Pro Wrasslin' Thread: I don't know what I just saw

[bork]

You missed a good bit of the show.  They stayed pretty hot all night and were still going nuts when Goldberg came out after the show ended.

[bork]

I was playing video games for a good bit of the show after like 9:30 PM otherwise I probably wouldn't have watched it all either.  Burnout after Mania.  And there's still Smackdown tonight. 

I did want to see what the Hardys had to say on the post show, but after the Goldberg stuff went on past 11:30, I called it a night.  I see that they are staying in-character as the Hardys and ignoring all the 'broken' stuff for now.  Guess there's legal issues.

[fistfulofmetal]

Dark Emma means wrestling is saved.

[archie4208]

Predictions for the pseudo draft next week?

AJ to Raw (his new red shirt is a clear giveaway) to feud with Balor for control of da club

Seth and Sami to Smackdown

[FunSlower]

Not impressed with Raw.

Regarding the Hardys, Matt is 100% sure he's legally able to use everything he came up with in TNA with maybe the music as an exception. That's a good thing to think about, too, because can you really trademark or sue someone over using the word "broken" or "delightful"? From what I've seen, it's WWE itself that is forcing him to be restrained. As time goes on, we're going to grow into it. It's going to happen, just need to wait for TNA to give up, which doesn't take long.

Emma coming back was nice, I guess. I forgot she was gone.

Regarding the "Shake-Up" (since they're not calling it a new draft) just look at who has a finished feud, especially with authority figures. I'm thinking:

Rollins to SD - cuts off the HHH/Stephanie feud
AJ to Raw - just cut the shane shit off right there
Miz to Raw - no more Danny Bryan
Cena to The Netherverse until he has some free time
Either Bray or Harper (or both) to Raw, their Orton feud is done if they want it to be. If not, definitely Harper. He has a new look.

Is Rusev hurt?

[FunSlower]

On one hand, it feels like a good time to break the New Day up
On the other hand, they still make a crazy amount of money for WWE

Money wins. They'll be forever until the end of time

[fistfulofmetal]

You break up New Day, someone's gonna fade away into obscurity. It's Kofi is what I'm saying. Keep em together until nobody cares and they all fade away into obscurity I guess.

[FunSlower]

Why's Sami gaining so much weight anyway? Just doesn't care. Jealous of Chris Hero?

[FunSlower]

I still think Ohno's ring gear is a rib. Maybe it's his rib, but it's a fuckin' rib. Looks hilarious. He should go with The Feast Incarnate.

Guess I never really did talk about Takeover and it got overshadowed FAST with Mania the next day. What did everyone think? WWE busted their ass giving Ruby Riot an important look but she didn't impress, it's like she stepped backwards from what all I saw of her in SHINE and STARDOM from years past. But some of that might just be because it was a mixed tag match.

I couldn't be more sick of Dillinger. Get that worthless slime outta there! Shit gimmick, not a great wrassler, and a dead story. Whoever the low-rent Captain Howdy is in Sanity needs to get a new look. That "crazed carnie" look is so 2000.

Still baffled they haven't called up Asuka yet. Actually no women got called up yet, did they? Dang. SD might be a different story but dang.

[fistfulofmetal]

Takeover was pretty solid. I don't think there was a bad match on the card. Everything gelled pretty well and it was fun overall. AOP/Revival/DIY was super fun, especially with the constant back and forth of Revivial/DIY working together. The mixed finisher spot was awesome.

I rather enjoyed the mixed tag match as well. Had a good pace and I think it did a good job of showcasing everyone involved. I'll be interested in a Ruby Riot feud with Ember Moon the line.

Speaking of, Ember Moom/Asuka was great. I think it's the first time Ember impressed me in NXT.

Roode/Nak was fine, but I agree that they aren't really a good match. Their styles clash too much.

I'm completely unsold on Alistair Black. He looks goofy and didn't really do anything impressive.

[FunSlower]

I always wonder how far WWE will let a clearly EVIL gimmick go on due to their advertisers. I can't imagine some of them are thrilled at the idea of an action figure with satanic imagery on it.

[FunSlower]

Surprisingly I heard from DA MELTZ that Andrade is ready to go main roster. I'd rather they do that than try to do the ol "if you're going to main roster you need an NXT title run first" that they do sometimes.

Look at how much Strowman benefited by not having NXT's baggage. (Aside from the Rosebud issues)

Itami's ready to go, they just need the right time to do it from what he says.

I'll just come out and say it, I feel like the only person on the internet that genuinely likes No Way Jose. He's all in on that stupid fucking gimmick and it works.

[fistfulofmetal]

My girlfriend loves No Way Jose. I think he's fine. But I don't think the company has any use for another "Guy That Dances" gimmick.

[FunSlower]

I can't believe Mojo won a thing

Good for him, too.

Yeah, Itami really had his legs cut out from under him. Lots of people didn't notice until it was too late because it was all "look at all this TALENT!" and not thinking of overlap.

[archie4208]

NAKAMURA IS FEUDING WITH THE MIZ

I WANT OFF THIS RIDE 

[FunSlower]

Off? It's a great pick for his first real big boy feud in double double e.

[bork]

NAKAMURA IS FEUDING WITH THE MIZ

I WANT OFF THIS RIDE

I think that's more of a maybe.  No telling where people will be next week.  All he did was come out and pose.  Seems like the only moment on the show so far where the crowd went really nuts.  LOL at the announcers acting like the crowd was gonna be Raw-level.

[bork]

AJ face turn?

[seagrams hotsauce]

Lmao stro is the best gimmick poster ever

[FunSlower]

Lmao stro is the best gimmick poster ever

please no references to the worst habits of wrasslegaf

Miz is a top tier talent, decent-to-good in the ring, but he can make dudes. He made Daniel Bryan, never forget.

Also, Dosukebe, I think it's happening. Can't help it. People wanna love AJ. Now it's time for them to give a reason to.

[Take My Breh Away]

Stro and Slower bringing True facts. The internet might whine about Nakamura vs Miz but Nakamura is going to come out of that godlike to the mainstream WWE like Styles did. Like, I don't doubt Styles. He's one of the best of the modern era and can prove himself without a doubt but the E' still had to get him over to the mainstream audience that don't know why he's a big deal. The SD match and mini-fued he had with Miz before Mania was absolutely perfect in introducing him to the main audience of WWE and a huge part of that was because Miz was absolutely perfect in those promos and the match in making it a huge deal.     

[bork]

Also, Dosukebe, I think it's happening. Can't help it. People wanna love AJ. Now it's time for them to give a reason to.

They need a top babyface to replace Cena on SD and it doesn't seem like it's Orton, heh.  I see AJ staying there with him, Nakamura, and Orton being the big faces.  I thought maybe Dean would be in that slot but he has fallen way the hell down the card.

[FunSlower]

So I'm watching Joey Janelas Sprang Break because FloSlam hasn't figured you simple flash grabber extensions can access their content that's locked behind a paywall. This is maybe the worst thing I've seen since I watched one of the IWA DS deathmatch shows. Excalibur is doing commentary and constantly bitching about FloSlam's production people and hoping cops shut the show down so he can go home, they have DOORS instead of tables I presume because doors were too expensive, you can't see anything that happens outside of the ring which is great for a falls count anywhere match that spends half the match in the stands. It's amazing.

Doors instead of tables? Wonder if someone will do a doorknob up the ass spot.

[FunSlower]

Huh. I saw that Scott Hall jiff on your tweeter and assumed it was from an ICP movie.

[Trent Dole]

Oh, the door thing. Their crew went to the local hardware store and doors were cheaper than tables, so they bought a bunch of doors!

[nachobro]

Miz is 100% a top guy and has been murdering it for quite a while now. He got that doofus Sandow over which, looking at what Sandow is now, seems almost impossible. His IC title run was easily the most memorable thing to happen to that belt in years. Dude deserves a run with the big title again after the work he's been putting in. Just a few years ago the idea of a Naka/Miz pairing would make me want to vomit but now I'm dying to see it.

I enjoy Bobby Roode but his match with Naka was a dud. They didn't mesh at all. Miz is one of the best guys on the roster now to get someone introduced to the WWE style, the other big one being Jericho.

[archie4208]

Some info on the Superstar Shakeup from Meltzer

spoiler (click to show/hide)

AJ to Raw
New Day to Smackdown

Roman to Smackdown was previously planned, but that got nixed

[close]

[bork]

https://legitshook.squarespace.com/strobogos-wrasslin-potpourri-reviews/2017/3/30/joey-janelas-spring-break

It's so hilariously bad. Excalibur calls the show and makes it hilarious most of the time, though. He has some incredible calls. This show features Scott Hall as a genie, a battle royal called the Clusterfuck that includes the Invisible Man and Glacier, Marty Jannetty vs Joey Janela with a run ins from Earl Hebner and Virgil, Dan Severn in the main event, and like 8 DOORS being broken instead of tables.

(Image removed from quote.) (Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.) (Image removed from quote.)

Was Virgil still wearing an nWo shirt? 

[bork]

"Shakeup" rumors:

-Roman is not moving to SD and staying on Raw.
-AJ Styles is moving to Raw.  Someone "big" will move over to SD to replace him. 
-New Day moving to SD
-Charlotte moving to SD
-Alexa Bliss moving to Raw

And the Vaudevillains are done.  Simon Gotch requested a release.

[FunSlower]

Get rid of Bliss. She's awful. Move her to the unemployment line.

Charlotte on SD is a big deal, lots of fresh matchups there aside from Baggy Lunch. Will be a big deal to see how that shakes out.

I think they need to rebuild Nakamura. Like Nanchoman said earlier, Roode doesn't bring out the best in Nakamura at all and their match felt off or boring, simply because Roode doesn't bring out anything in Nak America. Roode's a fine wrestler, but he doesn't bring anything out of someone like Nakamura.

New Day should be on SD, should be nice. They can get real weird over there.

A shame Styles can't continue to carry SD, but he's THE MAN.

[fistfulofmetal]

Rollins to SD makes sense to me.

[FunSlower]

[nachobro]

Rollins and AJ swapping shows makes sense in the story line, I suppose. Beat up your boss, get booted off the show. Losing AJ will be a huge loss to SD but like Stro said, there's going to be some solid matchups ready to go for him on Raw. It's just bad timing for SD to lose both AJ and Cena. Rollins...uh...well he can't get worse! Probably. Just don't give him another program with Ambrose, please.

Charlotte and New Day on SD would completely change those two divisions in a fantastic way. Hardys can carry the Raw tag division easily and a team people care about like New Day is exactly what the SD tag division needs. Losing Charlotte is a huge blow to Raw but I think Alexa can take her place pretty well. She's small and needs some help in the ring still but her emoting and facials and promos are all excellent imo.

[FunSlower]

WCW had some real interesting shirts

[nachobro]

Just got an email about a bunch of Mid South and older NXT being added to the Network. I'll have to take a look at that Mid South this weekend

[archie4208]

I would highly recommend Okada vs. Shibata from last night's New Japan show.

Probably the 3rd best match I've seen this year.

[FunSlower]

Fucking idiots. Completely against that, and won't watch it based on principle. If you're doing stupid shit just to appear to be a badass, nah. I'm out.

Sure, I might miss the MOTY, but that really is a blemish for me and something I don't want to see. It's different when it's CZW and it's a party of stupidity, but it KNOWS it's stupid.

Fucking stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.

[bork]

Reading that WWE is doing their best to keep the roster switches a big secret this time and that the talent don't know where they're headed, either.  Isn't that how it always is?

Seems to be set that AJ is headed to Raw, though, and that Nakamura will take his place as a top babyface on SD.  Nobody seems to know if Reigns is moving over for sure or not.

And then rumors are that Charlotte AND Sasha are going to SD, with Alexa and someone else (Becky?) taking their place on Raw. 

And wow, people are really coming out now to call JBL a big asshole for his childish behavior and bullying.  Mauro is done with WWE.  I loved Meltzer saying how hypocritical the Be A Star people are, knowing the shit that goes on in the WWE, but keeping their association with them anyway. 

[FunSlower]

Reading that WWE is doing their best to keep the roster switches a big secret this time and that the talent don't know where they're headed, either.  Isn't that how it always is?

Seems to be set that AJ is headed to Raw, though, and that Nakamura will take his place as a top babyface on SD.  Nobody seems to know if Reigns is moving over for sure or not.

And then rumors are that Charlotte AND Sasha are going to SD, with Alexa and someone else (Becky?) taking their place on Raw. 

And wow, people are really coming out now to call JBL a big asshole for his childish behavior and bullying.  Mauro is done with WWE.  I loved Meltzer saying how hypocritical the Be A Star people are, knowing the shit that goes on in the WWE, but keeping their association with them anyway. 

Well Be A Star is a WWE creation, so it's not like it's some serparate charity, so there's nothing they would do besides disappear if WWE wanted to. But I digress.

What sounds like it's set in stone is Charlotte to SD, AJ to Raw, Bliss to Raw, New Day to SD. Which is good, those moves make sense. Roman is undecided as I heard last. They can always bring Roman back to Raw when they want.

From what I hear they keep most of it under wraps hard because they want legitimate reactions from the people drafted or changed, which is dope. I like legit surprise.

I did cancel my Network sub over the Ranallo situation. I don't like his commentary but that shit doesn't matter. Money is the language WWE speaks, and if I gotta let them go, I gotta let them go. I have too much to watch anyway.

[FunSlower]

The thing is, everyone has known about JBL being a piece of shit for 20 years. None of these stories are new or anything. People treating it like saying mean things to a guy with a mental issue is as bad or worse than threatening to rape dudes for years. If Mauro was just a regularly, mentally healthy guy, this would be such a non story, just like all the other times.

Even Dave's reasoning for doing the story was because he saw a handicapped kid get into a fight in 5th grade and didn't do anything about it. So in his mind, he's seeing Mauro as this special kid who can't defend himself, and even then he outright said he didn't blame JBL, but the culture of the company and higher ups. While also calling JBL a gutless coward. And then saying he didn't want to run the story and wasn't going to run it until people basically begged him to because if he didn't no one would, but he was content to not run it for the same reasons Coach will no longer do wrestling segments, yet feels like he has the high ground to talk shit about that for some reason.

It's a bit different because JBL is targeting an announcer. People feel that the wrestlers going after each other, well, that's a little easier.

I won't lie, I feel strongly about this due to the fact that Mauro's got problems, and there shouldn't be a stigma for that. So I'm a little more outspoken of this instead of the time they put donuts in Gallows' ass cheeks and made people eat them down at FCW.

[bork]

Well Be A Star is a WWE creation, so it's not like it's some serparate charity, so there's nothing they would do besides disappear if WWE wanted to. But I digress.

It is?    WTF was Meltzer going on about, then?

The thing is, everyone has known about JBL being a piece of shit for 20 years. None of these stories are new or anything. People treating it like saying mean things to a guy with a mental issue is as bad or worse than threatening to rape dudes for years. If Mauro was just a regularly, mentally healthy guy, this would be such a non story, just like all the other times.

Even Dave's reasoning for doing the story was because he saw a handicapped kid get into a fight in 5th grade and didn't do anything about it. So in his mind, he's seeing Mauro as this special kid who can't defend himself, and even then he outright said he didn't blame JBL, but the culture of the company and higher ups. While also calling JBL a gutless coward. And then saying he didn't want to run the story and wasn't going to run it until people basically begged him to because if he didn't no one would, but he was content to not run it for the same reasons Coach will no longer do wrestling segments, yet feels like he has the high ground to talk shit about that for some reason.

I never heard that story about Justin Roberts' passport being stolen before all this.  That shit is unforgivable (and possibly illegal?).  Amazing that Vince just laughed along with "the boys" too. 

Dave was saying that when you're kids, you tend to just kind of step back and watch stuff happen or even yell "fight!  fight!" but shit like that shouldn't be tolerated with adults. 

If he was ripping on Coach for saying he wouldn't cover wrestling because the guys doing bad shit were his buddies, but then essentially about to do the same thing...that's pretty funny.

[FunSlower]

Well, WWE and Be A Star, there's a great amount of irony there. Probably what Meltzer was meaning. They're not like, an outside group to my knowledge. Now I gotta make sure.

"WWE's anti-bullying initiative"

Yep

[bork]

Well, WWE and Be A Star, there's a great amount of irony there. Probably what Meltzer was meaning. They're not like, an outside group to my knowledge. Now I gotta make sure.

"WWE's anti-bullying initiative"

Yep

 

[FunSlower]

I'm glad Mauro's off TV, but not for the same reasons. I just simply never really heard much of the other instances. Now, this is pretty front and center. Between that and Justin Roberts' book, there's been some light shone on it. It's easy to forget it happens, because we just watch it, we don't live it.

[FunSlower]

that's nice ammo for me when I say he sucks, I guess. It just doesn't really...I dunno, he sucks! Yes, of course. But I don't really feel like it applies at all.

[FunSlower]

He sucks because he sucks, yes. But that goes to show that he doesn't need to be treated with kid gloves because he's bipolar. Dude used to get fucked on opium and valium before mouthing off to Yakuza members and trying double legs on fighters in Japan.

I think that's where we're seeing it differently - I don't see it as kid gloves, I just see someone whose weakness can be exploited, and probably was.

[archie4208]

That entire segment where Braun beat the shit out of Roman.   

[Great Rumbler]

http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/braun-strowman-puts-roman-reigns-onto-stretcher-throws-1794197973

[archie4208]

For once I'm glad Meltzer was wrong.

[seagrams hotsauce]

I'm sorry for drunkenly calling stro a gimmick poster. Been a rough week guys.

[nachobro]

looking over who got moved, goddamn sd did get ransacked. trying to think who can move over from raw. i guess sami, new day, charlotte, rollins or roman, maybe owens and/or jericho? maybe jinder to replace kalisto as the resident jobber? shelton benjamin was cleared too so he can show up to replace the useless curt hawkins.

[archie4208]

Miz, Bray and Ambrose are all boring af.

I'd trade them all for KO.

[bork]

I almost want to believe that Vince held AJ back from going to Raw just to fuck with the Internet.    But who's to say that more people don't go to Raw on SD tonight?

Current list of SD wrasslers who went to Raw:

    Apollo Crews
    The Miz & Maryse
    Dean Ambrose
    Curt Hawkins
    Bray Wyatt
    Kalisto
    Rhyno
    Heath Slater
    Alexa Bliss
    Mickie James

Also Byron Saxton is going to SD and David Otunga is going to Raw on commentary.

I don't know, this whole thing feels kind of weak compared to some of the drafts they had before, but at the same time, we got some other debuts last week with people moving up from NXT and the Hardys returning. 

I missed most of Raw last night but the excitement of previous roster shake-ups was just not there with the way they handled things.  Anyway, I expect Kevin Owens will go to SD and maybe Jericho will too, but Jericho is going to be coming to the end of his current run with the WWE soon so it doesn't matter.

[Take My Breh Away]

That entire segment where Braun beat the shit out of Roman.   

That Revival/New Day Match 

Wilder's Greg Valentine Throwback shirt

[FunSlower]

I won't sleep comfortably until SD is over and AJ is confirmed to stay. I'm ok if he goes though. I have the "seen it before" feeling with AJ/Nak that doesn't make me as hungry as people who have never seen it, so I'm not foaming at the mouth for it.

Lots of surprises last night! Like people giving a shit about Rhyno and Curt Hawkins! I like Rhyno but man he's got a WEIRD body type, for sure. He's like a weird anvil on legs.

Braun's segment was A+, kept looking for the trickery on the ambulance tip but they didn't show their hand too much. Can't find any magic there! Strowman is a treasure for being able to do these ridiculous feats of strength, even if assisted. Just like when Bork ripped that car door off and threw it into the audience. People need to be reminded that these wrasslers can do superhuman feats of strength.

Really surprising moves. Probably the most surprising was Hawkins being given a segment.

SD could be ridiculous here. I'm thinkin' Charlotte still. Maybe Reigns since he's sort of been written out, I have no idea what they're trying to do with him at the moment. I really don't. Maybe they're just building Strowman for Lesnar. It's a tough call. Now I feel like I truly know nothing.

[bork]

They are building up Strowman for Lesnar, but Strowman is on track to have a match with Reigns at Payback first.  But we can see from Bray being moved to Raw, but still talking about Orton, that PPV matches already set up are still going to happen.

[FunSlower]

The perils of a brand split with brand-specific shows where you don't make your roster changes the next day.

[nachobro]

They are building up Strowman for Lesnar, but Strowman is on track to have a match with Reigns at Payback first.  But we can see from Bray being moved to Raw, but still talking about Orton, that PPV matches already set up are still going to happen.

I was reading that the SD title will be defended on Payback, a Raw PPV, since Bray is Raw now.

And Strowman remains awesome. Love seeing crazy shit like that on wrestling!

[Human Snorenado]

I'm not sure what the fucking long term plan for SD's main event scene is, and I know for a fact whoever is booking it had no idea either. Every thing they've done so far this year seems pointless- Have AJ lose to Cena, have Cena drop it in an elimination chamber match, have Wyatt win that match, and then have Bray lose (because of course you have Bray lose, he's Bray) to the human equivalent of a Corona light, Randy Orton. Ok.

[archie4208]

I'd assume Styles vs. Orton in the short term

Then Styles vs. Nakamura in the longer term