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

[RedTwoster]

1 hour ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

I think that’s what HHH will be telling the locker room. But with the trade tariffs being increased, mass deportations occurring and threats of the wall being brought back on top of the fact they renamed a body of water for shits and giggles, it’s political.

If this was being used by a serious character I might agree with you, but by having this daft Chad Gable character use it treats the very idea of the ‘Gulf of America’ as ridiculous; either intentionally or (more likely) otherwise. Though who knows, maybe Gable or a writer knows exactly what they’re doing. 

I anbsolutely understand objecting to it strongly, given that Trump and his administration are genuinely evil. 

11 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Supposedly Cena’s schedule means he’s only got one more Raw appearance, next Monday. Going to be interesting to see what they do for the rest of the Mania build. Maybe fly Rock in? Pre-tapes? Or is Cody going to feud with a man who we literally can’t see, like when Brock was feuding with Goldberg leading into Mania 20, despite Goldberg having no dates left.

It ended up feeling like Lesnar was feuding with Steve Austin. If they jet in Rock, it would probably have a similar effect, with it feeling like a Cody/Rock feud - and I don’t think that would be a good thing. As exciting as the Cena heel turn was at the time, if they don’t have the dates to tell a good story with it, they were as well as to keep him babyface. We’ll see what happens, though. 

[tiger_rick]

21 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

Thing is predictable doesn't have to be boring. Quite a lot of the stuff going into Mania most years is predictable. 

Your commitment to always giving them the benefit of the doubt will be rewarded with a cheeseboard soon, I'm sure, buddy!

You are right though. I mentioned this in the AEW thread recently, I think when it was clear that the fix was in during that Cole/Garcia match. The problem isn't always that it's predictable, it's that we know too much and it becomes easy to predict. There are two solutions to that. One is to do what you want anyway and accept that some people work it out. The other is to constantly try and work around the audience so no-one guesses and then none of it makes sense. We all know whose approach that was.

I always think predictable when you're looking forward to something is great. Predictable when you don't want it is shit. The predictable bit becomes irrelevent in those cases.

[Mr_Danger]

If Cena doesn’t give Cody a good old fashioned hiding at the behest of Daddy Rock next Raw then they will have somehow managed to take what should be the hottest angle in years and not even have lit the kindling.

[DavidB6937]

1 hour ago, tiger_rick said:

Your commitment to always giving them the benefit of the doubt will be rewarded with a cheeseboard soon, I'm sure, buddy!

Not sure I defended anything there! Was a general comment about predictability and how it doesn't have to be surprising to be good.

Plenty of builds over the years at Mania have had predictable endings yet managed to be completely satisfying. It can go completely the other way and have swerves for the sake of it and end up being just as shit. 

[TheScarlettChad]

As soon as Austin won the 2001 Rumble, you knew, Rock vs Austin 2 was coming. Didn't see anyone moaning about that.

On the topic of raw. It's a shame it's going back to pre Late 2022 quality. 

[WyattSheepMask]

30 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said:

As soon as Austin won the 2001 Rumble, you knew, Rock vs Austin 2 was coming. Didn't see anyone moaning about that.

 

Match people want = no complaints

Match people don’t want = complaints

[TheScarlettChad]

7 minutes ago, WyattSheepMask said:

Match people want = no complaints

Match people don’t want = complaints

But it was predictable. Aa long as it's well booked, predictable is fine. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

For all the 'new era, things are different now' shite, Triple H is guilty of Vinnie Mac's worst (booking) trait; he still doesn't trust that wrestling motivations are enough for main eventers.

God bless Cody, you can tell his instincts are the exact opposite, and he tries... but what the fuck is John Cena even on about? It makes less than no sense, especially in the current climate where he's been beloved for at least half a decade. It's hammy, outdated bollocks. 

Why can't he just be motivated by the fact that he wants to be in his prime still, he wants to be champion and he's jealous that the world has moved on and there's a younger model on top? Why isn't that enough? Why does he have to 'ruin wrestling'?

Shite. 

I'm sure Raw and Smackdown will be fun in person and I definitely don't regret buying tickets (promise) but they've absolutely fluffed this Mania. It's literally all shite on the Raw side. Jey's a joke, Rhea's a crybaby, Cena's on another planet and poor old Phil is trying to rescue something that is beyond rescuing.

This Mania can pop rocks in its socks and jump in the sea for all I care.

[Vamp]

There's still plenty of time for the triple threat to become either of the singles matches people want to see. You can't expect all 3 of them to avoid injury.

Ultimately I think they've been a bit premature with most of their builds. Once you've had Rollins try to kill Roman, where do you go to keep building the tension? How do you keep upping the intensity when people are already brawling all over the arena? The Cody/Cena build peaked with the heel turn. 

I'm ready for the matches now. I don't think there's anything at this stage that could add more intrigue to any of the matches they're offering but there's plenty they can do reduce the intrigue. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

3 minutes ago, Vamp said:

There's still plenty of time for the triple threat to become either of the singles matches people want to see. You can't expect all 3 of them to avoid injury.

And isn't that the true spirit of a good Mania build? Hoping for injury to derail a marquee match.

[air_raid]

Vince is rolling over in his oxygen tent at Reigns' use of "kill."

We dont try to kill people on our show, pal! We just send them to the nearest medical facility.

[TheScarlettChad]

Honestly though, it's not half as bad as Vince's booking. Cena would've buried Cody two weeks in a row if he was still booking. 

[RedTwoster]

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

For all the 'new era, things are different now' shite, Triple H is guilty of Vinnie Mac's worst (booking) trait; he still doesn't trust that wrestling motivations are enough for main eventers.

God bless Cody, you can tell his instincts are the exact opposite, and he tries... but what the fuck is John Cena even on about? It makes less than no sense, especially in the current climate where he's been beloved for at least half a decade. It's hammy, outdated bollocks. 

Why can't he just be motivated by the fact that he wants to be in his prime still, he wants to be champion and he's jealous that the world has moved on and there's a younger model on top? Why isn't that enough? Why does he have to 'ruin wrestling'?

I really like the motivation - it’s not hard to relate to the temptation to stick it to the people who got on your nerves at work when you’re on the way out!

The one thing I didn’t like was that not one person at any point said ‘I wonder what Gunther thinks about that?’ 

Surely he should feel disrespected in some way - I realise they won’t want to muddy the waters too much, but even a quick comment from Gunther would have been enough. 

The World title feels lower value than the original World Heavyweight title or Universal title ever did, if you’re going to have two world titles, at least try to make them both feel important.

[air_raid]

I did wince watching this morning that "Undisputed" has crept into the graphic for the Cody vs Cena title match. Are they still banging that drum? There are two world titles, yet the one Cody has is "Undisputed"? I dispute that, actually.

[Daaaaaad!]

2 hours ago, Vamp said:

Once you've had Rollins try to kill Roman, where do you go to keep building the tension?

POINTING.