The two biggest take-aways from tonight's show is that Lesnar is going to be in his first Royal Rumble match in a decade or so, and we have a new United States Champion, and no, his name is NOT John Cena. Callisto got smacked around for most of the match, then won with the most deadly finisher in WWE currently, the Surprise Rollup. May not last long, but grats to Callisto for winning his first singles belt on the main roster.
The main event was advertised as Roman Reigns vs THE ENTIRE ROSTER. Instead we got a decent enough Owens/Reigns match with all the heels at ringside, and then a post-match beat down. It was implied to be a 10-man gauntlet match, but that never materialized. Followed by Lesnar showing up and murdering everyone, heels and champion.
Honestly, at this point I'm only half paying attention to the HHH & Steph Bury Everyone show (guest-starring Vince). Lucha Underground returns soon, and THAT I'm excited for. It's cool that they bothered to actually get Reigns over this time before handing him the belt, but I'm thoroughly sick of McMahon antics.
Also, I only caught the last half of the show. But nobody else was starting a thread, so here ya go.
Originally posted by Blind_Guardian Honestly, at this point I'm only half paying attention to the HHH & Steph Bury Everyone show (guest-starring Vince). Lucha Underground returns soon, and THAT I'm excited for. It's cool that they bothered to actually get Reigns over this time before handing him the belt, but I'm thoroughly sick of McMahon antics.
To be fair, there is a storyline in LU that revolves around the owner and his family, too, but it eats as much screen time as any other story being told on the show in LU, juxtapose to 4 or five segments. 1 hr of taped booking vs. 3 hrs of live booking, apples to oranges.
Speaking of 3 live hours of TV, it was a solid 3 hours. New Day/Usos/Jericho was great, with all six having fun with the crowd. Owens/Reigns was a good match, was intrigued to see Sheamus be the guy to actually get some shots in on Brock before going to downtown Suplex City along with all the rest of the heel locker room. The Divas nonmatch was straight out of the pages of the Flair history book. Kalisto is the breakout guy of 2016, watch.
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Frown and the world laughs at you." -Me.
I strongly disagree about Jericho-New Day I thought the segment was shit and Jericho has pretty much become everything he accused the old timers of being back when he was an awesome heel. For a guy that reinvented himself a few times its kind of sad to see Jericho be this old out of touch old guy trying to play the 1999 version of himself and fail to be entertaining or funny. Leave the memories alone Chris and go away already.
The crowd was totally dead most of the show and seemed to be waiting for Brock to come out and popped huge when he came out and destroyed everyone. What the fuck was up with Roman smiling after Brock took him out like he was smiling last year when Brock took him to suplex city. That shit was annoying.
Kalisto winning the US title and Brock killing people were the highlights Dean vs Sheamus was good too and thankfully Roman didn't run roughshod over the entire roster like I expected him to when the main event was announced.
Originally posted by Lexus1 hr of taped booking vs. 3 hrs of live booking, apples to oranges.
Not at all. I'm comparing three rotten, shriveled, worm-riddled apples to a single crisp, delicious one. The fact that there are three terrible ones to every good one is irrelevant, especially when the lousy ones all come from the same orchard. Now if I were comparing RAW to a non-wrestling show, you might have a point.
Originally posted by LexusKalisto is the breakout guy of 2016, watch.
HAHAHAHA... oh, wait, you're serious. You actually think they're going to handle Kalisto any better than they did Rey Mysterio? This is the WWE, guys in masks are just a sideshow unless they're 7 feet tall or 300 lbs. And with Vince still clearly rewriting scripts on the fly, I don't see that bias going away anytime soon.
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoWhy is the Rumble scheduled for the NFL's Championship weekend and not Pro Bowl weekend?
The Magic have a home game on Sunday the 31st. Now, why WWE picked Orlando to host the Rumble PPV when they didn't have the 31st free is anyone's guess.
George Michael weighed his options. Maeby had chastised him for not taking risks, and what would be a bigger risk than perpetuating a lie about software just to ignite the passions of a woman? Of course it would be a lie, and since Maeby wouldn't know it was a lie, he wouldn't appear to be taking a risk. Perhaps the bigger risk was to tell his father he was lying, that he came up with it because he wanted his father to leave so he could enjoy what remained of his senior year. After all, he wondered, wouldn't that be the course of action taken by an overtly sexual man, a man who owns a pair of matador pants? He had not responded now for 41 seconds according to his unfailing internal clock, and it was time to come clean.
"OK, we'll have everyone out there on the heels side, then when the beatdown comes, The Wyatts will just stand outside and watch. Then when Brock comes out, they will just disappear without an explanation and we will never reference it."
Kevin Kelly: "Mr. Austin, would you like to comment on Wade Keller's Take that endorsing the XFL hurts your anti-authority character?"
Steve Austin: "Oh shit, he actually said that? I thought the boys in the back were ribbing me!"
Kelly: "No, he really said that. Did they tell you the part about you sitting in the stands, looking all skeptical?"
Austin: "AHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah... oh man that was too much."
I am so tired of the McMahons manhandling the entire roster. Especially Steph. If she is not going to take a bump get her the hell out of there. Brock wrecking everyone is cool. His participation in the Rumble opens the door to someone other than HHH winning this thing. It can also lead to someone eliminating or being eliminated by Brock having a match with him. Who is Kalisto?
Re: Kalisto, I have to admit that my first thought after that match was to check the rumor boards to see if ADR is leaving WWE already for some unknown reason. Though to be fair, part of that reaction was in response to the absolutely ZERO crowd noise during his entrance. Either they didn't mic the crowd well, or he (and his bad new haircut) aren't over.
They slightly botched the timing of the Lesnar run-in, too. The crowd was hot and chanting for him ... then it died down ... then he came in. Would have been an even bigger explosion if he'd come down in immediate response to the chant. Or if Dean Ambrose had been dragging him out by the hand and then pointed to the ring. ;-)
I read yesterday in an interview that Ryback was impressed with the Social Outcasts and thought they could make an impact. I wonder if that was a plant to foreshadow his involvement -- maybe leadership? -- of the group.
That said, the show kept me entertained when I flipped back and forth between Raw and the football game. Worst thing was Charlotte's acting, but she's still new. And I'm curious if they'll actually use Mick Foley's idea to pair him with Becky.
Originally posted by LexusTo be fair, there is a storyline in LU that revolves around the owner and his family, too, but it eats as much screen time as any other story being told on the show in LU, juxtapose to 4 or five segments. 1 hr of taped booking vs. 3 hrs of live booking, apples to oranges.
There's also the matter of the owner in Lucha Underground being an actual actor, not someone who can neither act nor write scripting his own part.
But I wouldn't say it's apples to oranges. They're both wrestling shows. The difference is that one is a warm apple pie and the other is a worm-ridden pile of rotten apples that a dog stops by to piss on once a week.
Originally posted by graves9For a guy that reinvented himself a few times its kind of sad to see Jericho be this old out of touch old guy trying to play the 1999 version of himself and fail to be entertaining or funny.
As annoying as I find Jericho ever since he went over Neville back on The Beast in the East, I have just enough faith in him to suspect that he's actually playing a guy playing an out of touch old guy trying to play the 1999 version of himself. While I have no faith in the WWE knowing where they're going with anything, I do trust Jericho to do so.
Originally posted by HokienauticThey slightly botched the timing of the Lesnar run-in, too. The crowd was hot and chanting for him ... then it died down ... then he came in. Would have been an even bigger explosion if he'd come down in immediate response to the chant. Or if Dean Ambrose had been dragging him out by the hand and then pointed to the ring. ;-)
Speaking of timing, Lesnar waits way too long in trying to build suspense regarding his allegiances. It goes back to his big return in facing and F5ing Cena. He stands there too long. Did it last night with Reigns too. Heyman just can't fixthat bad habit.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by HokienauticThey slightly botched the timing of the Lesnar run-in, too. The crowd was hot and chanting for him ... then it died down ... then he came in. Would have been an even bigger explosion if he'd come down in immediate response to the chant. Or if Dean Ambrose had been dragging him out by the hand and then pointed to the ring. ;-)
Speaking of timing, Lesnar waits way too long in trying to build suspense regarding his allegiances. It goes back to his big return in facing and F5ing Cena. He stands there too long. Did it last night with Reigns too. Heyman just can't fixthat bad habit.
Twice, actually -- once before he attacked New Day (who were bad enough at telegraphing the move with their over-excited eagerness at welcoming him) and once as he stood over Reigns.
Personally I think it would have been more interesting for him to NOT attack Reigns too, but that's just me. I was half wondering if they were going to go in the direction of "I want to win the title on the big stage, not in some McMahon-led revenge -- so I'm gonna make sure you (Reigns) make it through the Rumble as champ. And then I'm gonna take the belt at WM."
Originally posted by InVerseAs annoying as I find Jericho ever since he went over Neville back on The Beast in the East, I have just enough faith in him to suspect that he's actually playing a guy playing an out of touch old guy trying to play the 1999 version of himself. While I have no faith in the WWE knowing where they're going with anything, I do trust Jericho to do so.
I trust Jericho, too. It's the audience I don't trust. If the plan is anything like your idea, it requires the audience to recognize that Jericho is out of touch, and not to chant along with rooty tooty booty.
Originally posted by InVerseAs annoying as I find Jericho ever since he went over Neville back on The Beast in the East, I have just enough faith in him to suspect that he's actually playing a guy playing an out of touch old guy trying to play the 1999 version of himself. While I have no faith in the WWE knowing where they're going with anything, I do trust Jericho to do so.
I trust Jericho, too. It's the audience I don't trust. If the plan is anything like your idea, it requires the audience to recognize that Jericho is out of touch, and not to chant along with rooty tooty booty.
Perhaps he and The Rock have a hidden game of seeing who can get the oddest phrases chanted and/or trending. Jericho has started with Rooty Tooty Booty; The Rock will have to top that upon his return with a phrase of Jericho's choosing. If he got Froot Loops going, I have faith in him.
Didn't Dean Ambrose promise to hunt down KO after the beating in the opening match? It's not like Owens was hiding. He was RIGHT THERE for a good 25 minutes there in the final segment! Did Deano get lost in the arena somewhere?
In a coat of gold or a coat of red, a lion still has claws
And mine are long and sharp, my lord, as long and sharp as yours!
Originally posted by Lexus1 hr of taped booking vs. 3 hrs of live booking, apples to oranges.
Not at all. I'm comparing three rotten, shriveled, worm-riddled apples to a single crisp, delicious one. The fact that there are three terrible ones to every good one is irrelevant, especially when the lousy ones all come from the same orchard. Now if I were comparing RAW to a non-wrestling show, you might have a point.
Originally posted by LexusKalisto is the breakout guy of 2016, watch.
HAHAHAHA... oh, wait, you're serious. You actually think they're going to handle Kalisto any better than they did Rey Mysterio? This is the WWE, guys in masks are just a sideshow unless they're 7 feet tall or 300 lbs. And with Vince still clearly rewriting scripts on the fly, I don't see that bias going away anytime soon.
Totally different Orchard. I'm from the side of the fence that thinks "When is Lucha Underground going to tour and do PPV" not "When is WWE going to do what they're doing". It's a totally different animal at this point. They have seasons, are pre-taped, don't have a travel schedule, and thus don't have live audiences in Philly to contend with, nor live audiences in Omaha they need to bring back to life every 5 minutes. LU is far more polished, true. LU is more polished because it spends it's time on polish, not travel, merchandise, etc. Apples and oranges, mate. Both are wrestling shows, just like apples and oranges are fruit for sale at a grocery store. That's about the end of it.
I honestly see Kalisto getting the push that Neville was supposed to get if it weren't for the Salida Del Sol spot at TLC and the curse of the Sin Cara mask, which even those with doctorates in Barcelona are changing the meaning of in Spanish so it doesn't mean "without a face" but "without a body".
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Frown and the world laughs at you." -Me.
There's also the matter of the owner in Lucha Underground being an actual actor, not someone who can neither act nor write scripting his own part.
But I wouldn't say it's apples to oranges. They're both wrestling shows. The difference is that one is a warm apple pie and the other is a worm-ridden pile of rotten apples that a dog stops by to piss on once a week.
Very well said. Daario and Vince ARE two different categories, unlike their respective companies. Especially since Daario is actually entertaining.
Lexus, dude, you're outvoted. You can claim they're different fruits all you want, but you're the only one who is gulping down those rotten "oranges" and wanting more. Just drop the analogy, we know you're a WWE cheerleader who never admits Vince could do anything wrong.
This is probably going to be my last RAW for quite awhile, there's wrestling on TV every night from Monday through Thursday, and at this point even TNA is putting on a better show. If there's anything worth watching, I can catch it on YouTube.
Does anybody know (or care) if the Coach is the same guy who was "Johnny O" on Home Team Sports in Maryland a few years back? They look the same to me, and sound a lot alike.