Didn't see a thread for this week, so here you go.

 

Raw was okay this week, main event match/angle was really great IMO. Has the evil foreign menace ever got such a huge pop for beating up the supposed babyface like Rusev got? I keep going back and forth between feeling bad for Roman and feeling schadenfreude for WWE. He deserves a better fate but the company was so stubborn it's hard to not just say they fucking deserve to have this blow up in their faces. Also Rusev is the greatest.

Opening segment on Smackdown with Cena, Styles and Ambrose was cool

JAMES ELLSWORTH!!!!

Did I miss Curt Hawkins' debut?

Ambrose getting booed for laying out Cena? In Philly? Are my ears deceiving me?

Corbin and Bliss were both great on Talking Smack. The show serves so many purposes. Folks who need a bit more talking experience and this show get it, like Bliss and Corbin, and others get a chance to show their tweaked characters or just give great promos and interviews.

 

It's basically Caudle pointing a mic at a guy and then a promo for modern pro wrestling, and SD is the show that needs that.

Curt Hawkins getting a Chuck Norris Facts gimmick like a decade+ later.

Swagger left Raw....no on cared.

 

Swagger debuted on Smackdown...no one cared.

 

Swagger has been jobbed out and made to be less-than-important on a ton of occasions, I am not sure why WWE booked his entrance into Smackdown as if it was some game changer on even the smallest level. Smackdown's roster is 'fine' all the way up until the mainevent. In that area its a little thin and someone like Swagger would be a nice addition, but its too early to tell. This all might just be business as usual as Swagger jobs out to Corbin, The Miz, and eventually gets in a 'Best of 7' series with Ziggler to prove who is the better college wrestler or some shit.

 

There are some people who honestly just need to ask for a release and go to Japan, TNA, ROH, and the indies for 2-3 years and Jack Swagger is one of them. I have seen glimpses of how great he can be and I honestly feel that in any other environment, he would be seen as a big deal and have legit MOTYC. All this is coming from a guy who is NOT a huge Swagger fan, just a guy who knows what opportunities are lost.

I do watch the C-Shows so I'm at least interested to see what they can do with Swagger vs. Corbin. Their Superstars/Main Event matches were a blast.

There are some people who honestly just need to ask for a release and go to Japan, TNA, ROH, and the indies for 2-3 years and Jack Swagger is one of them. I have seen glimpses of how great he can be and I honestly feel that in any other environment, he would be seen as a big deal and have legit MOTYC. All this is coming from a guy who is NOT a huge Swagger fan, just a guy who knows what opportunities are lost.

It's all well good to say someone should leave WWE for a chance to have better matches but wrestling is still a business. A smart wrestler's #1 priority should be to make the most money he can before his body gives out. Is a guy like Swagger really going to be able to make more money working indies than he can in WWE? I seriously doubt it. I don't think it's really a sure thing that New Japan would pick him up either and even if they did I still doubt he'd make more money there.

 

Del Rio was very much in demand when he left WWE last time and by all accounts he was making good money working in a bunch of different places. And yet he still went back to WWE when they wanted him to because that's where the most money is to be made. And I don't think Swagger is going to be nearly as in demand if he leaves WWE as Del Rio was the last time around.

I wish they'd come up with the idea to move him sooner because while I do like the Slater-Rhyno tag team, I think Slater and Swagger would be even better.

Bryan gave another interview echoing his desire to wrestle again and basically admitting the only reason he came back as GM is because he was contractually obligated. WWE actually sent out a press release saying that they aren't allowing him to wrestle for his best interest. At this point he clearly doesn't want to be there and doesn't give a shit about his on screen role. I doubt WWE would release him but clearly that's what he wants. And he's a big part of Total Bellas so that adds on to the whole deal

I don't think this is the case, but I will point out that if this was an angle building to his return, this is exactly how WWE would want him to act when interviewed. Likewise, this is exactly how they wouldn't want him to act if there was no return coming.

Or maybe WWE are just giant dicks in putting him in an angle that allows a heel to troll him about him not being able to work anymore. I would be amazed if, after all of this, Bryan was cleared by WWE again. So, it's pretty puzzling.

I don't expect it either. But Bryan talking about it publicly like this is sort of out of character for him, and honestly on the unprofessional side. That's why I wouldn't be surprised if there is at least some level of working here.

Bryan's been like that on interviews for years though. He's always saying stuff WWE wouldn't want their talent to say or revealing details that don't always make the company look good.

 

I don't see him asking for his release again nor WWE granting him it even if he did. I don't think his "forced" retirement will lead to anything until his contract expires in 2018.

Watched a bit of Smackdown last night. Have they regularly been chopping up the main events that badly with commercials? Cutting the beginning and then also putting a long one in the body of the match seemed excessive.

Watched a bit of Smackdown last night. Have they regularly been chopping up the main events that badly with commercials? Cutting the beginning and then also putting a long one in the body of the match seemed excessive.

 

Last night was unusual. Almost as though they were afraid to give us the full match. Hasn't been the case week in and week out.

I don't expect it either. But Bryan talking about it publicly like this is sort of out of character for him, and honestly on the unprofessional side. That's why I wouldn't be surprised if there is at least some level of working here.

 

Bryan comes off as a guy incapable of not telling the truth when asked, and people keep asking him if he wants to return so I could see that aspect, It does make the WWE come off looking like complete dickbags to keep a guy who clearly wants to wrestle again in a featured role with a guy calling him a coward for not wrestling again, so who knows what the end game is.

 

Surely they don't put him back in the ring even in a Bret Hart post-stroke capacity with all the head injury litigation, and having him come back just to have a proxy fight for him seems like a letdown based on how they are building.

I don't expect it either. But Bryan talking about it publicly like this is sort of out of character for him, and honestly on the unprofessional side. That's why I wouldn't be surprised if there is at least some level of working here.

Doesn't really seem out of character or unprofessional.

Both No Mercy (Smackdown PPV) and an NXT house show are coming to Sacramento in October. I bought a ticket to both. A decent seat for NXT costs as much as a cheap seat for the PPV. I'm going to have a blast at both.

Timbo, Dylan and I are also going to that Sac NXT!

Man, this section of the forum is completely dead lately.

The WWE product is usually in a dead zone between September-December. It feels especially so this year despite the split. I think Hunter is going to return at the PPV Sunday which should ignite more discussion, positive or negative

Man, this section of the forum is completely dead lately.

The shows have been pretty great for the most part. So obviously no one wants to talk about it.