Wrestling Thread

[Deanjam]

Meh finish.

[madhair60]

My Summerslam predictions.

1P    Akira Tozawa (c) vs. Neville WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Tozawa retains
2P    The New Day (c) vs. The Usos WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship - New Day retains
3P    The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan vs. The Miz Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel - Jordan pins Miz
4    Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman WWE Universal Championship - Lesnar retains
5    Naomi (c) vs. Natalya WWE SmackDown Women's Championship - Naomi retains
6    Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks WWE Raw Women's Championship - Bliss retains
7    Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura WWE Championship - Nakkers wins
8    AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens WWE United States Championship - AJ retains
9    Randy Orton vs. Rusev - Rusev wins
10    Big Show vs. Big Cass - Cass wins
11    Finn Bálor vs. Bray Wyatt - Demon Balor wins
12    John Cena vs. Baron Corbin - Cena wins
13    Cesaro and Sheamus (c) vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins   WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - Ambrose & Rollins new champs

Mate.

[Deanjam]

Mate.

#FireRoadDogg

[hewantstolurkatad]

If they lost the TV deal, surely they'd just put Raw and Smackdown on the WWE Network. Maybe charge a bit more for subscriptions. Rather than going to another streaming service.

Not a chance, along with it being a huge source of direct income, their whole current setup depends on Raw at the very least being available to a pretty broad audience; moving it to the network would have a gigantic knock on effect of merchandise and general brand exposure.
Netflix could conceivably rival USA, the ideal would be to stay on USA but having any kind of at all realistic alternative would buy them a lot of power at the negotiation table. If no one else on cable was willing to bid for them in 2014, there's no way anyone will in 2019.


So I didn't watch Summerslam and haven't even googled the results yet. Well done, WWE, congrats.

[mikeyg27]

SummerSlam matches ranked:

BEEF TIER
Universal Championship match

GREAT TIER
Both tag title matches

FUN BUT DIMINISHED BY RIDICULOUS STIPULATION TIER
US Title Match

PEFRECTLY ADEQUATE TIER
Cruiserweight title match
Demon vs Bray
Smackdown Women's Title Match

DISTRACTION WIN TIER
WWE Championship match

SOMETHING FELT OFF TIER
Raw Women's Title Match

BURIED TIER
Cena vs Corbin

DON'T GIVE  A SHIT MATE TIER
Miztourage vs Hardys & Jordan
Shark Cage match

THAT SCREENSHOT OF PICARD FACEPALMING TIER
Randy Orton vs Rusev

[Deanjam]

I'd put the Smackdown tag as match of the night as it built to a great end. The 4 way had a fantastic first half but fell away a bit towards the end. The finish was kinda flat.

I enjoyed the Raw women's match a lot more than you.

But more or less agree.

[mikeyg27]

The joyous carnage when the 4-way spilled outside pretty much negates any criticism about that match for me, it was pretty much exactly what I wanted except for maybe preferring a different winner. My only real problem with the end is that LOLLESNARWINS is now a thing.

So, who do we think is getting a promotion tonight / tomorrow? That shot of Ember Moon walking up the ramp was basically the same as  Bayley and Nakamura got in their final matches, so I'm guessing her. Also, the fact that they seem to be going straight to McIntyre vs Adam Cole and skipping the 'mandatory rematch' stage of the feud makes me think Roode's coming up. I suppose the same logic applies to the Authors of Pain, but considering how young they are I don't think there's as pressing a need to bring them up.

[Ja'moke]

Just finished Summerslam. Mostly boring apart from the main event and Raw tag. Sasha v Bliss was pretty good, but then again Sasha rarely has a bad match. The best match was New Day v Usos on the pre-show. And fuck off with Jinder winning, he's shit, boring and shit.

[up_the_hampipe]

Sasha v Bliss was pretty good, but then again Sasha rarely has a bad match.

Our definitions of rarely must be very different.

[Deanjam]

And fuck off with Jinder winning, he's shit, boring and shit.

Also he's shit.

[Ja'moke]

Our definitions of rarely must be very different.

I think Sasha is the best woman they have. The only person to ever get a good match out of Nia (twice!). Had classics with Lynch, Charlotte, and Bayley. Also gave Bliss her best match.

I'm with Big Money Meltzer, she's one of the best women's wrestlers America has ever produced.

[Deanjam]

Cena v Reigns? But who do I boo?!!

[up_the_hampipe]

Cena v Reigns? But who do I boo?!!

Go for Reigns. Can't boo Cena after stuff like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnCunDK0tSw

[Deanjam]

Actually, I'll cheer Miz!

[Deanjam]

Go for Reigns. Can't boo Cena after stuff like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnCunDK0tSw

Cena's a nice enough guy in real life. His wrestling character though ...

[up_the_hampipe]

Just saw Cass get injured. Looked legit. That sucks for him.

[Mobius]

All of the Cena Reigns stuff was shit. At least The Miz got a good promo in.

Wonder if WWE are regretting booking Brooklyn for next year as well

[Golden E. Pump]

Why are they jobbing Emma out? She's pretty talented, fairly charismatic and is probably the most conventionally attractive female wrestler (I know, I know, but that could generate mainstream attention, right?) in the company.

[weekender]

Wonder if WWE are regretting booking Brooklyn for next year as well

His Dad's got a global profile, I don't see why this couldn't work?

[up_the_hampipe]

Why are they jobbing Emma out? She's pretty talented, fairly charismatic and is probably the most conventionally attractive female wrestler (I know, I know, but that could generate mainstream attention, right?) in the company.

She's not related to Snoop Dogg :/

[mikeyg27]

Why are they jobbing Emma out? She's pretty talented, fairly charismatic and is probably the most conventionally attractive female wrestler (I know, I know, but that could generate mainstream attention, right?) in the company.

She complained on Twitter a little while ago about not being used and this is coming across as a petty "Oh, want to be on TV, do you?" punishment for speaking out of turn.

[Deanjam]

Why are they jobbing Emma out? She's pretty talented, fairly charismatic and is probably the most conventionally attractive female wrestler (I know, I know, but that could generate mainstream attention, right?) in the company.

She was going to get a big push with the Emmalina gimmick, but it was scrapped after months of work as they felt she wasn't 'committing fully to the character'. They haven't had time for her since.

[weekender]

Still gay for The Miz.

[leighhart]

Please let Nakkers win the title.

hes been garbage of late

[Ja'moke]

She's not related to Snoop Dogg :/

Banks has been wrestling since 2008, worked the indies until 2012, spent three years in NXT where she developed her character from cookie cutter babyface to badass heel and put on more classic matches there than any other woman. Then made it to the main roster in 2015.

Acting like she was hired and pushed because of Snoop Dogg is beyond asinine.

As for Emma, I really like her, and they should use her more. But her wrestling ability is merely average compared to many others on the roster, and her tanking the Emmalina gimmick/push probably soured them on ever giving her a proper push. What I think they should do is bring up Peyton and Billie and have them form an Aussie faction with Emma.

[up_the_hampipe]

Still gay for The Miz.

He's excellent. Managed to go from the personification of what's wrong with wrestling (in the minds of hardcore purists, at least) to an internet darling.

Banks has been wrestling since 2008, worked the indies until 2012, spent three years in NXT where she developed her character from cookie cutter babyface to badass heel and put on more classic matches there than any other woman. Then made it to the main roster in 2015.

Acting like she was hired and pushed because of Snoop Dogg is beyong asasine.

I was joking that time. Snoop doesn't have that much clout. I appreciate she's a good wrestler who's had some great matches, but I think she is also overhyped and when it started to be at the expense of Alexa Bliss I turned real sour on her.

[leighhart]

If Sasha was given more freedom to deliver her character and  had halfway decent booking she would be doing a lot better
Her in ring far exceeds Alexa, she has an extensive back catologue of great matches

[Ja'moke]

He's excellent. Managed to go from the personification of what's wrong with wrestling (in the minds of hardcore purists, at least) to an internet darling.

I was joking that time. Snoop doesn't have that much clout. I appreciate she's a good wrestler who's had some great matches, but I think she is also overhyped and when it started to be at the expense of Alexa Bliss I turned real sour on her.

How is it at the expense of Bliss though? Wouldn't you say Bliss has had the biggest push over the past year than any other woman in WWE, over even Charlotte who was the previously biggest pushed with her PPV streak and all.

But Bliss came up last year and quickly won the SD Women's title (twice), had a lengthy reign with it, then went to Raw and quickly won the Raw women's title, becoming the first woman to win both belts. She was booked dominant over Bayley, never getting her comeuppance and making Bayley look a chump and a big reason why Bayley is in the predicament she's in now. She's had multiple victories over Lynch, Bayley, and Sasha (in tag matches).

And don't get me wrong, I think Bliss is great, probably best on the mic (although I'd be interested to see how she'd do as a babyface with main roster's writing), but given her limited experience (I still think she's a bit green in the ring, but improving) compared to  the majority of the other woman, that is an insane push.

I don't think Banks has been pushed at the expense of her at all. If anything, working with Banks has given her her best matches. And it wouldn't shock me if she won the title back next week because WWE fucking love hot potating titles, and Bliss is on the No Mercy poster and adverts.

[up_the_hampipe]

No, I mean the way people talk about Banks over Bliss, like she's been carrying Bliss to good matches. Also that shoot she did trying to discredit Bliss put her in a pathetic light, it stank of jealousy that Bliss had leapfrogged her by being consistently more entertaining. Banks has often been quite disappointing in her main roster run (not all of it can just be put on WWE creative), while Bliss just keeps getting better and better.

[Ja'moke]

Ah. I don't really see that, Bliss seems to be the woman of the moment online (a large part of that being creepy fanboys), and Banks and Bayley get shit on now.

I do think Banks carried Bliss to her best matches though. That doesn't mean Bliss didn't play a part, but it means working with the experience of a Banks took her to another level which she hadn't previously seen. All of Alexa's matches on Smackdown ranged from average to downright sloppy (those series of matches with Naomi, yeesh).

Banks as a character is pretty turd right now, but she still doesn't put on bad matches. And she's never been in a segment as bad as Bliss hosting Bayley's This Is Your Life. Although creative do take the brunt for that one.

Overall though, it's Becky I feel most sorry for. She can wrestle and is one of the most natural talkers and is a babyface who gets a genuine babyface reaction. Yet they give her nothing.