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d-d-d-dAz

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Everything posted by d-d-d-dAz

  1. I actually didn't mean fans, I meant the participants. There might be fans who care, and more power to them as the wrestlers involved don't seem to. Even if the point is to get Cody over more, I'd argue that's still a misstep - the point should always have been building to this major showdown between their two biggest stars. But I'd say getting Cody over doesn't seem to be the main point, the main point seems to be getting to Rock/Roman - albeit slower than they planned. It would appear anyone that celebrated changing WWE's destination when they brought Rock back, might need to consider that they only ever changed their route. 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.
  2. I appreciate I'm the Wrestling Grinch at this point, but what a load of absolute shite. Nothing makes sense and the blame falls squarely at the feet of whoever tried to insert The Rock into an easy, natural storyline. The promo made zero sense. The Rock is a bad salesman? A whiny bitch? Is he? Really? That's very much not his character. No one knows who they are or what they're doing because of the mess they've created. Barely anyone cares about Cody/Roman. Shite. I'll need to get back to watching AEW at this rate.
  3. They've got a jointly branded t-shirt. It's all over lads.
  4. I'm having Logan Paul for this, certainly in the modern era. BadBunny had a bit of life in him too, but I think Logan Paul might be the most naturally gifted novice since Kurt Angle. Ronda was good, but it's Logan for me.
  5. Jack Swagger is a fascinating character in WWE history. When he was 25, if you wrote an elevator pitch for him as a wrestler, and handed it to a booker alongside his stats and a glossy promo picture they'd have bet the house he was going to be the biggest star in the world. Then holes just started to appear... oh, he doesn't really understand how wrestling matches work and doesn't seem capable of working it out; oh, he can't speak; oh, he actually carries himself like a man half his size. Just a really interesting example of a book that benefitted hugely by being judged by his cover for ages. He fought on a show I promoted when I worked on Bellator in the States, though, and he was a tremendously nice bloke. So there's that.
  6. In terms of the hispanic vote, a lot of that will be breaking for Trump because he's seen as someone who embodies the 'American Dream', to an audience who typically have a historical aversion to the ideas of left wing politics (which is why Trump so often calls Biden a 'communist', despite that being clearly hilarious). I think the central flaw at the heart of the anti-Trump campaign is the message that 'don't vote for him, he's a threat, and now he knows how Washington works he'll be much more effective at doing what he wants next time.' How is that their key message? It completely ignores the fact that if you actually want what Trump's selling, or think you do, that's quite attractive. The Democrats incredibly STILL assume people vote for Trump out of blind ignorance, and its still their weakest point and why they'll probably lose this year. They need to find someone who can convince people that pulling up the drawstring and creating a 'Fort America' is a bad idea, and someone who can find a way of putting into simple terms how global leadership and democracy actually benefits their daily lives. Just like in 2016, I'm left thinking - again - that I can fully understand why people would vote Trump over Biden. To apolitical people, he's promising strong leadership and a promise that nothing bad will happen to American's whilst he's in charge; and the Democrats appear to be offering no counter to the idea that strong leadership is good, and still place America at the heart of global conflicts with no real argument as to why that's a good thing. The best argument against Trump was his own personal chaos, which is 4 years in the rearview so far less effective. It's such a mess.
  7. I think the issue with the Uso match is that over the course of their 'story', since Jimmy turned on Jey, it was a secondary priority to getting Jey over as a singles guy. Jey was peaking, so they made the decision to break him away but it was far too early if they wanted to seriously sustain the Uso v Uso feud for Mania. As such, Jey went and did his thing with the air slowly leaving the feuds balloon, and Jimmy was sort of victim to both Jey's push and the gap between the turn and Mania. Jimmy might be a tremendous performer, but they had absolutely zero plan for him between the turn and now. He did it to save Jey from Roman, but oh wait he's Roman's mate again... or is he? ... no, yeah... yeah, he's just Roman's mad little mate again. So whilst Jey's been off yeeting away and having a good time (allowing people to think about him feuding with Gunther or Seth or being in fun tag teams with Cody), Jimmy's been kicking his heels doing nothing that makes much sense. It means that when they finally brought them back together, it felt like I hadn't seriously thought about it for ages and had lost a bit of interest.
  8. Well, first of all, I'd definitely say grow up. Its really important to understand other people can have different opinions without needing to say 'fuck them'. The best part of the UKFF, and one of the reasons I've been here for two decades (Jesus Lord have mercy) is that different opinions have always been tolerated and debated in a way that was less maddening than a social media comments section. Like you say, it's not that deep. Its just me sharing an opinion whilst also saying I'm glad everyone else is enjoying it, it's just not for me. Still, yeah, fuck me. What a prick I am.
  9. I mean, it's not overthinking it, I'm simply saying what I personally make of it - acknowledging others have a different opinion. For me personally, and my preference for clear lines and simple heel/face dynamics, having a live audience chant 'whoop that trick' when the heel talks about beating Cody half to death in front of his mother, or booing when shown a live tape of Cody's huge babyface promo on Monday, isn't for me. For my tastes, last night was everything I hate about wrestling and, recently, The Rock. The first priority last night was The Rock, the distant second was building the beef between Rock/Cody albeit with unclear edges, and the third priority was planting the seeds for Rock/Roman. Roman/Cody didn't even register. And that's why I'm a bit jaded, as for someone who likes clear lines, it finally felt after years like WWE had found it. A top heel everyone hates, a babyface everyone loves... and they've chosen to get back into the split crowd business voluntarily. I'm happy people are enjoying it, but it just isn't for me.
  10. Whilst I agree with this, last night did worry me that as well as losing interest in what they're up to, I might be about to lose my bet with Scorcher. I could absolutely see a world where they plough on regardless with Rock/Roman, Final Boss v Universal Champion, later in the year and Seth/Cody for the participation trophy.
  11. 'Make the most of what we're getting now' - the WWE brand proposition summed up as succinctly as I've seen it. I mean, it's fine, whatever. People seem to be eating it up, and are happy to cheer The Rock and boo Cody. Good for them. It's wrestling, it doesn't matter hugely, but I've personally gone from thinking about booking the Monday off work and watching both nights live, to now just thinking whether I'll have even have time in the week to watch it. But, again, whatever. I'll live. If I don't watch, I'll give it a few weeks and pretend it was a moral boycott based on the McMahon scandal.
  12. Next years fine, whatever. It's just frustrating that for once, this year, they've told a long story that was set to peak at the right time, between a clearly defined heel and babyface who were the two biggest stars of the industry, and they've just needlessly took a massive diversion. Chucking in The Rock who can't bring himself to be a heel without letting everyone know he's really a good egg, and Seth Rollins who has no idea what he is, is like seasoning a gourmet ice cream with lime pickle. Absolutely needless and just clashes completely with all the things that made the original proposition so exciting. And, as much as I might not like The Rock, I accept that he's a huge megastar that eclipses everyone around him. I just don't think that was a helpful addition to a feud which was about how they'd finally found their big, clearly defined rivalry that everyone gave a shit about.
  13. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm absolutely buzzing for the huge Wrestlemania main event between superstar babyface 'Final Boss' The Rock and crybaby heel Cody Rhodes. Imagine starting the week with that Cody Rhodes promo, and ending the week with the audience booing him and chanting for The Rock to whip Cody and make him bleed. Absolute fucking disaster in my books. I know I'm riding this bus on my own, but The Rock's introduction into this story has ruined Wrestlemania for me completely. It's shit. The Rock may be personally entertaining at times, but he's just completely knackered the balance of all of this. Seth Rollins and The Rock can fuck off. Pricks. Hate it. I know this 'final boss' thing will eventually play into the Roman Reigns/Rock feud, but the way this is all playing out they may as well have not bothered changing their plans back. Instead of shooting Cody in the head, they're just letting him slowly bleed out.
  14. I'm surprised they kept Gable in the hunt as long as they did, if he wasn't getting the nod. It suggests to me they didn't realise the extent to which Gable connected with the audience. I've had people who I consider otherwise sensible express genuine annoyance that Sami is facing Gunther, and not Shoosh boy.
  15. But it's only the Roman title because we've all been collectively Bloodlined. Prior to the sexpot, the Universal title was held by The Fiend, Braun Strowman, Goldberg for a bit and Seth Rollins. I think title reverance is a new phenomenon in WWE, and had Roman not returned in 2020 there's loads of people who might have got a short run. Orton, Edge and Cena are great shouts, as there was just no real room for that elder statesman huge star once Roman kicked into gear.
  16. Roman Reigns. Champion. Conqueror. Sexpot. The man has held some variant of the World Title since August 2020, and for a large part of that time was the only show in town. What struck me watching Smackdown, as AJ Styles cut a promo about LA Knight, is there will have been quite a few people over that time who would've otherwise had a World Title run in that period but didn't because 50% or 100% of the World Title's were around the waist of the Tribal Chief. Perhaps there are some people who now will never win the big one, where there may have been some momentum behind them in the last 4 years. The obvious one for me is AJ Styles getting another run, as I think his time may well be gone now. In another LA Knight probably won the title in his really hot period. I'm sure Supremo will make the argument for Sami Zayn, and Scorcher may try to upset me by saying Cody Rhodes. But, who else is there? Could anyone make the argument that Daniel Bryan might still be there if Roman's career hadn't been resurrected as the saviour of Smackdown? For all the positives of Reigns' reign, who or what has been sacrificed at the altar of the Bloodline to allow this huge title run to continue?
  17. KSI doing the neck brace gimmick on social is perfection.
  18. I bet you he does. I win, you have to stop watching AEW. You win, I'll give up the Cody bedspread.
  19. Last night read to me like the fix comes in on night 1. Night 1 is the night of schmozz. Drew will be there, the Bloodline will be there, KO, sami, Heyman the lot... and it'll end with The Rock costing Roman explicitly, giving Cody a clean swing at the title. It seems the best way to go to get all their shit in, without overshadowing Cody's win.
  20. It tailed off massively, but that core group of stars is huge. Gutted that they teased Cody/Rock before moving on to the tag match, as Cody/Rock night one and Cody/Roman night two would have been spectacular. The Rock's entrance was amazing. Rollins just coming out like a sad sack to Cody's music was absolutely hilarious. It's like if the Two Man Power Trip had headlined a pay per view against Undertaker and Essa Rios at this point. They're not even hiding it.
  21. I'm like 5 minutes into Smackdown and it already feels like the hottest era in WWE's history. Here's The Rock looking like a megastar, oh here's Roman Reigns looking like a megastar, don't forget Cody Rhodes the megastar, and here's Seth Rollins, then there's Logan Paul who's a megastar... oops, don't forget KSI who's a huge star in his world, and here's Randy Orton who's a big star too. It's just a constant stream of stars being stars. And Seth Rollins. The big Prime bottle on the mat can fuck off though.
  22. Inevitable. Ngannou wasn't different, he just didn't have the element of surprise or the good fortune to be facing another man who lacks any fundamental seriousness and struggles to get himself up for things he has no respect for.
  23. Crikey, merciless mocking of CM Punk has instantly turned DM Hunk from my least favourite wrestler on the roster to one of my favourites. What a troll.
  24. It's as close to sounding human Cena has got in ages. That's exactly the sort of joke people Cena's age typically make to young kids wearing an opposition football shirt. "Spurs, is it? We'll have you an Arsenal fan before long lad..."
  25. I'm sure this is the inspiration for this thread, but just putting here for all to see as it's so, so good. 11 years. What a lad.
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