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Main Event is pretty much a the undercard show now, but this week had two real good tag matches - I particularly enjoyed the Wyatts vs PTPs which I'd probably rate above Harper's match with Bryan later on in the taping for Smackdown. Usos vs the returning Hunico and Camacho was a lot of fun too, and both got a decent amount of time, which is refreshing for Main Event in recent weeks.

Hunico and Camacho are back? Seems like they've been off TV for years. I really enjoy Hunico. Haven't seen enough of Camacho to form an opinion yet.

 

I believe they're back in developmental now, but them being on is probably just a case of filling out a show when most guys were already in Europe as opposed to a big return.
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I am so excited about (the presumed) Harper/Rowan vs Punk/Daniel for the PPV. I really dug Harper's two singles matches last week with Bryan & Punk and honestly believe that this is a program that has great potential for continuing to get the Wyatt Family over. While the PTP vs Wyatts have wrestled for months, I believe that putting Luke & Erick in with guys they're larger than (as opposed to Titus) is probably a better visual and obviously both Punk & Daniel can work their asses off, especially when they're motivated to keep their opponents looking good. Oct-Dec is always a dead period for WWE filled with strange moments and until the Rumble to WM build, I prefer to work on building up some undercard acts (like the Wyatts) rather than having Punk or Bryan still in the title feuds. Instead, I'd rather they built up Orton more (killing Big Show is a fine start) and having Cena back in the mix is certainly a good thing for the house show business - moreso if he also continues to appear on Smackdown regularly.

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I've been down on the Wyatt's in-ring since their debut but I've definitely seen marked improvement over the last month or so and it can only get better as they spend time in-ring with Bryan/Punk. At first I was somewhat mad that two "stars" are going down to the Wyatt's level but part of me is okay with it now. I get to see two of my favorites try to build two younger guys, they'll probably get a decent amount of time and they are free of the shackles of overbooked angles with lawyers and B+s and 20 minute Hunter promos.

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Punk and Bryan are in the Jericho role elevating a new talent/act. That will likely be the role both guys have for the rest of their career. There are positives and negatives to that depending on your perception. The feud I think could end up being okay, but in practice so far I've found it boring and lacking in energy.

 

Also that stat is wrong, Cesaro has worked on all four shows (five if you count Superstars)

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Upon watching last week's WWE programming, I can definitively say that face Big Show is the worst thing ever. His promo with HHH and Stephanie made me want to cheer for the authority. He was just grotesquely smug and pandering. Breaking out the 'Yes!' chant was even worse. He made Cena seem cool in comparison, which I thought was undoable.

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I'm pretty positive the stat is for all in the same week

It is. I was responding to Mookie's post about Harper's recent work and thought I was being clear enough. Obviously not. Anyway yay Harper I've done a total one 180 on him the past month. Which I am happy about as I was a big fan of him on the indies but really struggled with his WWE contracted matches.

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Punk and Bryan are in the Jericho role elevating a new talent/act. That will likely be the role both guys have for the rest of their career. There are positives and negatives to that depending on your perception. The feud I think could end up being okay, but in practice so far I've found it boring and lacking in energy.

 

Also that stat is wrong, Cesaro has worked on all four shows (five if you count Superstars)

I agree with you that Bryan may be in that position but Punk is the 2nd biggest star and most protected guy in the company after Cena (also probably the most over guy with the live crowds). He just got done steamrolling new talents Axel and Ryback. Jericho was never in that position in his wildest dreams.

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Punk and Bryan are in the Jericho role elevating a new talent/act. That will likely be the role both guys have for the rest of their career.

Really - you think this is it for them? Punk went from kicking Jeff Hardy out of town and working with The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell to teaming with Festus and running New Nexus, back up to MITB madness with Cena, down to feuding with Kevin Nash, up to feuding with Jericho, and Bryan, holding the title and working with the Rock and Brock and getting vengeance on his former manager. I guess I see Punk as a guy who goes up the card and goes back down. This certainly doesn't feel like they're done with him - just it's a lameduck period, so they're pushing a new tag team and giving them a chance to work with some good guys. If Punk decides to call it a day and go away, yeah - he'll probably not get another top level run, but I don't think the door is close to closed for him. As for Bryan, it's harder to see the future because of all the comments that VKM and HHH have made over time, but just the fact that barring some freak injury, he's probably got a long career ahead of him, I don't think his run in the sun is anywhere near to done. I was on a podcast last night and one thing that I talked about it is how people have really read a lot into what Vince said on the 3rd quarter conference call (but never listened to the audio) regarding how SummerSlam was disappointing, but if you heard him say it - it's not nearly as mean-spirited or Danielson-burying as some people have taken it when they've read the reports second hand.

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Really - you think this is it for them? Punk went from kicking Jeff Hardy out of town and working with The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell to teaming with Festus and running New Nexus, back up to MITB madness with Cena, down to feuding with Kevin Nash, up to feuding with Jericho, and Bryan, holding the title and working with the Rock and Brock and getting vengeance on his former manager. I guess I see Punk as a guy who goes up the card and goes back down. This certainly doesn't feel like they're done with him - just it's a lameduck period, so they're pushing a new tag team and giving them a chance to work with some good guys. If Punk decides to call it a day and go away, yeah - he'll probably not get another top level run, but I don't think the door is close to closed for him.

The outlook for Punk in 2014 is interesting though he is not being discussed as being involved in the top mix and his contract is up July/August. So WWE probably isn't going to invest in him too much the near future. Also he seemed really beaten down on Smackdown this week and he is always threatening to take time off.

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Steph and Hunter don't make international trips so Corporate Kane runs the show tonight. Ideally they would keep Kane in a non=physical role like last week. I think this character has potential if they don't turn him into a Dickensian like monster that switches back and forth

Getting a strong John Goodman at the end of Barton Fink vibe from Kane right now which is great.

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I have conflicted opinions on Chris Hero. I remember him being super popular on the internet back in like 02-04 and I just never saw it. His matches seemed self-indulgent and masturbatory to me, and I never bought into them. Lots of "mat wrestling" and strikes for the sake of strikes, it all just seemed really fake.

 

I give him credit though, I thought he improved a lot over the years. He got in better shape, and he got rid of that hideous costume he was wearing that right off the bat made him look like a joke. Can't say I've ever been a huge fan of his, but I think in 2013 if he'd gotten onto WWE tv he'd be a good addition to their roster. I don't know why he got cut, but if you believe the dirt they weren't high on his look and attitude? Which begs the point why would they push him on NXT so hard and give him showcase matches like they did, but a lot of what WWE does doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

Maybe there's more to the story, maybe he asked for his release or something, but on it's face it doesn't make sense to me. Like I said, not a huge fan, but he's clearly someone they could have made money with.

 

As far as Punk and Bryan go, I like the spot they're in right now. They're going to elevate the hell out of the Wyatts. You can be in way worse spots than they are, ask Dolph Ziggler. So the Bryan main event push didn't play out the way people wanted, oh well, the idea that he's being "buried" is nuts. The guy beat Orton at every turn, and murdered HBK live on RAW. So it hasn't been perfect booking, but at the end of the day they clearly are pushing the shit out of him.

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Only problem I have with the Wyatts program is that either way you make the Smarkpowers look bad. You are going to have these guys win a program that handicaps them (2 vs 3) which proves that the Wyatts couldn't make the numbers advantage work and thus the babyfaces essentially beat jobbers OR if you job the babyfaces, they lose to midcarders. The only way to make it really work is if you even out the sides and put the Wyatts over as major threats who can stand their own ground man to man straight up.

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I think you can basically put Punk/Bryan over them, while making Harper/Rowan look credible and dangerous, but Wyatt ends up being the difference maker

 

I'm interested to see where they go with it, but it seems fairly easy to have them all looking strong in the end. Punk and Bryan are basically bulletproof at this point. The Jericho comparison is fairly spot on. Jericho can lose all the time, he can be booked like shit, and it doesn't really matter, because he has a connection with the audience that most guys can't dream of

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For the most part I agree but I don't think Bryan is bulletproof yet. Otherwise the WWE couldn't get away with deciding he is the reason for the declining numbers. Punk is moreso bulletproof though. I also don't think Jericho in his entire career was bulletproof. I think it was only after a certain point that fans accepted that he could lose all the time and they would still love him. But I doubt the fans would buy a sudden Jericho push as the invincible champion. I think Bryan still has more programs left with different workers to truly become bulletproof. Not that it really matters anyways because Triple H and co. has done a tremendous job telling us that Bryan is a glorified midcarder anyways so the Wyatts is an acceptable program for him.

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Bryan got MORE over after being jobbed out in 11 seconds at WM. Sheamus, the guy who destroyed him, isn't close to being that over, as hard as he's pushed. They put Bryan into essentially a comedy team with Kane, and he came out of it as a guy who beats John Cena at SummerSlam.

 

If he's not bulletproof yet he's pretty damn close to it

 

I remember after he won MITB and they weren't doing anything with him, and had him on a losing streak (which is the worst booking trope they have right now, but I digress) and everyone was thinking he would just fade into oblivion. Didn't happen.

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Raw Spoiler here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like Ryback is going back babyface after Heyman blamed him for his loss at HITC. Either he's going back face or maybe they are through with him for all the supposed heat he has backstage. He also did a clean job for R Truth at the show

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