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

[d-d-d-dAz]

7 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Man, that was rough.

Punk is very good at speaking. He's very good at cutting promos with a passion that feels genuine. He's very good at crowd control. He's very good at coming up with witty lines.

But if you look at any of it past the immediate surface level or think about it for longer than 5 seconds it's all just absolute stupid bullshit and the weakest most predictable stuff imaginable.

I groaned out loud when he started going on about how unpredictable, authentic and out of control he was. Same old shit with this guy. Talk about how dangerous he is while saying the weakest shit imaginable, patting himself on the vack for how punk rock he is and collecting blood money paychecks. Utterly weird fourth wall worked shoot stuff that makes no sense at all. How does bringing up a dog food angle from years ago help things? Would Harley Race have cut this shitty promo? Would Race have brought up how much money he has then asked for the company to cut ticket prices in a promo to promote an upcoming match?

And FUCK HIM for referring to a sex trafficking rapist and abuser as a "weird old man" for a crowd pop. Absolute edge lord hypocrit pussy.

I dunno, if you enjoy this stuff I assume you fucking LOVE watching keys jingle.

It was a very well delivered promo. And if it'd have been kept to the digs at Roman, fine, but the 'authentic' stuff took me out of it.

Mate, you're the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's frequent flier of the year. You even go to shows you're not working. Pack it in, on about how you're not for sale. 

I thought it also made very transparent that what Triple H is going to do is have the celebrity stuff on one hand, and then on the other use people like Punk and Cody (with their 'off the cuff' promos) to try and keep the fans happy.

That really rubbed me up the wrong way, like being patronised by an openly unfaithful partner.

Just shag the celebrities if that's what you want to do. Don't waste your time telling me you still love me.

[TheScarlettChad]

Part of me wonders if this is Triple H using Punk as a vessel to be petty at TKO. 

[DavidB6937]

25 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

 I dunno, if you enjoy this stuff I assume you fucking LOVE watching keys jingle.

What are we talking? Standard house keys? Royce? Richard?

[d-d-d-dAz]

20 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said:

Part of me wonders if this is Triple H using Punk as a vessel to be petty at TKO. 

Forgive another walk through my own CV, but i'm guessing its less about being petty and more about keeping the traditional members on board at a time of change.

I was working at the Oval when The Hundred was being introduced, and on the one hand you've got to be like 'ooh, look, influencers and bands and fireworks and maybe some cricket if there's time' and on the other, in the AGM's and in Pavilion chats, you had to reassure the 70 year olds that Surrey was still the Club they loved and red ball, 4 day cricket was still the ultimate.

Having Punk say 'fuck you Ari, it's not about wrestling it's about TICKET PRICES!!!' is their equivalent of saying it an AGM or in a chat under a big framed picture of Jack Hobbs. Their bet is no casual sports/entertainment fan they're trying to catch with celebs is even watching the TV show or following the debate online on wrestling sites, so its fine. 

A bit of red meat for the old guard, whilst they continue flogging their 100 ball version of Wrestlemania.

And that's us by the way, we're the old guard. We're the ones that bring a flask of tea,  a book and want to watch the sport we were brought up on.

[FLips]

How many “Pipebombs” has Punk dropped now? Is this the 4th or 5th one?

They don’t work in this modern age because the veil was lifted so long ago. Nothing is a shoot anymore, everything is a work. WWE’s “unscripted reality documentary show” is a work, Vince’s McMahon’s real sex crimes are being used as a work, we all know too much about too many things and too many people to care that CM Punk told the crowd they’re being conned on the ticket prices because we know it’s a work. They’ll still ask you to remortgage your home for a 46th row obscured view ticket to Night 1 of Wrestlemania without even knowing what the card is 2 weeks from the show.

He’s too old and his mask too off to be pulling this sort of thing. You can’t be the loose cannon, bridge burning voice of the voiceless when you’re sucking blood covered dick in Saudi for your buy one get one free extravaganza, and WWE have unburnable bridges proven by the fact you’re back there in the first fucking place.

You can pinpoint the moment this feud died a death when CM Punk dropped the “your dad is dead” line. It’s been downhill from there, because they simultaneously exposed the facts that Roman can’t carry a main event without the Bloodline angle and Punk can’t do a feud without worked shoot bollocks.

Their match will probably be decent, but man what a waste of a build.

[Supremo]

Last year, the joke was the Wrestlemania build felt like Wrestlemania 2000. This year, it’s fucking Bash at the Beach 2000!

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, the two top babyfaces, each one half of the Wrestlemania main events, both doing their own version of, “…and that’s why this company is in the damn shape it's in, because of bullshit like this!” Absolutely dreadful. It was a solid, if unremarkable Wrestlemania season that’s completely fallen off a worked shoot cliff. Russo turning in his grave, bro.

CM Punk’s promo belongs deep in the bin. Trying to portray yourself as the cutting edge Punk Rock rebel when you now fly to Saudi shows when you aren’t even booked, like a Blood Money Dennis Stamp. Trying to be clever by calling him Pat MAGAfee when you seemingly spend all your spare time giving this man cuddles.

Referencing Vince McMahon for cheap babyface pops is disgusting at the best of times. Reducing the abusive sex trafficker to, “a weird old man,” is positively gross. Nevermind the fact that you originally came back when Vince was still mooching about.

A real full circle moment that he closed on that, “lower the ticket prices,” shit. The prophecy is complete. Not only did you go back to headline Night Four of the Buy One Get One Free Extravaganza, but the biggest pop for your Wrestlemania Main Event promo was for admitting your company rips the fans off. Incredible.

You don’t drink. You don’t smoke. You don’t do drugs. But you sure as fuck have your cake and eat it. Overdosed on Hypocrite Cake here, Phillip. Treat yourself to a mini vacation to recover. I hear Saudi Arabia is lovely this time of year.

Edited April 7 by Supremo

[d-d-d-dAz]

I mean, let's be clear, if this ends with them doing an actual buy-one-get-one-free offer i'll pop my liver laughing.

[WrestlingForFun]

I agree with what a lot of you are saying in regards to the content - the Vince line was unnecessary.

BUT 

Why are you addressing this as if Punk has just decided to come out and say these things on his own? When this is clearly (and shittily) clearly part of a plotline they’re building - and he’ll be a main character in that story.  
 

I don’t think it’s just about this WrestleMania. I think they’re moving into a space where the main plot is going to be Traditional WWE vs TKO. With loads of people in the company taking sides. Similar to ECW vs The Network and WCW vs NWO. I think it’ll be the drizzling shits - but that’s what they’re building. 

[Supremo]

They did “FEE FREE FRIDAY!” this week as their most recent attempt to desperately shift some tickets. Even used Punk’s match to promote it. We are so, so close to Buy One Get One Free!

Saddest part is reading the general reaction to Punk’s promo online. Everyone seems to be gobbling it up, talking about how he, “cooked,” TKO. Has the business passed me by? Or did the last few years create more new fans than I ever realised? I can’t fathom anyone being invested or worked by such transparent, gross bullshit. I’m almost jealous! Maybe Punk’s got his finger on the pulse more than anyone gives him credit.

What do you think the teams will be for the inevitable WWE vs. TKO War Games match at Survivor Series? Will they go straight The Boys vs. Celebs? Or will Seth inevitably turn heel and join Team TKO?

Edited April 7 by Supremo

[d-d-d-dAz]

6 minutes ago, WrestlingForFun said:

I agree with what a lot of you are saying in regards to the content - the Vince line was unnecessary.

BUT 

Why are you addressing this as if Punk has just decided to come out and say these things on his own? When this is clearly (and shittily) clearly part of a plotline they’re building - and he’ll be a main character in that story.  

I'm not sure anyone has. I think the overwhelming feeling is that WWE are trying to have their cake and eat it.

That said, you can also have issue with Punk allowing himself to be the vessel for some of this when he's been the ultimate company man since his return.

I also don't believe they're building a big story about WWE vs TKO. I think they're trying to keep their motley crew of an audience together on the road to Mania. We'll be back to Punk v Rollins by Backlash.

[TheScarlettChad]

8 minutes ago, WrestlingForFun said:

I agree with what a lot of you are saying in regards to the content - the Vince line was unnecessary.

BUT 

Why are you addressing this as if Punk has just decided to come out and say these things on his own? When this is clearly (and shittily) clearly part of a plotline they’re building - and he’ll be a main character in that story.  
 

I don’t think it’s just about this WrestleMania. I think they’re moving into a space where the main plot is going to be Traditional WWE vs TKO. With loads of people in the company taking sides. Similar to ECW vs The Network and WCW vs NWO. I think it’ll be the drizzling shits - but that’s what they’re building. 

I don't think so. I think they just want something, ANYTHING to get hype for mania. I don't see Ari appearing on WWE TV to feud with Trips. 

[WrestlingForFun]

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

I'm not sure anyone has. I think the overwhelming feeling is that WWE are trying to have their cake and eat it.

That said, you can also have issue with Punk allowing himself to be the vessel for some of this when he's been the ultimate company man since his return.

I also don't believe they're building a big story about WWE vs TKO. I think they're trying to keep their motley crew of an audience together on the road to Mania. We'll be back to Punk v Rollins by Backlash.

Now you’ve said the Rollins thing I actually DO hope they do a big meta TKO feud lol

Edited April 7 by WrestlingForFun

[LaGoosh]

Yeah this whole "Blame TKO, not us!" just seems like Triple H doing damage control because he can see the fans starting to turn on him (and the company) after he got used to them sending him fruit baskets. But the mask is off and this twat only has about two creative ideas and he just does them on repeat. There's never going to be an actual on screen WWE vs TKO story.

It's like when every time something good used to happen the fans would say "Vince must have been nowhere near it" and every time something shit happened the fans would say "Vince ruined it!". Now they are conditioning the fans to blame TKO for everything bad and not the company.

And now you've go "The Voice of The Voiceless" out there feeding fans this stuff when even they know it's all lip service. It's all pretty gross and disgusting cynical.

Edited April 7 by LaGoosh

[Supremo]

It was already funny enough watching Hunter go from press conferences with reporters, to post-show panels with fans, to being interviewed alone by Jackie Redmond backstage.

At this rate, his post-Wrestlemania address will come from a blanket fort he’s built in his locker room, with a, “Please Blame TKO,” flag poking out.

[BomberPat]

I said to a mate yesterday, the moment news stories started saying that Pat McAfee and whatever else was a TKO edict from over Triple H's head, it's weird how we never hear about any popular decisions coming from on high. Always take the credit, never the blame.

Even if some of those ideas were coming from Ari Emmanuel or Nick Khan, they're not booking the TV. Trips is still the booker, and still has a full creative team at his disposal. TKO might have asked for Pat McAfee to be involved in the Orton/Cody match, but it's Triple H's department who executed it. Ari Emmanuel isn't saying, "make sure Pat's booked to cut a shit promo about how bad our TV show is" or "have CM Punk do his tired schtick, but with less substance than ever". All of this worked shoot bollocks is coming from Triple H or someone else on creative, not some mysterious management figure pulling the strings around him. If the ideas were TKO's, a good booker would have found a way to make them work.