NintendoLogic Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 10 hours ago, MoS said: She'd be better off returning at the Rumble than TLC then, since WWE's ratings historically go up during the road to WM There's usually a noticeable ratings uptick in early January due to the end of Monday Night Football and the build to the Rumble. Also, it's quite possible that Vince hit the panic button and "persuaded" her to come back earlier than planned. What's she going to do, say no? She didn't even say no to using her dead brother in an angle. Hell, nobody in this company says no to anything. Even Randy Orton, the poster child for being rewarded for doing the bare minimum, couldn't bring himself to turn down letting Brock Lesnar elbow him in the head full-force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 Last time I remember someone saying "that doesn't work for me" was Roman basically veto'ing any mention of his daughter during his feud with Bray Wyatt in 2015. He was absolutely right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 I think Roman has reached that point on a more permanent basis. By several accounts, he and Heyman handle most of their own story/creative. If he had Fiend shipped to Raw, good on Roman. Imagine the Tribal Chief interacting with Rambling Rabbit and Wobbly Walrus, who conveniently disappeared once Fiend was off Smackdown. I would love to know the backstory of how they got Roman to come back. I'm sure a nice sum of money was offered, along with private quarters so he doesn't have to deal with half the roster not following COVID protocols. But it feels like there's more to it than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 I would have to think that turning heel and being paired with Heyman was a significant incentive for him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 9 minutes ago, MoS said: I would have to think that turning heel and being paired with Heyman was a significant incentive for him IIRC the backstory Heyman gave as part of the angle of him being close to the family was legit, so it was probably a combination of that and Roman knowing that WWE usually lets Paul book angles he's involved in with minimal interference. Normally I'm not a fan of political maneuvering in wrestling, but if Roman did get Bray sent to Raw I don't mind it. This version of Roman having to deal with Firefly Funhouse nonsense would be a criminal offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 If anyone deserves to throw their weight around, it's Roman. Which top guy in history got shafted on their big coronation moment even half as many times as he did. More top guys should do this tbh. Reminds me of when Jake Hager shared a story on Jericho's podcast about how Cena refused to put him over in 2010, and literally everyone's reaction was "Thank God, thank you Cena" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 Yeah Roman can Mitch McConnell shit for the next 3 years and it would be justified IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 8 hours ago, NintendoLogic said: There's usually a noticeable ratings uptick in early January due to the end of Monday Night Football and the build to the Rumble. Also, it's quite possible that Vince hit the panic button and "persuaded" her to come back earlier than planned. What's she going to do, say no? She didn't even say no to using her dead brother in an angle. Hell, nobody in this company says no to anything. Even Randy Orton, the poster child for being rewarded for doing the bare minimum, couldn't bring himself to turn down letting Brock Lesnar elbow him in the head full-force. FWIW, I think the then-Dean Ambrose refused to crack some tasteless cancer joke at Roman's expense, cuz he felt it was very insulting to Roman who is obviously one of his best friends. But your larger point is absolutely correct. I had also forgotten about the end of MNF, so thanks for reminding me of that. Is this year any different due to covid screwing around the normal schedule? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cm funk Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 8 hours ago, KawadaSmile said: I guess the moment RAW Underground died, so did the hope of TV time for many. Were they involved in that? I literally watched none of RAW Underground, not even in clip form. Come to think of it, I can't think of much of anything on RAW I've actually watched during the pandemic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, MoS said: FWIW, I think the then-Dean Ambrose refused to crack some tasteless cancer joke at Roman's expense, cuz he felt it was very insulting to Roman who is obviously one of his best friends. But your larger point is absolutely correct. I had also forgotten about the end of MNF, so thanks for reminding me of that. Is this year any different due to covid screwing around the normal schedule? Pretty sure he stated (or at least made it clear by how he mentioned it) that being asked to make a cancer joke about Roman was the precise moment his mind flipped the switch to "fuck this place". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cm funk Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 This showed up on my youtube and I decided to watch it. Pretty damn good. Are they pushing Big E as a future challenger to Reigns on tv or just on the web? If everything was well paced booking wise that's a F'n great Mania match in my opinion. It's hard to gauge how a someone's first big singles push is getting over without crowds. I'm having the same problem judging McIntyre. They're both over with me, but I'm not turning in to watch the shows because of them, and would they be over with the audience at large? I think under the right circumstances they would be, but I just see them surrounded by terrible creative and plummeting tv ratings. And sadly, like in every shitty era, some good performances and performers stumble onto bad timing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 I hope so damn much that the next WM has Roman v. Big E as the main event, but I have learnt my lesson and will never allow anything in WWE to actually excite me ever again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Two years ago today: Of all the things WWE has done to drive away all but the most committed dead-enders, this is right near the top. When you openly admit the show sucks and then do nothing to make it not suck, of course people are going to stop watching. Then again, we're the authority now, so it must be our fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 17 hours ago, MoS said: If anyone deserves to throw their weight around, it's Roman. Which top guy in history got shafted on their big coronation moment even half as many times as he did. More top guys should do this tbh. Reminds me of when Jake Hager shared a story on Jericho's podcast about how Cena refused to put him over in 2010, and literally everyone's reaction was "Thank God, thank you Cena" I think Braun Strowman is a guy that should've said "no" to quite a few things. Dude was hot as hell a couple years ago. Now? He should've vetoed the stupid kid tag partner thing for one. He made a post on Instagram once sort of comparing himself to Andre. I thought, nah. Andre never would've gone along with the bullshit you've been booked in. There's a middle ground between doing whatever bullshit they write for you and being Hogan in WCW. More guys/gals need to find that middle ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FMKK Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 https://t.co/JPu0Z126eV" / Twitter Worse than Russo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Re: Roman Reigns Coming Back... My guess is that, aside from some sort of financial reconstructuring/incentive, the situation is plainly that both sides have accurately "read" the other side's unstated (or maybe even stated) intentions. I think Roman does have an eye on a post-wrestling career in movies and/or TV. He also knows that, judging by how Cena did it, that doesn't necessarily mean he needs to cut himself off from the WWE entirely the way The Rock sorta had to for a stretch in the 00s. It was a different time. Rock needed to distance himself to be taken seriously and I don't think Reigns will have to do the same. We've also seen over the past 10 years, top guy spots don't get filled. If you leave on top, you can come back on top year after year for bigger and bigger paydays. Whereas guys like Cena or Hogan or Austin have talked about needing to "protect their spot," in 2020, Reigns can leave for months to shoot a movie and when/if he comes back, even just do 4-5 matches a year, he's going to earn more than a Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn. Just ask Brock. Or Taker. Or probably Cena the next time he decides dedicate a few months to the WWE. At the same time, we're in the middle of a pandemic and TV/film production has slowed tremendously or completely halted. Its unclear what state the movie industry is going to be in this time next year. 2020 was not the year to try to break into movies - big budget or small budget. So, Roman Reigns, as someone whose worth and value is tied to his visibility, needed to come back to work at some point. (There's also that pesky contract he signed.) I'd even daresay that Reigns walking out on the WWE, while it would've probably gotten him a fair amount of praise and appreciation from wrestling fans and even some in the entertainment industry, would still have been a risky move as it could've damaged his reputation as a dependable, bankable performer and public persona (two things that I'm sure The Rock, Cena, and Batista would emphasize are critical for landing those big roles in DC/Marvel/Disney movies). And so the WWE gets Roman Reigns back even if he has one foot out the door and, because he's Roman Reigns and the WWE is rapidly running out of guys that actually feel like capital-S Superstars, the WWE needs to capitalize on him and are thus motivated to treat him like a Superstar (give him the "A" material/creative freedom/whatever). In return, Roman gets to come in and play the badass Chief and seemingly pick who he wants to work with, which keeps him looking like a star, which will ultimately help his chances in Hollywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Decided to check out the Pete Dunne/Kyle O'Reilly match that is getting a bit of hype from this weeks NXT, and I can't get past Pete Dunne's skin tone. It is an orange/yellow hybrid, and looks totally strange. It looks like what you'd get if 80's orange Hogan had sex with Marge Simpson. Who thought this was a good idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Blehschmidt said: Decided to check out the Pete Dunne/Kyle O'Reilly match that is getting a bit of hype from this weeks NXT, and I can't get past Pete Dunne's skin tone. It is an orange/yellow hybrid, and looks totally strange. It looks like what you'd get if 80's orange Hogan had sex with Marge Simpson. Who thought this was a good idea? It comes off like he used his time in lockdown to experiment with different tanning options and it ended badly. Also why bother with doing an Inferno Match when they just did that angle where it seems the Fiend is impervious to fire? Randy lit up the box he was in and he came out unscathed. In kayfabe why would you book an Inferno Match when one guy showed he can't be burned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirEdger Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 The mistake they did with that segment was that it should've ended when Orton lit the box on fire. Leave the cliffhanger until Sunday at TLC to see if The Fiend will ever show up at the PPV with Orton thinking he finally outsmarted The Fiend. The last 2 weeks of the Orton/Fiend feud have been questionable on many levels; giving away Firefly Bray vs Orton on free TV pretty much indicated this feud will not carry further than TLC on Sunday. Those last 2 weeks of The Fiend/Firefly Bray by himself without Alexa Bliss to interact with just seemed like good ol' Bray 6 months ago. That alone is pretty indicative IMO of what is and what isn't working right now on RAW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Yeah at least having Alexa around made it feel somewhat different, this just seems like more tired WWE rehash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Speaking of good things, Ben Carter had a promo package announcing he's gonna debut soon. It was pretty awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted December 18, 2020 Report Share Posted December 18, 2020 On 12/16/2020 at 7:46 PM, MoS said: I hope so damn much that the next WM has Roman v. Big E as the main event, but I have learnt my lesson and will never allow anything in WWE to actually excite me ever again If it happens, and that's a BIG IF, I don't see Roman losing. Yeah, it's amazing for Big E to even be in that spot, but so what? 1. It wouldn't be the main event. 2. It would be another Triple H bigfooting Booker, just hopefully without the racial element. I'm not saying Roman necessarily should lose, but still. It's probably all a moot point anyway, as it doesn't exactly feel like they're gearing up for a Big E push. Then again, Drew McIntyre was ice cold before winning the Royal Rumble, so anything's possible. Still, Heyman's endorsement will probably hurt more than help, knowing how petty this company is. 6 hours ago, Blehschmidt said: Decided to check out the Pete Dunne/Kyle O'Reilly match that is getting a bit of hype from this weeks NXT, and I can't get past Pete Dunne's skin tone. It is an orange/yellow hybrid, and looks totally strange. It looks like what you'd get if 80's orange Hogan had sex with Marge Simpson. Who thought this was a good idea? This is really common in WWE because of the McMahons' apparent tanning fetish. It's one of the absolute worst parts of the product for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirEdger Posted December 18, 2020 Report Share Posted December 18, 2020 6 hours ago, sek69 said: Yeah at least having Alexa around made it feel somewhat different, this just seems like more tired WWE rehash. She said on her Instagram account earlier tonight that the reason of her absence from TV lately is that she requested time off several months ago and they worked that within the Bray vs Orton storyline. But yeah, that certainly made it look like same old stuff in the meantime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2020 Rhea won the NXT title one year ago. Fuck Triple H then, now and forever. The fact that he managed to make people think "he's going to be better than Vince" is just astounding. He never showed any of the strengths VKM had (even as a in-ring performer) while showing all the weaknesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2020 Also, NXT will have another show which will be leaded by Gabe Sapolsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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