Hannibal Scorch

This. I had a chat with someone at Rev Pro last week (HE APPROACHED ME, I’m not a chatty person). His first live event was All In, he’s got the bug. But he said he didn’t buy All In tickets this year yet because he’s waiting for announcements. WrestleMania sold over 100k tickets (granted, 2 night combos for the most part) in its first few days. You’re going because it’s Mania, the card being matches you really want is a cherry on top. That’s why Glastonbury sells out before a single artist is announced.

I think we all feel similar about Jericho and Flair (although, to his credit, that was to appease Sting and was cut from every match to a couple and than his last ever match). I didn't think the Rosa/Baker stuff was on TV, I thought that was just on the reality show (could be wrong). As to the WWE digs, I thought about this a lot over the weekend, and the majorityof the digs at WWE that I could remember were from Cody and CM Punk.

No need to butter me up, 😉 I am just an average guy idiot, but thanks for the compliment(s). Tone is hard to get across, and I can say it certainly wasn't written in anger. But I think you nailed your own problem with the drawing the line. Because what has made me decide I can walk away from WWE now is the PR Campaign used this week but most of all this Wrestlemania. The white washing and introduction of the Levesque Era made me feel nauseous. Steph taking a jig on Vinces grave was fine, until it turned into that. And she be a reminder as to why for the last 40+ WWE/F has been the dominant company. Murders? What Murders? Drugs? What Drugs? Sexual Assaults? What you talking about? The PR and Lawyers fees have been worth every penny to keep the brand Teflon. What have they cleaned up exactly? Vince and Kevin Dunn? If anything the closing moments with Bruce Prichard, HHH and Unamed Plaintiff number 3(?) should demonstrate just because one head was cut off, the monster is still alive. But we have our lines and my justification for continuing to watch WWE was 1- Habbit and 2 - I haven't given them a penny since the Ashley stuff came out. Curious as to which ones? I am genuinely struggling to think of any (outside of the Brawl Out suspensions). And thats probably my stupid memory more than anything. I wasn't expecting you to take it literally. I just mean I have reached a point where I now can stop watching something I have watched pretty much weekly for 33 years because I have reached that point. I just don't think I can enjoy it anymore, so why waste the time watching it. On another point, I know plenty of folks the other way, stopped watching AEW in 2020/2021 and will complain about it without watching it. Now that is something that angers me (the complaining about something you don't watch, not just not watching it).

The right guy was also there at Wrestlemania 39. In fact, you have to ask yourself why now in that case. Is it because they had to pivot? Because what did another year of Reigns as champ give us? A few forgotten defences and the Rock returning to face him and due to fan reaction, swapping sides. It almost feels the extra year wait did nothing much for Cody (don’t tell me the reaction last night was any better than what he’d have received last year). Anyway, I hope Cody gets a good title run for at least a year, he’s earned it. Also, delighted to see @d-d-d-dAz not only so happy, but also that we have mutual feelings about Samantha!

Night Two was a far far superior event than night one. 2 duffers (LA Knight/AJ did nothing for me, at least the trios was treated as a comedy match). Bayley and Io Skye had a great match. Woman’s match of the weekendSeth vs Drew pretty much went as well as I’d hoped, but did feel bad they gave him the Adam Copeland title run, though guess that will lead to his revenge at the Hydro (if he re-signs). Logan Paul is still impressive, as long as you ignore his matches are very samey and he has a limited move set. The Main event. It will either be the best match you’ve ever seen or over booked nostalgia bait. I know you shouldn’t read to much into wrestling, but he was put through a table, thrown in the ring, superman punch and kicked out at 2. Come on, I had £18.75 resting on it! But I was enjoying it. But there was this air of waiting for the interferences, and as that had been the discussion for a while it was a case of who first and how many. Once we got to Rock/Cena I’d had enough. It felt like HHH/Sting from 32 at that point. Anyway, Cody gets the win, he finishes the story. Samantha Irvin, because she can’t remain professional, can barely get her words out. He gets the belt. He’s done it, the faces run down, the family comes in. THERES THE WRESTLEMANIA MOMENT. I’m pleased for him. Oh no, what’s he doing? Oh he’s not surely…. So the only thing I really hated was what was uttered by Stephanie McMahon at the top of the night. This is the Paul Levesque era. Look, steering away from Vince is best for business. But I already hate this is the choice, and Cody declaring it too just left me cold. He’s also the new voice for the opening and closing bumpers. So the good news, now I’ve seen the story finish and lost my £18.75, this is where my story ends. I’m not tuning into Raw or Smackdown. I may check out stuff down the road, but this sugar coating is too sickly for me. It’s been a rollercoaster of the last 34 years, but I’m ready to hop off WWE. Good luck in your future endeavours.

You have to put your money where your mouth is

Considering what’s been happening inside WWE in the last few months, let alone years, it’s interesting that some back stage drama and dodgy twitter exchanges is the rubicon and not the sex trafficking for example. AEW have far better matches and PPV’s. WWE have better production and can deliver better storylines. But maybe just stop watching AEW if Tony Khan bothers you to the point of affecting your enjoyment.

What Cody did was hardly a Pedigree. @air_raid definitely a benefit of watching on demand and not having to sit through everything in real time.

The main event being almost an hour long (with entrances) was insane, especially with half of the match it seemed they were doing everything they could to not get hurt for night 2. Thanks to having the flu I made it through live. Overall outside of the Sami/Gunther match which over delivered in spades, I thought it was a poor show and the Jimmy and Jay match being one of the worst WrestleMania matches I can remember. Will Cody finish his story during night 2? I may have changed my mind.

Giulia is a top talent. My concern is how much she’ll be watered down because she’s very hard hitting. There’s no one like her in WWE, but I hope she does well because she’s a breath of fresh air. From what I’ve seen, her English is pretty poor which will hold her back.

Yes. 100%. At least most American mainstream /WWE fans. How many stars from Mexico or Japan have really done well in WWE? Rey, Shinsuke, Asuka? What about Mistico, Ultimo Dragon. They discussed this on Wrestle Me this week where they went to a show on Thursday and the was a 10 man, Lucha vs DDT and he said the match was great but there was zero reaction from the fans because they didn’t know who they were (ironically one of them was Mistico). I think your average AEW fan is probably aware of Japanese and Indy stars because they watched RoH or NJPW or TNA. A lot of WWE fans don’t watch anything outside of the company. Now of course I’m generalising but I don’t think I’m being unfair with that assumption. At least based on real life experiences.

I assume you’ve not been following the storyline on ROH if you thought that was a shot at The Boys. @d-d-d-dAz you’re right, but that’s what people have been saying for years and indication of why he was nothing like Vince or HHH in that regard, not that you would necessarily want to be. This isn’t the first TK miss-step, it won’t be the last, I still think averaging things out he’s doing a better job than most, but he really needs to sort the communications out better than he has been, specially in regards talent relations.

Do I have to say every time something is slightly tongue in cheek? Of course jobs are more important than music clearances. But people moaned he’s not a real boss, the roster is too bloated. He cuts some of the roster and now he’s the second coming of satan apparently. The Boys showed some conversations about 1 date. A date they couldn’t be arsed to drive to an international airport for even though they were told expenses would be paid. So they did have to drive 3 hours to the airport (America, so not unusual or unreasonable), at no expense but didn’t. And they were a bottom card act. Of the people cut only Sasha was a loss, but I guess they already had 2 other ring announcers, but I’m still sad to see her go.

AJ Styles at WrestleMania has the same success as Ian Wright in an England shirt.

Considering the reaction it got a Wembley paying a years wage of a wrestler so we could have Sting come out to Seek and Destroy was worth it. Same with Final Countdown.

I only saw a clip after they break apart and saw AJ’s bloody nose. That looked diverting. Seeing the whole clip ruined it for me because the fight is so lame, especially if you’ve ever seen any UFC or MMA. The fact everyone is just standing around doing nothing and not trying to pull them apart also makes it look bad. But seeing the other F words AJ has used in the past, you’re right in his acting. How his nose got bloody from that though I’ll never know, like the fight from Bridget Jones in it’s viciousness.

A fair amount of the crowd left after Heyman’s induction as well, further proof it was the wrong order

Why has WrestleMania week just been slights at AEW? Rent free indeed. Also just a reminder the champion has had 9 matches since April 2023 and Big Kev and Scott routinely didn’t want to work at WCW and just took time off. What a chump.

You know those football match posters they would make ripping off popular films, same energy. That was awful.

That sounds like a loaded question to me

@SuperBaconthe Heinz pizza seems to come around every 5-10 years. Definitely remember having them in my early teens and then in my late 20’s. Just regular cheapish frozen pizza but beans makes an interesting topping. I liked them back in the day.