Hell In A Cell 2012

[Tim Evans]

I didn't love the finish but I didn't have a big problem with it. They could say Maddox was paying back Punk and Heyman for that screw up on Raw weeks ago. Plus Brad was awesome in FCW and I'm glad he's up on the big stage.

[Coffey]

I hated it when WCW ended PPV's with fuck finishes in 1998 & I still hate it in WWE in 2012. Especially when it's $50 to see it.

[goodhelmet]

It seems that Meltzer did not, in fact, shit on Show/Sheamus. Can we stop pretending that he only likes guys who wrestle like Davey Richards?

 

No. His track record is littered with liking shitty matches.

[Dylan Waco]

I hated it when WCW ended PPV's with fuck finishes in 1998 & I still hate it in WWE in 2012. Especially when it's $50 to see it.

Bingo. This really reminded me of NWO Era shit. People want to make the Flair comp, but even something like the cage being brought up so the Horseman could attack was better than this. It was lame, transferred all the heat to the ref, made Punk look like a complete fraud as a champion (rather than a pussy heel), and did nothing to help Ryback at all. If I had paid for the show it would have been the last time I paid for a WWE event for a long time.

[goodhelmet]

On another note, WWE just needs to pay Goldberg for a skit or two. Ryback rings his door, Goldberg teaches him the Jackhammer in a sweaty gym, Ryback gets the Goldberg seal of approval and maybe even sits in his corner for a Ryback match. They need to address the Goldberg chants because the guy is over in about 50% of the arenas with the other half just shitting on him.

[goodhelmet]

I hated it when WCW ended PPV's with fuck finishes in 1998 & I still hate it in WWE in 2012. Especially when it's $50 to see it.

Bingo. This really reminded me of NWO Era shit. People want to make the Flair comp, but even something like the cage being brought up so the Horseman could attack was better than this. It was lame, transferred all the heat to the ref, made Punk look like a complete fraud as a champion (rather than a pussy heel), and did nothing to help Ryback at all. If I had paid for the show it would have been the last time I paid for a WWE event for a long time.

 

If I bought the show solely for Ryback winning the title, I would agree. Then again, there were two really good/great matches underneath (three if you count the PTP/ Mexicans match) and they did the Punk gets destroyed thing after. I don't see this as godawful WCW booking so much as the lazy booking you mentioned earlier. This happened on one PPV this entire year. WCW would leave you unsatisfied with 4-5 PPVs endings in a row, one good PPV and then 3-4 more shitty PPV endings. WWE usually lets the fans leave home happy including the ones at home.

[Coffey]

On another note, WWE just needs to pay Goldberg for a skit or two. Ryback rings his door, Goldberg teaches him the Jackhammer in a sweaty gym, Ryback gets the Goldberg seal of approval and maybe even sits in his corner for a Ryback match. They need to address the Goldberg chants because the guy is over in about 50% of the arenas with the other half just shitting on him.

This could work..or it could backfire & make the Goldberg chants even louder. It's hard to tell with the crowds nowadays.

 

I could say a lot about this show, almost all of it negative. The majority of the things that people can find a silver-lining it, I absolutely loathed. The first three matches, for example, were fucking dreadful & if I didn't have company over, I would have shut it off. Plus, how many unadvertised matches did we get? That Prime Time Players match felt like it was never going to fucking end.

 

And not only did you get the main event fuck finish, they had a tag team title tournament for a month to crown #1 contenders & then on PPV that match ends in DQ too. Just sloppy.

[Johnny Sorrow]

The only thing I didn't like about the show was actually in the lead up last week. They could have at least plugged the US title match and the Rey/ Cara vs PTP match. It would have sold the card as more packed than what they did. It's a stupid quibble, but I hate it when they don't list the whole card beforehand. I still bought it, loved it, and loved Punk winning via total heel "last resort" cheating. I read Punk laid up on top of the cage until almost everyone in the Arena had left, and that's groovy as fuck.

 

Now, as far as "Why didn't the ref just quick count Ryback immediately if he was on the take?" Of course that's the realistic thought. But, come on. In wrestling it's always been "The heel at least wants to try and win before pulling out the last resort cheap cheating deal." Why didn't Tommy Rich immediately come out from under the ring to help Idol beat Lawler? Because Idol wanted to at least try to win on his own." It doesn't really make sense, but it's wrestling world logic. Why did Big Show wait until Vince had been brutalized by Austin at Valentine's Day Massacre to come up from under the ring? Cause Vince wanted to at least try and beat Austin. Same deal tonight re: the ref.

 

And the Tag Title match ending in DQ is just the start of a feud/ series. Works for me.

[Dylan Waco]

Orton/Del Rio was dreadful? I am bored as fuck by both guys every time they show up on tv and even with the absurd top rope spot I thought it was easily a good match.

 

Will's point is not wrong, but the difference back then is that every ppv mattered to some degree. Now the ppvs matter less, so when you have a match like this that is heavily hyped and seems like a huge deal the shittiness of a singular finish stands out more.

 

Fucking people over every time when ppv mattered was worse. Fucking people over on a match that actually felt like an opportunity to do something big (and I don't necessarily mean a clean win or loss either), in an era where matches almost never have that feel is pretty bad though.

 

In five years time I'd be shocked if anyone remembers anything about the show other than the finish.

[blueminister]

Why did Iago wait so long to fuck over Othello, he could have stabbed him like any time!

 

lol @ WWE still being jittery about saying the name of the referee during the immediate post-match angle.

[Coffey]

Orton/Del Rio was dreadful? I am bored as fuck by both guys every time they show up on tv and even with the absurd top rope spot I thought it was easily a good match.

Yeah, I was actively groaning & annoying my company so I left the room to get a snack & some drinks. Then came back just in time to see the botch. I think Ricardo is actually more entertaining than both Del Rio or Orton & JBL on commentary was better than both of those guys too. I feel like ADR doesn't give a fuck & is destined to get fired for running his mouth sooner than later to go back to Mexico & I don't think WWE will ever put their eggs in the Orton basket again due to him already having two strikes. So, yeah, to me it was boring & completely pointless. Orton just stalls like he's Rob Van Dam in ECW. Del Rio is just painfully boring. They didn't even have a fucking story either. I mean, I don't watch Smackdown to be fair, but I asked my company what they were feuding for & one guessed that it was a #1 contenders match but he wasn't sure & the other said he had no idea but "at least it's not shampoo." Hard to care about a match that doesn't mean anything between two guys that don't mean anything in a sloppy match in front of a dead crowd. But I guess at least the finish was cool?

 

I mean if I had to rate it, it's like *1/2 So yeah, dreadful. Or any other worse adjectives you can think of.

[Dylan Waco]

Lol. I thought it was better than every single one of the NJPW matches people think are good, except for Tanahashi v. Suzuki. And I have about the same degree of interest in both guys characters as you do.

[Coffey]

Well, that's OK. That make sense. I've noticed in the past that pretty much everything you like I hate & everything I hate you like. So it's not surprising. :-)

 

[Johnny Sorrow]

I liked JBL just deciding to insert " It's two guys from HOF Families fighting over who's family's legacy is better" during Del Rio/ Orton. It actually helped, and I thought it was a hell of a match.

 

Oh and Sin Cara almost having his neck broken was scary as fuck.

[NintendoLogic]

Question for Johnny: when was the last time the WWE did something that upset or disappointed you?

 

No. His track record is littered with liking shitty matches.

But liking shitty matches doesn't equal only liking shitty matches or hating good matches.

 

I could say a lot about this show, almost all of it negative. The majority of the things that people can find a silver-lining it, I absolutely loathed. The first three matches, for example, were fucking dreadful & if I didn't have company over, I would have shut it off. Plus, how many unadvertised matches did we get? That Prime Time Players match felt like it was never going to fucking end.

The unadvertised matches thing is a killer for me. Part of me wonders if it isn't a way to screw guys out of a PPV payday by saying they had nothing to do with attendance or buys.

[Dylan Waco]

The funniest part about that is that watching it now I mind it a little less and it looks less fake/business exposing/silly to me than something like Elgin/Richards.

[Coffey]

The best part is ADR flapping him arms coming off the top rope like Wyle E. Coyote just fell off a cliff.

[NintendoLogic]

For what it's worth, I'm on the New Japan love train, and I thought Orton/Del Rio was really good. Del Rio had some great arm work, and I liked him busting out stuff like the Minoru Suzuki rope-assisted cross armbreaker and the ghetto stomp. I also love it when guys counter their opponent's signature moves. It gives the impression that they took the time to scout their opponents and come up with a gameplan.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Question for Johnny: when was the last time the WWE did something that upset or disappointed you?

Upset me? Ummm..never. If wrestling ever upset me I'd know it's time to check into the mental hospital.

 

Disappoint me? Ah, I'd have to say Bryan losing at Mania in seconds. I understood it, but I wanted to see them tear it down at Mania like I knew they could and they did a month later.

[Johnny Sorrow]

The unadvertised matches thing is a killer for me. Part of me wonders if it isn't a way to screw guys out of a PPV payday by saying they had nothing to do with attendance or buys.

Nah, being on the show guarantees a PPV payoff. But l totally agree, like I mentioned before. It takes no effort to promo every match on the two go home shows and it just makes shows "feel" bigger. And personally, my little 2 year old nephew at one point looked at the TV and said "Rey?", which along with "Batman" are the two words I'm responsible for in his limited vocabulary, and I couldn't assure him Ray was gonna be on TV tonight until the match started.

[NintendoLogic]

I'm sure they get some kind of payoff, but they probably get stiffed on the percentages. That's what happened to the lower card guys at Wrestlemania.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I'm sure they get some kind of payoff, but they probably get stiffed on the percentages. That's what happened to the lower card guys at Wrestlemania.

I thought that it was guys like JTG complaining about a shitty payday for doing the Axcess shit.

[Coffey]

A few questions that I had from watching tonight's show that you people might be able to help me with:

 

- Is Mark Henry ever coming back? When The Big Show won the title & cut his backstage promo daring anyone to challenge him, I thought that would be a great time for Mark Henry to walk into camera.

 

- Why does Matt Striker not wrestle anymore? Did he have a concussion or an injury or something that ended his career?

 

- Has anyone else noticed how bored & uninspired Jim Ross has been since his return? It's like he doesn't want to be there at all.

[Dylan Waco]

I thought the same thing about Show and Henry and assume that is how Henry is coming back in. Henry has been badly missed.

[Johnny Sorrow]

A few questions that I had from watching tonight's show that you people might be able to help me with:

 

- Is Mark Henry ever coming back? When The Big Show won the title & cut his backstage promo daring anyone to challenge him, I thought that would be a great time for Mark Henry to walk into camera.

 

- Why does Matt Striker not wrestle anymore? Did he have a concussion or an injury or something that ended his career?

 

- Has anyone else noticed how bored & uninspired Jim Ross has been since his return? It's like he doesn't want to be there at all.

1. I think he's due back soon. I'm with you wanting Henry to come back to take on Show.

 

2. I just think it's cause he stinks. He's taken a bump or two lately thanks to Kane and Bryan and the thinking is he'll end up being Rhodes Scholars manager. I'd guess he'll somehow be responsible when Rhodes Scholars do beat Bryan and Kane.

 

3. Ross has seemed like he's been having a blast to me. He doesn't have to totally contribute, and isn't the sharp guy who does play by play, but he sounds fine to me.