Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted January 22, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 22, 2024 3 minutes ago, CleetusVanDamme said: It'd be be bad for ratings tonight and maybe not the best for buys/whatever metric on Saturday but If we are getting a title vacated I wish they'd just go full No Mercy 2007 and do nothing to address the situation until the Rumble. I loved that PPV, didn't have a clue what was going to happen going in. Imagine if the Rumble match started with the ring annuncer saying that "this match is NOT for a title opportunity at WrestleMania. It's for the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!". Give me something spontaneous and exciting. And then have my boy Priest cash in at the end after getting eliminated last. It's a plan! Quote
Paid Members Supremo Posted January 22, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 22, 2024 It’s bad enough trying to believe the Royal Rumble winner would ever choose to face Seth for his Kinder Egg title over facing Roman for the real belt. Putting the shitty, worthless fake belt on the line in the Rumble itself makes it infinitely less exciting or interesting. Would be funny if that’s how Cody finishes his story though. Wining the crap belt, leaving Roman free to face Rock at Mania. Quote
Paid Members CleetusVanDamme Posted January 22, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 22, 2024 41 minutes ago, Supremo said: Putting the shitty, worthless fake belt on the line in the Rumble itself makes it infinitely less exciting or interesting. Is it infinitely less exciting or interesting than them just announcing tonight that that's what they're going to do on Saturday though? Because that's my point. That goes for whatever way they plan to resolve making a new champion. I'd love to go into a PPV as blind as I did back then. If there's real world panic and chaotic shuffling about off screen, I want it on screen too. Give me madness. Quote
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 1 hour ago, Supremo said: Would be funny if that’s how Cody finishes his story though. Wining the crap belt, leaving Roman free to face Rock at Mania. How would this affect the rubber chicken situation? Quote
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 4 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said: How would this affect the rubber chicken situation? I’m not suggesting for a second you should listen to me for sound financial advice. But I’m going to be putting my finances into the rubber chicken corporation as soon as the stock market opens tomorrow. Quote
Paid Members Supremo Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 That Cody/Punk promo will go down in history. As slightly above average. Yet another CM Punk promo since his return to WWE that never got out of second gear. It’s not even as if I want some shooty, Pipebomb~! bollocks. We’ve already seen an attempt at referencing his time in AEW die on its arse when nobody had a fucking clue what he was talking about. But come on. You’ve got to give me something. Every promo is like an exercise in edging. Deliver already! That graphic last week and the clips of them entering the arena promised the World, but then what did we actually get? Just another version of this. I wish I knew what it was. Is WWE’s style, cadence and presentation of promos stopping lads from ever delivering anything above a solid seven out of ten? Does Punk’s character just not fit into WWE in 2024? Or has Eddie Kingston completely ruined pro-wrestling by being so many levels above everyone else in terms of delivery and authenticity? Either way, for a segment designed to get people excited about the Rumble, as well as the inevitable Cody vs. Punk singles match, it was this bit at the end that was the most interesting! Punk shouting down Wade’s microphone about winning the Rumble, seemingly off-script. Look in his eyes. What do you see. A man staying professional, but who hasn’t forgotten about you stealing The Nexus from him, you baggy-eyed prick! Keep your scruffy hands to yourself! Forget The Rock. Forget Andrade. Dream surprise entrant is now Wade Barrett, entering from the desk. Fuck him up, Wade! Finish your story! I couldn’t be arsed watching the rest of the show. Was it explained why Damien Priest didn’t immediately run out there and kick Seth’s leg out of his leg? He’s the whopper of the century if that wasn’t made clear. What better opportunity would you ever get to cash in, than the Champ himself coming out and saying, “Me knee’s fucked, lads.” Quote
Paid Members air_raid Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 Seeing Miz fighting Judgment Day at the same time R-Truth is trying to Disco his way into membership just makes me realise how much I want The Awesome Truth back together and to finally win the tag belts 12 years later. Oh, sorry, I mean finish their story. Quote
d-d-d-dAz Posted January 23, 2024 Posted January 23, 2024 (edited) 3 hours ago, Supremo said: I wish I knew what it was. Is WWE’s style, cadence and presentation of promos stopping lads from ever delivering anything above a solid seven out of ten? Does Punk’s character just not fit into WWE in 2024? Or has Eddie Kingston completely ruined pro-wrestling by being so many levels above everyone else in terms of delivery and authenticity? I think there's something in this. I think CM Punk's shooty act feeds off of being the realest, most authentic thing happening in pro-wrestling at the time, and in a world where we've seen it all before AND AEW are willing to go further, it's always going to feel a bit under baked. The bigger worry I'd have if I was CM Punk would be how gleefully the WWE seem to have created this alternative timeline where he cut the pipebomb promo, then left and now is back. That cuts out pretty much his entire run on top, and no one seems to care. "You cut the pipebomb and then you left" ...no he didn't, he was given the world and still ended up in scruffy hoodies with tired eyes and bad sideburns. Edited January 23, 2024 by d-d-d-dAz Quote
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 I think the holding back of (or on?) Punk is with a view to a fairly imminent heel turn. I get the feeling they're not interested in presenting AEW's version of Punk nor the Summer of Punk Punk, but one who obnoxiously believes the whole world even outside Chicago loves him and is about to be disappointed. He'll perhaps address the erasure of some of his history then. I think this was sewing those seeds well but who knows. Also, around this time of year it always feels like they're saving stuff up for the Wrestlemania run-in and not trying to burn themselves out. Establishing other threats for the men's Rumble is going well, too, with Drew and Gunther looking strong again even if neither of them are realistically winning. R-Truth in 2024 though getting his comedy act over more than ever, absolutely brilliant. Also, Indi Hartwell and Katana Chance in nearly the same segment again. Thank you, Hunter. Quote
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said: in scruffy hoodies with tired eyes and bad sideburns. Sounds like me in the mid to late 90s History as always Dazzler will be written by the winners, and in this case the winners are WWE because Punk came back when he realistically had nowhere else to go and get paid what he thinks he is worth. Quote
The Gaffer Posted January 23, 2024 Posted January 23, 2024 "I want to talk about your dad" was the ultimate abesimpson.gif moment. I mentally tuned out of the promo a minute or two in which is crazy when you consider how much momentum all of this should have. WWE feel oddly muddled at this moment in time, so near to the 'Rumble. Seth is a question mark, Rock is back to ruin parties like Mourinho's Chelsea, Punk isn't setting the world alight yet, the Bloodline thing has just dissolved into being just a part of the card, and the other big star making stable seems proper late stage now as well, being embroiled in an (admittedly brilliant) comedy angle and coming off its peak of most of its stars having their coming out party for how great they actually are. It's just interesting to remark on, of course. Ultimately it's WWE. They'll probably have Austin drive a Zamboni down to the ring the Raw after the 'Rumble to call Punk out, and Shane McMahon will challenge Priest to a three stages of hell match or something. Quote
The King of Old School Posted January 23, 2024 Author Posted January 23, 2024 (edited) After last night the sensible direction for Mania is now this - WWE Title - Roman vs The Rock World Title Seth vs Gunther (Gunther to win in around 3 or 4 minutes) CM Punk vs Cody Rhodes Unless Hogan is turning up in the rumble as he teased last night, then it all becomes wide open! Edited January 23, 2024 by The King of Old School Quote
Paid Members air_raid Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 1 minute ago, The King of Old School said: WWE Title - Roman vs The Rock If the match has to happen, surely you take the belt off Roman at the Rumble so there's some doubt as to who is going to win that massive match? Everyone on Earth knows Rock isn't winning the belt again. Quote
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted January 23, 2024 Paid Members Posted January 23, 2024 2 minutes ago, air_raid said: If the match has to happen, surely you take the belt off Roman at the Rumble so there's some doubt as to who is going to win that massive match? Everyone on Earth knows Rock isn't winning the belt again. What worse, Roman losing the belts in a 4 way after the long reign. Roman losing the belts to a cash in from Priest after the 4 way, or everyone knowing that Roman is winning at Mania. None of those are palatable solutions. Quote
Factotum Posted January 23, 2024 Posted January 23, 2024 I saw a load of love online for the Punk/Cody segment and so eagerly watched it. Was that it or am I missing something with it? I mean it was...OK but I think I put in here last week that those two together really interested me given the connections. I know they can't mention a lot of stuff, but fucking hell heat it up a bit. A couple of fairly Ok lines which didn't really make a lot of sense. Punk's biggest selling point to me was always his ability to get me engaged in his feuds and matches. I don't think I particularly care about anything leading into the Rumble. Hopefully when he goes full heel we'll get the best of him, but it still all seems so flat. Quote
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