The Smackers Thread

[Callum1993]

2 hours ago, BomberPat said:

AJ vs. LA just feels a bit cobbled together, a real "and who have we got left?" affair in the style of Kurt Angle vs. Kane at 'Mania 18.

Before that, I assumed the direction was going to be a US Title clusterfuck with everyone Logan Paul had cheated or screwed over getting a shot at him - LA Knight, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, probably throw AJ in there too, just a more blatant "get everyone on the card" affair, but one that at least feels like a 'Mania match.

Not to say Styles and Knight has been built up well but in fairness when Styles returned in December he immediately turned heel and attacked Knight and they’ve been feuding since…granted interspersed with the feud with Roman. But don’t think it’s fair to say it’s thrown together 

[Hannibal Scorch]

Let’s hope this doesn’t happen eh 

 

[air_raid]

6 hours ago, BomberPat said:

AJ vs. LA just feels a bit cobbled together, a real "and who have we got left?" affair in the style of Kurt Angle vs. Kane at 'Mania 18.

Before that, I assumed the direction was going to be a US Title clusterfuck with everyone Logan Paul had cheated or screwed over getting a shot at him - LA Knight, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, probably throw AJ in there too, just a more blatant "get everyone on the card" affair, but one that at least feels like a 'Mania match.

I wish they’d gone with Paul vs Knight vs Styles vs Owens and Orton & Jey vs Jimmy & Solo, rather than Styles vs Knight, Jey vs Jimmy and whatever they’re doing with the others. Knight winning the US title would have been nice recognition for how popular he’s become and a bit of actual success after failing to win the big belt in two cracks, four feels like a good number for a “constant action” midcard title match when plenty of other matches on the cards will be fairly deliberately paced. There will be plenty plenty of “meat on the bones” singles matches in Roman vs Cody, Rollins vs McIntyre, Gunther vs Zayn, Io vs Bayley and Ripley vs Lynch.* Plus Orton would finally get some of that revenge on the Bloodline on the big stage which he’s talked about on TV but thus far not really extracted. I know there’s a nice long build established between Uso and Uso, since SummerSlam Jimmys actually cost his brother the whole Triple Crown in separate title matches, but just like I never really bought Reigns vs Jey as a World title match, I don’t really buy Uso vs Uso as a singles match worthy of getting on the Mania card when lots of guys will end up in padded out multi-people clusterfucks. If anything I’d rather, as I said previously, the card be swelled by separating those other teams out from the straightforward story of Judgment Day vs Awesome Truth. Then you’d still have four matches for the card but… well, they’d be closer to achieving what I want. As it is there’s going to be less shine on guys like Miz, Truth and potentially Knight (unless he’s going over) than there could have been.

* I retract this sentiment if they add Belair vs Cargill.

Edited March 16 by air_raid
Zone. Sphere. I meant sphere.

[Merzbow]

34 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

Let’s hope this doesn’t happen eh 

 

I bloody hope it does and then Pharaoh takes a shit on the floor.

[Statto]

I'd just like to weigh in and say that I absolutely do think Jimmy vs Jey is a singles match worthy of a WrestleMania card. Even if it were still a one nighter. 

They're a genuine top 5 all time WWE tag team IMO, legit twin brothers facing off for the first time in a singles match off the back of a months-long simmering feud, as part of a years-long overarching storyline (around which the entire company has been built, basically). It's unquestionably worthy of any WrestleMania card, for me. 

 

[Doog]

7 minutes ago, Statto said:

I'd just like to weigh in and say that I absolutely do think Jimmy vs Jey is a singles match worthy of a WrestleMania card. Even if it were still a one nighter. 

They're a genuine top 5 all time WWE tag team IMO, legit twin brothers facing off for the first time in a singles match off the back of a months-long simmering feud, as part of a years-long overarching storyline (around which the entire company has been built, basically). It's unquestionably worthy of any WrestleMania card, for me. 

 

It is, 100%, however they definitely need to heat it up a bit. All of what you said is true, but we're 3 weeks out and it doesn't feel that big at all. They've hardly interacted in months and it's only the last couple weeks anything has happened. Its cold at the minute if you watch the weekly shows.

This is where it benefits just watching the PPVs, WWE are so good with the video packages it'll feel like the biggest match ever, which it should, but watching week to week it doesn't.

[DavidB6937]

It's a fine line isn't it. If they're all over each other week on week then it doesn't feel that special when they finally have a match. So I can see why they've been mostly separated. WWE have often had too many interactions between people and lessened the impact. I quite like that they haven't overdone it. There's more than enough there for me to want to see them fight. I don't think it's something that desperately needs more buildup.

[Loki]

I'm quietly hoping that LA Knight v AJ Styles will end up being great, if given enough time.   Always interesting to see two former TNA/Impact champions facing each other at Wrestlemania, from two different eras as well.  Both are guys who seem to excel on a big stage.  Outside of The Rock's match, it's the one I'm most looking forward to on the card right now.  If AJ is up for it, it could be the making of Knight in WWE.

[Callum1993]

Styles is due a great Wrestlemania match because I’d say arguably nearly all of his Mania matches so far have disappointed. The Matches with Jericho, Orton, Nakamura and Edge were all fine but weren’t at all memorable. The tag match with him and Omos against New Day was basically a squash. Arguably his best match was with Shane McMahon of all people. The Boneyard Match with Undertaker was good but was more of a Movie than a match. So he’s definitely due a memorable one. 

[Hannibal Scorch]

@Statto I don’t disagree. My point was, right now it’s ice cold. When was the last time either had a match on TV, and a decent one? Feels like forever. Because they are on different shows there has been no interaction. Now, the same could have been said about Cody and Roman, except they have crossed shows. Right now it’s the equivalent of Jimmy and Jay leaving visual voice notes to each other. As @Doog said, the video package will make you care, but there has been nothing on TV to make it seem the big deal it is. I think me and David numbers have a better feud going on than half the current WrestleMania card.

Edited March 16 by Hannibal Scorch

[SpykeDudlei1]

3 hours ago, Loki said:

I'm quietly hoping that LA Knight v AJ Styles will end up being great, if given enough time.   Always interesting to see two former TNA/Impact champions facing each other at Wrestlemania, from two different eras as well.  Both are guys who seem to excel on a big stage.  Outside of The Rock's match, it's the one I'm most looking forward to on the card right now.  If AJ is up for it, it could be the making of Knight in WWE.

Quoted wrong post 

Edited March 16 by SpykeDudlei1

[SpykeDudlei1]

3 hours ago, DavidB6937 said:

It's a fine line isn't it. If they're all over each other week on week then it doesn't feel that special when they finally have a match. So I can see why they've been mostly separated. WWE have often had too many interactions between people and lessened the impact. I quite like that they haven't overdone it. There's more than enough there for me to want to see them fight. I don't think it's something that desperately needs more buildup.

 

I’m going to sound like an old fart with this but that’s why it used to work so much better in the 4 (or 5) PPVs a year era with weekly TV that could keep the big names apart by having them face jobbers with the odd run-in or Brother Love Show/Barber Shop etc segment or showdown.

These days we end up stuck between the rock and a hard place of too little or too much interaction too soon but that so many of the audience have now become accustomed to. So much so that when we have a slow burn, long build storyline like Reigns’ reign, it feels unnatural and a lot of try to pick holes or question the sense of it.

It’s also why rehashes of SNME have never worked because the whole idea of that was it was that extraspecial star vs star opportunity outside of the Big 4.

[air_raid]

11 hours ago, Statto said:

I'd just like to weigh in and say that I absolutely do think Jimmy vs Jey is a singles match worthy of a WrestleMania card. Even if it were still a one nighter. 

They're a genuine top 5 all time WWE tag team IMO, legit twin brothers facing off for the first time in a singles match off the back of a months-long simmering feud, as part of a years-long overarching storyline (around which the entire company has been built, basically). It's unquestionably worthy of any WrestleMania card, for me.

Maybe I should rephrase ; I couldn’t pick any hole in these eloquent words and on paper it absolutely does read like it should get on a Mania card. But I find myself nowhere near as invested in it to merit so. It’s probably because I feel like everything peaked at Money In The Bank after they’d fallen out once over Zayn then reunited, stood up to Reigns and beaten him. I didn’t buy Jey as a challenger to Roman second time round and it felt unnecessary, and Jimmy betraying his brother felt very “Jesus, there’s more of this, is there?” It’s probably a factor but for whatever reason I’ve never latched onto either as a singles wrestler. Supporting players in the overall bigger story though they’ve been, it still feels for me personally a bit like if the Smoking Gunns split had made it to a match at Mania 13. Except in this case, they’re both Bart.

[Statto]

All fair points, Raid. 

I'm perhaps a bit more interested in it than most as I've bloody loved the Usos for years. I was being a bit conservative for my own opinion on saying "top 5 all time WWE tag team" - I remember saying to my mate that I thought they might actually be the WWE tag GOATs as far back as them making their entrance for the 3-way at Mania 34, long before they started getting involved in actual top card stuff. That's how much I love the Usos. 

I'm also currently following the Road to Wrestlemania via whatever gets put up on YouTube as I sacked off TNT Sport in the summer (due to lack of college football) and TBH it's about all I'm finding time for. So I've perhaps not noticed if the recent feud is a little lacking. 

[air_raid]

Oh I get it, different strokes for different blokes.

Like I acknowledge that while after Usos vs Zayn & Owens last year had such a story and commanded such respect on the card, I’d have liked to have seen the story (which has build) of Judgment Day vs Truth & Miz afforded the same treatment, that equally plenty of people don’t mind the tag team championship being the centrepiece of another “throw a load of guys at it” clusterfuck. I know we’re very much removed from the days that the Harts or LOD could go on last and still draw a full house in South Bend Indiana or Red Deer, Alberta, buts it’s nice to see them present the tag belts as worthy of telling a real story when there’s a chance. And this was a chance.