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The Wrestling Discussion Thread

shaz619 said:
It would never happen in his prime, and they always said it would never happen due to his affairs outside WWE to. The only possibility would have been towards the end of his career and it still feels surreal, Cena can still go as well in the ring and the turn will extend his ring work as well, imo the timing couldn’t have been better and also for Cody.

The chamber match has been overshadowed, Punk/Cena stole the show, they were outstanding.
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There wasn't any as big full time draw during Cena's prime. Now they have Roman, Cody and Punk even though Roman and Punk are not full timers. And Cena's been gone for a long time. It's proven already turning heel won't hurt their business as they are in their most profitable era atm. Cena can be a heel for a few months before retiring as a face.
I'd love for Cody to team up with Roman to take on Cena and Rock, maybe at Summerslam. Not sure if Rock would want to wrestle at a PPV other than Mania.
I think they're going to do a triple threat Seth vs Punk vs Roman now which doesn't make any sense as Punk and Roman should probs team up and beat Seth into oblivion (storywise) and there's no title at stake. With nothing at stake, a triple threat feels meaningless unless it has some stipulation like no.1 contender or something. They could have easily avoided it by giving Punk the Rumble victory. Punk vs Gunther would have been a much better mania match than Jey vs Gunther again.
 
mominsaigol said:
No clue. But my guess is, it's fitting if he retires as a heel. He started as a heel and ended it as a heel. I hope they don't start a new storyline and have him perform for a few more years.

Undertaker did this and from 2016 to 2020 we were all begging him to retire since the quality of matches with Goldberg, that hilarious brothers of destruction match where kane's mask fell off, they both had gigantic tummies and were huffing and puffing, it was pathetic.

Him losing to roman and having his music play was the perfect retirement.

Infact they ruined micheals as well by brining him back one more time.

Even flair was ruined.

Retirement should mean retirement and i think it's fitting if he retires as a heel. No one would blame him lol. He can easily make a memorable speech about his career during the hall of fame ceremony and everyone would applaud him either way.

So wwe has no reason to worry about damaging his character considering his character is too big to logically fail or even have a negative vibe.
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The thing with Undertaker was partly terrible match making late in his career; Undertaker desperately wanted to retire, he kept coming back because Vince always asked him to work Wrestlemania and he couldn’t say no due to loyalty, and because Taker was doing the one or two matches a year, for a man his size who had pushed his body to the limit, it was extremely painful for him to prepare; I recommend you watch The Last Ride documentary series just to understand what he was going through mentally and physically, as for that Roman match, he had to delay his planned Hip surgery from the top of my head when Vince called him to do that match. It amazes me what he put himself through for the business and fans, they say a lot about wrestling but these guys are tough and have a super human pain tolerance, especially Taker who was as old school as they come.

As it kept getting harder and harder for Take and he obviously was no spring chicken, it showed in his matches when he was working with the wrong person. It got to a point where Taker was desperate to leave but just wanted to make sure it was on a positive note, and in comes AJ Styles! who helped Taker have the match he needed to have, I think it was a blessing it happened behind closed doors because I don’t think Taker could have dealt with the level of emotion.

With Ric Flair, I personally have never watched any of his matches after the one he had with Shawn in 2008, that was beautiful, two of the greatest ever had arguably the match of the century, the raw emotion, story etc was on another level when you look at what Ric meant to this business. He put wrestling on the map and was pretty much every modern great’s idol. Wrestling was his life literally and he never had an off day, it’s true when they say he wrestled every day and twice on Sunday. I can understand why it’s so hard for him to let go when he has meant so much to wrestling. You know when Austin retired, he would still drive up and down the road for 300 miles, it wasn’t easy for him to adjust to normal life either, that adrenaline boost you get, especially him from the crowds in those days is second to none, have you watched ‘The Wrestler’ movie in 2008? I think it best captures that aspect.

Shawn saw that tag match in Saudi as a ‘cheat day’ He’s someone who went out on top and never wanted to do the match, they literally begged him to do it and there was a huge pay day but honestly, if you watch that match, Shawn hadn’t lost a step and looked fantastic, not even he could have helped the likes of Kane/Taker past their best and having to partner with a mediocre talent like H, Shawn was always his own biggest critic and he could have wrestled a lot longer and still nobody could have touched him.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
There wasn't any as big full time draw during Cena's prime. Now they have Roman, Cody and Punk even though Roman and Punk are not full timers. And Cena's been gone for a long time. It's proven already turning heel won't hurt their business as they are in their most profitable era atm. Cena can be a heel for a few months before retiring as a face.
I'd love for Cody to team up with Roman to take on Cena and Rock, maybe at Summerslam. Not sure if Rock would want to wrestle at a PPV other than Mania.
I think they're going to do a triple threat Seth vs Punk vs Roman now which doesn't make any sense as Punk and Roman should probs team up and beat Seth into oblivion (storywise) and there's no title at stake. With nothing at stake, a triple threat feels meaningless unless it has some stipulation like no.1 contender or something. They could have easily avoided it by giving Punk the Rumble victory. Punk vs Gunther would have been a much better mania match than Jey vs Gunther again.
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Ah man it made my day when Cena & Punk teamed up to beat on Seth Rollins and what about what the hell he was wearing on Smackdown, I was in stitches when Punk called it an Oven Mitt 🤣
 
@mominsaigol I forgot to answer the main point of your post, I don’t think Cena will be plagued by the same issues as Taker because he has already transitioned to Hollywood and emphasised that now that he has announced he wants to leave, he wants to be more active as well in these last 10 months or so and I think that will help him keep sharp in the ring. When you’re old and stop working the body just shuts down, they did Kurt Angle dirty like that, he was on 🔥 in TNA and they had him come back as a GM, when it was time to work, Kurt had considerably declined
 
shaz619 said:
The thing with Undertaker was partly terrible match making late in his career; Undertaker desperately wanted to retire, he kept coming back because Vince always asked him to work Wrestlemania and he couldn’t say no due to loyalty, and because Taker was doing the one or two matches a year, for a man his size who had pushed his body to the limit, it was extremely painful for him to prepare; I recommend you watch The Last Ride documentary series just to understand what he was going through mentally and physically, as for that Roman match, he had to delay his planned Hip surgery from the top of my head when Vince called him to do that match. It amazes me what he put himself through for the business and fans, they say a lot about wrestling but these guys are tough and have a super human pain tolerance, especially Taker who was as old school as they come.

As it kept getting harder and harder for Take and he obviously was no spring chicken, it showed in his matches when he was working with the wrong person. It got to a point where Taker was desperate to leave but just wanted to make sure it was on a positive note, and in comes AJ Styles! who helped Taker have the match he needed to have, I think it was a blessing it happened behind closed doors because I don’t think Taker could have dealt with the level of emotion.

With Ric Flair, I personally have never watched any of his matches after the one he had with Shawn in 2008, that was beautiful, two of the greatest ever had arguably the match of the century, the raw emotion, story etc was on another level when you look at what Ric meant to this business. He put wrestling on the map and was pretty much every modern great’s idol. Wrestling was his life literally and he never had an off day, it’s true when they say he wrestled every day and twice on Sunday. I can understand why it’s so hard for him to let go when he has meant so much to wrestling. You know when Austin retired, he would still drive up and down the road for 300 miles, it wasn’t easy for him to adjust to normal life either, that adrenaline boost you get, especially him from the crowds in those days is second to none, have you watched ‘The Wrestler’ movie in 2008? I think it best captures that aspect.

Shawn saw that tag match in Saudi as a ‘cheat day’ He’s someone who went out on top and never wanted to do the match, they literally begged him to do it and there was a huge pay day but honestly, if you watch that match, Shawn hadn’t lost a step and looked fantastic, not even he could have helped the likes of Kane/Taker past their best and having to partner with a mediocre talent like H, Shawn was always his own biggest critic and he could have wrestled a lot longer and still nobody could have touched him.
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Still for john cena they need to retire him as a heel.

I don't wanna see some nonsense such as, Oh the last time is now was suppose to be the last time for a baby face and not a retirement tour as promised.

Nor do I want to see some nonsense of turning back into a baby face after 2 or 3 months. He stayed a baby face for 20 years. It's only fitting he goes out as a heel till retirement.

Theirs alot they can do with him as a heel, such as him losing an I quit match, him having a brutal rivalry with Cody rhodes, cm punk, Roman or anyone really

I fear that wwe will panic as usual and eventually pull the heel plug cause they don't his image ruined which is nonsense.

They can have him retire as a heel and then give an emotional hall of fame speech and everyone will love it.

The undertaker ironically ended up gaining more respect when he eventually retired his persona and started addressing the crowd as just Mark and doing his podcasts.

For cena it would be the same. He's too loved to ever fail or have his reputation tarnished.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
There wasn't any as big full time draw during Cena's prime. Now they have Roman, Cody and Punk even though Roman and Punk are not full timers. And Cena's been gone for a long time. It's proven already turning heel won't hurt their business as they are in their most profitable era atm. Cena can be a heel for a few months before retiring as a face.
I'd love for Cody to team up with Roman to take on Cena and Rock, maybe at Summerslam. Not sure if Rock would want to wrestle at a PPV other than Mania.
I think they're going to do a triple threat Seth vs Punk vs Roman now which doesn't make any sense as Punk and Roman should probs team up and beat Seth into oblivion (storywise) and there's no title at stake. With nothing at stake, a triple threat feels meaningless unless it has some stipulation like no.1 contender or something. They could have easily avoided it by giving Punk the Rumble victory. Punk vs Gunther would have been a much better mania match than Jey vs Gunther again.
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I think they will have to sell the inclusion of Reigns to us, they’ve been working on this though since SS imo, and I am not sure how keen he’d have been to have him in the main event, it could still happen but it’s not a certainty. Punk/Seth already got heat, Reigns comes in with the favour which he owes Punk, it’s quiet possible that favour ends up being him giving Punk the victory at WM. For me, Punk/Reigns was the bigger match but am open to seeing where this leads with Heyman involved to and even better if they main event.
 
mominsaigol said:
Still for john cena they need to retire him as a heel.

I don't wanna see some nonsense such as, Oh the last time is now was suppose to be the last time for a baby face and not a retirement tour as promised.

Nor do I want to see some nonsense of turning back into a baby face after 2 or 3 months. He stayed a baby face for 20 years. It's only fitting he goes out as a heel till retirement.

Theirs alot they can do with him as a heel, such as him losing an I quit match, him having a brutal rivalry with Cody rhodes, cm punk, Roman or anyone really

I fear that wwe will panic as usual and eventually pull the heel plug cause they don't his image ruined which is nonsense.

They can have him retire as a heel and then give an emotional hall of fame speech and everyone will love it.

The undertaker ironically ended up gaining more respect when he eventually retired his persona and started addressing the crowd as just Mark and doing his podcasts.

For cena it would be the same. He's too loved to ever fail or have his reputation tarnished.
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I agree that should be the next big step for Cena’s phasing out if we want to call it that, Take saw his persona as the Holy Trinity, you had The Deadman, Biker Taker and just plain old Mark who as you said can be a normal guy. He doesn’t need to formally turn face again, it should be similar to Hollywood Heel Rock in 2003 who we ended up cheering anyway because he reminded the fans why they loved him in the first place after so much hostility towards him leaving originally.
 
shaz619 said:
I agree that should be the next big step for Cena’s phasing out if we want to call it that, Take saw his persona as the Holy Trinity, you had The Deadman, Biker Taker and just plain old Mark who as you said can be a normal guy. He doesn’t need to formally turn face again, it should be similar to Hollywood Heel Rock in 2003 who we ended up cheering anyway because he reminded the fans why they loved him in the first place after so much hostility towards him leaving originally.
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They still need to do his heel correctly. Fans want a corporate cena and God no, that'll be a horrible idea to turn him into the authority.

He should be a stepping stone to the final boss.
 
shaz619 said:
Ah man it made my day when Cena & Punk teamed up to beat on Seth Rollins and what about what the hell he was wearing on Smackdown, I was in stitches when Punk called it an Oven Mitt 🤣
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I knew you’d love that part too. Rollins had been asking for a proper dhullai for a long time. Glad he got it.

Him yelling “DIEEE” at Punk when Cena was putting him to sleep was hilarious 😂 😂
 
shaz619 said:
I think they will have to sell the inclusion of Reigns to us, they’ve been working on this though since SS imo, and I am not sure how keen he’d have been to have him in the main event, it could still happen but it’s not a certainty. Punk/Seth already got heat, Reigns comes in with the favour which he owes Punk, it’s quiet possible that favour ends up being him giving Punk the victory at WM. For me, Punk/Reigns was the bigger match but am open to seeing where this leads with Heyman involved to and even better if they main event.
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Yup Roman vs Punk should have been booked to main event night 1. But it still leaves what favor Punk is asking Heyman for. Maybe he gets inserted into a match with Gunther vs Jey even though he has no history with either. Roman vs Punk, Roman vs Seth, Punk vs Seth, all three of these could have been Mania matches but a triple threat without any stake seems like a very NXT black and gold thing to me.
 
Idk why but I really enjoy Cody being Rock’s punching bag. He’s never properly gotten his payback. He’s been getting battered by him like a kid in Pak or India when the parents bring out the belt for getting a C or D grade in school for more than a year now.
 
shaz619 said:
Ah man it made my day when Cena & Punk teamed up to beat on Seth Rollins and what about what the hell he was wearing on Smackdown, I was in stitches when Punk called it an Oven Mitt 🤣
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I still think Cena isn't fully re-acclimatized to in ring work yet. I expected the final Cena vs Punk to be a mini singles match but Cena looked rusty on some spots there. I'd like to see some 20-25 min classics from this final Cena run. I have been hating his singles matches (vs Theory, vs Solo etc).
 
shaz619 said:
I agree that should be the next big step for Cena’s phasing out if we want to call it that, Take saw his persona as the Holy Trinity, you had The Deadman, Biker Taker and just plain old Mark who as you said can be a normal guy. He doesn’t need to formally turn face again, it should be similar to Hollywood Heel Rock in 2003 who we ended up cheering anyway because he reminded the fans why they loved him in the first place after so much hostility towards him leaving originally.
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Cena's pretty much the same guy off camera that we see on camera. For taker, it was entirely different as he played a once in a lifetime character that pretty much became a part of him that he needed to hide after the show would be done. And cena has significantly improved his acting skills. Now that I'm in Boston, will hopefully attend the Ruthless Aggression PLE, which will be his final appearance.
 
Suleiman said:
Idk why but I really enjoy Cody being Rock’s punching bag. He’s never properly gotten his payback. He’s been getting battered by him like a kid in Pak or India when the parents bring out the belt for getting a C or D grade in school for more than a year now.
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lol yes. Dwayne is a big fan of Cody though. He congratulated him on hosting the inaugral All in back in 2018, when Cody was persona non grata in WWE.
 
Suleiman said:
I knew you’d love that part too. Rollins had been asking for a proper dhullai for a long time. Glad he got it.

Him yelling “DIEEE” at Punk when Cena was putting him to sleep was hilarious 😂 😂
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Those two have real life animosity but because they are real pro’s we get to see sh!t get real brother. And lmao that’s why pro-wrestling is the best that was my mark out moment of the night that cross dresser getting a big phainty, he got the last laugh and to be fair that was a sick curb stomp
 
Rana said:
Landmark Raw tonight

One of the most anticipated since the 1997 Montreal Screwjob
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Isn’t it ironic that the turn happened in Canada, so ominous, Cena screwing over his most loyal fans
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Yup Roman vs Punk should have been booked to main event night 1. But it still leaves what favor Punk is asking Heyman for. Maybe he gets inserted into a match with Gunther vs Jey even though he has no history with either. Roman vs Punk, Roman vs Seth, Punk vs Seth, all three of these could have been Mania matches but a triple threat without any stake seems like a very NXT black and gold thing to me.
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Yes this seems like it got H’s sweaty palms all over it but am hoping Heyman and the talent can make the most of it
 
BunnyRabbit said:
I still think Cena isn't fully re-acclimatized to in ring work yet. I expected the final Cena vs Punk to be a mini singles match but Cena looked rusty on some spots there. I'd like to see some 20-25 min classics from this final Cena run. I have been hating his singles matches (vs Theory, vs Solo etc).
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I thought he looked his best since becoming a part timer personally and the chemistry with Punk is still there, he’s not going to be as light on his toes as he use to be, but that doesn’t matter anymore because being a heel will allow him to have much better matches at this stage of his career from a psychological perspective and will maximise what is left of his abilities
 
shaz619 said:
Those two have real life animosity but because they are real pro’s we get to see sh!t get real brother. And lmao that’s why pro-wrestling is the best that was my mark out moment of the night that cross dresser getting a big phainty, he got the last laugh and to be fair that was a sick curb stomp
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Punk, Edge, Christian, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy and now Seth.

different breed of characters.
 
Rana said:
Punk, Edge, Christian, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy and now Seth.

different breed of characters.
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The Hardy’s are signed to TNA, but they now have a deal with WWE and exchange talent via NXT, Hardy’s made an appearance this week, bah gawd Jeff looked amazing reminded me of the good ol days, check this lmao:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894604912048136494
 
shaz619 said:
The Hardy’s are signed to TNA, but they now have a deal with WWE and exchange talent via NXT, Hardy’s made an appearance this week, bah gawd Jeff looked amazing reminded me of the good ol days, check this lmao:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894604912048136494
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Legend

When these guys feud you know it’s real animosity. All of these guys would have been working at Tescos or McDonalds had they not been WWE superstars.

CM Punk never getting promoted to manager at Asda because of his big mouth and always turning the staff against the senior authorities.
 
Atleast better than John Cena ****s
====

Former WWE Champion John Cena shocked the wrestling world by betraying Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes after winning the Men's Elimination Chamber match on Saturday at Rogers Centre in Toronto

This marks Cena’s first heel turn since 2004, leaving fans stunned as he aligned himself with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Following Cena’s victory, Rhodes entered the ring to congratulate him. Moments later, rapper Travis Scott and The Rock arrived, demanding an answer from Rhodes regarding The Rock’s ultimatum to "sell his soul" and become "his champion"—a proposition made two weeks earlier on WWE SmackDown.

The Rock warned Rhodes that rejecting the offer would mean "the dream dies again." As Rhodes defiantly responded that he had long ago given his soul to the ring and the WWE Universe, he bluntly told The Rock to "go f*** yourself" and embraced Cena, seemingly forming an alliance

The Rock, who had introduced a weight belt on SmackDown inscribed with Dusty Rhodes' date of death and the words "Cody’s Soul," proceeded to whip Rhodes across the back.

The brutal beatdown ended with a battered Rhodes lying in the ring as Michael Cole checked on him, while Cena, The Rock, and Scott stood triumphantly on the ramp.

For years, Cena was WWE’s ultimate "babyface," dominating throughout the 2000s and 2010s. However, since Rhodes' return to WWE in 2022, he has taken on that mantle, becoming the promotion’s top hero. Cena’s betrayal suggests he was not pleased with Rhodes’ rise, ultimately siding with The Rock.

For those unfamiliar, Cena began his retirement tour on the premiere episode of Raw on Netflix, which aired on January 6, 2024.

Having debuted in WWE in 2002 in a memorable match against Kurt Angle, he officially announced at Money in the Bank in July 2024 that 2025 would be his final year as a full-time WWE wrestler, marking the end of an era.

As part of his farewell run, Cena competed in the 30-man Royal Rumble match on February 1, 2025, in Indianapolis.

In a dramatic finish, "Main Event" Jey Uso eliminated Cena to secure a title shot against Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41.

The 16-time WWE Champion, while addressing the media, declared that he would be part of the Men's Elimination Chamber match and vowed to win it, securing a spot in the main event of WrestleMania.

He aims to become a 17-time world champion—a record-breaking achievement, as both he and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair currently hold 16 world titles each.

With WrestleMania 41 set for April 19-20, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, WWE has confirmed its marquee matchups: Jey Uso will challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship, while John Cena will face Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
 
Cody Rhodes push unreal

The guy has had more phenomenal in ring moments that will live forever than someone like Randy Orton
 
After watching it live last night, I’ve rewatched cenas heel turn 5 times already today. Unforgettable. I can’t wait to be there live to see Heel cena v Cody at mania. 😁
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Awesome angle right at the end. Finally Cena can tone down the goofy body language he's been doing for last 5-6 years.
@RedwoodOriginal you won't criticize The Rock entering himself in the picture now.
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Nah bro. This was incredible. Finally every 2000s wrestling fan's dream comes true. Unbelievable segment. Rocky has won me back over for now.
 
shaz619 said:
My god, it played it out just like that and still it was a curve ball for me. I stayed up for this live, that will be something I never forget, I’ve never reacted like that before. Nothing is quiet like pro-wrestling.
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Amazing job calling this. I can't believe the very thing we discussed a few weeks ago actually happened lol. Truly nothing quite like pro-wrestling.
 
Rana said:
Cody Rhodes push unreal

The guy has had more phenomenal in ring moments that will live forever than someone like Randy Orton
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Brock did him the greatest favour. Even when cody beat seth 3x, no one took him seriously. They viewed him as a talent but not someone who could ever match up to actual legends like cena, Rock, roman etc.

Not only were their matches peak, he's the 2nd wrestler to beat brock in storyline cleanly since Brock's return in 2012 as brock has only been beaten by Goldberg cleanly.

He's the only wrestler to beat brock 2x cleanly and the only wrestler to not get any F5 after a handshake.

Vince just never recognised his talent in his early days. He's was always more talented then orton but they gave him impossibly bad gigs and a crappie move set.

Dude can pull off various high flying moves akin to Japan pro wrestling, but also showcase feats of strengths and agility, and can make wrestling very entertaining unlike randy orton or John cena who whole good make wrestling seem one note at time with predictable move sets.
 
The sound in the building was deafening. The whole angle was just incredibly executed. You have to tip your hat to WWE for not only giving the fans something they always wanted, but in the process also doing everything they can to make Cody Rhodes into the biggest babyface imaginable. THIS is HEAT. And this kind of nuclear heat in particular is what you need to make new stars.
 
Imagine if Cena starts rapping again :ROFLMAO:

Oh man that would be so fun to watch. He should bring back that Doctor of Thuganomics for one segment, where he just drops bars and disses Cody and the fans.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
The sound in the building was deafening. The whole angle was just incredibly executed. You have to tip your hat to WWE for not only giving the fans something they always wanted, but in the process also doing everything they can to make Cody Rhodes into the biggest babyface imaginable. THIS is HEAT. And this kind of nuclear heat in particular is what you need to make new stars.
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The crazy thing i stopped watching wrestling after I believe 2018, cause covid era was awful, it was boring and vince had lost it. Not only was he scheduling awful storylines, but some of the matches were hilarious.

The final brothers of destruction match vs wyatt family which was suppose to be an epic send off was probably the worst match I've ever seen and it was pure comedy,

From takers clothes getting stuck and the camera crew and kane coming to take his jacket off, to kane losing his mask and quickly running to put it back on and the wyatt family helping him put it back on, to kane and under taker pot belly, to that horrible botched chokeslam 🤣🤣.

Not to mention wwe accidentally left the camera on air during a commercial and since it was the covid era, the whole world got to see the 2 wrestlers take a break and drink water 🤣🤣. What a way to sell.

I'm glad that Triple H fixed things. From realising that cody is a huge threat and can turn aew > wwe, hence he brings him back and makes him the biggest star,

To block's unscripted moment of putting cody over, to rocks heel turn and becoming the final boss. To a legends filled royal rumble and a heel turn cena.

Even KO vs sami zayn has to be one of the best matches I've seen in a long time.

Wwe atm is peak, and the last time it was this good was in the wwf era.

Really kudos to them for turning it around.
 
Priest v McIntyre
Orton v KO
Tiffany v Charlotte
Belair v Rhea
Punk v Rollins (v Roman?)
Jey v Gunther
Cena v Cody

WrestleMania card starting to take shape.
 
mominsaigol said:
The crazy thing i stopped watching wrestling after I believe 2018, cause covid era was awful, it was boring and vince had lost it. Not only was he scheduling awful storylines, but some of the matches were hilarious.

The final brothers of destruction match vs wyatt family which was suppose to be an epic send off was probably the worst match I've ever seen and it was pure comedy,

From takers clothes getting stuck and the camera crew and kane coming to take his jacket off, to kane losing his mask and quickly running to put it back on and the wyatt family helping him put it back on, to kane and under taker pot belly, to that horrible botched chokeslam 🤣🤣.

Not to mention wwe accidentally left the camera on air during a commercial and since it was the covid era, the whole world got to see the 2 wrestlers take a break and drink water 🤣🤣. What a way to sell.

I'm glad that Triple H fixed things. From realising that cody is a huge threat and can turn aew > wwe, hence he brings him back and makes him the biggest star,

To block's unscripted moment of putting cody over, to rocks heel turn and becoming the final boss. To a legends filled royal rumble and a heel turn cena.

Even KO vs sami zayn has to be one of the best matches I've seen in a long time.

Wwe atm is peak, and the last time it was this good was in the wwf era.

Really kudos to them for turning it around.
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Ironically enough, I got back into wrestling during COVID and became an even bigger fan than ever before. I agree WWE was pretty bad from 2020-22 but The Bloodline storyline was outstanding pretty much from the start. And on the back of that storyline they have managed to build new stars, get a GOAT heel run out of Roman and take the company to new heights business-wise. That storyline has basically been the catalyst for new golden era in WWE
 
Cena in the Rumble and Elimination chamber was a poor in ring worker. Looked and moved terribly. Was really off putting to see him in this shape and form.

As soon as he turned heel, he started moving with intensity like that vintage in ring Cena. I think he really wants this heel run, he has been dying for it!
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Ironically enough, I got back into wrestling during COVID and became an even bigger fan than ever before. I agree WWE was pretty bad from 2020-22 but The Bloodline storyline was outstanding pretty much from the start. And on the back of that storyline they have managed to build new stars, get a GOAT heel run out of Roman and take the company to new heights business-wise. That storyline has basically been the catalyst for new golden era in WWE
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Yeah I came back in 2022 when the bloodline storyline was at its peak.

I'm referring to 2017 to 2020( 2020 slightly before the bloodline storyline, not all of 2020)

This was by far the worst era of wwe. Everyone was becoming a part timer. Wwe was forcefully trying to push for a baby face roman and it just wasn't working.

Taker during this time was a spent force and almost all of his matches sucked. The shield was no more, the authority storyline was fading and pretty much over. Sting, Batista had long gone by now and seth rollins + Dean Ambrose didn't have a solid gig either.

Goldberg was a tragic comedy of errors.

Cena was dissapointing during this run and they had no storyline for him, it was just a case of nostalgia.

Even good moments like edge returning to royal rumble felt more like a nostalgia play rather then an actual plan for a storyline.

It was literally brock or bust at this time but he had no one to give him an interesting storyline. The drew macquintire push didn't work as well as it should have and women wrestling while growing was still viewed as a joke at the time and they weren't getting a good push either.

And the wyatt family had fizzled out post taker fued in 2015.

It was just awful so I quit. But came back in 2022 when I found out they had turned it around with the bloodline
 
mominsaigol said:
Yeah I came back in 2022 when the bloodline storyline was at its peak.

I'm referring to 2017 to 2020( 2020 slightly before the bloodline storyline, not all of 2020)

This was by far the worst era of wwe. Everyone was becoming a part timer. Wwe was forcefully trying to push for a baby face roman and it just wasn't working.

Taker during this time was a spent force and almost all of his matches sucked. The shield was no more, the authority storyline was fading and pretty much over. Sting, Batista had long gone by now and seth rollins + Dean Ambrose didn't have a solid gig either.

Goldberg was a tragic comedy of errors.

Cena was dissapointing during this run and they had no storyline for him, it was just a case of nostalgia.

Even good moments like edge returning to royal rumble felt more like a nostalgia play rather then an actual plan for a storyline.

It was literally brock or bust at this time but he had no one to give him an interesting storyline. The drew macquintire push didn't work as well as it should have and women wrestling while growing was still viewed as a joke at the time and they weren't getting a good push either.

And the wyatt family had fizzled out post taker fued in 2015.

It was just awful so I quit. But came back in 2022 when I found out they had turned it around with the bloodline
Click to expand...
Yeah that period was mostly terrible, barring a few bright spots. And most of it should be attributed Vince's booking. There were alot of good ideas in this period but they were all buried by Vince's booking and execution.
 
shaz619 said:
I thought he looked his best since becoming a part timer personally and the chemistry with Punk is still there, he’s not going to be as light on his toes as he use to be, but that doesn’t matter anymore because being a heel will allow him to have much better matches at this stage of his career from a psychological perspective and will maximise what is left of his abilities
Click to expand...
Definitely it was his best performance since 2018. His chemistry with Punk was great. But when i remember his matches with AJ, he was able to keep up with AJ's pace back then but here he visibly slowed down (age is a factor as well). But he will be fine. He is a great worker. The narrative that Meltzer and his marks have preached for years that Cena is a Ultimate Warrior level worker is bs. His ring rust will go away after a few matches hopefully.
Brock is the only one from this batch whose speed and agility hasn't gone down one bit since his prime (the guy is an anomaly). Randy is another one who is still as good as he used to be even though he has modified his style over the years to a heavyweight than what he started out with.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Priest v McIntyre
Orton v KO
Tiffany v Charlotte
Belair v Rhea
Punk v Rollins (v Roman?)
Jey v Gunther
Cena v Cody

WrestleMania card starting to take shape.
Click to expand...
AJ vs Balor
(Multi men IC match hopefully ladder) Penta vs Bron vs Sheamus vs a few others
Pretty Deadly vs Street Profits vs DIY vs MMG vs LWO
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Ironically enough, I got back into wrestling during COVID and became an even bigger fan than ever before. I agree WWE was pretty bad from 2020-22 but The Bloodline storyline was outstanding pretty much from the start. And on the back of that storyline they have managed to build new stars, get a GOAT heel run out of Roman and take the company to new heights business-wise. That storyline has basically been the catalyst for new golden era in WWE
Click to expand...
Ironically, it was Y2J and AJ who brought me back to WWE in 2016 and Jericho is someone I can not bare to watch in 2025. The whole program, plus Y2J's list gimmick and KO storyline, AJ's feud with Roman and Cena, Goldberg squashing Brock. 2016 was a great year for WWE. I need a dominant AJ run and maybe Jericho and Bryan can return to WWE for mini runs maybe.
 
shaz619 said:
The Hardy’s are signed to TNA, but they now have a deal with WWE and exchange talent via NXT, Hardy’s made an appearance this week, bah gawd Jeff looked amazing reminded me of the good ol days, check this lmao:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894604912048136494
Click to expand...
I saw Jeff's matches vs Taker and RVD a few months back and he is probably restraining 80% of what he used to do back then. The years of beating his body took has taken its toll but the infectious energy and charisma is still there.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Ironically, it was Y2J and AJ who brought me back to WWE in 2016 and Jericho is someone I can not bare to watch in 2025. The whole program, plus Y2J's list gimmick and KO storyline, AJ's feud with Roman and Cena, Goldberg squashing Brock. 2016 was a great year for WWE. I need a dominant AJ run and maybe Jericho and Bryan can return to WWE for mini runs maybe.
Click to expand...
2016 was great when they revived the brand-split. The KO-Jericho storyline may have been one of the last good storylines Jericho was involved in.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
AJ vs Balor
(Multi men IC match hopefully ladder) Penta vs Bron vs Sheamus vs a few others
Pretty Deadly vs Street Profits vs DIY vs MMG vs LWO
Click to expand...
Bron Breakker vs. AJ Styles vs. Sheamus vs. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Ludwig Kaiser vs. Logan Paul in a Ladder Match
 
@shaz619 @RedwoodOriginal I have the perfect storyline motivation for cena turning heel and they really should use this template for the next episode of Raw. Since it won't feel forced and them doing it for nostalgia purposes.

For cena, the perfect reason to introduce him as a heel is to simply show that everyone man is willing to break if it means chasing their ultimate goal.

Cena is desperate in wanting to become the 17 time champion, to break the record and cement himself as the undisputed greatest of all time, however as time went on, he was forced to deal with the fact that every Tom dick and Harry surpassed him.

Dude couldn't beat Baby face roman in his prime, even when heel roman was cheating to win all his matches, John cena was the only guy who he beat very easily in a clean manner in 2021. Braun strowman turned cena into a joke, and almost every wrestler just kept beating him.

Dude went from main star to a sidelined B string title card that was using his fame and leverage to still remain relevant.

He was putting on an act however mentally it broke him. And finally incomes Cody Rhodes, the man who went from a joke to the greatest baby face of all time.

Cody was the straw that broke the camel's back since he's basically everything cena use to be 10 years ago. Aka the baby face champion who's next to impossible to defeat in a 1 v 1 fight, and to top it off, he has an even better theme song then cena had.

Cena had to painfully watch himself be relegated to the sidelines and watch Cody Rhodes replace him in virtually all aspects. Wwe has finally found a face that can easily replace John cena and make him irrelevant.

Hence when the final boss offered him to sell his soul in exchange for 17th title and to cement his legacy as the GOAT over Cody, he accepted.

Every man has a bargaining price and this was the price for Cena.

^^ They really need to use this explanation rather then some weird final boss voodoo nonsense and avoid turning cena into another Bi polar Big show.
 
mominsaigol said:
@shaz619 @RedwoodOriginal I have the perfect storyline motivation for cena turning heel and they really should use this template for the next episode of Raw. Since it won't feel forced and them doing it for nostalgia purposes.

For cena, the perfect reason to introduce him as a heel is to simply show that everyone man is willing to break if it means chasing their ultimate goal.

Cena is desperate in wanting to become the 17 time champion, to break the record and cement himself as the undisputed greatest of all time, however as time went on, he was forced to deal with the fact that every Tom dick and Harry surpassed him.

Dude couldn't beat Baby face roman in his prime, even when heel roman was cheating to win all his matches, John cena was the only guy who he beat very easily in a clean manner in 2021. Braun strowman turned cena into a joke, and almost every wrestler just kept beating him.

Dude went from main star to a sidelined B string title card that was using his fame and leverage to still remain relevant.

He was putting on an act however mentally it broke him. And finally incomes Cody Rhodes, the man who went from a joke to the greatest baby face of all time.

Cody was the straw that broke the camel's back since he's basically everything cena use to be 10 years ago. Aka the baby face champion who's next to impossible to defeat in a 1 v 1 fight, and to top it off, he has an even better theme song then cena had.

Cena had to painfully watch himself be relegated to the sidelines and watch Cody Rhodes replace him in virtually all aspects. Wwe has finally found a face that can easily replace John cena and make him irrelevant.

Hence when the final boss offered him to sell his soul in exchange for 17th title and to cement his legacy as the GOAT over Cody, he accepted.

Every man has a bargaining price and this was the price for Cena.

^^ They really need to use this explanation rather then some weird final boss voodoo nonsense and avoid turning cena into another Bi polar Big show.
Click to expand...
Yeah we discussed this as being the motivation for the Cena heel turn weeks ago. We were just fantasy booking what we would like to see but it seems like Cena was also just chomping at the bit to turn heel as this was apparently planned long ago by him.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Yeah we discussed this as being the motivation for the Cena heel turn weeks ago. We were just fantasy booking what we would like to see but it seems like Cena was also just chomping at the bit to turn heel as this was apparently planned long ago by him.
Click to expand...
I saw the interview. However that was a bit different.

That was during 2012 post wrestlemania rock vs Cena match. Cena was suppose to turn heel after losing the match against rock but then they decided against it cause Vince kept wanting to sell cena merch.

Besides Vince had other ideas at the time. It was during this era the brock vs triple h feud started. Cm punk formed the shield and rock won the championship with a rematch scheduled.

They went for a big show vs cena vs John laurinitis filler storyline and then cena vs rock.

This storyline seems to be about cena joining the rock whereas the original one was going to be about heel cena vs Baby face rock but that never happened.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
I saw Jeff's matches vs Taker and RVD a few months back and he is probably restraining 80% of what he used to do back then. The years of beating his body took has taken its toll but the infectious energy and charisma is still there.
Click to expand...
Jeff Hardy, I feel like I will always wonder about the heights he could have reached if he was a little smarter with his lifestyle choices. He was the one who originally got the Jey Uso push. A tag team guy who didn't look the part but was mega popular with the fans and the company took a chance on him. Unfortunate that he couldn't hold it together. Otherwise he could have become the next face of the company after Cena.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Jeff Hardy, I feel like I will always wonder about the heights he could have reached if he was a little smarter with his lifestyle choices. He was the one who originally got the Jey Uso push. A tag team guy who didn't look the part but was mega popular with the fans and the company took a chance on him. Unfortunate that he couldn't hold it together. Otherwise he could have become the next face of the company after Cena.
Click to expand...
He was the main face of smackdown in 2008-2009. It was hardy for smackdown, cena for raw. Taker for wrestlemania. He just botched it due to drug problems and they had no choice but to eventually go for edge.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
2016 was great when they revived the brand-split. The KO-Jericho storyline may have been one of the last good storylines Jericho was involved in.
Click to expand...
It was his last storyline in WWE. His WWE career was ATG level. Even his NJPW run later on was pretty good and was used as a star attraction. It was in AEW that the camel's back really broke.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Jeff Hardy, I feel like I will always wonder about the heights he could have reached if he was a little smarter with his lifestyle choices. He was the one who originally got the Jey Uso push. A tag team guy who didn't look the part but was mega popular with the fans and the company took a chance on him. Unfortunate that he couldn't hold it together. Otherwise he could have become the next face of the company after Cena.
Click to expand...
Jeff is 10 times the wrestler Jey can ever be tbh. The agility, charisma, the underdog ability, the guy was every kids favorite even when he was losing every week. And he is a pretty good technical wrestler as well, (he had a fantastic technical match vs AJ in 2020) But yeah, his personal choices have been his biggest enemy. Also having a brother like Matt and his wife hasn't done good for him mentally I bet. Matt has literally leeched off Jeff's popularity for 27 28 years.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Jeff is 10 times the wrestler Jey can ever be tbh. The agility, charisma, the underdog ability, the guy was every kids favorite even when he was losing every week. And he is a pretty good technical wrestler as well, (he had a fantastic technical match vs AJ in 2020) But yeah, his personal choices have been his biggest enemy. Also having a brother like Matt and his wife hasn't done good for him mentally I bet. Matt has literally leeched off Jeff's popularity for 27 28 years.
Click to expand...
No I'm not talking in-ring, where Jeff was obviously light years ahead of Jey. I'm talking about how they both were viewed initially as tag team guys and how they got elevated because of the fan support. When Matt and Jeff were having those crazy ladder matches with Dudley Boys and Edge & Christian, I don't think anyone thought that Jeff Hardy would be a World Champion one day. With Jey Uso, I didn't he would ever be World Champion until a couple of months ago
 
shaz619 said:
Watching the chamber match, decent PPV so far, what if Cena sells his soul to The Rock bah gawd 🤔

Drew is the one who is most on edge out of these lot.

I reckon it could be either of these men.

Looks like Rock is going to come out at the end. Maybe Cody will confront his challenger and then Dwayne will be there after, and then the challenger attacks Cody or something.
Click to expand...
Bro.... are you Triple H or something. Called it bang on point!
 
Hyped to see Cena’s new in ring gear, theme that he mentioned in that interview years ago if he ever turned heel. Let’s freaking go.

This turn has brought back people who stopped watching pro wrestling years ago. Generational turn. Up there with Hogan’s turn.
 
Suleiman said:
Hyped to see Cena’s new in ring gear, theme that he mentioned in that interview years ago if he ever turned heel. Let’s freaking go.

This turn has brought back people who stopped watching pro wrestling years ago. Generational turn. Up there with Hogan’s turn.
Click to expand...
It is really similar to the Hogan turn because both guys had only been uber babyfaces up until that point. Both were also the respective faces of the company for numerous years, preaching wholesome values to the point of becoming stale, while still resonating with kids. Which is what made the turns so shocking.

I'm with you. Cannot wait for the fresh coat of paint on Cena. Hopefully he can do something about that bald patch too lol. It was so off-putting that it took me out of the Chamber match a couple of times. Cornette, who worked with the likes of Cena, Orton, Lesnar, Shelton in OVW booked him as a heel when Cena was down there in developmental. Which is why he was so surprised when Cena became the top babyface because he always thought Cena was a natural heel. Exciting times ahead.
 
Guys are we seriously not going to talk about Travis Scott staggering out there while being in a completely different dimension? I think he might have lit a joint in the ring lol. I get that he is one of the biggest music artists in the world eventhough his music is utter trash but was this really necessary? It reminded me of when Dennis Rodman would be coming out with Hogan and the nWo. Atleast Rodman had an imposing presence and atleast I can respect him for being an elite basketball player. Travis Scott is the size of a q-tip. And LMAO he slapped the taste out of Cody's mouth.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Guys are we seriously not going to talk about Travis Scott staggering out there while being in a completely different dimension? I think he might have lit a joint in the ring lol. I get that he is one of the biggest music artists in the world eventhough his music is utter trash but was this really necessary? It reminded me of when Dennis Rodman would be coming out with Hogan and the nWo. Atleast Rodman had an imposing presence and atleast I can respect him for being an elite basketball player. Travis Scott is the size of a q-tip. And LMAO he slapped the taste out of Cody's mouth.
Click to expand...

I think the fact that Travis is meant to be the best of this era in Hip Hop says it all really, I guess it isn’t that mumble baqwas at least. I think this would have been more mental if they had Eminem there, although Travis seems to have presence to; I don’t know what’s his deal though being involved in this, I am so excited I thought RAW has happened already lmao finished my prayer and was thinking off catching the replay, instead I gotta squash some jobbers on PP
 
Suleiman said:
Hyped to see Cena’s new in ring gear, theme that he mentioned in that interview years ago if he ever turned heel. Let’s freaking go.

This turn has brought back people who stopped watching pro wrestling years ago. Generational turn. Up there with Hogan’s turn.
Click to expand...

It has definitely brought me back after not watching wrestling regularly for 16 years. Last time Cena was a heel was back in 2004.

This is equivalent to Hogan's heel turn or Austin's Wrestlemania heel turn.

Well done, WWE. This should spice things up.
 
MK7Z said:
Bro.... are you Triple H or something. Called it bang on point!
Click to expand...

Anyone but H 😡

Honestly, I thought it would be Drew or Cena, and then Drew got out early and I was convinced it would be Cena going over and potentially selling his soul, but never would I have seen it playing out like that before my eyes, the most surreal moment in all my time watching wrestling
 
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