SomethingSavage

You're such a conformist.

Can you recommend anything specific as a fresh jumping on point? I skimmed over their website and roster, and I recognized maybe 4 or 5 names.

Exactly the first thing I thought about when people were talking about a heel turn at Mania. Bryan's return should be looked at as a godsend, basically. Asking the fans to boo him seems so ridiculous. They've had him taken from them and been told he'd never return. Now he's back. Just let them enjoy the shit out if this ride until the wheels fall off.

Remember the critically acclaimed AJ Lee as GM deal? Good stuff, surely.

And, like I said before, comparing his conditioning at a staged theatrical performance to his actual fighting shape is ridiculous anyhow. Brock may be lazy when he's allowed to be or left to his own devices, but he's no dummy. When his payday depends on it, the guy knows to show up in shape.

Besides all that, AJ Styles is experiencing all-time career heights and popularity as WWE Champion at the same age. I don't exactly think it's unfathomable to imagine Vince green lighting a Lashley run up top.

Which is exactly what bit him in the ass and gave him a serious case of butthurt back in the mid-nineties, when all those discarded "too old guys" got together and basically ran a reunion tour over on his competitors' TV.

Absolutely in agreement with that. I understand the desire to find another Cena to run on top for a decade plus. But, in the meantime, you've got a revolving door of temporarily over guys. So run with them until you've built or discovered that next long-term solution. It ain't rocket science. The audience will never not tell you exactly who they want in that spot. What's the downside? You make a lot of money off these guys for a few months at a time rather than a few years?

So apparently Al Snow has purchased OVW. I forgot all about OVW and haven't seen a single episode of theirs since sometime back when the TNA developmental deal was a thing. Either way, this news is infinitely more interesting to me than whatever Marty Scurll is doing.

Lashley doesn't necessarily need to be the next long-term solution in order to be the next guy. But they've got to start somewhere. Remaking Lashley could prove to be a money-making project if it produces another major player or main event star - even in the short-term. That's a net positive. Introducing another guy into that top mix helps to keep things fresh. Discarding an option simply because it's not the absolute most sustainable is shortsighted and silly. Their whole obsession with age is weird enough in the first place. It gave them their true top ace in Cena, but it simultaneously produced one of the most lackluster main eventers they've ever had in Orton. So there you go. Alternatively, some guys have put together their best runs later in life. Batista and Mark Henry are decent enough examples of that.

Somebody get Joe an avatar so he can get over.

Has there been any clarification or clear indication as to what the plans are for Ronda, in terms of how often she'll work or be at TV? I mean, are they going to program her month to month for the specials, or will she only be brought in three or four times similar to Brock? I'd like a sweet middle ground, something closer to Austin's schedule - wherein she's working bit matches at the PPVs but not necessarily stuck on the treadmill of endless rematches they use to kill time on TV. Nothing would erode her aura quicker than that.

Equally silly is the way some people are commenting on Brock's current conditioning, as if he would show up in the exact same shape for a real fight. As if intense, extensive training regimens do not happen before big fights. As if he doesn't understand the importance of actually training for a payday that's dependent on real performance output versus a staged, predetermined sport where the payday comes as long as you show up. It's the path of least resistance, folks. Brock traveling that path is human nature. Vince paving it for him is the actual issue here.

Front entrance was a total train wreck, to be fair.

Yup. Ditto for Lashley's 2014. That was his big comeback year, wherein he suddenly burst back onto the scene and seemingly got really, REALLY good overnight. He just came back with incredible improvement all at once. From that period alone, there's Lashley vs Jeff Hardy in the Manhattan Center. It's not a great match, but it has a super fun finish. And it probably marks the beginning of his impressive run. His best match that year is at the Destination X event (actually aired as a weekly Impact from the Manhattan Center, just labeled as Destination X) against Austin Aries. It's a banger and tells a great story of David versus Goliath. There's also the trilogy against Roode that runs from late October through early January on various dates. Then there's those already mentioned above. I feel like I'm still forgetting some, but I've covered alot over in the TNA mega-thread. Make no mistake, the Lashley last seen leaving WWE isn't the same worker returning now. To judge him based on that body of work alone is really missing out. As far as Ember Moon goes, count me in as another fan of hers. I understand some of the criticisms of her (lack of) character, but I don't necessarily agree with it. I mean, she's never really establishes that she's trying to be anything specific. It's basically just a unique look and nothing else. It's strictly gimmick for the sake of pageantry at this point. And sometimes, that's all it needs to be. They've never really tried to go further beyond that with it - at least not that I'm aware of, and so it fits fine as it is. My issues with things like this arise whenever it tries to be more and fails. Finn Balor's whole "demon" shtick is a prime example of when it becomes bothersome. In his case, it's treated as more than just a look. It's hyped to be an aggressive extension of his personality, yet it's hardly handled that way. For awhile there, he literally became the Demon for every single Takeover event, regardless of whether it was warranted by a grudge or a blood feud. It was just done for a reaction. All the way, they continued to present it as something special. Meanwhile, he never did ANYTHING remotely different. His performances remained exactly the same. Ember is just a chick dressing up. It's her look - nothing more, nothing less. Clearly she's a fan of Twilight or True Blood or some such shit. I don't know. But it's not something I take personal offense to or anything. It's just a form of her individual expression at the end of the day. In the ring, her facial expressions & her body language are always on point. She's super expressive about EVERYTHING, almost to a fault. The shouting before a big move - and the "huffing and puffing" deep breaths - can feel a little over the top and borderline hokey at times, but hey. That's pro wrestling. It's meant to be big, so you take it. At the end of the day, it's a net positive in her favor. So yeah. She's athletic enough for outstanding spots. She's got a proven track record in telling cohesive stories in the body of her matches. And her reactions really level everything up in my eyes. I can see the look being a distraction if it's not your thing or whatever, but it really shouldn't be anymore of a problem than say a Jeff Hardy's ridiculous ring gear. It takes some getting used to, but it ultimately sets them apart from the rest of the pack. And it should hardly be considered a strike against their work as performers.

When he smirks, or..? I never watched ROH week to week, but Cole was a genuine heat-seeker in PWG. A lot of his stuff eventually caught on with the crowd, and they ultimately started to play along, but he was a freaking furnace for awhile after the heel turn. The guy had no problem shitting on the people or embracing it when it came time for them to give it back to him.

I can absolutely see that, but I also don't think Bobby Roode is all that exceptional either. In fact, those two line up quite nicely and make for easy comparisons. Both guys are highly regarded (mainly) on the strength of lengthy heel championship runs. And both are much better in gimmick match performances than they are in straightforward wrestling matches.

It really is a shame that such great buildup was wasted on Berto. The guy's crazy unreliable. While he's enjoyable enough when he's really dialed in, that just isn't often enough. He's not worth the hassle. And they've been burned by him twice now, so here's hoping they've learned that lesson. I'm guessing they'll run a rematch from the LU crossover event at Redemption now. That doesn't do much to drive any story forward - and it's practically just a filler match - but at least it stands the chance of being a good match. I'm still disappointed, but I hope they can get things back on track and give Aries another program (with a challenger and a story) he can sink his teeth into after this PPV is in their rearview.

When did he ever stop looking like a low rent British comedy wrestler? 'Cause I've seen what he's done up until this past weekend, and I'm still sort of waiting... Won't dispute his popularity though.

I don't want to watch wrestling that requires that much thinking. Too much meta bullshit. Wrestling works best when it's simple - not when you are trying to outfox your audience or whateverthefuck. Just because it's shocking or unexpected doesn't mean it's good. Just makes it illogical. Predictable doesn't automatically make something bad either. Besides, some fans are just going to bitch & moan either way. With everyone having a voice via social media - and with everyone having this disturbing thirst to feel outraged over ANYTHING - you just have to accept that things aren't going to get universal praise.

Really? Because I enjoyed him A LOT in his PWG stuff. The initial heel turn and the Mount Rushmore interactions (especially with Steen) brought out the best in him as a character and an all-around prick, in my view. I just haven't enjoyed him nearly as much ANYWHERE else. His run on top of ROH had nothing to do with the rest of the promotion. It just felt like a pale imitation of what he did in PWG to me. They even lifted the O'Reilly feud, and it didn't compare at all. Overall, I feel like Cole is a guy who is really good in garbage match settings. He's got a look that is almost universally appealing. And he apparently has a good attitude backstage. It's the "regular" work in between that leaves a lot to be desired. It reminds me of Edge - and even Hunter - in terms of where his strengths lie. That also may speak to why and how they value Cole so much. He looks the part, and his in-ring style means he can be guided to good matches - but actually thrive in their big, sprawling gimmick matches... Which are basically the lifeblood of their rivalries and programs anyhow. It's an essential skill, as much as some of us may wield it as a criticism.

Exactly. I'm so glad I got my big Mania experience way back at 17 before they decided to punish people for attending this way. A group of friends went to NOLA for 30, but I had to back out at the last minute for work. I still caught the show with some casual friends & family at my place, and I'm still convinced I made the best decision. Bryan's journey and coronation weren't any less special in that moment, and - truth be told - I probably would've been in a grumpy mood regardless by that point.

I'm stuck here at work, putting in some easy voluntary overtime hours on a slow weekend. So, while NXT Takeover will have to wait until Monday for me, I've been meandering around YouTube for a bit. Anyway, did anyone check out the 30-minute special they did on Nakamura's road to the title or whatever? Sorry if it's been mentioned elsewhere already, but I was just wondering if it was worth the half-hour investment or just some typical, throwaway stuff.

Yeah. His work is okay for a big dude, but there's something about his look that bothers me. I realize that's totally superficial and at least a little silly, but it is what it is. I haven't pinpointed precisely what it is yet, but the pleather Nash pants certainly don't help.

Is Paige present and accounted for? It's astonishing that Berto can still get booked anywhere, really. It's a shame, too. When he's on and in his element, I like a lot of what he brings to the table. But he can be as lazy and inspired as anybody at times also. Plus, ya know, there's the coke binges and no-showings. The negatives of booking the guy have got to start outweighing the positives pretty soon.