wasted last night on building more than a one match card. Very weak.
(edited by lotjx on 9.8.11 0720) The Wee Baby Sheamus.
Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
John Morrison. I've got nothing new to say as I've been saying it all along for months. Oh, but I'm thinking it.
Originally posted by Hogan's My DadAlso: are the tag-Champs SD exclusive? Can't remember the last time I saw them on RAW.
You can't remember one week ago (8/1/11) when they faced Santino and Zack Ryder on RAW?
Originally posted by Tyler Durden As far as Punk outshining Cena in every way is concerned, I have to disagree. Cena did a good job here and he almost always does in situations like these. Only thing I would criticize, like most of you, is the smiling thing.
The smiling thing drove me up a wall. You cannot offend John Cena! You have Punk on one side opening up the segment with a little comedy and then switching to intensity and on the other side you have a guy smiling and chuckling through the whole thing, nodding and agreeing with every insult, while another guy in a suit is standing over them with a perpetual smirk.
On the other hand, everything Cena said and did re-enforced how unlikeable he is to anyone over 12 who also isn't a woman who finds a jacked up Matt Damon dressed like a grade schooler attractive. That was probably the most irritating John Cena has been distilled into a 10 minute segment.
Greatest contract signing ever? Nah. I'd say the greatest ever was Vince McMahon busting Hulk Hogan open and signing the WrestleMania contract in Hogan's own blood.
"Do I want my face on an ice cream bar? You're DAMN RIGHT I do!" - CM Punk
(edited by John Orquiola on 9.8.11 0545) @BackoftheHead
Originally posted by Matt Tracker (The W)How many will Punk advocate on RAW?
Just the guys.
They did a fine job delineating motives for the main event, and Cena added a nice touch of dick-heel attitude by talking down to Punk about his needing the win more. It was a messa talking, but it was good talking.
I wonder if we'll see Morrison move to SmackDown to replace Riley, who spent about three minutes there after the draft. I'm surprised none of the three announcers noticed Morrison clipping the ringpost with his shoulder and use that to suggest he was weakened before the railing spot. How often have we heard about the big-risk offense, and here's a fine example of the risk/reward ratio. This is what they -- and the audience -- miss by their bickering.
I also agree about Riley: There's not much there. And hokey smoke, am I dead tired of Dolph/Vickie's constant relationship flux. She was in pure default Vickie mode last night with mindless manager action and screaming. Add her to Del Rio's stable and cement his top-heel status. Otherwise, it's Truth (and give him some music again).
The Lovely Mrs. Tracker liked Kofi's springboard crossbody, and I appreciated his Sinestro outfit.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by lotjx They have a lot of great options at this year's Summerfeast and I have no doubt they will go with Cena winning then ADR cashing it. I am sure they will add some HHH screwjob to Punk for some flavor, but at the end of the day they are choosing some form of Cena chasing the title or outright holding the title. They could turn Cena. Hell the fans even in Boston have booed him. They could make Punk, the next Austin by being the one who overcomes the odds not Cena. They could do a Rock run in to set-up something with HHH to bide his time til Survivor Series or further the Cena feud. They could do a lot of things, but they won't.
(edited by lotjx on 9.8.11 0720)
So... They are no doubt having Cena chase or retain the title unless he gets a place holder feuds until WM?
People are talking a lot about Morrison, but honestly, other than Rey, Cena, and Punk, who's higher on the face side of the roster than he is? I don't think they're going to let their number 4 face go, although I do think even with his injury they're making sure he knows he's still in the doghouse. Not a lot of other stuff to comment on last night. Riley's not bringing much at all to the table, although I'll admit that was a stiff right hand at the end of his segment. I thought Cena actually dropped a good, effective promo last night. He's definitely playing the heel in this feud, but in a way that makes sense with his character and in a way that does feel a bit more genuine than a lot of his stuff usually does. The notion of CM Punk, best wrestler in the world, vs. John Cena, consummate sports entertainer, feels like something that could have legs for a long, long time.
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoWhy is everyone running around saying the sky is falling for Morrison? His skill set is too valuable to release and there shouldn't be any shame in losing to Truth. Not everyone can be on the upswing at once and sometimes you have to take your lumps for being a dick. His stock will rise again
I think there is a difference between Morrison's situation and another random wrestler.
Morrison came back about two months early because they pressured him to. That would suggest that they had something urgent that they really really needed him to come back soon to do. Turns out, that was to job him for a month straight and cause his stock drop fast. No great "OMG IT'S JOHN MORRISON AND HE WANTS REVENGE!!" moment for him. No sign of a push coming off an injury return that most midcard-upper level guys get when they come back. They insisted on him coming back early and risking long term injury so that they could make him look worse than they did with him before.
This is also a company that seems to have OCD with regards to keeping everyone's win-loss record even (except for Cena and Orton). Were it anyone but Morrison, it's not a stretch to assume that he would have won a match or two to keep pace with R-Truth.
Thing is, Morrison DID get the big return when HHH re-signed him and he came out and beat up Truth. He even got the video package hyping his return the previous week. So it seems like they did have something in mind, like a match at SSlam, and something changed over the last few weeks, probably the Melina situation.
It’s a shame really. Not that I am a big fan of Morrison, they have rarely given me a reason to since he split with Miz. WWE is repeatedly dropping the ball and not pulling the trigger with guys like Swagger, Kofi, ADR, Dolph, and even Miz lately. Is this truly the best WWE can do with a guy who looks like Morrison, and who is that athletic? It’s a perfect example of the biggest problem I have with WWE: they are scared to death to strap a rocket on someone new. I love Punk, and he is the only reason I watch Raw for the most part. But if they screw up the main event at SSlam, and Punk’s push gets cooled, what else do they have?
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
I absolutely LOVED hearing John Cena utter the phrases "workrate" and "five moves of doom". We spend so much time commenting on the wrestlers and now they're commenting on us. It's a truly interactive thing that you just don't get from sitcoms taped months ago.
Punk was brilliant with his "these contract signings always end with the table flipped over so let's just do it now and get it over with". And of course the table gets flipped later on. I love how he points out things like that. He is such a breath of fresh air because you really don't know what he is going to say next.
Laurentis is way too visible now to not have some bigger role coming up. Maybe he will admit to being the anonymous GM.
I'm glad Lawler and Ross finally realized that there's two of them and one of Cole.
Originally posted by dwatersPunk was brilliant with his "these contract signings always end with the table flipped over so let's just do it now and get it over with". And of course the table gets flipped later on. I love how he points out things like that. He is such a breath of fresh air because you really don't know what he is going to say next.
What sealed it was that "phony" Cena was the one who did it, following the template he's inherited as the new Hogan and proving Punk's point.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
I read the smirk as "dude, we're two sides of the same coin", because Cena actually believes that Punk is being a hypocrite. The smirk essentially at that point becomes "can you believe this guy?"
Punk's reasoning behind his holding the company hostage was solid, and was needed as a counter point. I still think Punk comes out of Summerslam as a face, and this promo did some good towards settling that.
After a (very) long hiatus, I have begun to write again. And this time, I'm not alone!
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Originally posted by dwatersI absolutely LOVED hearing John Cena utter the phrases "workrate" and "five moves of doom". We spend so much time commenting on the wrestlers and now they're commenting on us. It's a truly interactive thing that you just don't get from sitcoms taped months ago.
Had to be a surreal experience for Scott Keith (though I don't think he watches anymore).
Does prove that these guys give more value to the IWC than they put on though. If freakin' CENA is making inside comments, then you know the rest are at least skimming the internets.
Yeah, it's strange to think that Cena, Punk, Jericho, whoever has likely read my comments somewhere at some point. Maybe even.....right now! (cue dramatic music).
Originally posted by Matt Tracker (The W)How many will Punk advocate on RAW?
Just the guys.
Well, if the dirt sheets are to be believed, Gail Kim's still technically under contract and being held hostage over the stunt she pulled last week, where she just eliminated herself from the battle royale. And as for Melina...well, if her reputation is to be believed, I'm sure Punk wasn't sorry to see her go.
Originally posted by It's FalseAnd as for Melina...well, if her reputation is to be believed, I'm sure Punk wasn't sorry to see her go.
I'm impressed Punk continued to cite the fired midcarders to further his argument of talent suppression.
I'm doubly impressed he used this to insult Johnny Ace for being a coward and Triple H for making Ace do the dirty work.
Lastly, it gives the audience an opportunity to cheer a goodbye for the fired, AND it lets Punk expand his advocacy beyond his buddies Cabana and Gallows, giving him a broader stance as the voice for the voiceless.
This worked in lotsa ways.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoWhy is everyone running around saying the sky is falling for Morrison? His skill set is too valuable to release and there shouldn't be any shame in losing to Truth. Not everyone can be on the upswing at once and sometimes you have to take your lumps for being a dick. His stock will rise again
I think there is a difference between Morrison's situation and another random wrestler.
Morrison came back about two months early because they pressured him to.
The impression the Meltzer's have given is that it was Morrison pushing to come back early, because he wanted to be on SummerSlam. That's the more curious thing here - not that Morrison lost, but that they did this six days early when they still need 3-4 matches for a PPV anyway. WWE doesn't always operate on reason, so it may just be random, but the only reason to do this on Monday is if Morrison isn't going to be around by Sunday.
Cool Hand Luke's mom dies, he gets a night in the box. John Morrison's mouthy trouble making girlfriend gets the boot, he gets depushed and spends a night in the box.
The Christian thing intrigued me. They could really launch him and the World Title with the right angle. Maybe almost to the degree of Punk. Christian has a HUGE kayfabe beef in the company putting all the attention on TWO WWE champs and ignoring him.
Point out that Punk took his ball and went home and Cena won a bogus tourney and HE is the only legit champ.
This is the sorta thing they should have done instead of bringing Punk back so soon...use the chaos to try and get other guys over.
Originally posted by ScottyflamingoThe Christian thing intrigued me. They could really launch him and the World Title with the right angle. Maybe almost to the degree of Punk. Christian has a HUGE kayfabe beef in the company putting all the attention on TWO WWE champs and ignoring him.
Point out that Punk took his ball and went home and Cena won a bogus tourney and HE is the only legit champ.
This is the sorta thing they should have done instead of bringing Punk back so soon...use the chaos to try and get other guys over.
What "Christian thing"? Just that he has an announcement? Or are there rumors about what that announcement is?
Weaving The Rock's great Facebook "via satellite" promo on Cena into the Summerslam angle should also be reflected in the movies. The best possible ending to GI Joe 2 would be for The Rock to unmask Cobra Commander to reveal... CM Punk!
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