WWE TV April 17-23

[sek69]

The thing about it is that it's a hell of a message to send that if you're someone low on the card, all you have to do is get jacked to the point your veins look like a road map and you develop backne and gyno to get a big match on PPV.

[WingedEagle]

I'm not sold that Jinder isn't a placeholder for an upgrade before the PPV, but the nature of their business model now means its absolutely plausible this will be a PPV title match. Unless he wins the title or benefits from a strong angle that somehow establishes him as a real player coming out of the show I'm baffled as to the process and execution. No meaningful rep or creative coming into this, and frankly if it were the title match on an episode of TV it'd very likely be a throwaway.

 

Its plausible they don't want to hype a legitimate contender or title match before the Bray PPV match, but the counterargument there is they could just as easily not get into this situation in the first place. TBD. Hopefully we're left with something more than a shoulder shrug at some point.

 

It is also worth noting again how lucky we are to have AJ Styles as a regular performer. He is so good and somehow puts together fun, varied matches regardless of his opponent's talents without taking shortcuts or coasting. Not even sure what situation they could put him in where he wouldn't deliver and make the show a better one.

[Grimmas]

Jinder's push is essentially the same thing they did with JBL, isn't it?

[Eduardo]

Difference being that initial JBL push was his promos being built around him being a heel because he's anti-immigrant, pro-capitalist, xenophobic, anti-worker (in the labor sense, not wrestling sense) while it appear's Jinder's promo has WWE attempting to get heel heat on him by doing a promo that was pro-diversity, and talking about being discriminated against.

[Grimmas]

Difference being that initial JBL push was his promos being built around him being a heel because he's anti-immigrant, pro-capitalist, xenophobic, anti-worker (in the labor sense, not wrestling sense) while it appear's Jinder's promo has WWE attempting to get heel heat on him by doing a promo that was pro-diversity, and talking about being discriminated against.

I meant in the out of nowhere being given a title shot on ppv push, not so much the gimmick.

[pmo]

I suppose but jbl had been a 3x tag champ, euro, and hardcore champ before he got the wwe title. He also had a singles push the year prior until he broke his arm. Mahal has never done anything or even hold a title.

[Mrzfn]

True, and he did debut a whole new gimmick and started making some buzz before getting a title shot.

[WingedEagle]

JBL's gimmick change certainly came out of nowhere and was pushed to the top overnight, but if we're being fair Jinder has been used as something approaching or possible less than a comedy jobber whereas Bradshaw was always a "tough guy" even if in the midcard or doing APA comedy.

[fakeplastictrees]

I am 100% being WWE doing something new. I am not going to sit here and pretend Jinder is this super worker that has been setting the world on fire, but I am excited to see new and fresh faces at the top (assuming this isn't a one off). Its time for Orton to have his "John Cena Working With the Young Guys" phase and should stay as far away from Cena, Kane, Ziggler, and Wyatt. I would love to see Orton/Kingston fully explored and picked up from years ago. Is this going to be lucky 13 for Orton and he finds some magic and motivation or is this going to be old hat and boring as hell. Jinder winning the six pack challenge has me way too excited for change...damn "Indian Guy"~!

[stro]

For some reason I can't really explain, I listened to Alvarez rant about Jinder for 7 minutes. What a tool. His main argument seemed to be the less people are watching weekly wrestling than ever because they're being beaten over the head that it's fake, using Jinder even getting a chance to be in a number one contender match being an example. Meanwhile, he didn't say anything about the other 5 people in the match who also had no business being in the match, including Sami Zayn, who loses like 70% of the time and just the week prior lost a number one contender match for the secondary title. Or Dolph Ziggler, who hasn't won a match since February and whose victory over someone higher on the totem pole than Apollo Crews and Kalisto was back in December.

 

Or Erick Rowan, who hasn't won a match since returning from his injury, and has all of 2 singles wins in the last 2 years. He basically went on a protect the business rant in 2017. Which is absurd. I agree that it's not like Jinder is setting the world on fire or anything, but fuck it, something new is something new and people always complain about how WWE doesn't do anything unexpected anymore.

[Strummer]

Remember like a month ago when people were saying WWE clearly had plans for Sami because he did those promos with Stephanie? He's arguably worse off now. Still in limbo floating around with no specific programs or anything resembling a direction. I'm sure it's mostly his size but the backstage stuff about him being annoying and complaining to creative have to have some merit to them

[stro]

I actually hope he doesn't win anything big, because I get more enjoyment out of seeing how they find new ways to have him lose every match than I do seeing him get the win and celebrate.

[KawadaSmile]

I think they still do have plans for him. Remember how long it took Sami to win the NXT Title, usually because some fuckery happened at the last minute? Bollywood Boys appearing and costing him the #1 contendership is pretty much in line with that.

[goc]

The thing about it is that it's a hell of a message to send that if you're someone low on the card, all you have to do is get jacked to the point your veins look like a road map and you develop backne and gyno to get a big match on PPV.

Getting jacked and cutting good promos is pretty much what Vince's idea of grabbing the brass ring is though.

[Cap]

I get the feeling that they have the idea that they want to do something with Sami, but they haven't landed on what that is yet, and that is basically ok because whatever they do with him will require him to wallow in the middle being beaten and underappreciated.

 

I always thought he would be a great underdog to challenge an indifferent-to-the-crowd Roman Reigns for the championship (at say... a Summer Slam), but that clearly isn't going to happen for a variety of reasons. Ohh well, I can't imagine they don't actively want to do something to elevate him out of what he is doing right now.