I can't believe the World Heavyweight Title, first held by Triple H after he defeated Tom Jenkins back in 1963, is going to finally be re-unified with the WWE Title. Sounds like they're serious about it, and that the only reason they were vague about it last week was because they just couldn't figure out what to call the Unified Champion.
Of course, once this happens, the entire WWE Title lineage is going to be completely erased from history and only the World Heavyweight Title lineage will be recognized, meaning that all future champions aren't going to be holding the same belt that Bret Hart, Steve Austin, etc. once held. That's how it works, right?
I actually would have no problem with a shitty screwy ending where HHH winds up with both belts. That ending would make me think they had this planned back at SummerSlam. The problem is, though, that A) Orton/Punk is the better title match for WrestleMania and also B) we really don't need to see HHH as WWE Champion in 2014. But I guess we need to see what his side plates look like.
I like where all of this CM Punk stuff is going, and how the Wyatts/Shield are being interchangeably thrown into the mix. I wonder if this is where the Reigns face turn is set up, when Ambrose and Rollins relentlessly beat CM Punk and the ref stops the match, and Reigns has a change of heart. Maybe they just hot shot it here.
I really, really hate this Miz/Kofi stuff. I'm going along with the theory that they had a Miz heel turn ready to go until they remembered he had a Christmas movie last week. It's still making my brain hurt.
Langston/Sandow for the IC Title gives me optimism. I like both of those guys and it's a definite step up for Sandow after failing to cash in MITB and them forgetting to give him anything real to do that didn't involve hardcore prop matches. Shame about Ziggler, though.
I'm okay with HHH somehow finagling both belts for himself at TLC if (and only if) it leads to Bryan winning the Rumble and taking them from him at Mania.
I'm not at all certain that's going to happen, but, then again, I'm not sure the HHH scenario is going to happen anyway (especially as it conflicts with the "Superman Cena always wins" thing).
Big E was very natural on commentary. They need to let him talk more.
Bad News Barrett - FLUSH - next gimmick, please.
I'm conflicted about the IC title match only because I think both guys kind of need a big win, so I suspect a screwy ending to set up a rematch.
I have to admit it: the Bellas are becoming better wrestlers. I still with Nikki would stop bellowing, though. It's kind of disturbing. AJ not giving a shit about the match was kind of great. I think they're setting up the Tamina face turn when AJ leaves her out to dry in a tag match sometime soon.
"Never piss off a hawk with a blowgun" - Conan O'Brien
Originally posted by GodEatGodI'm okay with HHH somehow finagling both belts for himself at TLC if (and only if) it leads to Bryan winning the Rumble and taking them from him at Mania.
Seconded.
Originally posted by GodEatGodBad News Barrett - FLUSH - next gimmick, please.
Seconded.
Mostly, I didn't care about last night's show. Once again, Rhodes/SHIELD was a show-stealer, and Goldust's 'rana was pretty cool. Seriously, he's better now then he ever was in his "prime," right? How is that even possible? I also liked the closing segment, which put some good heat on the unification match. My one quibble is that "Unified Championship" is a terrible name. In 10 years, no one's going to really remember what was unified to make it called that. They really should have gone with "Undisputed."
Thought this was a much stronger show than last week. Bray's promo to Bryan was exceptional, in that it's a)character development for Wyatt beyond "creepy guys with beards, and b)seems to acknowledge that Bryan has unfinished business with those in power.
Bryan also worked a *** match with Rowan, which must be some kind of miracle.
Wade Barrett, I have some...good news. We wish you well! And I have some...bad news. It's in your future endeavors.
(I don't blame Barrett for any of that, by the way. As presented, there's zero positive way to translate that gimmick into a wrestling angle. And the material was awful. Felt like the "real" writers finally noticing and taking over something that the writers they ignore had been running with.)
Instead of Bad News Breakers Barrett, I'd like to see: -Wade Barrett: Megaphone Crooner -Wade Barrett: Superpan Infomercial Pitchman -Wade Barrett, Crimestick-wielding Crime Buster -Pre-Taped Call-In Talk Show Barrett
Originally posted by SKLOKAZOIDI can't believe the World Heavyweight Title, first held by Triple H after he defeated Tom Jenkins back in 1963, is going to finally be re-unified with the WWE Title.
Their very fast, very loose concept of exactly when and where the World Heavyweight Title came into being and what it represents was indeed problematic, as was Cena's "Randy Orton, you're the youngest champion ever and have 11 title runs YOU FAILURE!" bit of logic. Unless the latter is setting up a return to the "John Cena thinks anyone who isn't John Cena is a loser" development that popped up in his feud with Punk, but that would only work if he's turning heel, which, of course, he must never do.
Anyway, hated THAT bit from Cena, but I did like the "we started at the same time but you were given a belt and I earned it" story that he was telling up until that unfortunate detour.
Originally posted by SKLOKAZOIDSounds like they're serious about it, and that the only reason they were vague about it last week was because they just couldn't figure out what to call the Unified Champion.
I'm sure we're all angry that "Undefined Champion" wasn't one of the options, right? Cole's hasty "I'm sure the committee will take this vote under advisement!" implies they're still on the fence about what to call it. I would have picked Unifed Champion last under Undefined Champion, Undisputed Champion and the two vote-splitting Undisputed options they gave.
Sadly, this seems to kill my booking prediction dead: I assumed Orton and Cena would both climb up together and fall off with belts, Cena with the WWE Title and Orton with the World Heavyweight Title. And then, through some kind of magic spell (possibly via the Wyatts, or a debuting Ascension?), the two of them would swap bodies and we'd spend the run to Wrestlemania XXX in an angle where Orton is in Cena's Body as an evil, ultimate corporate champion and Cena is trapped in Orton's body, desperately trying to convince someone, anyone, that he's the real John Cena. (Note: This would save wrestling.)
Elsewhere! Were we not supposed to notice that Sin Cara was not just a different guy this week, but a different guy with a giant tattoo on his arm and chest? Or were we supposed to notice but the announcers weren't supposed to and we're doing Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara again? Or were we supposed to notice, but they will explain it away that Sin Cara has accidentally developed some kind of necrotizing disease on his arm? Probably the last one, would fit the character the best.
So, is Kane's current direction a rib on/parody of Joseph Park?
Bad News Barret works great for a recurring spot on a short internet show. As an angle in the main shows? Not so much.
Actually I could see it maybe working a bit if it was more of a backstage thing where he'd pop on during other peoples promos. But a podium out by the commentators? Nope.
And that Wyatt promo was a reminder of why everyone was so gaga over Bray Wyatt in NXT. Moar Plz.
Kane's dialogue and delivery killed me dead. He's perfect in that role.
I like Punk's line about being left alone in his own universe, but pulling him within spitting distance to Steph and Hunter can only make this angle better. I have no interest in this title story or whatever they're gonna call the Jericho Belt.
But I also don't have any interest in Bryan vs. the Wyatts. They're just OK in the ring. And he's had three PPV matches against deadweight Orton. The Shield make for better fellow performers (they can work with anyone, it seems), but he needs to get in there against someone who a) doesn't outweigh him by 100 pounds; and b) can work in his style.
They're just Morrisoning Dolph out the door, aren't they? He's Twittering his new interest in stand-up, which suggests career options are necessary. The dilution of the Sandow gimmick from foppish highbrow to arrogant brawler doesn't do him any favors either. Isn't this Barrett's basic gimmick?
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Were we not supposed to notice that Sin Cara was not just a different guy this week, but a different guy with a giant tattoo on his arm and chest? Or were we supposed to notice but the announcers weren't supposed to and we're doing Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara again?
YES and definitely no. Sin Cara 1 checked in on FourSquare from Mexico City after the match. He's the best. And totally done here except for officially getting his walking papers. (He'll be fine. I'd be more worried about Camacho.)
Originally posted by Dr UnlikelyI'm sure we're all angry that "Undefined Champion" wasn't one of the options, right? Cole's hasty "I'm sure the committee will take this vote under advisement!" implies they're still on the fence about what to call it. I would have picked Unifed Champion last under Undefined Champion, Undisputed Champion and the two vote-splitting Undisputed options they gave.
Sadly, this seems to kill my booking prediction dead: I assumed Orton and Cena would both climb up together and fall off with belts, Cena with the WWE Title and Orton with the World Heavyweight Title. And then, through some kind of magic spell (possibly via the Wyatts, or a debuting Ascension?), the two of them would swap bodies and we'd spend the run to Wrestlemania XXX in an angle where Orton is in Cena's Body as an evil, ultimate corporate champion and Cena is trapped in Orton's body, desperately trying to convince someone, anyone, that he's the real John Cena. (Note: This would save wrestling.)
I wouldn't rule out that ending from actually happening. There's still over 4 months until WrestleMania 30, which is in New Orleans, where voodoo magic is in abundance.
Since WWE is really big on the whole branding thing, I don't think "Unified Champion" is what they'll wind up going with. At the very least, we wind up with "Unified WWE Champion" or somesuch name that acknowledges what titles it's unified to represent.
But yeah, they clearly split the votes with two "Undisputed" options. They could have at least had Unified, Undisputed, and had the third one be "WWE Champion of the Universe" since they like that "U" word so damn much.
A.J. needs to do everything while skipping and grinning.
Nice job on commentary by Big E.
Mark Henry grooving needs to stop. Hall Of Pain henry needs to return. Also, I think that's at least the third time I've heard King say: "When Mark Henry stops into the entrance, doesn't it seem like an eclipse?"
My one quibble is that "Unified Championship" is a terrible name. In 10 years, no one's going to really remember what was unified to make it called that. They really should have gone with "Undisputed."
Jericho was the first undisputed champion, but Cena/Orton will be the first UNIFIED champion. Totally different, you see. Actually, Jericho making his annual return to point out that he's already done this would make for a nice one-off match at Elimination Chamber with whomever the champ is. Then Jericho puts over, oh let's say, Xavier Rhodes at Wrestlemania and neither man is heard from again.
Sadly, this seems to kill my booking prediction dead: I assumed Orton and Cena would both climb up together and fall off with belts, Cena with the WWE Title and Orton with the World Heavyweight Title. And then, through some kind of magic spell (possibly via the Wyatts, or a debuting Ascension?), the two of them would swap bodies and we'd spend the run to Wrestlemania XXX in an angle where Orton is in Cena's Body as an evil, ultimate corporate champion and Cena is trapped in Orton's body, desperately trying to convince someone, anyone, that he's the real John Cena. (Note: This would save wrestling.)
If this leads to just one skit of Rand Cena making an evil Make A Wish appearance, TAKE ALL MY MONEY
"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
Announcers, JBL especially, completely befuddled by AJ skipping around the ring. AJ has said several times she only cares about matches when the Divas Title is on the line. Those are the only ones that count for her. The announcers should watch the product.
AJ is really heel 1980s Ric Flair NWA World Title redux. Everyone repeatedly got one over on Ric in tag matches and in non-title matches. When the title's on the line, Ric retains it. Doesn't "win," per se, just retains it. Classic heel champion.
Racist! Anyway, if any thinks HHH is going to job to Bryan, I have a bridge in Brooklyn, I am willing to sell at a reasonable price. I also have an African Prince friend who needs a loan as well.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
Originally posted by The-W's Poet Laureate lotjxI have a bridge in Brooklyn, I am willing to sell at a reasonable price, I also have an African Prince friend, Who needs a loan as well.
Meltzer says that Rebecca is-or-was Batista's Girlfriend. Also: I am really annoyed by Test's boots. I wish that he would fix them. They've been flapping around for the last three weeks. --K
Thread rated: 6.63
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