The Smackers Thread

[DCW]

That was excellent. I only catch the highlights on YT these days, but everyone looks like a megastar. When even Heyman is getting pops like that, you know you're doing proper business.

KO's promo was fantastic too & I'd definitely love to see him get a run with the belt.

Also share the delight of god awful Rollins deservedly being treated as an afterthought, just like the Mania run. Hopefully when his contract is up, TK will do us a favor and add him to his toybox. A Rollins & Jericho team or feud might just be awful enough to shatter TV screens!

[FUM]

10 minutes ago, The King of Old School said:

They are all going to abandon Roman again after War Games.

I don’t see this as anything more than Paul and Jimmy originally being taken out by Temu Bloodline and now able to get their revenge to be honest so giving a nod to each other.

Forgive me if I’m wrong here and, granted I’ve not paid huge attention to the rest of the show lately outside Bloodline biz so could have completely missed something, but have Iyo and Bayley just became mates again through that “we’re babyfaces now” thing that we were all glad they weren’t doing with The Bloodline?

 

[The King of Old School]

Possibly.

Roman/Punk for the WWE title sounds a perfect Summerslam main event to me.

Get Punk/Rollins and Rock/Roman boxed off at Mania and move on.

 

[RedTwoster]

2 minutes ago, The King of Old School said:

Roman/Punk for the WWE title sounds a perfect Summerslam main event to me.

Given that Summerslam is going to be a two-night event from 2025, you may be correct - they’ll need big matches to encourage people to stick around - but I really hope it headlines Wrestlemania in 2026, with the kind of slow build WWE has become excellent at. 

[FUM]

16 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

Given that Summerslam is going to be a two-night event from 2025, you may be correct - they’ll need big matches to encourage people to stick around - but I really hope it headlines Wrestlemania in 2026, with the kind of slow build WWE has become excellent at. 

Hoping for similar. There’s a real history there on-screen that often gets forgotten that it was Punk who brought Roman in so it’s an easy build.

[Frankie Crisp]

Dust off the My Sacrifice video, he’s back!

[The King of Old School]

Cody Rhodes hasn't defended the title since August 31st on TV.

Reckon if he was defending it at War Games it would have been announced last night.

Guessing SNME he'll face Owens?

[Captain SlackBladder]

I know it's unpopular. But I wish it wasn't Punk. 

 

No, I haven't got any better ideas other than bringing other members of the family in. 

 

I know it's just me, but my heart sank. 

[I Bent My Wookie]

Punk is a perfect choice here if it had to be 5.

It's multi man so even though he's somewhat proved the injury curse is behind him he can be the final man in and not have to do much.

The inevitable who does Paul love more storyline can slow burn, and let Roman and Punk work limited schedules as well as get their matches in with Rollins/Rock/Cody/whomever else.

To a degree it adds some fire to him vs Rollins too that he both decided to side with Roman, something Seth wouldn't but also decided that finishing his issues with Seth was less important than heading off to a different war. It puts him on the KO hit list too and I don't think they've ever faced off?

4 vs 4 would've been great but in no chance with Tama and Tonga Loa been on the winning side. At least a wildcard beast like Broson Reed gives that side some legitimacy that 3 of the 5 feel like killers right now, as well as all the still unease of what is Punks motives, who can Roman trust and who trusts Roman.

Also, crazed Tomasso Ciampa is having no entrance music away from returning to my favourite version.

[LaGoosh]

1 hour ago, I Bent My Wookie said:

It puts him on the KO hit list too and I don't think they've ever faced off?

That would be interesting. Owens legitimately despises him. The promos from Owens would be epic.

[Mr Kennedy]

I’m still stuck on whether I can accept Cody saying “…you piledrove Randy Orton” or not. Doesn’t sound right.

[Devon Malcolm]

[Supremo]

I adore that Cody used, “Piledrove,” as the past tense of, “Piledrive.” Even funnier to shout it in a fiery argument. I expect nothing less from the most ridiculous man alive.

Reminded me of this.

 

[Devon Malcolm]

Well I had a great time with this show. Almost everything they're working on right now seems to be working.

The opening promo from Solo and the Bloodline Reserves was short and sweet, did everything it needed to. Then 'poor' Blair Davenport got half a jobber's entrance for her match, in which not only did Chelsea Green look great, but she got some Chelsea chants and got the win! Of course, WWE will find a way for her to not win it but her building popularity is great to see. Some nice wrestle-y stuff at the start, and some nice wrestling am-dram from Bianca Belair when she went to check on a seemingly dead Jade Cargill. Wiv da angles now.

LA Knight and Escobar had a reasonably decent match punctuated by an excellent Nakamura video and slapping at the end. Are they making me interested in LA fucking Knight and Shinsuke sodding Nakamura? I don't want more reasons to watch this. Escobar's a great heel with nothing to do but I guess you can't find something for everyone.

The Kevin Owens / Cody Rhodes stuff was SUPERB. Two brilliant promo lads, and a villain with a point! My favourite thing in fiction. It didn't get work-shooty, which was a huge relief, and I enjoyed seeing a pissed off Rhodes. The backstage stuff with Carmelo Hayes was excellent, too. If only I could be slightly convinced Owens might beat Rhodes for the title.

The women's tag match happened but at least there were a couple of stories going on here. Candice LeRae is really good in the ring, she's playing her role well. If only she wasn't Indi-less

Then we got another teaser of Montez Ford on his own, who the crowd were solidly behind. No idea why they felt the need to run the exact same angle post-match but it was a good match and Ciampa on his own is fine with me. Some nice moving parts here.

And then....

Heyman. Punk. The timing on that spear / GTS double-act. Roman's expressions. Heyman's 1960s' Hammer horror outfit. It only makes a little bit of sense right now but they always make it make total sense. Chapter 48 in the Greatest Story in Wrestling. It's Mahabharat for people with nothing better to do. Does Sami turn? Does Rollins get the hump and interfere? Does McIntyre arrive with a dumptruck full of beads? What an ending. Such a fun show.

[RedTwoster]

5 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

The opening promo from Solo and the Bloodline Reserves was short and sweet, did everything it needed to. Then 'poor' Blair Davenport got half a jobber's entrance for her match, in which not only did Chelsea Green look great, but she got some Chelsea chants and got the win! Of course, WWE will find a way for her to not win it but her building popularity is great to see. Some nice wrestle-y stuff at the start, and some nice wrestling am-dram from Bianca Belair when she went to check on a seemingly dead Jade Cargill. Wiv da angles now.

I reckon they’ll put it on Bayley to give it a degree of credibility right away, but even if they do, I reckon Chelsea will be winning that title either before or at Wrestlemania. 

I think they could get a lot of mileage by essentially doing what Chris Jericho did when he was AEW World champion though, having Chelsea placing a bunch of historic milestones against her name simply because she’s the first Women’s US Champion - announcing herself as the longest reigning champion after a day; insisting she’s the hardest working wrestler in WWE, as she’s defended the US title more than any woman in history after her first title defence etc.