Taker is also the ultimate WWE babyface though. I mean who else is that universally loved by the boys and the fans? and who has been so deeply associated with the brand for so long. You would be hard pressed to find someone who hates Taker...the guy is almost a mythical figure in terms of the respect he commands.
Reigns has solidified him as one of the greatest of the modern era with this run. It has been nothing short of incredible right up to the ending. Its amazing to think of when it started four years ago! We were in the damn pandemic and this caught everyone's attention. I knew they were cooking though the moment they showed Paul Heyman sitting with Roman Reigns. And four years on, you can't say that they didn't deliver. What a pay-off and what a run, like you said, hard to think of a single bad promo or segment. Even the matches that weren't good had a story behind them. It was all building to something. I know we live in an era where the WWE brand is so strong and essentially 'too big to fail' that the talk of certain wrestlers being draws has dissipated....the move away from the PPV model might have something to do about that too. But I think people should make no mistake about the fact that these arenas being sold out and this business being what it is has everything to do with Roman Reigns and the interest and buzz he has generated in the product as the face of the company of the past four years.
Gunther has really made the IC Championship mean something, which was needed for this it be as good as it was. It was the perfect underdog story, told to perfection. It was also the best wrestling match on both nights of WrestleMania. He may not be the World Champion but in 2024, Sami is one of the biggest babyfaces in the wrestling business doing some of the best work of his career. Not only has he main-evented Mania but for two years in a row he has had a magical Mania. Hopefully a World title run is just around the corner as well.
This skum tried to get this beautiful man cancelled, but they failed; and thankfully, WWE didn’t buckle towards them. Two years running and huge wins on the flag ship event, the whole set up and pay off was done so well, and going over Gunther clean is special, I loved the match and it felt like Wrestlemania came alive, it’s ultimately about raw emotion and they pulled it off there. That Sami Zayn entrance wasto.
I think there are always matches on WrestleMania that feel like TV matches. Even if you go back and look at some of the greatest WrestleMania cards of all-time you will find a few 8-10 minute matches that are just there to get certain top or midcard guys on the Mania card. Personally I don't have a problem with that. Not every match is going to be a 20 minute classic and neither should it be.
I don't remember exactly what you said but I think we talked about this when Sami lost to Roman at Elimination Chamber last year. As a babyface, Sami Zayn is 100x more relatable to the average person. He's a French-Canadian Muslim of Syrian origin who despite his height and good physique does not look physically impressive. You could very easily mistake him for an average person who walked off the street. And yet he has found success because despite the lack of cosmetic have nots, he is an incredible in-ring talent, a great seller, a passionate promo and someone who can extract so much genuine emotion from the crowd.
This was embarrassing and humiliating for AEW. And the funniest thing is that their own owner did it to them. Very rarely do you get something that gets as universally destroyed as this was. The fans, the dirt sheet writers, the idiots and the smart ones all seemed to come together and unite on this one.
Vince Russo is the funniest one. Because no one comes close to him as the biggest idiot in wrestling. And even he, thought this was a bad idea.
I think you will be among a few who will get this:
This was embarrassing and humiliating for AEW. And the funniest thing is that their own owner did it to them. Very rarely do you get something that gets as universally destroyed as this was. The fans, the dirt sheet writers, the idiots and the smart ones all seemed to come together and unite on this one.
What can I even say that you haven't already? It was without a doubt the most cringeworthy thing I have ever seen on an AEW show and I've seen every episode of Dynamite. So just think about the territory that covers. It was pathetic to see the Young Bucks desperately trying to justify showing the video by connecting it to an angle. Which btw made absolutely zero sense in storyline. So because your friend (a midcard guy who means nothing on the card) got beat up in the back at the start of the show, you guys couldn't win your match? Eventhough the guy who beat up your friend had been ejected from the building hours earlier? Well, that makes you guys just about the biggest bunch of mentally weak b*tches walking around the AEW locker-room.
All this was, was a way for the Bucks to take their usual brand of passive aggressive potshots at Punk. it was a few levels above making fun of Punk's failed Buckshot Lariat in Chicago (when he was injured) or having Colt Cabana wrestle a match against Jericho on Dynamite, because its not like they have the guts to say anything directly or god forbid throw a punch. But rarely has one of their passive aggressive potshots been this detrimental to the company. And I don't blame them for this segment at all even if they did 100% of the convincing and were the ones who came up with this idea. I blame the idiot who was gullible enough and all to willing to bury his own company. And for what? A little bump in ratings for one week? It's not like CM Punk is going to be there next week lol.
It was so desperate and cringeworthy. It exposed AEW so badly. I mean who sad and pathetic is it that your own fans are chanting the name of the guy who they just saw beat up one of the wrestlers that is still on the roster. And whatever was left of Perry has been destroyed too. I mean I can't even imagine a bigger and more funnier burial. He can't even use the real life stuff to talk s**t because everyone has seen what happened
I am sad that La Knight never got capitalized on. He had WWE in the palms of his hands for months, and even now despite his hype having died down a bit.
I wouldn't give hope on LA Knight just yet. Remember we are in the Triple H era of booking now. Which means that if a guy gets over today, he will get a proper push one year from now. HHH's style of booking has alot of positives and elements that I like. But the glacial pace at which he goes about elevating guys can be deeply frustrating as a fan. Remember, Knight started getting over at the end of 2022 when he was thrown in as fodder for Bray Wyatt.
I think both things are true. Yes, fans want edgy characters that are cool and feel real. But the white meat babyface is a character that Americans will never get tired of. The people you are speaking of are the younger people and the millennials. A massive portion of the WWE audience also happen to be kids from the ages of 5 to 16 who look up to a Cena or a Cody. They wanna buy the action figures, bedsheets, bobble heads and whatever else garbage WWE is churning out. We witnessed a shift in the 90s too with the nWo and Austin. But then what happened after that? We got the John Cena era. Yeah, guys like Edge and Punk were able to be successful but the company was built around one guy. The white meat babyface is something that a large majority of white Americans just love to see.
I think Rene Dupree would disagree with you here.
It doesn't feel like another wrestler wwe didn't strike when the iron is hot. Was really surprised he didn't win the MITB.
you could bet the rest of the fans will turn on him faster than a big show change of personality, there already isn’t enough heat on his win in my opinion. I may get proven wrong but I feel Cody will make a better heel in the future then a face, I say that when there are or is a better face option, I’m not saying Cody shouldn’t be positioned as the top guy because you can still get there but with purer face main eventer’s to help him get there. We are far beyond your Hogan’s and Cena’s, but to get more heat on this Cody face run they will constantly need someone like a Final Boss / that quality of work because he will need all the help he can get, the suit, tie and blond hair alone wont be enoughI would have liked a lengthier build up to Sami-Gunther feud in all honesty. It felt very hastily done especially with the Gable's training sessions put there at the last week.
My favorite Manias that I have watched in real time have always been, 17, 18 and 21. 20 had one of the best Undertaker returns of all time. I wasn't really invested in Benoit, Trips, HBK feud.
Like i said over a year ago to you guys about Prichard, I think the guy is pretty underrated and gets too much flak just for being one of Vince's favorites. He is an experienced individual and levels above in competence in comparison to Laurinaitis etc.
I think we can conclude that in a rivalry of two of shaz's least favorites, he'll be rooting for Ospreay.On a positive note, this promo was excellent and absolutely a fitting response to 4/10 and it also did well to make sure it build the match with Bryan, so fair play Ospreay:
We have to remember that WWE is a business. The reason they chose Cody is not that he is the best wrestler or the biggest face in the company, but he's someone who's trained and willing to do all that side stuff that comes alongside becoming the face of the company. He loves to do that extra media stuff, stays hours after shows to sign autographs and stuff, spends time with fans and stuff and all that. Vince initially wanted Randy to become the face of WWE but Randy repeatedly said no to all the side hassle he had to do with becoming the top guy. Cena on the other hand had no problem with it.
I'd say Roman was an anomaly. He was just so good that even as a heel he was loved by everyone and people came to see him.
I'm sure there will always be some bottom-feeding indie promotion will have a place for him. But this is also about as famous as he will ever be, so maybe he should enjoy the moment. The funniest thing about all this is that apparently his next match for NJPW is in Chicago. I'm sure he'll get a heck of a reception there.
It's not just kids though. It could be everyone that isn't part of that '18-49 demographic' and alot of people who are probably part of that demographic too. WWE doesn't need this white meat babyface character to be successful but I really do believe that it is something that average white American people want to see. And whether its good or not, WWE always tries to shove this character down your throat. Roman Reigns was an unsuccessful white meat babyface at the center of every WrestleMania main-event for the last decade before he decided to just say F it and do things his way. And think about it this way, if Cody wasn't in WWE, would Sami be in Cody's spot? Because I think we would have just had Seth or Drew playing the same white meat babyface role instead.Their current business model is not reliant on that one segment of younger fans anymore, it’s not the 80’s, heck it’s not 06 or 07 and Cody certainly isn’t John Cena. The WWE has been breaking record after record in the past 10 years and sustained itself without that white meat baby face, Lesnar has been a big driving force mostly as a heel and since Covid Reigns took over as a monster heel draw when they were trying their best to make him something he wasn’t. If they are hell bent on focussing on that one market then we’re in for a dull reign, like how long will you find Cody kissing babies and hugging fat girls entertaining
Tony is the quintessential spoiled brat who never had to work to achieve anything in life and thinks having tons of money will make him competent.
Outside of US and NA, yes I am sure. But inside there, I don't think so. As much as the things have changed, the more they have remained the same. There's still white privilege etc and stuff. Majority of US's population is still conservative and holds on to the same ideals it used to.
Outside of US and NA, yes I am sure. But inside there, I don't think so. As much as the things have changed, the more they have remained the same. There's still white privilege etc and stuff. Majority of US's population is still conservative and holds on to the same ideals it used to.
Yes I would definitely want to see Sami's main event run.
I'd also like to see a Sheamus Gunther feud again.
Good news for you. Seth is said to be on hiatus till around Summerslam.
I don't know but I think Biden might not win it. As much as the hoopla the woke and liberals make it in US, it's still majorly a conservative country especially out of the big cities. Like you're bound to raise eyebrows just because of your South Asian looks at every non big city area.
But I do hope Sami would get a run at the top.
I think in ring skills wise, he is much better than either Cena or Reigns were at the start of their face of the company run. He is able to deliver great matches with ordinary opponents easily. One thing I would like him to work on is he needs to stop crying on air every week at the mention of Dusty. Like it was fine when it happened the first few instances, but now he's doing it almost every week.
In my opinion its a case of both. Its driven by the system but its not like the fans don't want it.
that’s his gimmick
I dunno I'm not as positive on Vince. He had the ability to spot talent, and envision main-eventers and big money matches. But his booking of the smaller guys never impressed me. He definitely had a clear bias booking smaller guys and never trusted them enough as draws barring the handful of exceptions to the rule. With Triple H, the one thing I can appreciate is that while he may not necessarily push Sami to his full potential either, he has atleast made the other belts mean something. With Vince, the midcard belts were completely meaningless in his last few years as booker whereas the tag belts were almost always stepping stones to something bigger and better.
Tony's biggest problem is that he doesn't understand a damn thing about booking. Every match has to be a 15 minute banger. No wrestler ever simply beats someone in 3 minute TV match. They have to have a deeply competitive match where they barely manage to eek out a win at the end. Booking like this completely buries the talent, especially the champions who can't even get comprehensive wins against jobbers. On top of that routinely we see that there is no clear delineation between heels and babyfaces which results in matches that have no heat. Its like everyone is trying their darndest to go out there and try to get the best star rating from Dave Meltzer, rather than try to tell a compelling story that makes people want to come back week after week
I've seen that match but for me Rhea vs Charlotte is still at the top. Besides being an incredible match, the setting really elevated it as well. It needed to be at WrestleMania infront of that massive stadium crowd. I know I said otherwise in the past, but it has to be said that Charlotte is the greatest female wrestler going around. Sorry but in the ring, nobody comes close right now. Maybe Rhea Ripley could in the future but right now there is only one GOAT in women's wrestling.
The Randy Orton feud could be something special. I wonder when they will do that. I hope they make it really personal and we get to see Orton channeling all his natural heel charisma.
For that to happen Orton would need to turn and he is super over as a face at the moment, maybe we will see a lot of turns in the next few months so Cody got guys to work with
I don't think its just the 80s. Whenever business was down back in the day, Vince turned to his big guys. I mean just look at Sid vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 13. I do agree that H has conned the IWC somewhat into thinking that he is a big supporter of smaller guys, because of his booking tenure in NXT...eventhough evidence points to the contrary. But what I like about Triple H is that aleast has some level of awareness regarding what the fans want to see. We're not getting Kevin Owens in a feud with two different versions of Elias or a Hell in A Cell match ending in a no-contest. I'm willing to give him a chance and credit to him, he has definitely elevated guys like Gunther, Drew, and even Sami, even though certain things could have been done a whole lot better.
I think Drew being obsessed with winning that belt is a really funny and interesting arc. But the problem with this belt is that it desperately needs credibility and top-level talent fighting for it. Because Rollins has failed to lend any credibility to it in his last one year or whatever it was as champion. Which is why you gotta do Punk vs. Drew for the belt and maybe even put the belt on Punk for a while.
I think we can turn Drew super heel before that. It been a slow-burn but waiting a year to turn him super-heel would be too much. But this is the match that they should be building towards.
That was just a way for them to Segway to taking a passive-aggressive shot at Punk.FTR are behind it all popped me
I mean yeah, but his hand was also forced to a great extent by the departures of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Not that Nash was going to be the guy anyway after his run as WWE's worst drawing champion. But I will also say that, that was a unique time where WWE were facing the pressure and were forced to create new stars and it just so happened that they had a litany of names on their roster at the same time that went on to become some of the greatest ever. But even after that era, Vince has pushed big guys time and time again. Sometimes even when they had zero in-ring ability like Khali or Kozlov. Which is why it surprises me how they managed to drop the ball with Matt Morgan. But anyway, agree to disagree I guess.
HHH wasn't wrong about that being the attitude of alot of wrestlers today but he shouldn't have directed those comments at Ospreay. But I'm gonna disagree with you here. Because for me, this again was everything that is wrong with AEW. Triple H made those comments on Pat McAfee's show which I think streams on YouTube. Ospreay replied to him Dynamite. It's like they can't get it through their heads that just because someone talks about you doesn't mean that you have to respond to them on your weekly effing TV show. People don't want to watch a wrestling show to know about all this smart fan dirtsheet intrigue. They watch it to see wrestling. For me this was just another thing in the long line of things that made AEW look low-rent and minor league.On a positive note, this promo was excellent and absolutely a fitting response to 4/10 and it also did well to make sure it build the match with Bryan, so fair play Ospreay:
I will give Vince that. He booked AJ strong and capitalized on him almost immediately. The feud with Cena was special and the title reign was pretty great too. How good was SmackDown back then?
