WWE TV 09/23 - 09/29 Necropolitics are in vogue

[Strummer]

I think he has problems with Vince just more of them with Hunter

[sek69]

27 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

It feels like Punk's biggest problem isn't even Vince - probably never was. It's Hunter and Steph.

Absolutely. It seemed clear from the infamous show with Colt that his biggest problem (besides the doctor) was not bending the knee to Hunter. 

Dave made a good point in the latest WON though. Even though Punk would be better suited as an analyst, the moment he does that show the fans will expect him to wrestle again and the show becomes all about Punk and not whatever they are planning it to be. 

What's strange is despite Punk appearing to be mellowing out in his old age and no longer holding any ill will toward WWE, that he would go back to the company that so blatantly tried to fuck him with the Dr. Amman lawsuit. That would seem to be the kind of thing Punk would absolutely not want to do based on everything we've ever heard about him.

[C.S.]

AEW must've really pissed Punk off with their amateurish name-dropping.

Unless he's using this to leverage a better deal out of Tony Khan?

If Punk is really returning to WWE, my guess is he's justifying it by saying "I work for FOX Sports - not WWE, Vince, Hunter, Steph, or Dunn." Still seems like a weird move though. 

Maybe he needs the money? 

[FMKK]

42 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

It feels like Punk's biggest problem isn't even Vince - probably never was. It's Hunter and Steph.

That being said, I really see CM Punk more as an analyst than as an active wrestler. I remember he was pretty good in that role during his WWE run, so having a job in FOX covering wrestling doesn't seem like a farfetched idea.

That's possible but think of all the people who came out of WWE 10 - 15 years ago saying that their problem wasn't Vince it was Johnny Ace or Jim Ross or whoever. If you think your problem isn't Vince, then you've been worked.

He would make a good analyst in my opinion but there's only so long until they'll want to put him in front of a live crowd and only so long after that that they'll want him to be in the ring and do a programme and work matches etc. etc. Will he resist those pressures when he's already in their environment?

[sek69]

Dave dropped a post in the thread about it on the WON board comparing it to the Jarrett/Gulas split back in the day, stating "when you're over 40 you think the new guys will always fail and the king will be around forever" so it implied Punk either didn't have faith in AEW being a success or thinking Vince will just steamroll them. 

[KawadaSmile]

Punk is a dude who clearly loves wrestling, but he really struggles having the spotlight on him sometimes. Like, he just wants to be out there and do something he enjoys, hence appearing on a very small indie show wearing a mask and a hoodie.

Being an analyst would get him closer to the product (a nice payday helps) without the pressure of being an active wrestler. It's the best for him, and also very good for fans, since his insight is good (despite the "make Roman look strong" bullshit which took 5 fucking years to go away)

[C.S.]

22 hours ago, Burgundy LaRue said:

And as mentioned, going after Sasha is a recipe for disaster. Her fanbase will swarm anyone they view as an enemy. Rollins will be lucky if only his address and bank account numbers are doxed.

Well, Seth's Twitter account is apparently gone now, so there may be something to this...

[The Thread Killer]

4 hours ago, sek69 said:

Dave dropped a post in the thread about it on the WON board comparing it to the Jarrett/Gulas split back in the day

OMG, the Jarrett/Gulas split resulted in one of my all time favorite behind-the-scenes wrestling stories, as told by Jim Cornette: "Daddy said sell!" If you have a spare 10 minutes, you really need to check that story out.

[Jmare007]

31 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

Punk is a dude who clearly loves wrestling, but he really struggles having the spotlight on him sometimes. Like, he just wants to be out there and do something he enjoys, hence appearing on a very small indie show wearing a mask and a hoodie.

Being an analyst would get him closer to the product (a nice payday helps) without the pressure of being an active wrestler. It's the best for him, and also very good for fans, since his insight is good (despite the "make Roman look strong" bullshit which took 5 fucking years to go away)

As others have said, taking the analyst gig will lead to pressure from fans (and eventually Vince) to make a return to the ring almost from the get go. If he really doesn't want to wrestle he can't think taking a commentator role wont lead to fans pestering him about coming back for "one more match" or whatever. And we know how Punk ins with annoying ass fans and Vince asking him for favors

If he's legit interested in coming back in any capacity, he has to be aware of what that entails.

I'd be very interested in the type of contract he would accept signing though.

[Strummer]

Also if Punk eventually returns to the ring the hardcore fans may want him pushed stronger than WWE does. Then we're basically back to square one like in 2011-2013 years where there were underling problems.  Btw, I'm not saying a guy who is 41 should be the main guy or anything but his fans are obviously vocal and ferocious.

 

thats why if he does come back I think it will one time type deals with other top guys. Sorta like Goldberg the last few years 

 

also Punk didn't say "make Roman look good" he was repeating what Michael Hayes told him before TLC 2013.  Far as I know he hasn't repeated it anywhere else but the Colt interview

[KawadaSmile]

But fans already pressure him as is, though. Getting into a contract as an analyst may not change things much, at least in that regard.

[Strummer]

2 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

But fans already pressure him as is, though. Getting into a contract as an analyst may not change things much, at least in that regard.

I meant the fans may pressure wwe to push him more than they want to

[Jmare007]

Eh, wanting to push a part time guy in his 40's who is very popular and has "nostalgia" on his side doesn't sound like something WWE wouldn't want to do lol.

[The Thread Killer]

Once again there was no NXT Live this week in Canada, as they still don't have a Canadian Network TV deal. (Still waiting for the announcement of the promised Canadian AEW TV deal, too.) So once again this week, I waited 24 hours and watched both hours on my WWE Network TV channel.  Actually, more accurately I recorded the show on my PVR and just checked it out now, which I assume is the way I will continue to watch both NXT and give AEW a trial run, if they ever get a Canadian TV deal. So at least in my house, there shall be no Wednesday Night War.  There can't be, because #OneChicago would win that war if I could only watch live TV. For what it's worth, I am not bothered by waiting an extra 24 hours to watch the show on the WWE Network because they cut out the commercials, and 24 hours isn't a huge wait.  I am able to avoid spoilers for a day or two, no big deal.

NXT 09/25/19

Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijakovic

I had never seen Keith Lee before, and had only seen Dijakovic during his run in ROH.  I was impressed with what I saw of Dijakovic then, and he has improved significantly since.  And holy crap, Keith Lee is awesome.  This guy is a powerhouse who can do some impressively agile moves for a guy his size. Later in the show the announcers talk about Killian Dain in comparison to Vader but stuff that...Keith Lee reminds me of Vader. This match was a good old fashioned hoss battle. It wasn't always pretty, there were a couple of minor botches but nothing embarrassing. I loved this match and came away very impressed with both guys. My only minor quibble is that the flipping destroyer type move off the second turnbuckle should have definitely been the finish of the match.  Having guys kick out after high impact moves like that is doing too much, in my opinion. But overall I thought this match was outstanding and was a great way to start the show.  The announcers said these guys are now 1-1-1 against each other, so I need to look through the NXT archives on the Network and see the other two matches, and I assume this means these guys are going to hook up again, and that is good news because this was great.

Street Profits Promo

Short, sweet and to the point.  Did what it was meant to do, hyped up the Tag Team Title match next week.  This was well done, both guys seemed relaxed and natural and weren't acting like a comedy act, as they do when I've seen them on Raw.  I usually hate WWE produced scripted promos and segments, but this didn't come off as stiff, awkward or stilted at all.  This is a classic example of doing more by doing less.

Dakota Kai vs. Taynara

Dakota Kai is a name I have heard thrown around quite a bit online, but since I am not an avid follower of Women's Wrestling, I'd not seen her before this match.  To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed.  I assume that is because she is just coming back from injury, but she looked a bit awkward and unpolished to me.  Honestly, I was more impressed with Taynara. But this match was fairly quick and to the point, and was clearly intended to put Kai over after her injury.

Street Fight: Killian Dain vs. Matt Riddle

So this is apparently going to be the culmination of their feud and also determine the new #1 Contender to the NXT Championship. I have never been a huge Killian Dain fan, but Matt Riddle is really starting to grow on me.  Having said that, this was definitely the best Killian Dain match I have seen so far.  He seems to be getting smoother and better at hitting the big power moves, and Riddle did a great job doing the scrappy smaller guy routine.  I found the striking in this match to be especially good.  Not a fan of stupid Kendo Stick shots for no reason whatsoever (there just happened to be a spare Kendo Stick under the ring?) and I HATE that stupid spot where a guy throws a chair at his opponent who catches it, and then helpfully holds it up in front of his face so the other guy can kick it.  I didn't like it when RVD did it in ECW and I don't like it now. 

This match was very obviously choreographed, the spot where they smashed through the riser and went through the table seemed really contrived.  If they're going to do matches like this, they need a guy like Tommy Dreamer or Mick Foley to help lay them out so they come across as more realistic.  That's not to say I hated this match - I didn't.  But I didn't love it either, and since it was the Main Event of the USA Network hour, I probably should have.  NXT is only going to get so many chances to hook new fans, and they might not do it with matches like this.  I found both last week and this week, the second hour on the WWE Network was better than the USA Network hour, and that shouldn't have been like that.  Of course, as of next week that will no longer be an issue. Once again, I don't want to sound too negative, this match was okay. It just wasn't great, and for my money it went on too long.

I liked the post match confrontation (even though it was blatantly obvious what was going to happen once Adam Cole showed up) and I am really looking forward to the Cole/Riddle match next week.  If Cole can keep up with Riddle and their styles mesh properly, I can see that being a very good match.  I am generally underwhelmed by Adam Cole, so I hope Riddle is good enough to make that match fun.  I loved the Riddle/Strong match on a recent TakeOver, but that was probably attributable to Strong, not Riddle.  Next week will really be a test to see how good both Cole and Riddle perform under pressure in big matches.  I just hope it isn't laid out by Shawn Michaels and we don't get another Cole/Gargano forced epic, because...ugh.

Rhea Ripley vs. Kayden Carter

We're done with the USA Network Hour now and into the WWE Network hour.  So this was my first exposure to both women, and...damn.  Why is Candice LeRae getting the title match next week?  Rhea Ripley vs. Shayna Baszler seems like the obvious money match to me.  I've been watching Baszler tear through the entire NXT Women's division for ages now, and Ripley looks like the first possible contender who could stand up to her physically and not end up looking weaker or intimidated.  LaRae is okay, but I'd really like to see Ripley vs. Baszler for the title now, please.  I know they had that DQ match a few weeks ago, but they have to be heading towards a rematch, right?  Maybe they're planning on making us wait until the next TakeOver. Kayden Carter looked okay I guess, but this was pretty much a glorified squash.  I'll say this for Carter...she sure has a lot of hair.

Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. Ever-Rise

I love Lorcan and Burch.  I know they're probably never going to win any Championships, but their style is exactly the kind of Pro Wrestling I love.  I loved it when they fought each other, I loved it when they teamed up in NXT, I loved it when they won this week on 205 Live, and I was happy to see them get this match.  As far as their opponents go...meh.  I'm Canadian but I don't have a burning desire to see a new French-Canadian Tag Team, and let's be honest. Martel and Parker did okay here, but they weren't really all that impressive.  Martel is pudgy and looks like an enhancement worker at best. Parker is bland and unremarkable, and "Ever-Rise" is a stupid name for a Tag Team.  But hey...it means I got to see Burch and Lorcan, so in the bigger picture I'm not complaining.  One of the things I love about this show is how they wisely use newer or undeveloped talent to enhance the established guys.  It reminds me of when I was a kid and the WWF had an impressive roster of Jobbers-To-The-Stars...guys who had some skill and could get their shit in, but were really there to put talents higher up the food chain over in an impressive way.

Cameron Grimes vs. Raul Mendoza

I'm digging Cameron Grimes but I didn't love this.  Last week Grimes got a really impressive win via squash, this week it takes him almost 8 minutes to beat a guy who is clearly beneath him.  Mendoza had a couple of nice moves, but in my humble opinion he is definitely not ready for prime time...to me he came across as too sloppy flippy floppy. I guess the important thing is Grimes gets the win and is put over for the second week in a row.  Maybe they're going to have him challenge Roderick Strong or something.

Kushida & Breezango vs. Imperium

What a great Main Event.  These guys were working really crisp.  Kushida looked awesome here, like a definite star. Aichner and Barthel also looked really solid.  I'm not all that blown away by Wolfe, though.  He's kind of flabby and his high impact offensive moves don't look as impressive to me as the other two guys on his team. Breeze and Fandango did a good job holding up their end of the deal, and we got a really fun 10+ minute TV Main Event.  It made me so happy to just watch a 6 Man Tag match where guys were actually tagging in and out, we had hot tags and everything.  It wasn't just everybody running around doing spot after spot after spot.  There were some very impressive and risky spots, sure. But this was more of an old school style TV Main Event and I loved it for that. Kushida gets a big win and then gets laid out by WALTER, so it looks like we're going to see that match for sure, which has tons of potential.

Final Thoughts

First and foremost, it is very obvious to me that some time in the past week, somebody in a position of authority had a conversation with the announcers because their presentation was noticeably different this week.  Don't get me wrong, Mauro Ranallo was still horrible and annoying as hell with his stupid alliteration and ridiculous forced pop culture references, but he significantly cut down on the screaming and shouting this week.  I suppose it's possible he was just fired up last week due to it being the Network TV debut, but I think it is much more likely somebody told him to calm the fuck down and let the other announcers get a word in.  Speaking of which, I loved the fact that Nigel is showing more and more heel announcer tendencies, going so far as to quote Jesse Ventura's classic "it's only cheating if you get caught" line. Conversely, Beth was playing a clear babyface booster, and she and Nigel got into it, especially during the Main Event, and that was fun.  See what happens when you let your coworkers talk, Mauro.  I found it interesting that Nigel and Beth do the whole bickering announcers deal about a million times better than Graves and Rene Young on Raw. Anyhow, the announcing was significantly better this week.  But Mauro still sucks.

Overall, as far as I'm concerned this was the second home run in a row for NXT.  What a great show.  Outstanding action in the ring, no stupid scripted promos or boring repetitive angles, no evil authority figures or McMahons hogging the spotlight.  The NXT roster feels deeper than the roster on Raw or Smackdown to me for some reason.  Whenever I try and sit through either of those shows I always feel like I am seeing the same damn thing over and over again. You've seen one boring Seth Rollins promo, you've seen them all.  NXT just seems more exciting with a wider variety of talent and action to me.  I don't know if that's because this show is new, or what.  Bottom line is, this was another great episode of NXT. If you're watching Raw and Smackdown but not watching this, you're missing out in my opinion.  This show is rapidly becoming must see viewing for me. This show really scratches me where I itch as a Pro Wrestling fan. Little things like matches one after the other without too many promos.  They used the "Tale of the Tape."  They actually make it feel like "wins and losses matter" and there are legitimate consequences for winning and losing, without stupid, corny and unrealistic shit going on. I have generally been very, very down on WWE over the past few years but I am loving this brand and this show.

 

 

[Log]

7 hours ago, Jmare007 said:

Eh, wanting to push a part time guy in his 40's who is very popular and has "nostalgia" on his side doesn't sound like something WWE wouldn't want to do lol.

Exactly. And isn’t that why Punk left in the first place?

[NintendoLogic]

Speaking of FOX:

I would love nothing more than for some particularly juicy Ukraine-related breaking news to drop on Tuesday morning and Stephanie being forced to comment on it.

[El-P]

32 minutes ago, NintendoLogic said:

Speaking of FOX:

I would love nothing more than for some particularly juicy Ukraine-related breaking news to drop on Tuesday morning and Stephanie being forced to comment on it.

Next Crown Jewel in beautiful progressive and democratic Kiev, soon, on the WWE Network.

[TheDuke]

I believe on Sportsnet 360 during Smackdown this week they announced during one of the commercial breaks that NXT will be on in Canada on Sportsnet 360 right before Smackdown on Fridays.

[C.S.]

If you watch Smackdown on Hulu, it's been pulled. The only way to watch it on Hulu now is if you have the $40 (?) Hulu Live service.

[SirEdger]

1 hour ago, TheDuke said:

I believe on Sportsnet 360 during Smackdown this week they announced during one of the commercial breaks that NXT will be on in Canada on Sportsnet 360 right before Smackdown on Fridays.

I confirm this. Sportsnet 360 will air one hour of NXT at 7 PM before Smackdown. They announced it on this week's Aftermath.

[KawadaSmile]

Look I'm not saying that would rock, but it would rock

[El-P]

No it would not. But there you go.

It's been a crazy ass week, really, with Punk maybe going back, Rush & Dragon Lee leaving CMLL, NXT ratings being not very good and all.

But next week is gonna be ridiculous. Probably gonna watch NXT at least for the first opposite show, because come on, it's fun. Hell, we should do a weekly NXT vs AEW thread and have fun with what worked and what did not and which show "won" each week (I would guess NXT has the advantage here). As long as it's not stupid nitpicking and haterz/stanz business and is all in good spirits, it could be a fun thing to do for a while.

[The Thread Killer]

5 hours ago, TheDuke said:

I believe on Sportsnet 360 during Smackdown this week they announced during one of the commercial breaks that NXT will be on in Canada on Sportsnet 360 right before Smackdown on Fridays.

 

3 hours ago, SirEdger said:

I confirm this. Sportsnet 360 will air one hour of NXT at 7 PM before Smackdown. They announced it on this week's Aftermath.

Well, that sucks. They're airing just one hour of the show, two days later?! A 24 hour delay on the show is one thing, but delaying the broadcast by two days is too much, and if they're only showing one hour not both, you know they're going to butcher it.  I remember when TSN used to edit three hours of Nitro down to two, and they'd just randomly cut stuff, like a match would be in progress, they'd go to commercial and then the show would come back from commercial at a totally different point in the original broadcast.  Screw that, now that WWE is actually producing a show I want to see, I'm not waiting two days to see an edited version - at 7:00 pm on a Friday Night, no less. I just hope WWE continues to show the 2 hour replay commercial free on the WWE Network on Thursday nights, otherwise I will have to resort to other more nefarious means to see the show.

EDIT: If my DVR guide for the upcoming week is to be believed (and sometimes it changes) my WWE Network feed/TV channel has the new episode of NXT still scheduled for this coming Thursday at 10:00 pm, right after a replay of last week's episode...so it looks like hopefully I will be able to catch the entire 2 hour episode without commercials, only delayed by 24 hours.  I can live with that.  I just feel bad for Canadian fans who don't have the WWE Network as a TV Channel, or don't have the WWE Network at all.  I'd hate to have to rely on what they're planning on showing on Sportsnet360, it will be literally too little and too late.

[The Thread Killer]

2 hours ago, El-P said:

Hell, we should do a weekly NXT vs AEW thread and have fun with what worked and what did not and which show "won" each week (I would guess NXT has the advantage here). As long as it's not stupid nitpicking and haterz/stanz business and is all in good spirits, it could be a fun thing to do for a while.

I can see a thread like that going very badly, very quickly.

[El-P]

Just now, The Thread Killer said:

I can see a thread like that going very badly, very quickly.

Well, maybe. I was in a super optimistic mode maybe. It happens sometimes.