The Official UKFF RAW thread (part 2)...

[theringmaster]

16 hours ago, RIDDUM_N_STYLE said:

 

25th Anniversary - 22/01/18 -  Miz won the IC title from Roman Reigns 

I have been watching wwe since early 90's and I have absolutely no memory of Reigns having the IC belt🤣. I can only assume it was a short reign.

 

Generally a decent episode but cutting the womens steel cage match was just a constant reminder of what WWE's attitude is towards women still, they made sure they got their corny DX reunion in (gets more and more cringe every year, you're 60 year old guys, give it up).

Brock's return is the biggest eye roll to me, does anybody care anymore?

Bloodline were brilliant, I enjoyed the cameos although 'fresh blood' would be appreciated now and again, Ron Simmons saying Damm every anniversary show gets tired. Bianca is just brilliant isn't she?

[Supremo]

Was that Hulk Hogan’s first appearance since Triple H and HBK got the keys to the kingdom? Love the idea of Shawn in Gorilla, purposely cutting his mic, still holding a grudge from Summerslam 2005.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Supremo

[RedRooster]

2 hours ago, theringmaster said:

Brock's return is the biggest eye roll to me, does anybody care anymore?

While I totally understand Brock Lesnar fatigue, I still enjoy him enough. I'd like to see him wrestle some fresh opponents though - Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens Gunther, Sheamus, Cody Rhodes, Solo Sikoa, Santos Escobar - someone different. 

[FUM]

5 hours ago, Onyx2 said:

"We need music for our key TV show's anniversary video package, who's primary brand colour has always been red."

"What about Blue?"

"Perfect."

To be fair this post has you as more out of touch than it does WWE.

That first hour was incredible TV with the exception of Hogan. I am invested to the point I think my heart will break like Ralph once a finger gets laid on Sami - I really hope he takes the spoils at Mania after The Bloodline walk out on that manipulating bastard Roman.

They had me a few times on falls in that tag title match - first time in a long time I’ve actively celebrated kick outs. 

[wordsfromlee]

Seeing Undertaker in his bandana and backwards baseball cap gave me serious "how do you do, fellow kids" vibes.

[Loki]

1 hour ago, Supremo said:

Was that Hulk Hogan’s first appearance since Triple H and HBK got the keys to the kingdom? Love the idea of Shawn in Gorilla, purposely cutting his mic, still holding a grudge from Summerslam 2005.

Not only that, the Hulkster just drew the largest domestic gate in Raw history!  Get him back full time Haitch.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Loki

[Onyx2]

59 minutes ago, FUM said:

To be fair this post has you as more out of touch than it does WWE.

It's hardly biting critique, just taking the obvious joke that was right there. 

Agree with your review though, the first hour was great then dribbled on forever. 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Onyx2

[Supremo]

The Bloodline thing on this show was so fucking great that the end goal can’t even just be Sami beating Roman for the Title anymore. It has to be the entire Bloodline stepping aside, acknowledging Sami, and allowing him to beat Roman. All running down to make the save, then changing their mind, giving him the nod. I’ll weep.

[DavidB6937]

38 minutes ago, Supremo said:

The Bloodline thing on this show was so fucking great that the end goal can’t even just be Sami beating Roman for the Title anymore. It has to be the entire Bloodline stepping aside, acknowledging Sami, and allowing him to beat Roman. All running down to make the save, then changing their mind, giving him the nod. I’ll weep.

And then the night after Mania the real acknowledgement.

[Statto]

10 hours ago, JNLister said:

Not saying it's a booking crutch, but the word "return" now appears 75 times in Lesnar's Wikipedia bio.

I for one am shocked that Brock Lesnar turned up after Lashley (who had a no-DQ main event match) talked extensively about Brock Lesnar and how he had definitely seen off Brock Lesnar for good.

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

8 hours ago, theringmaster said:

I have been watching wwe since early 90's and I have absolutely no memory of Reigns having the IC belt🤣. I can only assume it was a short reign.

 

 

63 days, he beat Miz for the title on the November 20th 2017 show

[garynysmon]

I watched most of this as I’m a sucker for nostalgia. 

Paul Heyman is fucking incredible isn’t he?

The best thing I can say is that I didn’t find the production anywhere near as grating and overproduced as I have in the past.

Not sure there’s much there that would keep me watching on the regular though.

They’re so unimaginative with their use of legends though, which are always the same old faces too. DX? Fuck right off. They couldn’t even be bothered making the current crop look like shite.

I doubt that Tatanka regrets missing his son’s wrestling event to skulk in the background of a card game.

Edited January 25, 2023 by garynysmon

[DavidB6937]

36 minutes ago, garynysmon said:

They’re so unimaginative with their use of legends though, which are always the same old faces too. DX? Fuck right off. They couldn’t even be bothered making the current crop look like shite.

I doubt that Tatanka regrets meeting his son’s wrestling event to skulk in the background of a card game.

I think the problem is that they probably think these are the legends people want to see.. and they're probably right? In general those are the guys people enjoy watching.

BUT that's because of their obvious failure to create new stars. So you have to drag out the old ones again and again because there have been so many since that no one actually gives a shit about.

Just imagine how depressing anniversary shows might be in the future once these guys are done with.

[garynysmon]

To be fair t’was always thus. Remember in the 90’s they were trying to convince us that Fred Blassie, Ernie Ladd and Gorilla Monsoon were the legends because Bruno and all the proper stars of the 80s were all with WCW or had pissed Vince off in some way.

[David]

On 1/24/2023 at 8:34 AM, RedRooster said:

The fact that certain wrestling journalists and figures within the industry look to defend people like Flair, while actively casting doubt on people like Ashley Massaro, Rita Chatterton and Shelly Martinez is beyond depressing. 

Yeah, but that's because they're not real journalists, isn't it? Most of them are fans who've started websites, or bumbling old fools who started newsletters. Much to the detriment of the victims in all of these wrestling or wrestler-related situations, any real journalist worth their salt would take a whole lot of convincing to touch wrestling. 

Even when covering the actual crimes and accusations I bet they got push-back from people who don't follow the shows. I've had it from friends when trying to explain why Vince is gone from WWE.

"Yeah, but that's all fake storyline stuff, isn't it? The Mr McMahon character was slimy and rapey, so it's probably just fake shit. He'll be back in a few weeks no doubt, just like other times he's been supposedly ousted from the bosses chair."

I'd argue that it actually wasn't storyline stuff and the accusations were real, only to be met with suspicion and talk about how the media have fallen for wrestling stuff in the past.

Then my case was completely obliterated when Vince returned to the company within months. "See! If he really raped folk he'd be out for good! He's back in because it's fake"

If only it was fake. 

On 1/24/2023 at 9:12 AM, Nick James said:

Time is the key, it always has been. Hogan opened the show, Flair was there almost crying on cam, Vince is back, Lawler, the names are endless and the pops from the crowd are still always there. AEW are the same, The Briscoes are not allowed near AEW TV, yet you have people like Tyson, Lethal, Allin all appearing on screen. Impact as well, Dreamer is back there, Raven and so forth. Wrestling is as scummy a business as it gets, your allegations only stick around and hinder your career if you aren't a draw, that seems to be the rule of thumb. 

Mind you, JD McDont-google-me is the exception. 

How many casual fans know any of this shit though? Really? If you took to a UK arena during a WWE show and stopped fans going in and asked them about accusations against Hogan, Flair, or any of those other names, how many would respond positively about knowing that stuff? 

I consider myself to be slightly more than a casual fan these days and even I had to go look up the Lethal stuff. I know Flair has been a total sleeze and Hogan was a racist, but that's about it.