sek69

You all keep talking like people don't know why they hate Roman. Between the constant announcer fawning and thing like using make-a-wish kids to try to shoehorn him into a John Cena mk 2, it's clear why there would be a backlash. It's the presentation not the person.

Match was good, but at this point Roman's push is reminding me of 1994 Hulk Hogan.

Pretty scathing critique of the head writers by Cody, saying one wants to be Brian Gewirtz and the other hits on developmental divas. Plus a great jab at Vince with the comment that he felt he had a whole bag of brass rings and nowhere to cash them in.

I read the gimmick as a dominant split personality. That's certainly how it was played during his feud with Goldust. I don't see where you're getting "wacky spaceman" from. And you think he'd be given more opportunities if he reverted to his old character? Otherwise, I don't see how his gimmick was hurting him. He goes around calling himself the Cosmic King and gives wacky speeches about the far reaches of the galaxy. Seemed like a "wacky spaceman" to me. Sure at first it was being played up as a dominant split personality, but once Goldust wasn't around he was portrayed as more of a low rent comic book villain than anything else. Would he have had more opportunities in a different character? Considering the realities of WWE once they slot you as a low card guy, probably not. But they clearly had nothing more for him in the Stardust gimmick so why not try something different? Worst case he's in the same phantom zone he was in as Stardust.

I know that, but at some point he had to realize that it was a go-nowhere gimmick. It seems like staying as Stardust probably led to him burning out since WWE obviously didn't have any further plans for the character. Why is it a "go-nowhere gimmick"? I don't really understand what that means. It doesn't seem like any more of a "go-nowhere gimmick" than zombie mortician. A zombie mortician created in 1991 in the midst of an era where nearly everyone had ridiculous gimmicks doesn't quite equate to a wacky spaceman in 2016. Also said zombie mortician was given programs that allowed him to get over to the point that he was allowed to be more than just a zombie mortician. Cody was never really given much to work with other than be Goldust's wacky brother or team up with prelim guys.

Stardust was HIS idea. And he specifically wanted to stay in it after Dusty died and they approached him about becoming plain ol' Cody again. I know that, but at some point he had to realize that it was a go-nowhere gimmick. It seems like staying as Stardust probably led to him burning out since WWE obviously didn't have any further plans for the character.

I don't know about main eventing, but he showed a tremendous speaking ability when not having to deal with WWE writing and deserved a better fate than a gimmick combining the worst of his brother and Santino Marella.

So I'm at the point of the big Lawler vs Idol/Rich feud, and I'm noticing that Austin Idol never appears on TV live. He's only popping up in pre taped interviews and highlights of matches from the Coliseum. I get the point of TV was to build to the arena, but it seemed odd he didn't even appear in studio to do an interview with Lance and Dave.

The AA looked a million times better in Cena's early days when it was more of a Death Valley Driver. I'm guessing it got toned down when WWE got rid of any moves remotely head-droppish.

Given that it was touch and go that Andre's back could make it to WM3, it's amazing he was still active (kinda) at this point. It must have burned Vince's ass that Andre's last appearance in the US was on a WCW show.

Rocky Johnson popping up in the Memphis run I'm currently watching reminded me of this topic. He's been pretty good in every territory I've seen him in, and it makes me wonder why he didn't have a longer run anywhere.

Not that it's surprising, but it was disheartening to see the women get the main event spot only for it to just be window dressing to get Steph over.

Wasn't the only reason the Heart Punch ever got over that someone died (for unrelated reasons) after a match where he took one?

Maria trying to start a Twitter feud with Dave was both funny and sad at the same time. It really is amazing how it seems TNA has managed to convince most of the roster that everything bad that happens is just Dave making up lies despite all evidence to the contrary.

Unwatchable seems a bit harsh. WCW at the end was unwatchable. ROH has good to great matches that just seem pointless in the grand scheme since the booking comes off as weird Japanophile fan service.

ROH is stuck because their owners could in theory have them competing with WWE, but since they don't they are stuck having to take handouts from NJPW. They are loosening up a little to improve production so at least they don't look like TNA's somewhat richer cousins, so there's that. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be too eager to match WWE in terms of paying guys which leaves them having to push guys they want to keep to go to Japan. It's a ripple effect because as stated, guys who want to go to WWE won't want to go to ROH unless they get paid similar money and that won't happen.

Cena bitching anyone out for taking supplements of any kind is a hilarious concept.

I'm wondering how much say ROH has in their arrangement with New Japan and how that affects opinions on their booking. Dave stated Adam Cole and Adam Page being in the Bullet Club were NJ calls, and it seems ROH guys seldom go over in interpromotional matches unless it's someone like Gedo doing the job. ROH's big shows for the last year or so have basically been promoted as "Come see the stars of New Japan (and some guys from ROH too if you want)" and it hasn't really helped matters when it comes to making new stars.

Between this and the stuff JTG mentioned in his book(s), it seems like Cena might be quite the down-low asshole.

Going through 1986 Memphis TV and Downtown Bruno just showed up. It's hilarious to hear him talk about growing up on the mean streets of downtown Pittsburgh when his mom was my Sunday school teacher out in the suburbs.

I'm wondering what lit the fire under CMLL after years of openly not giving even the semblance of a shit outside of Anniversary main events. It couldn't have been anything AAA has done, since the wheels have come off that train a while ago.

I think it's just a full-circle thing. Seems like California was the hot place in the late 50s-60 then it seemed to fall off the map. Southern territories dominated the 70s into the 80s until the WWF took over, and then in the 90s the northeast became the next hotbed.

Camp WWE seems like someone saw South Park and thought all the humor was just seeing little kids say bad words.

It doesn't make sense for Cabana to refuse to job considering the big show-ending angle makes more sense if the Bullet Club "ruined" things by having a non finish in a PPV main event (which has more impact in a place like ROH where that doesn't happen often).

Wasn't the plan to have her up on the main roster by SummerSlam? Still, point remains that there's only 4 women in NXT not at jobber level right now