another PPV, almost tempted to order it because I love ladder matches, but I'll save those pennies for another day. CM Punk getting injured knocked a lil luster off this PPV, but I think the main event will still be pretty good.....

Tonight's Card

Pre Show Match: Diva's Battle Royal for the Number One Contender

Antonio Cesaro vs. R-Truth for the United States Championship

Kofi Kingston vs. Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Championship

Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. Team Rhodes Scholars in a Tables Match for the World Tag Team Champion Number One Contender

Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena in a Money In the Bank Ladder Match for Ziggler's Money In the Bank briefcase

The Big Show vs. Sheamus in a Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Ryback and Team Hell No vs. The Shield in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match



<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

I'm hoping this is a Brock Lesnar reference, and we get that Paul Heyman stable they've hinting at.

Also, Ziggler better win.

What's over more right now? Sheamus or Cody's mustache?

the one I'm looking at looks too pixelated. Like I'm looking at the live version of Starman vs Great Panther



inbox dat...thanks

<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

Get this guy off my television

They couldn't have saved this for Raw?



<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

That shit got really uncomfortable and racist.

Is Del Rio a face now?

it mentioned that WWE needs a new Mexican superstar since Rey is always hurt and Sin Cara sucks

<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

I thought it would be the six man TLC match......



<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

I thought so too. I guess Ziggles and Cena?

Rollins taking that bump off that ladder on those tables was awesome.....


<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

Agreed.

I wasn't ready for that match to end. Then Seth Rollins goes and nearly kills himself taking the bump off that ladder. I got goosebumps watching that match.

The pacing, the spots, the finish...all was excellent.

I can't see any way how Dean Ambrose can't be an upper tier star. It's crazy how they kept him in developmental so long; really he should have never been there to begin with. Both Ambrose and Rollins are good enough to cover Reigns's inexperience.

This won't be match of the year for next year, but it's probably the best tag match we'll see in WWE.
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Bitch, don't kill my vibe.

Of course they'd follow that with a Divas match. At least we'll get some post match posing from Eve. That had me rolling on Raw.

are always sequenced after major matches, to give the crowd time to cool down and get their energy back. They almost always never put two huge matches in a row, because the crowd is drained for the second one.

Dolph cashes in on the winner of this match, and his match with Cena becomes a championship match...



<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

If you're right, it would be an amazing idea on WWE's part. It makes sense and is way more dramatic than a standoff at the end of the PPV between (winner of ladder match in the ring) and (winner of title match on the ramp) to close the show.

God, I hope not

Edit: Sorry, I read that as Cena becomes champion. Making it a title match would make for a much better ending to the show.

<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

Lol.

A bigger steel chair apparently does more damage. WWE logic.

Which is strange, because you figure if any part of your body was built to handle contact with a chair, it'd be your ass.

<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

Lol! I love it. The tucked in jersey especially.

Was that 3MB's first loss? And it was to the Brooklyn Brawler and his shitty Boston crab? Lol, w/e.

As a producer. He just had a great interview on Colt's podcast.

He looks so much like John Gruden to me.

I like this crowd

Attagirl AJ!

glad they're letting Dolph keep the case.
good job WWE.

Yea, we've seen that too many times before. Glad they put Ziggler over though.

AJ pushed Cena off the ladder, he bounces off the ropes and Ziggler nails him with a superkick. Done and done. So excellent. The Rize of Ziggler.

> The Rize of Ziggler.
Amen.

I like the superkick as his finisher much more than that Zigzag move. Props to Cena too, basically spent the second half of the year putting over the young guys.

it's been a weird year for cena, likely just leading up to rock doing the job for him in return

He doesn't need the Shawn comparisons. The Zig Zag is okay, for now. Find a finisher that he can use.
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There are already a few rumblings of HBK anyways. They're inevitable now.

Couldn't tell if he hit the second one with Cena coming off the ladder because the camera didn't get a closeup and damn near missed it.

It's not going to change his perception as a worker or a character one way or the other. He's better off sticking with what he's got and coming up with something that's unique to him.
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Oh, Dolph botched a move? If ever there were a performer worth overlooking such a screw up, it's him. At any rate, if he winds up with his own brand of SCM, so be it. All I'm saying is I don't think it hurts him to use it. Zig Zag is awful though.

watch this, it's a great interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlrTxtdtOlI

That's when I got the heads up about it possibly being used.

And I disagreed with Big Show then. It's the equivalent of Big Show trying to be a carbon copy of Andre the Giant (remember when he debuted in WCW they claimed he was Andre's son?). It didn't work then and it won't work now.
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Stop it.

Ziggler will never be as good or accomplished as Shawn, so why even put that in the fans' heads? Let Dolph be Dolph.
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i dont know if it was the throwback feel, but it was a breathe of fresh air, I was laughing at the Dean Ambrose's faces as he was selling the moves.

and Daniel Bryan is underrated. Dude had the crowd going

>
>and Daniel Bryan is underrated.

and gets plenty of praises but dude might be the best all around talent in the wwe. whatever the wwe has thrown at him he has managed turned into gold.

I was dogging out the TLC match but that might have been the best match on the PPV, like I said above The Shield is legit.....



<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

I could have just as easily been wrong about it. I've just been on The Shield bandwagon from day one and didn't think WWE would give this kind of initial push to a couple of smallish guys (Rollins and Ambrose) with quality mic skills if they couldn't deliver in-ring.

Reigns is pure muscle so IMO him+Ryback+Kane in a TLC by themselves would've made for an awesome Hossfight, so adding that dynamic to Ambrose/Rollins working with Bryan, who is basically Kurt Angle 2.0 and turns everything into amazing just screamed greatness IMO.

Plus Kane/Bryan are incredibly over, as is Ryback, so I assumed the crowd would be hot as hell (no pun intended) and that always helps.

He just posted a photo of his knee, nasty gash. Didn't see how it happened.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/39acda0d27de17efadec9406d8cce164/tumblr_mf5irhwSMu1ra6mo9o1_250.gif

http://cdn.niketalk.com/6/63/6380a343_tumblr_mf5m6nMTLG1qhjbxeo1_400.gif

Aftermath:
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/397068_566658176681985_946399428_n.jpg

Because Seth Rollins may have gotten one the other night after that table bump.

>Aftermath:
>http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/397068_566658176681985_946399428_n.jpg

Holy fuck.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A-UnHsUCUAAx5ud.jpg:large

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Hopefully he can save what's been an awful Raw so far.

I just can't handle his voice any longer. I never liked it, but now, in his old age? It's like he's gargling a mouthful of mucus and peanut butter when he talks.

RIC FLAIR THE GREATEST GODDAMN MAN IN THE HISTORY OF EVERYTHING EXCEPT FINANCES AND LOVE.

Big E Langston of all people comes out and lays waste to Cena. So random.

That's your explanation.

There's almost a dozen reasons why I hated that last night.

You're not gonna get a crowd as hot as Philadelphia except for in like 2 or 3 other cities in America and you've really gotta go out of your way to extinguish that kind of enthusiasm. But when you close a show like that and abruptly halt all of the momentum you've built over THREE hours everything just deflates like a gentle fart. Crowd was clueless, viewers go to bed dissatisfied, and you'll remember it not as "remember where you were when Big E debuted?" instead it'll be "God remember how bad it was when Big E debuted?"

How about bringing him in as a tag team with Mark Henry instead? How about just playing it safe and not unveiling him so close to the Shield and waiting until after Mania? Why is his finisher dogshit? Like you said, what's the end game in someone nobody knows taking out the most made guy in the company?

Yuck.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing when he did it. It's so uncreative and unconvincing I couldn't help but laugh. WTF would you even call that nonsense?

I wouldn't make him a part of The Shield. I hope they don't. This dude looks like he's got an extra chromosome or something. Reigns is plenty of muscle for the group, though they keep hoing him out like he's nothing when Ryback's around.

There's a mystery man, and then there's confusion.
This was confusion.

It's not "Who was that?", it was "What the fuck was that bullshit?"

But yeah... the Crystal Skull ass forhead of his. Nah. Can't do it. They need to censor that dude's forhead or something. It's all I can see when he's on screen.

this up to be some sort of faction with AJ, Big E, and The Shield maybe? I don't know. It's mad random and I hope they'll tie this up somehow nicely because AJ having a goon doesn't make any sense at all.

>AJ having a goon doesn't
>make any sense at all.

Sure it does. Vicky brought in Tamina to protect her from AJ, but AJ's smarter and knows it's better to take out the people who align with Vicky.

>Sure it does. Vicky brought in Tamina to protect her from AJ,
>but AJ's smarter and knows it's better to take out the people
>who align with Vicky.

We saw how well that worked. She lost, protection is over the end. I think if there was a rash of attacks on either of them okay but it's just random and doesn't make sense imo

OH SHIT!!!!! RYBLACK!!!!!



lmao

and crazy how Ryder's push didn't last long

jaywonder.tumblr.com

She had to be either crazy or a bitch for Cody to break up with her.
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I want to see him with the title. Truth be told, he should have won it at last year's WrestleMania; WWE is constantly missing the big picture. Sheamus was given a chance to run with it (because he's Triple H's boy), but has failed to get any type of considerable crowd following. Better yet, make Flair his manager (that's what was rumored to happen once Flair left TNA anyway). They could at least give him the title at this year's WrestleMania, and have him win the Royal Rumble (although Alvarez stated today that he heard Sheamus may win it AGAIN. *groan*)

They set up Langston to fail. Can't just put a green rookie in a feud with the number one guy in the company and think he'll come out of it fine. They'll blame it on him and he'll be jobbing in no time. AJ has been dumped too, but she's the best character on tv (her work on skits and emotions during segments are awesome. she's nuts not to consider acting later down the road) right now so she'll be fine.

The Shield is awesome. Still think Ambrose should be on his own, but his presence helps him elevate Rollins's lack of personality and Reigns's lack of workrate. And Reigns talking shit before he puts people through tables is great.
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or Big Show. I think that might be where we're headed.

Now is the perfect time for him.

or Big Show. I think that might be where we're headed.

Now is the perfect time for him.

IMO the best case scenario is he cashes in at Mania somehow. They've waited a while to build him, so I think they should turn him face before he cashes in and give him a few months before he cashes in...which would work out perfect at Mania. I like the idea of turning him face. He'll easily be the biggest face after Cena if that happens, the crowd already likes him.

Far as feuding with Punk, I can't think of a single factor that would indicate that happening outside of you having a gut feeling. What made you think of that scenario? I see it down the road, but not now.

He's the only one on the roster that has been a heel for his entire career thus far. He works so well as a heel that I really don't want to see him change his character to fit the babyface mold.

He was every bit the cocky asshole he was as a heel when he was a face. Dolphs personality won't change much at all.

Also, see Stone Cold, The Rock, Undertaker, CM Punk.... these guys were/are pretty much the same guy doing the same things more or less. This isn't the 80's. The lines are blurred and really only defined by who their opponets are.

Not even close.

Look at his first WWE title reign vs. him early in his career and with Degeneration X. Those were two way different personalities, and definitely different as to how he reacted to the crowd.

You would have been better off saying Austin.
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that makes no sense. He's been good as a heel for the last three years or so.

That's like turning Alberto del Rio face. I understand why, but if it isn't broken, don't fix it.
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it's kinda like that run when Rock was "Corporate Champ," and the crowd just wanted him to be a face again SO BAD. They've actually been doing very well to stave it off lately.

there's no need to change things now, especially since he hasn't even reached his potential and won a world title. Let his character continue to develop. Makes no sense to change him now when he's gaining momentum.
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No one like Del Rio to begin with even as a heel. He inspired more groans than boos and his character was stale.

I see why they did it

He always had that mask in Mexico. Besides, their idea of a face is worlds different from WWE's.
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Like Santino.

He's just corny. Can't take him seriously. They will embrace the corn rather than fight it.

>at this year's WrestleMania, and have him win the Royal Rumble
>(although Alvarez stated today that he heard Sheamus may win
>it AGAIN. *groan*)

its like Kreative™ called him in the final thirty minutes for the run in and the real reason they need Ron Simmons there wasn't for the "Damn" moment, but because he had an extra set of tights left over from those days

Just for a night. Like, I dunno, Hell No hiring them for a night to help out with The Shield.

yeah against Heath Slater, other legends came out though, but I would have liked to see one more apa run too before Simmons had to retire from in-ring action

>yeah against Heath Slater, other legends came out though, but
>I would have liked to see one more apa run too before Simmons
>had to retire from in-ring action

cannot unsee now

http://deadspin.com/5969780/wwes-daniel-bryan-tapping-out-to-a-7+year+old-cancer-patient-is-just-as-adorable-as-it-sounds

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Bitch, don't kill my vibe.

<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

LOL

Thank you, Based HBK, for training this kid.

but solid article on "The Case for Marijuana in Pro Wrestling":

http://wrestlingtruth.com/news/the-case-for-marijuana-in-pro-wrestling/

Go find Wrestle Kingdom 7. New Japan's show from the Tokyo Dome from Friday.

I promise you, you won't be sorry. Especially if you watch Nakamura vs. Sakuraba and Tanahashi vs. Okada.

And Prince Devitt is the best non-Japanese wrestler not in WWE or TNA. And he's the best by a long margin.
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A Punk/Rock promo should be fun

After last week's "WWE doctor's will examine Punk and if he isn't cleared to wrestling than Heyman fights Ryback" I was hoping that Punk wouldn't be cleared and Brock would come to Heyman's rescue, starting a Ryback/Brock fued for WM. Not quite sure why they did the whole WWE doctor thing just to announce on WWE.com that Punk was OK to fight. Seems like a waste. Just tell Punk he's fighting Ryback or dropping his title because he hasn't defended it in 30+ days.

Now that Punk is fighting Ryback I'm thinking The Rock comes in and interferes possibly making sure Punk wins because he wants revenge on Punk at RR for attacking him on that anniversary RAW a few months back. Also, if Rock is smart he probably doesn't want to fight Ryback for the title.

I hope they don't pull something lame like reveal that The Shield was hired by The Rock in order to make sure that Punk keeps the title until the Rumble, where The Rock can take it from him

I'm also hoping they don't do a "shock" title change; in fact, I say fuck it, keep Punk's streak going until Mania. Almost all of the Mania card is reportedly being rejiggered anyway, save Brock/HHH; put Punk against Taker, Title vs. Streak, and make Rock/Cena II non-title

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It's more valuable to have Rock/Cena and then a separate match with substance due to the WWE Title being on the line.

I just feel like Cena def. Rock for the title is all but guaranteed with all the "2012 being the worst year of Cena's career" stuff and Cena already talking about winning the Rumble and the Title at WM. 2013 will be Cena's "comeback season".

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To mee his run is too special to have him just drop it to the Rock like that at the RR.

you lead with a card of

- Rock v Cena 2
- Taker v Punk
- Triple H v Lesnar

and you've got yourself a pretty great starting point.

Agreed, Taker vs Punk would be awesome, and the only thing fitting enough for the end of Punks title reign.

is to drop it to a guy who won't even be able to wrestle for another 10 months after their title fight?

I'm all for UT getting his WM wins, but it would be ridiculous to have Punk drop the title to him when he wouldn't even in any shape to defend the title until WM30.

Story wise, the HBK/HHH three year arc showed how brutal that match has to be to even stand a chance of beating Taker at WM.
So that’s how it’s booked; Punks side of the story goes something like this:

Not only will he hold nothing back, he won’t have to deal with his best friend with a conscience getting in his way. What HHH couldn’t and ultimately wouldn’t do last year, Punk WILL do this year.

Taker’s side of the story? He acknowledges the elephant in the room- his age. He talks about how Shawn and Hunter had both had the long history of brutal, high profile battles that he had, so in a way they were all on even ground during their matches. He talks about how Punk is younger and really in the prime of his career, but Taker says that he is the lone unstoppable force in the grand history of Wrestlemania- and tells Punk that alone should scare the hell out of him.

Thing is, Taker says, each year that match takes a little more out of him because each challenger knows he has to outdo the last one in a big way. So yes, he’s getting older. Yes, Punk is in his prime and exceedingly dangerous. So guess what? Taker knows he’s got to take it up a notch himself, and Punk should be terrified of that. He has to prepare harder than he did for Shawn and Hunter and Edge and Orton and Baustista and all of the other greats he’s beaten over the years at Mania. He has to do more damage to Punk than he did for all of those guys, and that’s what he’ll do.

So Punk does it. He goes all out, everything and the kitchen sink. Falls count anywhere in a Hardcore match, perhaps. He beats Taker so unbelievably bad we wonder how Taker’s even alive… but Taker gives just a little more than he gets and wins.

The next night, he shows up on Raw, says whatever he’s got to say, and Punk comes out, pissed off and out for revenge. He sneaks up and destroys Taker with a crowbar or whatever, just really decimates him. The following week they announce that Taker is injured so bad he won’t be able to compete for at least 6 months and there is no choice but to strip him of the title.

Problem solved.

Then you spend a month or so building up the tension between all the self-proclaimed #1 contenders, and things get so chaotic that they just say to hell with it: This years KOTR is a tournament for the WWE Title.

Make sure Dolph wins the WH belt before then, have him enter the tournament with that belt, and WIN the belt. Have him hold BOTH belts until SS, while feuding with separate people for each title until he drops one at SS but keeps the other.

One great talker gets the best of another. And I'll say no more for now.

IMO he's the one who got the best of the other tonight.

I'm thinking Rock didn't go too deep into his cliches tonight because that would have validated Punk even more.

Punk was on fucking fire tonight... I'm sad they cut off his promo with that "commercial break" because that shit was on the same level as The Promo that started all this in the first place.

I'm already liking this feud waaaaaaaaaaaaay more than Rock vs Cena. Not even a comparison there.

http://withleather.uproxx.com/2013/01/the-best-and-worst-of-wwe-raw-1713/6

Worst: The Rock, Or “How To Make Brandon Actually Hate A Pro Wrestler”

There was so much wrong with this, I don’t even know where to begin. Actually, I do know where to begin. That’s two, not 20, stupid.

The Rock has become such an icon to the casual fan that he brings them back into your pro graps conversation in waves … just a bunch of people who don’t care enough to watch the show or think constructively about anything that has happened in wrestling or society or culture in the x-amount of time since they last watched but feel it necessary to explain that THEIR opinion matters just as much as YOURS, and that you’re smug and think you’re better than them if you disagree. People who desire only moment-to-moment stimulation, and have no interested in putting in the time or effort to earn something deeper. The depressing thing is that they’re totally right — if you’re the person who only watches wrestling on a whim, guess what? How you think and feel and react to the show is just important as how anyone else does it. You’re who they’re writing the show for, after all.

The issue is that The Rock is stupid. He’s the WWE Universe. He’s a guy who barely watches wrestling, then shows up to the wrestling show thinking he knows everything, and if you disagree with him, it’s because you think you’re better than him, and you’re wrong! He doesn’t listen. He doesn’t pay attention. He’s the guy who thought up a joke about CM Punk wanting ice cream bars, but didn’t process what Punk said 5 minutes earlier about how he never wanted them, and that people were too fat for them anyway. He’s just gonna run with that joke anyway. He’s the guy who says CM Punk didn’t turn his back on the people, the people turned their back on CM Punk … the same people who cheered Punk for MONTHS after his heel turn, to the point that he had to explicitly hit them with YOU PEOPLE speeches on the regular until they stopped. He’s the guy who hears a contextual quote from ‘The Prodigal Son’ and thinks it’s about boxing and God, because he was up at 4 AM to do box jumps, not read books.

The babytalk adds to the stupidity. CM Punk isn’t calling him “THE LATE ONE” because he doesn’t show up enough, or calling him “THE CROCK” because he sucks, he’s hitting him with facts and information. Emotions. Thoughts. Accusations. Rock’s response, instead of acting like a human being, is to call him names. And guess what? They aren’t even names. They’re just words. He called him COOKIEPUSS because he mentioned ice cream three times a year and a half ago. He says he doesn’t have nuts. Then he just attacks him, because of course he does. The guy who has been backstage all night covering himself with oil gets verbally run down by the guy who BEAT RYBACK IN A TLC MATCH like 20 minutes earlier because … well, he’s stupid. He lashes out. He’s the WWE Universe. He doesn’t know how to handle himself like a f**king grown-up. It’s just a 40-year old man making ice cream truck jokes.

And that doesn’t even begin to get into the bubble Rock lives in. He’s tall and handsome and he was popular when wrestling was popular, so it’s okay that he’s talking baby talk and not paying attention, because it entertained you. He can take 20 minutes to say 5 minutes of material because he’s got to stall for time to remember it (LET THE ROCK TELL YOU THIS, THE ROCK WILL TELL YOU THIS, LET HIM TELL YOU THIS, not to mention all the times he just repeats what he said for emphasis to fill in the silence) and it’s a “great promo,” not because it was, but because it was The Rock. It’s sad the way he’s never challenged to try harder at a job he barely wants, made even worse by the fact that he’s not across the ring from cornball John Cena, failed husband and football star, he’s in there with a guy who was curtain jerking with BJ Whitmer and busting his ass to be somebody the last time Rock was a regular. A guy who is, for all intents and purposes, our generation’s definition of what wrestling is. The indy guy who made it, but is so sick of our shit he’ll disown every stepping stone he used to get here. Effort versus laziness. Part-time versus all the time. Passion versus total apathy. Rock’s passion for wrestling is just as real as Punk’s concern for Tyson Kidd, and just as much a part of a character.

So laugh when he says Cookiepuss, if that’s what makes you laugh. You and me are very different people. And it’s all equal, because of course it is.

I agree with him to a point, but all in all that whole segment was solid and highly entertaining.

Hopefully Punk will elevate Rock's game though... And honestly, I actually think he will.

really interesting, and then when right back to cloud cuckoo land of catchphrases.

Basically saying that Rock and Punk were on different wavelengths in an overlong segment. Punk went off on the people, and barely addressed The Rock until he actually came out. Rock had a lot of jokes, ranging from good to corny. However, the last few minutes when they went back and forth had the right juice to it.

From my perspective, this is a three-hour show now. There's no reason for the show to end ten minutes late when WWE has a hard time filling and pacing the whole thing anyway.

I'm way more optimistic about this one than I was about Rock/Cena.

http://youtu.be/VyfV9sOhwnc

The TLC match was superb, and Punk was fantastic on the mic

But the confrontation was solid for the most part, I could have done without the crowd chants, but then again that's a big part of The Rock's game

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Alberto Del Rio is the new World Heavyweight Champion, beating Show in a Last Man Standing match that will air on Smackdown

Does the Orton heel turn come soon to set up a Mania match, or does Show get it back before then so _________ can challenge him at Mania?

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That's what they're probably gonna do. Just a hunch.
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not sure this does Del Rio any real favors, but who am I but another cyber wrestling nerd.

I figured that they weren't going to let Zig cash in on Show...

Pretty enjoyable match. Too early to decide one way or the other about Berto as a face yet, but I'm for anything that gets Ricardo on tv more.

I think Stroud's entry on Punk is especially well written:

I mentioned this briefly a few weeks ago when Flair showed up and Punk stopped being a RESPECT ME cartoon character and started to once again sound like he meant what he was saying. That’s always been Punk’s strongest card — believing what he says, right or wrong. That’s really all I’ve ever wanted from him as a performer, and last night he gave it to me. Last night was the most brilliant moment in Punk’s WWE career for me, because he brought the “do I have everybody’s attention now” character from the criss-cross applesauce wall-breaking full circle and got to the point I’ve been BEGGING him to make — that his stupid good guy character was a measured act of spite against the WWE Universe. Not a “I did it because I hate you” platitude, a clear, personal statement that he was acting like an incompetent asshole because that’s the only thing we cheer for.

When Punk “spoke the truth” on the stage, he wasn’t really speaking the truth. He was telling us what we wanted to hear. That’s what ‘Cult Of Personality’ was brought back for. He’s always been in it for himself. So now when he says that you should push “a workhorse like Tyson Kidd,” people kinda cheer because he’s “shooting,” but then he goes right back into explaining that he’s doing it to play us. He doesn’t give a shit about Tyson Kidd. It’s meta as f**k, and the best part is that THIS sincerity, the sincerity of the lie, is what makes my heart swell.

This guy can reach such heights with his character, and I love it. He can say what’s true to me and not mean it, and the fact that he doesn’t mean it makes me feel a thousand times better than if he was on Raw truly berating management for not giving Kidd a spot. The cruelty of the knife-turn, you know? That’s pro wrestling. A big, theatrical, orchestral insult to everybody watching. A f**k you for your dollar. In the same vein as a Walter White or a Don Draper, he’s a reprehensible guy who is so compelling that I can subconsciously root for his successes, mostly because they’ll make his downfall that much more special. A beautiful creep, the devil of the human brain.

http://i.imgur.com/4Kvm5.jpg










































That is Ahmed Johnson

But wow.

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"Arm Leg Leg Arm How you doin?" (c)T510

but that guy's gonna spit about 2,000 words of fire about it.

On the other hand, one of my favorite WWE moments was the first one when the Rock sang "I'll be sure to come back here when the Lakers beat the Kings in May" and the crowd booed him silly.

>On the other hand, one of my favorite WWE moments was the
>first one when the Rock sang "I'll be sure to come back here
>when the Lakers beat the Kings in May" and the crowd booed him
>silly.
>

I don't think I've ever heard a crowd boo that viciously in my life.

Meltzer reporting

Also, the first HOF announcement should either be Foley or Bundy

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Everybody knows that the best way to Attack The Media Status Quo™ is... by posting on a message board!

Was finally starting to come around on Eve, she's been great the last month or so. Sad to see her go.

A solid match to go out on, she sold the hell outta that spear.

like, what exactly does this guy do well?

_________________________________________________________________________________
The Other.

Damn, son.

_________________________________________________________________________________
The Other.

yikes

Heel or face, the guy's insufferable.

Btw, what's the point of having couches on MizTV if they always just sit in those directors chairs?

He kicked out of all of zigglers finisher and pinned him clean...BUT IN A CAGE.

LOL

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"Arm Leg Leg Arm How you doin?" (c)T510

"Biaych, you look horrible tonight..."


I'm crying...

But the guy who had a boob job probably shouldn't be making that joke.

seeing that vignette of raw intros over the years was pretty f*cking great.

i hadn't watched in a while, but del rio's a face now? makes sense. dude was way beyond stale.

even the ones i didn't like back then because they weren't as good as the older ones sounded great just in comparison to the shit we have now.

>even the ones i didn't like back then because they weren't as
>good as the older ones sounded great just in comparison to the
>shit we have now.

yeah i hit play on the dvr and went into the other room, figuring i ain't missing anything... then i hear the air raid siren intro and i'm like "oh shit, no waaaay!" and came running back out. forgot i was in my late 30's for a minute there. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SNCOrgrO8

I can't wait for Main Event tonight with Orton. Hopefully the booking makes sense, and they keep the champs looking strong (also, kudos for giving the intercontinental champ the win over Orton too).

Edit:

Also, classic passage from Stroud:

Also, remember when Wade called the Bullhammer “The Souvenir,” because it leaves you with something to remember him? He should have dumb sentences like that to explain all of his moves. If he’s gonna keep using a signature elbow pad he should change the Bullhammer to the “Dog Boner,” because when he’s ready to f**k you, the red comes out.

He had a match with Tyler Black (Seth Rollins) and they went about a half-hour in a non-title match when Black was still champion.

I was the only guy at a Smackdown taping to mark out when he came out to wtestle Sin Cara. In my head, I was like "Do you people not understand? You're getting to see Mistico vs. Claudio Castagnoli... in FREAKING EVANSVILLE!"

Featuring Devon and Taz and... ?

This seems like the longest running, lowest payoff angle in a decade at least. What a shit show Impact is.

... Brooke Hogan?
I hate myself for watching this.

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haahahahahahaa

Cole: Brad, you don't work for the company, you're not under contract, you shouldn't be out here.

Maddox: Excellent point and I'd love to follow up, but I'm sorry Mike we have to take a quick commercial break, the action is hot and heavy, we'll be right back!

C: We're not taking a commercial break yet, the producer didn't count us to a commercial break. Who are you listening to?

M: (under his breath) I think it's going well.

C: Oh, yeah, it's going great! You'll be the future of the business!

M: (still under his breath) I'll tell you what tho.. the traffic? The weather is terrible.

C: The traffic?.. Where?!? In San Antonio?!

M: (still under his breath) So how do you think I did out there?

C: Uh, Brad, we're on the air, the tag team match is continuing, and here's a cover, hook of the leg and a kickout!

M: LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, welcome back to the Main Event! I am Brad Maddox and I am next to Michael Cole-io!

Full commentary: http://quickvideoz.info/dm.php?id=xwtupt

Lmao. I'm glad I'm not the only one enjoying that dude. His character has this weird blend of douchiness and awkwardness, but it works imo.

I have no idea where they're going with him either, but I'm glad he's getting airtime.

Throw this kid in with D Bry for awhile.

since he was thrown right into the main event scene with no warm up time on the stick.

I hope this stint on commentary will just lead to some sort of bizarre "career discovery" arc, where he'll jump on to random shit looking for a contract and just fuck it up. Lighting, cameraman, security, caterer, whatever.... they could take this a long way.

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/6696/ug00d929.gif

This new gimmick with the US flag and the flag tights is fucking genius. Me and my buddy were the only ones in our section cheering for the heels all night. When Cesaro came out with the flag, we were chanting "U-S-A!! U-S-A!!" When we noticed no one was chanting with us, we started calling to the crowd :"What? You don't want to cheer for your country? He's our United States Champion! He represents the people! "


People were looking MAD uncomfortable, yo.

Edit: cellphone typo

that's FANTASTIC.

we always get Monday Night Raw and having to sit through the long commercial breaks isnt always fun. I guess they figure they do enough house shows in the small cities around ATL (Macon, Birmingham, Montgomery, Columbia, SC) they dont need to bring one here.....



<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

I'm gonna be out of town this weekend but I still want to see the Rumble, but not for $55.....



<---- Downtown Kansas City, Missouri 5/24/2011

http://www.telly-tv.com/forums/pay-per-views.80/

Did Madd-ox just offer to blow Heyman?

Get off my tv, Miz.

is the opponent (in this case Dolph who luckily could sell water to a well/whale) has to act as if they are illegitimately in the hold and in pain.

Twinkie Tits himself is on some Heenan shit though. Him and Punk have that classic heel schtick down pat.

"I wouldn't say that in San Jose of all places!"

Not that I want a full scale comeback of that brand of heel, but the Heyman/Punk combo works it to an artful perfection.

He and Punk are fantastic together, but they're both SO GOOD on the mic that I don't want them taking time from each other.

It would be a great way to get him over before giving him a push as a superstar.

while the good guys make bad jokes.

Cena, Sheamus, Ryback are overpushed. Ryback still gets "Goldberg" chants and that's no good. If WWE would grow a pair, they'd put an end to "Let's go Cena/Cena sucks" and turn the guy full heel and let everybody join in on hating him. Sheamus can have good matches but they made him into a smilin' Irishman and he doesn't have any grit to his persona.

Meanwhile, you got Punk, Ziggler, Bryan who are appreciated by the fans despite their roles. Bryan is given comedy and makes it entertaining or salvages bad bits. Ziggler has fans cheering for him, especially against nothing-nobodies like the Miz, and Punk has been there day in and day out.

The only bad guy who can actually pull off being a bad guy is Big Show.

>The only bad guy who can actually pull off being a bad guy is
>Big Show.

No. This is nothing more than the 'Austin/Rock/NWO effect'.

All three were pretty hard boiled heels, and yet elicited cheers from a good portion of the crowd during those runs. The lines between good guys and bad guys are blurred. The pro wrestling-as-morality play days are over and have been for years.

Punk gets boo'd mercilessly, and when the cheers come he says some shit that drowns it out. There is an art to the heel who is a heel simply because he speaks the truth; just watch Skyfall. Nothing burns people up more than someone who is saying something they don't like because it's true. Bret Hart did it to perfection and had the perfect foils for that phase in Austin and HBK.

Ziggler is appreciated because he's flat out amazing in the ring. Bryan is a face and has been since Mania. The crowd loves him and he, if anything, could be labeled an 'anti-heel'. He's actually a very interesting character for that reason. These lines being blurred are a great thing, because it draws the fans into a greater level of interaction because they aren't all in love with the same performers. Let's Go Cena! Cena Sucks! is a prime example of that.

Basically you seem to be calling for the heel/face status quo of a bygone era, and that's really not a good thing. Ratings will need a new breakout mainstream star on a massive level. Hogan, Rock, Austin, NWO, these things are lightning in a bottle. These characters though, the ones you mentioned, are great. They really are. Sure, Big Show is good at being a classic heel, but people just don't give a rats when he's on screen.

Not too shabby

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/17230/wwe-power-rankings-cena-rock-fall-off

WWE Power Rankings: Cena, Rock fall off
January, 22, 2013
By Jon Robinson | ESPN.com


Everyone likes to call WrestleMania the Super Bowl of sports entertainment, but for my money, nothing beats the Royal Rumble. Throughout the years, the Royal Rumble match has boasted everything from tag-team partners fighting each other, to former champions making their triumphant returns, to legends we never thought we’d see again running down to the ring for one last pop. From John Morrison’s amazing parkour moves to avoid elimination to Kofi Kingston’s ability to walk on his hands so his feet wouldn’t hit the floor, the match embodies the fun, surprise and athleticism that draw millions of people to tune into WWE on a weekly basis.

But the pay-per-view’s importance also has grown throughout the years, as it also helps set up the storylines for the next few months leading into Mania, and it’s in these storylines where WWE really has the opportunity to build back some of the audience it lost since the Attitude Era. Here’s the thing: With WrestleMania only a few months away, WWE promises to feature returning/part-time stars like The Rock, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, and Triple H in prominent roles for its biggest moneymaking event of the year.

My idea: Have them all lose. That’s right, have the Royal Rumble set up a series of matches and feuds that are fresh, and pay it off with the biggest passing of the torch Wrestlemania we’ve ever seen.

That’s right, forget the rumored return matches of The Rock vs. John Cena, Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar, and CM Punk vs. The Undertaker. We’ve seen it all before. Give us something that launches a new era, not make us wish we were back in the days of Austin and Attitude.

Allow me to play fantasy booker for a moment. If I’m writing the show at the Royal Rumble, The Shield runs down to the ring during The Rock/CM Punk match, when all of a sudden Brock Lesnar’s music hits. CM Punk looks to Paul Heyman, who tries to control Lesnar, but instead, Lesnar beats the hell out of the Shield, distracting Punk and helping The Rock win the WWE title. This sets up CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania, to go along with The Rock vs. the 2013 Royal Rumble winner, Daniel Bryan. Imagine the promos we’d have leading up to the Bryan/Rock match. The crowd response these two would generate going back and forth would be completely off the charts.

Then, also at the Rumble, it’s time for Dolph Ziggler to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, win the world title, then call out Triple H, the man who he says has been holding him down for years. Cue the clips of Triple H and Shawn Michaels sending Ziggler and the rest of the Spirit Squad back to development, and you have a match with both an incredible backstory and heat.

As for The Undertaker, that’s easy. The Dead Man vs. John Cena in a match where Cena goes so overboard trying to end the streak, it pushes him into complete madman mode (I can see all of the kids crying already), launching him into full-blown heel status.

Throw in a heel-turned Randy Orton vs. Ryback, Sheamus vs. Antonio Cesaro, Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian in a role reversal of their previous feud, and Money in the Bank featuring The Shield, Kofi Kingston, Big Show, Wade Barrett, and The Miz (with Dean Ambrose winning), and you have a WrestleMania that has the potential to showcase this new generation of stars unlike any WrestleMania before it.

Will it happen? Probably not, but hey, a guy can dream.


WWE Power Rankings: Jan. 22, 2013
Rank
(Prv) Wrestler Comment
1
(1) CM Punk
So many people think it's a foregone conclusion that Punk is dropping the title to The Rock this Sunday, but I'm starting to think Punk might just pull it out after all. Love witnessing the tension anytime Punk, Heyman, and Vince McMahon share the screen.
2
(3) Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler wins Raw's Beat the Clock challenge, but instead of earning the No. 30 spot in the Royal Rumble, he gets either No. 1 or No. 2 thanks to the dastardly Vickie Guerrero. Rey Mysterio currently holds the WWE record for longest time spent in a Rumble match (1:02:12), but I think Ziggler breaks that record on Sunday, making it at least to the final four.
3
(9) The Shield
Dean Ambrose
Roman Reigns
Seth Rollins
Cool video promo followed by a vicious beatdown of The Rock. Even with the 3-on-1 advantage, when you leave a legend like Rock spitting up blood in the middle of the ring, you're making sure everyone in the building leaves talking about you.
4
(4) Alberto Del Rio
It's not just Alberto Del Rio's new attitude that has me excited about his future, but his new moveset. Gone are the slow-paced matches focused on arm bars (snore!) in favor of a more high-flying and hard-hitting array of maneuvers that even had the Giants' Sergio Romo on his feet.
5
(2) The Rock
If I had to smell what The Rock was cooking this week, I'd say it was leftovers. Rock brought the intensity, but it was nothing we haven't seen or heard before. Major props to Rock for helping build up The Shield and making their attack look as brutal as possible.
6
(NR) Sheamus
I really enjoyed the slobberknocking nature of the Sheamus/Wade Barrett match. Hope to see the interaction between Ziggler and Sheamus toward end of the segment carry over into a serious feud once Ziggler cashes in his Money in the Bank contract.
7
(6) Ryback
Exploding with intensity, Ryback has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Unfortunately, he seems to be a man without a storyline now that CM Punk is feuding with The Rock.
8
(NR) Team Hell No
Kane
Daniel Bryan
They're one of my favorite tag teams of the past decade thanks to their combination of personality and ring presence, even if I think it's time to break them up and let Daniel Bryan make his way to the main event.
9
(NR) Randy Orton
Orton's a classic heel who's been stuck spinning his wheels as a face for far too long. He's such a natural "bad guy;" I can't wait until he's back to his sinister ways. In the meantime, he put up a great match against Antonio Cesaro on Raw. Talk about a feud I'd love to see heat up.
10
(5) John Cena
This man used to be money on the mike, but his promo on Raw was seriously one of the most ridiculous, time-wasting experiences I've sat through in years. Curious to know whether his writers are really this out of touch, or if Cena actually thinks he's being funny.

"This man used to be money on the mike, but his promo on Raw was seriously one of the most ridiculous, time-wasting experiences I've sat through in years. Curious to know whether his writers are really this out of touch, or if Cena actually thinks he's being funny."

His overly goofy, elementary school humor is embarrassing to listen to. The last few years of his career his character has gotten so corny, likely as a result of the transition from "Hustle. Loyalty. Respect" Cena to "Never Give Up!" Cena.

pretty good show. Rock's promo was better than the last 2 he's done

amd damn at the pyro. I think I'm suffering some hearing loss


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