d-d-d-dAz

What a fucking fight. And a good result, too, I think.

But what a barnstormer. Incredible stuff.

Roman has been added to Raw.

Poor bloke.

On the one hand, he absolutely has to be there and do something of note to regain his footing in this Mania build. On the other, with his star already cracking, stood next to The Rock looking imperious - all muscles and shades and Gucci vests - he's going to look even more like an old man who's pissed himself on Christmas day and had to get changed into his son's house clothes.

"Give me a minute da, sure I've got a hoodie and some joggers in the back of the wardrobe..."

I reckon there's more chance of them ditching the Gladiators than there is Bradley Walsh.

The only way they get rid of him is if Ant and Dec become available.

I touched on this in the Smackdown thread, but it's genuinely mad to me that - especially after getting in the Chamber in 2023 - Montez Ford is still cocking about in a tag team that have already ran out of steam twice before.

He looks, acts, talks and wrestles like everything they could possibly want. He deserves better than being in a past its sell by date tag team, as part of a faction that never got off the ground, in a feud against the coldest act in wrestling.

I'm beginning to think Montez Ford might not be the next biggest thing in wrestling, you know.

Absolutely criminal that they're letting his career drift.

Smackdown felt like a nothingburger compared to Raw. If it's not got Cody or Rock on, or even the C-Squad of Roman and Rollins, it's hard to care as I think everything else is a bit cold going into Mania.

Jade looked great, and I laughed at the way they tried to give absent-Roman some heat and relevancy back by having Heyman say he ordered the beatdown. Good one.

LA Knight has had a quicker cool down than Hans Solo in Empire Strikes Back. Absolutely ice cold.

That's about all I thought of Smacky-D this week.

Oh well, Rock and Cody are on Raw on Monday.

6 minutes ago, NeverYield said:

Yeah I agree there, it might not be everyone's cup of tea but you have to be realistic and admit that it is likely going to work. 

Shortcut to notoriety for bigger fights is something I can definitely see happening for him. Another thing about these controversial characters is whether you love them or hate them you're going to tune in, and at the end of the day it's good for the sport. That video of Whittaker leaping about in his last fight has become a meme in circles that aren't even sports related never mind boxing.

If he's good enough, it's smart too.

Plenty of talented boxers who spent far too long poncing about on undercards taking risky fights they shouldn't have to against underrated regional fighters, because their wasn't the public demand or money to make the risk of pushing them up worth it.

13 minutes ago, NeverYield said:

Whittaker has been doing all that malarkey since day dot, even in Team GB sparring sessions. 

I think his talent is obvious, and his athletic ability is great. I think at the same time though there is something about Whittaker that is just forced. They make Naz comparisons but Naz was smooth with it, and it just felt authentic, I just don't get that with Whittaker but that's just me. 

 

I think its contrived too, but I'd say for good reason.

You can only guarantee you will get the big fights in your career if you're both good enough and people know who you are/care about you. I think Ben knows he's better than his level, and doesn't want to take the time others have to fighting people below them whilst they build their profile fighting around the country and on TV... I think hes trying to shortcut to notoriety so he can get bigger fights sooner than others might.

2 minutes ago, Gooner said:

 I have no idea what is going to happen at Wrestlemania on either night, 

Well, Downstait are releasing a less-good, angrier version of Cody's theme in time for Mania so I think a Roman/Cody double turn has to be on the cards..

You can't argue with the rules of wrestling music.

3 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

Amazing but there was one thing i saw that took me completely out of it. This is stupid on my part, of course I know its all part of the show, of course I know its planned down to the second but I like everyone else want to swept up in the moment because that is when wrestling is at its best. 

 I wish I hadn't seen it but my stupid brain saw it and immediately went "Cody must have put the awning out on his bus to keep the crew dry while they were filming" It's fucking stupid on my part but it fucked it for me. 

Why wouldn't he do that though? He's the nicest man in the world.

He probably did it before he went out to beat up an Uso, when they were backstage filming for the new Cody documentary or taking fag breaks through the night.

All good.

I was reading about this earlier, it's an unbeaten Nigerian called Ezra Arenyeka who's fought mostly in Africa and Latin America. Based in Sale, though.

I don't know him, but my guess is he's next up for a vacant title of some description and Boxxer are trying to slide Whittaker in as his opponent. The stunt is probably just to try and get some hype behind Ben, as Boxxer are a bit flat at the minute.

At this point Roman is going to need to personally send me a cheque for 5 grand to make me want to see Roman/Cody instead of Rock/Cody. Even then I'd be faking it.

That's just how it is, boy.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5GpCQ4rug9/?igsh=MWt6cXFtNzV1amExcg==

Sometimes, when you're wrong, you're wrong. You just have to apologise, set fire to the Cody bedsheets and buy a lot of bull related merchandise.

This is the greatest wrestling social media post of all time.

I wish he didn't use the word 'script', but fuck it. Put the belt on the big egg.

I wish his nipple wasn't peaking out of his top in that photo. It adds a 'stressed mum in a dressing robe' vibe to an otherwise perfect photo.

Christ, look at Rock's tattoo. It looks like the demon controlling him to torture Cody.

Like a scene straight out of a comic book movie. Incredible.

How can Roman turn up on Smackdown in his Fruit of the Loom hoodie after this?

What a whoppin big load of shite.

3 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

I think if we've got him back, we'd all rather he put in a decent shift. I don't think it's an ego thing or deciding he has to be the biggest star. I think he's just putting the work in. He has mostly come across as a guy that respects the business and I think business is at the forefront of the decisions especially now with his position. I'm sure he thinks everyone will come out better at the end. And while we don't know the longer term plan, I highly doubt he's gone in there to bury Roman deliberately and put himself ahead.

I suspect when you're as good as he is, and probably as competitive, you go in with the understanding that you could blow everyone out the water, and its up to them to try and hang in there with you. And that's probably fair enough.

It is what it is at this point. They've released a tiger in the pig pen, and we'll find out in a few weeks who survives I guess.

I'm more interested by the fact that Seth Rollins is in 2 featured matches at Wrestlemania, and a featured part of 0 feuds. Absolute waffle.

1 minute ago, DavidB6937 said:

And yet you got people moaning about him turning up and doing a half arsed tribute act. So he can't win really.

To be fair, wrestling is full of big stars who don't 'comeback' well.

Cena has been very good at it, Austin was hit and miss, The Rock has been all over the place... I think there's a middle ground between a tribute to the good ol' days and being the biggest star on earth.

That said, I'm not sure it's all The Rock's fault. I just think he's such a fucking massive star, with more natural presence and charisma than every other big star in wrestling combined, that its very hard to not swallow everything around him and make them disappear in comparison. I'm not a huge fan, as discussed, but I think he either turns it on and he outshines everyone or he half arses it and it comes across like a cheap tribute. I don't think he's capable of anything else.

It isn't even a moan at this point, but they've done an absolutely cracking job building matches that aren't happening.

It's messy and chaotic, and there's lots not to like still I think, but on nights like last night it's still entertaining.

Which, I guess, is all you can hope for. Hearing Cody boos will never not hurt my soul, though.

Cody/Rock is such a mad concept, that I think that's more interesting than Rock/Roman. I'd love to see a flipped script down the line, with Cody Rhodes embracing the inner DC TV villain he's destined to play, and The Rock as the babyface.

I do think, how much you're currently enjoying this all hinges on how much you like The Rock. As it's unarguably the case that Roman has been little brothered, Rollins is a joke (still) and the universality of Cody's reactions have been sacrificed at the altar of The Rock. Like I say, I enjoyed last night in a vacuum, but I still can't quite see the play for Sunday or what they're going to do between now and Mania to establish that as the match.

21 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Imagine that entrance at Mania, with the stadium, the big stage, the pyro, tens of thousands of fans, Rock in trunks, as big as humanly possible, just before all his muscles fall off. We’re talking the greatest Wrestlemania entrance of all time. Is it scientifically possible to create actual lightning from the sky? It was that night.

Think of the pyro package Cody is currently lobbying for to compete with The Rock's entrance.

I enjoyed it.

It's still chaotic and messy, and they have completely devalued their Night 2 main event, but it was a very fun show.

I hope they do Cody/Rock at some point.

1 hour ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

It's all mad. To think that Frank and Eddie had never spoken to each other let alone met before Turki flashed the cash. Both of them like a pound note though so they quickly overcame that. Boxing really has been taken over by the Saudi money. It used to be where could the most TV money be made and the answer was always Sky for the past 30 years or so really. Sky look all at sea now though. Ben Shalom may be a nice bloke but Frank and particularly Eddie are eating him alive. Hearn suggesting thst Sky will drop Boxxer when the contract runs out at the end of the year in loads of interviews after the Dalton Smith fight. Shalom hasn't helped himself by barely giving interviews and pulling out of purse bids that he called for. If Fabio Wardley beats Frazier Clarke I do think that Ben will cry. 

Not based on anything, but my guess is Sky back out of boxing - but not entirely.

I think they'll do a deal w/ DAZN to host a certain number of DAZN shows in return for coverage of the events on Sky Sports News/promotion of DAZN PPV's; and I also think they might do something around amateur boxing, and try and do something with AJ/Team GB around amateur boxing, which is completely free of any brand reputation issues.

In effect, they'd get to wash their hands of the seedy side of boxing which isn't good for their brand, continue to broadcast professional shows via DAZN and maintain a relationship with AJ through the amateur stuff.

Or, at least, that's what i'd do if I couldn't be arsed with the faff that comes with boxing anymore.

15 hours ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

So the undercard of Beterbiev v Bivol is going to be the Matchroom v Queensbury 5v5. They've chosen the weights this afternoon. Frank has chosen Heavyweight and Middleweight. Eddie has chosen Featherweight and Light Heavyweight. Turki has also chosen Heavyweight. The fighters will be announced in a couple of weeks. Each fight is worth 1 point to the winner. Each team chooses a captain and if they win they get 2 points. 

They also floated the idea of a show at Wembley in September as an advert for Riyadh Season, that would have a similar deal to the 5v5 plus a big main event which you would have to assume is Fury v Joshua if Fury wins 

Exciting times. Wouldn't mind seeing Nick Ball v Leigh Wood at Featherweight. 

This is clearly all very exciting, but I think the unspoken truth is that it's returned boxing to the cartel era - something that 5 years ago Frank would have been horrified by, given he was the first cartel breaker.

Boxing in this country is now a co-ordinated operation between Matchroom and QP, funded by His Wonderfulness.

I don't really have a point, other than it's a bit mad and not something i'd have predicted.

2 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

If Rock had won the Rumble, I’m not sure ‘We want Cody’ would have happened. I don’t agree with most of your takes on this feud (such as Cody ‘not being a face’…I’m not sure how you’d back that statement up, but I think you’d struggle to make the case for it) - but I think you’re probably correct as far as that is concerned. 

Agree with this, I think the key thing they did was have Cody win the Rumble and signal to Roman, combined with the awkward stilted promo where Cody handed the match to The Rock.

In the middle of everything else that was going on, it was clearly a quickly cobbled together retcon and the fans kicked off.

I think if they'd gone about it a different way there'd have been some kickback, but nothing like what they got, and they'd have been able to run Roman/Rock quite easily, and Seth/Cody or whatever they wanted to do on the other night.

12 minutes ago, air_raid said:

Well, I like Cody more.

To be honest, I’m still a bit of a shameless mark for The Rock and have been most times he’s stuck his face back in ever since the first departure that felt like wrestling was no longer really “his job.” But this is an exception - he’s not coming in to work on top in favour of a heel dujour as he did in his three Mania story with Cena, he trampled on what a load of us were hoping for and many were expecting (and indeed some of the booking pointed towards) - a vengeance storyline with the chance to crown a new (and full time) top babyface, at the (latest) biggest Mania ever.

#WeWantCody

16 minutes ago, Doog said:

The problem they've created is that because The Rock has turned it on so much he's made everyone realise what a proper superstar looks like.

I actually really like Cody and Roman, but they don't compare to The Rock when he's on it like he has been since they pivoted. He's a megastar and it's shown the current crop up.

He'll be back for the next few weeks and the crowd's will be mental again.

Obviously if Rock had never got involved then the crowd would be well up for the Cody/Roman stuff, but to get a taste of Rock in the form he's in to then go back to these just doesn't compare.

It's a shame, as obviously it's been thr story and Cody is great, as is Roman, and when Rocks gone again after WrestleMania they'll be carrying it again, and after a few weeks the magic will be back, but its had a massive affect now.

Yeah, I mean this is exactly the problem.

He's a huge star. I don't personally love his act, but accept I'm in the minority, and he's come in at the last moment and made everything feel small and insignificant in comparison.

Then, in a few weeks, he'll go again and it'll all just be a bit flatter than it could have been.

He'd be a great tool to use in down years or to heat up acts or add starpower to something that needs that; as it is he's been plonked in the middle of the one year where they had something that felt like a huge main event without relying on nostalgia or celebrity.

But yeah, I'm just howling at the moon and my bedspread now. It is what it is. We should never be surprised when this company chooses to entrench nostalgia and the supremacy of the late 90's. They choose that as readily as I choose crisps over salads. It is what it is.