Dr. Unlikely nailed it. The true winner of the night and has been for awhile is Chris Jericho for moving on the WWE. The real loser is Metzler. I truly believe is a bought and paid for WWE employee. He purposely added fire to this show when Punk probably had no intention of ever showing up. I am sure the ass kicking he is getting online is more than justified.
Congratulations, WWE, you played the Punk card, you can't play it again. So, four more weeks of what you saw last night.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
I realized this morning I missed the latest Christan/Sheamus match in the recap. Sorry! (They'll have some more.)
Originally posted by CaptaincubaI'll never understand why a good and over stable always has to break up.
I know! The Real Americans are a solid tag team who probably should stick together a little longer - Usos vs Cesaro/Swagger would be good matches and they're so weirdly popular they could probably could turn face. It sort of disturbs me to see this generally white audience get behind this gimmick, but patriotism always sells and it's easy to chant catchphrase.
Oh, wait...
(It is bizarre they're doing the same bit at the same time. Lawler even referenced Dean Ambrose "pulling a Swagger" before going silent as if he was receiving a loud message in his earpiece.)
There has to be an NXT guy that they could slot into the group.
There's been talk of this possibility - someone taking Reigns spot - though I don't think any specific name has ever been mentioned. I think this outcome is more possible after last night.
The real loser is Metzler. I truly believe is a bought and paid for WWE employee.
Probably should be a fired one for leaking the exact WrestleMania card months before it was announced.
If they were only going to replace one member of the Shield, the most likely NXT guy would be Corey Graves, I think.
I'd rather see both Rollins and Reigns go face, with Ambrose bringing in The Ascension as his new muscle. (Though, that dynamic might be too close to the Wyatts.)
Mason Ryan was the guy being floated as the Reigns replacement a couple of months back. That would've gone over like a fart in church.
They're not pacing these break-ups well at all. The Shield one, okay, I get it - those guys are going to be super-valuable over the next year as singles players whilst they push on into a new era of main eventers. But the Real Americans could easily stay tagging until May or June.
The first hour of this show was truly amazing. I contest that there is no man on the WWE roster today that could do the same masterful job Paul Heyman did with that crowd in his opening.
Also amazing were Cesaro and Swagger's facial expressions while they were snipping at each other. That was the most passive-aggressive "We The People" ever.
Emma is a pretty great wrestler, but there's no one on the main roster outside of AJ and perhaps Natalya that can even go 10 minutes in the ring without embarrassing themselves. So be prepared for a lot more #EmmaTaining (w/Santino). Urgh.
I have no expectation that this company is willing or competent enough to actually have a satisfying payoff to the DB storyline, and that pessimism makes the shows much easier to watch because when they do something good, I have a genuine markout moment. I have realized that I can't stay away from wrestling, and there's just too much talent on hand now that it's difficult for them to have a technically deficient show. I mean, the worst worker in the midcard right now is probably Rowan. And he's not even that bad! Compare than to say 1996, or even 2002. (I've been binge-watching Survivor Series on the network).
And yes, I paid for the network. I feel the WWE and I are even because I didn't pay for their PPVs for years. Now I'm paying for them, so I have the right to bitch, correct?
Originally posted by used2bcoolHow is there absolutely no love for AIR HARPER?!
Harper doesn't get enough love for what he does. His Big Boot to Ambrose before he took flight was nasty. I've never seen his singles work, but he makes a great tag wrestler.
For all the grief I give this company about recycling the McMahon-Helmsley Regime angles, the Orton/Cena junk, and the Evolution Explodes AGAIN crap, I don't think I've complained enough about going back to the well and almost literally copying and pasting the Sheamus/Christian feud from TWO YEARS AGO right down to Christian never actually winning or looking like a threat at any point. Bravo, guys!
Also, given how everything went down, this show was BEGGING for Bad News Barrett and he never came! This crowd was served up to him on a silver platter and the only ones that couldn't see it were "Creative," because of course.
Originally posted by used2bcoolEmma is a pretty great wrestler, but there's no one on the main roster outside of AJ and perhaps Natalya that can even go 10 minutes in the ring without embarrassing themselves. So be prepared for a lot more #EmmaTaining (w/Santino). Urgh.
As eye-rolling as that sounds, given who her character has been in NXT (the awkward "Phoebe from Friends" weirdo type of girl), it makes complete 100% sense that she'd immediately get paired up with the equally goober-ish Santino. They're making a wise move in feuding her with Summer Rae off the bat, because she would downright embarrass the Aksanas and Alicia Foxes of the world with how well she can go.
(edited by It's False on 4.3.14 1122)
"Playing guitars. It's hard to sing while playing...guitars."
I've watched some NXT and I still hate Emma's gimmick. I know she can go in the ring - her matches with Paige are tremendous - but her gimmick is still carnie indie shit and the music... ugh... it's the most cringeworthy tune I've ever heard a WWE wrestler enter to.
(And yes, I remember both the Blue Meanie's WWE theme and the Orient Express music. Emma's is still worse.)
I know I shouldn't complain too much because at least her character is something different from the usual stuck-up, airheaded bimbo diva that's shoved down our throats... but no. Brodus and Tensai, Xavier Woods and R-Truth, Santino and Khali, and of course Fandangoooo and Summer... Way too many dancin' fool characters on the show in too short a space of time for my taste.
I really don't see where all the Emma hate is coming from. The girl is adorable, she can actually wrestle (way better than any of those no-talent Total Diva sluts) and I actually kinda like her techno-poppy entrance. Plus her dance is easy enough that even I can do it
I'm at a point in this cosmic tug of war where I'll accept basically anything in exchange for the payoff to the Daniel Bryan saga. Punk gone, Ziggler buried, no Cena/Undertaker, Batista phase one, I'm still not sure I ever truly came to grips with Christian's two-day title reign ... ok cool. Just pay off the Daniel Bryan deal. That's the one dropped storyline -- man is screwed out of fairy tale ending, man is told he is not good enough, man proves he is good enough but is still denied based on technicalities, man ... transitions into feud with a cult -- that can't drop. And it would have. But the fans picked it back up.
I'm pretty confident the payoff is coming. I'll go down with the ship on this one. Dreams come true at Wrestlemania. From there we can move on to whether or not he gets a fair shot as champion.
It's incredible how fall Dolph Ziggler has fallen. Two years ago he was Zack Ryder's measuring stick. Now he is Zack Ryder, and Aaron Paul is his Hugh Jackman.
Oh no, Seth. Not you. Children of divorce. A good man driven bad by too much discord. Well, good by the standards of mercenaries who gang assault wrestlers.
Originally posted by Blind_Guardianway better than any of those no-talent Total Diva sluts
The real loser is Metzler. I truly believe is a bought and paid for WWE employee.
Probably should be a fired one for leaking the exact WrestleMania card months before it was announced.
Why should he be fired for the annual future projections report handed delivered by the CEO? I think Metzler's Big Star is a bit of a lie. Bryan getting the title at Extreme Rules in NJ is probably the most bush league thing since well....having your internet mouth piece shout to the heavens CM Punk is coming back to his hometown during Raw. So, its certainly in the realm of possibility this year.
(edited by lotjx on 4.3.14 1936)
(edited by lotjx on 4.3.14 1936) The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
Originally posted by CruelAngel777Some of you guys are turning into emotional little girls about how this company treats your favorite wrestlers. Bryan is not being buried nor is he being erased from TV like Zack Ryder, Punk wanted to get away from wrestling as you can't do this business forever, Ziggler still has a job as does Cesaro, all three members of The Shield, etc. You can't spite the entire product (with some outstanding talent) based on the onscreen treatment of one guy's character. It's gonna be fine, breathe.
My disgust with this company isn't just because of the way they treat my favorite wrestlers. It's because of how they are treating ALL of the wrestlers, with a handful of exceptions. I've been saying for years on here that I don't like Daniel Bryan OR CM Punk. I'm rather sure I've also said how I actually LIKE Randy Orton. Fuck, I was even liking Helmsley before this all started going to shit.
I'm ecstatic that Punk didn't show up. I was laughing my ass off for a good minute or two, then it crashed as I realized that the WWE spent a whole week hyping a fucking guy who isn't fucking working for them. That's fucking bullshit. Instead of having the people you have working for you week in and week out being the center of attention at what is, historically and consistently, one of your best venues to hold a live televised event seen by millions... you go out of your way to lift CM Punk on a pedestal as your shining white knight fucking savior. And they knew fucking well he wasn't gonna be there. They could have put out press releases saying he wouldn't be there. Put a fucking splash page on the website saying he's gone and not coming back. ANYTHING! But fuck that, let's make it look like he'll be there. Have employees talk about him being there. Create viral marketing (hijackRAW) and let the consumers think it'll happen. Let them spend money expecting him to be there. Take every fucking dime they'll spend on false pretenses. It's fucking disgusting.
I fault the entire product, not just because they treat one guy like shit, but because they treat them all like shit. Look at the Undertaker. In past years, he's been given a few months to build up a program for Wrestlemania. Now, they start four fucking weeks before the show. Four weeks to build up what is usually the best match on the show? There isn't really even a real reason for him to face Lesnar except Lesnar had a open contract. That's stupid. There's no emotion to that. Why should I get invested in something that they obviously aren't invested in.
Randy Orton, I think, is a solid performer who deserves to be in the main event of any card they can put together. Ordinarily, I'd be happy as fuck to see him headline Wrestlemania, but not this year. The WWE has set him up to be hated by the majority of it's viewers and customers. Not heel heat, but outright hatred. It's worse than X-Pac heat and Goldberg vs. Lesnar heat combined because no one wants to see him or Batista, in the main event of Wrestlemania.
Then you have them completely killing anything that the people DO want to see, like the shit with Bryan for the past year. It feels that as soon as anyone not named John Cena starts getting decent, positive reaction from the audience, they fucking put a stop to that shit. Look at The Shield; Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns are the best group to come along in years. Well fuck that, we gotta break them up where they'll all stay solid midcard, enhancement talent. You know that's what's gonna happen, don't pretend there's a plan for them all.
I mean, it just seem like they're doing so much shit that is against what the people want to see. If this were any other business, People would be getting fired. Unfortunately, this is the WWE, and Vince has all our money fucking flying out of his ass, so he doesn't give a shit.
Originally posted by CerebusLook at the Undertaker. In past years, he's been given a few months to build up a program for Wrestlemania. Now, they start four fucking weeks before the show. Four weeks to build up what is usually the best match on the show? There isn't really even a real reason for him to face Lesnar except Lesnar had a open contract. That's stupid. There's no emotion to that. Why should I get invested in something that they obviously aren't invested in.
I don't totally disagree with your larger point, but I'd say at this point the Streak is basically a title match, and it has it's own inherent value. I don't need Taker's opponent to have any greater reason for fighting him beyond wanting to be the guy that breaks the streak. The fact that they were able to tie this into last year's match with Punk (albeit retroactively) is just gravy.