Wrestling

[Dave]

I'm looking forward to it. AEW have done very well to get a deal with ITV and TNT. If they make an impact on ITV they could be more viable to a bigger audience in the UK than WWE on BT Sports from next year.

The better AEW gets, the better NXT will get, and the better Raw and Smackdown will get to keep NXT perception as a third brand. NXTs pure existence is to combat any threat and that's evident by multiple decisions made over the years. NXT pay per views in 2019 have been better than the AEW pay per views, but comparing the main events the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Cody Rhodes are bigger house hold names than those on NXT. As already touched upon, WWE can combat this quite easily by moving established upper midcarders who people want to see main event (Andrade, McIntyre, Nakamura, Balor etc) back to NXT. It's a win win for everybody really. Most of the big concerns with WWE people had at the start of the year are being resolved, and with there poor track record of listening you have to imagine the existence of a well funded new company is the reason for that.

On a side note I really do feel for ROH who have suffered because of all this already. They have always been great at creating new stars but it doesnt feel like that's happening with Matt Taven. You imagine they'll lose Marty Scrull by the end of the year too. 

[6666]

7 hours ago, The Palace Fan said:

On a side note I really do feel for ROH who have suffered because of all this already. They have always been great at creating new stars but it doesnt feel like that's happening with Matt Taven. You imagine they'll lose Marty Scrull by the end of the year too. 

You'd have to imagine they feel kind of stupid with how much they helped with All In. Pretty much helped create the company that's taken their spot. It doesn't help that their rich owners seem completely uninterested and I wouldn't be surprised if WWE buys ROH in a few years.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

NJPW have been very hostile to AEW on the other hand and rightfully so. Their biggest stars abandoned ship right as NJPW were peaking, and they took a bunch of talent with them.The AEW PPVs were nowhere near as good as I expected them to be, and not as good as a takeover or NJPW PPV. 

[Dave]

23 hours ago, 6666 said:

You'd have to imagine they feel kind of stupid with how much they helped with All In. Pretty much helped create the company that's taken their spot. It doesn't help that their rich owners seem completely uninterested and I wouldn't be surprised if WWE buys ROH in a few years.

I think you're right. I think the owners have a mentality of "this business model works" but the emergence of AEW have moved the parameters a lot. Guys like Joey Janela for example would have done a successful stint in ROH before.

9 hours ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

NJPW have been very hostile to AEW on the other hand and rightfully so. Their biggest stars abandoned ship right as NJPW were peaking, and they took a bunch of talent with them.The AEW PPVs were nowhere near as good as I expected them to be, and not as good as a takeover or NJPW PPV. 

I dont blame them at all. That PPV at MSG should have been huge for both companies but instead they were missing big names that would have given them much wider publicity. The emergence of AEW will no doubt have a positive knock on effect with WWE but the cut backs for ROH and Impact have already began.

[Dave]

A good first show from AEW. Nothing spectacular but something to build on. @Devil-Dick Willie will love seeing how Moxley "ddt'd" Omega on a glass table. 

WWE had all basis covered with there big surprise on NXT this evening. The first round has gone to them.

[6666]

Watched NXT which I thought was good. Set up a few things to look forward to in the future.

Sounds like ITV have made a pig's arse out of showing the AEW show. Was supposed to be available at 7pm on ITV Hub and was 3 hours late. Apparently they were using that extra time to heavily edit the show... I'm guessing it's so it's suitable for the 08:20am showing on a Sunday (which was originally going to be the first showing of the show) but why the fuck would you even decide to put this on at 08:20am in the morning on a Sunday!? And couldn't they leave the edited version for that time slot but have the full version on ITV Hub? Seeing as I could've seen the show for free on ITV Hub, I'm guessing there's nothing wrong with me watching through other means...

[Dave]

AEW had such a brilliant opportunity with ITV its borderline amusing how its played out. What should have been a PR masterstroke has turned in to a PR disaster.

[Dave]

Smackdown was very good last night.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

22 hours ago, The Palace Fan said:

Smackdown was very good last night.

Hated it. Very much the kind of thing WWE like to offer.

[6666]

It was exciting but maybe not very "wrestling" if that makes sense. Very geared towards getting mainstream headlines rather than satisfying wrestling fans. I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy it though, just not for wrestling reasons. It'll be interesting to see what type of show Raw is now. Usually it was them that'd have the big angles chasing mainstream attention. It'd probably become the better wrestling show. I liked the entrance way a lot, a nod to the old oval entrance way. And am I allowed to say that I haven't liked The Rock's schtick since I was a kid...? Especially when he's a babyface. He just says dumb shit charismatically.

On AEW, what the fuck is it with Omega doing a pose after every move? Looks like an idiot. The look of the show was very good though and closer to Raw & SmackDown than NXT (who are still the main alternative to WWE main roster as AEW is basically the smae mainstream wrestling show but just a different promotion doing it). The commentary was very good as well I thought.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

You're right. WWE needs to be a wrestling show. Not the rock talking, a boxer, a 4 second match and an ugly fat guy with the charisma of a dry pumpkin

[Devil-Dick Willie]

Last year I was fucking fuming when hell in a cell was a no contest because Brock got involved.

This year was worse. Seth disqualified in a no rules pins only match. Seth disqualified for hitting Wyatt with a sledgehammer, after hitting him with chairs, ladders toolboxes and the like, but a hammer is a DQ? Fuck off. 

The 5 minutes of seth hitting finishers with no wrestling or any offence at all from Bray was dull as fuck too. Rubbish, absolute rubbish. Oh, and Roman Reigns sister Charlotte got her 10TH fucking championship because why the fuck not.

[6666]

If they're trying to turn Rollins into a mega heel then the Rollins/Fiend match was great... I'm assuming they're not doing that though, in which case why even book this match if you didn't want either guy to lose? The Fiend was getting too over so Rollins had to bring him down a bit? HHH style?

Becky/Sasha was the match of the night (although I would've much rather seen Sasha win). 

[Bluebird Hewitt]

14 hours ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Last year I was fucking fuming when hell in a cell was a no contest because Brock got involved.

This year was worse. Seth disqualified in a no rules pins only match. Seth disqualified for hitting Wyatt with a sledgehammer, after hitting him with chairs, ladders toolboxes and the like, but a hammer is a DQ? Fuck off. 

The 5 minutes of seth hitting finishers with no wrestling or any offence at all from Bray was dull as fuck too. Rubbish, absolute rubbish. Oh, and Roman Reigns sister Charlotte got her 10TH fucking championship because why the fuck not.

I haven't watched it but read about that. Reminds me of Cena back in the day when he got battered from pillar to post but then did his five move set and won the match. On a regular basis. 

Btw, where and when is NXT on in the UK? 

I may start giving it a watch. 

[JoshBRFC+]

They're so stupid aren't they the writers. Rollins has been one of the best performers for years now. What a way to get the fans to dislike him.... it's not even his fault.  Bray should have won clean, it's his time.

[6666]

12 hours ago, Bluebird Hewitt said:

I haven't watched it but read about that. Reminds me of Cena back in the day when he got battered from pillar to post but then did his five move set and won the match. On a regular basis. 

Btw, where and when is NXT on in the UK? 

I may start giving it a watch. 

WWE app is the official answer...

[Dave]

The mistake was putting The Fiend and Seth Rollins in a match against each other in the first place. A HIAC match is not the match to have when you want nobody to lose.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

After falling flat last year as well, with the lesnar interruption ending Roman and Brauns HIAC match in a no contest.

 

So so dumb but Vince loved it apparently.

[Guest]

Is AEW on ITV then can't find it on catch up?

[Guest]

Watched dynamite. Thought it was good. Maybe not as polished as WWE but definitely some talent there. Seems like it is done for the fans. WWE makes money from selling toys. AEW has to keep the fans happy. Haven't watched wrestling for a few years but gonna watch AEW I think. Funny how Jericho gets some of the loudest cheers and he is a heel. 

[Dave]

You've nailed it really. If AEW try and go up against WWE with celebrities, lack of wrestling etc they will fail. Theres a reason RoH, NJPW, MLW, NWA and Impact were able to expand there brands in the US in 2018 without WWE assistance and that's because there is a demand for wrestling.

I'm surprised Young Bucks have taken big losses already. You know if that was Triple H that would never be happening.

[DeadLinesman]

I thought the ending was a complete clusterfuck.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, The Palace Fan said:

You've nailed it really. If AEW try and go up against WWE with celebrities, lack of wrestling etc they will fail. Theres a reason RoH, NJPW, MLW, NWA and Impact were able to expand there brands in the US in 2018 without WWE assistance and that's because there is a demand for wrestling.

I'm surprised Young Bucks have taken big losses already. You know if that was Triple H that would never be happening.

I thought the tag team match was the best match of the night. That move of the top rope into the RKO like move(don't know what it's called) was brilliant.  Those tag teams could hold their own in WWE.  Just needs a few more top wrestlers to push it on.

Edited October 11, 2019 by Guest

[Guest]

@The Palace Fan also felt like they were maximizing the talent they have. There wasn't much slowing down the matches with submissions, wrestlers down etc. 

[6666]

On 11/10/2019 at 19:52, DeadLinesman said:

I thought the ending was a complete clusterfuck.

They're very WCW. Don't know if that's a good thing. At the moment they're new so everything they do will get a pass. I'm interested to see how things are in 6 months.