Matt D

Hell I thought the Toxin match from yesterday (it's on youtube) was a lot of fun, including some moments of real deftness (on top of the character bits and smart, focused storytelling).

The idea, in part, is that WWE can use these five years to tap global markets (especially India and China) in a way they're just starting to.

You guys still matter to me!

Popularity as a NXT trainer? So long as he only shows up on TV 1-3 times a year, he'll always get a pop because it'll feel special.

Between work and some stuff at home I've had next to no time lately. I'm watching the bare minimum right now, just enough to keep up with Phil and Eric for New Footage Fridays over at Segunda Caida.

I bet you guys are high on Dean Malenko too.

Look, at least they did something.

A lot of it was that Brock was always around and everyone else just became gatekeepers/stand-ins for him.

Also, look, part of the problem is me. At the end of the day, they're bulletproof. They're rolling in the TV rights now. They have the Saudi government paying them up the wahoo. They're expanding into new markets in new ways. So the answer to this is that nothing matters. But, it's really hard to figure out what the hell they're trying to do and what they think they're going to accomplish over time. You can look at 98/99 WCW and everything at least makes sense. The ending of the streak makes sense. Nash putting the belt on him makes sense. Hogan taking it makes sense. Savage, DDP, whatever. Even the stupid stuff Russo tried, you at least get what he was trying to accomplish. The politics are decipherable. With this, it's crazy political hit conspiracies on top of pleasing the Saudis on top of Vince's stubbornness on top of a three year plan which has to be bs, because it just has to be, because it makes no sense, with a wellness violation and the year of Authority Rollins and grumpy Brock and Goldberg inexplicably getting superover and did I mention political hits and Hunter after Reigns actually got over due to Vince and Sheamus? We study this stuff over multiple decades and companies and bookers and this is like playing chess with a moron playing checkers and trying to figure out what the hell he's trying to do (and somehow he's still winning!).

Are you still doing that corner dropkick spot?

It might actually benefit all of them to use Reigns sparingly for a little while.

The Brock reign? Sure. The rest of this backwards bs? I have a feeling we're all going to be sitting here in 12 months frustrated out of our skulls still.

The fact that people are amazed and rejoicing that Vince actually got people to pop for Roman beating Brock like it was some act of genius just shows how thoroughly the goalposts have been moved here. This isn't how wrestling is supposed to work. This isn't how anything where planning can actually happen should work. All of this stuff is so inherently broken that we're celebrating the fact that it wasn't a complete disaster.

Oh good, a banana peel. I'm sure this will work out well for them in the long-term. Or, you know, tomorrow.

I also mocked Corbin's gear if it's any help? Balor's chest tongue was terrible too. Everything is stupid, apparently.

Oh, cool. When Ronda's wearing the demon make-up, she can squash people too.

It's an ideal Summerslam 1990 match. Four minutes and out.

I'd thank you guys, but I'm not happier knowing that. Of all the things I can't understand about wrestling, Vince not getting the value of a hair match is high on the list. If you're going to shave a heel anyway, have him lose a frigging hair match.

Look, I haven't been watching for a while. Why is Corbin dressed like Kerwin White's caddy?

Stacey, apparently?

Smackdown should have a few months of really solid stuff at this point.

I will say that the Kick-the-Post spot came relatively late and then was paid off very quickly and not gone back to. I liked it as a whole though.

Hide the god damn chain.

I'm proud of Miz for finally learning how to lock in the Figure Four correctly.

I do feel like this time around, Joe's mind games should gain him the belt, at least until Styles can get it back from him.