Shining Wiz

From 97-98, you had them pushing Austin, Rock, HHH and Kane as new, hot guys. Shamrock was new and getting pushed at that time as well. At the same time, you had Hart, Michaels, Taker and Sid hanging out at the top of the card. And, beyond that, there was an effort to get/keep a number of guys over on the midcard with varying degrees of success, but you could see the effort was there to give guys chances. The biggest thing was that the guys on top - Hart, Michaels, Taker - were more than willing to make the new guys look like they were on their level. Sunday, the established guys didn't really do that. Bryan won against 6 guys below him on the card, Rollins left as champ but was beat by a guy who won the World title the first time 11 years ago and won the title pinning a guy who's been wrestling for 4 years who wasn't even champion, Rusev was the best built heel they've done since possibly Rock and he lost to a guy who's had the longest non-stop run on top of just about anyone in company history in a feud set up in such a way that his loss had to happen (even to those of us who hoped against hope), and Wyatt - who while not great has SOMETHING that makes him interesting - loses to a 50 year old who shows up one day a year. None of those guys - save maybe Rusev - have been given the chance to be on the level with the top guys. And those top guys are all, at best, on the downside of their peak. The time to make new guys is now, but they seem hesitant to pull the trigger. I'll hope that Rollins gets a nice chicken heel run until at least Summerslam, but I won't hold my breath.

No it can't. These guys were made at different times. When they were "made" and when they were all pushed at the same time is a different point.

On the bright side, rumour (Meltzer) has it that they are bringing in 7 New Japan guys for the shows in May. Supposedly roughly the same level guys as last year, with a rumour (non-Meltzer) that it may actually be the exact same guys as last year. I'm looking forward to my two nights in the T dot.

Lesnar loses title without losing.....smart. No reigns as champ......someone backstage has a brain, but damn.....that match got me to the point I wanted to see the finish.

Oh....Rollins? During the match?

Reigns has been way stiffer on his shots than Lesnar, save for that slap.

I want Reigns to win, just to hear the crowd shit on it at this point.

Good lord.....THAT was a clothesline.

I want Lesnar to get upset with those potatoes and be unprofessional in response.

Lesnar is crushing him. Definitely going to lose.

Didn't help me much.

When did they put that logo on his vest?

That would be so bad.

Someone started a thread about whether wins and losses matter. That win didn't matter for Taker, but that loss really hurts Wyatt, unless it's going to be some sort of catalyst to advance his character, which I doubt.

+1

Oh, I know he is. Doesn't make that move any less awful looking. At least it was a better setup than when he put it on Triple H a few years ago.

Taker get another concussion there?

The hell's gate gogoplata is awful.

It's frustrating because the idea of Bray is a good one, but he has no real point behind the things he says, which gets annoying. And he can have good matches, but has to be lead to them.

That would involve acknowledging that IRS spawned the Eater of Worlds.

Bray's not moving like the ankle sprain is bad.

How bad might this match be? Any chance they surprise us?

Foreshadowing

She's got real life charisma.....not pro wrestling charisma.

In broad daylight, this entrance is not anywhere near as creepy as it should be.