The Smackers Thread

[RedRooster]

I also enjoyed JBL as champion. I wasn’t sold on him at all at first; he was in a new gimmick and he hadn’t really established himself as a character. In addition, Eddie Guerrero was my favourite wrestler - I was a relatively new fan, and this was the first time I felt like someone was ‘my guy’. 

As the months went on, I started to feel more and more invested in the character, and seeing him lose. His promos were excellent, The Cabinet was a fun stable and his matches were hard-hitting and very watchable. 

So yeah, I thought he had a good run. 

[LaGoosh]

1 hour ago, jazzygeofferz said:

I really enjoyed JBL as champion. Proper old school heel. They came up with some nice imaginative ways for him to retain the title as well. The finish of the steel cage match where he got chokeslammed through the ring and crawled outside for the win. His way of winning the title from Eddie. Really creative stuff. He never looked like a strong champion, but it was perfectly in fitting with his character. 

His match with Eddie, the bloodbath one, is an absolutely incredible match that basically justifies his entire reign as far as I'm concerned. 

Also despite being insanely un-PC him hunting the border for Mexicans was very funny to watch.

Edited February 4, 2023 by LaGoosh

[d-d-d-dAz]

So, what I’m hearing is, sometimes you have to trust the WWE to know what’s best, let it play out, sit back and enjoy and Cody Rhodes is the bestest forever and ever amen, and we all have adrenaline in our souls?

Cool.

 

[Zaheer]

I absolutely adore everything with Sami its absolute money. My favourite thing in wrestling.

However,  if you genuinely think his rise is a bigger story than Stardust leaving,  building a whole PROMOTION around him and becoming the star he believes he was. Then going on to win the title that  alluded his dad?  I don't know what to tell you.

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Zaheer

[FUM]

1 minute ago, Zaheer said:

I absolutely adore everything with Sami its absolute money. My favourite thing in wrestling.

However,  if you genuinely think his rise is a bigger story than Stardust leaving,  building a whole PROMOTION around him and becoming the star he believes he was. Then going on to win the title that  alluded his dad?  I don't know what to tell you.

 

Nobody said that wasn’t a bigger story overall but it’s one that doesn’t have an expiry date though like Sami Zayn’s does.

I haven’t seen one person unhappy about Cody’s story, purely the timing of it coinciding with the chance to make someone else. Cody is always going to be made one way or another.

[Supremo]

I bet I’d enjoy JBL’s title reign a million times more now I’m not a snarky little workrate wanker. Was it during his title run that he wore that back brace, halo, with cowboy hat on top? Belter.

[Slapnut]

20 minutes ago, Zaheer said:

I absolutely adore everything with Sami its absolute money. My favourite thing in wrestling.

However,  if you genuinely think his rise is a bigger story than Stardust leaving,  building a whole PROMOTION around him and becoming the star he believes he was. Then going on to win the title that  alluded his dad?  I don't know what to tell you.

It might not necessary be a bigger story (although I’m not entirely sure how to gauge that), but to me it’s the more entertaining story, and the one I’m more invested in by far.

[d-d-d-dAz]

In one of the little clips of their shit new video game they’re releasing, the commentators say (and keep in mind this is a video game so completely scripted and on message): “Son of a dream, the American Nightmare… he went away to prove himself outside the WWE and now he’s back as a true main event star!”

Like, I don’t know how many more lights need to flash on the internets dashboard before people realise that they absolutely consider Cody able to live amongst the upper echelon’s of their talent roster.

It’s bigger because they’re trying to anoint him as a BIG deal, and I suspect they think the Sami train has been a hell of a ride, but once it reaches its final destination there’s nowhere else to go.

I don’t know what they’re going to do, but like I say I’d be disappointed if fans turn on Cody and I’d be even more disappointed if plans are changed on a whim, only for it to damage their attempts to create a genuine new top star (jury’s out on whether it’ll work but it’s still exciting) and for Sami to be back in the Andre Battle Royal next year.

Edited February 4, 2023 by d-d-d-dAz

[FUM]

14 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Like, I don’t know how many more lights need to flash on the internets dashboard before people realise that they absolutely consider Cody able to live amongst the upper echelon’s of their talent roster.

 

The same amount that need to flash before people stop making out that anyone is saying Cody isn’t going to be a star I’d imagine.

[Pinc]

Sami wins in Montreal and Cody turns heel by cheating to beat him at Mania. Roman faces Jey.

[d-d-d-dAz]

32 minutes ago, FUM said:

The same amount that need to flash before people stop making out that anyone is saying Cody isn’t going to be a star I’d imagine.

I genuinely don’t think you can have it both ways.

Swap Cody out, he’s a loser.

Make Roman work both nights and it diminishes each individual match.

Have Roman beat before Wrestlemania and Cody is facing a transitional, 2 month champion.

It’s a good headache for them to have, but peaking a storyline for Chamber was always going to be a risky move.

On the one hand they’ve got a red hot story with a babyface who I don’t think anyone really sees as a long term marquee name, on the other they’ve got ’the plan’ that everyone seems to be cooling on but featuring someone who actually could be a star.

I’m waiting for the good idea that unpicks this in a way that keeps everyone happy.

[Slapnut]

1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Like, I don’t know how many more lights need to flash on the internets dashboard before people realise that they absolutely consider Cody able to live amongst the upper echelon’s of their talent roster.

dAz, I genuinely don’t understand what point you keep trying to make with the Cody stuff. As FUM has said a few times, absolutely nobody is saying Cody shouldn’t be a top guy. I’ve mentioned previously that I’m not really a fan of his, but even I’m not blinkered enough to suggest he’s not main event material.

But what I’m struggling with the most, and please correct me if I’m wrong here, it seems like you’re saying we should all be fine with the Cody match because that’s the big Wrestlemania plan and it’ll be grand because he’ll come out the other side as a massive star.

The thing is though, why would I care about that? As a viewer, why should I put aside my feelings on the Sami storyline just because WWE have decided Cody is the next tippy top guy? I get no real viewing pleasure from a guy I don’t particularly like being the top star, and I’m not a shareholder so I don’t benefit financially, so why wouldn’t I (and many others) express our disappointment a match we consider to be the hottest match they can do isn’t main eventing the big show?

It’s only the bigger story because they keep telling us it’s the bigger story. There’s fuck all heat between Cody and Roman. Will it be a good match? Yeah probably. Will it be a great moment when he wins the belt? Yep. In my opinion, from the perspective of a fan, would it be better if it were Sami? Undoubtedly.

(Apologies if this is rambly, I’ve had some wines and it’s taken me ages to word this).

[Jesse]

For as much talk as there is on Sami only being good for the culmination of the story and not much of a long-term star, the more I remember Cody in AEW I'm not sure I'm sold on him as the future face of WWE either. We know he can turn it on, and there's a neat story in him going away and reinventing himself and the presentation - but from the parts of AEW I was tuned into he delivered as much absolute dross as he did career highlights.

I do think they're likely to go through with attempting to make him a star, and I'm sure he'll settle in and around the main event, but there's a long way to go before I'm convinced he can consistently carry stuff week to week rather than pull out a good couple of months once a year. That all changes if Arn Anderson comes back and starts waving a gun around, obviously. Instant 5 stars.

[Joe Blog]

I think Sami could lose and could still come out of this fine. Jey is the key to all of this* however they choose to use him will be the difference maker.
 

Without the Cody factor this would be the easiest story in the world to conclude. Sami beats Roman for a belt in Montreal.
 

Roman beating Sami at EC has to happen really but Sami needs to take him to his absolute limit. Post match you can have Jimmy and Solo beating Sami down again which allows KO to make the save. Depending on what you do with Jey can determine where this story goes next, does he save Sami? Does he turn on him?

Wrestling is supposed to have feel good endings but I don’t think this story was ever about a feel good ending in regards to Sami lifting a title.
 

The friendship of KO and Sami has been the lifeblood of this all. Let Sami break all our hearts by not beating Roman, let Jay realise that Sami is the heart and soul of the Bloodline, conclude it with Sami and Owens holding the tag belts at Mania to show that true friendship will always be there, that is the feel good ending to this story. 
 

*Jey is as important to this story as Sami is. He has been gaslighted by Roman for years now, the only difference being that he had no one to show him how it could be, Jimmy and Solo fell in line. It was Sami who showed Jay that friendship isn’t conditional, that is why Jay hated Sami so much, not because he was an outsider but because he accepted all of the Bloodline as family even when they were awful to him. Sami showed Jay a better way to be. 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Joe Blog

[d-d-d-dAz]

I think the point I’m trying to make is that, as part of my viewing experience as a fan I like to think about the future, and seeing stars created who’ll take the company forward.

I like wrestling when it’s massive and has big, crossover stars and enjoy seeing that process in action.

I’ve really enjoyed the Bloodline stuff, but I think the Sami stuff is a distraction from the real big game.

For me, Sami Zaynia is KofiMania pt2, and I don’t think it warrants deviating from the coronation of Cody as Sami will be back in the mid-card within a few months. On that note, Anyone fancy betting me a lot of money that he won’t?

I’m not sure Cody will be the next big thing either, for what it’s worth, but the idea of them deciding ‘right, this is the guy, let’s go… rocket boosters at the ready’ and having him beat Roman on night 2 for both belts and having the big moment is more exciting to me than them chucking everything aside because a mid-card guy is playing his part in what is - admittedly - an incredibly red hot angle.

I will continue to make this point through Mania season, even if it looks like Cody has been put in the curtain-jerker against Santino Marella and Sami is in the main event.

Edited February 5, 2023 by d-d-d-dAz