WWE

[jackknight]

[darthfoley]

So, Big Dave returns tonight. I'm kinda surprised how much I'm looking forward to it.

[Pigman]

I feel like that was a wasted return. I think it would have been much cooler if they were to just not announce it and have him as a surprise entrant in the rumble

[darthfoley]

I'm sure that was the plan, until the arena spoiled the whole thing.

[darthfoley]

As we reported in the Elite section of PWInsider.com, sources indicate that the current Wrestlemania 30 plans look like this:
*Randy Orton vs. Batista.

*John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt.

*CM Punk vs. Triple H.

*Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar.

*Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus.



Anyone?

[bigraj]

I'm glad it'll only cost 10 bucks. DB vs Sheamus will be a great match (if they get time), and 'Taker-Brock should be fun if the old man can take an ass whipping. Not excited about the rest, even though they've all got potential to be really good matches.

[jackknight]

I dunno. I hope this is false. Sheamus vs. Bryan worries me after their last Mania debacle.

Anyone else on here going to Mania?

[bigraj]

Sadly, no. I was planning on it, but too many things started to need replacement and ate away the money I had set aside. And now I need to buy tires.

I'd hope they don't screw up another DB-Sheamus WM match, considering the way the crowd shit on most of the show after the 18 second debacle. They showed at Extreme Rules the next month that they can put on a hell of a match. If that's a matchup they're going for, I hope they let them go at it.

[darthfoley]

Wow.

Bryan/Wyatt delivered an excellent match, and I was surprised at the outcome.

The rest of the card was...

Again...how can the suits not HEAR what the fans want? That crowd absolutely shit on Orton/Cena AND the Rumble when it became clear that DB was not going to be in it, and shit on the winner even more.

[darthfoley]

Or...OR...I'm being worked big time. LOL

[bigraj]

Hard to imagine Vince pulling the plug on the Daniel Wyatt thing only to continue dicking the fans around. I guess we'll see how things unfold as the Elimination Chamber/launch of the network approaches.

[Kimmel]

Anyone hoping to see CM Punk at Wrestlemania is going to be disappointed, he has walked out and quit.

He wanted the main event at Wrestlemania, when it was obvious he wasn't getting it, he walked.


Same thing Flair, Hogan, Savage, Warrior, Sting, HBK, Nash, Austin, Rock, HHH and just about any other top guy has done in the past, not getting what you want? Play politics and try and get it.


That's what these guys do, all of them, none are exempt, but I find it funny when some are buried for it and others are cheered for it.

[darthfoley]

Yeah I saw the story about his walk out earlier today. Gonna miss having him around.

[bigraj]

Maybe Austin can talk some sense into him. He's repeatedly stated on his podcast how stupid it was to walk out when they wanted to job him to Lesnar on Raw. I agree with him that it was a dumb move to want to even make that match with no advanced hype on a free show, and also agree that he should have shown up and worked something else out. Punk should do the same. I'm not sure he was promised a WM main event (show closing) match as part of his contract a few years ago, but I think he should finish out his contract and help out whoever he can until then. He's looked pretty worn out the last few months and it's showing a bit in his ring work. Maybe a little time off will help him come to his senses, maybe not.

[bigraj]

Might not be Wrestlemania bound, but Smackdown is here in Lafayette that Tuesday. Just picked up a nice ticket. Seat 109 F 4 in the Cajundome. Best seat I've managed to get, so far.

[bigraj]

Rather 'meh' Raw last night. Listened to the show while doing my taxes during the 2nd hour. Lots of "CM Punk" chants throughout the night, although it didn't overwhelm the show. Not sure if there was any fancy mic work done by the production crew on that. Orton did a good job in his opening promo trying to not give the crowd the opening to take over. Don't care about heel Titus. Great move breaking up a promising team and using the guy with the great personality as just another big guy heel. YAWN.

Decent cage match for the tag titles, and I'm glad they didn't do the stupid "escape the cage to win" stip. Not sure what was with Road Dogg not moving closer to break Cody's fall on the moonsault. Rhodes went straight back on the move and Dogg didn't move at all to catch him. Hope they're both okay, but that was a rough bump for Cody to take virtually unprotected. Very good Orton-Bryan match in the main event, although it wasn't as good as the Raw match they had leading up to SummerSlam last year. Might have something to do with Orton forgetting to sell the leg in the latter stages of the match.

[darthfoley]

Crowd seemed restless, but not as loud as usual. They even started a little turn on the Bryan/Orton match with Punk and JBL chants, which has to be the first time Daniel has had that happen.

I kinda feel like WWE trying to own the Bryan momentum with the 'yes movement' and especially with Trips and Steph teasing Orton about DB being the new face of the company, that they've killed his heat more effectively than just about anything else they could have done.

[bigraj]

Feb 4, 2014 18:30:28 GMT darthfoley said:

Crowd seemed restless, but not as loud as usual. They even started a little turn on the Bryan/Orton match with Punk and JBL chants, which has to be the first time Daniel has had that happen.

Yeah, I noticed it starting to happen when Bryan had a long stretch (probably too long) of offense during the early part of the match.  DB dominated the first 10 minutes of the match and it just didn't feel right having him look like Super Cena in there.  Crowd seemed about right when the comeback and Bryan pin happened.  I thought the cage might lower and either HHH or Kane would come out for the Bryan beatdown for most of the match.  Maybe there was some of that feeling from the "Universe" as well?

[darthfoley]

I almost felt like they were going to run a double turn in that match DB was in control so long. Orton 'battling through' etc etc.

[bigraj]

Sooo . . . no Daniel Bryan match tonight? Guess I have no reason to slog through another boring 3-hr show in anticipation for the awesomeness that is the American Dragon. I hear that there's some large international sporting event taking place. Maybe I'll check that out, instead. Thanks, Authority!

[darthfoley]

You didn't miss a whole lot.

Loved the audio leak of the announcers shitting on the CM Punk chants.

[bigraj]

Already deleted it from the DVR.

[Captain Charisma]

Smackdown has the potential to be an all-time classic tonight. Shield vs. my boys Bryan and Christian to kick things off and then Antonio Cesaro in the main event? YES! YES! YES! Like I woke up in a parallel universe where one of us is booking WWE today. Too bad they won't give one of us the pencil through Wrestlemania.

[Captain Charisma]

That flying dropkick from the floor to the apron by Roman Reigns is a thing of beauty. Just please don't rush the kid, you're right WWE, he is special and can be a draw for a long, long time, just don't rush him. Trust your pacing. All 3 members of the Shield, Sandow, and Cesaro are talented enough that the E never has to bring back a nostalgia heel, if they'd just trust their process.

For the first time in over a decade the WWE universe if more into the current product than Nostalgia, and now the WWE chooses not to let go of the Nostalgia? WTF?

Daniel Bryan's offense and babyface comeback are the most exciting things I've ever seen. I'm not just a prisoner of the moment either, it is edge of my seat amazing. That guy is unreal. Please sweet JBL and Ric Flair, I beg you, the wrestling gods, to let Bryan be at the Sunday Axxess I'm going to. I don't get to meet Taker, I don't get to meet Punk now, the least they can do is give me Bryan, Christian, Rollins, Dustin and/or Cesaro. And I don't care how bad the begging looks on me, I've spent too much money to make my 'once in a lifetime' wrestling dream a reality to not get someone that REALLY matters to me. Flair and Sting might not be included in the regular Axxess ticket I bought, fine, Bryan has graduated from that grouping? Then damnit you better give him the belt to justify him not being in that price range!

Ok, ok, I'll stop for now. But that six-man was awesome.

[Captain Charisma]

AND CESARO GETS INDIVIDUAL PROMO TIME?? I definitely woke up in a parallel universe. There is so much good, young talent in the E right now, it's unreal.