Was funny reading one of the wrestling site fan reports. Guy mentions a kid decked out in Cena gear yelling “CENA SUCKS” while the rest of the fans were booing Cena out of the house.
Hell, when I was that age, my dad took me to house shows that didn’t end until 10-11 PM so I could see Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. It can’t be that different with this generation of kids as it was with mine.
Really, WWE markets to kids for the same reason McDonald’s does - by selling a Happy Meal, you’re also selling a meal to their parents, so you get 2-3 sales for the price of 1.
Honestly, I mark for Cena, but at the handful of shows I’ve been to as an adult, I yell “CENA SUCKS!” just because it’s more fun.
My understanding is that Cena has a better track record putting faces over than heels; I leave it as an exercise to the reader to figure out whether that’s entirely the case or no. That said, I’m not too bothered with how they’re playing Cena and Ambrose; while there’s still just this sense that he is showing up and being a third wheel because “Hey, this is the main event now and how come I’m not in it?”, Ambrose shows no signs of turning into Cena-lite (or twin Cena–see The Usos). He’s still Ambrose, and he clearly doesn’t much care for this neon green guy who keeps getting involved, but whatever–enemy of my enemy is my friend, as long as you don’t get in the way of my getting to my enemy.
Also, even though they’re giving Dean some sophomoric crap to do (e.g., the booby-trapped briefcase), he’s so good that he elevates the material–or, as Stone Cold would say, he knows how to make chicken salad out of chicken shitt.
I went to a WWE show earlier this year, and guys like Cena, Big Show and Daniel Bryan were hugely over with the kids. Damian Sandow had the biggest heel reaction, mainly because he played the cocky know-it-all to perfection, inducing the wrath of the—you guessed it—kids.
In about 5 years, those kids are going to grow up to be rebellious teens. Cena will lose some of his heroic build and youthful looks, and then he’ll probably do what Hogan did and turn heel. Those kids will cheer for him again. Thus the WWE grows and maintains its market audience.
Exactly. 10-to-13-year-olds packing the audience with their parents (and their younger brothers), maybe - but it’s not loaded with 7-year-olds. The older ones aren’t going to complain too much if Cena isn’t there.
You mean the way he did five years ago after the kids who were his fans ten years ago became rebellious teens? Oh, wait…
Hehe That Jewish guy with the bowtie who sat next to Titus O’Neil looked like he was saying “Honey, that gigantic African-American man makes me uncomfortable.”
I really wanted a title change tonight–just to establish that title changes can happen on “regular TV” down on NXT. Now that we’ve got NXT [del]PPV[/del] “special events”, the smart expectation is that there are only going to be title changes on special events. I’d like to see them set a precedent against that–even if it’s only the tag straps. That’s just me, though–I also think finishers ought never to be protected and you ought to be able to get a pin off of any random move, if it makes sense for the story; I shouldn’t be able to discount a near-fall before the ref even starts counting just because it wasn’t off a finisher.
Anyway. How ‘bout that old school wrasslin’ promotion shit they pulled on us with Hideo and the Ascension? I know that when they announced the Viktor-Hideo match, I got (to borrow a line from the Men in Blazers,) The Thickening. And then… hell, I didn’t even get a match, I just got a bullshit non-finish with TA beating down Hideo. Result? I’m just that much more eager to see Hideo get his actual match. (aside: Apparently it’s going to be with… some other asian dude? If I was a better wrasslegeek, I’d recognize him.)
In the same Southern school slow burn: Bayley vs. Charlotte. First up: Charlotte’s turned face, or at least tweener. Evidence? Exhibit A), the fist-bump/low-five she gave someone on her way down to the ring. Exhibit B), her behaviour after the match. There’s still plenty of room for her to work heel down the road, but right now she’s working face. Why? BAYLEY. Bayley puts in a great match against the champ, and, IMO, deserves to win it—but she loses. She gets the respect of the champ in the process, though, and then oh crap here comes Sasha Banks outta nowhere to be a ratchet. So there’s our story leading up to Bayley-Charlotte IV(?): Bayley and Sasha feud up and down; Charlotte’s in Bayley’s corner. Bayley eventually gets the win and the title shot, new NXT women’s champ. Or! the feud ends up with a three way dance; Charlotte pins Sasha to retain, we’ve got a new feud. Plenty of stuff to work with here.
The main event… 1) I’m cool with Titus hanging out down here at NXT for a while. I didn’t like him at first, but I’ve come around on his mic skills and his charisma–and he’s making the most of them down at Full Sail. 2) Man, Tyson Kidd really would be brilliant as a heel champ. Knowing that HHH digs the Southern style, I’ve gotta figure they’re gonna put the strap on him eventually–we’ve only got two heels in the title scene down there, and I’m just not sure Tyler is cut out to be a heel champ in that style, much though I love him. (And I hope to be proven wrong.) 3) But holy crap, what a match! And a great finish, bringing things back around to the real story in the main event scene–we might’ve forgotten it, but it’s Sami Zayn/Adrian Neville. That’s that finished the four-way at Takeover… 2… something. It’s also the storyline that has an actual emotional resonance to it, and it’s probably the storyline we’re taking into Takeover 3: The Secret of the Red Arrow.
Other stuff: Man, Enzo and Cass are basically a license to print money as long as they’re down here at NXT. I don’t know if they can get over on the main roster–I want them to, but I recognize my bias–but holy jeez, it works on NXT. (Personal disclaimer: I am a total mark for platonic male-male relationships–i.e., bromances. Right now, Enzo and Big Cass are the greatest bromance in the business–they take the piss out of each other, especially when Big Cass promises not to post videos on facebook, but when the rubber meets the road, they’ve got each other’s back. I want this to go on forever. And I recognize there can be money in breaking that kinda relationship up–see, e.g., Ambrollins–but I think Cass/Amore need to be together forever.)
Vaudevillains: Love you guys. Change your name so you stop confusing us about whether you’re heel or face, since you’re really obviously face. Your new music sucks. Simon Gotch, did you train in the Warners Fitness Studio to get such cartoon muscles? I expect you guys to be in a long program with the Lucha (lucha! lucha!) Dragons for the titles.
Baron Corbin: I really want to like this guy. He’s got The Look. Taking into account that he hasn’t spoken a word yet (other than a video voiceover), he’s got The Charisma. He’s got a Bad-ass Finisher. Now, can he show me he’s got what it takes in the ring? I hope so. Like Roman Reigns, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt right now, more or less. (Reigns has less benefit left; Corbin is greener, so I’m waiting and hoping for him to get involved in a good feud and develop his character and his moveset.)
I didn’t recognize him either. Hideo’s eventual rescuer is supposed to be Prince Devitt (under a new name), according to the spoiler sheets.
/goes off to check PWTorch
They just identify the asian dude as a trainer.
Yes, this NXT ep was further proof that this show is another brand of WWE on par with RAW and Smackdown, not a farm team. The women’s division should not be relegated to whiny Divas. Charlotte, Bayley & Sasha are tough broads and should stay that way. Enzo and Cass need to stay where they are and pwn the show. Neville and Zayn will potentially be as epic a rivalry as Ric Flair and Rickie Steamboat from the old NWA days.
I’m guessing Kidd’s loss and stipulation gives him more time to be Natalya’s douchebag husband on Total Divas, with the option that he’ll be back the second Neville loses the title.
Since Bray Wyatt is setting Luke Harper free so he can have a solo career, I wonder if Baron Corbin is being set up as a future Wyatt family member. Or maybe Bull Dempsey?
I thought the Vaudevillains were just going to be a flash in the pan, but it looks like they’re getting over. I’m liking Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan. They look to be the new Ebony & Ivory team a la Haas and Benjamin.
Yoshi Tatsu?
While listening to a podcast where people are criticizing the storyline/storytelling of RAW, I was wondering why that bugs me so much. I think I know now, and what I think the WWE should do to change it.
It bugs me because the people who say how terrible the writing is for the WWE have months and months to create these elaborate storylines without the pressure of having to write it every. single. week. and this is what the problem is with the WWE writers, it’s hard to write something new and compelling for 52 weeks in a row. Even 24/Lost/CSI/insert TV show here gets an offseason to really think and solidify their storylines.
So here is my solution Triple H and Vince (because you obviously read the straightdope) and if need me I, as a writer, can volunteer my services for it: Have 3 teams of writers who are tasked to write 4 months at a time. They create the storyline for that 4 months, tell the next team on the list what the transition should be, and then sit back and think of what the storyline is for their next group of months is.
This also keeps rivalries new and fresh, only lasting 4 months, and then you can revisit rivalries every quarter/quarter-and-a-half or so, or just create new ones. This way, you can allow writers to really sit and think about what their story is gonna be, craft it, write it, and then implement it during your time frame. Injuries will happen, suspensions/quittings will happen so you have to be flexible too, but this way, you always have time to think of what’s next.
You are under the impression that this would fly past Vince, who has the attention span of a goldfish.
Don’t think so. He looked to be in his 40s.
Word elsewhere is that he was Funaki. Name doesn’t mean anything to me, but maybe you guys know him.
“Along with Japanese and English, Funaki is fluent in French, German, Portuguese and Spanish”
“Funaki made a special appearance in a video as a translator for Kenta’s first WWE interview with Renee Young. In September, Funaki returned to WWE’s developmental program NXT to feud with The Ascension alongside Kenta, who was now going by the name Hideo Itami.”
They’ve made a pretty big deal of the match stip being that Tyson can’t challenge for the belt again for as long as Neville is champion. The setup here seems pretty obvious; the next time Neville defends, Tyson interferes and costs him the match, thus allowing him another shot.
Hopefully that gimmick goes more than one attempt. This should go a couple of months with Tyson going from cocky ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to get that belt off you’ to absolutely foaming at the mouth gibbering insane that he can’t get it done. With lots of screwups where he disqualifies the match, or where Natty gets involved and either ‘accidentally’ thwarts him or gets the DQ.
Mayyybe. Our other title contenders right now are Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze. Zayn is getting the southern style slow-burn, and while we’re emotionally invested in him no matter who he takes on for the title, the relationship is with Adrian Neville. I’m pretty confident he’s getting a title run eventually, and I can’t see them putting the belt on him against anyone but Neville.
Breeze–have we even seen him since Fatal 4-Way? Anyway, he’d make a good heel champ (Kidd would be an even better heel champ, but he’s off the table for this discussion). I was calling him to win at F4W, actually–though I admit to being a bit of a mark for Prince Pretty. That said, we’ve still got the psychology of Neville/Zayn to deal with. I don’t think they’re going to hotshot the titles around like they have been lately w/ the midcard titles on Raw, so I don’t think I see this either.
Of course, we’ve got the new class coming in–Corbin, Steen, Itami/Kenta, Devitt/Balor, but the issue of Neville/Zayn psychology is still going to be there. Plus, I don’t think they’re going to give any of them rocket pushes in the typical sense; some may get a rocket push to the main roster, but if they’re going to be in NXT for a while, I think they’ll get a normal, organic build to work their way up into the main event scene.
Speaking of titles in general, two ideas I saw elsewhere:
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The roster’s probaly too thin to support it now, but at some point down the line, NXT could use a midcard belt–especially if HHH’s vision of NXT as a “competing” promotion, rather than just the minor leagues for the main roster, holds out. Right now, the boys have only got the one brass ring to feud for; another belt gives you something else to hang storylines on. We’re probably getting close to where it makes sense to introduce this–maybe once Steen and Devitt debut.
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I hope they do a title change on “TV” sometime between now and Takeover 33-1/3: The Final Insult. I actually had my fingers crossed for it last night, and thought the men’s bout was the more likely contender. Doesn’t matter what belt it is, I’d just like a little uncertainty in “TV” title matches. Now that we have NXT “pay-per-views”, we’re in the same realm as the main roster: if a champ defends on TV, you know he or she is going to retain. The only uncertainty is how.
Does this mean that they are going to change Prince Devitt’s name too?
I really like the name “Prince Devitt” Also can he keep the facepaint? He looks pretty badass with the facepaint
[SPOILER] Yes - his new ring name is “Finn Balor”, which he chose himself based on two characters from Irish folklore, and which roughly means something along the lines of “Handsome Devil”.
And from what I’ve seen, he’s performing without the facepaint for now at least.
[/SPOILER]
No one is ever keeping their name again–they don’t want anyone going anywhere else with that bi of IP.