Dylan Waco

He's being programmed with Khali. Maybe it will be a short term feud and they book him in something meaningful afterword. But that program does nothing for him and can only hurt him

Yea but having that investment adds to the big moments it just makes the bad ones even worse. I've usually had some sort of attachment and makes it at least half way enjoyable no matter how shitty the product gets Henry's big moments are probably done and there is no one else on the roster I give a fuck about at all as a character.

WWE was better when I didn't have any emotional investment in a character and I just looked forward to Chris Masters Superstars matches

That won't be a Mania match, but the fact that they are programming him with Khali pretty much guarantees he's gonna be treated as mid-card fodder at best for the time being.

One thing I fucking HATE in wresting is when a match is nearing the end or stretch run and a guy just grabs a headlock randomly, pretty much for the sole purpose of allowing his opponent to shoot him into the ropes. It is the single laziest spot in wrestling

I think the fact that they likely did have this planned farther out makes it way worse. They should have given Swagger a Cesaro style slow build. I hate this hot shotting shit, it's what cut Swagger's balls off the first time. I also disagree that it doesn't matter who looked stronger, largely because one guy was a complete nothing. Henry was a gatekeeper. But really it doesn't matter much. The bottom line is that is the match and all hyperbole aside this is the least interested I can remember being about a Mania in a long, long, long time.

Del Rio v monster just worked well in getting him over. Del Rio v. monster II would presumably help that along. Del Rio v. guy who regularly lost to Santino and Tyson Kidd last time he was on tv and who won EC via schoolboy? Well if the goal is to present Del Rio as your traditional underdog babyface overcoming the odds (and I think based on how he has been working it clearly is) Swagger needs to go over clean on several upper card guys in decisive fashion now. Or they need to shoot an injury angle with Del Rio. Or they need to bring in Don Black as swagger's special "American" ref. Something. Because right now Swagger is just a guy. This sort of thing doesn't help Swagger either by the way.

Who makes the most sense challenging..... guy who was last seen on tv destroying everyone, then came back and destroyed everyone guy who was last seen on tv jobbing clean to zack ryder, and beat up two undercard guys in the last couple of weeks From a kayfabe perspective I don't think Swagger is the best pick. From a storyline perspective? I really don't think so either because while anti-immigrant v. Mexican is the obvious angle, a guy like Del Rio needs a big "Mania moment." I'm probably the biggest Henry mark on the board, but if I was trying to build Del Rio as a top face (and in theory the WWE are), a Mania win over monster Henry means more than a Mania win over Swagger. Easily. My problem isn't with Swagger getting a shot at Del Rio (it's obvious that's the whole reason the character was created) or even that he is getting the shot at Mania over Henry. My problem is that if this was the plan they should have started building Swagger sooner or at bare minimum should have put him over much stronger in The Chamber. As it stands now the World Title match at Mania feels like something that should be on the pre-show.

I thought it was obvious he would be paired with Del Rio, but assumed they would wait til after Mania. In hindsight that was an obvious error in judgment, as I forget that they see no value at all in the World Title.

Ron Garvin v. Carlos Colon - 1991 This is pretty crazy because it's a good match, but it's not at all the match you think. When I saw these two I expected this to be a toe-to-toe brawl and they tease that early with lots of disrespect and posturing. And then Colon goes to work a headlock. For a long time. And then Garvin fires back with a neck vice. And then they work spots based around abdominal stretches and sleepers and of course the figure-four. And somehow, someone, this slowly becomes a good match. If you can get past the disappointment of what expectations are, this really does develop nicely with Garvin cheating like crazy every chance he gets, Colon really selling well when Garvin was on offense, some big strikes when they did come, a cool figure four sequence with some good leg selling from Garvin and a really cool finish with Ronnie going for the KO punch, Colon ducking and hitting a bridging back drop of all things for the fall and the title. I'm sure had they gone with the knock down drag out it would have been a better match, but I was impressed by what they were able to do with the direction they chose to go. The Youngbloods v. The Kansas Jayhawks - Indian Strap Match? This is hurt some by a wide camera angle, but still if you are looking for a bloody brawl, with some stiff shots and a crazy spot or two PR will deliver pretty much every time. Jaggers cracks a whip at The Youngbloods as they approached the ring and Kroffat is just laughable as a cowboy. The whole of this match was made of clubbing and dudes getting lashed with a strap. Kroffat appeared to be busted open pretty badly. Loved the spot with the Youngblood who was tied to Kroffat tugging on the strap from the floor and Kroffat effectively tope'ing thin air and crashing to the ground. This set up the finish with Jaggers trailing behind to steal a win from the babyface on the fourth corner. Not a great match, but it was quick and hit most of the right notes for a match of this sort. Ricky Santana v. Mr. Pogo This was okay. I continue to like Santana as an underdog babyface, who well shed half of his body weight in blood per match, but Pogo just isn't very good. I did like Pogo's bowing in between offensive moves and it was amusing to see Rufus R. Jones of all people show up to help get the finish overturned at the end. But otherwise this was completely passable.

I think we can guarantee three things with every WWE ppv. 1. Johnny Sorrow will love it and probably call it "a blast." 2. NintendoLogic will damn it with feint praise. 3. I will bitch about the finish to one of the key matches and claim it ruins my interest in WrestleMania

Why should Punk get a visual fall? He is the chickenshit heel going against the top face in the company. Visual falls are only needed when you want the heel to go over at the same time as protecting a face. I don't think Punk needed a visual fall here and don't think he needed to get one at RR. I do think he needed to kick out of something at note in the heat of action. I did like him getting a visual fall, because a guy who has just been the champ of your promotion for over a year - and where the majority of his reign was not spent as a chickenshit guy (that really hit with the Ryback feud) - should not be beaten so easily by a guy that barely qualifies as a part timer. The way WWE main events work (for better or worse) in the modern era is that even the weakest of heels usually get to kick out of something so they don't look like a bitch. Guys get protected maybe to a fault by that at times, but it's something I have become conditioned to expect as a week-to-week fan. Hell Jericho was FAR more protected against Punk on Raw a couple of weeks ago then Punk was in the RR match with Rock. That's something I have a problem with, which is why I preferred the finish tonight.

Also after that finish I assume Punk is getting inserted into the main event at Mania

The main event here is what the main event at Rumble should have been. Punk got to kick out of something meaningful and got a visual fall (which he didn't have to have at Rumble but he needed something to look strong there). Match was decent for what it was, but I just can't stand The Rock's act at this point. I did love that one big punch though

Rock has worse cardio than late 80's Bobo Brazil. It's fucking embarrassing

The Rock is only mildly sucking wind three minutes in, so this is a good showing for him

Henry did eliminate both of the tag champs

In Henry related fantasy booking, I now want Booker and Teddy to beg Henry and Big Show to team with Ryback to wrestle The Shield at Mania since they have been unstoppable.

Divas match was okay. Apparently the spear is the most dangerous move in wrestling

Shield v. Superteam was worked and felt like a more modernized version of NJPW v. Invaders multi-man match. God damn I want to watch that match again right now.

Shield v. Superteam comments from before board crashed... I thought that as a holy shit level great match. Absolutely incredible. Loved the Cena FIP, loved Sheamus as the over aggressive offensive dynamo who paid for his sins with a massive bump, loved The Shield's shit talking, loved the way they cut off the ring, loved their big offense, loved the finished run, loved the finish. That match completely saved this show to me as my mourning for Henry was dragging me down. Tremendously great match. The Shield are outstanding Dolph v. Kofi was an odd addition. Match was fine and had some fun spots for what it was, but it seems like it is being used more as a vehicle to get over Big E than anything else

I have been to several live shows in the last few years. Orton's finish is over and he gets a big reaction when he comes out. Once he starts working? Justin Gabriel got bigger reactions the last few shows I went to. Devon will back me up on this. The match was pretty good, but the booking was so terrible that it may as well have been Zeus v. Abby. I don't even dislike Swagger and on the surface level it makes sense, but this is guy who was a jobbed out, bitch, who has done nothing to get re-established. It's a forced push into a title match on Mania, which is a card that already looks weak to me. Again I repeat - thank god I decided against going

Swagger v. Del Rio at Mania? Fucking ridiculous. Thank god I wasn't dumb enough to buy Mania tickets.

I think they're gonna set up Henry Book for Mania Another match I have no interest in

Also while the crowd pops for the RKO Orton is not over at all. I am biased but it seemed obvious that even the live crowd wanted Henry to win, with Jericho being the other guy they are pushing for