SteveJRogers

Looking at Cawthon's site, it looks like the "switch" of who was going to be ending Honky's reign of terror occurred around the 15th, as Warrior started to be inserted into house show matches against Honky, the last Beefcake match was on August 13th. Oddly Beefcake's house show opponent afterwards was Hercules! The Warrior-Honky pre-SummerSlam matches included a Superstars taping in Providence on the 23rd with a phantom change, so they could tape some Warrior IC squash defenses., and the title went back to Honky at the end of the night (the listings doesn't say how the Dusty Finish occurred (or if it was a true Dusty Finish as opposed to Hart and Honky complaining) just that the decision of the Warrior-Honky match had been reversed). As well as same scenario with a Challenge taping in Hartford on the 24th, though this time Warrior won by DQ and took the belt with him backstage (kind of a dickish heel thing to do, but I guess ANYONE would do that to Honky Tonk Man at that point), so they could tape defenses for down the line, and the belt was surrendered back at the end of the night. And the match was on the Canadian tour in the days leading up to SummerSlam. FWIW, I noticed this for the first time watching it recently, but Warrior completely knocks Howard Finkle off the apron as he's running the ropes! At first I thought the guy taking the bump was Jimmy Hart, to get him "out of the way" but nope, Warrior knocks Fink down as Fink was making his way out of the ring!

I’ll say it again, other than dropping the Bryan part of the Shane-KO/Zain storyline like it never happened, what did you think would happen in terms of Bryan’s return? Get inserted into the Styles-Nakamura match, and make it a Triple Threat? The way the storyline had been going since the previous summer, heatless or not, there were only two logical ways it was going to go. The way they did with Bryan coming out of retirement in the feud ending match. Or Bryan turning on Shane and continuing on as either a heel GM or just as a second for KO & Sami, wrestling again or not.

To be fair, there was the Rhodes Scholars run and MitB win, and subsequent feud with Cody. Sandow was a lot like Ziggler in terms of getting positve heat from IWC types who will always gravitate towards those not pushed as hard as they (fans) think they should be. Though it appears Ziggler knows that being “Dolph Ziggler” on WWE’s platform is better financially than it would be starting Nick Nesmeth all over again from scratch. Plus its really only that small segment that think he should be in a better position that upper mid-carder.

To be fair, the way the storyline had been going since the previous summer, heatless or not, there were only two logical ways it was going to go (not counting dropping the angle and pretending nothing had happened in the many months prior). The way they did with Bryan coming out of retirement in the feud ending match. Or Bryan turning on Shane and continuing on as either a heel GM or just as a second for KO & Sami, wrestling again or not.

Also the Hardys and Shane Helms’ partner in founding Omega, Tracy Caddell.

If I hadn’t said it before https://newbloodpod.podbean.com/ Season One they did Russo WCW PPVs through the end of the company. Season Two followed post-WCW purchase WWF PPVs through WM X-8. Season Three ECW on PPV, including the WWECW ones. Season Four all of Undertaker’s WM matches through Reigns, but every episode touched on the build to the Cena match at this years. Current season Stings’ ride at the top of the WCW mountain through Hogan’s arrival. Which means every PPV/Clash from GAB 1990-Bash At The Beach 1994.

Because I don’t want to get flammed for using the source, but check out YouTube clips of Tyrus as “White House Press Secretary.” Some humorous bits in there.

Did Terrible have more or less defenses/year than Brock? Love seeing the memes comparing Brock and Okadas current reign.

When was the last 1,000 day reign for a major (TV, etc) promotions recognized heavyweight belt? Cant be Hogans Dec 84-Feb 88? Have there been close to 1,000 day (500 plus) reigns since as well?

Filling Santinos role of the loveable and inoffensive comedic goofball See, you never know, that random back stage role character for a small amount of appearances could turn into something! INDEED! Speaking of which, is it wrong that I keep hoping he breaks it out every time the camera pans to him and his broadcast partner when they show the international broadcast teams?

You take stuff too seriously sometimes man I agree. That was akin to say a Hank Aaron saying hed probably hit well against Clayton Kershaw. Clearly meaning healthy and in the prime of his career, all thongs being equal.

Here you go! https://soundcloud.com/prowrestlingonly/wbt9 The Golden Grahams are here to talk the Extreme Elimination Chamber, as requested by Steve J. Rogers at prowrestlingonly.com. We can talk about your match by requesting it there, or @StevenGrahamTWS on twitter. A match that sunk a brand, we talk about the match plus CM Punk, TNA history, politics, and we have a power outage. This show is a clusterfuck, just like this match? FYI, there have been a number of Chamber matches featuring multiple stable/faction members. Twice with Evolution, including one where Batista sacrificed himself so Triple H could retain his title. And Legacy broke up in one where DiBiase turned on Orton.

Also technically the belts The New Day held when they broke Demolitions tag reign mark is a seperate title lineage than the one Demolition held.

Not that it matters to WWE official canon. When Randy Orton defeated Benoit for the WORLD Heavyweight title, they still declared him youngest ever as he bested Brocks age when he defeated The Rock to be the youngest to hold the WWE Heavyweight proper. Never mind of course that the World belt wasnt yet two years old when Orton won it!

Vince said it literally at the end of his show ending promo on the Benoit Tribute Raw. News that the police ruled it murder/suicide was breaking that night.

Hardcore Elimination Chamber might deserve an in a vacuum look. Sure even looking at it from a story telling standpoint with Punk and RVD getting tossed early its bad, but I dont think its as bad when you look at it knowing everything about the show, Heymans issues leading up to the show, and his ouster afterwards, etc.

Had they made everything official the week before when it looked like the Fusion deal with Bischoff was done, Id agree. But since it was literally a few days earlier, there probably wasnt much care beyond letting the Nitro crews do their thing one last time.

TV audience should be the same if all they care or should I say all Russo cared was ratings. NOW that is more like the old circuit way of booking. You tune in next week to see if the face gets the revenge.

Plus it wasnt the old territory house show circuit days. While there are staples (no pun intended with the LA arena), when they came back for a live TV taping was rather random, or at least at the mercy of various scheduling reasons.

Am I wrong in assuming the end of Harts/Strike Force seemed hyped as a potential hidden gem all these years? Like it had gone on for a 15-30 minute classic after the show had gone off the air? And when you could finally see the pinfall, it was pretty much seconds after the last of the Main Event credits rolled. Or was it just complaining about seemingly lost forever footage, no matter how insignificant the length was, or complaining that the finish was never aired, despite not being a title change?

I doubt it, its been so ingrained that he even got it during face turns after it became a thing.

Different title though, but I guess that doesn't really matter. Also, CM Punk defended it a hell of a lot more, and actually put some effort into his matches, but hey, who's counting? On the flip side, Randy Ortons first capture of the Triple H Ego Fuck title was good enough to surpass the departed Brock for Youngest Heavyweight Champion Ever despite not being the same title Brock had held.

You get a million of these in every wreddit Observer recap--the guy who does them downplays it and the jokes in general, but yeah, they're in the comments, usually multiple times. Hell with that, its a hackish quip for looking at anything retro, in any medium! I dont know, but that Montana kid on Notre Dame might have something!

Considering there was talk that Bryan was legit hurt by it, I wonder if Miz, the character, will try to take credit for the comeback.

Because they dont want to have Braun in the tag division and they wanted to give him something to do that wasnt being in the battle royal.Plus-Granted its not on the level of Brocks or Goldbergs but they wanted to save Lashley for the Post Mania Raw surprise return pop. -As you said, it paid off the Braun doesnt want a legit partner storyline by it not being any sort of planted legit worker, be it a local Ellsworth like guy or someone on the payroll. OE: Yeah, technially Goldberg debuted, guess the way the whole MNW happened and ended, watching it now it does feel more like a return than someone making a debut.