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If WM in 2022 really has Vince setting up a match with a celeb commentator with a worked shoot in a youtube podcast and Steve Austin returning to the ring because KO is saying bad things about Texas on twitter

I find it pretty difficult to believe that top guys in all eras weren't fucking off to do their own thing, not sitting around watching everyone's matches all night long.

Imo pushes should be determined based on combine numbers

Joey Styles might be the worst part of ECW tbh. Dude was BRUTAL. I really have no idea how Paul E. was able to convince people that Joey Styles was an amazing announcer and so much better than WWF/WCW guys. I'd 100% rather listen to Bischoff doing commentary than Styles. Damn near everything out of his mouth is cringy smark shit or awful pop culture references. He was basically 1993-1995 Vince but smarky. I love there was always talk even from him about actually knowing and calling the names of moves and he was constantly calling moves the wrong thing and just flat out making up names as he went.

Brian Cage isn't a good hoss, though.

Coffin drop countered with an uppercut that sends Darby out of the arena

MJF's promo was certainly an interesting direction to take that feud. That chop/reverse rana spot was really fucking cool, although not something that would be ridiculous as a regular spot. Speaking of ridiculous, non-wellness policy Buddy. That was the best segment Jericho has been involved in in ages, he also looks to be in the best shape he's been in since the end of his WWE run. Hopefully it improves his ring work or his match with Eddie is kept short and violent. Matt Hardy's continued involvement on TV reminds me of what felt like the never ending, heatless, awful Col. Parker/Sherri angle on Nitro. I would love to see Bianca vs Jade or maybe even better, as a tag team just doing insane power spots and rag dolling women. Crowd was real weird, seemed to just die frequently during matches but were real hot for all the promos. Bryan was mean and fuck. Just an angry mean little man.

Lmao at the "TV deal" being with fucking Rumble. Man if that's true :dead

Control Your Narrative seems like a show that will open like the first ROH show but instead of the CSC, it will be characters talking about being vaccinated

Eddie/Dean series in ECW is dry and boring as hell for sure. They have much better and entertaining work against each other in WCW than they ever did in ECW, where 30 minutes of chain wrestling was sold to the mutants as incredible workrate that only true smart fans appreciate so if you want to be a smart fan, you have to love this. And it worked because Paul E. had that sway to convince those fans of just about anything being great.

I would say a bigger problem than people being unable to get over organically is that people will get over exactly how WWE intends, and then they're inexplicably kneecapped and never recover. It's really not that WWE can't create new stars or that talent can't get over, it's that WWE intentionally sabotages their own talent. And often then punishes them for it.

I'm wondering what is gained from whoever wins Brock vs Roman? Both are long established completely dominant forces who have run through the entire roster twice over, including each other, with heel and face role being swapped as well Neither can possibly be elevated any higher by defeating the other Both will never be in anything but the title scene, so either dropping the title to the other means nothing because they'll just win the title back Brock being the one to end Roman's record breaking streak would be lol as hell Roman beating Brock again really does nothing for him at this stage either. He already has the most dominant reign in 35 years, he's already beaten Brock in this reign, he's completely dominated the entire roster top to bottom, including returning legends. I would argue that anyone beating Brock doesn't mean anything because the next time Brock pops up, he wins the title every time anyway. They've really gone out of their way to make everyone look completely unimportant to make Brock and Roman look as dominant as possible, yet there's no outcome where either guy actually gets anything out of a win or a loss. It does not appear there is anyone on the backburner to be elevated to take the title from either guy, if the plans are to do Rock vs Roman next year....well then what there, too? Have 50 year old Rock be the one to end Roman's 2 year title reign? Have Roman smash another legend and continue the reign?

Playing with house money is a weirdly specific phrase to use 5 times on a show

White-O vs Bryan would be a delight in smug dickhead heeling

I guess I'm just tired of LOOK AT ME I'M SELLING, PSYCHOLOGY!!! stuff that doesn't actually mean shit in the match and doesn't impact moves or spots in anyway other than a pause to wince and telegraph a kick out after a finisher.

I just find it lazy. If you're going to do a whole match around limb work but none of it impacts the rest of the match, why even bother? Just do your spots without making me feel like you're wasting my time. There's near endless creativity when it comes to move set ups and sequences, but so rarely will people just do something as simple as not hit their big moves or modify them or just hit some other random thing that makes more sense in the moment. But again, that's about as old as time in pro wrestling, it's just something that has been annoying me more as I get older.

It's one of my biggest pet peeves in wrestling today, although it's been prevalent since at least the 50s and by many of the greats in all eras. If you're going to have a match structured around limb work to prevent key moves from being done, at least have the tact to do modified versions. You don't have to do your spots or signature moves in every match. It's okay to use random moves that you might never use again when it makes more sense in the match you're working than doing your big move but wincing or limping before/during/after. Dudes want to get so creative with moves and sequences but not structure.

I think Cody played himself. He should have seen being able to bring Bryan and Punk in as a benefit for everyone instead of as a threat to him. I'm sure he'll secure the bag with WWE, but he's going to be working a lot more and be miserable. AEW would almost assuredly not exist without Cody spearheading All In, so that he saw things in terms of "am I the top fucking guy or not" instead of looking at the bigger picture of the growth of the company is showing the whole thing was an ego thing for him from the start. For a guy who is young but talks about "legacy" all the fucking time, he's not painting himself in a great light jumping back to WWE after not getting paid the most of anyone in the company.

Not a fan of that finish. Also not a fan of doing leg work the whole match but Sammy still hit all of his jumpy, flippy, and knee strike based offense anyway. That's not really a criticism of Sammy as much as the idea of what psychology is in most of wrestling. People don't have the courage to not do their signature spots.

Can't imagine Eddie vs Jericho would be a good match unless it's a very short brawl that ends in a KO shot or something

Keith Lee, Wardlow in the ladder match, Hobbs in a qualifier, would be pretty rad if they do a hoss battle ladder match. I'm not really sure what other big meaty men are on the roster off the top of my head, but they should just put them all in there.

I think this is the first time Jericho hasn't looked like a bloated middle aged drunk in 4-5 years now

Once it was pointed out to me, Adam Cole's verbal tic is driving me insane

You know what this show is really missing? Cody Rhodes.

Brandi is definitely not good in the ring at all and it seems like promotors never wanted to just tell her that due to her being a package deal with Cody. I think she does have value as an on screen character, but in ring it's like if Stephanie McMahon decided she was going to be a full time in ring talent. Anyway, I feel like a Cody return to WWE is going to be 2 months of decent booking and big matches and as soon as the hype of the jump from AEW dies down, he'll be a slightly better booked Bobby Roode for the rest of his run.