WWE: Unreal Discussion

[The Gaffer]

Reigns definitely did come good, but yeah he'll always have that everything about him generously provisioned by WWE mark on him for me which I can't help but feel puts him one tier down from the absolute all timers. 

I know in a business like pro wrestling that appearance is reality, but he really is an enormously successful experiment in just  calling somebody one of the greats repeatedly during the run that's supposed to get you to that level, to the point where it eventually just sticks because everyone's too knackered to argue it. 

It's goes down easy during peak angles but I find when things cool back down or people like that take some time off/wind down, the reality of it sets in. To me he'll be remembered as a very, very good company guy they were able to build around during an era where you no longer really needed a sole anchor to bring viewers in. 

 

 

[BomberPat]

Roman Reigns needed the pandemic. They were going to brute force him as the top babyface no matter what, until he had time out due to being vulnerable in the early stages of the pandemic, then got turned heel with Heyman precisely because there weren't live crowds to worry about any more, and then basically reinvented the WWE heavyweight main event house style from it's previous post-Lesnar vs. Goldberg format of constant finisher spam to slowing things down, in-ring monologuing, and dramatic Moments. All the HASHTAG CINEMA stuff was born of that period, the Bloodline was born of that period, the Head Of The Table, The Tribal Chief, all of that stuff comes from a time where they could afford to try something that I doubt they ever would have done otherwise. 

[air_raid]

I started watching series 2 at last, without reading any of the discussion here. Here are my thoughts on the first episode.

Lynch was more down to Earth than I expected (remembered? Was she on the last one? My memory is not what it was) although I did have a little “mark” chuckle to myself that she only mentioned wrestling under the various nicknames from WWE and not Rebecca Knox, unlike the other participants, including hubs. Speaking of which, dwelling on his “main event” at Mania 41 served to remind me how frustrated I am with WWEs minimalist booking style today, time was you’d have a development like what happened between Rollins, Punk, Reigns and Heyman and be able to look forward to how it was going to progress at Backlash. Not today, Galvatron. Nice bit of backstory between Lynch and Valkyria which as a sub-casual fan I wasn’t aware of, I did feel my intelligence got insulted when (unless I miscaught this) they implied “the plan” was still up for discussion the day before Mania? Bollocks was it not final she was Lyra’s partner by then, and there’s actually a nice “full circle” aspect I don’t recall picking up on at the time that Becky’s return enabled her to get a measure of revenge on Liv which was a nice exclamation point to cap her latest run as a face. However it was a bit unfortunate to see her reflect on the heel turn not go ideally with live fans cheering at chanting “one more time” for the Manhandle Slam… I’m thinking, surely at this moment the experience should kick in and she should go to do it but then refuse, to piss the fans off? But I guess “the script” is king. Of kings. With all the involved parties talking about getting Lyra over, it was amazing to see them hit the head right on the nail, with the babyface winning the first match in lucky-seeming circumstances then Lynch get her heat back with a beat down immediately thereafter. Throw in that Bex ends up winning the feud, and it’s so arse backwards it’s like Orton vs Kingston revisited. So much for all the talk of looking to the future, though we can talk solace in the fact that the climax of “The Man”s orbit of the WICT has been losing it to and a Mania match with that other bright young up-and-comer, AJ Lee.

For a guy who seems like a total meathead, I found McAfee to be quite likeable. In that same way we always freeze wrestling folk in time, I was surprised to learn Cole is 58, although I immediately remembered why I hate him when he said on telly of Jey Uso “At least we have a World Champion who smiles … / likes to have fun.” I mean, that’s what made Hogan and Austin such top heroes, right? Smiling and having fun. They really didn’t make me feel sorry for him either with his verbiage of “It wasn’t me that tapped out” to Gunther - lip like that, little shit deserved any beating Big Gunt felt like giving him. Back in the writers room, did I interpret correctly that one dork was pitching Pat to win saying when you watch a Bond movie Bond wins at the end?? Ridiculous comparison. Fairer would be a Rocky movie except if a footballer got up from the commentary desk to fight Ivan Drago - he’d get walloped, obviously. Never mind the fact you’d be killing one of your (quasi) full time wrestlers ice cold dead - just coming off a stint as the Real World Champion no less. From the looks of things the final execution was exactly as it should have been.

Enjoyed it though, thoughts on e2 if I get chance to watch.

 

[DavidB6937]

Right. Watched all of S3 yesterday. I'm sure I have a lot of thoughts somewhere but I've spent too long crying over a bloody dog I didn't even know.

[Zaheer]

I've seen the first episode, and after hearing John Cena's interview I'm certainly that's not Cena and he's been replaced by an AI bot.

[DavidB6937]

4 minutes ago, Zaheer said:

I've seen the first episode, and after hearing John Cena's interview I'm certainly that's not Cena and he's been replaced by an AI bot.

It's Cena. He's the last person you need to replace with a bot.

[The Gaffer]

I gave in and just let this bollocks wash over me. 

By the time they got to Cena's last match against Gunther, I realised this was the payoff. It's brilliant. One of the best things they've done in years. It's a story that needed Punk and Cody there. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

The Wrestlemania main event between Cena and Cody was shit by design. Honest.

If anyone wants to question Cena's acting ability, show them episode 1 of this hogwash. Fuck me.

Extra obsequious points for both Cena and the editors for leaving the awkward bit in where Cena very authentically says to Triple H; 'your instincts were absolutely right to change this up.' He may as well have looked up to the camera and said 'even though this was all great and deliberate, it categorically wasn't Triple H's idea as he only has ideas everyone likes'.

What a stupid company.

[The Gaffer]

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

The Wrestlemania main event between Cena and Cody was shit by design. Honest.

If anyone wants to question Cena's acting ability, show them episode 1 of this hogwash. Fuck me.

Extra obsequious points for both Cena and the editors for leaving the awkward bit in where Cena very authentically says to Triple H; 'your instincts were absolutely right to change this up.' He may as well have looked up to the camera and said 'even though this was all great and deliberate, it categorically wasn't Triple H's idea as he only has ideas everyone likes'.

What a stupid company.

Also shoutout to his "We're killing a character on screen. That's never been done before." line.

 

[Onyx2]

A third season of Chelsea Green being called the best wrestler of all time yet has no appreciable storylines.

[SuperBacon]

@The Gaffer you forgot when they blew the Hitmans brains oot. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

Any modicum of respect I had left for CM Punk vanished when in a backstage conversation with Bayley, unprompted, he said 'I feel like I just need a pull-up bar, you know what I mean?'... and just started doing pull-ups.

What in the David Brent was that. Horrendous behaviour. Complete the set mate, then bust out the Starbucks vouchers you big weirdo.

[Supremo]

This’ll be the third season I can’t stomach to watch in full, but finding the Twitter clips wildly entertaining in that exact David Brent way.

John Cena had rubbish matches on purpose, to be a good heel, actually. So one-nil him.

I’ve also seen a clip of Seth telling Bron Breakker to lay it in when he hits the Spear because this will be something, “they’ll replay for years.” We’re six months removed. They never show the clip. Bron Breakker is currently playing second-fiddle, dumb older brother to Austin “The Shagger,” Theory.

Edited July 23 by Supremo

[d-d-d-dAz]

Sorry for tagging the cess pit but bloody hell, Phil.

 

[Onyx2]

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