Yeah I agree entirely. I like the fact that he's using the mandible claw - that's a great finisher for him. But I really hope he wrestles in a completely different style.
Yeah I agree entirely. I like the fact that he's using the mandible claw - that's a great finisher for him. But I really hope he wrestles in a completely different style.
Although this sudden obsession with Attitude Era finishers on existing talent is a bit lol. KO using the Stunner, Wyatt using the Mandible Claw and while others have busted out an X-Factor or two in the intervening years when Ali (I think?) did one on Smackdown they very clearly made a point of mentioning HALL OF FAMER X-PAC.
Mandible Claw is a good finish for him though provided he ever actually wins matches with it. Or, y'know. At all.
I don't really get KO using the stunner. It doesn't really suit him at all, but at least it's better than Cena using the springboard stunner as a regular mid-match move a few years ago.
I'd say it seems a very transparent "HE'S ANTI AUTHORITY LIKE AUSTIN WAS Y'SEE? ATTITUDE ERA!!!" only that he did it for the first time ages ago.
Though I don't think he did it often so that may be why they're pushing it now.
They can't come up with anything new so they have to piggyback on nostalgia.
Io Shirai in tight black leather trousers...
My word.
No idea which match it's for (Rollins? Shane?) but Summerslam is apparently being listed as TV-14 rather than PG, the first WWE PPV to have had that listing since 2008.
Probably means someone's gonna say "Shit." Probably Brock.
Rollins said shit during the UpUpDownDown livestream last night so it's nailed on.
Looking at the card I'm really not hopeful about it all:
Lesnar/Rollins: I've heard it's going to be a proper match rather than a squash but I think that might be worse, well unless Bork actually cares which he probably wont.
Becky Lynch/Natalya: They've really killed the momentum that the women had when Ronda left (there was no revolution, Vince just cared for 5 minutes), Lacey Evans who never looked good in NXT and now Natazzzzzzzzzzzz.
Bayley/Ember Moon: I'd have been super hyped for this had they not forgotten about/buried Ember since she moved. I loved her in NXT.
Kofi/Randall: Meh, Randy has been crap for ages.
Kevin Owens/THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD: Only good if it really is the end of the Shane story.
Finn/THE FIEND: A man who is clearly disinterested right now against someone in a crap mask.
AJ Styles/Rick O'Shea: If given the time this could be incredible, I'm a little too excited for it which means it will probably be crap and will have too much interference/they'll try to be too clever with it.
Goldberg/Ziggler: Lol.
Trish/Charlotte: I've never really got Charlotte, she just seems a bit crap and slightly awkward at times.
Gulak/Lorcan: This is going to steal the (pre)show, I haven't watched 205 Live in months but the Cruisers always go out hard. Gulak is a great champion and I'm interested in Lorcan as he could be a banger. Works really well with Danny Burke on NXT.
Audio sync issue on Takeover currently rendering it too distracting to be watchable.
I haven't seen Takeover yet and have avoided spoilers but I think Shayna needs to move up at Summerslam.
Assuming she beat Mia Yim then who exactly is left? There's only really Candace but meh, Shayna sans her shit mates is ready.
They should have her come out after Becky's win and obliterate her, even throwing in her arm stomp thing. Would go over massively and get people interested in the women again.
Is that main event really the better part of an hour long? Fuck's sake.
Impressive work to cram so many daft spots into that match so as to basically render them meaningless. Tag title match didn't do much for me and Gargano / Cole just don't do it for me as a pairing but I quite enjoyed everything else, but it's probably the weakest Takeover in a while.
I know I'm supposed to but fuck me do I hate Jay White.
So, The Fiend came out to a more slow and metal-y version of his old theme, which suited pretty well. He's also still carrying a lamp, however this time the lamp looks like a light shoved into the severed head of old Bray Wyatt.
Seemed like a more aggressive version of himself in ring too.
This show is incredible!
Yeah I thought he pretty much did what I thought the best idea was, don't try and reinvent but just change things up a bit.
I thought the show as a whole was.... alright? The Raw women had probably my favourite Natalya match ever by a very comfortable margin, Ziggler made Goldberg's Spear look more lethal than anything I ever remember Reigns doing, US title match was pretty good and Flair / Stratus got better as it went along. Most of the rest of it was alright, and the main event surprised on a number of counts.
Firstly, Bork losing clean as a whistle. Not sure why they gave him the belt just to lose it back but I won't complain. Secondly, Bork actually putting in something resembling a shift for him. He contributed more than he normally does these days which leads me into my third thing, that... shock horror, the matches can be pretty decent when he actually bothers his arse. The matches against the likes of AJ, Balor, etc. have been good but that's usually just the worker putting an absolute shift in but this one was more even handed.
Curious how long Bork disappears for this time and what they do with Rollins next because I really thought he'd be losing here and then back to the midcard.
Extremely forgettable show but not horrendous. Charlotte vs Trish was probably the highlight. Whoever booked Orton vs Kofi needs firing immediately.
Yeah that was predictably dull and it looks like we're getting more of it too.
I haven't enjoyed a Randy Orton match in about 5 years. I don't see why people like him. He's a proper nothing character. His match last night was another shit one.
I thought there were a few matches that were good, and that surprised me. I liked Trish/Charlotte and Becky/Natalya - I'd agree with whoever said it was Natalya's best ever match. I'd probably say it was Trish's best ever too.
I found Goldberg and Dolph hilarious, got to be honest. Especially that third spear.
Bray was great. I wonder how long it will be before they ruin it.
AJ v Rick was okay - some great spots, but again didn't really live up to expectations for me. A solid 3/5.
I haven't watched the main event yet.
It wasn’t really the fact it was dull, it was the ending. Kofi got angry someone looked at his kid and then snapped and went mental to the point of being booed out the building without turning heel and it needed Corey to explain it was a double count out rather than Randy being DQed for looking at a kid for slightly too long. It was just so bad.
Just watched the tag team match from Takeover
The Street Profits have improved so much this year.
That's why he annoys me, even when you take aside my opinions on how WWE choose to utilise him.
He's proper 'top x ever' in terms of ability and he absolutely gets it (his job in a given match, selling mannerisms, all of it), he just doesn't give a solitary shit.
x = a number that probably varies quite wildly based on my mood.
@Disco
Ibushi wants to go for both titles next WK..
Thoughts? Does it open the door for Naito?
Last edited by Queenslander; 13-08-2019 at 11:58 AM.
I'm not sure where they're going with that, or how it would work. Unless they plan for Ibushi to win at WK then feud with Naito over both belts.
Looks like we're getting Okada / Suzuki at Royal Quest along with ZSJ / Tanahashi. Can't wait.
Finished Takeover and I loved it.
Only match that didn't really hit with me was Yim (who despite really liking her, I just didn't buy as a credible challenger yet) against Baszler although I did enjoy the finish.
As much as I loved Gargano/Cole III with so many mental spots (and I loved the nods to Gargano's character changes during the feud with Ciampa and how him going too far to the dark side always costs him) I think it was probably the weakest match of the three.
I was also really surprised with just how much of a show Shirai/LeRae put on and despite being gutted that Dunne not only didn't win but he was the man to eat the pinfall I loved that triple threat especially the finish.
Solid Takeover but it was missing something to really put it over the edge.
King of the Ring is back again for them to do nothing with the winner.
Make it The Undertaker.
It's a real shame because the last month has demonstrated just how well you can use a tournament to improve the show.
#somehowaboutnj
It's quite obvious that Shane McMahon needs to win it.
I mean King of the Ring has been used to enhance people's careers before, just not enough.
The matches with the likes of Sami in it will just be yet more undercooked nonsense where somebody gets buried rather than using it as a chance to show what some people who don't get as many opportunities can do.
I thought Raw was decent enough this week though. Banks' return got a good pop right before she seemingly botched a chair shot on Becky and accidentally whacked her on the noggin, Alexander / McIntyre was an example of how you can make somebody look good in defeat, Andrade / Rey was good again (though it probably needs to be the end of their feud-of-sorts), Bork (for now) isn't getting a rematch and I thought the main event stuff was done pretty well. Not that I'm quite sure what the purpose of that is going to be beyond a six-man tag at some point but whatever.
When was the last time a RAW main event didn't end in a DQ or count out? 1999?
I'd need to be able to remember anything to even guess at an answer to that so I'm gonna say Mankind's title win.
King of the Ring participants:
The Miz
Ricochet
Cedric Alexander
Samoa Joe
Drew McIntyre
Baron Corbin
Sami Zayn
Cesaro
Kevin Owens
Ali
Apollo Crews
Chad Gable
Elias
Andrade
Buddy Murphy
Shelton Benjamin
King McIntyre could do a whole Braveheart thing.
No Shane O'Mac is a disgrace to the business.
It'd be a step down for him, Fox. He's already won the World Cup.
King Kevin Owens sounds legit.
I live in hope.
KO makes the final, Shane inserts himself to be the rightful King in continuation of the feud. Justice is done.
KO Vs Drew final, KO wins, Shane beats him for the title the next night (so as to not give KO the excuse of being tired).
HHH legit gets jealous of Shane being allowed to call himself the Best in the World, challenges Shane, they have a 3-hour match at Wrestlemania.