The All New All New Wrasslin' Pay Windah

[rjd2]

Trips, absolute cert.

[Subtle Mocking]

Trips, absolute cert.

Honestly, if anybody, I would've said Taker. I pray that Trips is retired from wrestling.

[up_the_hampipe]

Interesting. Hopefully it wouldn't be like Goldberg vs. Brock at WM20

[Subtle Mocking]

Looks like WWE are doing early spring cleaning today. Trent Baretta has apparently been released.

[vrailaine]

Trent Barreta is the kind of guy who's going nowhere and young enough to have another chance in a few years, could have asked for it.

[Subtle Mocking]

Skyler Moon from NXT also apparently released. Much as I hate seeing people lose their jobs, will JTG finally be cut?

[Ja'moke]

Who do we reckon Lesnar will be put with for Mania? Personally I want it to be someone we haven't seen him against before, not The Undertaker again and definitely not Triple H again.

Triple H definitely. That's one match that is pretty much guaranteed.

I think Undertaker may be getting tied up with CM Punk shortly.

[Moribunderast]

I guess the mainstream fans of WWE will be into Lesnar/HHH but I've yet to find anyone online who wants to see that match a second time. The first was a complete fizzer with a brilliantly unexpected finish. I just have no interest in seeing them try to force a classic between these two when you could use Brock with Cena, Rock or Undertaker and it would be much better and much more interesting. Brock/HHH, Cena/Rock and Punk/Taker seem the logical Main Events, though I'd prefer Brock/Rock/Cena and Punk/Taker, but that leaves HHH without an opponent and we can't have that (though I wish we could).

I think The Shield will probably have some form of six-man, likely with Kane, Bryan and another Main Eventer (Ryback again?), while Orton/Sheamus seems to be a thing they're building to, probably for the World Title. I find it hard to get excited about Mania this year as I haven't been watching and I was disapoointed with last year's, which I thought had the potential to be the best ever but just left me feeling flat, despite really good matches from HHH/Undertaker, Punk/Jericho and Cena/Rock. I can't imagine the prospective lineup for this year doing any better. We'll see, though.

In TNA news, TNA flushed their great momentum down the toilet and now we're saddled with Bully Ray trying to get Brooke Hogan over and Aces & Eights taking part in one of the most long-winded, boring invasions to ever occur. They never win matches, they mostly suck in-ring and they're grossly outmatched - Sting/Samoa Joe/Kurt Angle vs. Devon/Luke Gallows/Mike Knox. It's just embarrassing at this point and it's the contrast to WWE's shitty 'book-on-the-fly' booking, wherein TNA book things out six months ahead and refuse to divert from their orignal plan, even if it isn't working. Very frustrating. Kaz, Daniels, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries remain great, however, and are a reason to continue watching.

[Subtle Mocking]

I've no desire to see Punk/Taker again either. Last time they feuded, we got a Screwjob finish and HIAC match so short that people thought Punk was being punished.

They don't have good chemistry at all. You'd get a much better match out of Lesnar/Taker, with Lesnar being a much more conceivable threat to end the streak. Then we'll probably get Taker/Cena at WM30.

[Moribunderast]

You could only do it if 'Taker was retiring but I've always (well, for a few years) imagined the best way to turn Cena heel would be to have him cheat and break the streak at Wrestlemania. I'm completely over Cena, despite him being pretty great when it comes to pay-per-view matches, but I would LOVE to see the crowd reaction that heel turn would get.

I'm perversely interested in the reaction we'll see when HHH inevitably goes over Lesnar and Cena beats Rock. That's two chances for the generally cynic-heavy Wrestlemania crowd to shit over two finishes. Lest we forget the great moment when HHH, fresh from tapping to Brock, stood in the ring awaiting mass cheers only to be greeted with 'You Tapped Out!' chants.

[Subtle Mocking]

Plus, who the hell wants to see hedgehog Triple H in the ring?

[Moribunderast]

It's Bobby Roode's cranky older cousin!

[up_the_hampipe]

Lesnar/HHH 2 will be much worse because everyone will know that its sole purpose is to give HHH his win back.

[Pepotamo1985]

http://youtu.be/qZoUZcyS87E

The 100th - and last - edition of Zack Ryder's web show.

Reckon he'll be out of a job by April.

[up_the_hampipe]

Don't see what's left for him now, that YouTube series was the only thing keeping him anywhere near some kind of relevance. Though, many people stopped watching when he "sold out" to the WWE channel.

[Pepotamo1985]

many people stopped watching when he "sold out" to the WWE channel.

As far as I'm aware, the WWE pretty much demanded he either shut it down or transfer it to them. Maybe they've told him to stop doing it, maybe he just can't be bothered any more. Either way, he's probably a dead man.

Ziggler's another person who's gotten in trouble for his social media usage, might be why he's being treated so fucking appallingly despite being one of the most over people on the roster.

[up_the_hampipe]

Yeah, I put sold out in quotes because I'm pretty sure he was doing what he could to keep his show alive.

What was Ziggler doing that got him into trouble?

[Sandow]

I'd urge anyone who hasn't seen last Friday's Smackdown to give it a go, if only for the Rock segment and the WHC title match. I'm largely indifferent to the whole Rock thing, but he had a great segment with Rhodes and Sandow which had the tone just right, and you could tell that he was enjoying himself, not just going through the motions as he could so easily do these days. Rhodes' and Sandow's shtick continues to be more enjoyable than I imagined it would, and it's good to see them being really over as heels. Their 'best friends' thing is quite endearing. Rhodes has really great comic ability.

Speaking of indifference, I never thought I'd be talking up a match between Big Show and Del Rio, but the title match was spectacularly good, even knowing the result in advance, and much of that is down to JBL and Josh Matthews' commentary. It was genuinely delightful to see Del Rio raise the belt at the end; he seems massively over. Just hope they give him an adequate run with the title before the inevitable Ziggler cash in.

Also worth noting Big E Langston's push; very nice move to have him overpower Khali, though I'm still a bit nonplussed at how they're aligning his main roster appearances with his NXT run. In TV continuity, he only just won the NXT title from Seth Rollins on last week's show, and in NXT land Langston is a massively popular face. They are carrying over main roster story lines, as the Shield have made a few NXT appearances now, so this does get a little confusing...

[Pepotamo1985]

What was Ziggler doing that got him into trouble?

Videos are now long gone (predictably), but he made a series of fairly hilarious YT clips (about a minute each) that were pretty 'shoot' in nature. Same with Twitter, I believe - notably, he got dumped on for that '#heel' hoody, and for trying to get it going as a meme on Twitter. WWE's double standards are appalling, Orton has a track record of blowing payoffs/intended surprises and pissing on angles other people are involved in in his tweets, yet continues to go over most of the roster.

[vrailaine]

Sounds like it could be one hell of a raw tonight, potentially a flair/heyman/punk/rock segment!

[rjd2]

Wouldn't put money on Del Rio finishing the show as champion either.

[Sandow]

Wouldn't put money on Del Rio finishing the show as champion either.

Is there a title match, or are you thinking a Ziggler cash-in? Would be torn on that if it happened; on the one hand a major title change on the 20th anniversary show makes sense (not counting the announced Diva match which will likely result in a title change). On the other hand it would be a shame for Del Rio to lose out like that, and might kill his new-found momentum; as I said earlier, unless they added in extra crowd noise on last week's Smackdown, Del Rio was majorly over with the fans.

[rjd2]

Is there a title match, or are you thinking a Ziggler cash-in? Would be torn on that if it happened; on the one hand a major title change on the 20th anniversary show makes sense (not counting the announced Diva match which will likely result in a title change). On the other hand it would be a shame for Del Rio to lose out like that, and might kill his new-found momentum; as I said earlier, unless they added in extra crowd noise on last week's Smackdown, Del Rio was majorly over with the fans.

I think we get a Dolph cash in tonight, reckon Del Rio only won to transition it onto Dolph on this show.

[up_the_hampipe]

The only time I laughed during that Rock/Rhodes Scholars Smackdown segment was when Rhodes poked fun at The Rock for going to the University Of Miami. Although, I did admire the lead up to the Rock Bottom. Obviously props to go the writer and not The Rock himself.

[Sandow]

The only time I laughed during that Rock/Rhodes Scholars Smackdown segment was when Rhodes poked fun at The Rock for going to the University Of Miami. Although, I did admire the lead up to the Rock Bottom. Obviously props to go the writer and not The Rock himself.

Well it's not exactly grade A comedy, but in its own terms I thought all three participants did a fine job. As you say, definitely down to the writing, and I think I also largely enjoy seeing Cody Rhodes enact his new preppy character twist. It's preferable to other 'lighter' WWE moments like John Cena literally dumping shit on Dolph Ziggler, or any of the Raw Christmas episode. If nothing else, it suggests they're trying to push Rhodes Scholars as a lead tag team by putting them in the ring with a legend, which can't be a bad thing for the short term. I'd expect a tag title change at the Rumble.

[up_the_hampipe]

I'm not seeing it as much of a push, it just seems like they throw them out there for cheap heat so they can be humiliated by legends.

To be honest, I'd rather see Cena dump shit on people than hear The Rock try and create a new juvenile hashtag for everyone he encounters.

[spanky]

The best thing about his segment on Smackdown was the complete lack of Twitter and crowd pandering. Felt a lot more like the old Rock than it has in a while.

[Subtle Mocking]

I'm not seeing it as much of a push, it just seems like they throw them out there for cheap heat so they can be humiliated by legends.

With that said, there's plenty of people on the roster (and just people in general) who would kill to be in that position. Look at Heath Slater, he's losing to just about everybody every week, but I can't remember the last time he wasn't on Raw/Smackdown every week.

It's finding a right balance between fun interaction and outright burial. It's not like Rock came out during a Sandow match with a sleeping bag shouting "BORING" over and over again.

[vrailaine]

Sandow, for a guy who has been around for 9 months, is doing pretty damn well, I think. He's probably never gonna be main event, but if they were stuck, they could slot him up there.

Is Claudio Castignoli (or however it's spelt) being booked incredibly strongly lately? Like, does he lose matches?

Videos are now long gone (predictably), but he made a series of fairly hilarious YT clips (about a minute each) that were pretty 'shoot' in nature. Same with Twitter, I believe - notably, he got dumped on for that '#heel' hoody, and for trying to get it going as a meme on Twitter. WWE's double standards are appalling, Orton has a track record of blowing payoffs/intended surprises and pissing on angles other people are involved in in his tweets, yet continues to go over most of the roster.

Ach, they currently are biding their time with Orton because his heel turn could be money and all, but he's definitely on the edges now, not worth a fuck as a babyface, too cool to be a heel, injury prone, two strikes and difficult to deal with. I'd say Vince would love to stick the knife into him.
Real shame though, Orton could have been booked to be a pretty damn popular heelish face.

Supposedly everyone backstage loves Dolph, no? I think him and AJ are a really good pairing too, better than Danielson and her, even. I think one big benefit she has is that she's so small that she can make regular sized guys look big by standing next to her.

Not too sure if size matters all that much though, like, I didn't think about it at all when Punk and Rock were in the ring together, but that could be because Punk has those knee attacks and such that look pretty fucking brutal regardless of the opponent.

[vrailaine]

don't bother guys