stro Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't see the story being Asuka's heel turn. She's been an absolute dick to everyone since day 1, the only thing that has changed is that the competition is getting harder. But if you think she's on the slow burn to being a heel, after she beat the shit out of Bayley, after she cheated to beat Ember, after she beat up her competitors just for fun in the battle royal...what does she have to do to actually turn heel? The story I see is the women's division has stepped up so much that Asuka has to step up her dickheadedness to match if she wants to stay on top, but she was always a dickhead so there really isn't a change in her besides being more of one. It's less about her and more about the rest of the division catching up to her, for me at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I think Asuka always was cocky, but I don't think she was as much of a shit like she is nowadays. It's one thing when you know you are great and can back it up in the ring like when she did against Emma, Bayley and Nia, but it's another different thing when you pretty much start interfering in others matches because you see them as below you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broke Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I'd argue Asuka has been a "heel" since beating Bailey. I know he's never getting a push in NXT, but I'm a fan of Danny Burch. Find him a tag partner, let them do a football chant or something before the match, the smark crowd would probably pop for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 The behavior doesn't always have to change to turn someone heel. Honestly, that has been the power of Asuka; it doesn't really matter if she is "heel" or "face" because her look and skill is over. People just cheered her because she was a bad ass and it is really easy to use a character like that to help the rest of the division, which is what they are doing. By transforming the division around Asuka and highlighting more of her ass hole side over time, they have slow built the audience to get behind the challengers rather than the dominant champ, accenting the rise of the competition. Asuka turns heel as a byproduct, but there is no key point where she is now officially heel. She is just Asuka and they have slowly weened the audience off of her as the protagonist of the division and turned her into the ultimate antagonist with a variety of people they could ultimately recenter the story around. Its all the same thing to me; however you word it, the whole thing has been awesome. Though I am not all that excited bout another multi-woman match for the title. I am more excited about this lineup and would really like it if they hadn't done it fairly recently. I am imagining it leads to something for summer slam weekend between her and Moon that may be the blowoff. Even though I am not crazy about family man Roderick Strong, those video packages have been well done and I am really excited to see that they clearly have plans for him to work around the top of NXT soonish. Honesty, asshole Roddy (circa pwg title run) is the best, but that guy is so talented I am just happy to see they are behind him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 It's just semantics. Asuka has clearly gone from being presented as a dominant, but noble, champion, a la Jack Brisco, to a cocky jerk, a la Ric Flair, over the course of a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 In today's "Thank God" news of the day, Dylan Miley has apparently changed his name to Lars Sullivan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 Lars Sullivan is a great random 70s wrestler name As opposed to previous random names generated in the past that didn't sound like the name of an old wrestler who worked Knoxville in 1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eduardo Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 Kinda disappointing the lack of direction and stuff they've done with Chris Hero since signing him in January. Dude was the clear WOTY in 2016 and they just haven't done anything with him. Loses to Bobby Roode, then has a (good) match with the Drifter, gets thrown without any build up in a six-man tag match on the TakeOver show, and that's pretty much it. In just a few weeks, they've done a way better job with Drew McIntyre and Aleister Black than they've done with Hero in months. Finally doing something with Roderick Strong too, with those neat profile videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 I was hopeful when they signed him, hopeful that they had come to their senses and decided it was time to use Chris Hero as a monster on the NXT roster. However, now Ireally fear the worst with Hero, that they really want him more as a trainer and want to keep him off the indies (I know I know... paranoia). I hope I am wrong and I hope he gets a serious push and a few featured singles feuds, but Eduardo is right in pointing out that they seem to just kind of have him. I am really not sure what to make of his lack of direction, but i am hoping it pans out soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 I'm pretty sure they brought him in to replace Tye Dillinger as the veteran worker of NXT to work with the young guys. If he helps as a draw for NXT shows outside of Florida that's a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzombie1988 Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 I was hopeful when they signed him, hopeful that they had come to their senses and decided it was time to use Chris Hero as a monster on the NXT roster. The cookie monster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Posted May 10, 2017 Report Share Posted May 10, 2017 I was hopeful when they signed him, hopeful that they had come to their senses and decided it was time to use Chris Hero as a monster on the NXT roster. The cookie monster? I honestly wont be surprised if they at least pitch the idea at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted May 11, 2017 Report Share Posted May 11, 2017 So the Velveteen Dream stuff is for Patrick Clark's Prince gimmick, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzombie1988 Posted May 12, 2017 Report Share Posted May 12, 2017 So the Velveteen Dream stuff is for Patrick Clark's Prince gimmick, right? Yep. He had one match on TV under the gimmick and it wasn't a good showing for that gimmick. We know who Patrick Clark is from Tough Enough and a lot of us liked him as himself. Why they felt the need to change who Patrick Clark is, I'm not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chief Posted May 12, 2017 Report Share Posted May 12, 2017 So the Velveteen Dream stuff is for Patrick Clark's Prince gimmick, right? Yep. He had one match on TV under the gimmick and it wasn't a good showing for that gimmick. We know who Patrick Clark is from Tough Enough and a lot of us liked him as himself. Why they felt the need to change who Patrick Clark is, I'm not sure. Who's "they?" How do we know he didn't come up with the gimmick himself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted May 12, 2017 Report Share Posted May 12, 2017 Even if he did come up with it, "they" (being creative) still have to greenlight it being on TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted May 12, 2017 Report Share Posted May 12, 2017 Finally catching up on the show, and yes, the Roderick Strong videos are terrific. So frustrating that these could seemingly be effectively put together for anyone on the roster, yet are verboten on the main shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzombie1988 Posted May 13, 2017 Report Share Posted May 13, 2017 So the Velveteen Dream stuff is for Patrick Clark's Prince gimmick, right? Yep. He had one match on TV under the gimmick and it wasn't a good showing for that gimmick. We know who Patrick Clark is from Tough Enough and a lot of us liked him as himself. Why they felt the need to change who Patrick Clark is, I'm not sure. Who's "they?" How do we know he didn't come up with the gimmick himself? Okay, it's a bad idea that the creator of it, whoever that may be, came up with. Does that please everyone? Patrick Clark being himself already got over, so I think it would get over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stro Posted May 13, 2017 Report Share Posted May 13, 2017 Making Almas' bust of a WWE career into a gimmick being that he's too worried about fucking and getting fucked up to care about wrestling is so lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted May 14, 2017 Report Share Posted May 14, 2017 Making Almas' bust of a WWE career into a gimmick being that he's too worried about fucking and getting fucked up to care about wrestling is so lol To me, that whole thing feels like a rib/meta reference to Paige and Alberto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stro Posted May 14, 2017 Report Share Posted May 14, 2017 I don't see it that way, but I could see where one could come to that conclusion. I think it's more that his gimmick from the start seemed like he was a ladies man (on account of being dressed like a male stripper) and now they're finally actually doing something with it besides having him look like a tool when he comes to ringside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted May 16, 2017 Report Share Posted May 16, 2017 Io Shirai finally signed today, joining the previously signed Kairi Hojo as two big time women talents from Japan coming over. They join an impressive amount of indy/international talent being stockpiled since the year began, with Black, Galloway, and Ohno already in and Cole and O'Reilly impending. Things could really be interesting around Brooklyn time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted May 16, 2017 Report Share Posted May 16, 2017 They also signed Evie and Nixon Newell, who will probably report with Hojo with Io reporting later. I'd assume the would hold on to debut all of them in the women's tournament that they are taping in July and August. I don't know what they will do after that. If you count all of the women on the main roster, NXT, the trainees at the performance center and the ones they've just signed the WWE has around 40 women under contract for just in-ring performers. That's a lot to have when you consider that there are already a few women who can't get on TV now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Posted May 16, 2017 Report Share Posted May 16, 2017 I think the Almas stuff is smart. They need a guy with some name recognition that can lose because they have so many guys they want to get some (at least vaguely) meaningful wins behind. Almas gets to stay relevant and he can always snap out of it down the road and turn his career around when the time is right... or he can be embarrassed completely by someone and amp up his effort and remain heel. I think there are lots of ways to go with it and it gives them some options for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stro Posted May 16, 2017 Report Share Posted May 16, 2017 Idk I'd cut bait and get rid of him. It's obvious he was only hired because there was some internet buzz and the hope that he could be the next big Hispanic star, yet it was just as obvious they had no idea how he worked or why he worked considering they debuted him as a happy-go-lucky face male stripper type of dude who had a debut where his jobber was more impressive and more over. Then they just...stuck with that for a few months, seemed to forget about him for another couple, finally turned him heel and he's been just as lame and as big of a loser since. I also would have cut Itami and let him go back to try to save NOAH after his 3rd injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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