KrisZ Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Like I said on Twitter....Flair is auditioning for WWE Network's version of Lee Corso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 I know people are saying Bryan will be added to the title match but with this company and how everything is neatly presented the fact that he never mentioned the title tonight (neither did the announcers) I highly doubt it. Yeah depressing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbaugh Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Ric Flair is unbearable in this role. You think?? You kidding me??? I noticed these verbal crutches when he was on Austin's podcast, but they are even more evident tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Ric Flair is unbearable in this role. He's slurring badly too. It's like watching and hearing a broken down boxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Like I said on Twitter....Flair is auditioning for WWE Network's version of Lee Corso At this rate he is auctioning for the WWE Network's version of Lou Holtz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Bryan's gonna beat HHH to get into the title match and win the belt to close the show. Pretty obvious IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 The Usos should have won the belts like that. I get the New Age Outlaws as old veteran heels act, but they definitely need to be squashed like Honky Tonk Man to lose those titles. I agree. I got a kick out of that match, remembering when the NAO called the Road Warriors "OLD" back in '97. Karma's a bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 No way. He may close the show but he doesn't win the belt. On the P2B Reaction last night, I predicted that the WWE would do exactly what they planned all along. The only adjustment is Orton-Batista will be in the middle of the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 My brother seems to think Hogan will make the match as the host of the show (much like how Rock meddled with the main event when he hosted) that allows Bryan to win the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chief Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 My brother seems to think Hogan will make the match as the host of the show (much like how Rock meddled with the main event when he hosted) that allows Bryan to win the title. That's possible, but meddling with the Mania card during the show just seems so... wrong. If they do go that route I hope they would announce it beforehand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Bryan's gonna beat HHH to get into the title match and win the belt to close the show. Pretty obvious IMO. You're a helluva lot more optimistic than I am. I think the show closes with Taker beating Brock with a Tombstone. Bryan loses to a Pedigree to get time off & Orton/Batista goes on after HHH/Bryan with Batista winning the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Bryan ain't losing at Mania, wedding or no wedding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini Bennett Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 The "this is depressing" comments are stemming purely from those select few who think Triple H is boring, right? Just making sure if it's an opinion I need to take seriously or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chief Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 I can't see Brock vs Taker ending the show since it exists outside of everything else that's going on. Taker and Brock probably won't be around after Mania outside of a couple appearances. I would think that Cena gets his match on last, but Wyatt isn't high profile enough. I honestly think they're crazy enough to put Batista/Orton on last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 I see Bryan egging Hunter on until he snaps and agrees to face him at WM, only for Vince (only person in established WWE TV hierarchy who can pull rank on the COO) to come back and say Bryan gets added to the title match if he beats Hunter. The announcers seemed to really start pushing the idea that Hunter is the one pulling the strings on all the people screwing Bryan, plus they've had Bryan wrestle multiple times on various shows in the last few months to plant the idea in the fans' heads that he can do it with no problem. At WM, have Kane come out to try to screw Bryan in the HHH match, Hulk comes out to stop him with the finger point of doom for the nostalgia pop. Bryan gets added to the title match, and the show closes with his Wrestlemania Moment. I just don't see them sticking with Batista/Orton as a single match when they were flat out saying no one likes Big Dave and no one wants to see the match on Raw tonight. I actually think the bigger issue is going to be with Cena/Bray since every time they try to establish the Wyatts as the heels the crowd ends up chanting for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 My brother seems to think Hogan will make the match as the host of the show (much like how Rock meddled with the main event when he hosted) that allows Bryan to win the title. That's possible, but meddling with the Mania card during the show just seems so... wrong. If they do go that route I hope they would announce it beforehand. It makes a little sense to me because I don't think Hogan would be part of the show like that without doing something, and maybe rightfully so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 There will be a ""YES!" / "Hogan Cupping his ear" mash up for certain. So work backwards from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 According to Dave the plan is to just do Bryan and Hunter at the show. The company believes that the people booing Batista are the minority and that they aren't changing plans to include Bryan in the title match Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NitroFan Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 According to Dave the plan is to just do Bryan and Hunter at the show. The company believes that the people booing Batista are the minority and that they aren't changing plans to include Bryan in the title match unfortunately for them that 'minority' makes up an awful lot of the mania crowd. and lol at the thought of what will happen on raw the next night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W2BTD Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'm sticking with my original outside the box prediction of an Orton/Batista double turn, with The Authority giving up on Orton and Batista as the new face. And yes, I think they are crazy enough to close the show with it. At this point, I think Orton will get cheered anyway and play into the turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 The "this is depressing" comments are stemming purely from those select few who think Triple H is boring, right? Just making sure if it's an opinion I need to take seriously or not. No, it isn't because HHH is boring. It's because it is a matchup that shouldn't be happening at Mania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Dave is reporting that the plan now is not to turn Batista heel, but rather to turn him babyface. He's supposedly doing a promo acknowledging things on Smackdown that they want to "turn the people with him" because they are determined to make him a cheered babyface by Wrestlemania. I'm curious to see what they're going to try, but I don't see anything that can work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 According to Dave the plan is to just do Bryan and Hunter at the show. The company believes that the people booing Batista are the minority and that they aren't changing plans to include Bryan in the title matchSo the PPV ending and end of goat stuff was just to set up the HHH match? ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross Face Chicken Wing Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 If I was at Wrestlemania and Orton/Batista was the last match, I wouldn't boo. I would try to get as many people as possible to start heading for the exits. A mass of people leaving Wrestlemania early would be a better visual than booing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexstar Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 As the new guy here I want to clarify my own personal stance a bit before the meat of this post - I'm a lifelong WWE fan, and avid fan of the current product, but readily acknowledge many faults it has and I don't think people are lame for not liking it. What I've found is that sometimes, if you fill in the gaps and background for yourself a bit, their angles work a bit better. For instance, I'm not really down on the seemingly inevitable Bryan/HHH, Cena/Wyatt. Batista/Orton, Lesnar/Taker card as others. Here's why: Bryan-HHH I kinda already talked about my theory on this one. The past few years WWE has definitely shifted into a more meta storytelling in WrestleMania season, I assume to appeal to the group of casual fans that wander in for this period. The main event of the show tends to resolve around something meta, not necessarily the title, even when the title is a prop like Rock-Cena. That was about who is "the big dog" more than who is the champ, even if they worked the title in. This year, I think the main event is definitely going to end up being Bryan-HHH. They have a portion of the audience legitimately shocked and angry that Bryan isn't the champ, and I think people have unknowingly bought into an angle that I'm not even sure WWE knew they were booking. But if they get it now, they have a match where there's going to be legitimate fear that Bryan will lose his "big shot" at the COO, and that's gonna make for a good environment. In theory, beating HHH establishes Bryan in that upper tier of title contenders - which, arguably, is more important than any specific title win for the way modern WWE works. Kane's turn kinda works in this context as well - he saw potential in Bryan during their time together, and joined The Authority to give him a test. He wanted to see how Bryan reacted to losing a teammate and friend, and unleashed his "monster" on him to push him to a higher level before he takes on HHH, who (whether we like it or not, and I don't really) is still presented as some sort of GOAT in WWE. That's why I say the belt is actually a negative to the Bryan angle - his story is about cracking into the inner circle of main eventers, not necessarily winning the title right now. Cena-Wyatt I don't really have a big problem with the way this is presented. Cena has been talking about being the guy to beat to prove yourself for some time, and Wyatt clearly wants a name for himself. I agree that they should have built Wyatt more as a single threat if they want this match to really click, but I never tried to say WWE is perfect. I'm interested to see how this plays out over the next month - I think there's a slight chance you get to see some sort of Cena/Reigns pairing at some point during this that is aimed to giving Reigns a big rub from saving Cena's bacon. Orton-Batista Are we sure they don't want the crowd to crap on this match? There was a lot of rumors around the past few months about truly moving beyond "face" and "heel" in the traditional sense, which is something I'm sure we've all heard before. But if they truly want to evolve the product more into a UFC style where most guys are both heel and face to various segments of the audience (basically turning everyone into Cena with the dueling crowds) this is an interesting way to help push it along. If they were to push this as the two best, whether people like it or not, I could get interested. It wouldn't work as a show closer but in the middle that could be good, especially if they deliver with a good match. The problem here is I don't buy Batista as the best, but they've got a couple weeks to kinda turn that around. Lesnar-Undertaker Not sure there's much to explain or defend at this point. I included it because I wanted to mention that I think bald, old, Aryan Nation looking insane Undertaker might be even scarier than his other incarnations - if I was a 6 year old last night, UT slamming a pen into Lesnar, ripping off his hood to reveal that freaky haircut and weird face while screaming, and then chokeslamming him into the table would have kinda terrified me. Looked like a psycho prisoner attack. Conclusion I think there's a lot of mental gymnastics necessary to get great storytelling out of WWE, but I think that's semi-intentional. The booking seems to have two sides to me - the straightforward kayfabe interpretation, and lots of allusions/veiled references to the backstage "new kayfabe" universe, where making a name for yourself and being a "star" is something equivalent to a title. I think that's at least semi-intentional - reading through casual fan twitter remarks and talking to the people who watch occasionally, they don't as easily see through stuff like Bryan/HHH being a total work - there's definitely a belief out there that HHH really doesn't want Bryan to win anything or be a star, and I don't think his placement on the shows or prominence in the "universe" backs that up. Or, maybe I'm just trying to justify spending three to five hours a week watching current WWE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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