Like I said, I try to avoid reading spoilers, but it’s my understanding that he appears in this set of tapings (last week’s episode was the first from the current batch of four), and I think he’s appearing either in this week’s episode or the next one, presumably as Kenta’s tag partner against the Ascension.
Steen hasn’t even gotten his ring name yet so far as I know - they’ll probably either introduce him in the next round of tapings, or at Takeover 3: Electric Fandango.
They better not. Enzo and Cass are awesome, and I don’t see either having as long of a career without the other. They should be a lifelong team, if any such thing exists anymore.
I wish Ambrose would grab the mike from Cena and say “Shut up bitch, I don’t need you to get me over.”
Did RAW seem off to anyone last night?
It seemed to me like they were trying WAY too hard. They were trying too hard to make Ambrose weird (the whole doll thing) they were trying too hard to make him funny (throw the doll at the guards! Rollins fall down! lolz!)
They were trying WAY to hard with pops/heat. RKO hating on the Royals? Trips hating on the Royals? That’s not their character, even as a heels. Then Supercena™ comes out and is pro Royal for the pop? Then again with RKO thanking Trips, then being mean to Rollins, then RKO(outta no where!!) Haymen…it just was all too much.
I can’t comment much on having Mick Foley come out because I was into WCW at the time and only know him through lore/TV specials but given his history with HIAC matches I knew it was apropos.
The ending was fine enough. I’ve said before I think that RKO and Rollins will have a good rivalry, and even if it’s Cena Ambrose now (for whatever reason) I think that could be good too.
Decent as a go home RAW, but I think they needed to let the players play and not try so hard
A few of the podcasts old wrestlers operate actually explain a lot of this. Basically before probably 2005 or so here’s how it worked:
If you had the look and someone agreed to train you, you could get a job in a territory. You worked matches in which you had a ton of creative input over how the match went. The booker told you how it ended, and rarely a few spots in the match itself. Heels typically called the moves for both guys, but the face still had some creative control in executing them.
Promos were essentially 100% on you, you were put out there to live and die based on your own creativity, with minimal guidance. If you were good enough in the ring and on the mic, you eventually got into bigger/better territories. By the 1990s that meant one of the big two (WCW/WWF/E), and sometimes if you had the right “look” that could override any other concerns.
From what everyone says now, this is how it is in WWE:
Refs call the match because they have a mic in their ear, and someone backstage basically leads the match from move to move with minimal wrestler creativity. I believe both JR and Stone Cold have said they believe many younger wrestlers who came up under this system do not know how to “call” a match (that means plan out, in the ring, in real time, how the match goes) whatsoever. Some exceptions are guys like C.M. Punk or even Seth Rollins, guys who worked in some of the few remaining “territories” and learned how to be “professional wrestlers.” (Old school wrestlers refer to all modern guys as “sports entertainers” as a contrast–incidentally WWE tries to never use the term professional wrestling.)
All promos are 100% scripted. The wrestler’s job is to memorize the promos and recite them correctly. The only possible exceptions I’ve heard, is that some of the true top guys, which is basically just Cena and Triple H, Randy Orton, can ad lib. I don’t see any indication Orton cares to, Cena/H probably get to do whatever they want. Punk was probably doing his own promos before he left.
In the modern environment your athleticism is about all you can control. That, and whatever you can influence by pushing for your character to do this or that backstage. However something a lot of guys (including Cena, in the rare interviews where he speaks candidly) have said that most of the younger guys are simply too afraid to lose their jobs. The difference in what a WWE guy makes and a TNA (unless you’re Kurt Angle) or RoH guy make is simply insane, and there is no other show in town other than WWE, so young guys who come up through the ranks there essentially never argue with creative, so they live and die 100% based on how creative performs at creating their character.
T-Cups: WWE’s been known to milk the cheap heat tit until utter dehydration, so this is nothing new. Cena used to wear the home sports team jersey whenever he came out for the cheap poppery.
Maybe the doll fight was stupid, but Ambrose makes it work. Plus, he gets props for working in the Heath Ledger Joker line “Why so serious?” Plus, I always love it when Mick Foley gets air time. If he ever brings his stand-up to your area, go see his ass. The god of HIAC blesses the future dark lords of WWE. What’s not to love?
So, I’ve realized I’m sufficiently frustrated with the main roster product that I need to take a bit of a break, especially with fall TV to keep up with and (well, at least until tonight’s performance in Moscow) Champions League football to boot. So, it’s just PPVs and NXT until January or so, when we start leading into Rumble and Mania. On the bright side, I’ll have more time to watch RoH [del]and Chrisley Knows Best[/del].
OK LawMonkey, feel free to check back on this thread to catch up on our twisted versions of what you missed, unless we get sick of it as well. 
Tell me how it goes, only because I’d love to see how the product looks by just tuning in once a month and just seeing the end/results of feuds vs. the buildup
So, as of last night’s Smackdown tapings, we have a fairly solid eight-match card booked, and that means it’s time again for Smapti’s Completely 100% Accurate Match Predictions*;
Cena vs. Orton in the Hell In A Cell, winner gets a title shot against Brock Lesnar on a future PPV. I really don’t see the need to have Cena and Orton fight again - this will, in fact, be the 22nd time they’ve had a singles match against each other on TV over the years, and their second HIAC showdown. Making this a #1 contenders match at least allows it to advance the storylines, though. I have a feeling Randy Orton is going to turn face soon and feud with Rollins, so having him lose here to take him out of the title picture makes sense, and sets the stage for Cena vs. Lesnar, Part 6.
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins in the Hell In A Cell. This is a match they’ve been teasing since the Shield broke up, and I expect it to run away with the show. Ambrose is a world-class hardcore wrestler (just go on Youtube and look up some of his matches from CZW as Jon Moxley) and while I doubt anyone is going to get choke-slammed off the top of the cage or thrown face first into a pile of nails, this match is definitely going to get as hardcore as WWE’s broadcast standards these days will allow. As I’ve said before, Ambrose is basically in the position now that Daniel Bryan was last year where he’s getting bigger pops than anyone and he’s second only to Cena in who the company is putting over, so I expect him to win here.
Sheamus vs. the Miz for the US title. Miz is one of my favorite heels right now, whereas Sheamus has been pretty directionless as US champion. I’d like to see him win, but I suspect the long-term plan is to have Rusev become US champion at some point, and Miz vs. Rusev wouldn’t be a very viable program. Either Sheamus retains, or they do another Dusty switcheroo (which seems to be becoming Miz’s thing) and have him win the belt on the PPV, then drop it back to Sheamus on Raw the next night.
Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental title, two out of three falls. Best-of-threes matches have always been one of Cesaro’s strong points - he had a great one with Miz last year during his US championship run, and he worked several with Sami Zayn in NXT which I haven’t seen but have been told were classics. This should be another one of the best matches of the show. I’d like to see Cesaro win, but my fear here is that Cesaro has been in a position for awhile where he’s more popular than WWE wants him to be, and every time he starts getting too popular they sabotage the character somehow (losing Paul Heyman, not being allowed to do the giant swing, that period last year where he became a yodeler, etc.) It could go either way, but I’m leaning towards Ziggler retaining.
Big Show vs. Rusev. Easy call - Rusev either makes Big Show tap or pass out.
Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella, winner has to either quit WWE or become the loser’s “bitch” for 30 days. Is this the worst feud of the year or what? Did Vince Russo book this? I don’t even. Prediction: Nikki wins, gets a shot at the Divas title exactly 30 days later (which would be the right night for a Smackdown taping), and the time that Brie has to be Nikki’s slave for runs out right in the middle of the match, allowing her to interfere and cost Nikki the title.
Goldust and Stardust vs. the Usos for the tag titles. Should be a pretty solid match, though I don’t expect anything we haven’t seen before. Prediction; The Usos win the belts back just in time to have to put them on the line against Bray Wyatt’s newest brothers in the name of cause, the Ascension.
AJ Lee vs. Paige for the Divas title. This’ll be their sixth showdown in six months, and though I think Paige is one of the better women wrestlers in the company, this feud is getting pretty old, and I can hardly tell whether she’s supposed to be a face or a heel or what. As for AJ, WWE seems to be protecting her in the hopes of keeping a line of communication open with her husband (what was his name? BN Metal?) - in terms of statistics she’s second only to the Fabulous Moolah in WWE history, but she’s not that great a wrestler, her finisher is silly, and she looks and acts like she’s in junior high and the Total Divas got to go to homecoming with John Cena instead of her. She’ll likely retain, but I think her character needs to become more viscious and evil and less bubbly - ditch the theme song for, say, “Black Widow” by Iggy Azalea, and have her completely wrecking girls in the ring instead of getting into slapfights and having “frenemies”.
I haven’t heard about any pre-show matches being scheduled, but it’d be nice if they got an NXT match or two in - this could be a good place to show off Hideo Itami or Finn Balor to the larger fanbase and get them interested in watching NXT, or even to introduce Kevin Steen to WWE.
*Your definition of "completely 100% accurate may differ from that used by Smapti, his subsidiaries, and affiliated organizations
I assume that “broadcast standards” are a little less strict on WWE Network than they are on TV.
While I can see something similar to the “Canadian takeover of WCW” (where the US title became the Canadian title and the Cruiserweight title became the 100kg title (and never mind that the weight limit was more like 98kg)), the question becomes, when it comes time for someone to beat Rusev, who would they get to do it for something other than the top belt? I don’t see WWE putting the US title on Cena when he’s so close to breaking Flair’s world title reigns mark.
I never liked WWE two-out-of-three-falls title matches, as they can never keep it straight as to what the rule is concerning title changes if the champions lose a fall by DQ or countout.
Or, they find some way to bring back the “break the ring” ending when Big Show wrestled Brock Lesnar.
First, I assume the loser has to leave WWE or become the winner’s “bitch”, not the other way around.
Second, WWE pretends that SmackDown happens on Fridays, so the 30 days would be up “days” before the match.
Third, I have a feeling the title shot would be at Survivor Series, and Brie would “accidentally” interfere anyway. I wouldn’t be too surprised to see Daniel Bryan show up and get involved.
It’s not so much a matter of what the network will allow as much as it’s WWE’s own self-censorship policies - most of the stuff that they did in the Attitude Era simply isn’t allowed anymore because it’s too dangerous to the wrestlers (coughCHRISBENOITwheeze) and because they’re targeting a younger demographic these days that might be too frightened by the ol’ ultraviolence. AFAIK, MITB is the only PPV that gets a TV-14 rating because there’s a very real chance of wrestlers getting busted open.
Yes, that is what I meant to type. Stupid me.
Never watched the attitude era so you’ll have to educate me, what did they do to Benoit that was so bad?
Or are you saying it because of how he ended his career/life?
Benoit had chronic traumatic encephalopathy as the result of taking so many blows to the head and working while concussed - according to the doctors that conducted his autopsy, he had the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient at the time of his death.
Or if you’re really curious, you can always watch the Undertaker’s HIAC match against Mick Foley, where Mick is first thrown from the top of the cage about 20 feet through the Spanish announce table, then gets slammed through the top of the cage and freefalls to the ring surface - which concussed him, dislocated his jaw and shoulder, broke bones, knocked several teeth loose (one of which ended up dribbling out of his nose), perforated his upper lip, and knocked him unconscious for 31 seconds, during which time the Undertaker believed Foley was in fact dead.
Look at Foley these days and you’ll understand why they don’t allow that kind of stuff anymore.
Your predictions seem valid Smapti, but WWE will throw in a wrench every once in a while to keep from being too predictable. In order for Orton to turn face, he has to lose face with the Authori-tie. That means he’ll lose to Cena, but he won’t be the center of their shit storm if Seth also loses. Ambrose is at the stage where it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses. He’ll still be massively over. So, I think Seth will win their match, and it will preserve their feud, which is what God wants. He really does. He told me.
Orton’s turn would also create a power vacuum within the Authori-tie. Who would they get to take his place? Brrrrock is a lone wolf, Cesaro doesn’t have the mike skills, Miz is a toad, Rusev is his own thing, so are the Dust bros, so are the Wyatts.
What would absolutely piss everybody off and create massive heat? A top-level face who’s been away returns, suddenly turns on another top-level face, and joins the Auth. Daniel Bryan doesn’t make sense, but Roman Reigns on the other hand…
In my opinion, the Attitude Era wasn’t so much too dangerous to the wrestlers as it was too dangerous to Linda McMahon’s Senate campaigns. However, 2014 is an “off-year” for Connecticut’s two Senate seats.
And it’s not so much the “younger demographic” that is “frightened by the ultraviolence” (which wasn’t really “the problem with the Attitude Era” so much as the beer drinking and women degrading) as it is the younger demographic’s parents who pay for the tickets and the merchandise.
The Attitude Era was mostly trashy skits with short, bad wrestling. There was the occasional bright spot, like the Hardy’s or the APA segments (Use the door!) Other than that, today’s product is superior in the ring.
True dat. I watched some of the 80’s programs, like Saturday Night’s Main Event on the Network, and they looked really tame and boring in comparison to today.
It’s coming…
…my Hell in a Cell Picks that is =)
(also my reaction/results of NXT)
NXT 10/23
Welp, I’m sure T-Cups is disappointed that his girl Bayley lost to Sasha Banks, then backstabbed by Becky Lynch, but there needed to be more NXT girl heels anyway.
Did I call it? Carmella is going to be Yoko Ono to Enzo and Cass! That hair sprayin’ hussy!
I wonder if Tyler Breeze is turning face? He seemed to be more face-ish vs CJ “Save the natty dredlock whales” Parker, and Mojo Rawley’s acting all stalkery on him.
The Hideo vs Ascension feud took a turn for the stupid when he came out by himself and attacked them. Yes, Ascension had to re-establish their ring cred after losing the belts, but Hideo looked more like a whiny puppy than super ninja assassin that strike like lightning.
Neville’s matches need to have a better ending than having the heel run into his boots then LOOK EVERYBODY HERE COMES THE RED ARROW! When the heel falls to the mat, he usually shifts around to get in the proper prone position for Neville’s finish. The Red Arrow looks impressive now, but its novelty will eventually fade. Who was it who used to do the 450 Splash and is now a jobber? That’s right.
I would like to see Alex Riley become more of a egotistical heel than straddle the fence on commentary. He’s got the upper crust preppie vibe, and Albert Tensai was setting him up for some heelish barbs, but Riley wouldn’t take the bait. He seems to be more concerned about towing the line for WWE and not making waves.