Wrestling: The Baron Corbin Era

[up_the_hampipe]

Viking Experience are now called... Viking Raiders.

That is even worse and I can't believe anyone thinks it's better.

[Mobius]

Bray Wyatt is back with a new gimmick

https://streamable.com/s5n9r

Something different I suppose.

[magval]

He's the spit of his brother. Never noticed before.

[up_the_hampipe]

Bray Wyatt is back with a new gimmick

https://streamable.com/s5n9r

Something different I suppose.

First time Bray Wyatt has been intriguing in like 5 years. They always manage to fuck up his storylines, but this looks promising.

Fans are already moaning on twitter that they've ruined Bray Wyatt with this. Haven't even understood the segment or given it chance to grow. No wonder WWE ignores the internet so much.

[Timothy]

Wow. Enjoying this new Wyatt persona already. Promises to get really really dark. Think he can pull this off.

Looking forward to see whats gonna happen next week. Intriguing stuff indeed.

[Chairman Yang]

So... War Machine have to become the Jorvik Jobbers because of the very bad word but Bray Wyatt gets to give it some Gacy? ~

Do not trust. Will fuck up somehow.

[confettiinmyhair]

Isn't he Jim Carey's character from Kidding?

[Spode]

[Ja'moke]

The Bray bit was ace.

[Golden E. Pump]

I actually really like that look. If he actually wins matches, he'll be great.

[Moribunderast]

Haha, just reading a Smackdown report and nearly every segment I read made me inwardly groan. Roman Reigns vs. Elias and Shane McMahon! Chad Gable buried immediately! Andrade is back on Smackdown after one week on Raw and Finn Balor gets his win back! Bayley beaten in favour of Charlotte vs. Becky AGAIN! The Superstar Shakeup continues for no clear reason, indicating the entire promotion is booked on a cocktail napkin 5 minutes before showtime!

Seriously, that read like a very bad show.

But in good news, NJPW are coming back to Melbourne in a few months and I just got front row ringside tickets. I'm gonna challenge Tama Tonga to a FIGHT.

[Deanjam]

Kevin Owens beat the shit out of Kofi though, so at least it had a happy ending.

[Moribunderast]

Kevin Owens beat the shit out of Kofi though, so at least it had a happy ending.

I'll be honest - I got so bored reading the report that I clicked to something new before seeing how the Kofi match ended, haha. Owens as a heel is better than comedy Owens, I guess, though there probably is mileage is a babyface run where he isn't a clown.

The Chad Gable thing was the biggest groaner for me. If that guy has any ambition beyond making decent money for doing nothing, he really needs to get the fuck outta there. I can only imagine how good he would be if he spent two years working New Japan.

[Timothy]

I enjoyed Smackdown. Was a good show. Very good crowd which made it even better.

Chad Gable should be drafted to NXT. Maybe he can get a persona or character there so that there will be some hype when he comes back to SD. Excellent inring but very dull character.

[Huxleys Babkins]

Gable's doing the right thing. Make as much money as you can until they inevitably drop you. Once you're out you can enjoy the indies with no money worries. If you get really hot you can make your WWE return on even more money.

[Moribunderast]

Gable's doing the right thing. Make as much money as you can until they inevitably drop you. Once you're out you can enjoy the indies with no money worries. If you get really hot you can make your WWE return on even more money.

The only problem with that is that, in the current climate, WWE are loathe to drop anyone as they don't want another Cody out there and they don't want AEW or New Japan picking guys up. As I say, if Gable is happy just taking the money (and swell if he is, it's a job after all - not everyone has to take the artist's mindset into it) then he should stay as long as he can. There are worse things in the world than making good bank while doing very little work, other than the travel.

[Timothy]

They granted Harper his release so it depends.

Gable is just in desperate need of a personality. Maybe a switch to 205 live or nxt will do him good.

[An Actual Propeller]

They granted Harper his release so it depends.

Gable is just in desperate need of a personality. Maybe a switch to 205 live or nxt will do him good.

Luke Harper hasn't been released by WWE.

Gable's a wrestling machine that gets over via his matches, he doesn't need a wacky "personality".

205 Live is purgatory, nobody cares about it, and nobody ever gets drafted to NXT from the main roster.  Cable's already been in NXT, he's great, there's no need for him to go back.

What Chad Gable needs to do, is get out of WWE because WWE aren't going to do anything major with him.  Somebody of his level of talent this soon in the business, and somebody who has amateur wrestled in the Olympics, is surely not content with his lot at the moment.  He can earn decent money elsewhere and every other major organisation would love to have him.  Imagine him in the G1?  Or the Best of the Super Juniors?

[Timothy]

Did they deny Harper his release?

And why is your immediate association with a wrestling personality whacky? Never said it has to be whacky. But at the moment there is no way to connect with him. No reason to look forward to his matches.

Without something that makes him unique or stand out from the other wrestling machines he will be lost in every company. Doesnt matter if its WWE or not.

[Timothy]

Gable reminds me of Jack Swagger. Always liked that guy.

Does anyone know if he is still wrestling?

[An Actual Propeller]

Did they deny Harper his release?

WWE hasn't granted it.  All we know is that Harper requested it.

And why is your immediate association with a wrestling personality whacky? Never said it has to be whacky. But at the moment there is no way to connect with him. No reason to look out to his matches.

Because it's WWE and that's what they do.

Saying there is no way to connect with him is false.  I connect with Chad Gable because his wrestling is excellent.  He's really talented.  What do you mean by "personality"?  He has one.

[Deanjam]

Gable reminds me of Jack Swagger. Always liked that guy.

Does anyone know if he is still wrestling?

He's doing MMA with Bellator.

[up_the_hampipe]

Ryback has done an AMA on Reddit but he's totally Ryback'd it https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/bgl8od/the_big_guy_ryback_ama/

[Timothy]

Haha. It's more of a Ryback answers questions that aren't asked while the actual questions don't get an answers.
Hilarious.

Because it's WWE and that's what they do.

That's false. There aren't that many wrestlers with a whacky personality in WWE.

I can't connect with Gable. His wrestling skills are excellent but he doesn't add much personality wise. Can't remember any of his promos.

But to be fair I have the same issue with a lot of wrestlers. I also find AJ Styles extremely boring. Great in ring, but zero personality.

[Timothy]

Ouch.

[Timothy]

O wait, apparently it's from last year. Stupid Reddit.

[An Actual Propeller]

Can't remember any of his [Chad Gable's] promos.

You don't see them because WWE fills valuable screen time with the likes of Baron Corbin instead.

Ultimate point is that Chad Gable's too good for WWE.  Gable and Jay White started at around the same time and White's IWGP champion, cuts awesome promos and is now an elite wrestler.  Gable needs to leave when his contract expires, join somewhere better and get even better in the ring and work on those promos, and in the future WWE will beg to take him back on a much higher contract.

[Ja'moke]

As others have said, Harper hasn't been given his release, he just requested it, and is probably going to have to sit out his contract like PAC did, and possibly Sasha will have to if she is determined to leave.

[up_the_hampipe]

Also: https://twitter.com/XavierWoodsPhD/status/1121368409982349313

[hummingofevil]

As others have said, Harper hasn't been given his release, he just requested it, and is probably going to have to sit out his contract like PAC did, and possibly Sasha will have to if she is determined to leave.

So rumours are they blocking Harper's release and holding him to the 6 month injury extension. Looks like their not wanting to be 'the nasty company' extends only so far to what Charlotte Flair wants.

Also, The Young Bucks vs Penta and Fenix on Azteca TV (Mexico) was the highest rating AAA ever got for its show on that channel. No idea how much the bump was due to The Bucks (or how much that bump actually was) but it's interesting times. If nothing else it shows how insane the WWE TV deal is. $1Billion for 2-3 million viewers a week.

I'm increasingly thinking all these sports rights deals are dodgy as. Where is the money coming from? If its advertising then that is a house of cards waiting to collapse as we either not watch them or actively hate the products involved. All these apps and likes of DAZN are super dodgy in terms of where their investment comes from. Its probably legal but it will all be weird dark money from Middle East or something.