Wrestling: The Baron Corbin Era

[Deanjam]

I'm actually looking forward to AJ/Orton. I think they have good chemistry together.

[Deanjam]

Drew McIntyre tried his very best to sell that match with Roman, Lukemia heat and all, but the crowd didn't care. Poor bloke.

They keep referencing the leukemia despite it not going over with the crowd in any way.

[ToneLa]

McIntyre was a great brawler in ICDub and he was the very definition of over in that environment

I like him in WWE simply because of that and I think he deserves a push, but the WWE Style has robbed what I found exciting

Don't think he's remotely bad, but remember they almost pushed him before but even steven booking murdered it before it even got going

Mind you, a comparison with Corbin does him a whole heap of favours

I'm actually looking forward to AJ/Orton. I think they have good chemistry together.

This shite still rolling on? Their feud is off to a very good start and their previous match has shown the match quality will be up there

[Timothy]

Its difficult to have any interest in a 2019 Randy Orton match. Mainly because Randy Orton seems to have no interest in a 2019 Randy Orton match.

[ToneLa]

Its difficult to have any interest in a 2019 Randy Orton match.

Yeah, you've said. How odd! Our tastes are different!

[Ja'moke]

Surely Cena will come out either at Mania or the Raw before and replace Snorebin. Right lads? Right?!!!

According to the Meltz, there is a different match planned for Cena at Mania.

Hopefully Angle and Corbin will be a quick squash. With 17 potential matches, some of them need to be kept short, and this is one.

[hummingofevil]

FWIW this is the most interested I've been in Randy for a decade.
Its ever since that twerking video got leaked.

I also agree entirely that the word Leukemia needs to never be mentioned in any promo ever and should only be mentioned on screen in genuine Make A Wish / Charity awareness stuff from real life. It just makes you take intake of breath. Go away heat.

And how any of you didn't like that Ronda stuff? She is brilliant in this role as was obvious months ago.

[Huxleys Babkins]

They should have kept Roman benched until Summerslam. He's come back way too soon to sustain that sympathy heat.

[ToneLa]

According to the Meltz, there is a different match planned for Cena at Mania.

Hopefully Angle and Corbin will be a quick squash. With 17 potential matches, some of them need to be kept short, and this is one.

I'd rarely say a retiring legend should go over a newer young talent on their way oot the door but...

[Ja'moke]

That Raw was so bad, wasn't it? Three weeks until Mania and that's the shite they're churning out.

Elias v No Way Jose?
Those Moment of Bliss segments need to stop.
Balor and Lashley feel like they've been feuding for an entire year.
Crews v Corbin?

[ToneLa]

Yeesh it looked like a big show on paper but I haven't downloaded it yet

Strowman for the Battle Royal though? What a waste

[Ja'moke]

Strowman's probably going to do some spot with those SNL goons. Maybe the return of 10-year-old Nicholas.

Looking forward to Smackdown tonight at least. I was kind of hoping the gauntlet match would go the full two-hours, especially with them announcing it's opening the show. But now they've announced a Shane/Miz segment and Bayley/Sasha appearance, it's probably not going the full two hours. Still, should be fun.

[ToneLa]

Strowman's probably going to do some spot with those SNL goons. Maybe the return of 10-year-old Nicholas.

Laughed at the Worst Gimmick Observer award including Nicholas

Smackdown is kicking Raw's arse. Nothing new there but Mania is a couple weeks away!

Kofi in a gauntlet match should keep him way over. That's a kind of Babyface Against the Odds I like - actually prove it in the ring.

Maybe AJ will sabotage Orton's match. That's the thing about Smackdown - I enjoy finding out! Angles happen, they often have meaning and the matches are proper matches. Not hard is it?

[up_the_hampipe]

It was okay for Rollins to lose like that last night as McIntyre looks strong (and they've fully established idea that Rollins is basically a bit of a headcase who can't control himself either way) but they need Rollins to just run through people like Ronda now up to Mania whether he is beating Lesnar or not.

Rollins isn't really a destroyer though. He's a survivor. He can run through as many people as he wants, but it won't be believable when compared with Lesnar. His ironmatch showing on Raw a while ago established his resilience, presumably why the crowd root for him, similar with Kofi.

[ToneLa]

I thought he was an architect who then burns it down to slay the King

[Deanjam]

Rollins character should be the guy who finds a way to win with tactics, outsmarting his opponents. That's what I thought he was supposed to be as the Architect, especially after his win over Trips at Mania. But there's no consistency of characters in WWE.

Him losing to Drew, 3 weeks from Mania, just to build McIntyre for his inevitable defeat to Reigns, boils my piss. There was no need to book that match, but they couldn't resist.

[hummingofevil]

Fair enough. As I was watching I was thinking how they going to get out of the (what was a good) match without beating either one of them. I do see your point. Should have been a double DQ or something.

Last nights show just made me crave squash matches.

[Deanjam]

I'd have no problem with a squash match each week on both shows (maybe 2 on Raw). So long as it's not the same act doing the squash all the time. That gets boring. Would be nice just to see an AJ or Seth show off a few moves against an indie lad.

[ToneLa]

Why do they give away so many PPV quality match ups (maybe not matches!) on TV?

I can answer it myself with Short Term Booking For Ratings but it doesn't work does it?

Not even if you accept the narrow prism of TV Rights are Everything. Drew / Rollins could be a post Mania program. When D Bry first came back they juuuust couldn't wait

Reckon even steven booking is it again. I'd like a lower rung of jobbers, yknow? Shit, you could even promote one once in a while as an underdog. Just don't fucking sell losing stream as a gimmick, never gets over

There's just such a lack of imagination.

[Deanjam]

Someone filmed Seth's beatdown of Drew and caught the ridiculous lengths the cameramen have to go to in order to achieve Kevin Dunn's bullshit camerawork. Just ignore the gobshite's commentary.

https://twitter.com/WrestlinGifs/status/1107844137330446336

[Deanjam]

Also, what a shame Chad Gable isn't considered a big enough name for Kurt's last match. They could've told a hell of a story.

[ToneLa]

Kurt vs Team Angle, now that = buys

[magval]

What IS the saying about heroes becoming rivals? Is there one?

[Deanjam]

Kurt vs Team Angle, now that = buys

Shame they never brought American Alpha up as the new team angle. Instead we got My Black Son.

Anyway, it's nearly Kofi time on Smackdown. Loving these 12 o'clock starts.

[Deanjam]

So much for the gauntlet match kicking off the show.

[ToneLa]

So much for the gauntlet match kicking off the show.

I thought they announced it

Shows what WWE know

[Deanjam]

It's gonna close the show at this rate.

[hummingofevil]

So we could have had Rey / Andrade mask-vs-hair and Joe (or even R-Truth) doing the US title open challenge to with Cena coming out as a surprise and instead we are just getting Rey/Joe in a match with no build.

They really have forgotten how to script anything that is vaguely fun and exciting haven't they? How come their backroom team is stuffed full of TV writers who know the secret to US TV comedy is constant feedback from audience, yet they never fucking listen. Urgh.

[Deanjam]

Kevin Owens there, oozing more natural charisma and ease on the mic (in his second language) there than either of his guests.

So we could have had Rey / Andrade mask-vs-hair and Joe (or even R-Truth) doing the US title open challenge to with Cena coming out as a surprise and instead we are just getting Rey/Joe in a match with no build.

They really have forgotten how to script anything that is vaguely fun and exciting haven't they? How come their backroom team is stuffed full of TV writers who know the secret to US TV comedy is constant feedback from audience, yet they never fucking listen. Urgh.

Vince innit.

[Deanjam]

So they just couldn't resist overbooking the Kofi mania run. Load of shit.