It's Wrestlemania Season

[SuperBacon]

44 minutes ago, Pinc said:

If that's a feel good ending for you then fair play, but it felt very grubby to me.

And that's the crux of it isn't it? 

I'll be very honest and you can all call me naive if you want (and I don't want to derail this thread as its been great to read) but until someone tells me these people are implicated and knew every single thing that Vince did that came out recently, what should I do?

I can't live my life not watching things where someone might have known something. I don't know these people. I haven't been around them day in/day out for the last 20 years so I really haven't got a clue as to what they do or don't know. 

I also don't know Cody Rhodes and I don't know his reasons for asking Bruce Prichard and Triple H out there at the end. Who knows if they knew? 

And I can absolutely see why they've done all of this. New(ish) parent company, new(ish) management, of course they are going to make a big deal out of that at their flagship show. That's just good business.

And quite frankly I find it rank for people to use this as point scoring for themselves, in terms of "oh you're happy about Cody but what about the rapes??????" as if life is that black and white and there is no nuance for anyone. Of course people are appalled at what's happened. You'd have to be mental not to be. But again, until there is something that says "this is definitive" then I have to go by that. 

And of course things might come out in the wash and it will demonstrate that other people knew more. So I'll deal with that then when I know.

And by the way @Pinc none of that is particularly aimed at you mate, it just so happened the point you made is one I wanted to reply to. And it's a good point well made. I can see how it was too much for some, and you're absolutely right to feel that way.

More aimed at the weirdos who spent the entire weekend arguing on Twitter about the two companies, and once again using this type of thing as tribalism and to "haha! gotcha!" people.

Sorry for the rant.

Erm, anyway, Cathy Kelley eh? I'd love to have a chippy tea with her.

[Supremo]

They were right to have Cody lose at Wrestlemania 39. I've always thought that.

[Hannibal Scorch]

Fair points @SuperBacon. I think using Bruce Prichard as a reference knowing how high up the tree he’s been and for how long, and that when Vince first stepped away Bruce was Vince’s Avatar as it were is a bit naive. I think the fact for me is just because Vince is gone doesn’t stop that he is still making money from WWE/TKO and it doesn’t take away all the horrible things the company has done is why it is still a major issue for me.

However the biggest problem I had with your post was saying Cathy Kelley when Jackie Redmond is right there! Still if I ever get divorced, double date?

[Loki]

1 hour ago, Frankie Crisp said:

Rock/Austin face-off

I'm hoping they didn't do that because a) it was too obvious and b) they've got that planned for Summerslam.  The fact is that both Rock and Austin are still healthy enough to do SOMETHING so please, let's not leave that on the table too long.

But yeah, great PPV again, loved the opener, loved the main event.  Sometimes predictable is good, sometimes you WANT your fantasy to come true.  And I'm not moaning about HHH getting his flowers, the man deserves it.  He has worked away for years, learning his craft as a booker, built NXT and then had it taken away from him, got the book for the big shows and then got it taken away, had a heart attack and nearly died.  He's stuck with it, and in the last 12 months since he's properly been in charge he's turned WWE round creatively and delivered one of the best Wrestlemanias of all time.  Why shouldn't people be licking his arse?

[TheScarlettChad]

2 minutes ago, Loki said:

I'm hoping they didn't do that because a) it was too obvious and b) they've got that planned for Summerslam.  The fact is that both Rock and Austin are still healthy enough to do SOMETHING so please, let's not leave that on the table too long.

But yeah, great PPV again, loved the opener, loved the main event.  Sometimes predictable is good, sometimes you WANT your fantasy to come true.  And I'm not moaning about HHH getting his flowers, the man deserves it.  He has worked away for years, learning his craft as a booker, built NXT and then had it taken away from him, got the book for the big shows and then got it taken away, had a heart attack and nearly died.  He's stuck with it, and in the last 12 months since he's properly been in charge he's turned WWE round creatively and delivered one of the best Wrestlemanias of all time.  Why shouldn't people be licking his arse?

Because he had a reign of terror 20 years ago!! /s

[Chris B]

16 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

And quite frankly I find it rank for people to use this as point scoring for themselves, in terms of "oh you're happy about Cody but what about the rapes??????"

While I disagree with a fair amount of what you're saying, I think there's a world of difference between having and (even loudly) expressing that opinion, and searching out people who are enjoying a show (or posting in threads where people are doing so) in order to make that point. Especially repeatedly. I think that's where a lot of it becomes bad faith. Like, have the discussion, make the point, whatever - but there's a point where it becomes point scoring and trolling.

[SpykeDudlei1]

I became a proper, full-on invested fan again after that main event (and a big chunk of both nights too in fairness).

I, like others, will admit to being emotional for Cody watching it all unfold. I said to my wife if people want to know why we as fans like wrestling it’s that emotional investment I personally don’t feel you even get from films etc.

I don’t need to go into huge detail about each match as others have already done it so well.

I really liked Drew/Seth and seeing him get his moment wasn’t overshadowed by the surprise cash-in. That seems to be set up perfectly for Drew to get the win and reign in Glasgow in June.

Bayley getting her big match and title win was such a reward for her being one of the workhorses of the women’s division and not always being seen as a star due to being in the shadows of Charlotte, Sasha and eventually Becky.

Styles/Knight as a match was ok and not the dud that some suggest but the one thing that bothered me but I haven’t seen it mentioned was Knight’s selling (or not as was more often the case) of the knee. From the early work Styles did on it, Knight just seemed to forget when he made his initial comeback then after the Calf Crusher and ring post smashes on it he started to sell it a bit more but still inconsistently. After the bit with the ring mat being pulled up, there was a point he started walking at ringside then developed more of a limp. Stuff like that irks me.

Night one highlights were Rhea & Becky (especially in light of knowing Becky was dealing with illness) and Rhea has star written all over her. I saw her work in the house show environment in Sheffield last summer and said the same then. Sami’s match and win was special too. Jimmy & Jey really bombed a big chance to have the match many of us (although not all) thought/hoped they would. And I liked how the tag main event went down.

Finally…bye bye to the term “sports entertainment”, don’t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out.

[Pinc]

15 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

I also don't know Cody Rhodes and I don't know his reasons for asking Bruce Prichard and Triple H out there at the end. Who knows if they knew?

I think it's beyond reasonable doubt they were trying to maximise the fanbase's goodwill towards those figures in particular, in case the allegations become a problem for them. Same logic as the 'thank you Vince' chants. By the same people.

Prichard was Vince's man on the inside even after the hush money story broke, and Triple H voted against his own father-in-law returning to the board. They either knew or turned a blind eye. Throw in that it's the first time they've ever closed a big show by bringing the backstage heads out for applause, and it's clear there was some especial motivation at play.

Doesn't mean anyone has to stop watching (I haven't) but it cast a pall over the end of the show for me.

[Statto]

17 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

However the biggest problem I had with your post was saying Cathy Kelley when Jackie Redmond is right there! 

This is a long running debate between a mate & I. I'm Team Cathy, he's Team Jackie. It's our own pro wrestling tribalism. 

I'm right. 

[Hannibal Scorch]

1 minute ago, Statto said:

This is a long running debate between a mate & I. I'm Team Cathy, he's Team Jackie. It's our own pro wrestling tribalism. 

I'm right. 

Clearly not.

[SuperBacon]

19 minutes ago, Chris B said:

While I disagree with a fair amount of what you're saying, I think there's a world of difference between having and (even loudly) expressing that opinion, and searching out people who are enjoying a show (or posting in threads where people are doing so) in order to make that point. Especially repeatedly. I think that's where a lot of it becomes bad faith. Like, have the discussion, make the point, whatever - but there's a point where it becomes point scoring and trolling.

Disagree all you want, that's what makes this a good forum. 

And to the bolded bit, completely agree. And to be I'm not just talking about here, where let's be honest it does happen. 

8 minutes ago, Pinc said:

I think it's beyond reasonable doubt they were trying to maximise the fanbase's goodwill towards those figures in particular, in case the allegations become a problem for them. Same logic as the 'thank you Vince' chants. By the same people.

Prichard was Vince's man on the inside even after the hush money story broke, and Triple H voted against his own father-in-law returning to the board. They either knew or turned a blind eye. Throw in that it's the first time they've ever closed a big show by bringing the backstage heads out for applause, and it's clear there was some especial motivation at play.

Doesn't mean anyone has to stop watching (I haven't) but it cast a pall over the end of the show for me.

All good points Pinc, and I honestly wonder how much of it was Cody's idea. He does seem the type to want to give thanks publicly. 

Of course it's very easy, given his past of propping himself up in the main event and going over unnecessarily to think it was all Trips, but who knows.

[no user name]

I didn't watch wrestlemania but I've seen the ending and I think that was the best ending I've ever seen to any wrestling ppv ever 

[air_raid]

32 minutes ago, Supremo said:

They were right to have Cody lose at Wrestlemania 39. I've always thought that.

For those that don't recall and thus will have been "whooshed" here.... (snipped for brevity)

On 4/4/2023 at 8:41 PM, Supremo said:

He had it. He was the guy. There was no stink. But then they bottled it, he failed on the biggest stage, and now will inevitably  become another chump, smiling through the booing.

 

 

On 4/5/2023 at 10:12 AM, Supremo said:

Hopefully I’m wrong and we can get it back, but I doubt it. That finish felt like we were back to square one.

 

On 4/5/2023 at 10:42 AM, Supremo said:

Those, “Cody needs to struggle,” takes were amazing.

Yeah, this guy needs to go through something difficult. Long overdue a challenge, this fella.

..... I had considerably less to say in the pit of my angst.

On 4/6/2023 at 7:24 AM, air_raid said:

Finally watched it.

I can’t believe they Lugered him. I’m done.

 

[SpykeDudlei1]

2 minutes ago, air_raid said:

For those that don't recall and thus will have been "whooshed" here.... (snipped for brevity)

 

 

..... I had considerably less to say in the pit of my angst.

 

The most frightening aspect of all of this is I can genuinely remember reading all of those as if it were 1 day ago not 1 year.

[SuperBacon]

5 minutes ago, air_raid said:

For those that don't recall and thus will have been "whooshed" here.... (snipped for brevity)

 

 

..... I had considerably less to say in the pit of my angst.

 

This is bordering on stalking.