Wrestling 2021: The Big Thread Machine

[peanutbutter]

It probably goes beyond ad rates tbf, gotta be as much about drawing in a set of viewers who never think of viewing the channel at all.

[madhair60]

Becky Lynch is one of those people who I could just never understand how she was popular. Every time she opens her mouth its cringe, even more so when she's not on tv doing it. And she looks ridiculous too, she never looks like the star she thinks she is, she looks like someone cosplaying a star. All the other women who got popular with her at the time like Bayley or Sasha I could see the appeal, but I've never been able to buy what she's selling.

I agree

[peanutbutter]

She's quite likeable in a general sense and a good worker, but dreadful on the mic and doesn't seem to know what to do with her strengths in a character. She pulled off that one angle where she got all bloodied up really well and people were happy to go crazy for her off the back of it but she's not really resolved any of the issues with her mic work that have always been there.

Like, she's got enough going for her to make it all work, but hasn't really figured it out all that well.

[Huxleys Babkins]

Becky Lynch is one of those people who I could just never understand how she was popular. Every time she opens her mouth its cringe, even more so when she's not on tv doing it. And she looks ridiculous too, she never looks like the star she thinks she is, she looks like someone cosplaying a star. All the other women who got popular with her at the time like Bayley or Sasha I could see the appeal, but I've never been able to buy what she's selling.

Becky going stratospheric was pure lighting in a bottle stuff and as much a fan rejection of Vince trying to push Charlotte as the top face as it was about her.

[BeardFaceMan]

Becky going stratospheric was pure lighting in a bottle stuff and as much a fan rejection of Vince trying to push Charlotte as the top face as it was about her.

I think that's probably key, that she got over not because of herself but because of the alternative the fans were being given, it makes sense of a lot of things with her.

[Ja'moke]

You could say the same about Daniel Bryan then.

By the way, the new JPEGMAFIA album samples Arn Anderson's glock promo. Proper made me laugh when I first heard it.

[BeardFaceMan]

You could say the same about Daniel Bryan then.

What, that he's not convincing in what he does? When I say

I think that's probably key, that she got over not because of herself but because of the alternative the fans were being given, it makes sense of a lot of things with her.

I mean that, as others have said, she has strengths but doesn't really know how to use them because that's not what got her over, what got her over was someone else being forced down the audience's throat that they didn't want. So when she doesn't have that going for her, she doesn't quite know what to do. The only reason her heel turn is having any heat is because of how much the fans like Belair, not because of her great heel work.

[up_the_hampipe]

I think Becky had long been over with many fans, but she wasn't really doing anything. As soon as she started getting a push, the fans decided to throw their support behind her aggressively. In that way, it is similar to Bryan. I'm not a fan of her Man gimmick, but she wasn't just cheered as an alternative, she had backing from her steampunk days.

[BeardFaceMan]

I'd say the opposite, that Bryan didn't start getting a real push until WWE absolutely had to because of the aggressive fan support. Bryan got his push because of the heavy support, Lynch got pushed and then got the heavy support. She might have had support before her push, in the same way Bryan did before he started the 'yes' stuff, but they never had WWE fan support, it was more the wrestling fans that liked them, if you know what I mean, like they had NXT levels of being over, not WWE levels of being over.

[Ja'moke]

I think Becky had long been over with many fans, but she wasn't really doing anything. As soon as she started getting a push, the fans decided to throw their support behind her aggressively. In that way, it is similar to Bryan. I'm not a fan of her Man gimmick, but she wasn't just cheered as an alternative, she had backing from her steampunk days.

Yep. Becky was always popular and got big crowd support, even when she wasn't been booked in major angles. And that fan support started going up even more when she started racking up a winning streak on what fans thought was her journey to the title (she'd beaten everyone on Smackdown in the weeks leading up to her title match). So she was already getting big reactions before that loss (and then turn) to Charlotte. That just pushed it into the stratosphere.

[sevendaughters]

for half a minute they did have something with Becky whether by accident or design: I think either is plausible, because they didn't know what to do next, which they never do when they plan it. Straight into overkill. My memories of Austin-style booking ie. the over turbohard anti-babyface face is that you don't sit around waiting for 'programs' and booking like you're mapping out 3 months in the Carolinas; you have them kick the ass of someone who is thrown in their path by a greater someone. In this case it probably should have been Steph, and ended with Becky beating the snot out of Steph. Instead it was just 'I'm the Man', all talk and no show.

[sevendaughters]

like, Austin in his greatest babyface run was actually shot as a wrestler, his knees were basically dust mites held together by tape, but it was a force of personality and the legacy of some great work that earned him it.

[BeardFaceMan]

After an ok Dark Side last week, the last 2 episodes look like corkers, XPW this week and the steroid trials next week. I was going to say there can't be that many interesting subjects left but this is wrestling, I wonder what they've got lined up for season 4? What season will we be getting the Saudi Hostage Incident?

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

There's a few episodes in this season that seem very Bix driven, so I wonder if they'll make a go at doing a Drake Wuertz episode or if it's too recent/still ongoing.

[Ja'moke]

Booker T (aka King Booker) on Hangman: "He needs to ditch the booze and start doing something more kid friendly in order to get over. He's a great talent but all that comedy nonsense he's been doing makes him look foolish in the eyes of the casual viewer."

I think Booker T has to take the cake for the worst takes in wrestling. He seemingly outdoes himself every week.

[BeardFaceMan]

He's someone who is so trained in the WWE style he can't see any other way. Comedy nonsense, as he puts it, is entertaining when done right, it's just that in WWE the attempts at comedy as usually Vince's idea of comedy and so very shit indeed. I'm still chuckling at the thought of Hangman's beer being taking away and then him pulling a full pitcher out of nowhere and drinking from it. Where does fighting Stone Cold in a supermarket and getting twatted with a carton of milk fit in to comedy nonsense, because that was entertaining as fuck. I mean, the fact he thinks Page isn't over and still needs to get over is astounding. I think takes like this are what happens when you need that Legends contract.

[Ja'moke]

Yep, most of Booker T's biggest success was doing comedy gimmicks. His fights with Austin, his tag team with Goldust, and his run as King Booker.

[Spode]

Being in a death feud with Matt Hardy probably hasn't helped, but I'm proper bored of Orange Cassidy now. Gimmick well and truly worn out

[Moribunderast]

Being in a death feud with Matt Hardy probably hasn't helped, but I'm proper bored of Orange Cassidy now. Gimmick well and truly worn out

I still like Orange but I groaned when they showed Hardy watching his match. Didn't they have a match and Orange won? Did I imagine that? Why is this feud still going? Hardy's character is just very boring and I don't think anybody gains anything by feuding with him.

PAC/Andrade was a banger match. Some insane spots. I have a feeling Dustin Rhodes and Danielson are going to have a ripper tomorrow too.

[Old Thrashbarg]

When that match was announced the mark in me did wonder why Dustin was being included in the championship eliminator tournament. But yeah, it's probably quite a good excuse to get them two into a match that should work really well.

[BeardFaceMan]

I still like Orange but I groaned when they showed Hardy watching his match. Didn't they have a match and Orange won? Did I imagine that? Why is this feud still going? Hardy's character is just very boring and I don't think anybody gains anything by feuding with him.

That's the problem with having Hardy in AEW, he's in a position in his career where he's there to help the young guys and put them over but no one gets elevated by working with him.

[Ja'moke]

Holy shit PAC v Andrade was fantastic. And the ending with Black, Cody, and Armed Anderson was great too haha.

I wouldn't mind PAC v Andrade rubber match at Full Gear at all.

[Ja'moke]

Meanwhile, things seem to be going well in the land of WWE:

"There was a backstage confrontation between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair following last night's Friday Night Smackdown taping in Wichita, Kansas, PWInsider.com has confirmed with multiple sources.

We are told the issue arose after Charlotte Flair was said to have voiced concerns before WWE went on the air, concerned about the Championship Exchange segment that featured Becky trading her Smackdown Women's Championship belt for Flair's Raw Women's Championship belt.

We are told by several who were privy to the situation that Flair was voicing that she didn't want to look weak nor did she want her title reign to look weak during the segment.  Despite those concerns, the segment went on as planned to close Smackdown.

During the Championship Exchange segment, there was a moment where Flair was to hand the belt to Becky but instead pulled it away and threw the belt on the mat, which was not the way that exchange was expected to go.

At that point, Sonya Deville demanded Flair retrieve the belt and hand it to her, which Flair did.  Deville then asked for Becky's title but instead Lynch threw her title belt at Flair, which was also not part of the plan.

Flair picked up the Smackdown belt and did mic work to set up Sasha Banks coming out, which did put the segment back on track with Lynch leaving after teasing a potential Survivor Series showdown with Flair or Banks.

After Flair and Banks had their physical confrontation to close the FOX broadcast, Flair went to the back.

We are told at that point, there was a confrontation between Lynch and Flair over Flair allegedly disrespecting Lynch by "trying to make her look bad", as one source stated, during the segment and there were loud words between the two. "

I saw a clip of the title exchange segment... embarrassing stuff. Andrade tweeted "Fu... WWE" last night, so I assume it's related to this. People seem to be saying Charlotte worked herself into a shoot.

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

if you want to read about it with Charlotte's bullshit spin, she's already been in touch with her pet journalist Alex McCarthy https://talksport.com/sport/wrestling/967781/charlotte-flair-becky-lynch-row-wwe-smackdown/

[Ja'moke]

Dynamite will no longer be airing at prime time on the West Coast now because of NHL, instead being preempted til 10 PM. This is going to eat into their ratings. Meltzer's maths estimates if normal is 0.38 and 1 million, new normal will be 0.34 and 890k.

There always seems to be something external that hits AEW's momentum. Hopefully there are less of these problems once they move to TBS in January.

[cliggg]

Admittedly I haven't watched a full WWE show in a very long time but it really seems like some combination of Becky, Sasha and Charlotte have been feuding with each other  for about five years now at least, the thoughts of watching any combination of them fighting again completely bores me.

A cracking match between PAC and Andrade last night indeed, I assumed going in that PAC would win and we'd get the rubber match at the PPV but with the Malakai Black stuff at the end it could be him vs. Black instead. Either one will do me just fine.

[up_the_hampipe]

if you want to read about it with Charlotte's bullshit spin, she's already been in touch with her pet journalist Alex McCarthy https://talksport.com/sport/wrestling/967781/charlotte-flair-becky-lynch-row-wwe-smackdown/

They were really close when Charlotte was far more successful than Becky. As soon as Becky started to get pushed, suddenly Charlotte wasn't happy. From the perspective of her and other female talent though, I can see why Becky's "coolest in the room" schtick can be annoying. I'd imagine it's the same tension The Rock probably caused in the locker room back when he was burying everyone in promos.

[BeardFaceMan]

It's almost like Charlotte is trying to get fired, now her Dad and Andrade have left WWE she doesn't want to be there. If it's true that she went into business for herself a bit in the ring and refused to do the business she'd agreed to do, that's not a good look (though I'm guessing AEW is a lock if she does leave). In that situation, if you really feel that what they are telling you to do is the wrong choice, you do what Stone Cold did and refuse to do it, you don't agree to do it and then go out there and change the script on your own, that's a good way to bring a lot of heat onto yourself.

[peanutbutter]

Charlotte never actually wanted to be a wrestler, right?

Not hard to imagine her just being quite fed up of it all at this stage, probably needs to take a couple of years off.

[Huxleys Babkins]

Jim Ross has skin cancer:

https://twitter.com/jrsbbq/status/1451940807833964550?s=21