-Kane came out and demolished Daniel Bryan, delivering three Tombstone piledrivers on the floor, the steel stairs and the announce table.
-Evolution came out (with HHH sounding like he was deep-throating a wire brush) and messed with the Shield, who were going to come kick their asses for them until Evo summoned heel reinforcements.
-More advancements in the Intercontinental tourney in two pretty awesome matches, with Barrett having some Bad News for Shaemus and Cesaro getting counted out after interference by Swagger and Zeb.
-I was kinda surprised to see Cesaro lose, even through a screwjob ending, but I guess they want to maintain his strong push while setting up Cesar vs Swagger at ER.
-Paige actually got to wrestle for awhile, and demonstrated some pretty nice skills. Pity the crowd was pretty dead up until that ridiculous scorpion crosslock. That seems to be an all but unbreakable submission; once it's locked in, either the victim is going to have to tap or the one pulling the move off will eventually have to drop them from the strain. She might have trouble locking it in against Tamina, but that's what the Paige Turner is for.
-Cena got put in a 3-on-1 match against the Wyatts, who had a promo pointing out that the Universe is turning on Cena while the Wyatts become more and more popular. Apparently he was right, since people on the App were able to vote for how many of the Wyatts Cena would face, and the Internet being what it is, he got all 3 with a middle finger to go with it. Cena was actually pretty over with the crowd tonight (must have been a lot of kids in attendance), but it availed him nothing against the entirety of the Wyatt Family. Extended beatdown followed by some really creepy caressing of Cena's face on Wyatt's lap, while he leads the crowd in three stanzas of "Whole World in His Hands."
Not a great show, but not a terrible one either, and some good wrestling.
EDIT: On a random note, do you think they stage the WWE 'polls' or do they have 3 separate outlines, one for each outcome? Like do they get the cage ready if there's a cage match on the poll, even if it doesn't get voted for?
Originally posted by StaggerLeeWhy did they cut to a commercial right in the middle of the Paul Heyman promo? Why did he pick up right where he left off?
They want you to install the WWE APP! And he's just that good.
Killer opening segment and in retrospect, I probably should have watched the Grizz/Thunder game after Bryan was carted out. (By the way, can we now call her Brie Bryan Bella? because that sounds a lot like B. Brian Blair. She's about as good an actor as B. Brian Blair)
Originally posted by StaggerLeeWhy did they cut to a commercial right in the middle of the Paul Heyman promo? Why did he pick up right where he left off?
They want you to install the WWE APP! And he's just that good.
Killer opening segment and in retrospect, I probably should have watched the Grizz/Thunder game after Bryan was carted out. (By the way, can we now call her Brie Bryan Bella? because that sounds a lot like B. Brian Blair. She's about as good an actor as B. Brian Blair)
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoThe Rhodes Brothers break up is happening. Way to strike while the iron is cold.
Maybe, now the iron will become hot again?
The point is that Goldust realllllly wanted to have his big Wrestlemania match against his brother, but got nothing. After all he has done since re-debuting and kicking all sorts of ass, I'm a little bummed for him. Now, the blow-off match is going to be at a blow-off "special event". (Formerly known as ppv)
Was that Ryback I heard not completely sucking on commentary?
Is it just me or since the WWE Network was launched and all the old tapes made available a lot of the current Superstars are making more references to Legends and old promotions?
Originally posted by StaggerLeeWhy did they cut to a commercial right in the middle of the Paul Heyman promo? Why did he pick up right where he left off?
They want you to install the WWE APP! And he's just that good.
I had the app running in Second Screen at that point and... nothing. It switched to video mode and nothing ever came up.
Originally posted by CRZKiller opening segment and in retrospect, I probably should have watched the Grizz/Thunder game after Bryan was carted out. (By the way, can we now call her Brie Bryan Bella? because that sounds a lot like B. Brian Blair. She's about as good an actor as B. Brian Blair)
Poor Daniel Bryan ... coming off of probably the 2 best weeks of his life only to lose his dad suddenly yesterday (wwe.com) ... you could see that he was getting emotional.
I saw that last night and was wondering if the Daniel beatdown was actually planned that way or thrown in to give Bryan another week off next Monday and also to get him out of the arena early last night? Either way, my condolences to he and his family.
Originally posted by odessastepsI believe those polls are legit. Someone once said it has to do with being a public company now and fraud, but that could just be speculation.
It only matters if they poll people and charge a fee like American Idol or something.
Public company or not, the matches are rigged, why couldn't the voting for fake matches?
The way the polls work, the way I see, is regardless of the voting structure the same outcome can still happen. I've yet to see a poll that had "Cage Match" in it when voting on a match that very evening; usually it's "Street Fight" "No Holds Barred" or "Extreme Rules" match, which face it, are the exact same thing. In essence, regardless of who was voted where, Cena would've wound up getting serenaded last night.
Kane throwing Tombstones? Neat.
There's actually midcard intrigue again, which I like.
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Frown and the world laughs at you." -Me.
The opening was a good solution to needing to rebuild Kane as a legit title threat (and making the mask being back on "mean" something) and potentially needing to give Bryan some personal time off.
Loved Sheamus vs. Barrett. Great match, great finish. Barrett has looked really good in the ring since getting to wrestle again and I hope he's taking lessons of Sheamus for how to put on great matches for a guy his size with a brawler gimmick. I'm all for some Barrett & Cesaro & Sheamus & Swagger & Big E big man blood feuds if they want to do that, especially if Swagger and Big E can pick up cues from Sheamus and Cesaro in the process.
Sheamus eating two clean losses in a row, though, surely means they're a week or two away from a huge main event push for him, though, right? That's normally how this works.
I was either bored by or actively disliked everything else non-Lana on the rest of the show, though. I kinda thought Cesaro vs. RVD was pretty bad, despite Cesaro trying to get in the Frog Splash->Swiss Death counter that I was hoping to see. They just seemed off the entire time, and unless we're on a superfast track to Brock vs. Cesaro (with Heyman thinking he backed the wrong horse in Cesaro and Cesaro responding by going after Lesnar), I really don't get the booking they're doing with Cesaro right now.
I really, really don't like how they're doing Cena vs. the Wyatts now. Cena should have lost at Wrestlemania due to Wyatt Family distractions to even make a rematch sensible, especially a cage match. Much like the John Cena's Worst Year Ever angle (the year that he won Money In The Bank and the Royal Rumble and knocked out Brock Lesnar), it seems like they want to do a Cena In Danger angle without actually putting him in danger. I mean, I guess Cena making CenaFaces at the crowd after they voted him to face all three members is the story, but it's yet another Cena angle that only works if they're going to turn him, which they are never going to do. Totally limp ending, too, both to the match (tag partners breaking a pin is an instant DQ?) and the show itself.
The only question that matters re: the poll - who were the strange people who voted for Cena vs. Harper/Rowan, the only match that had no appeal at all?
Agreed with those who think the Rhodes break-up now seems like a too late kind of thing. If Cody turns, does he go up to Evolution or does he embrace his inner comics geek soul and go with the Wyatts? Evil Cody vs. Cena is actually a feud I'd kind of like to see.
Anyone else think this was one of the most poorly-directed Raws in a while? Even charitably assuming cutting off Heyman was one of those ribs that only makes sense to The Boys, it felt like there were an unusually high instances of the truck going to the wrong camera on a big move that seemed to be executed well.
Originally posted by Dr UnlikelyI really, really don't like how they're doing Cena vs. the Wyatts now. Cena should have lost at Wrestlemania due to Wyatt Family distractions to even make a rematch sensible, especially a cage match.
I don't disagree with this statement, but I wonder if the fact that Taker was losing the very next match at WM played into their decision to have Cena win.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
"I have enough people telling me I suck online" -- lotjx
I'm totally behind Helmsley, Orton and Batista teaming up, but the funny thing is I really hated Evolution when they were a thing. I don't mean wrestling type hate, but they were a big reason I started tuning out around that time. I have faith this go round will be more entertaining, but the flashbacks made me realize how little I cared for them and their awkward night clubbing days.
On a side note Batista should have been in a suit from the start.
Originally posted by Dr UnlikelyTotally limp ending, too, both to the match (tag partners breaking a pin is an instant DQ?) and the show itself.
It's the latest example of that unspoken WWE rule that former referee Jimmy Korderas helpfully revealed to Canadian viewers some time ago. In a tag match, each team gets one 'free' pin/submission breakup, then they get disqualified if they do it again. The Wyatts free breakup was burned earlier in the match when Harper was rescued from the STF, so when they then saved Bray from the AA, the disqualification was called.
It would make so much more sense if they actually acknowledged this on television sometime, but they have been pretty consistent in calling it over the last few years.
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The problem could well be that turning Goldberg heel would require removing the qualities that made Goldberg a popular face, which then takes away the value of having someone beat Goldberg.