Latest PPV and weekly show discussion thread

Wait, I didn't see the Del Rio match, but did they really change his theme? Just saw a video, someone tell me that they didn't take away the amazing intro.

I missed it. I would like to know too. I ended up just leaving the room when Ricardo came out.

God that RAW was terrible.

Yeah, they did change the theme. It sounds almost identical but yes, the old intro is gone.

Titus O'Neil is the most entertaining man in the world.

I totally forgot about this part of the show. I guess it says a lot that the best thing they did last night was the build-up to a squash match that happened in the first 5 minutes of a 3+ hour show

That's accurate. Saying that he doesn't care isn't really true. I'm sure that he does care to an extent. It would be less of an issue if they just hadn't given him the belt period. He doesn't deserve it. Not saying he doesn't deserve it because he's unworthy of it. He doesn't deserve it because he's just not there. He has bigger priorities than the WWE right now. I know that the WWE still thinks it was the right decision because while he is nowhere near Raw (which I find to be a disgrace to the title to give it to someone who just isn't going to be around for a month) he is still going to all of these press events and doing all of these things while being the WWE Champion and getting eyes on the company. I think The Rock is just the thing that gets underneath my skin the most because I feel he's such a transparent personality right now. He's back because it gets him money, because he gets to add another notch to his belt, because he doesn't have to put forth the effort (which I say because his promo skills have fallen noticeably since his prime, he doesn't wrestle even on regular tv, and his ppv matches clearly show that he hasn't been doing much to get back into being able to be a wrestler. He knows the motions and he's in good enough of shape to go through them, but the effort feels lacking) and because the fans love him no matter what he does.

That being said, while you are right that it is a bit much to say he just doesn't care, he also isn't even putting forth the effort (or maybe he did this week?) of doing pre-recorded messages to air during Raw. And yet this time around he's the champ and he can't be bothered to do that much. Now he just no shows and people (the fans at large is what I mean) go "well that's ok, because he's the Rock, and he's still the bestest ever no matter what. I can't wait for him to say something so that I can chant it for no damn reason!" but that's a problem I have with the fans and not with The Rock. The Rock is just willing to exploit it. He should probably be the one coming out to Cult of Personality now, not CM Punk. But I digress. I still feel that not having The Rock on the show at all for weeks leading up to Mania, and then saying "this is going to be our main event!" is just bad. That falls more on the WWE's shoulders than it does The Rock's though, because you are right, he should totally be following through on his commitments for the movie that he starred in and that's not his fault.

@fateofnever: You're absolutely right that they should have him do some pre-recorded stuff for the show (which they didn't). But this seems a lot more like WWE dropping the ball in general. Cena barely talked about the match last night, and the week before, neither Rock or Cena were on it. I think the blame for all this lies squarely on the company's shoulders for doing a shit job of promoting this match. Think of all the time Rock and Punk were given leading up to the Rumble. WWE really can't get something together for the main event of Wrestlemania?

Here are some random Raw thoughts now I that I watched it on DVR:

• The Primetime Players are great, they should never break-up. They don't even need to win more or be higher on the card. I hope we see more of Pancakes Patterson
• Cena is trying, it is really hard to have a feud by yourself. Last week neither of them, this week just one. I thought Rock via satellite was bad, but Rock can't be bothered to even record a message is much worse.They can only say REDEMPTION VS LEGACY so many times and run that totally not the song from the Cena/Orton feud music promo so many times. I get why the match is happening, they would be stupid not to have a rematch. But the feud can't just be, REMEMBER LAST YEAR LET'S DO IT AGAIN. This doesn't even broach the issue of a WWE champ who doesn't do house shows, and the potential match quality itself. I know Cena is criticized a lot, some rightfully so, some not, but there isn't a question to how insanely committed he is to the WWE.
• Someone happily woke up and put HOSS FIGHT BACK ON. It seemed crazy to call it off, and it would be even crazier if they scheduled a match for Wrestlemania with the plan to immediately change it back. I'm excited for Henry/Ryback, besides the hiccup of putting Ryback in another match, they have had a nice build.
• Adding Big Show vs the Shield is fine I guess, I just don't see how I'm suppose to believe Sheamus/Orton/Big Show is more of a threat than Cena/Ryback/Sheamus. So hopefully they let the Shield roll over them too.
• Fandango is better than I even could have imagined. I want his entrance to have 800 more things added to it. If he ends up working with Jericho, then great.
• Big E after all these months of wearing wrestling attire is finally going to wrestle! Huzzah!
• CM Punk is such an incredible dick, I wonder what the hell was going to happen in that feud if Paul Bearer didn't die.
• Del Rio's new theme seems off, like it is a bit too fast or something. Their feud is actually the best Wrestlemania feud. Although who are the fans chanting USA cheering for?
• Kofi vs Dolph, the feud that goes on forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever...
• Wade Barrett vs Jericho vs Miz was a fun triple threat match.
• The end segment was basically what it needed to be. No holds barred means the match will at the very least be Brock Lesnar being completely insane.
• Who ever edited the Booker T Hall of Fame package to include the HULK HOGAN WE COMING FOR YOU promo with the last word cut off deserves a raise.

"NO HOLDS BARRED . CAREER ON THE LINE" I couldn't care less. Why hype a stipulation match and then choose the most boring stipulation possible?

The idea of Paul Heyman's promo was that they could make some insane stipulation that favors Brock Lesnar, but Brock Lesnar doesn't need that and will kill Triple H anyways so they chose that with the retirement angle added. It worked only in the way to stretch that out for 2 weeks.

I always wonder about retirement angles of how many people ever believe them. We have seen so many people lose career/job ending matches only to be back or never even leave. (Credit to HBK for losing one and staying retired so far)

The added problem here is that A) HHH is already pretty much retired B) How do you hold a career ending stipulation against the COO and son in-law of Vince McMahon?

"Look at the ankle! LOOK AT IT!"

The Swagger/Del Rio feud seems like a feud that they're actually trying with for Mania. It's getting the proper amount of build up. Swagger is doing some decent stuff. The USA chants were fucking with me big time but each time they popped up they made me laugh (I'm really pulling for a huge USA chant during their match at Mania. Or a back and forth "USA" vs "Mexico" chant.)

I'm not sure if Fandango is working or not. My first thought is that it is, and that he's coming off as just such a giant pompous ass that it should get him good heat, but it's also the sort of thing that can back fire very easily and everyone just mentally checks out before long with not seeing him.

The Shield vs "Constantly Changing Team Superfriends" is bad. It's just so lacking. I don't feel that team superfriends or The Shield is to blame for it though, I blame the writing. On paper this seems like it could work. Except that this is the exact same story that they've had going since TLC. It's just that who they face changes every now and then, and none of the individuals involved really feel like guys that should be going after The Shield on a meaningful basis, it lacks that emotion. The good guys are just facing them because "they're the bad guys and that's good enough." not because The Shield has truly wronged any of these guys badly enough to warrant frothing, foaming at the mouth anger that something like this should have.

Ziggler and Big E need to win the tag titles and then Ziggler needs to cash in to become the World Heavyweight Champion. Also, tag team name - Zig E.

I could be down for a Sandow + Bella Twins vs Rhodes + Kaitlyn feud. I sort of doubt it will happen, but I could be down for it.

PTP are so under utilized. So completely under utilized.

The triple threat was fun. It was also the kind of thing that makes you feel like a title means something. You have three guys all fighting tooth and nail over a title, it makes you feel like it matters. It doesn't cement the fact that the title matters, but it does at least make it feel like it (instead of matches like Cesaro just having random non-title, non-feud matches where he loses.)

The last segment with the contract signing was so stupid, but, on that level that's kind of amusing. All because of Paul Heyman, that man is so good.

Perhaps the crowd was chanting "You Ese!" to Del Rio.

Also, Raddox did this last night.

TNA taped four more of their One Night Only pre-taped PPVs a few days back and you guys should read the results because they seem to be legitimately doing some cool stuff with these.

Knockout Knockdown

Tag Team Tournament

Ten Year Anniversary Show

World Cup

I'm thinking Ziggler will cash in sometime in the summer. Also Big E NEEDS to come out to his own theme:

@milkman They do air those One-time PPVs Right? Cause those actually sound good to watch! (Did they air those last few??)

Also: Knucks, Knucks, Knucks, Knucks, Knucks, Knucks, Knucks, Knucks, Knucks!!!!

Also also: This Thursday Is live tapings of NXT, Chris Jericho will be special guest!

...Knucks!

Daww Khali just really wants to fight Fandango.

RAW SUCKED HARD!!!

3 hours of Raw is too fucking much.

After starting to watch VGCW I'm considering getting WWE 13 to kill some time while I'm off for the next 4 weeks. Is it actually any good? I've seen mixed reports

@lumley: Not really, actually playing it is still kind of not fun at all. The creation stuff is nice but it's centered around a terrible UI.

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that CM Punk has been pulled from house shows until Mania because of an arm injury that he suffered during his match with Kane last week.

Also the Post-Smackdown taping Mania Update:

@zombiesatemycereal: That's a damn shame, I had a feeling that would be the case. Guess I'll stick to Bioshock Infinite then.

I think just because she wasn't around during one segment doesn't mean that the dream is over. She's just playing hard to get for now.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy961l_wwe-saturday-morning-slam-hdtv-2013-03-16-720p-avchd-sc-sdh_sport#.UUkjRRc3tNg

If you didn't see this episode of Saturday Morning Slam it features Daniel "The Dazzler" Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler. Heath Slater is also on commentary.

The way I watch it Raw is only about 30 minutes.

http://shop.wwe.com/Damien-Sandow-Robe/W05023,default,pd.html?dwvar_W05023_color=Navy%20Blue&start=1&cgid=superstar-current-damiensandow

Damien Sandow's robe is now a WWE Shop item.

lot of interesting news coming from the Dirt Sheetz today:

• There was a 10-women tag match with that Entertainment Tonight lady again that was scrapped because all of the returning divas wanted too much
• Also, Maria Kanellis could be the one to induct Bob Backlund (I have no clue what that relationship is, other than that I really hope Maria is a part of this "Bring old divas back" initiative, and that Mike Bennett is also heading to the WWE.)
• CM Punk is expected to have some time off Post-Wrestlemania to heal a bit. If he has more than a month off, I'm predicting a face turn so he can challenge Brock Lesnar or The Shield.
• William Regal vs. Kassius Ohno might happen on NXT
• Also, Chris Masters saved his mom's life via applying the Master Lock on an armed robber (that's how it went down in my head at least).

So one of TNA's "one night only" PPV will air on April 5th. It's the x-division one. Another one is airing in May.

I have a random question. Why do refs start counting when a wrestler goes up to the top turnbuckle?

I've always understood it as either

• You have an advantage when you're up there, so Refs view it as the same as an opponent on the ropes and trying to break up a submission/attack
• Count out. When you're on the ledge of the ring, you're still not technically in the ring after being out on the floor, so it's the same with being on top of a turnbuckle.

anyone have any idea for WNW?

Wanna watch the worst wcw cira 2000? (note: WCW dvd from japan)

Did you check out that Live Bit Torrent whatever? I took a look last week and it was beyond me.

@wikitoups: I've never seen this before, looks well put together whatever it is.

It's the only dvd that wcw ever did (and only in japan) mainly recaps but shows about the new bloods vs the millionaires club (most of what russo did)

best of all it has the ready to rumble match!!! With David arquett, DDP, and Jeff Jarrett!!!

okie dokie, we're going to watch WCW implode together starting in 10 minutes

OVER HERE.

we move the chat! Its here now!

Chris Masters is a beast. Mothers house was on fire and he uprooted a tree with his hands and tossed it through the window.

So apparently WWE isn't kid friendly enough yet.

https://careers-wwecorp.icims.com/jobs/2553/job

I imagine that he put the tree in the masterlock and the tree had no choice but to let go of the ground.

---

HHH continues to be the bane of my existence on-screen, but the man I'm really happy is taking over the company soon. Starting now(ish), HHH is taking away the word-for-word scripts for everybody and going back to bullet-pointing.

NXT Live tapings is staring at 6:30pm est (about 30mins from now) Heres where they are doing the Live stream.

we can chat here(have to make a livestream account).

http://www.livestream.com/fsnxt

Guys El Generico is in first dark match as Sammy sane (unmasked!)

NXT Social Stream/Impact Chat: http://tinychat.com/20hwq

You guys missed this from nxt:

DEAR GOD !!!!!

@wikitoups: I have no clue who this person is, but I love that it's both untimely and horrible.

Smackdown Chat: http://tinychat.com/8j830