WWE TV 11/04 - 11/10 Fish are really smart animals, they avoid oil spots in the sea

[DMJ]

I've been called out for over-analyzing it,  but I don't think it helped that he was in Hobbs & Shaw and is presumably close with The Rock. You can say that a caemo doesn't mean anything, but The Rock himself used a cameo in The Mummy Returns (I think?) to eventually springboard to superstardom (with some career ups-and-downs, mostly ups for the past decade). If there is one guy you'd want giving you advice on how to go from headlining WrestleMania to starring in big-budget action movies, having that one guy be an ultra-successful producer in his own right and your cousin is a very lucky position to be in. 

And I think Vince, or at least Triple H, know that and may already be looking at Roman as having one foot out the door. (This also explains why Seth Rollins getting the big rub from Lesnar may have been an easy call for them - I mean, Rollins has a face for radio at best.)

I've discussed it elsewhere too, but to me, it is really telling how the WWE has treated John Cena over the past 2 years. I know, he's been super, super busy - but considering how far the company has gone to bring back The Rock, Austin, Hogan, etc., etc., I find it very, very interesting that John Cena - who, for years, was put on that same pedestal as arguably the only post-Attitude guy to be on the same footing as those legends - has been noticeably absent.

I mean, if I told you, in 2016 or even 2018, hell, 6 months before the debut, that SmackDown would be on FOX and that they were going to load the card with every legend possible for the debut episode, how much would you have bet that John Cena would be there? I feel like I would've taken that bet for $10,000 without hesitation. Like, absolutely no way that John Cena is not going to be there if he were alive and breathing. I would be dirt poor and probably wifeless today had that happened. And people don't find that weird?

 

[FMKK]

They also booked Cena like an afterthought a lot of the times during the last runs that he had, in a way you'd almost think was designed to show that he wasn't that special.

[Burgundy LaRue]

1 hour ago, DMJ said:

I've been called out for over-analyzing it,  but I don't think it helped that he was in Hobbs & Shaw and is presumably close with The Rock. You can say that a caemo doesn't mean anything, but The Rock himself used a cameo in The Mummy Returns (I think?) to eventually springboard to superstardom (with some career ups-and-downs, mostly ups for the past decade). If there is one guy you'd want giving you advice on how to go from headlining WrestleMania to starring in big-budget action movies, having that one guy be an ultra-successful producer in his own right and your cousin is a very lucky position to be in. 

And I think Vince, or at least Triple H, know that and may already be looking at Roman as having one foot out the door.

I think you're on to something.The Rock had Roman at the media junket they had in Hawaii, which meant he was interviewed by almost every mainstream outlet. He still does press with a number of non-wrestling people. It's about connecting the dots to get to the big moment.  Roman is quietly doing that.

I've had conversations with those who think Roman will be a B-level action movie star at best. My response has been "And?" Sitting on almost any film set is easier than getting slammed to the mat 250+ days a year. He doesn't have to reach Rock status to be successful. He can take whatever roles Jason Momoa turns down and be in good shape.

Roman and Becky are providing voices for a joint WWE Studios/Paramount Animation project that seems poised for a major release next year. Roman can stack the role on top of his Hobbs & Shaw appearance. With that, he looks like an up-and-comer with The Rock as a supporter. It wouldn't surprise me if Rock is doing something similar with Becky. Get the two people in current WWE with a chance of making it beyond wrestling into the fold and see where it goes.

As for Cena, I think he's doing what Rock did for a while, and that's distance himself from wrestling to establish an identity away from the ring. We're at a point where Rock's wrestling career is barely a blip in his overall story. Cena may end up in the same category.

[Slasher]

11 hours ago, Burgundy LaRue said:

If Reigns getting hurt and sick was a breaking point, then Rollins blowing out his knee and Bray giving folks the mumps should disqualify them, too.

My guess is they're giving it a year to see if Roman stays healthy. He's coming back from a cancer relapse, after all. He's said in interviews that the relapse caused an enlarged spleen that could have ruptured if he took the wrong bump. 

Another thing to consider is Roman may have wanted to take a step back for a while. The vitriol he received over the years had to be exhausting. Roman handled it well, but I doubt he's complaining about not dealing with it since his return. 

WWE has a main event heel problem. Roman's working with who is available. Outside of Bryan's fantastic heel run, no other bad guy is on that level. So Corbin, Lashley and McIntyre is it for any top face.

They refer to him as the face of SmackDown and he's clearly the biggest star they have. If they push him back toward the Universal title and a WM match with Bray as I think they will, then it all works out.

Difference is an injury wrestling for Vince could be interpreted as a necessary or inevitable byproduct for what they are asked to do. By contrast, Its not like leukemia is something you can anticipate.

 

The mumps thing, well until this current run as the Fiend, Bray was booked like shit. Always lost the big matches. That could be the punishment for the mumps. Though on this one, I admit its a reach.