Paid Members tiger_rick Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 As much as the Becky/Ronda stuff was white hot after Rumble and is now a bit toasty and I've gone from absolutley pissing my pants to thinking "I hope there's a service station in the next 30 miles" - I've felt they've got away with their clumsiness over this all the way until now. The desire to fill TV time with drama and insistence on shoe horning Charlotte in have hurt it but not killed it. This is just stupid though. It's killing it for me. It is only for me though. I'm sure there are loads of poeple out there for whom some convoluted finish that sees Becky and Charlotte as champs alongside Sasha and Bayley is grand. After all, there are apparently people who think all the low-card female wrestlers deserve better spots than a battle royal. So who knows. What I'm absolutely certain of is that in terms of adding eyes to the show, they had something with Ronda and Becky that could have transcended the current hardcore audience. Week by week, I think they've eroded that. To the point where it's just a cool gimmick for their current audience to enjoy as opposed to potentially getting two acts out there who new people will pay to see. Like the difference between Bret & Shawn headlining Mania in 1996 and Austin headlining Mania in 1998. One feels like a reward for sticking with this shit. The other feels like something you have to be part of and you have to make sure your friends are all along for the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Although it should be Becky vs Ronda, Iâm really not that arsed as itâs still going to end with Becky getting her moment. I also really donât care whether the âfour horsewomenâ come out and celebrate or whether the entire roster comes out as it doesnât and wonât detract from the fact that Becky Lynch has just main evented and won at Wrestlemania. Thatâs what most will remember, not who was stood in the ring with her. I donât think that matters at all. Unless she doesnât win of course. In that case, burn it to the ground. But thatâs just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Pitcos Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Realistically, it was more like CM Punk and John Cena in 2011. An Internet favourite âshootingâ about being held down by the system vs the most famous wrestler in the company. It all seems fucking massive within the bubble (although less so now because weâve had 8 years of âomg you canât say that how is Vince allowing thisâ promos), but it does almost nothing for anyone outside of that. Like when Punk went on the media rounds and sports commentators laughed at the idea of him beating people up for a living, outsiders viewing Becky Lynch might just laugh at fake gay wrestling doing a McGregor rip-off. Itâs nice when wrestling can still happen upon something that excites us through all the jade, but come on. Thereâs no new boom period being prevented by Charlotte Flair, lads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 The big difference is that Cena didn't transcend wrestling. As brilliant as he always was and as crucial as he was as a draw amongst their fanbase, working with him wasn't drawing extra looks. Rousey is the only name they have that is garnering any sort of attention from outside your usual crowd. Not saying it definitely would have but I genuinely think the only shot they had at getting new eyes on their product. Work the quality of that they were doing coming off the Rumble all over social media and mainstream sports shows and them two on shows like on ESPN and TSN recently would have been something. How many more chances are they going to get at running something that makes some people outside the bubble think "fuck, this is interesting"? Sure they'll enjoy the sound of one hand clapping when they do their big scene at the end of Mania though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Rondas still in the main event though, so why wouldnât ânon fansâ not tune in now itâs a triple threat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snitsky's back acne Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 15 hours ago, King Pitcos said: And youâd be moaning here next Monday that one of them was too short. Not at all. I don't think I've ever complained about a match being too short have I? Is this a 'thing' I'm supposed to do or are you just trolling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 1 minute ago, SuperBacon said: Rondas still in the main event though, so why wouldnât ânon fansâ not tune in now itâs a triple threat? Because the appeal of "it's Ronda Rousey" isn't really enough - they hit that note last year, and if they've not managed to win people over just on the presence of Ronda Rousey from last year's Wrestlemania or any subsequent PPV, then it's not enough this year. A compelling narrative involving Ronda Rousey might have been enough, though - think Steve Austin squaring up to Mike Tyson - but all they've done is overcomplicate the issue. It's not that it's a Triple Threat that's the problem (on paper, having the daughter of Ric Flair in the match is another appeal to a broader potential audience), it's the circuitous route they've taken to get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted April 1, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 3 hours ago, King Pitcos said: Itâs nice when wrestling can still happen upon something that excites us through all the jade, but come on. Thereâs no new boom period being prevented by Charlotte Flair, lads. This is more truth than can be handled by some. At least with Punk his merch was huge sellers and the fans were popping so big for him, during a period where fans werent popping so big. No aspect of the business has done any better since the Becky push. She's a bigger star than she was previously, but that usually happens when you get a push. She's like the female Seth Rollins. She's there and if she wasnt nothing would really change. She's just another name for people to pretend the company is holding down, so they can hijack the show the night after Mania. She's nothing special. Mick Foley doesnt help matters, by saying Becky is the hottest act since Stone Cold. Weird old bastard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Jazzy G Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 The Foley thing reminds me of that video he made of himself smashing a TV because Daniel Bryan didn't win/wasn't in the Rumble one year. It just feels like he's hopping on something to try and stay relevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 People do massively overstate the importance of Becky Lynch, but I also think people are/were hoping that she could usher in a new era - not necessarily one of mainstream success in the late '90s sense (which I think is impossible in today's entertainment landscape), but in terms of how WWE approach things creatively. Latching on to an act that got over reasonably organically is a damn good start for a company that tends to stick rigidly to The Plan. Even if it's "just" because of the presence of Ronda Rousey, a women's match main eventing Wrestlemania should be a huge deal - and you could argue that we're so burned out on the storyline that we're overlooking that, or that it's become so inevitable that it doesn't feel unusual, depending on your point of view - and is a significant shift in focus. That shift could change the way WWE approach their product, their advertising, who they consider their core demographics - over time, it could be very exciting. I don't think it will, because I don't think there's the will to make it so. There's a lot there which could be indicative of a change of direction that could make WWE more interesting than it's been in years, but an awful lot of the fans who complain about WWE's booking need to take a step back and look at wider context, and also admit that a lot of the time their complaints, no matter how they dress them up, just boil down to "I want to see my favourite wrestlers win more often". Ultimately, those of us who have been saying for years that they should just book the women the same as they book the men are waking up to the realisation that they're often frustratingly inept at booking either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 36 minutes ago, IANdrewDiceClay said: This is more truth than can be handled by some. At least with Punk his merch was huge sellers and the fans were popping so big for him, during a period where fans werent popping so big. No aspect of the business has done any better since the Becky push. She's a bigger star than she was previously, but that usually happens when you get a push. She's like the female Seth Rollins. She's there and if she wasnt nothing would really change. She's just another name for people to pretend the company is holding down, so they can hijack the show the night after Mania. She's nothing special. Mick Foley doesnt help matters, by saying Becky is the hottest act since Stone Cold. Weird old bastard. Good post. And I somewhat agree. Certainly up to Rumble, the numbers hadn't moved. But I genuinely think they had a unique opportunity from there to position her as a female Steve Austin/Conor McGregor character with a great look, good accent, good mic skills, great grasp of her character, media and social media awareness against another genuinely unique woman who completely transcends wrestling. I'm not saying that would have done this or that. I just don't think they gave themselves a chance because they're so fucking blinkered. It could have been something though. Imagine the trailers running like that hype video on YouTube last week ending on the poster of Ronda and Becky. Gold. You're right, all they have left now is a female Punk/Bryan/Kofi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Pitcos Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Itâs not just âI wďťżant to see my favourite wrestlers win more oftenâ - itâs more spoilt than that now, itâs âI wďťżant to see my favourite wrestlers win more often and it has to be in exactly the way I want them to win.â As inept as WWE can seem, theyâve managed here to not only book Becky Lynch in the first ever womenâs WrestleMania main event, but by adding Charlotte, theyâve simultaneously convinced divs that WrestleMania main eventer Becky Lynch is being held down and buried by the system. For divs, being held down and buried by the system is a crucial ingredient in liking a wrestler. WWE are selling ten different Becky t-shirts on Euroshop at the moment, and theyâre managing to perpetuate belief that Vince is kinda selling them against his will when heâd rather everyone just buy the three Charlotte t-shirts on there - and thatâs the narrative that some of the fan base need to allow themselves to buy a piece of merch. Charlotte created Beckyâs anti-authority underdog push at SummerSlam and sheâs needed to solidify it at WrestleMania. Hopefully, the âIâm only liking wrestlers you donât want me to like, Vince, and youâre never gonna be my real dadâ bollocks has resulted in so much overuse of that narrative this year that we can stop it in future and go back to decent storylines. But in all likelihood, nothing is ever gonna be as appealing as rebelling against the long-term booking plans until Vince changes them, is it? Thereâs too much ego involved on our part now to ever let ourselves be entertained by something that was scripted to happen. Donât try to work me, Vince, youâre not my real dad. So the dynamic will always be either last yearâs WrestleMania main event or this yearâs WrestleMania main event, forever and ever, until AEW buys out the WWE in 2022. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members PunkStep Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 On 3/31/2019 at 9:40 AM, TildeGuy~! said: If they were so obsessed with not making it Becky Vs Ronda they should have just added Asuka as well. Charlotte is a bigger star though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted April 1, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 This just the confirmation of the naff stipulation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted April 1, 2019 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 1, 2019 Steph's going to be wearing the ref shirt isnt she? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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