*Official* Pro-Wrestling Thread II

[Kraken]

It also makes Cody look stupid, and it makes the WHC look really secondary (which it is, but this does not help)

 

[GotSpin]

I mean the E is totally throwing their last two years of storytelling down the ****ter for the sake of a quick buck here. Rock is a huge name obviously, but even with Punk and Brock out they were still going to make money hand over fist whatever was put on the WM card. This was actually probably the first year in ages they had enough genuinely over/ top stars to not need to rely on names from the past.

I think they need Austin to be the special guest referee though

 

[sledger]

The video of the Rock/Cody/Reigns segment from Smackdown is now the most "disliked" video ever on the E's YouTube channel lmao

 

[duffer]

Rock getting booed takes some ****ing effort, lol

 

[sledger]

Rock getting booed takes some ****ing effort, lol

Yeah, early signs are it might be one of the biggest creative blunders ever tbh. The real acid test will be the live crowd reactions. If they start hijacking and booing Daniel Bryan style then they will really get nervous.

 

[honestbharani]

Surely they could have had Cody win the belt in Saudi Arabia or Australia and had him do his own program for Mania while setting up Rock Vs Reigns?

 

[sledger]

Given the position they are now in, that would be a better option than going ahead with Rock vs Roman for the belt imo. But it would still be significantly "less good" than just letting Cody getting his win at WM (which is literally what they have building to for 2-3 years) imo.

Apparently Rock is also "pushing hard" to actually beat Roman as well, which is completely mad.

 

[sledger]

I am not really a huge fan of Cody tbh, but the way the E have built him over the last few years has been really good. They have made him feel like a genuine top star, and he is genuinely and organically over with the crowd. Long term storytelling and development of new stars is one of the main things they have (correctly) been criticised for over the years. But when they finally get it right and the finishing line is in sight they throw the whole thing under the bus so that the Rock can come in and "save" WM. It's not great.

Reigns' promo on Smackdown the other night was absolutely scathing as well. He absolutely buried Cody, buried the WHC, buried Seth Rollins, and buried the Royal Rumble. Said they were all idiots and pointless, and the funny thing is that nothing he said was untrue. I mean everyone knows that the WHC is the B title, but for Reigns to openly call it a joke and point out that the only people challenging for it are people he has beaten anyway really rams home how inferior it is. Same with Cody and the Rumble. What was the point in having the ****ing match at all if Cody wins it and then immediately goes "actually no thanks"? Bloke just looked like a complete ****ing goof. It actually gets worse/funnier the more you watch it. The whole segment just devalued so much they have done over the last year or so.

 

[sledger]

I guess another "out" they have is turning it into a triple threat at WM, and giving Cody his win that way. But even that would be much "less good" than just putting Cody over 1 v 1.

 

[duffer]

Did they end up turning Roman heel in the end? Suffrin succotash was arguably the lamest bit I’ve ever seen on tv.

 

[Heboric]

I guess another "out" they have is turning it into a triple threat at WM, and giving Cody his win that way. But even that would be much "less good" than just putting Cody over 1 v 1.

Triple threat matches are cheap and nasty and normally telegraphs the belt is changing hands

 

[duffer]

Triple threat matches are cheap and nasty and normally telegraphs the belt is changing hands

Yeah tells us that somebody doesn’t want to do the job

 

[sledger]

Did they end up turning Roman heel in the end? Suffrin succotash was arguably the lamest bit I’ve ever seen on tv.

Haha yeah they did. And he's been great tbh. His 1000+ run as champ is getting a little wearying though.

 

[sledger]

Triple threat matches are cheap and nasty and normally telegraphs the belt is changing hands

Oh yeah totally, it wouldn't be my preference at all. But, as a damage limitation mechanism, it's one possible pivot/road back from the dire situation they've created for themselves.

 

[duffer]

Haha yeah they did. And he's been great tbh. His 1000+ run as champ is getting a little wearying though.

1000 days of Roman as the champ? Lol, wat

 

[sledger]

1000 days of Roman as the champ? Lol, wat

Just checked and it currently stands at 1,252 days atm. Will no doubt be extended quite some way beyond that unless Rocky beats him too (which would be absolutely awful imo).

 

[Athlai]

Roman's run has genuinely been great, but it should've ended a year ago

 

[duffer]

Just checked and it currently stands at 1,252 days atm. Will no doubt be extended quite some way beyond that unless Rocky beats him too (which would be absolutely awful imo).

Yeah, if they’re trying to replicate a ‘beat the streak’ then Hollywood sellout Rock doing it would be plain bad. Absolutely no sustained payoff to come of it.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, if they’re trying to replicate a ‘beat the streak’ then Hollywood sellout Rock doing it would be plain bad. Absolutely no sustained payoff to come of it.

Yeah, Cody is absolutely the only guy it makes sense to have go over him. Having Rock (i.e., a part-timer who hasn't wrestled in ten years) coming in and beating Reigns (another part-timer) is absolutely the worst imaginable option imo.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah, Cody is absolutely the only guy it makes sense to have go over him. Having Rock (i.e., a part-timer who hasn't wrestled in ten years) coming in and beating Reigns (another part-timer) is absolutely the worst imaginable option imo.

Sami Zayn and main event Jey Uso could've had stories built to it if they started by Rumble.