I just finished up watching No Mercy but here's a thread starter so you don't have to wait three (yikes - three more hours of wrestling tonight) more hours. Presumably SOMEBODY watched this show and has an opinion.
The new opening was seizure-inducing and I'm surprised they used such an established song....The first segment was all-right, but I was surprised to see Big Show get the upper hand....Intense Kane/Umaga match, but the finisher looked more like a chop than a spike....DX's backstage skit seemed to answer to those who said, "who gives DX authority to make matches" and "they killed the entire tag division"....
I thought Show/Hardy would go longer....So how long until someone complains about HBK wearing a DX black arm band?....I thought for sure Triple H would break out, "you mean the cock isn't coming?"....I wish they'd go back to calling the hi-lo of Murdoch and Cade "Sweet and Sour"....I liked the Benoit/Shelton match....The six-man was really sloppy and mis-timed it seemed....
The divas match was okay and actually set something up for strip poker tomorrow night....It's weird hearing the announcers argue like that. I'm thinking some of them genuinely don't get along....I loved seeing the older wrestlers out there to support Flair (possibly for an elimination S.S. match against Spirit Squad?), but I still don't get the Flair/Spirit Squad feud....The main event was just there.
Originally posted by geemoneyI wish they'd go back to calling the hi-lo of Murdoch and Cade "Sweet and Sour"
I'd rather it be the Hi-Lo. I always thought it was kinda tarded that a good ol' boy and a redneck have a finisher that sounds like Chinese Take-Out.
For those that say "there's a difference between a good ol' boy and a redneck?", did you notice that Cade took his hat off before hitting the ring, but Murdoch didn't take his hat off until HBK knocked it off? THAT'S the difference.
Originally posted by geemoneyIt's weird hearing the announcers argue like that. I'm thinking some of them genuinely don't get along.
It was "WWE v. ECW Head to Head Round 2", only no big fight close to the end of the show. They could be sowing seeds for JBL v. Tazz somewhere down the road, but I thought Tazz' neck was royally fucked. (Thus why his match with Lawler at ONS was basically "Piledriver attempt on Styles, Tazzmission, tap".)
Man, the years away from three-hour Nitros caused me to forget how arduous three hours of a TV wrestling show can be. It was an overall terrific Raw, but I admit to looking at the watch a couple of times.
The announcer feuding was hilarious, and was easily the highlight of the otherwise pedestrian Booker/RVD match. I love how Tazz's comebacks were all, in essence, "yeah, I sucked because your stupid company didn't book me properly."
The legends coming to the ring for Flair's match was the markout moment of the night. Weirdly enough, my biggest markout was probably for IRS. If you described the scenario and then had to guess the older stars who'd join Flair at ringside, Piper-AA-Dibiase would all be good guesses, but no way would I have picked Rotundo.
The champion vs. champion vs. champion match is just a bad idea. Not only does it automatically diminish the other two champs who lose, but a match of that stature shouldn't be happening anywhere besides Wrestlemania.
(edited by Big Bad on 10.10.06 0017) Scene: Mark DeRosa's brain. The year is 2005. Part of Mark DeRosa's brain: Come on, another position change? One day it's second base, the next day right field, now it's third? Why, I oughta go into Buck's office and throw his talking fish on the floor! Other part of Mark DeRosa's brain: Hold on, other part of the brain. We're making $500,000 this year. Last year we made $725,000. All for playing a damn kids' game. This is, as they say in Brainland, a no-"us"-er. We're not going to complain. Part of Mark DeRosa's brain: You're right, dude. Let's go back to looking at this crazy porn Teixeira gave us!
Originally posted by Big BadThe champion vs. champion vs. champion match is just a bad idea. Not only does it automatically diminish the other two champs who lose, but a match of that stature shouldn't be happening anywhere besides Wrestlemania.
(edited by Big Bad on 10.10.06 0017)
What, you think of of them will actually LOSE? Come on now, don't be silly! lol.
I'd wager that there'll be a huge clusterfrick leading to a three-way Survivor Series bout. They're not going to have one champ go over another.
Originally posted by Big BadThe champion vs. champion vs. champion match is just a bad idea. Not only does it automatically diminish the other two champs who lose, but a match of that stature shouldn't be happening anywhere besides Wrestlemania.
(edited by Big Bad on 10.10.06 0017)
What, you think of of them will actually LOSE? Come on now, don't be silly! lol.
I'd wager that there'll be a huge clusterfrick leading to a three-way Survivor Series bout. They're not going to have one champ go over another.
There was an ad for Survivor Series that I guess aired only locally (since SS is in Philly). I don't want to spoilerize by getting too deep into details, so I'll just say that it did announce a match suggesting that yes, the champ vs. champ vs. champ feud is going to continue beyond Cyber Sunday. Which, of course, doesn't necessarily mean there won't be a finish at CS.
Anyway. Orton/Edge vs. DX could be good ... assuming DX doesn't treat their opponents the way they treated the Spirit Squad, the Highlanders, the McMahons, and just about everyone else they've faced. Which is not a safe assumption. I rather suspect we're in for weeks of unfunny jokes and unfunnier pranks at Orton and Edge's expense while they're left to splutter and stamp their feet and shake their fists.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?"
DX was awesome tonight! That pseudo apology where Hunter buried all the critics of last week was great.
The Gamecock stuff was what it was, as I've said in the past, Shawn makes these segments for me. His embarassed facial expressions and little aside apologies to God while Hunter makes all the perverted jokes is one of those little things I enjoy. That alone makes it fresh to me.
The opening segment just felt fresh to me. Not that the material was bumping by any stretch, but hearing the three of them talk (and be positioned as tweeners) seemed unique and cool. I liked it. It also elevates Show and Booker from being the B and C champs to being positioned as equal measure with Cena.
Silly of me, but I expected UT to job. It's not that he's really doing a helluva lot and losing to the #1 star in the company wouldn't have "hurt him" or anything. That was disappointing. Especially after Booker and Show had strong wins. Did they really need to use Cena to heat up the Kennedy/UT feud? Oddly booked match, but whatever.
Edge was also killer on the mic tonight. DX is hard to top when they want to bury people, but I expect Orton and especially Edge to have strong enough characters to take it and fire back.
The fussing announcers also worked out pretty well. JBL is such a strong commentaror and he does get himself over, I liked that Tazz returned fire for that reason. JLB is the type who seems like he'd talk all night if someone doesn't jump in on him. Lawler seemed pretty resigned to stay above it for the most part.
Haven't talked about the matches yet, but they were okay. Nothing overwhelming, nothing horrible. Pretty consistent, three hours is too long.
Now, I respect Rotunda but the whole IRS love is a little ironic to me. I don't remember that character getting much love back in the day. It was another WresleCrap "day job" gimmick. It worked out well overall, but c'mon...South Carolina...Horseman Country...ARN FUCKING ANDERSON coming out to the 4 Horseman theme. The people rising as one and flashing the only wrestling sign that still reasonates. Ross was dead on.
When Flair motioned Piper out, I hoped and hoped that wasn't it. Then Money Inc. came out, and you knew, that the next person out that curtain would be Arn.
I felt like a moron after the Benoit/Benjamin match. I heard the music after Benjamin laid out the challenge, and couldn't place a finger on who it was until Benoit came out. It really had been a while, and good to see him again, he looked well rested.
I dont know if I was in the minority, but I figured with RVD and Jeff being featured in the other champion matches, it would have been a perfect opportunity for Mr. Kennedy to be in the match with Cena.
3 hours was a long show, but I think once or twice a year, it's a cool little concept, to showcase all 3 brands to the people that maybe don't watch ECW or SmackDown, and don't buy the CrossBranded PPVs. Some people tonight may have gotten their first glimpse of people like Lashley, and probably should have done a little more to include a couple more ECW guys.
The Edge/Orton segment was fantastic. If, and that's a BIG if, these two are made to look like a threat to DX, this feud should be gold.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
Originally posted by oldschoolheroThe Edge/Orton segment was fantastic. If, and that's a BIG if, these two are made to look like a threat to DX, this feud should be gold.
I was thinking the same thing when Orton shook Edge's hand. On paper, it's a great thing to do with all the peformers involved. Keeps Triple H out of the title hunt, keeps Edge in a high-profile feud. Now I just hope the reality lives up to the potential.
As for the announcers arguing, I do wonder how much of that was a work and how much of it was not. Styles and JBL, in particular, seemed to just keep it going despite J.R., Lawler, and especially Cole's attempts to call the match. I mean I'm not naive enough to think it was all spontaneous :), but I do wonder exactly what they were told. The only highlight was hearing a brief exchange in which Tazz and Cole actually called the match together. I always liked them together, and Styles sucks. I really wanted to like him, and I kind of liked him when he was on Raw, but he and Tazz are just no good on ECW.
I liked a lot of this show, including the opening segment and the Flair-Legends part, but the Edge-Orton stood out for me.
It's scary how good Edge has become on the mic, and this was possibly one of his best outings (as an aside, you've gotta like how, even in storyline terms, Edge had to explain things real slowly so that Orton would understand). I think, short of an inevitable Triple H-Edge program down the line, this is probably the best use of all four of these guys right now. As far as backups to a potential nWo feud go, this one's a decent alternative.
DX should start talking about how much Vince loves dead horses ... he beats those to death as well.
I've always wondered what happened to Shelton's push ... after his promo last night, I now know ... if any one wrestler needs a mouthpiece manager, it's him.
I think the only time anything last night entertained me was seeing Arn Anderson walk out ... and maybe a King Booker line or two.
Even though some of the matches were too short, I was liking this show until the very end. What a terrible way to end the show. It was totally Nitro to have a 3 minute schmozz for a main event, that you hyped as one of the biggest matches ever the previous 2 hours. Other than that, the legends were cool, as was the Edge/Randy segment. I think this feud with DX will be good, or better than the McMahons at least. And if Benoit and Kane both end up on SD!, I might have to watch that show again.
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
Originally posted by MayhemI've always wondered what happened to Shelton's push ... after his promo last night, I now know ... if any one wrestler needs a mouthpiece manager, it's him.
The Evolution model of stable could work well for guys like Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas. Have them angry about not getting shots and stuff and band together with...shit, Umaga and AAE would work.
Originally posted by FreewayThe Evolution model of stable could work well for guys like Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas. Have them angry about not getting shots and stuff and band together with...shit, Umaga and AAE would work.
Originally posted by MayhemI've always wondered what happened to Shelton's push ... after his promo last night, I now know ... if any one wrestler needs a mouthpiece manager, it's him.
The Evolution model of stable could work well for guys like Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas. Have them angry about not getting shots and stuff and band together with...shit, Umaga and AAE would work.
Hook 'em up with Orton and Edge.
The Cutting Egde segment was the best of the night because it's simply good booking. They pair up two capable guys who can garner huge heat, and now we wait to see how they do.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Thread rated: 5.08
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