Strummer Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 It makes sense if it's leading to Braun vs HHH. Stephy hires him back for her man to put him in his place. That's what I was thinking when they announced that. Sets up HHH v Braun. If they were doing hhh v .Angle they probably would have started the build already. I guess they could start Monday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 Ive not been interested in Braun at all since he was in the Wyatts, just felt hes completely overratted in a big man being pushed because Vince likes big guys. All these guys getting squashed by him, id rather see real wrestlers on tv than this chump hogging the storylines. I didn't know fans like this still existed! Incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 I was skeptical of Strowman when he debuted just because he does look like a WCW Power Plant reject and I still hate the whole thing in wrestling where people get initial chances in wrestling based on their size, even if they later prove it wasn't a mistake. But he has more than earned his spot since then. That's ancient history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FMKK Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 I was skeptical of Strowman when he debuted just because he does look like a WCW Power Plant reject and I still hate the whole thing in wrestling where people get initial chances in wrestling based on their size, even if they later prove it wasn't a mistake. But he has more than earned his spot since then. That's ancient history. That's true in general, but if you're looking to have a backup/bodyguard character for the creepy heel stable I'm not sure what type of guy you'd want doing that other than someone of Strowman's profile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 It wasn't so much that. It's that he didn't have to spend several months in NXT, and he came in with a huge push right away. He absolutely overachieved. But he obviously didn't get the opportunity because he was expected to be this awesome performer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 If you look at his actual win/loss record in 2015 when he was part of the main roster, the WWE has been really smart with Braun. He spent about a year in tags and six-mans and would routinely be on the losing end of those matches - so its not quite like the Goldberg push where Braun just demolished everyone on the roster within a year. That year of house show matches where he probably wasn't booked as the center of the attention and was told to sit back and pick his spots and watch (while the relative vets in the Shield and later Big Show and Kane led the match) is probably why (a) he's been really good in his spotlight moments over the past year and (b ) why he still seems super fresh at the start of 2018 despite debuting in August 2015 (i.e he was kinda kept hidden and not over-exposed during that initial Wyatt run). As for not showing him off in NXT, I'm going to call that a master stroke too. This guy didn't need any time to curry favor with the "nerds" to get over. If anything, it could've been harmful. In one scenario, the "workrate marks" boo him to death for being green and he's instantly seen as a guy who won't ever "get it" and thus put into comedy roles like a modern day Hillbilly Jim. In another scenario, he does get over as a monster in NXT but because of backstage bullshit or a need for him to "learn his place," he's brought up and given the same start-stop push that Samoa Joe and Finn Balor have got while jaded internet fans complain about how he's been "watered down." In other words, I think the Strowman we are seeing now is the best Braun Strowman we could reasonably have ever seen formed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 I love Braun, but let's not forget what got him over was destroying Roman on a regular basis in more and more ridiculous ways. It was kind of brilliant for them to use the negative heat Roman was getting to get over a guy that same part of the fanbase would normally reject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 If you look at his actual win/loss record in 2015 when he was part of the main roster, the WWE has been really smart with Braun. He spent about a year in tags and six-mans and would routinely be on the losing end of those matches - so its not quite like the Goldberg push where Braun just demolished everyone on the roster within a year. That year of house show matches where he probably wasn't booked as the center of the attention and was told to sit back and pick his spots and watch (while the relative vets in the Shield and later Big Show and Kane led the match) is probably why (a) he's been really good in his spotlight moments over the past year and (b ) why he still seems super fresh at the start of 2018 despite debuting in August 2015 (i.e he was kinda kept hidden and not over-exposed during that initial Wyatt run). As for not showing him off in NXT, I'm going to call that a master stroke too. This guy didn't need any time to curry favor with the "nerds" to get over. If anything, it could've been harmful. In one scenario, the "workrate marks" boo him to death for being green and he's instantly seen as a guy who won't ever "get it" and thus put into comedy roles like a modern day Hillbilly Jim. In another scenario, he does get over as a monster in NXT but because of backstage bullshit or a need for him to "learn his place," he's brought up and given the same start-stop push that Samoa Joe and Finn Balor have got while jaded internet fans complain about how he's been "watered down." In other words, I think the Strowman we are seeing now is the best Braun Strowman we could reasonably have ever seen formed. I don't disagree with this. I was wrong on this front. 100%. 120% perhaps. I think it's easy to get caught up in this idea of fairness and a single standard in how talent is treated that isn't really practical or appropriate, one where Vince introduces and protects Ricochet every bit as much as he does Braun Strowman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Sleeze Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 Man RAW isn't the same without Cole saying "it's Boss Time!" I'm a mark for shooter gimmicks. Sonaya's lariat a couple weeks ago was one of the best in ages. This was more of just a solid outing. Really hoping for big things from her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 It's interesting when you look at the most successful of WWE's recent crop of homegrown talent. Neither Reigns, Strowman, nor Rusev were all that good until after they had spent a good amount of time on the main roster, and Bray Wyatt has always sucked. That raises questions about NXT's value as a developmental territory, at least for the men. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 It's interesting when you look at the most successful of WWE's recent crop of homegrown talent. Neither Reigns, Strowman, nor Rusev were all that good until after they had spent a good amount of time on the main roster, and Bray Wyatt has always sucked. That raises questions about NXT's value as a developmental territory, at least for the men. Has NXT produced any male talent that was trained and developed in house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 NXT basically exists for two reasons at this point: 1. Teach indy workers how to do WWE style and 2. Proof of concept that HHH can run a business so investors won't get spooked when the time comes that he's in charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 Braun was supposed to get a big push at the beginnng of 2016 and win the Andre battle royal that year but people got in Vince's ear and told him to hold off and give him time to grow. Turned out to be the absolute right move for whoever convinced him Also good point on NXT. There's a real good chance that audience turns on him and sets him back for maybe years. It was wise to keep him away in retrospect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadaveri Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 It's interesting when you look at the most successful of WWE's recent crop of homegrown talent. Neither Reigns, Strowman, nor Rusev were all that good until after they had spent a good amount of time on the main roster, and Bray Wyatt has always sucked. That raises questions about NXT's value as a developmental territory, at least for the men. Has NXT produced any male talent that was trained and developed in house? Enzo Amore is probably the best example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteF3 Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 How much experience did Jordan and Gable have pre-NXT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 It's interesting when you look at the most successful of WWE's recent crop of homegrown talent. Neither Reigns, Strowman, nor Rusev were all that good until after they had spent a good amount of time on the main roster, and Bray Wyatt has always sucked. That raises questions about NXT's value as a developmental territory, at least for the men. Has NXT produced any male talent that was trained and developed in house? Enzo Amore is probably the best example. Indeed an example, but not one I'd point to as any kind of success. How much experience did Jordan and Gable have pre-NXT? Interesting question. I don't recall hearing much about either before their time in the system. Perhaps they're the success story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 Jordan was floundering in NXT for years before he was paired with Gable and just turned the light bulb on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 Seeing that the 205 live tour is (predictably) getting off to a terrible start attendance wise. Kind of weird how a lot of people seem happy over this. I get not liking a certain style of wrestling or certain wrestlers but outright rooting for it to fail is kinda strange Well now I guess it did better than previously thought. Early pics had a near empty venue but I guess they came in late Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiva Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 The one thing I will say with Braun is that it seems he's the vessel for all the outlandish ideas the writing team have. We need someone to pull a lighting rig down? Get Braun. A dude that storms out of the back of an ambulance? Get Braun. I don't blame them since Braun is awesome at getting all of those angles over which, is a credit to him but he's definitely a dude they've been waiting to come down the pipe since Khali panned out and they're getting all of their grand ideas out in one massive blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 Isn't The Drifter an NXT guy, or did he do indies or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Sleeze Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 I love Braun. Right up my alley. Great power wrestler but I hate how all his angles have no lasting effect. Drives me nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richeyedwards Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 Isn't The Drifter an NXT guy, or did he do indies or something? He was never a name on the indies but he did wrestle for something around 6 years or so before getting picked up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiva Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 I love Braun. Right up my alley. Great power wrestler but I hate how all his angles have no lasting effect. Drives me nuts. I think they do have an effect which is why they need him out of the Rumble. They want Reigns to win the Rumble and having Braun in there, after every massive production effort they've expended to get him over means nothing if Reigns eliminates him. Granted, that didn't stop them letting Lesnar pin him clean but Reigns/Braun through the spring sounds fantastic and they need to keep them apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 Personally I haven't cared for Braun since the Lesnar match. He was built up well to that one moment then Lesnar beat him clean with one F5 in under 10 minutes. Momentum killer. Things have felt a bit forced since then. Man RAW isn't the same without Cole saying "it's Boss Time!"I'm a mark for shooter gimmicks. Sonaya's lariat a couple weeks ago was one of the best in ages. This was more of just a solid outing. Really hoping for big things from her. Agreed, loving Sonya so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 I love Braun. Right up my alley. Great power wrestler but I hate how all his angles have no lasting effect. Drives me nuts. They've done so many insane angles with him that haven't closed the show and where the other wrestlers are still existing in their own universes doing their choreographed entrances unaware anyone else exists, and yes, that does have a diminishing effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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