Summerslam 2024 - August 3rd

[The Dart]

I only watch some of the highlights of Raw and Smackdown, so I have no idea what the story is with the bracelet.  What is the story with the bracelet?

[Retro Red]

1 minute ago, The Dart said:

I only watch some of the highlights of Raw and Smackdown, so I have no idea what the story is with the bracelet.  What is the story with the bracelet?

It’s got Punks wife and dogs names on it. Drew stole it when he attacked Punk a few weeks ago on Smackdown.

[gmoney]

I really enjoy how the Punk/Drew feud has turned into a "someone has stolen Tatanka's feathers" angle. Punk's put downs to Seth, as mentioned, were all amazing. The match delivered for me. I do hope we get a bloody brawl at some point, but I can see why they didn't go there immediately. 

Everything I was interested in on the show didn't disappoint (Rhea, Punk/Drew, Cody/Solo), things I was fussed either way were generally good (Priest/Gunther, Knight/Paul, Breaker/Sami) and the thing I didn't give a shit about was shit (Bayley/Nia). You can't say fairer than that really. Very fun show. 

[HarmonicGenerator]

11 hours ago, Supremo said:

Good show. I can totally see how it wouldn't be to everyone's tastes, but if you're inclined to enjoy WWE's style, this was mostly great fun. 

I think I am maybe not inclined to enjoy WWE’s style anymore. This is the first WWE show I’ve watched since Mania, and I thought I’d put it on because the buzz on here for the stories and buildup was quite infectious. But every match kind of felt the same once the bell rang and it didn’t do much for me. Drew vs Punk was the thing I was most looking forward to and was probably the most disappointed by. “Shades of 97!!!!!” it was not. 
 

I did think Jacob Fatu was absolutely fantastic, and it’s brilliant seeing Roman finally be the megastar babyface they’ve always wanted, but based on all the nice positive responses to the whole show in this thread, me not getting it is much more a me thing than a WWE thing. What they’re doing is working for a lot of people, but… I think I might not pop in again until the Rumble.

Edited August 4, 2024 by HarmonicGenerator
I watched this before Collision, take that, tribalism

[RedTwoster]

7 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

I think I am maybe not inclined to enjoy WWE’s style anymore. This is the first WWE show I’ve watched since Mania, and I thought I’d put it on because the buzz on here for the stories and buildup was quite infectious.

I can totally understand why it might not be for everyone - as far as in-ring wrestling goes, I think AEW generally outperforms WWE, and I also think AEW has a far better roster. 

The fact I enjoy WWE as much as I do right now is entirely down to how much I enjoy the story and characters, and very few of their shows contain matches that I could see myself watching back - individual moments within the matches perhaps (I’ve watched Roman’s return multiple times already) but not many of the matches themselves. But I’m OK with that as I have so much fun watching the shows as they happen.

[JLM]

I'm mostly at the PPVs-only stage. Occasionally will do a Smackers in full, RAW is too much to ask. Recaps and selected Youtube/twitter clips for the TV. I definitely have a lower tolerance for their presentation, so it wears on me over time if I watch too much. Little things like the commentators unnaturally shoehorning in "The Eradicator" when referring to Rhea Ripley, telling us how Chance and Carter love to PARDEE, how over-produced and robotic it still feels at times, and how the in-ring aspect is lower down the priority list than it is for an AEW or New Japan. I have a good amount of sicko in me, what can I say.

I also find their American crowds frustrating as they often only react to very specific things, and you can have record-setting audiences making disappointingly little noise for stuff that I think is good and deserves better.

When they nail it with their particular brand of melodrama though, the emotional highs are still magical, and they hit me in the nostalgia with that stuff as it's the wrestling I grew up with. When they get it right they really get it right.  They also have a ton of incredible performers I'm invested in and like to keep up with, so even if I didn't like any of the directions I'd still want to check in from time to time. Also under HHH they do throw the sickos a bone a little bit more frequently, so that works for me too. 

It's lovely that there's so much on offer at the moment and such a variety of stuff available. Feel pretty spoilt on that front. Instead of waiting patiently for tapes to arrive from Pickstar, I instead have an entire planet's worth of wrasslin' at my finger tips and the struggle is finding time to watch everything I'd like to. 

Edited August 4, 2024 by JLM

[Supremo]

“FUCK CM PUNK. CUNT!”

WWE on Netflix, when they can swear, is going to be wild.

 

[Doog]

It was a top show and the reaction to Roman coming back was great, as mentioned earlier only thing missing for me was Heyman coming out first smiling and Romans music hitting. I'm thinking like when Paul Bearer came back with Kane on that insane episode of RAW in 2000.

Still it's a little thing, see Fatu had a walking boot on after the show so there's definitely an injury there, let's hope it's not too serious as would be a shame to derail the 4 on 4 it appears WWE are building towards with the OG Bloodline against Solos lot.

Its a shame RAW is so long as I can't be arsed with it and rarely watch Smackdown as don't really get the time, I usually watch the countdown show to get hyped for PPVs but the one for this was 3 bloody hours so fuck that. More than WrestleMania! 

Anyway, it was good and they nailed the good bits well. I mainly watch AEW these days and this is the first WWE I've watched since Wrestlemania, but there's no doubt when WWE nail it and get it right, there's no one better.

[JLM]

4 minutes ago, Doog said:

It was a top show and the reaction to Roman coming back was great, as mentioned earlier only thing missing for me was Heyman coming out first smiling and Romans music hitting. I'm thinking like when Paul Bearer came back with Kane on that insane episode of RAW in 2000.

 

Yep that's exactly what I had in mind. Just rewatched it again for the hundredth time and that pop *still* sends a shiver down my spine. 

 

[Joe Blog]

3 hours ago, gmoney said:

 

I really enjoy how the Punk/Drew feud has turned into a "someone has stolen Tatanka's feathers"

 

Nah this is Punk we are talking about. It will have been inspired by when PCO stole Bret’s ring jacket. 

[Supremo]

Save the Heyman pop for when he brings back Sami, Jey and Jimmy.

“Call..THE LADS.”

[d-d-d-dAz]

7 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Save the Heyman pop for when he brings back Sami, Jey and Jimmy.

“Call..THE LADS.”

That's best case scenario.

Worst case scenario, he brings out Paul-E's Angels, and we have to endure Bloodline 2.0 feuding with Roman, Punk, Lesnar and Curtis Axel.

Edited August 4, 2024 by d-d-d-dAz

[DavidB6937]

So are we to believe Arn Anderson got Roman to come back? Or he knew he was coming back? Can't remember exactly what he said but I'm sure he said he'd arranged Cody's friends and "some" he knew about or something like that.

[JLM]

Brock Anderson on Team Cody at Survivor Series, just so there's someone as bad as Tonga Loa on the babyface side. 

Edited August 4, 2024 by JLM

[mim731]

9 hours ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Punk's still great, just not much aura in the trunks.

 

While I agree, I can't see him back in the shorts, but unless he brings back the long tights I don't know what the alternative is?