goc Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 The Ryback scene was amazing, best thing on the show up to then by a mile, I couldn’t stop laughing. He is both believable and hilarious as a bully, his character is extremely entertaining at the minute, I really like the direction they are going with it. “Ryback certainly isn’t an ambassador of the WWE Be A Star program,” by Jerry Lawler also cracked me up for some reason.I know this is rightfully being overshadowed, but it really was a great segment. Ryback as a combination of Biff Tannen/The O'Doyles is really working for me right now. I thought Punk/Lesnar was better than Bryan/Cena. Lesnar/Punk was incredibly violent, Lesnar looked like more of a monster than in any of his matches since coming back. I felt like Bryan/Cena suffered from starting with the false finishes/finishers/finisher reversal "epic main event" stuff way too early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 I love that WWE is depushing The Shield while having a depth problem with heels on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 I love that WWE is depushing The Shield while having a depth problem with heels on top. Turning Punk, Henry, Show and Dolph (albeit at the same time as a double turn with Del Rio) this summer ain't helping either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 Get ready for the Bray Wyatt superpush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Quite an emotional ride at the end of the match. You get the surprise CLEAN pin (this cannot be stated enough - even Punk's MitB win had a lame finish, Cena paralyzed from a distraction so he walks into a GTS and acts knocked out) - Bryan's reaction is priceless and then HHH is pointing around, shaking hands and celebrating. You're waiting for him to turn, then relaxing when the confetti comes out because it seems like the show is over. Then Orton comes out but turns away before Bryan starts yelling at him to cash in. Finally you get the turn (I don't know why we need a HHH heel character in 2013 but this was pretty good). Bryan looked liked a beast here. Orton looks the worst, given he didn't hit a move, but that's ok here since he turned. One of the best endings they've done in a long time. PTBN did a live blog with Soup's star ratings, pbp and commentary last night. Was a blast: SummerSlam PTBN Blog The timing was the most brilliant part. We were all expecting a turn and a cash in, but they held it for so long that the viewer relaxed... and then, BAM. I'm not worried about Bryan... he was so, so over last night. Never seen the crowd so overwhelmingly for Cena's opponent. A beautiful moment, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I'm not worried about Bryan... he was so, so over last night. Never seen the crowd so overwhelmingly for Cena's opponent. vs RVD in the ECW Arena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I'm not worried about Bryan... he was so, so over last night. Never seen the crowd so overwhelmingly for Cena's opponent. vs RVD in the ECW Arena. Hammerstein Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I'm not worried about Bryan... he was so, so over last night. Never seen the crowd so overwhelmingly for Cena's opponent. vs RVD in the ECW Arena. Agreed, although that was a very different scenario. That was more about what Cena represented to a very specific, small part of the fan base. Last night was a broader cross-section of fans. And its not like LA is a smark crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Redman Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I'm not worried about Bryan... he was so, so over last night. Never seen the crowd so overwhelmingly for Cena's opponent. vs RVD in the ECW Arena. Agreed, although that was a very different scenario. That was more about what Cena represented to a very specific, small part of the fan base. Last night was a broader cross-section of fans. And its not like LA is a smark crowd. Yes it is. At least at Summerslam. They've been very smarky, going all the way back to cheering for Dolph over Rey in 2009. I do think that this might be the most that a crowd has been overwhelmingly FOR the other guy, instead of just overwhelmingly anti-Cena for smarky reasons or because he's wrestling a guy in his hometown. This time it was purely because the people liked Bryan more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cox Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Watching the end of Raw tonight, where Daniel Bryan looks stupid for hitting the ring with HHH having the Shield at ringside and at a 2-1 disadvantage in the ring (assuming Stephanie and Vince aren't really threats to lay out Vince), I couldn't help but think that if this had been booked as an Austin storyline in 1998, there's no way Austin would have allowed himself to be booked to be stupid enough to walk into a situation down that much in numbers without some sort of wacky plan in place to get the better of Vince in the end. And it also reminded me of how WWE has like 50 years of generally good booking based around babyface aces like Bruno, Backlund, Hogan, Bret, Austin, Rock, and Cena, but somehow every time HHH winds up as the top heel, all of WWE's top faces suddenly become Sting-level stupid and look foolish at every turn. The crowd was hot for HHH's mic work, and I will say he did a great job setting up something where Bryan should have gotten some sort of small revenge tonight, but that small revenge never really happened and in the end, the crowd didn't care about Bryan because it's hard to get people behind a stupid person, and Daniel Bryan was booked to be pretty goddamned stupid tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nell Santucci Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Watching the end of Raw tonight, where Daniel Bryan looks stupid for hitting the ring with HHH having the Shield at ringside and at a 2-1 disadvantage in the ring (assuming Stephanie and Vince aren't really threats to lay out Vince), I couldn't help but think that if this had been booked as an Austin storyline in 1998, there's no way Austin would have allowed himself to be booked to be stupid enough to walk into a situation down that much in numbers without some sort of wacky plan in place to get the better of Vince in the end. And it also reminded me of how WWE has like 50 years of generally good booking based around babyface aces like Bruno, Backlund, Hogan, Bret, Austin, Rock, and Cena, but somehow every time HHH winds up as the top heel, all of WWE's top faces suddenly become Sting-level stupid and look foolish at every turn. The crowd was hot for HHH's mic work, and I will say he did a great job setting up something where Bryan should have gotten some sort of small revenge tonight, but that small revenge never really happened and in the end, the crowd didn't care about Bryan because it's hard to get people behind a stupid person, and Daniel Bryan was booked to be pretty goddamned stupid tonight. I agree and was thinking the exact same thing since this is such a Stone Cold type of deal. He should have come to the ring with Linda McMahon tied up and held her hostage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini Bennett Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Great booking by the team at PWO. Make every babyface like Stone Cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nell Santucci Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Great booking by the team at PWO. Make every babyface like Stone Cold. It's simple. That's what worked the first time. I also think he should have fought security. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidebottom Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Daniel Bryan is not Stone Cold, and a lot of the reason the crowd are into him is because of the underdog vibe. We will have to see how it plays out, I like o think Bryan will have the last laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 to give him credit I thought Hunter was real good last tonight. Long winded of course, but we should have expected that after the last 15 years. It's a total rehash of Austin/McMahon but 15 years have passed so I think this has a chance. BTW, I loved Teddy Long being the only one clapping for Orton on the stage. They should have this guy be a heel manager again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidebottom Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 BTW, I loved Teddy Long being the only one clapping for Orton on the stage. They should have this guy be a heel manager again I odn't like seeing peole unemployed... but I kinda wish he would just go. I have done for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 You guys can't be serious. I watched that segment and was actually really impressed at how he was positioned. He showed some hope against three guys before the numbers caught up to him, which is exactly what should happen. I thought at the time that 2011 CM Punk always seemed more interested in shooting on his opponent and talking about his opponent than actually fighting his opponent, and I remember thinking that was one reason he wasn't hugely over with every crowd during that run. This wasn't that. DB walked into a no-win situation and gave the people hope that he might do the impossible, but then he was cut off. Having the entire roster stand at the entrance while Bryan walked to the ring was a way to literally give the fans a visual image of him standing out from the pack. Last night, they were building real heat on the heels. That was about as far removed from a burial as I've seen on WWE TV when pushing a new star in a really long time. Of course, it can take any direction from here, and WWE's track record suggests that eventually it will fall off the rails. But there was nothing about the segment last night that I would call a burial in any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 The show started out with Cena saying "I was defeated by a better man in a clean fight," then taking his hat off, handing him the mic like a baton, and leaving. The entire roster was scared by The Shield (and Vince/HHH) to the extent that they wouldn't do a thing (and not when Dolph/Show were being beaten down either). Bryan didn't exactly look smart, sure, but he sure as hell looked both brave and dangerous. Orton/HHH looked chickenshit for having other people do their dirty work. People said that Bryan was better off Monday morning than he was Sunday morning. I think it's pretty safe to say that he is better off Tuesday morning than he was Monday morning too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Of course, HHH and all of his talk about business and how business works is funny, because his character seems to be a parody of someone who doesn't understand how business works at all. I could see COO HHH and his wife going into a restaurant with Romy and Michelle on their way to their high school reunion to ask if they had a Business Women's lunch special. You know, because they're business women. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 People who are going on about Bryan looking stupid are forgetting that his character is easily controlled by his emotions and anger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradhindsight Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Couldn't agree more with Loss here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I agree with Loss' summary. Bryan being completely pissed about the night before (and probably even more pissed after Stephanie cut him off earlier in the show before he could even speak his piece) is exactly what you'd expect and him wanting to fight is also the expected reaction. And it's not like it was a beatdown by HHH and Orton, but rather by three guys who'd been in relative obscurity for the last few months or so and got a big rejuvenation with the final segment, plus the two handicap matches. The Shield were the biggest winners/gainers last night, while Bryan gained a little and everyone else moreless stayed the same. I do wonder how much of a long term angle this can be, though. One of the reasons Austin vs. McMahon (since everyone's making that comparison) went as long as it did was there was some growth in almost everyone involved. Austin (going back a year before in '97) became less about being vicious and more about being a never-say-die fighter. McMahon grew more power-hungry and insane. There were the additions and growth of guys like Patterson and Brisco, Shane, the character changes of Foley, the growth of Rock, etc. I'm not sure this angle has the potential for that depth. The top four heels are already well-established and there's not much you can change, unless power struggles happen within, someone turns babyface, and it becomes less about Bryan. What if the Shield upset the McMahons due to a failed assignment of sorts, they get punished and it becomes less about Bryan. What if Bryan requires back-up? Will it still be about him? Where do you go from last night? I have a crazy feeling that one of the best things they could do here is have Bryan recruit, of all people, the Wyatt family to even the odds (where we find out that Kane is new and improved), especially since those guys would not think like the rest of the roster and would fight the McMahons, consequences or not. It would elevate them, but I doubt they'd overshadow Bryan at the same time. It would be a very unconventional, bizarre face turn, but their elevation, the Shields', and Bryan's establishment as a top guy could be three things we get out of this angle. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Rather than Austin vs HHH at Mania, I really like the idea of HHH vs Daniel Bryan with Austin in DB's corner and Vince in HHH's corner. Austin "mentoring" DB on how to buck the system when everyone is against him could produce some really awesome vignettes. There's a wrong way to do that which would totally shit on Austin's character, but I also think there's a right way to balance it that could work. There's also potential for comedic gold in Austin trying to convince DB to have a beer, and Austin getting in a stunner on Vince at WM would still make everyone pop big. But involving The Shield works because they don't even have to headline with Orton vs Bryan immediately, much less Bryan vs HHH. They've set up several months of PPV matches. I don't know if they'll run with that, but that's what they have set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 And if they're going to copy Austin/McMahon, Vince taking a swim in almond milk better happen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 And if they're going to copy Austin/McMahon, Vince taking a swim in almond milk better happen! I was thinking and wondering what the equivalent to Austin's beer/Angle's milk would be earlier today. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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