Summerslam 2018

[Egg Shen]

probably the only time a stat has mattered in any way in pro wrestling was the Undertaker's Streak, and I always thought that was fucking naff.

[Keith Houchen]

53 minutes ago, Egg Shen said:

Not that it matter but why would you include a stat saying that you've lost over 1,000 matches, I can't be the only person who finds that weird? just add a 'career wins' stat.

He didn't make the graphic, did he?  I thought he was mocking the arbitrary nature of the stats in the graphic by throwing in his own to take the piss out of his opponent.

[Egg Shen]

I hadn't even read the comment at the top. I just assumed it was an official WWE graphic.

[air_raid]

I really hope Miz wins.

[ColinBollocks]

Aye. I think they can build to a Miz WWE title win off this. Have him throw a real baby for the win.

Bryan may be pissing off to Japan not long after this, so why not squeeze some juice for The Miz. Although we all know how hard Vince gets when someone plays the twat with him, expect Bryan to win.

[air_raid]

30 minutes ago, ColinBollocks said:

Bryan may be pissing off to Japan not long after this

Still don't understand why people think WWE would let him go, or why he would leave?

[ColinBollocks]

10 minutes ago, air_raid said:

Still don't understand why people think WWE would let him go, or why he would leave?

They obviously want him to stay, but Bryan is a weirdo and probably finds 6* efforts v Okada as appealing as the money WWE will throw at him.

Plus, the WWE offer will be there so long as he doesn't go full Benoit. If he wants to do a Jericho it's a good opportunity now rather than in 3/4 years.

[TheBurningRed]

He said on Sam Roberts podcast that it’s a 90 plus percent chance that he’ll re-sign

[WeeAl]

From what Bryan is saying, it's looking like he is going to stay, but it's not definite/done or confirmed. With his contract apparently being finished at the end of this month, yet still not signed off, it suggests to me that Bryan and WWE aren't quite meeting together right at the same point.

Maybe he is holding out for more money, the promise of a better position, certain dates etc. Bryan could feel like he has more leverage for a better deal if his current one has completely expired and he is willing and able to talk to other parties. If that becomes a possibility then maybe WWE get more anxious to sign him back up. 

[air_raid]

Must be a leverage plan. He's surely not made enough to be set for life just yet and having had one brush with retirement I can't expect him to not spend the rest of his wrestling years earning as much as he can doing so. I don't think he'd be as financially "do what I want" as Jericho to be able to DO a Jericho by this point, nor do I see him fucking his young family off to go on the banter bus with Kenny and the Bucks.

[ColinBollocks]

Fair enough. I've read Bryan lives a simple life and that, so his income can be low - like all great tight arse workers.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

This isnt live discussion as such, more a question without wanted to get into SummerSlam talk in another thread. But how long has Ronda Rousey (MMA fighting hard lass) been doing her makeup like Mary the Punk?

[Supremo]

Three years, for that. The Undertaker's Streak. Raw not having a World Champion for months on end. Both Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman getting beaten in short, crappy matches just when they were starting to build momentum and looking like they could become genuine main event stars. Sticking to The Plan~! no matter what. Ignoring how over Seth became this year. And all for that. A match where both participants are booed out of the building, chants of, "You Both Suck!" and such a sense of fear that the crowd might just start walking out that you have to trick them into hanging around by lying about a cash-in following the match, only to cut to the closing graphic and end the show immediately after Roman wins. Fuck me. Some coronation.

It's like all sense and rationale was beside the point as long as Vince got that belt on Roman's shoulder. Like he's completely lost sight of everything other than making Roman the champion. If you need to orchestrate such an elaborate plan to get the belt on him, like you're plotting a fucking hit on someone, maybe you need to have a long, hard think on whether it's worth it? It genuinely reminded me of how quickly they fucked off after Montreal. "Just get the belt on him and then cut the feed, goddamit!" At least in 1997 they didn't have to bait and switch to keep people in their seats, though.

Plus, yeah, he's the champion, but now what? Everything remains the same. He's still going to get booed out of the building, only now you've even managed to make Braun look like a fucking idiot in order to make it happen. Personally, I thought Braun jumped the shark months ago, but that reaction to him coming out proved otherwise. So they give him the Roman treatment and turn him into a comedic punchbag that can't cash in despite promising he would. Why couldn't he go and get his briefcase after Brock threw it up the ramp? Is that floor lava? Also, if Braun is such a stand-up, honest guy then why didn't he make it a Triple Threat from the start? Talking about not being a coward and then waiting outside like a coward was really fucking stupid. I'm forever amazed. They had it in their grasp. Their golden ticket. Roman turns heel and joins Heyman.That was the answer to all of this. And yet no. We're back to this bullshit. What now? Roman is champion for a bit, gets booed, VInce shits his kecks again, the belt probably goes to Braun and then we're back to where we started. Maybe we can get another coronation at Wrestlemania? It's beyond comprehension.

Worst Ronda match yet by far. Her trash talking, which is usually great, was absolutely woeful (“are you fans ready....?” *silence*) and her makeup was unbelievably bad. That shot of her holding the belt will probably be all over the news and social media tomorrow, yet they made her up to look like she'd been in a fucking fire.

Not a bad show overall though. Seth vs. Ziggler, AJ vs. Joe and Bryan vs. Miz were all really great matches. The Demon squashing Corbin was brilliant, too. I just have no faith they'll build on it. Finn will probably lose to Corbin tomorrow night. I also loved Becky Lynch's turn. That was awesome. So yeah, there was some good stuff here but six hours is far too long and that main event left the worst taste imaginable. Imagine if it ended with Roman and Heyman grinning together. Fucking hell, it would've been the best thing ever. I'll never, ever get over them recognising that natural direction just like the rest of us did, but deciding they knew better and spraying some pepper spray and saying some samoan words instead.

Finally, if there was any doubt that Brock is serious about going to the UFC and being tested by USADA, that physique tonight should answer any and all questions. Neck like a stack of dimes, he looked on his way to 205 Live!

[d-d-d-dAz]

The first review i read this morning of the main event was this one: https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2018/8/20/17758042/roman-reigns-brock-lesnar-wwe-summerslam-2018-main-event-universal-championship

I’m disappointed that that doesn’t seem to be the general consensus.

First Summerslam I’ve not watched for a long time, and I don’t think I can even be arsed to catch-up.

Coming out of Mania this year I was steaming hot for wrestling. I was planning Mania trips and the lot, yet the crash this year in terms of my interest is unprecedented (I usually cool off after Mania, but still keep a little toe in). It’s to the point where in the next few months its looking likely that I could be moving to NY/NJ for a year for work, and I still might not go Mania.

[Supremo]

It likely won’t reignite your passion daz, but honestly, that main event has got to be seen to be believed. I feel like it’ll one day be looked back on as a truly pivotal moment. The longer it’s resonated with me the more Montreal vibes I’ve gotten from it. Shady as fuck tactics to get the result you want, and then pull the feed immediately. Just when you think they’re out of crappy, pathetic ideas, they get even more desperate.

I’ve seen that Strowman bait and switch described as, “clever,” in a few places but I don’t buy that at all. I know the business is built on manipulating the crowd and it all being a work, but this was just carny, con man bullshit. “Clever,” would’ve been manipulating the audience to cheer Roman. Or exploiting their boos by turning him heel. Or even recognising that no-one wanted to see Brock vs. Roman and making it a legitimate Triple Threat with Braun cashing in before the bell. It’s proper bonkers that of everything they could’ve done they decided this was their best option. At best, it completely killed the credibility of Braun, who I’m assuming is Roman’s next challenger.

Unrelated, I’ve decided I’d love Dean “The Hulk,” Ambrose to turn heel on Seth. He’s got such a tough bastard look right now, it’s the perfect time for him to go, “actually, I’ve just remembered you smashed my head into a cinder block.”