KawadaSmile Posted December 27, 2016 Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Last WWE TV of the year. Will they end 2016 in a high note? What sort of impact will Cena's return have on Smackdown? Will Braun's rampage go on this week as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Welp. Steph just killed the CM Punk chants in a way I don't think it will recover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted December 27, 2016 Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Braun/Zayn Last Man Standing next week has potential Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowboy hats Posted December 27, 2016 Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Welp. Steph just killed the CM Punk chants in a way I don't think it will recover. Wanna let us know what happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Welp. Steph just killed the CM Punk chants in a way I don't think it will recover. Wanna let us know what happened? Show started with Steph coming down to the ring, with loud CM Punk chants. She said "If you can keep this for more 2 minutes and 15 seconds, you are going to last longer than he did" They instantly stopped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted December 27, 2016 Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 The transitions through the Jobbers getting mauled by Braun/Braun vs. Rollins/Zayn & Braun stuff/Jericho & Rollins and now into this promo was pretty well done even if I don't care about Jericho, Owens or Seth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Owens is just so bad, seriously. But, overall, a very enjoyable show. Gallagher and Strowman are getting more and more over, and that warms my heart. Braun charging to the ring carrying a god damn tree is quite possibly the best image the show could have had in its last episode of the year. Reigns again is just so much better than KO, Jericho and Rollins, it's not even funny. Shame he gets shit for all the other 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted December 27, 2016 Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Gallagher is becoming my favorite character on the show. He definitely needs more air time. I could see Vince liking him in a Lord Steven Regal type way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted December 27, 2016 Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 Oh and with Reigns pinning Owens clean again I'm changing my pick for Rumble. Owens somehow retains. Still think he gets the belt before Mania though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakeplastictrees Posted December 27, 2016 Report Share Posted December 27, 2016 The CWD started off rough, but its starting to come together. TJP appears to be getting lost in the shuffle as his personality isn't really connecting at all. In the 'Nice Guys You Want to Root For" category, he is four tops (the first thing being Rich, Cedric, and Jack)! The top guys all have depth and purpose and I feel like TJ is keep in the upper card of the CWD to have a 'good hand' around. Someone who is not completely over, but is over enough that when Kendrick or whomever pins him--it logically setups a top feud/championship match. The Club ripping off the Dusty Bear's head was absolutely awesome heat. I wanted to see them get their asses kicked (especially Anderson). Cody's reaction on Twitter was less awesome and another example in a long list of uncomfortable markish behavior exhibited by pro wrestlers at times on social media. Braun Strowman is a top five guy when we consider guys who benefited most from The Draft. Hopefully, he continues to put all the pieces together. I am not 100% sold on him as an in-ring worker that gets me excited for his matches. However, with that said, he damn sure has the in-ring presence, mannerisms, etc. down solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 AJ Styles is an absolute marvel and I'm glad he's getting the opportunity to excel on this stage in such a prominent position. Really curious where he thought he'd be 6, 12 months into the WWE run. I can't imagine he thought things would've gone this well. He deserves all of it and more based on his talent and work ethic, but the track record of wrestlers coming from TNA didn't suggest this as a likely course for his run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Well WWE didn't want him when he was a TNA guy, it was only after he was a top star in NJPW that they had interest. He's just lucky they didn't feel he needed to spend two years in NXT learning where the hard camera is like other guys from that "indy" (Balor, Nak). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted December 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 From all accounts, SmackDown/205/Talking Smack was an A+ episode of an already great show. I really wouldn't say AJ was "lucky". Motherfucker was wrestling at the highest level in the whole world for two years, and was a much more recognizable name than other indy/japanese signings. No reason to not feature him in the main roster from the get-go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakeplastictrees Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 AJ Style being brought into WWE and put in NXT would be like WCW bringing in Bret Hart and putting him in the U.S. title scene almost immediately. Styles being on NXT wouldn't be the big "FU" that Vince is notorious for giving the competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stro Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Even worse than that. Bret's first title shot in WCW was for the TV Championship. 6 months after he debuted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotJayTabb Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Obviously take my national bias into account, but it does feel like the Brits are owning it on 205 Live. Gallagher feels like the guy most fans are getting behind and is managing to make potential disasters like last nights duel into something fun. He's also got just enough to stop him being a comedy act thanks to those bullet head butts. Neville as the brute heel of the division is great, cutting his best main roster promos and looking like a beast in ring. Even Dar is making his new heel gimmick work, and his match with Alexander the other week was really great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 How is Cody's behavior "markish"? What a strange thing to say. That's his dad, and he's entitled to feel however he wants - especially when Dusty's memory is being used to heat up an ice cold act like The Club, who aren't over at all. Not a single person would miss Gallows and Anderson if they got fired tomorrow and went back to Japan. They're terrible. Maybe they were something in NJPW, but that hasn't translated to WWE at all. Saying that putting AJ Styles in NPW would be like WCW putting Bret Hart in the U.S. Title scene is also strange to me. AJ was and is not near the level of star Bret was. They're not in the same galaxy (star power-wise), even now. With that said, AJ's first year in WWE has exceeded all expectations and I'm genuinely happy for him - he deserves it - but the Bret comparison seems like major hyperbole to me. Jack Gallagher has been one of the top acts in the Cruiserweight division from day one and would've been a great first champ. What a shame that they gave that push to the overrated Zach Sabre Jr., who ended up not even signing. Anything ZSJ did, Jack does better. (Maybe Sabre is like The Club and his act works overseas but doesn't translate to U.S. audiences?) I wasn't high on Dar at all during the CWC, but making him a creepy heel is a no-brainer, because that's how he came across during the entire tournament anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stro Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Cody has proven himself to have a lot of markish and dickheaded behavior on social media over the past couple of years, but I can agree that there was nothing "markish" about being bothered by a dude ripping off the head of a toy of his dead dad for cheap heel heat in a backstage segment with his brother. All his tweet was was saying it made him sad because it made him think of his dad being dead and being used for cheap heat. That's a pretty reasonable thing to think. The Bret/AJ comparison obviously wasn't a 1:1, but more pointing out that AJ was too well known, established, and talented to ever be stuck in NXT...much like it would have been stupid for WCW to pick up Bret Hart and not put him at the top of the card immediately. AJ spent 10 years on TV as the face of the second biggest company in the US, with an audience at one point just slightly smaller than what WWE's current television audience is. Combine that with being on top of NJ for 2 years, when NJPW has so much hype in the wrestling world, it would have been crazy to put AJ in NXT to work 400 fans in Florida. Again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 AJ Style being brought into WWE and put in NXT would be like WCW bringing in Bret Hart and putting him in the U.S. title scene almost immediately. Styles being on NXT wouldn't be the big "FU" that Vince is notorious for giving the competition. I hear what you're saying, but the TNA and NJPW aren't exactly competition in the way that Raw was for Nitro, and as much as I love AJ his profile coming into WWE was hardly that of a major US television wrestling star. Those don't exist outside the WWE vacuum and haven't for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakeplastictrees Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 When talking about TNA the word 'competition' is used very loosely. With HHH having a bit more influence within WWE, guys like Aries, Young, Joe, Roode, and Styles haven't been buried at all. None were hired to 'teach a lesson' or anything weird like that. Styles getting a huge pop at Rumble and maintaining the reaction post Rumble in less smarky towns tells me that his ten years or so of being on Spike definitely helped his profile. Styles was the guy that even die-hard WWE fans knew, so it would have been very weird (and complete waste of money) to bring him in and send him back to Florida work a small(er) arena. Styles and Hart are not apples:apples when breaking down metrics, however, the comparison would be one of the closes to the feelings of initial WCW stint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Again, I'm not suggesting I expected AJ to be buried, taught a lesson or anything of the sort. It was known from the start he wasn't being brought in for NXT or anything approximating that role. But I'm not sure anyone thought he'd necessarily rise above the mid-card level on the main roster. I sure didn't have that impression early on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakeplastictrees Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 I agree. I knew Styles would be I.C. and US champion, but if his and only title thus far being the top championship pre split? Amazing. The fact that he has been able to fill in his promos, etc. and become an all around character/worker/wrestler makes it all the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mando Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 I really, really dug Neville vs. Swann from 205 Live (12/27). Incredibly physical and hard-hitting stuff. Match had a good rhythm and momentum switches and some biting near-falls. Good stuff and certainly worth a look by Network subscribers. One of my favorite finishes of the year (and loved the crowd reaction shots upon impact). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 Smackdown beat Raw in the ratings this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 Smackdown beat Raw in the ratings this week. That comes on the heels of this... The WON reports that WWE Roadblock saw a decrease in overall interest by most viewable metrics. The site reports that while there was more interest in the show than for TLC, Google searches were down by about half from the usual level of monthly non-“Big Four” PPV events to 100,000. The show drew an attendance of about 8,000 which was considered to be a disappointment considering that WWE had a two-for-one ticket deal the week of the show. I can never predict how WWE are going to react to things. Sometimes they are stubborn as hell and stick to their course, sometimes they are quick to react. If they decide to react to this news, do you think it will blow back on how Kevin Owens is viewed as Champion? I don't like Kevin Owens, but in his defense, it's hard to get people excited amount your Main Even program when you give the match away for free on television. I just wonder if falling ratings and decreased interest in PPV shows will be blamed on him. I would ims oagine you could blame the holiday, but then again Smackdown is on the day after Raw, so I guess that really wouldn't work, would it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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