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@RedwoodOriginal Apparently John Cena is in touch with Max Caster, he reached out to compliment him and also if he needed help etc

Have you also read about Dijak getting the best piece of advice he has ever had in wrestling from Punk who calmed him down after he got hurt from some botched spot; what a cancer you are Phil!
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I am glad they are doing the KOTR tournament with some kind of seriousness this time. It used to be such a staple of WWE and a great way to elevate wrestlers. But it has been treated as a joke ever ever since it was brought back. I think the last good one was probably the 2002 KOTR which included the legendary Brock Lesnar v Test match.

Gunther has to win this tournament in my opinion. If not him then LA Knight. But I guess I'm even more excited about the prospect of seeing Ilja Dragunov v Gunther on RAW. They have done a good job with the brackets with some really interesting potential match-ups for the next rounds. And I heard that Gunther/Sheamus and Ilja/Ricochet already put on two bangers tonight.
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RAW feels more like a house show then an episode of Live TV, I don’t mind the good wrestling on offer but…………
 
shaz619 said:
@TeymurBlake @MK7Z Did you guys watch Backlash live in the UK then?

Another heads up if you’ve cancelled the Network.

Join on the 24th or 25th of May, this way you get the following live PPV’s during normal evening hours:

25th May - Saudi Arabia PPV
June 15th - Clash At The Castle Scotland

That way another two events for 9.99 and makes more sense for us, I personally will only join when I can watch during normal hours unless on rare occasions.

In between the two above events, there’s NXT Battleground to but that’s going to air live from Las Vegas (UFC Apex)
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Thanks, good shout. I will put a reminder in. Might have a look at the tickets for Clash at the Castle

I managed to watch Backlash and the crowd was the standout. I didnt expect any title changes barring ones nobody cares about like the womens tag titles.

Thought Uso had a decent performance. New Bloodline guy botching his big arrival with the ref was hilarious, that match was decent to. Randy and KO are funny.

Think the build up is Roman returning as a good guy.

Cody vs AJ was a good watch. Both good performers.
 
What do you guys think of Jey Uso?

His whole gimmick is great. Entrance, attire and unique mic skills.

But in ring apart from being a great seller I don't think I've seen anyone with a less limited move set.
Bizzarely I like the guy but just consists of splashes super kicks and spears. Oh and a suicide dive.

Interested to know what you guys think.
 
shaz619 said:
@TeymurBlake @MK7Z Did you guys watch Backlash live in the UK then?

Another heads up if you’ve cancelled the Network.

Join on the 24th or 25th of May, this way you get the following live PPV’s during normal evening hours:

25th May - Saudi Arabia PPV
June 15th - Clash At The Castle Scotland

That way another two events for 9.99 and makes more sense for us, I personally will only join when I can watch during normal hours unless on rare occasions.

In between the two above events, there’s NXT Battleground to but that’s going to air live from Las Vegas (UFC Apex)
Click to expand...
I actually joined the WWE Network in anticipation of Backlash but also the summer ppv's.
 
Seeing the kind of pull CM Punk possesses for the crowds just by showing up, it's still baffling to see how AEW let him go.
Not many people get the fans talking like he does. He is one of the many antique wrestlers 1977-80 gave birth to. Cena, Randy, Brock, Punk, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles The 6 unique one man shows all totally different to each other.
 
MK7Z said:
What do you guys think of Jey Uso?

His whole gimmick is great. Entrance, attire and unique mic skills.

But in ring apart from being a great seller I don't think I've seen anyone with a less limited move set.
Bizzarely I like the guy but just consists of splashes super kicks and spears. Oh and a suicide dive.

Interested to know what you guys think.
Click to expand...
He isn't really a singles wrestler IMO even though he has exceeded expectations in terms of getting over as a singles guy. His character work is great. Even his in ring work is character based. The sad part is he was only raised to be a tag wrestler. That's the life he he's lived. He still hasn't adjusted to becoming the singles wrestler people expect him to be. He has gotten away for his lack of coherent skills in singles competition by being involved with imaginative guys like Roman, Sami, Cody etc. He was given a chance to be the match caller at Mania and he failed miserably there even with his best dance partner. His acting and selling is great though. He probably has a higher ceiling than Jimmy.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
He isn't really a singles wrestler IMO even though he has exceeded expectations in terms of getting over as a singles guy. His character work is great. Even his in ring work is character based. The sad part is he was only raised to be a tag wrestler. That's the life he he's lived. He still hasn't adjusted to becoming the singles wrestler people expect him to be. He has gotten away for his lack of coherent skills in singles competition by being involved with imaginative guys like Roman, Sami, Cody etc. He was given a chance to be the match caller at Mania and he failed miserably there even with his best dance partner. His acting and selling is great though. He probably has a higher ceiling than Jimmy.
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Saying that, I still believe The Usos are amongst the best tag teams of all time.
 
MK7Z said:
What do you guys think of Jey Uso?

His whole gimmick is great. Entrance, attire and unique mic skills.

But in ring apart from being a great seller I don't think I've seen anyone with a less limited move set.
Bizzarely I like the guy but just consists of splashes super kicks and spears. Oh and a suicide dive.

Interested to know what you guys think.
Click to expand...

I’ve been more tolerable of Jey compared to others because I’ve seen what he is capable off when he was first given a main event run, his attitude is not great and his mentality is that of a mid-carder which is a major problem which prevents him from making a few adjustments, you don’t need to do a whole lot in this era to get over with the fans in the ring. With that being said, he has been a big part of why the bloodline saga has been so successful and working with someone like Heyman has helped him maximise his strengths and draw money as a character, fundamentally that has more legs in the long run.
 
MK7Z said:
What do you guys think of Jey Uso?

His whole gimmick is great. Entrance, attire and unique mic skills.

But in ring apart from being a great seller I don't think I've seen anyone with a less limited move set.
Bizzarely I like the guy but just consists of splashes super kicks and spears. Oh and a suicide dive.

Interested to know what you guys think.
Click to expand...
I think he's an absolutely terrible singles wrestler. I wouldn't even call him a great seller. Credit to him for getting over. He certainly has personality and he's very over with the crowd. But m not a fan of his matches. On SmackDown or RAW the kind of matches he's wrestling can get lost in the shuffle, but there's no hiding on PPV.
 

Raw Results: May 6, 2024​

  • Jey Uso def. Finn Bálor in a King of the Ring Tournament Match
  • IYO SKY def. Natalya in a Queen of the Ring Tournament Match
  • Ilja Dragunov def. Ricochet in a King of the Ring Tournament Match
  • Zoey Stark def. Ivy Nile in a Queen of the Ring Tournament Match
  • Lyra Valkyria def. Dakota Kai in a Queen of the Ring Tournament Match
  • Gunther def. Sheamus in a King of the Ring Tournament Match
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I think he's an absolutely terrible singles wrestler. I wouldn't even call him a great seller. Credit to him for getting over. He certainly has personality and he's very over with the crowd. But m not a fan of his matches. On SmackDown or RAW the kind of matches he's wrestling can get lost in the shuffle, but there's no hiding on PPV.
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I reckon a Uso reunion is on the cards
 
shaz619 said:
@RedwoodOriginal Apparently John Cena is in touch with Max Caster, he reached out to compliment him and also if he needed help etc

Have you also read about Dijak getting the best piece of advice he has ever had in wrestling from Punk who calmed him down after he got hurt from some botched spot; what a cancer you are Phil!
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That doesn't surprise me. Cena is a class act. I think Cena maybe sees a little bit of his young self in Caster, because that's how he got over too. And Caster has something. He may not have found it yet, but he has the mic skills, is quick-witted and has a pretty good look too. If he learns to work and evolve as a personality then I don't see how he can't be a star.

Lol what a cancer this Phil. You can just tell what a toxic place he is making the locker-room. Speaking of which, did you see the video of Punk wandering around in Titan towers after being locked in a bathroom lol? :ROFLMAO:


Glad to see he's having fun.
 
MK7Z said:
I reckon a Uso reunion is on the cards
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i don't know about that just yet. WWE have invested alot of time in Jey. They won't give up on him unless he shows no signs of improvement and loses popularity. Hate to say it, but Jimmy may be destined to be a jobber after the whole Bloodline saga concludes.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Seeing the kind of pull CM Punk possesses for the crowds just by showing up, it's still baffling to see how AEW let him go.
Not many people get the fans talking like he does. He is one of the many antique wrestlers 1977-80 gave birth to. Cena, Randy, Brock, Punk, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles The 6 unique one man shows all totally different to each other.
Click to expand...
He's in a league of his own in the modern age. No one is capable of drawing more eyeballs and interest than him. But even more than that, its the stuff he is involved in. It always makes sense, and its always compelling.
 
shaz619 said:
@RedwoodOriginal Agree on the S&M, homo Taker and whatever else they propagate, can we have a serious WHC for once, Hunter would never present himself like this, why does he give these lot a free hand especially with the belt he held for a while? Rhea made it her thing but it doesn’t work for anyone else. They also need to have Priest distance himself from those two jobbers (Balor and JD).
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I like Finn Balor...I think he's pretty good. And I think they probably need to book Finn a bit better if they want his and Priest's eventual feud to mean anything. But you're right. Priest can only become a star once he leaves Judgement Day. They've been teasing it in some way for a pretty long time so I just hope they don't wait too long. Because I feel like that is a pretty defining feature of H's booking. Not striking when the iron is hot.
 
Ilja Dragunov is one heck of a talent. I haven't seen that much of him but what I have seen gives me the same impression as I get from Gunther. That this is someone who feels real and could have been successful in any era of professional wrestling. Because everything he does is rooted in fundamental pro-wrestling ideas and concepts. Even the moves are about as textbook as you can get.

Where Gunther is the classical heel, Dragunov is the classical babyface and my god what a seller this guy is. He is so unique and different from every other babyface. For one thing, his facials are just insane sometimes lol. And good god can he take a beating. I can easily see him being the next great Intercontinental Champion relatively soon. But for now, i just want Gunther vs. Dragunov on RAW commercial free.
 
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RedwoodOriginal said:
He's in a league of his own in the modern age. No one is capable of drawing more eyeballs and interest than him. But even more than that, its the stuff he is involved in. It always makes sense, and its always compelling.
Click to expand...
I won't say he's the biggest draw. All 6 i mentioned are in a league of their own. Cena was the biggest documented draw out of them. Brock doesn't need to do anything to pull crowds, orton is the most complete, aj the best worker etc etc. All 6 can't be compared IMO as they all offer something different and are best exponents of what they offer.
Yes punk has this ability to fire up the crowd and garner interest which had been lacking in wwe for years. Without even wrestling a single match, he's easily become the second must watch thing in wwe apart from the bloodline saga (which has taken the most effort and input)
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Ilja Dragunov is one heck of a talent. I haven't seen that much of him but what I have seen gives me the same impression as I get from Gunther. That this is someone who feels real and could have been successful in any era of professional wrestling. Because everything he does is rooted in fundamental pro-wrestling ideas and concepts. Even the moves are about as textbook as you can get.

Where Gunther is the classical heel, Dragunov is the classical babyface and my god what a seller this guy is. He is so unique and different from every other babyface. For one thing, his facials are just insane sometimes lol. And good god can he take a beating. I can easily see him being the next great Intercontinental Champion relatively soon. But for now, i just want Gunther vs. Dragunov on RAW commercial free.
Click to expand...
BOTH are brilliant in their style of wrestling and gunther is the best to appeal to casual viewers for this style.
One thing i'll say Randy wouldn't like working with either. He said a few years ago how he hates the new age philosophy of hurting each other to make it feel real. He said he prefers not hurting him or his opponent the way to be which majority of modern wrestlers and indie guys don't really understand
 
BunnyRabbit said:
I won't say he's the biggest draw. All 6 i mentioned are in a league of their own. Cena was the biggest documented draw out of them. Brock doesn't need to do anything to pull crowds, orton is the most complete, aj the best worker etc etc. All 6 can't be compared IMO as they all offer something different and are best exponents of what they offer.
Yes punk has this ability to fire up the crowd and garner interest which had been lacking in wwe for years. Without even wrestling a single match, he's easily become the second must watch thing in wwe apart from the bloodline saga (which has taken the most effort and input)
Click to expand...
I'm talking about right now. And all due respect to the others. But they don't have the same ability on the mic as CM Punk.
 
Suleiman said:
Feels good to be excited for smack down/ raw every week again.
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Yes but they haven't done well enough of a follow up considering the momentum they garnered at Mania. Feels like without Roman and Dwayne's presence and input, their plans aren't that interesting. 2006 post mania was one of the best post mania feel good times with cena and batista both getting off flyers. Cody's promos and angles since them apart from that one segment against aj and the eventual match have been meh.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I'm talking about right now. And all due respect to the others. But they don't have the same ability on the mic as CM Punk.
Click to expand...
Hmm respect your opinion. Still think all of them offer something different.
Punk Drew feud has been awesome especially considering the fact that both are injured lol. I am looking forward to the match. Drew has superceded Seth quite easily.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Yes but they haven't done well enough of a follow up considering the momentum they garnered at Mania. Feels like without Roman and Dwayne's presence and input, their plans aren't that interesting. 2006 post mania was one of the best post mania feel good times with cena and batista both getting off flyers. Cody's promos and angles since them apart from that one segment against aj and the eventual match have been meh.
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They probably have to turn him heel sooner than they planned because it’s the same promo every week

He hinted at LA Knight post backlash. If that match happens I 100% believe the crowd will turn on Cody.
 
I don't know what's funnier; CM Punk referencing choking Jack Perry on RAW, or that joke going down flatter than a punctured tire with that live crowd.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I like Finn Balor...I think he's pretty good. And I think they probably need to book Finn a bit better if they want his and Priest's eventual feud to mean anything. But you're right. Priest can only become a star once he leaves Judgement Day. They've been teasing it in some way for a pretty long time so I just hope they don't wait too long. Because I feel like that is a pretty defining feature of H's booking. Not striking when the iron is hot.
Click to expand...
Finn is a big fan of priest. He elevated him in Nxt as well. He'll put him over on main roster as well. Finn's best ability is to make his opponents look great. Kross's 2 best matches in wwe were against balor in nxt and he made him look a million bucks there (do watch his rematch with kross at nxt taping not the takeover one).
 
Suleiman said:
They probably have to turn him heel sooner than they planned because it’s the same promo every week

He hinted at LA Knight post backlash. If that match happens I 100% believe the crowd will turn on Cody.
Click to expand...
And cody would do all he can to not turn heel. That was one reason he left aew as well. But wwe's crowd is different to aews. He'll get a longer rope here. But he definitely needs better material and feuds. Dwayne's not here to get good heat on him now.
As good as La knight is on the mic, i never want to watch his matches. They are so meh. He's a bit like jbl in the ring.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I don't know what's funnier; CM Punk referencing choking Jack Perry on RAW, or that joke going down flatter than a punctured tire with that live crowd.
Click to expand...
He referenced randomly punching people backstage during his early promos on return too and that one fell flat with the crowd too. 😅😅
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Hmm respect your opinion. Still think all of them offer something different.
Punk Drew feud has been awesome especially considering the fact that both are injured lol. I am looking forward to the match. Drew has superceded Seth quite easily.
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They are good in their own right. But Punk functions on a different level. In this era, there's no one that even comes close or sounds as real. And his AEW run is actually the biggest reflection of that.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
i don't know about that just yet. WWE have invested alot of time in Jey. They won't give up on him unless he shows no signs of improvement and loses popularity. Hate to say it, but Jimmy may be destined to be a jobber after the whole Bloodline saga concludes.
Click to expand...
I think usos reunion is on the cards later this year.
I think it has flown under the radar but Jimmy's mic work since turning heel on jey has been awesome. Especially since his character has to be that cocky overconfident.
 
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RedwoodOriginal said:
They are good in their own right. But Punk functions on a different level. In this era, there's no one that even comes close or sounds as real. And his AEW run is actually the biggest reflection of that.
Click to expand...
Yes but his body's been giving up on him. Way too many injuries since winning aew title. I hope he remains injury free now.
 
Suleiman said:
They probably have to turn him heel sooner than they planned because it’s the same promo every week

He hinted at LA Knight post backlash. If that match happens I 100% believe the crowd will turn on Cody.
Click to expand...
That would be really stupid booking though even if they don't turn Cody. That's the kind of mark booking Tony Khan is known for.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I'm talking more about his promo ability.
Click to expand...

If that’s all he had, still well ahead off 90% of the roster. There are bums like Balor who can work in the ring but the vanilla midget is a charisma vacuum. Many people can ‘work’ the modern style, Punk has been big business without even getting out of 1st gear
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Ilja Dragunov is one heck of a talent. I haven't seen that much of him but what I have seen gives me the same impression as I get from Gunther. That this is someone who feels real and could have been successful in any era of professional wrestling. Because everything he does is rooted in fundamental pro-wrestling ideas and concepts. Even the moves are about as textbook as you can get.

Where Gunther is the classical heel, Dragunov is the classical babyface and my god what a seller this guy is. He is so unique and different from every other babyface. For one thing, his facials are just insane sometimes lol. And good god can he take a beating. I can easily see him being the next great Intercontinental Champion relatively soon. But for now, i just want Gunther vs. Dragunov on RAW commercial free.
Click to expand...

Problem is he’s a weak promo from what I’ve seen but maybe he can get better, his work is great, no doubt he can be an addition to mid to upper mid card.

Everybody and their dog is more over then the midget Balor.
 
shaz619 said:
If that’s all he had, still well ahead off 90% of the roster. There are bums like Balor who can work in the ring but the vanilla midget is a charisma vacuum. Many people can ‘work’ the modern style, Punk has been big business without even getting out of 1st gear
Click to expand...
Yeah but despite not being anywhere near as good as AJ or Bryan in the ring (who are roughly in the same age group), Punk's matches are must-see because he's a great worker. He understands in-ring psychology so well and is so great at telling a story, that it doesn't matter if he's having a 9 star match or not.
 
shaz619 said:
Problem is he’s a weak promo from what I’ve seen but maybe he can get better, his work is great, no doubt he can be an addition to mid to upper mid card.

Everybody and their dog is more over then the midget Balor.
Click to expand...
His entire presentation is very stripped-down. And the same goes for his promos. Some people have spoken positively about his run as NXT Champion though I've seen not seen any of it to know. Let's see how he progresses now that he's in the big leagues. Definitely has all the tools to be a great underdog babyface in the ring.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Yeah but despite not being anywhere near as good as AJ or Bryan in the ring (who are roughly in the same age group), Punk's matches are must-see because he's a great worker. He understands in-ring psychology so well and is so great at telling a story, that it doesn't matter if he's having a 9 star match or not.
Click to expand...

I disagree personally, Punk is on a similar wave length as those guys in the ring in my opinion, his style is just different and relies more on his ring generalship as you say which is a special asset to have. Punk got better and better once leaving ROH, fined tuned his ring IQ and his work was a lot more creative without some of the high spots which he previously relied on.
 
shaz619 said:
I disagree personally, Punk is on a similar wave length as those guys in the ring in my opinion, his style is just different and relies more on his ring generalship as you say which is a special asset to have. Punk got better and better once leaving ROH, fined tuned his ring IQ and his work was a lot more creative without some of the high spots which he previously relied on.
Click to expand...
I'm talking pure wrestling ability...especially at this point of his career. Not his ability to work or his in-ring psychology, which I feel is on another level. I dunno if we are talking about the same things or not.
 
Punk imo is criminally underrated in the ring, he’s a throwback and just gets it, his timing is impeccable, his spots are like poetry in motion, everything is so fluid and done well, he’s a master at using his opponents best strengths and meshing them with his ability to tell a story in the ring, and finding ways to do the most basic moves in a creative fashion. You go back to ALL IN, against Joe, that famous Rana reversal spot, instead of being done on the ring barricade he went under the ring announcer’s table, these spots live in the mind a lot longer compared to what other’s do. Or that flying knee on Lesnar, taking that RKO off the springboard, reversing Taker’s old school into the GTS, Taker taking the GTS but coming back running with a Tombstone, the finishing stretch of Punk/Cena @ MITB there’s just too many moments for me to list.

If you also consider the common opponents which AJ/Bryan/Punk had, especially the big names such as Orton, Cena, Lesnar and Taker; Punk for me had the more memorable matches against these guys imo.

And as for the present, if you mean right now @RedwoodOriginal , then I think when healthy he is right up there going off his work in AEW alone, he was never a spots guy
 
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