Loss Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 One of my biggest takeaways from watching the Royal Rumble in full and seeing how everyone was getting positioned is that for all the talk about how fans accept small guys now and the company has really changed their mentality, they still push almost all big guys and not very many smaller guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 One of my biggest takeaways from watching the Royal Rumble in full and seeing how everyone was getting positioned is that for all the talk about how fans accept small guys now and the company has really changed their mentality, they still push almost all big guys and not very many smaller guys. I'm not sure who the small guys that are supposed to be getting pushed instead of Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, Baron Corbin, etc are. They were clearly setting up a big push for 5'11 190 lb Finn Balor with him debuting and immediately winning the Universal Title but he got hurt. Not sure what other guys that size in the company are really worth getting a big main event push. Only one I'd argue they should be doing more with is Kalisto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I'm not saying even that it should be all that different. I'm just saying it's not really different. They have done an exceptional job getting Strowman over and I was wowed by his showdowns with Henry and Big Show. I don't think Brock or Goldberg could get that much heat against those two. They've created a star. Roman Reigns is tremendous. Baron Corbin is coming along nicely. Just saying the reason they were all initially selected was because of their size, then they developed as performers after that. It's not like Vince McMahon is ever going to make Sami Zayn his two-year project that he protects in booking to set up for big showdowns with top guys. It's just not in him. As has been said, small guys have to prove they can get over and big guys have to prove they can't. That was always the case and it's still the case. They hired Rey 15 years ago and put him in a good spot, but not quite on top. They would hire Rey now and put him in a good spot, but not quite on top. Styles got a title run today. Benoit and Jericho got title runs 10+ years ago. Not too much has changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 The only thing that really changed is that Vince is more willing to give smaller guys more than just a courtesy run with the belt. Rey only won because it was capping off the Eddie Guerrero Death Exploitation Bonanza, and Vince couldn't wait to have all the bigger guys squash him. Now it doesn't seem like a major issue having smaller guys actually carry the ball for a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersonic Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 https://twitter.com/samoajoe/status/826818114289545218 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I was thinking the Rollins thing is a work but apparently it isn't http://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/seth-rollins-possibly-injured/?platform=hootsuite#.WJIKnvKQqM9 PWI now saying Rollins is in Birmingham today seeing Dr Andrews so it;s def. not a work. They may be fucked here. Have no idea who replaces him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 thinking about it they are going to hot shot Shane v HHH aren't they? Really the only big thing they can do because Hunter ain't missing that big payday and that would royally fuck over AJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childs Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I'd be fine with them consolidating HHH and Shane into one shitfest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exposer Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 This also presents an interesting decision on what to do with Joe. He's made his debut now. He's made an impact & bragged on social media about taking out Rollins. I think it was clear they were building to Rollins going through Joe to get to HHH. I wonder what they do with him now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianB Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 thinking about it they are going to hot shot Shane v HHH aren't they? Really the only big thing they can do because Hunter ain't missing that big payday and that would royally fuck over AJ IMO, it'd be royally great for AJ. I don't want to see AJ Styles vs. Shane. Almost anyone around that spot of the card would be better, imo. Let Hunter try to deal with Shane's mix of potatoes and kayfabe shattering punches. Plus, HHH/Shane at least has a built in story and will likely mobilize lots of casual fans. Maybe AJ gets freed up to work Samoa Joe? They could do some story with HHH sending him out to take out one of the blue brand's guys and Joe goes after the only recent TNA/Japan/indy guy to completely leap frog NXT and hit the main roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Joe vs HHH. Run the Taz/Douglas/Sabu sort of thing where the suit tries to screw the hired gun now that he no longer needs him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianB Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Joe vs HHH. Run the Taz/Douglas/Sabu sort of thing where the suit tries to screw the hired gun now that he no longer needs him. That's an option too, definitely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersonic Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Joe vs. Ambrose or Zayn Then either of these combos: Balor vs. HHH Shane vs. Styles Balor vs. Styles Shane vs. HHH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I'd be fine with them consolidating HHH and Shane into one shitfest. Shitfest dream match Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 The HHH vs Sting match with DX and the NWO sort of feels like a fever dream now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Does Trips and Shane really need to wrestle? The card is already loaded without them. Bray-Orton Goldberg-Brock Roman-Taker Jericho-Owens Nia-Sasha-Charlotte-Bayley Then you have AJ, Miz, Ambrose, Cena, Joe all to work into bigger matches before filling it out with whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Does Trips and Shane really need to wrestle? The card is already loaded without them. Hunter will certainly be wrestling. Shane likely but perhaps not definite. Its logical to acknowledge and consider those realities when discussing the card as the lineup takes shape and is revised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Reigns looks to be turning heel. Strowman is a heel. Samoa Joe is a heel. I don't know who is turning babyface between Jericho and Owens, but Jericho is who I'm guessing. With Reigns likely turning and Rollins on the shelf, that makes Sami Zayn the de facto number one babyface. He's headlining the next round of house shows and was put over strong on RAW. I don't expect that to stick for obvious reasons, but I think maneuvering him into a match with HHH would be a good idea, if only because they need a lot of over babyfaces on RAW after Wrestlemania. I guess they'll have Balor if he returns. They'll have Zayn. Maybe they can split New Day and do something with Big E. Big Cass? Is he ready? And then if you move all those guys up, you also need opponents for your second tier heels like Rusev. There's a talent shortage on the babyface side in a big way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exposer Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I spent like 10 minutes with a post breaking down who's left on the Raw side after the likeliest matches for the show but now I'm annoyed because I exited out due to not knowing how to use my new computer I got for Christmas. Anyways, Brock-Goldberg, Reigns-Taker, Jericho-Owens, Big Show-Shaq, Women's 4 way, & a Cruiserweight match all seem closer to locks now. Who's left? - HHH, Joe, Zayn, Balor (if he returns in time), Braun, Rusev, Cesaro, Sheamus, New Day, The Club, Enzo & Cass. Zayn, Balor, Cesaro ,New Day, & Enzo/Cass are the faces in that group. The rest are heels. You know Balor & Zayn vs HHH & Joe isn't the worst idea in the world. It gets 4 guys into a pretty big match. The HHH "rub" is included in that of course. I can see that happening for sure actually. That leaves Braun in the cold though. I'd imagine Rusev, Cesaro, & Sheamus are going to be in the Andre battle royal. I think they're going to put in a decent handful of upper mid carders in that this year to get them on the show & create more intrigue on who might win it. It's also possible they do a 3 on 2 handicap with Braun involved in the tag match I thought of but I don't know how they'd get to that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Can Strowman get credit for retiring Mark Henry to create a real Wrestlemania moment? They had great chemistry at the Rumble., and it gets something out of Henry on the way out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I expect Strowman to win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, but man, I would much prefer a Henry/Strowman match just because the chemistry there was obvious at Rumble. Then again, with Shaq/Show likely (?), I'm not sure they need another Giant vs. Giant match and I'm not sure I'd actually like as much in reality as I do on paper. If they can hold it off till another PPV (and not blow through it on RAW), though, it'd be a real strong midcard match. Love the idea of HHH/Joe vs. Zayn and Balor, especially if they play it like Joe is just running roughshod over people and he and Triple H make Zayn's life miserable just because they don't like him. Then, a week or two before the show, Zayn is getting beat down for the nth time and either (a) Balor makes a surprise return to save him or ( Zayn announces that he's got a friend who has unfinished business with Joe and it's Finn or (if he's healthy) Seth Rollins. Any which way, adding Joe and Zayn to the Rollins/HHH angle would do a ton in making it interesting to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Zayn is a great idea but I doubt they go in that direction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrzfn Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I haven't been watching TV much so I'm wondering, what makes people think Jericho will turn face over Owens? Jericho is more over in terms of his comedy shtick, but I feel a lot of fans are ready to cheer Owens, plus Jericho is sure to be more badly exposed in the ring as a face (though if WWE is aware and/or cares about that is another question). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I think it's just The List. They could go either way, but I think that's the bulk of it. I do think Owens can be a strong babyface eventually. Maybe even now if they want him to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersonic Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 WM33 card so far per the Observer: Rollins was getting an evaluation on the knee on 2/1 in Birmingham and the early word was that hed be out about eight weeks, meaning that Mania was possible but not definite. Obviously hell want to do it under any circumstances when its that close of a call but WWE these days, for legal reasons, is far more cautious about throwing talent back into the ring before they are ready than has been the case historically. Seth Rollins vs. Triple H (up in the air) Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles (not confirmed yet) Big Show vs. Shaquille O'Neal Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Jax vs. Banks (Raw Women's Title) The Miz & Maryse vs. John Cena & Nikki Bella Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton (WWE Title) Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (Universal Title) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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