The Wrestling Discussion Thread

[BouncerGuy]

This thread is not about video games and PSP stuff.
Please do not derail this thread with such irrelevant things.

 

[shaz619]

@shaz619 Watched AJ v Marufuji in NOAH from last week. It was really good. A classical Japanese style match that starts off slow but builds to a wonderful crescendo. Reminded me alot of AJ's NJPW run. Would recommend because I feel like AJ doesn't get to wrestle too many matches like this in WWE. Marufuji, who I have not seen that much of was also really good here and countered some of AJ's signature maneuvers in really cool and logical ways, that I have not seen anyone else do before. I think the match is still up on Dailymotion if you want to check it out.

It’s on my list for sure AJ has had the best in-ring showing first half of 2024 and is a wrestler of the year candidate imo, he can have these matches with such ease when in the top spot, he can work anywhere around the world in the main event and adjust as needed, can’t say that for too many guys

 

[BunnyRabbit]

They can’t match it @ a similar weight and form factor especially which is why it’s the best ever and even the GO model especially now is wonderful. Though the Vita extends the emulation compatibility, is technically a beast and I think with patches you can play the classic PSP titles with two joysticks which fixed many of the FPS games. The library don’t compare to PSP but it does get more home brew support now, I’ve not tried it myself.

if homebrew helps it play psp and ps1 games, then i might just look at buying it.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

NXT & TNA are better bottom to top but obviously main roster WWE got the big angles still

yes wwe's only doing big angles right now. even then cody, randy, bloodline 2.0 angles are falling flat. Randy simply isn't that sort of a guy they are making him look like right now. They're sort of Cena-fying him.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

It’s on my list for sure AJ has had the best in-ring showing first half of 2024 and is a wrestler of the year candidate imo, he can have these matches with such ease when in the top spot, he can work anywhere around the world in the main event and adjust as needed, can’t say that for too many guys

He looks like a more motivated and focused guy ever since he came back. Not that he wasn't before. But this time around it feels like he knows that he is in the twilight phase of his career and wants to make it count. I think him adding on size also tells you how serious he is. Plus now the athletic stuff he does somehow looks even more amazing.

 

[shaz619]

if homebrew helps it play psp and ps1 games, then i might just look at buying it.

The PSP/PS1 titles run almost natively, the emulation capability beyond that is staggering it can run most n64 titles well, but in true Vince Russo Swerve fashion, wrestling fans are punished because it don’t run any of the AKI titles at a stable FPS.

 

[shaz619]

@RedwoodOriginal Bryan vs Christian could have been a banger at Wembley

 

[shaz619]

Imagine a proper Christian World Title run, could get a lot out of it imo and make it one of the best runs in their history

 

[BunnyRabbit]

This Raw made Priest feel like The Champion for the first time since winning it.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Imagine a proper Christian World Title run, could get a lot out of it imo and make it one of the best runs in their history

Edge, Christian, Bryan and Mox these 4 guys could have been made champion at any point and no would complain about it provided they were presented like what they are "a big deal". Christian's done his best for his run to stand out and rediscover himself with the patriarch gimmick. There's still Okada, Black, Cole, Swerve, Ospreay and MJF who should be the staple of the top card. It's weird that Black hasn't gotten a look in at the top even for a single time in AEW.

A Christian-MJF feud would be gold.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Fantastic promo by Drew as well.
Don't know what the point was for the Adam Pearce bs. If anything, it made Drew feel much more of a face than a heel and Pearce and Seth found themselves in Roman's Big Dog reactions.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

@RedwoodOriginal Bryan vs Christian could have been a banger at Wembley

Would have been incredible. But Tony would rather book a "banger" than a top quality main-event match that makes sense and tells a story logically.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Edge, Christian, Bryan and Mox these 4 guys could have been made champion at any point and no would complain about it provided they were presented like what they are "a big deal". Christian's done his best for his run to stand out and rediscover himself with the patriarch gimmick. There's still Okada, Black, Cole, Swerve, Ospreay and MJF who should be the staple of the top card. It's weird that Black hasn't gotten a look in at the top even for a single time in AEW.

A Christian-MJF feud would be gold.

I think Malakai Black is a special talent in the ring but most of the time I don't have a clue what he or the House of Black are saying in their promos. He comes across as a poor man's Bray Wyatt on the mic and there's also the rumor that he doesn't like doing jobs. Which is perhaps why he has wrestled so few singles matches since coming to AEW.

Feel like they have missed the boat with MJF v Christian now that MJF has turned heel.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Fantastic promo by Drew as well.
Don't know what the point was for the Adam Pearce bs. If anything, it made Drew feel much more of a face than a heel and Pearce and Seth found themselves in Roman's Big Dog reactions.

They are likely stalling till they have a better picture re: if Punk can be cleared for SummerSlam. That's what this promo felt like to me. But I disagree on the Pearce thing. Pearce was trying to stamp his authority as the GM and asking for something very reasonable. Pearce never said apologize to me for pushing me. He was focused on the refs, who in kayfabe are not to be touched. So that was definitely a babyface move. And Drew believing that he didn't do anything wrong also tied into his character, because he never thinks he has done anything wrong. Which is ironically what he accuses Punk of.

The depth of Drew's current character and Punk being Punk is what's keeping this feud going since WrestleMania, despite Punk's injury. Any other feud involving two other guys would have become completely irrelevant by now.

 

[Dhakar Pola]

I really don't understand why they have inserted Seth in the fued of drew and punk. This was going great on its own, it did not need Seth. Only reason I can see why they want to make it a triple threat is that punk is not 100% clear

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Imagine a proper Christian World Title run, could get a lot out of it imo and make it one of the best runs in their history

My only hope is that because they have teased it, it might happen. Christian has been on the run of a lifetime in AEW and it would be an absolute shame not to capitalize on it. And because he still cares about stuff making sense and being logical, and knows how to work a proper wrestling match; he stands-out even more. A Christian World title run could be amazing because not only will you be getting outstanding main-event matches and programs but when the time is right for Christian to drop the belt, he can also elevate someone like Ospreay, who would come across as an even bigger babyface just by being involved with Christian.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I really don't understand why they have inserted Seth in the fued of drew and punk. This was going great on its own, it did not need Seth. Only reason I can see why they want to make it a triple threat is that punk is not 100% clear

They are keeping their options open incase Punk doesn't get cleared. I don't think they will do a triple threat. I think it will be Drew v Seth if Punk doesn't get cleared. This segment felt alot like they were stalling till they know more. Hopefully though Punk does get cleared because this match needs to happen at a big show like SummerSlam.

 

[Dhakar Pola]

They are keeping their options open incase Punk doesn't get cleared. I don't think they will do a triple threat. I think it will be Drew v Seth if Punk doesn't get cleared. This segment felt alot like they were stalling till they know more. Hopefully though Punk does get cleared because this match needs to happen at a big show like SummerSlam.

Drew Vs Seth without a title on line absolutely makes no sense after the respect they showed each other after the WM match.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Drew Vs Seth without a title on line absolutely makes no sense after the respect they showed each other after the WM match.

Yup I agree. And also because they both hate Punk. Inserting Rollins into this whole deal is not needed because you don't want to spoil his match with Punk down the line. It was okay for last week since Punk invertedly screwed Rollins at MITB too. Also, I don't feel like anyone wants to see Rollins v Drew again.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I think Malakai Black is a special talent in the ring but most of the time I don't have a clue what he or the House of Black are saying in their promos. He comes across as a poor man's Bray Wyatt on the mic and there's also the rumor that he doesn't like doing jobs. Which is perhaps why he has wrestled so few singles matches since coming to AEW.

Feel like they have missed the boat with MJF v Christian now that MJF has turned heel.

I don't know regarding doing jobs, he was totally fine losing to KO, Gargano, Ciampa, Cole, Seth etc in WWE. Sometimes you have to be selfish for your character before it becomes a Ziggler if you just keep putting over others. And yes definitely not every one has the creative mind to write his own promos and take the feuds in the direction he wants to which is why you need writers and bookers in pro wrestling. There will always be guys like Christian who will thrive without the creative restrictions but majority of the guys aren't good enough to write their own feuds etc.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

They are likely stalling till they have a better picture re: if Punk can be cleared for SummerSlam. That's what this promo felt like to me. But I disagree on the Pearce thing. Pearce was trying to stamp his authority as the GM and asking for something very reasonable. Pearce never said apologize to me for pushing me. He was focused on the refs, who in kayfabe are not to be touched. So that was definitely a babyface move. And Drew believing that he didn't do anything wrong also tied into his character, because he never thinks he has done anything wrong. Which is ironically what he accuses Punk of.

The depth of Drew's current character and Punk being Punk is what's keeping this feud going since WrestleMania, despite Punk's injury. Any other feud involving two other guys would have become completely irrelevant by now.

Drew is extremely underrated and it could be argued he might have been a better face of the company than Cody (like Cena Randy comparison). Drew has the ability to inject life into throw away matches and filler feuds something that goes under the radar a lot.
Pearce trying to stamp his authority is laughable as he wasn't even able to handle Chelsea Green of all people let alone Drew. If it was Aldis (who does feel like a proper authority figure), then it would have made some sense.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Drew is extremely underrated and it could be argued he might have been a better face of the company than Cody (like Cena Randy comparison). Drew has the ability to inject life into throw away matches and filler feuds something that goes under the radar a lot.
Pearce trying to stamp his authority is laughable as he wasn't even able to handle Chelsea Green of all people let alone Drew. If it was Aldis (who does feel like a proper authority figure), then it would have made some sense.

I personally love Aldis and Pearce and the job they are doing as GMs for their respective shows. For the first time in history, you don't have cartoonish caricatures but two serious authority figures trying to do what's best for their brand. Aldis comes across as the more selfish and ambitious one of the two. But Pearce is no less amazing as the babyface GM trying to control chaos on his show every week. I feel like both of them add alot to their shows with their presence.

Drew is great but sadly he is far behind in the pecking order right now after Cody, Roman and Seth.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I personally love Aldis and Pearce and the job they are doing as GMs for their respective shows. For the first time in history, you don't have cartoonish caricatures but two serious authority figures trying to do what's best for their brand. Aldis comes across as the more selfish and ambitious one of the two. But Pearce is no less amazing as the babyface GM trying to control chaos on his show every week. I feel like both of them add alot to their shows with their presence.

Drew is great but sadly he is far behind in the pecking order right now after Cody, Roman and Seth.

I love how Aldis is doing his role. He has the "Regal" personality to do the job and he looks in control of the situation every time. Pearce is totally different to him in that he is rarely ever in control. He was beaten up by Ronda Rousey as well.

 

[shaz619]

I like Aldis and how he is thriving, but knowing his in-ring prowess, he seems like such a waste of talent. That’s where WWE are right now, even something you criticise is being utilised well in some way

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I love how Aldis is doing his role. He has the "Regal" personality to do the job and he looks in control of the situation every time. Pearce is totally different to him in that he is rarely ever in control. He was beaten up by Ronda Rousey as well.

Pearce under Vince and Pearce as the GM now are two different people. At one point he was just WWE Official Adam Pearce and he and Sonya Deville were heel authority figures. That stuff was rubbish. But ever since he became the official GM of RAW, I feel he has been brilliant. He has that sympathetic side to him, which Aldis doesn't have. Which is why I like the contrast between the two. I do feel like they missed a major opportunity to book him v Roman Reigns a few years ago. The ScrapDaddy is a former NWA Heavyweight Champion and very solid in the ring if you back and watch his old matches from ROH.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I like Aldis and how he is thriving, but knowing his in-ring prowess, he seems like such a waste of talent. That’s where WWE are right now, even something you criticise is being utilised well in some way

Yeah I can never just forget that especially when he is standing in the ring with someone like Cody. And you just think about how incredible it would be if these two ran it back on a bigger stage. Atleast in Pearce's case you have someone who has been retired for years. Aldis was literally an active wrestler before WWE signed him and the NWA World Heavyweight Champion until a couple of years ago.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I don't know regarding doing jobs, he was totally fine losing to KO, Gargano, Ciampa, Cole, Seth etc in WWE. Sometimes you have to be selfish for your character before it becomes a Ziggler if you just keep putting over others. And yes definitely not every one has the creative mind to write his own promos and take the feuds in the direction he wants to which is why you need writers and bookers in pro wrestling. There will always be guys like Christian who will thrive without the creative restrictions but majority of the guys aren't good enough to write their own feuds etc.

That was WWE. In AEW, its pretty much the inmates running the asylum. Tony's lack of guts are public knowledge at this point. So it wouldn't surprise me if this rumor were true. Because its not like Tony is going to punish him in any way if he just refuses to do a job.

I get being selfish in a cutthroat business, but in the case of the House of Black, none of their stuff is any good. Its just meaningless gibberish that goes nowhere. And Tony also doesn't know what to do with the House of Black because AEW don't have WWE's budget to make any of this spooky stuff look cool. So instead you just have them competing endlessly for the Trios titles. If these three were in WWE, I suspect the quality control would also be far better because as you said, some people do need writers. And these guys are the prime examples of that.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I suspect Aleister/Malakai will end up back in WWE soon enough. Triple H was a big fan of him in NXT and his wife Zelina Vega also works there.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

That was WWE. In AEW, its pretty much the inmates running the asylum. Tony's lack of guts are public knowledge at this point. So it wouldn't surprise me if this rumor were true. Because its not like Tony is going to punish him in any way if he just refuses to do a job.

I get being selfish in a cutthroat business, but in the case of the House of Black, none of their stuff is any good. Its just meaningless gibberish that goes nowhere. And Tony also doesn't know what to do with the House of Black because AEW don't have WWE's budget to make any of this spooky stuff look cool. So instead you just have them competing endlessly for the Trios titles. If these three were in WWE, I suspect the quality control would also be far better because as you said, some people do need writers. And these guys are the prime examples of that.

Tony is insistent that he doesn't need writers which is one big reason a lot of wrestlers just like to stay in their comfort zones.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

MJF v Ospreay was freaking AWESOME.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Andrade vs Hayes was probably the best no storyline based match this year on Raw/SD.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

SummerSlam card looks good. But I'd like to see Bo Dallas and/or Wyatt Sicks on the card. Bo Dallas v Chad Gable maybe? Jacob Fatu v Kevin Owens should be booked for SummerSlam too. It would be an awesome match.

I'm glad that the biggest money match has been made official though.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Bobby Lashley and MVP should not go to AEW. The Hurt Business was a cool idea but its not the ground-breaking idea that they think it is. At the end of the day, they are basically riffing off the Four Horseman like Evolution and countless other factions have in the past. In AEW's haphazard environment Lashley and his faction will get lost in the shuffle fast and be booked into the ground not long after. AEW does not need any more wrestlers or factions. Especially not main-event level ones. They already have a stacked roster that Tony Khan cannot book properly. And they have Ricochet coming in relatively soon.

I actually feel like TNA might be the best place for Lashley and MVP. They may not have as many eye-balls on them. But creatively and booking-wise they will be treated best there.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

McIntyre's social media game is just next level

https://twitter.com/x/status/1815807993629294758

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Bobby Lashley and MVP should not go to AEW. The Hurt Business was a cool idea but its not the ground-breaking idea that they think it is. At the end of the day, they are basically riffing off the Four Horseman like Evolution and countless other factions have in the past. In AEW's haphazard environment Lashley and his faction will get lost in the shuffle fast and be booked into the ground not long after. AEW does not need any more wrestlers or factions. Especially not main-event level ones. They already have a stacked roster that Tony Khan cannot book properly. And they have Ricochet coming in relatively soon.

I actually feel like TNA might be the best place for Lashley and MVP. They may not have as many eye-balls on them. But creatively and booking-wise they will be treated best there.

MVP's treatment under Trips has been criminal to say the least considering the great managerial work he did throughout his second run. He's a brilliant manager whether it's just for Bobbles or Hurt Business. MVPs promos were next level during 2020-2022

 

[Suleiman]

Waiting for Randy to turn on Cody already… the Bata-line head of table Solo is so boring to watch and a complete mismatch. If they had more time to build him up I’d rather have Jacob Fatu Vs Cody.

Raw wipes the floor with Smackdown every week so far for more than a month. LA Knight is babysitting a YouTuber instead of getting proper feuds as usual.

Gunther v Damien is building up really nicely, and we finally get Punk v Drew. The Wyatt 6ick story with Chad is also incredible.

Good time to be following wwe.

 

[Suleiman]

Would like a triple threat Cena Vs Punk vs Randy as Cena’s last match next year.

A nice swan song for Cena with the 3 main titans of the 2009+ era fighting it out.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

So hearing Bryan is retiring after All In.
What are your views about his tenure in AEW?

I'd say I was expecting Bryan to be one of the guys who would solidify AEW's status as a major wrestling promotion and he'd go out from there with as the most decorated guy there. Apart from a some amazing matches, I'd say it feels unfulfilled with his run. His run was full of great matches but Not many mesmerizing FEUDS. His BCC alliance was good in the start. His feud with Mox earlier on and with Okada and MJF was something I enjoyed a lot.
But there wasn't any pinnacle or stamping feud throughout his entire run that would have galvanized the whole brand and made AEW look to have conquered something. His 2014 Mania movement, his feud with AJ, Fiend, Roman are still more memorable for me.
AEW also failed to make new stars with Bryan as well. MJF (would have reached there without Bryan's help too) and Ricky Starks are the only two guys I think of that got the light shone on them through Bryan. Yuta still feels like a wrong choice and Garcia undercooked.
Even Sting got Darby over merely through their alliance.
To top it off, he didn't even win the top title. Crowning him as their top champion would have elevated the title a lot like how Mox, MJF and Punk did. Swerve is a brilliant worker but the title isn't really something he is feuding with people for.

@RedwoodOriginal @shaz619
What are your thoughts?

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Waiting for Randy to turn on Cody already… the Bata-line head of table Solo is so boring to watch and a complete mismatch. If they had more time to build him up I’d rather have Jacob Fatu Vs Cody.

Raw wipes the floor with Smackdown every week so far for more than a month. LA Knight is babysitting a YouTuber instead of getting proper feuds as usual.

Gunther v Damien is building up really nicely, and we finally get Punk v Drew. The Wyatt 6ick story with Chad is also incredible.

Good time to be following wwe.

Solo probably has more personality and charisma than the gimmick he's been given allows him to have. He like his brothers seems like a chilled out guy.

 

[shaz619]

So hearing Bryan is retiring after All In.
What are your views about his tenure in AEW?

I'd say I was expecting Bryan to be one of the guys who would solidify AEW's status as a major wrestling promotion and he'd go out from there with as the most decorated guy there. Apart from a some amazing matches, I'd say it feels unfulfilled with his run. His run was full of great matches but Not many mesmerizing FEUDS. His BCC alliance was good in the start. His feud with Mox earlier on and with Okada and MJF was something I enjoyed a lot.
But there wasn't any pinnacle or stamping feud throughout his entire run that would have galvanized the whole brand and made AEW look to have conquered something. His 2014 Mania movement, his feud with AJ, Fiend, Roman are still more memorable for me.
AEW also failed to make new stars with Bryan as well. MJF (would have reached there without Bryan's help too) and Ricky Starks are the only two guys I think of that got the light shone on them through Bryan. Yuta still feels like a wrong choice and Garcia undercooked.
Even Sting got Darby over merely through their alliance.
To top it off, he didn't even win the top title. Crowning him as their top champion would have elevated the title a lot like how Mox, MJF and Punk did. Swerve is a brilliant worker but the title isn't really something he is feuding with people for.

@RedwoodOriginal @shaz619
What are your thoughts?

I think Bryan achieved everything there was to do in wrestling, his legacy was sealed, he came to AEW when he was already a top main eventer in the WWE and had been with them for 10 years of so. During that time he adjusted his style to the territory he was working to get over and make $$$ for Vince. Joining AEW on a personal level for him was more about being able to express himself in the ring, return to his roots and work with whoever he wanted to work with and get paid loads for it. It’s on Tony for not using Bryan’s star power to elevate his programming, Punk is somebody who had such goals but unfortunately those did not manifest due to some inbred behaviour. Bryan just wants to wrestle and nothing in-between, he did give some of their talent the rub there and was involved in a few good programs but he’s a nice guy, at the point he was in his career, the terrible booking probably didn’t bother him.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I think Bryan achieved everything there was to do in wrestling, his legacy was sealed, he came to AEW when he was already a top main eventer in the WWE and had been with them for 10 years of so. During that time he adjusted his style to the territory he was working to get over and make $$$ for Vince. Joining AEW on a personal level for him was more about being able to express himself in the ring, return to his roots and work with whoever he wanted to work with and get paid loads for it. It’s on Tony for not using Bryan’s star power to elevate his programming, Punk is somebody who had such goals but unfortunately those did not manifest due to some inbred behaviour. Bryan just wants to wrestle and nothing in-between, he did give some of their talent the rub there and was involved in a few good programs but he’s a nice guy, at the point he was in his career, the terrible booking probably didn’t bother him.

Yes definitely he was one of the biggest names in the world with legacy sealed when he came over to AEW. Which is why I think Tony was unable to make money from Bryan he could have. With a guy like that, you want him to be the flag bearers of the promotion which still baffles me.

 

[shaz619]

Yes definitely he was one of the biggest names in the world with legacy sealed when he came over to AEW. Which is why I think Tony was unable to make money from Bryan he could have. With a guy like that, you want him to be the flag bearers of the promotion which still baffles me.

Tony Khan is thick.

If he didn’t want to look at what US promoters had done, he could have looked to someone like Gado who got everything out of AJ and made Omega a draw for them, Jay White had a rep to. Okada on the other hand is a clown in AEW, White is forgotten, Bryan never drew a dime for him either

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Tony Khan is thick.

If he didn’t want to look at what US promoters had done, he could have looked to someone like Gado who got everything out of AJ and made Omega a draw for them, Jay White had a rep to. Okada on the other hand is a clown in AEW, White is forgotten, Bryan never drew a dime for him either

It's just a case of too much talent without much growth to show for.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Tony Khan is thick.

If he didn’t want to look at what US promoters had done, he could have looked to someone like Gado who got everything out of AJ and made Omega a draw for them, Jay White had a rep to. Okada on the other hand is a clown in AEW, White is forgotten, Bryan never drew a dime for him either

Which is ironic considering AEW is very much a by-product of the Jado and Gedo-booked Bushiroad NJPW. Especially from an in-ring standpoint. Yet Tony seems to have understood nothing about what made NJPW from that era so good. He is only interested in putting on bangers.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

So hearing Bryan is retiring after All In.
What are your views about his tenure in AEW?

I'd say I was expecting Bryan to be one of the guys who would solidify AEW's status as a major wrestling promotion and he'd go out from there with as the most decorated guy there. Apart from a some amazing matches, I'd say it feels unfulfilled with his run. His run was full of great matches but Not many mesmerizing FEUDS. His BCC alliance was good in the start. His feud with Mox earlier on and with Okada and MJF was something I enjoyed a lot.
But there wasn't any pinnacle or stamping feud throughout his entire run that would have galvanized the whole brand and made AEW look to have conquered something. His 2014 Mania movement, his feud with AJ, Fiend, Roman are still more memorable for me.
AEW also failed to make new stars with Bryan as well. MJF (would have reached there without Bryan's help too) and Ricky Starks are the only two guys I think of that got the light shone on them through Bryan. Yuta still feels like a wrong choice and Garcia undercooked.
Even Sting got Darby over merely through their alliance.
To top it off, he didn't even win the top title. Crowning him as their top champion would have elevated the title a lot like how Mox, MJF and Punk did. Swerve is a brilliant worker but the title isn't really something he is feuding with people for.

@RedwoodOriginal @shaz619
What are your thoughts?

He definitely put on some incredible matches. The Omega time-limit draw at Grand Slam, the match against Mox at Revolution 2022, the strap match against Ricky Starks at All Out. Ofcourse the MJF Ironman match is at the top of that list. He had a great series of matches with Daniel Garcia as well. But if you want to talk business, I don't feel like Bryan has moved the needle in any kind of significant way. And that has everything to do with how he has been used. Which is basically a secondary guy to Moxley in the BCC. This whole push to put the World title on him at All In smacks of too little. too late. Even if he wins the belt, how long is he even going to have it to be considered a draw? Seems like another case of Tony wanting to put the belt on one of his favorite toys rather than something that actually has some thought behind it.

And you're completely right. AEW hasn't really elevated any of the young guys to the extent you would expect when you have a guy like Bryan: who is not only easy to work with and willing to put guys over; but also happens to be one of the greatest wrestlers of the last 25 years. Garcia and Starks were both elevated coming out of their matches/feuds with Bryan. But Tony's booking ensured that they were buried in the ground not long after. I mean look at Starks. He has not even been seen on AEW TV in months. And though Garcia definitely has something, he has been booked like an absolute chump for the past 2 years.

I can appreciate what they are trying to do with Swerve. And I like him alot. But right now, their two biggest stars are MJF and Will Ospreay. And that is where the focus should be.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

LOL I like MJF's gimmick of turning the International Championship into the 'American Championship' but how is this not a blatant rip-off of the US Championship? And this after they have already ripped off the Intercontinental Championship twice by creating the International Championship and the Continental Championship. Tony is nuts when it comes to his belts. He needs some serious help. Even a chimpanzee knows that if you have 50 belts they mean nothing. The whole premise of a belt is supposed to be that it is difficult to attain and not something everyone can win.

 

[Kianig89]

Any chance of Lesnar returning to WWE, in his second stint he was brutal merciless and Rogue barring Cody Rhodes he decimated and insulted his rivals. ( though he destroyed Cody but respected him at the end)

Undertaker: Some Mythical God & that laugh

Cena: buying burgers and sitting at home

Orton: can only dream what I achieved

Lashley: Who?

HHH :broken armx2, crossing the authority

Hogan: Party is over Grandpa

Rollins: Destroyed and Bruised

Reigns : No Respect

Overall he exactly followed his mantra Eat Sleep Break the Streak. Victories aside, only Strowman and Goldberg were a real match for him in that 2012/23 era.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

He definitely put on some incredible matches. The Omega time-limit draw at Grand Slam, the match against Mox at Revolution 2022, the strap match against Ricky Starks at All Out. Ofcourse the MJF Ironman match is at the top of that list. He had a great series of matches with Daniel Garcia as well. But if you want to talk business, I don't feel like Bryan has moved the needle in any kind of significant way. And that has everything to do with how he has been used. Which is basically a secondary guy to Moxley in the BCC. This whole push to put the World title on him at All In smacks of too little. too late. Even if he wins the belt, how long is he even going to have it to be considered a draw? Seems like another case of Tony wanting to put the belt on one of his favorite toys rather than something that actually has some thought behind it.

And you're completely right. AEW hasn't really elevated any of the young guys to the extent you would expect when you have a guy like Bryan: who is not only easy to work with and willing to put guys over; but also happens to be one of the greatest wrestlers of the last 25 years. Garcia and Starks were both elevated coming out of their matches/feuds with Bryan. But Tony's booking ensured that they were buried in the ground not long after. I mean look at Starks. He has not even been seen on AEW TV in months. And though Garcia definitely has something, he has been booked like an absolute chump for the past 2 years.

I can appreciate what they are trying to do with Swerve. And I like him alot. But right now, their two biggest stars are MJF and Will Ospreay. And that is where the focus should be.

Yes this is what I was pointing at. When you are an upstart promotion and you get a hold of someone like Bryan, you'd want to capitalize on his star power and use it to grow your promotion and make new stars, something that was probably never in the plans of Tony.
Bryan should have beaten MJF a bit earlier for the title and could have put over Swerve later on. But there was no vision with Bryan and it will be seen as a missed opportunity.

I'd like Bryan to come back to WWE for maybe a 1 year run.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Any chance of Lesnar returning to WWE, in his second stint he was brutal merciless and Rogue barring Cody Rhodes he decimated and insulted his rivals. ( though he destroyed Cody but respected him at the end)

Undertaker: Some Mythical God & that laugh

Cena: buying burgers and sitting at home

Orton: can only dream what I achieved

Lashley: Who?

HHH :broken armx2, crossing the authority

Hogan: Party is over Grandpa

Rollins: Destroyed and Bruised

Reigns : No Respect

Overall he exactly followed his mantra Eat Sleep Break the Streak. Victories aside, only Strowman and Goldberg were a real match for him in that 2012/23 era.

He put over plenty of people in his run namely Drew, Seth, Roman, Cody. and made guys like Braun, Joe, AJ, Lashley etc look like real deal in the eyes of WWE fans even though he won.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Any chance of Lesnar returning to WWE, in his second stint he was brutal merciless and Rogue barring Cody Rhodes he decimated and insulted his rivals. ( though he destroyed Cody but respected him at the end)

Undertaker: Some Mythical God & that laugh

Cena: buying burgers and sitting at home

Orton: can only dream what I achieved

Lashley: Who?

HHH :broken armx2, crossing the authority

Hogan: Party is over Grandpa

Rollins: Destroyed and Bruised

Reigns : No Respect

Overall he exactly followed his mantra Eat Sleep Break the Streak. Victories aside, only Strowman and Goldberg were a real match for him in that 2012/23 era.

Lesnar will definitely be back. Once the stuff related to Vince dies down a bit. Because at the end of the day, there is simply no one like Lesnar. He is one of one and no one can even try to replicate what he does in the ring and what he brings to the table.

I think Gunther v Lesnar is a HUGE money match that we will see down the line. And there are bunch of other big matches too that we haven't even seen so far.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yes this is what I was pointing at. When you are an upstart promotion and you get a hold of someone like Bryan, you'd want to capitalize on his star power and use it to grow your promotion and make new stars, something that was probably never in the plans of Tony.
Bryan should have beaten MJF a bit earlier for the title and could have put over Swerve later on. But there was no vision with Bryan and it will be seen as a missed opportunity.

I'd like Bryan to come back to WWE for maybe a 1 year run.

To be fair to Tony, I think Bryan deserves alot of the blame too. Now that I think about it, its not correct to say that Bryan's position in the company has everything to do with how he has been booked. He himself wants to do all his dream matches. And this is something he has been wanting to do since 2018. One of the reasons that WWE did clear him was because they didn't want to lose him. And tbh, I don't see anything too wrong with that because I feel that a guy like Bryan has earned that right for everything he has done and been through. It's not like AEW's business is going to change significantly anyway. Also, as great as Bryan is, he is not the needle-mover that Punk was/is.

Still, this is a poor way to go about doing a Bryan Danielson World title run.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

To be fair to Tony, I think Bryan deserves alot of the blame too. Now that I think about it, its not correct to say that Bryan's position in the company has everything to do with how he has been booked. He himself wants to do all his dream matches. And this is something he has been wanting to do since 2018. One of the reasons that WWE did clear him was because they didn't want to lose him. And tbh, I don't see anything too wrong with that because I feel that a guy like Bryan has earned that right for everything he has done and been through. It's not like AEW's business is going to change significantly anyway. Also, as great as Bryan is, he is not the needle-mover that Punk was/is.

Still, this is a poor way to go about doing a Bryan Danielson World title run.

Yes obviously Bryan's indie love played a part in this as well. But it was upto the owner of the AEW to map out what he wanted to do with Bryan. Bryan is definitely a bigger needle mover than many other guys they have signed. He has a much bigger appeal for casual viewers than many others they signed over a period of time.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

What did you guys make of SummerSlam?

I quite enjoyed Punk vs. Drew when they were wrestling. When it was the Seth Rollins show or when you had Punk losing his marbles over a bloody friendship bracelet, I thought it was a bit dumb. A very nice first match to kickstart this feud though.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

What did you guys make of SummerSlam?

I quite enjoyed Punk vs. Drew when they were wrestling. When it was the Seth Rollins show or when you had Punk losing his marbles over a bloody friendship bracelet, I thought it was a bit dumb. A very nice first match to kickstart this feud though.

Loved Roman's Return.
Loved Drew Punk but it had too much Seth in it. The first match didn't need Seth at all.
Loved Dom betraying Rhea.
Loved Balor turning on Damian.
Nia has improved a lot. Bayley did very well.
Couldn't care less about Cody vs Solo. Bron vs Sami was okayish.
LA Knight winning was good. Love him as a character. (should have won it at Mania IMO) but I don't really enjoy his matches from in ring point of view.

 

[shaz619]

What did you guys make of SummerSlam?

I quite enjoyed Punk vs. Drew when they were wrestling. When it was the Seth Rollins show or when you had Punk losing his marbles over a bloody friendship bracelet, I thought it was a bit dumb. A very nice first match to kickstart this feud though.

Punk/Drew had the best match on the PPV, Punk is well ahead of everybody on that roster, and once again reiterated why he is an all time great talent. That was one of Drew’s best matches ever. My only complaint is the finishing stretch, felt the over-booking was not needed and the ref interaction was a little too much. There are other ways to set up the Seth match, unless they are going with a three way rivalry which am not certain about. Punk’s timing and flow are impeccable, and the selling was outstanding; to put that match on after so much time out was fantastic. Drew is great in being able to adjust unselfishly as needed.

Gunther/Priest delivered and so did the main event.

I wouldn’t have booked Reigns return like that, I would have had the bloodline attack Heyman or threaten him seeing how he has been a big part of the storyline, then I’d have Reigns come out to make the big save. I hate his new theme though. Reigns still got a huge pop, it felt like him walking out before one of those huge WCW stadium shows with that close up camera work as they use to do on the big heavy hitters

 

[shaz619]

Hated how HHH opened the show and blacked out all the people in a friggin stadium as if it was a NXT show in the PC, I get they want to put on a fresh coat of paint but don’t make stupid decisions like that, it took some getting use to and was silly when you have so many bums on seats.

This guy will not make the next Reigns or Cody, and his ego is still huge, he doesn’t have an eye for how to make or book big stars

 

[BouncerGuy]

Roman's return was electric. Good to see another story building here for the bloodline.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Punk/Drew had the best match on the PPV, Punk is well ahead of everybody on that roster, and once again reiterated why he is an all time great talent. That was one of Drew’s best matches ever. My only complaint is the finishing stretch, felt the over-booking was not needed and the ref interaction was a little too much. There are other ways to set up the Seth match, unless they are going with a three way rivalry which am not certain about. Punk’s timing and flow are impeccable, and the selling was outstanding; to put that match on after so much time out was fantastic. Drew is great in being able to adjust unselfishly as needed.

Gunther/Priest delivered and so did the main event.

I wouldn’t have booked Reigns return like that, I would have had the bloodline attack Heyman or threaten him seeing how he has been a big part of the storyline, then I’d have Reigns come out to make the big save. I hate his new theme though. Reigns still got a huge pop, it felt like him walking out before one of those huge WCW stadium shows with that close up camera work as they use to do on the big heavy hitters

Priest's work has been pretty underrated especially the last few weeks. He only started feeling like a top name. I would have given Priest a win here and have him lose the title to Gunther the following PPV.
Balor Priest will be great. The two have had two feuds together in WWE. One in NXT where Priest was the newcomer and Balor the top guy of NXT. The next one was in the main roster where Priest fell short again. Now this time Priest will go over Balor and he will definitely feel like the bigger star.

 

[shaz619]

Priest's work has been pretty underrated especially the last few weeks. He only started feeling like a top name. I would have given Priest a win here and have him lose the title to Gunther the following PPV.
Balor Priest will be great. The two have had two feuds together in WWE. One in NXT where Priest was the newcomer and Balor the top guy of NXT. The next one was in the main roster where Priest fell short again. Now this time Priest will go over Balor and he will definitely feel like the bigger star.

There’s no shame in dropping the belt at SS, Priest was more then a transitional champ, he now needs to move on from the Judgement day and as a part of this split, they need to reinvent him, unfortunately H is the booker and he wont unlock his potential as a versatile big guy

 

[BunnyRabbit]

There’s no shame in dropping the belt at SS, Priest was more then a transitional champ, he now needs to move on from the Judgement day and as a part of this split, they need to reinvent him, unfortunately H is the booker and he wont unlock his potential as a versatile big guy

To me it just felt like they took away his title just as he was peaking and connecting with the crowd in his run.
He is much more than just a big guy or the bisexual undertaker etc (whatever stupid names IWC gives him)
He is a proper wrestler who can wrestle full steam for 30 mins etc. Is very much of a full package (to me he has a higher ceiling than LA Knight)
But JD will continue in their new mold. Carlito is pretty entertaining as a comedy heel there. Rhea and Priest departing JD is good. JD might become more entertaining in its new shape of chicken s heels.

I'd hate for Randy to take on the role of end stage Cena now. He's probably going to put over Gunther now but he should be wrestling like he was in 2020. against the likes of Edge and Drew in blockbuster feuds.

We need more of Roman as well.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Roman's return was electric. Good to see another story building here for the bloodline.

I think it was a premature comeback should have been done on an occasion like Royal Rumble

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I think it was a premature comeback should have been done on an occasion like Royal Rumble

Why? Roman isn't injured. The crowd had been screaming for his return. SD has been shambles without him. It was about time to add some life in Smackdown based storylines. Roman shouldn't be wrestling Solo at Mania. They can wrap it up by Rumble and have him feud with Dwayne or Seth (seeds were planted at Mania for that). I would even love a Punk-Roman feud.

 

[shaz619]

To me it just felt like they took away his title just as he was peaking and connecting with the crowd in his run.
He is much more than just a big guy or the bisexual undertaker etc (whatever stupid names IWC gives him)
He is a proper wrestler who can wrestle full steam for 30 mins etc. Is very much of a full package (to me he has a higher ceiling than LA Knight)
But JD will continue in their new mold. Carlito is pretty entertaining as a comedy heel there. Rhea and Priest departing JD is good. JD might become more entertaining in its new shape of chicken s heels.

I'd hate for Randy to take on the role of end stage Cena now. He's probably going to put over Gunther now but he should be wrestling like he was in 2020. against the likes of Edge and Drew in blockbuster feuds.

We need more of Roman as well.

Anyone being called bisexual Taker needs to hit the reset button, problem is I don’t think they will do that or have an awareness for what he should be, H is too one dimensional to do it, he is only good for twerking at the start of every PPV and cosplaying Vince.

Yes, they will use Randy like a jobber which is absurd. I don’t mind the programme with Gunther however.

 

[shaz619]

Punk shouted out Belal Mohammad and then commented on an insta post with the Palestine Flag.

Would love a commentary of this from Brian Last on the experience

Anyway, is there any more reason to love the guy ?

He also shut a lot of the dweebs who thought he doesn’t have it anymore, he just cut his rehab time and delivered on a big 4 PPV, to me he has only really missed WM.

Tell me when am telling lies.

 

[shaz619]

@RedwoodOriginal

https://twitter.com/x/status/1819902963013636175

 

[Suleiman]

Glad to see Finn in full heel mode instead of jobbing every other night or playing Damien’s trusty assistant.

I do wish Gunther got another opponent because it’s clear Randy is going to put him over again.

I don’t think Randy should be used merely as a stepping stone even at his age as my brother @BunnyRabbit said. His character work in this last few years has been some of his best and he’s shown he’s not a one dimensional heel either. Crowd loves him when he’s just being himself now even when not playing the psychopath.

The storylines are immaculate rn overall. Roman return was awesome. Proud that he finally got the baby face pop he always wanted, man was it loud.

 

[shaz619]

Glad to see Finn in full heel mode instead of jobbing every other night or playing Damien’s trusty assistant.

I do wish Gunther got another opponent because it’s clear Randy is going to put him over again.

I don’t think Randy should be used merely as a stepping stone even at his age as my brother @BunnyRabbit said. His character work in this last few years has been some of his best and he’s shown he’s not a one dimensional heel either. Crowd loves him when he’s just being himself now even when not playing the psychopath.

The storylines are immaculate rn overall. Roman return was awesome. Proud that he finally got the baby face pop he always wanted, man was it loud.

I would have had Priest drop the title to Gunther before SS, and then had Randy face Gunther for the WHC at SS, and in a shock, Randy goes over for the 15th time in his career.

He’s in the best shape of his career, is mega over and his character work has been great. We need the big guys to put over the next gen but it matters more when they are booked strong to.

Plus am sorry, but the WHC needs a big name like Randy, in its short history they’ve not really had it on the shoulders of a genuine star or well respected talent from all parts, they couldn’t even put it on AJ during its inception.

If Randy went over for the title, it would set up a huge rematch in Europe.

I think now, nobody is seriously buying Randy as a threat.

And given H’s one dimensional predictable booking, expect Gunther to hold the title for some time and that’s fine but the set up could be better

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Why? Roman isn't injured. The crowd had been screaming for his return. SD has been shambles without him. It was about time to add some life in Smackdown based storylines. Roman shouldn't be wrestling Solo at Mania. They can wrap it up by Rumble and have him feud with Dwayne or Seth (seeds were planted at Mania for that). I would even love a Punk-Roman feud.

Its just my gut feeling, I think they have done this primarily to inflate SD viewership and would be good for that too but from Roman Reigns character POV would have been nice to let him come late and get rid with Solo etc before a WM showdown

 

[Suleiman]

I would have had Priest drop the title to Gunther before SS, and then had Randy face Gunther for the WHC at SS, and in a shock, Randy goes over for the 15th time in his career.

He’s in the best shape of his career, is mega over and his character work has been great. We need the big guys to put over the next gen but it matters more when they are booked strong to.

Plus am sorry, but the WHC needs a big name like Randy, in its short history they’ve not really had it on the shoulders of a genuine star or well respected talent from all parts, they couldn’t even put it on AJ during its inception.

If Randy went over for the title, it would set up a huge rematch in Europe.

I think now, nobody is seriously buying Randy as a threat.

And given H’s one dimensional predictable booking, expect Gunther to hold the title for some time and that’s fine but the set up could be better

For real. I want Randy back with the WHC as well. And see him with a proper run as the champion. His WHC runs have been brief.

Enough of this veterans always having to job Willy nilly

 

[shaz619]

For real. I want Randy back with the WHC as well. And see him with a proper run as the champion. His WHC runs have been brief.

Enough of this veterans always having to job Willy nilly

Imagine he won it at SS, it would have been a great call back to when he won it in 04, to take it a step further and go crazy viral, after hitting the RKO, he puts Gunther in the cross face and makes him pass out, which these days appears to protect the loser to.

Vince wouldn’t have jobbed these guys to this level. Lesnar and I know he is one of a kind, but he was the best example of how to book/protect a star, they can use that model and let Orton execute it better

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Imagine he won it at SS, it would have been a great call back to when he won it in 04, to take it a step further and go crazy viral, after hitting the RKO, he puts Gunther in the cross face and makes him pass out, which these days appears to protect the loser to.

Vince wouldn’t have jobbed these guys to this level. Lesnar and I know he is one of a kind, but he was the best example of how to book/protect a star, they can use that model and let Orton execute it better

Vince has had Rey and Y2J jobbing to everyone on the roster.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Punk/Drew had the best match on the PPV, Punk is well ahead of everybody on that roster, and once again reiterated why he is an all time great talent. That was one of Drew’s best matches ever. My only complaint is the finishing stretch, felt the over-booking was not needed and the ref interaction was a little too much. There are other ways to set up the Seth match, unless they are going with a three way rivalry which am not certain about. Punk’s timing and flow are impeccable, and the selling was outstanding; to put that match on after so much time out was fantastic. Drew is great in being able to adjust unselfishly as needed.

Gunther/Priest delivered and so did the main event.

I wouldn’t have booked Reigns return like that, I would have had the bloodline attack Heyman or threaten him seeing how he has been a big part of the storyline, then I’d have Reigns come out to make the big save. I hate his new theme though. Reigns still got a huge pop, it felt like him walking out before one of those huge WCW stadium shows with that close up camera work as they use to do on the big heavy hitters

The finishing stretch was completely ludicrous with Punk getting mad at Rollins for wearing the friendship bracelet. That was like something out of a screwball comedy. When they were wrestling, it was pretty excellent. Drew was dominating with the power moves (as he should) and Punk was selling his a$$ off as the grizzled underdog babyface that had just returned from an injury...both were wrestling a really well-paced and compelling match. And then Rollins would come on and just kill the flow of the match by putting the attention on himself. Not blaming him but blaming the booking and general logic behind some of the stuff in this match. Hopefully now we can get a real match between these two in Berlin. Personally, I think this is a 3 match feud which probably needs a big blow-off third match. Like Hell in a Cell or Last Man Standing.

I disagree. I think this needed to be the place where this should have happened. A main-event PPV match for the World title. Because you want to establish that Roman is going after Solo and the new Bloodline rather than Cody, who he respects for being the one to finally beat him for the belt. And you wanna do that with dramatic effect where the crowd is guessing for a second which side he is on as he walks out of the entrance way.

Logically as well, I think it makes much more sense for Roman to see what happened to Heyman and plot his revenge for an occasion where he can hurt Solo the most. The Bloodline attacking Heyman was a shocking thing in kayfabe so it doesn't make alot of sense for Roman to be in the building when that happened considering it had been established that he was M.I.A and no one had heard from him since WrestleMania.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Hated how HHH opened the show and blacked out all the people in a friggin stadium as if it was a NXT show in the PC, I get they want to put on a fresh coat of paint but don’t make stupid decisions like that, it took some getting use to and was silly when you have so many bums on seats.

This guy will not make the next Reigns or Cody, and his ego is still huge, he doesn’t have an eye for how to make or book big stars

Yeah he's going overboard with this sh!t. This is not about a fresh coat of paint, its all about satisfying his ego. I'm glad he is getting to reap the reward of 24 years of hardwork, I don't need to see him come out on every PPV and tell me that

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I would have had Priest drop the title to Gunther before SS, and then had Randy face Gunther for the WHC at SS, and in a shock, Randy goes over for the 15th time in his career.

He’s in the best shape of his career, is mega over and his character work has been great. We need the big guys to put over the next gen but it matters more when they are booked strong to.

Plus am sorry, but the WHC needs a big name like Randy, in its short history they’ve not really had it on the shoulders of a genuine star or well respected talent from all parts, they couldn’t even put it on AJ during its inception.

If Randy went over for the title, it would set up a huge rematch in Europe.

I think now, nobody is seriously buying Randy as a threat.

And given H’s one dimensional predictable booking, expect Gunther to hold the title for some time and that’s fine but the set up could be better

Orton is the type of guy who can be used anywhere on the card and not only will it not hurt him but it will be great. Right now I think that the goal should be to make Gunther a huge main-event level. He is an incredible wrestler who wrestles a style that modern day wrestling needs more of. His mic skills have improved considerably and the character is very strong. He is someone who should be established as the top heel in this company, especially now with Roman turning babyface again. And a feud with Orton is a great way to start doing that. A loss to Gunther can also be used as fodder for a future Orton heel turn when he finally turns on Cody.

The idea of putting the belt on Orton is more interesting when he feuds with Cody and he's a heel. I would like to see Punk win the WHC after Gunther has his run.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Its just my gut feeling, I think they have done this primarily to inflate SD viewership and would be good for that too but from Roman Reigns character POV would have been nice to let him come late and get rid with Solo etc before a WM showdown

In wrestling you can't do this. You have to strike while the iron is hot. And the way they told the story, the time was right for Roman to return because the fans were clamoring for it and it made logical sense. When you wait on things too long you always run the risk of fans losing interest or the feud staying hot. This gives them enough time to set up a future WarGames match and a WrestleMania match with The Rock or Solo.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

What would be funny is if Rock reveals himself as the puppet master. And the reason he made Solo Tribal Chief and not himself is because he is the Tribal God! LOL. In all actuality its not a bad way to get to Rock v Roman at WrestleMania.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Glad to see Finn in full heel mode instead of jobbing every other night or playing Damien’s trusty assistant.

I do wish Gunther got another opponent because it’s clear Randy is going to put him over again.

I don’t think Randy should be used merely as a stepping stone even at his age as my brother @BunnyRabbit said. His character work in this last few years has been some of his best and he’s shown he’s not a one dimensional heel either. Crowd loves him when he’s just being himself now even when not playing the psychopath.

The storylines are immaculate rn overall. Roman return was awesome. Proud that he finally got the baby face pop he always wanted, man was it loud.

Yeah I think they handled the implosion of the Judgement Day really well. It needed to happen now because Rhea and Damien were essentially babyfaces anyway and I'm glad it was executed well. Dom is a bigger heel now than he has ever been. And Finn v Priest is going to be pretty good too.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Punk shouted out Belal Mohammad and then commented on an insta post with the Palestine Flag.

Would love a commentary of this from Brian Last on the experience

Anyway, is there any more reason to love the guy ?

He also shut a lot of the dweebs who thought he doesn’t have it anymore, he just cut his rehab time and delivered on a big 4 PPV, to me he has only really missed WM.

Tell me when am telling lies.

Punk is a real liberal, unlike the fake liberals who call themselves that but are actually rabid Zionists. He probably isn't saying anything because like Sami he has been expressly told not to comment by management.

 

[shaz619]

The finishing stretch was completely ludicrous with Punk getting mad at Rollins for wearing the friendship bracelet. That was like something out of a screwball comedy. When they were wrestling, it was pretty excellent. Drew was dominating with the power moves (as he should) and Punk was selling his a$$ off as the grizzled underdog babyface that had just returned from an injury...both were wrestling a really well-paced and compelling match. And then Rollins would come on and just kill the flow of the match by putting the attention on himself. Not blaming him but blaming the booking and general logic behind some of the stuff in this match. Hopefully now we can get a real match between these two in Berlin. Personally, I think this is a 3 match feud which probably needs a big blow-off third match. Like Hell in a Cell or Last Man Standing.

I disagree. I think this needed to be the place where this should have happened. A main-event PPV match for the World title. Because you want to establish that Roman is going after Solo and the new Bloodline rather than Cody, who he respects for being the one to finally beat him for the belt. And you wanna do that with dramatic effect where the crowd is guessing for a second which side he is on as he walks out of the entrance way.

Logically as well, I think it makes much more sense for Roman to see what happened to Heyman and plot his revenge for an occasion where he can hurt Solo the most. The Bloodline attacking Heyman was a shocking thing in kayfabe so it doesn't make alot of sense for Roman to be in the building when that happened considering it had been established that he was M.I.A and no one had heard from him since WrestleMania.

I disagree with the bracelet because they’ve sold the sh!t out of it and gone all the way, it would have been better if he could kidnap his dog or something along those lines but they’re not on Netflix yet, yeah hopefully this isn’t a one and done so there’s a lot more scope yet

I’m not against it having happened at SS nor am I saying it should have been done when Heyman was attacked. All am saying is, I would have had Heyman involved in the return after the attack, they could still have booked everything else the way they did, I just think the pop would be bigger if he saved Heyman, everyone and their dog knew he was coming after Solo, the question for the casuals was always whether or not that would actually happen because they follow the kayfabe, otherwise it has been set up to go after Solo

 

[shaz619]

Orton is the type of guy who can be used anywhere on the card and not only will it not hurt him but it will be great. Right now I think that the goal should be to make Gunther a huge main-event level. He is an incredible wrestler who wrestles a style that modern day wrestling needs more of. His mic skills have improved considerably and the character is very strong. He is someone who should be established as the top heel in this company, especially now with Roman turning babyface again. And a feud with Orton is a great way to start doing that. A loss to Gunther can also be used as fodder for a future Orton heel turn when he finally turns on Cody.

The idea of putting the belt on Orton is more interesting when he feuds with Cody and he's a heel. I would like to see Punk win the WHC after Gunther has his run.

There’s a risk of going overboard with that, I gotta give the rub to everyone because it wont hurt me etc imagine they book Punk like this to, the thought is nice but think the execution is much better when these vets mean something and then give you the rub. Orton/Punk should be a part of the WHC picture, Gunther deserves a run but the WHC lacks big name credibility