The Ultimate WWE Thread

[Ian]

Walter vs. Dragunov was comfortably better than anything on Summerslam. The false finishes were good and I liked that after all the head/neck work Dragunov just fucking yanked him off the ground, like in No Mercy when the submission would suddenly be yanked on a little bit harder for the tap, to make Walter submit. I was worried they were gonna do their overused "he passed out from the pain!" nonsense and that ending was way better.

Ripley is awesome.

When she was bossing it in NXT I foolishly allowed myself to think "Man even WWE can't ruin Ripley." They're trying their level best and she still looks great. That is how good she is.

And for your Ricochet point I just don't understand why you wouldn't find an excuse to let him go 15-20 minutes on every show. It's madness.

Bianca getting the Kofi treatment

I was mulling over this specific similarity between the ends of their reigns earlier. Not good "optics" is it? Logically (Becky being a hypocrite and winning after a sucker punch) it should be a heel turn but fans simply don't want to boo Becky and I don't think there's much they can do to change that.

[Gray Fox]

- FUCK BIANCA BELAIR IN PARTICULAR is an odd strategy but the reaction for Becky Lynch was impressive as was the hugeness of the crowd in general.
- Drew McIntyre has a costume prop sword that scares the absolutely terrible Jinder Mahal.
- FUCK ALL OF OUR WOMEN CHAMPIONS seems to be the theme of this show. Nicki Cross is really good (and trying her best bless her) and the Charlotte/Ripley bits were great. Ripley is awesome.
- Lashley and Glodbog went to a ref stoppage. At Summerslam. in 2021. This shouldn't be that hard chaps.
- Big (Bald) Patch John finally losing the battle with nature. Fun but so deep into a show that felt longer than it can have been. Roman Reigns still can't do heel banter.
- Finally, you own a Ricochet but I didn't see him on this show what the fuck were you thinking?

For Bianca, I can only imagine it to be one of two things. Either it is a fuck you in particular moment(god knows what upset Vince this time), or Vince has panicked. Sasha was all over the build up so likely she's got the Rona and he's only found out late, maybe even on the day. Bianca was due to drop the belt and so he's had to come up with something. Ended up pushing the Becky button. It only going 20 seconds also suggests she's not yet in match ready shape if it is the latter.
If Bianca is suddenly demanding her rematch on Friday and then loses again, then it's the former.

Would you believe that Sword actually belongs to one Vincent Kennedy McMahon? It's also quite real.

Nikki A.S.H was doomed the second she cashed it in so soon. They could have done loads with that and her being a superhero etc, but a cowardly cash in followed by fans just not caring was only going one way.

Oldberg still being there goes to a problem I'll mention in a minute, but even worse, the finish seems to open it to a rematch down the line.

Big Match John having his last real big match was okay. He was always losing here. That he's announced he's done again for a while already, suggests this is the last big one he gets.
The problem here is that they've built Roman up into what is now the top guy. Going back to the Oldberg point, the company has no big stars any more. Almost everyone is demanded to wrestle the same style and the promos are written for them. As this is true they now have to bring back their biggest guy, who is still Bork Lesnar.

It should lead to some interesting dilemmas for Heyman on-screen, but unless Bork is signed on for a year or two, this will be the Cena stuff over again. Roman should win here, but if he does, there really isn't anyone left on smackdown to take it off him.

[Ian]

Larson off've Going In Raw made the very good point that in the case of WWE they probably really didn't think about the Bianca thing much beyond "Banks is out and we want A Moment." That's probably the extent of it.

As for Oldberg / Lashley, I am hoping their rematch is for Saudi then I can ignore it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I've read that they knew Sasha wouldn't be ready for about 8 days.

Also they're planning to make Becky the top heel.

[Browning]

Becky will never get over as a heel and trying it is a recipe for disaster.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Here's the sauce:

https://411mania.com/wrestling/detai...ole-smackdown/

[Ian]

Unless the fans are more into Bianca than I thought (and they didn't seem awfully fussed about her getting the absolute shaft at the show) then I my thought yesterday was the exact same as what Browning said: that shit ain't gonna work.

They already made her the biggest babyface in the company last time they tried to turn her heel.

[Disco]

She's going to be a heel Do they watch their own show?

[Shindig]

And she only got that big because Nia Jax broke her face.

[Ian]

Eh, I'd say that (and the brilliant image of her dripping blood in the Raw crowd) was part of it but for me (Clive) the bit that took crowds from "we like her" to "Okay we need her to be champ" was when they had her batter fuck out of Charlotte thinking that was a heel turn and the live crowd just cheered the fuck out of it.

Trying to turn Becky is not the exact same as when they tried to bring Rollins back as a heel (because he wasn't a massively over babyface when he left) but is the same insofar as fans don't really want to boo returning stars. Also they had him attack Reigns who people were giving shit to all the time then.

[Shindig]

Yeah, it's a bit daft to have her come in and squash someone. Like, at least have her smack her about with a chair or cut her ponytail or something. Something that says, "I'm back and you're supposed to boo me."

EDIT: That ponytail idea is golden. Cut it off, boo who did it. Have Bianca spend months / years getting it back into shape. Long term booking that will draw dimes.

[phonics]

Yeah, it's a bit daft to have her come in and squash someone. Like, at least have her smack her about with a chair or cut her ponytail or something. Something that says, "I'm back and you're supposed to boo me."

EDIT: That ponytail idea is golden. Cut it off, boo who did it. Have Bianca spend months / years getting it back into shape. Long term booking that will draw dimes.

Even Vince Russo would think that was a bad idea.

[Shindig]

No it's not. She's lost one of her moves of doom. There's legitimate reasons for cutting it off and the first time she cracks someone with her new ponytail will get a massive pop.

[Disco]

Vince Russo did exactly this all the time in TNA, they cut Awesome Kongs hair on a random episode of Impact once, not even as part of a hair match or anything.

And it's even easier with Belair; it's a braid, you can just braid it shorter. It's still silly though as the feud has to involve waiting for someones hair to grow back.

[phonics]

No it's not. She's lost one of her moves of doom. There's legitimate reasons for cutting it off and the first time she cracks someone with her new ponytail will get a massive pop.

So your plan is to remove the unique part of your stars image so that she can one pop four years later when it grows back?

[Shindig]

Yes. That's the whole plan. It'd definitely work and Vince won't sack her 2 months in.

[Ian]

"Don't worry Ricochet, you're jobbing in minutes but Kross won't come out of this looking any better than you do."

Toggle Spoiler

[wullie]

[Ian]

I did not make that connection, but yes.

To be fair that's about the right era for WWE's current pop culture references.

[wullie]

Look out for the upcoming debut of Shhhcarlet by his side.

[Shindig]

And remember, the power's in the ponytail.

[Ian]

Look out for the upcoming debut of Shhhcarlet by his side.

WWE does want to get social media talking so a wifebeater gimmick in 2021 would certainly get a reaction.

[Ian]

It's a pity WWE can't get an actual heel performer to generate the sort of heat Logan Paul was getting from the Raw crowd last night.

You love to hear it though.

[Disco]

They do seem to be pretty clueless, I don't know how representative the NXT crowd was (I only watched Walter/Dragunov) but it was at the performance centre so I assume it was full of their own people and it did it's best to make the match less watchable. If that's their idea of how a crowd should be then it's no wonder they don't seem to have a clue.

[Ian]

It's just one of a handful of issues with it right now (which is presumably set to grow rapidly) but NXT misses Full Sail.

[wullie]

I loved this heel reaction they got a few years ago. Old school classic, insult (lack of) local sport team

[Ian]

That was great. Reigns' four-word promo segment after beating the Undertaker was great too.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's just one of a handful of issues with it right now (which is presumably set to grow rapidly) but NXT misses Full Sail.

Their agreement with Full Sail is done apparently. They're at the CWC (which is about to have the set changed) for the foreseeable future.

The plexiglass is going which will be a huge help though.

[Ian]

Oh I know they're not going back any time soon, but it doesn't stop it being worse.

[wullie]

Oh yes

[Ian]

I'm so happy with Jezza's current angle, it must be at least 8 months since they last did a "MITB briefcase gets stolen" angle.

It's a shame because he's been really funny otherwise.

[Ian]

WWE's New Year's Day PPV is apparently going to be called 'WWE Day 1.'

I look forward to a show with a name implying fresh beginnings and whatnot probably continuing the same feuds currently taking place on Raw.

Bring back Great Balls of Fire.

[Ian]

Lol at Cole going out with a defeat where his opponent is handcuffed to the ropes.

Also Joe looked absolutely knackered against Kross but winning with the Musclebuster was cool.

[Disco]

It crossed my mind that you don't do that to someone who is sticking around, but then I also watched Summerslam.

[Ian]

I can genuinely see that being their idea to be fair. I mean, it's unique I guess. But even the crowd were clearly a bit "er wat?"

But any match where somebody gets the other dude in handcuffs and doesn't win is very, very stupid.

[Shindig]

Has anybody had a match where both wrestlers are handcuffed? I guess you can't really limit your workers like that. It's a step up from a blindfold match, I guess.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I can genuinely see that being their idea to be fair. I mean, it's unique I guess. But even the crowd were clearly a bit "er wat?"

But any match where somebody gets the other dude in handcuffs and doesn't win is very, very stupid.

It also didn't help that he was tapping out on a kendo stick which he could have easily picked up and swung it at KOR.

It was a proper main roster finish. Which is a shame as I thought this was their best match (and one of Cole's best ones) in the rivalry because they didn't add too much unnecessary guff.

[phonics]

Red Velvet is dog shit: https://streamable.com/8g95y2

[Queenslander]

[Ian]

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That is stunning.

[Gray Fox]

Some "Yes!" chants started up during Punks promo and he stopped them to say that's someone else's schtick and they should be a little more patient.

So that's Bryan to AEW done then.

[Disco]

They had Don Callis doing full on yes chants last week, the prevailing opinion seems to be that he is on the way.

[Ian]

That's not new information is it?

I thought the reliable sources said ages ago the only way he'd have resigned WWE is if they let him wrestle.in Japan which was simply never going to happen and it seemed unlikely he'd go anywhere else non-AEW.

[Disco]

It's been talked about for a couple of weeks, I just haven't seen anything official and he hasn't walked out on an episode of dynamite.

[wullie]

I saw Big Show's on the next PPV, is Mark Henry going to be wrestling for them at some point? His hall of pain stuff was the best, get a part time version of that back up and running

[Disco]

The Substantial Attraction is wrestling QT Marshall so I imagine most people will put the kettle on during that bit.

[Ian]

I feel like last night is about the dozenth time WWE have teased doing Cesaro / Gable and then "lol nah non-finish."

Also, were it not WWE I'd almost feel like they're building Balor to be the guy to take the belt off Reigns eventually. The idea of a 'worker' type constantly losing his spot to the likes of Cena, Bork, Edge, etc. before he finally gets it and wins would be good. What a pity that isn't what's going to happen.

[Queenslander]

Woooooo

https://mobile.twitter.com/Wrestling...51555705290755

[Disco]

Trevor Murdoch is their new champion, a man who is only 40 yet has spent the last 20 years looking at least 10 years older than that. Quite fitting really.