Jimmy Redman Posted December 29, 2013 Report Share Posted December 29, 2013 Rollins' improvement isn't just in terms of having better match layouts, but the vast improvement in his character work, presence and promos as well. Going from being a bland ROHbot who couldn't talk to the fantastic prissy little shit he is in The Shield: inciting Undertaker to anger, screeching from the apron, mocking opponents' moves...it's like night and day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 POSSIBLE BIG RAW SPOILER from tonight's Smackdown! tapings (we are all gonna love this if true...) http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2013/1...-wwe-smackdown/ another source http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/441207-spo...eturning-to-wwe * Renee Young is backstage with Big E Langston. He talks about Brock Lesnar attacking Mark Henry. Apparently Henry challenged Lesnar on RAW. Curtis Axel appears. Axel vs. Big E will take place later tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exposer Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Building to Big E.-Lesnar? That's what it sounds like to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 My guess is that they are gonna use Henry to set up Lesnar vs his Wrestlemania opponent. But man, even if we just get a 2 week feud between face/tweener Hall Of Pain Henry and Brock that ends in a Rumble match, I'd be more than happy. Henry/Big E vs Brock/??? would be awesome too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slasher Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 I am confused. It sounds like Axel is used as the stepping stone for Brock again but I thought Axel wasn't a Heyman guy anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovert Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 I am confused. It sounds like Axel is used as the stepping stone for Brock again but I thought Axel wasn't a Heyman guy anymore? Axel always gets put on TV when Brock is around. It is like a demand of Brock's or a pre-emptive thing to make Brock happy. Curt Hennig was Brock's early mentor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boondocks Kernoodle Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 This seems out of nowhere, as the Observer was reporting last week that Brock was expected back the week of or after the Rumble. I wonder if WWE felt they needed to respond to the rumors of him going back to UFC by putting him on TV immediately, so as to avoid the impression that they were losing a promotional war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Just watched the series of Shield/Cena and Friends matches. Really good, but with the discussion of what happens to the Shield after they break up, people point to Rollins possibly having no direction. At this point, it seems clear to me that Ambrose fans would have cause to worry. While Rollins doesn't have a tremendous amount of focus put on him, Ambrose seems to be the one being set up to put over Reigns as a babyface. He's also been the one dropping falls in most of their big matches and is the first one eliminated in any type of survival match. Little things too like Seth, Big E. and Roman appearing in videos like this ( ) make it seem like they're friends or at least friendly with a certain person with sway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Finally got around to watching William Regal Vs. Antonio Cesaro from NXT. It wasn't bad. I do think it was a little overrated online but they told a good story. The match was hurt by multiple commercial breaks & terrible commentary for sure. It was very slow, very plodding, a lot of technical work & had great psychology. The bridges & kip-ups were all really well done. I personally don't feel like it's worth going out of your way to seek out, in all honesty. However, if you're a fan of both guys, you'll probably dig it. It is what you expect those two guys to do together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 If this whole Bad News Barrett thing doesn't work out (and given the WWE history it won't), there might be a job opening at MSNBC waiting for him after that speech on his 20 foot podium tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 You know if you aren't into Regal and/or Cesaro or there match that is fine, but I have no clue how that match could be described as "plodding." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 For my money that RAW ending is on the shortlist for worst things WWE has ever put on television. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Here's what I can't figure out. Is WWE burying Daniel Bryan? Or is WWE "burying" Daniel Bryan, because they've figured out that the more they beat him, the more he gets over? I think they've tapped into something where fans think supporting him is being rebellious against the company, and I can't figure out if that's promotional incompetence or if it's by design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slasher Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I think this is like the time Punk joined the New Breed. Everyone was worried about what it would do for him and it turned out just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I think this is like the time Punk joined the New Breed. Everyone was worried about what it would do for him and it turned out just fine.Did I miss Punk promos about the physitron machine and President Rhodes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I absolutely loved the ending to RAw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 The ending was fantastic to me and made a ton of sense if you have been following along to everything that has been going on. Bryan knows that the fans love him and he feeds off the chants but what has that gotten him as far as the "machine" goes. Bryan now joins the only people who are raging against the machine as his last resort to get the success that he desires. Now supposedly they want to do Cena vs. Bray at WM so you have the whole Cena/Bryan dynamic going on another level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I missed it. Break down why. Tim can do the counterpoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Here's what I can't figure out. Is WWE burying Daniel Bryan? Or is WWE "burying" Daniel Bryan, because they've figured out that the more they beat him, the more he gets over? I think they've tapped into something where fans think supporting him is being rebellious against the company, and I can't figure out if that's promotional incompetence or if it's by design.It's totally by design. And I too loved that ending. Also loved Brock screaming like a pterodactyl . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I often disagree with Johnny and Kris when it comes to WWE stuff, but they are dead on here. Hell I have soured on the Wyatts up until tonight, but I honestly thought it was a very strong angle and the match before it was excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 There is some optimism right now regarding the angles going into the new year because they are shaking things up getting ready for Mania. Brock is back and how will he get to Taker at Mania Big Dave coming back getting ready for Orton at Mania Roman Reigns getting ready to break away and become a huge star. The elevation of Big E. Daniel Bryan joining the Wyatt Family now making them the dominant faction in the company. And more...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlittlekitten Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I just watched the closing angle. I'm kind of gutted I spoiled it before I watched because I loved that. Apart from the part where Bryan was comically stumbling up the ramp I thought it was executed perfectly. You could tell the crowd really cared by the end too. And Bryan's motivations totally make sense. It's WWE so they'll fuck it up next by week but the angle started wonderfully. Will have to go back and watch the rest of the show now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I also loved Brock completely looking at HHH with disdain after the handshake and slowly following him as he left as if to say "Yeah, get outta my ring." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Why I think it was shit: - It's Bryan in a midcard feud. - Bryan looks weak for giving in. The feud didn't seem too heated to begin with and was especially diluted by Bryan's involvement in the Orton/Cena story in some of the past few weeks feeling like a much bigger deal than this. Then out of nowhere he gives in against something that didn't really seem like a big deal. - Essentially telling the fans that their wild cheering for him, the biggest thing he's got going for him, doesn't really matter. - It was that cheesy, over-written, awkward WWE dramatic stuff. And it was just weird. Bryan gets a weak beatdown, "gives in," Bray acts way creepy man and then hits his move on Bryan because whoa so mysterious before leading Bryan out. - The crowd was sitting on their hands while that angle played out. They were hot chanting for Bryan at the end but I saw that as just them taking the cue from Bryan looking out at them on the ramp, and they'll take any excuse to go nuts for Bryan. But they could have cared less about the angle. - Bryan should be doing something interesting and high profile going into Mania season. - This might mean Bryan not in the Rumble, this might mean Bryan in a lame midcard match as Mania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I agree the match before was very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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