WWE full on made Brie and Daniel Bryan's relationship a part of their television and also totally pulled the trigger on the Bella Twins conversion to babyfaces. This marks every Total Diva as a babyface on WWE TV.
Meanwhile, Tamina inherited Big E Langston's old job of carrying AJ out of the ring after she's been KO'd.
The RAW babyface locker room won the big victory they've been needing for weeks. (After finally acting like men, says Stephanie, which was her funniest line.) So yes yes yes, the rebellion stands tall once again, but this time in a scenario orchestrated by Triple H and Stephanie by hanging the Shield out to dry. So in a way, this week's hope spot was entirely thanks to the McMahon-Helmsley Regime giving them that very hope spot. That's best for business.
Originally posted by John OrquiolaWWE full on made Brie and Daniel Bryan's relationship a part of their television and also totally pulled the trigger on the Bella Twins conversion to babyfaces. This marks every Total Diva as a babyface on WWE TV.
And yet we had that confusing segment with Steph (arguably the biggest heel on the show) dressing down AJ, who's ostensibly a heel but everyone actually likes, and can actually get physical revenge on Steph unlike the male wrestlers. This booking makes no sense.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
The Bellas turned babyface does clean up a little bit of the angle. Really, the only stickler is the audience's overwhelming preference of AJ, the "villain" of the tale.
I am glad after a full week of building Nattie as the babyface Total Divas rep to face AJ, WWE seems to have done a 180 and decided instead to turn the Bellas so Brie can face AJ. Someone in Creative likes me. Or more likely, they all have ears, heard Nattie's commentary on RAW and Smackdown, and said, "Fuck that. Bellas gonna ball." #BRIEMODE
Nattie's complaining in her confessional about *this* on Total Divas in a few months ought to be just delightful.
That was some face pop that the Rhodes boys got! I know The Usos are starting to get hot, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Rhodes Brothers get a crack at The Shield right about now.
Although...look, there's a time for anarchy and a time for war. But Dustin...you don't HAVE to paint your face for this, do you?
"Playing guitars. It's hard to sing while playing...guitars."
Originally posted by It's FalseThat was some face pop that the Rhodes boys got! I know The Usos are starting to get hot, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Rhodes Brothers get a crack at The Shield right about now.
Although...look, there's a time for anarchy and a time for war. But Dustin...you don't HAVE to paint your face for this, do you?
Its his war paint. Thought RVD getting eliminated early was odd. The locker room gets its revenge, but something tells me Smackdown is going to be full of carnage. Every time Steph opens her mouth, its a continuity era. I feel like she is a walking New 52.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
That was the best hometown beatdown I think we've ever experienced. That ovation for Punk was amazing. Add in the 'hawks jersey, too. I want to call it pandering, but that crowd knows that he actually DOES love the Blackhawks. Add in the Gray's Sports Alamnac turning Big Guy into Biff's cousin. He even has "BIG GUY" on his trunks now. Nice!
What are the odds on Dustin/Cody/Dusty vs. The Shield on PPV? Could you imagine Rollins taking a Bionic Elbow? He'd explode!
Kudos to the camera guy zooming in on the two hotties in the background after Fandango's win.
Originally posted by lotjxThought RVD getting eliminated early was odd.
Not really. He took a Crazy Orton beatdown earlier in the night. Him being eliminated quickly was shockingly logical in terms of WWE handicap matches. The whole thing was, in fact.
This week, Big Show did not hesitate to pull the trigger on Miz. That's kinda heely of him after last week's Weeping of Mass Destruction on Dusty. Is he turning heel to balance out the Bellas?
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by John OrquiolaMaybe it's slowly dawning on Show that he has the best gig in the entire company. Punch someone, go to pay window. It's great work if you can get it.
Maybe he'll also finally realize he doesn't need to wait ten minutes into a match to throw a punch. The Big Slow, indeed.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
The only truly weird thing about the booking last night was how heavily the opening act teased one or more of the face alliance members turning (or at least walking out on) Bryan in the main event, and yet that never even came up as a simmering subplot in the match itself. Maybe they're doing an uncharacteristic slow burn, but it felt like they changed course halfway through the show or something.
Whatever the case, it's something they should pick up on, having HHH and Stephanie try to slowly goad people into not backing Bryan for selfish reasons. Specifically, they should be targeting Ziggler, though I'd have Truth or Ryder be the ones to take the bait. Corporate Truth throwing on a suit and talking about things like "synergy" is a thing I very, very, very much want to see.
But Ryder would have the most to gain from it by becoming HHH's Curtis Axel. He got detroyed last night, is going nowhere and is officially tied with Gabriel for dead last among Faces Who Actually Exist and HHH could reel him in by asking him if what the radio has been telling him all along that selling out is the way to go. Ryder dumping his gear for a suit and all that would also be a good visual
Anyway, man, that whole segment that started with Reigns tearing through three people in a row with his spear was spectacular. Reigns was in full Skip Sheffield "I CAN FIX THIS!" SummerSlam mode there, only he's had proper build-up as a guy who finishes things, and the crowd totally bought that he might just wipe out everybody until Bryan got in. The crowd reaction to Bryan vs. Reigns and then the hot tags to the Usos coming in to finally have Reigns eat a pin, while Ambrose and Rollins panic in response, was about as good as TV wrestling can get.
Has there ever been a better, more fruitful random pairing of guys than The Shield? Reigns has been given the opportunity to slowly transform himself into a potential superstar, Rollins has turned out to be a serious workhorse and shockingly great heel and Ambrose gets what he needs to establish himself while waiting for room to open at the top. And in return, they gave Bryan the platform to successfully re-train the audience to pop for wrestling and are giving the Usos and others a chance to blossom.
Originally posted by Matt TrackerThis week, Big Show did not hesitate to pull the trigger on Miz. That's kinda heely of him after last week's Weeping of Mass Destruction on Dusty. Is he turning heel to balance out the Bellas?
That's certainly a possibility, and the corporate side does need more bodies since right now The Shield is feuding with the entire roster at once. But it's equally possible that, hey, it's just The Miz. Who wouldn't punch him?
As good as the The Shield are, though, they really do need to add another body or two to that side, especially if HHH is now openly antagonizing the majority of his muscle as part of doing what's Best For Business.
I like how CM Punk has become the WWE Version of Wile E. Coyote. He's been hit with ladders, kendo sticks, thrown around by monsters and put through tables yet he still keeps coming back. No wonder the dude is so banged up all the time.
Originally posted by MillerekNow, we see that for how awesome and witty it is; but they'll probably make her delete it
Rarely does WWE force talents to delete their tweets. Twitter is the best forum to see how bright and interesting WWE people actually are in real life. AJ and Big E. Langston, separately and together when they banter, are very smart and funny. Dolph Ziggler is also funny and he knows a lot of stand up comics and does stand up himself sometimes (plus there was his well-publicized hook up with Amy Schumer.) Kaitlyn is also on in the smart and witty category; she loves The Simpsons and since she hasn't been used on RAW in weeks, she usually live tweets RAW from the back. Those are the people I like to follow because they bring the funny. Oh, and CM Punk. No one shits on stupid people on Twitter like the Best in the World.
This may SHOCK you but Nattie? Not funny or interesting or Twitter. (I don't follow her but @WWE insists on retweeting her boring ass tweets. RIP Gismo though.)
I think there was a way to do that main event and not have so many people look like such goofs. Triple H does the same faux magnanimous gesture of booking this outrageous handicap match for the faces, then most of the faces are taken out by wrestling happenstance throughout the night, Simpsons baseball players style, until the generous advantage HHH gave them has conveniently evaporated. Hunter: "Sorry Rob, docs won't clear you to go out there again. This is weird, Titus vanished just outside the Shield catacombs. Bad news, Gabriel's visa got lost in a clerical oversight. Unfortunately, we're sending Ryder home for violating the dress code." and so on until it's down to just the few guys you're going to push. Which is exactly what they started with RVD, Kofi, and the PTPs, but instead of taking them out of the match, they still sent them out there for the 11-on-3 visual and the faces going down easy in rapid succession.
Still, the only people who were really booked like complete chumps were complete chumps to begin with (Ryder, Gabriel, Truth) and complete chumps they shall forever remain. The psychological hiccup didn't seem to bother the crowd much either.
Originally posted by JimBob SkeeterWhat are the odds on Dustin/Cody/Dusty vs. The Shield on PPV?
Apparently pretty strong.
Originally posted by Dr UnlikelyWhatever the case, it's something they should pick up on, having HHH and Stephanie try to slowly goad people into not backing Bryan for selfish reasons. Specifically, they should be targeting Ziggler, though I'd have Truth or Ryder be the ones to take the bait. Corporate Truth throwing on a suit and talking about things like "synergy" is a thing I very, very, very much want to see.
The R-Truth Brand and his associate Little James would be a trip, but the guy who it would help the most would probably be Miz, whose failings as a face are kind of exaggerated I think but he'd be better off as a heel again and he'd fit that total rat sellout role. Actually, if WWE was written in a way where remembering its storylines was fun and not an obstacle (Big Show's contract), Miz and Truth should be digging up their protests from 2 years ago about the COO Triple H conspiracy with great vindication. But the closest we got was the Awesome Truth reunion handshake of twerk triumph during the Smackdown dance contest.
Has there ever been a better, more fruitful random pairing of guys than The Shield?
I swear to god those 3 must've just been sitting around in the bleachers in FCW like bored kids at a swim meet, looked around at each other, realized they each matched up to a Freebird, grabbed some vests at Wal-Mart, and punched their ticket to the main roster.
Originally posted by Matt TrackerAre we supposed to remember the locker room also turning against Triple H in 2011 with that no-confidence vote regarding workplace safety?
Only if they themselves decide to bring it up. Otherwise...