Pinc

51 minutes ago, Slapnut said:

But then why is Cody so happy to hand over his belt to the bloke who’s recently been making his life a living hell, and why did he want to hold Rock’s fake one? It reminded me of the kid in school who’d always want to ride your new bike instead of his shit one but you were always too nervous to say no.

That is Rock’s character.

15 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

I also don't know Cody Rhodes and I don't know his reasons for asking Bruce Prichard and Triple H out there at the end. Who knows if they knew?

I think it's beyond reasonable doubt they were trying to maximise the fanbase's goodwill towards those figures in particular, in case the allegations become a problem for them. Same logic as the 'thank you Vince' chants. By the same people.

Prichard was Vince's man on the inside even after the hush money story broke, and Triple H voted against his own father-in-law returning to the board. They either knew or turned a blind eye. Throw in that it's the first time they've ever closed a big show by bringing the backstage heads out for applause, and it's clear there was some especial motivation at play.

Doesn't mean anyone has to stop watching (I haven't) but it cast a pall over the end of the show for me.

The main event was pretty great. Probably the best Mania main since 30. I thought it was pretty foul that they then used Cody's title win to get the Vince stink off Prichard, Khan and H though.

There is of course an argument that this whole Rock return run has been an exercise in memory holing the Vince business, but this went a step further. Co-opting fan goodwill to launder the reputations of people who clearly knew (or should have known) what Vince was up to.

If that's a feel good ending for you then fair play, but it felt very grubby to me.

15 hours ago, King Pitcos said:

I suspect he’s too fragile and broken to ever do much in the ring again, but ice cream Phil’s return to the major league is already worth it just for this grand display of shithousery. I suppose his next Helwani interview won’t be until he’s fallen out with everyone in WWE again.

There’s a lovely moment at the very end of that watchalong video with Orton, when Randy says ‘lets go lead this locker room.’

Punk gives a big smile and says ‘lets fucking do it.’ But there’s just a tiny change in his energy where you can see he’s wondering if Randy just got him with a sneak diss.

All of his incentives are keeping him in line for now but it won’t take much to push his buttons again.

11 minutes ago, Dr. Alan Grant said:

and perpetually employed Tamina.

That’s it. That’s the gimmick that takes Tamina to the top.

Rock should go back on the Rogan show with the Final Boss persona. Might get a word in edgeways this time.

10 hours ago, Carbomb said:

Any fat-man monster would be, as there's almost no-one like that nowadays. Earthquake would've shone, for sure, Big Daddy V probably, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang, Bam Bam Bigelow, they would all have been really intriguing with all the fast guys bouncing off them and the big guys trying to move them.

Two parts Kevin Owens one part Lesnar. Would be huge now.

18 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

What's wrong with asking people to actually explain their incredibly vague posts?

Because you’re being a wee crank.

How come ‘American Nightmare’ is so overflowing with meaning that Cody’s character has to exactly match your head canon. But ‘its wrestling’ is so meaningless that you react with salty bafflement?

50 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

If you're making a point then actually explain your point. Just writing "it's wrestling" is completely meaningless.

Oh be nice.

16 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

I'm more convinced than ever that Cody doesn't win, and we end up with Seth/Cody and Rock/Roman later this year for the respective titles.

We’re in funniest result of all time territory if Cody loses at this point.

That’s not to say it won’t happen, but it would undo all the goodwill they’ve managed to rebuild since the Vegas press conference. Which is probably the most successful retcon they’ve ever pulled off. Maybe second to using Montreal to launch the Attitude era.

I think the whole business has made them realise the ‘its good again since Vince went’ vibes are valuable, and worth cultivating/protecting. I’d expect a lot fewer swerves to spite the fans in the coming years. Now that the territory is no longer being booked by a malignant narcissist with a humiliation kink.

Being on’t board has changed the game a bit hasn’t it. He’ll obviously still fuck off for months at a time but I think he’ll be a more consistent appearer than we’re used to for the next few years.

And even when he’s away, his ‘absence’ on the shows is a thing now that he’s on the board, whereas before it was a not-thing.

🥺

40 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Cena comments on it:

[bilge]

What an impossibly stupid statement.

24 minutes ago, The Gaffer said:

I can only speak in terms of my own energy and as someone who has historically been more than willing with this company to just go for the ride, I'm just knackered. I don't feel the same brilliant, linear, "Here we fucking go" surge of energy for this match that I did up to a week ago.

Aye as it stands the Cody/Roman match itself feels a bit diluted. The presence of Higher Power Rock makes me more excited for Cody’s post-Mania direction though. He’s got a brilliant new story to get on with once the first one is finished. Hopefully avoids a Daniel Bryan-type damp squib title reign once the big cathartic moment is done.

The press conference was brilliant. They’re using a real life fuck-up to turn Rock into an all-timer heel authority figure. It’s Montreal birthing Mr McMahon all over again. And we got the Cody/Roman main event we wanted.

There’s something weird going on with fans who can’t bring themselves to enjoy it. It used to be that those types never wanted to admit they’d been worked. Now it’s flipped and they only want to be worked? And any trace of real life issues in the stories makes them mad? It’s wrestling lads. The crowd being a character they can’t script is the thing that makes it good. Otherwise we might as well be watching Marvel.

Also funny the people who thought Seth’s reaction to Punk’s comeback was a shoot are now saying ‘zomg Triple H doesn’t know what happened’…

37 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

I think they'll try and make #wewantcody so uncool it'll just fizzle

The best of all universes is if Rock hugs Cody so close they both get booed at Mania.

All seriousness though, this situation could turn Rock into an all-time great Mr McMahon figure if they want it. I think Rock wants to stay babyface with his presidential run in mind but its right there.

Given the year it came out, the newlyweds who Bill Murray gifts WresteMania tickets to in Groundhog Day would’ve been in attendance for Mania IX.

Someone should write a Groundhog Day 2 where they have to live the show over and over again until Bret wins.

31 minutes ago, I Bent My Wookie said:

They've shat the bed and in the process shat all over the bedroom.

Cody’ll be signing an NDA as we speak.

It'll be amazing if this breaks their post-AEW 'cheer the goodies boo the baddies' fanbase. All showing up to Mania in leather jackets like Sandy at the end of Grease.

4 minutes ago, Duke said:

I mean...he said "just not at Wrestlemania", so I think it does rule that out. But to be fair a week ago he said "you. I'm coming for you" after winning the rumble.

Oh right. Yeah they’ve fucked him.

It was clearly deliberate that Cody didn’t quite come out and say he wasn’t challenging Reigns. They have left themselves an out if they need it.

A two-night fuckabout is clearly the way to please everyone.

The Rock getting booed out of the place against Roman would sync up nicely with both the Hogan match at X8 and the end of the 2015 Rumble.

On 1/30/2024 at 9:09 AM, Supremo said:

Cody picks them both. Wins Seth’s belt on Night one. Wins Roman’s on Night two. Cody raises two belts at the end of Night two like he was always meant to. We can’t even stop it at this point. Even fate knows he should have won last year.

This would also allow them to do Rock/Roman on Night 1 without Cody looking like an afterthought.

I’m just saying.

21 hours ago, air_raid said:

It's possible accelerating from that to what he was expected to do in the Rumble with a variety of shapes and sizes of opponent followed by a lengthy home stretch with Cody, that something was bound to go awry.

Speaking of size, I’d never seen a more conspicuous size differential between two wrestlers than him and McIntyre. 

They looked like figures from two different toy-lines being made to fight.

1 hour ago, RedRooster said:

I think it’s a bit dangerous trying to suggest that anyone must have known. The texts he sent might have been utter bullshit; a disgusting fantasy, an attempt to normalise his behaviour (‘see, everyone thinks this is fine’), or even a sinister attempt to imply that everyone knows, and no one cares.

It may be that there were whispers about multiple or specific affairs, there may have been talk of threesomes and all sorts - but unless someone has been named in the suit (or is subsequently accused of inaction) then I don’t think it’s helpful or fair to suggest otherwise. It’s also, potentially, not a sensible thing to do from a legal perspective. 

If a load of lads on the UKFF know Vince did at least $14.6m worth of NDA-worthy stuff then his son-in-law/member of the board who investigated the NDAs must know some details.