The Official WWE / NXT Discussion Thread *May Contain Spoilers*

[liontamer]

<p>I'm not entirely sure that they do it that way though. These may be people that they think have a ton of potential, but are on the fence, and this is a way of getting them exposure and seeing how the crowd reacts. I would imagine some of them have prior wrestling experience that WWE is aware of. You get a lot of potential storylines off of something like this without really having to write any of it.</p><p> </p><p>

This might be like a WWE training facility version of NFL training camp. Bring in the top people that might work, have them compete, keep the best and toss the rest.</p>

[Mootinie]

<p>Going full Milamber with this Beast In The East review <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> There's a spoiler in Balor vs. Owens, but hey, you probably knew who was winning anyway.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Chris Jericho vs. Neville:</strong> Big pop for Y2J, but not so much for Neville, which surprised me. PAC was a big deal in Japan, he worked primarily for Dragon Gate as one of the first foreign imports there and was very over during his appearance in the Best Of The Super Juniors for New Japan. Really good match, sleek action, good back and forth and a smart finish. <strong>***3/4</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Nikki Bella vs. Paige vs. Tamina:</strong> Paige is so average, I've never understood the hype. She hasn't had one match in WWE that I can safely call good. Even her work with Nikki is just 'good for a diva's match'. Tamina is so sloppy and so bad, I really don't understand if she's supposed to be a tall imposing big woman or not - and if she is, why does she bump so often? This was the Nikki Bella Special, average and largely unoffensive. <strong>**1/2</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston:</strong> Absolutely brilliant. Brock looked like such a star here. More of an angle than a match, but considering this was used to sell Brock's Battleground match, this was all very smart. <strong>***</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor:</strong> I can't speak highly enough of Owens, he's the real deal. He came out of this match looking twice the star that Balor looks and although the Irishman had his nice moment, it's easy to see why one guy is going to the main roster and why the other is sticking around in NXT. Very good match, but very little psychology if I'm being honest. I expected it to be all about Balor surviving the Owens onslaught, but it wasn't, Balor had way more offence. He needs a new finisher, why not the Bloody Sunday? Still a good match though. <strong>****</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Cena & Ziggler vs. Barrett & Kane</strong></p><p>

Lol. I didn't even know this match was happening. What a joke of a main event. Completely forgettable - a boring, plodding, uneventful affair. I suppose because it's a house show they need to close with Cena, but wow. And this was the longest match! What. Stupid. The action was fine but this match should have gone way earlier and shouldn't have been way shorter and for that, it's a <strong>DUD.</strong></p>

[Mootinie]

Calling it now: it was Finn Balor that attacked Hideo Itami.

[Jaysin]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Mootinie" data-cite="Mootinie" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Calling it now: it was Finn Balor that attacked Hideo Itami.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> He did it for da Rock.</p>

[Russelrules44]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Mootinie" data-cite="Mootinie" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Calling it now: it was Finn Balor that attacked Hideo Itami.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> If it was, then that would be a brilliant plan.</p>

[The Swanton825]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Mootinie" data-cite="Mootinie" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Paige is so average, I've never understood the hype. She hasn't had one match in WWE that I can safely call good. Even her work with Nikki is just 'good for a diva's match'.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Watch her stuff from NXT. They spent the whole time booking her as the "Anti-Diva" and focusing on her distinctly European style of wrestling. She gets promoted to the main roster and has her gimmick ripped from her and her moveset gutted. Kinda hard to have a good match when they won't let you. Same thing's going to happen to Charlotte.</p>

[milamber]

<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Beast in the East Review:</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Jericho vs Neville</strong> - Good match. They worked well together despite it being a 1st time pairing and Jericho barely wrestling these days. I'm surprised Neville lost but he's not in a big feud so it doesn't really matter.</p><p>

<strong>Paige vs Tamina vs Nikki (Divas Championship)</strong> - OK match. It was fast-paced but way too scrappy. They had a chance to script a divas match closer to the NXT benchmark and blew it.</p><p>

<strong>Kofi vs Lesnar</strong> - Effective squash. Nothing we haven't seen before but a treat for the live fans.</p><p>

<strong>Balor vs Owens (NXT Championship)</strong> - This was epic before the bell even rang. Great match. I already knew the result but it was still cool seeing Balor win. I'd love to see these guys main event Wrestlemania 2 or 3 years from now.</p><p>

<strong>Barrett & Kane vs Ziggler & Cena</strong> - Technically OK match but my least favorite of the show. Very few wrestlers on the main roster are capable of putting on long entertaining tag matches, so they shouldn't have bothered. Leave that to the experts: ROH and NJPW.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Verdict:</span></strong> Decent for a house show but only 2 matches were worth watching (and maybe the Brock squash). Shame they didn't film the Cesaro and Lucha Dragons vs New Day matches. The crowd were good and the commentary was better than on Raw.</p>

[RKOwnage]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Mootinie" data-cite="Mootinie" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Calling it now: it was Finn Balor that attacked Hideo Itami.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Yup, I said this when I was watching the special last night too. Totally agreed.</p>

[lukess11]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="RKOwnage" data-cite="RKOwnage" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Yup, I said this when I was watching the special last night too. Totally agreed.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> If it is him, I could see a Bullet Club in NXT with him and Owens as the top 2.</p>

[Mootinie]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="lukess11" data-cite="lukess11" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>If it is him, I could see a Bullet Club in NXT with him and Owens as the top 2.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I could well imagine Owens is done with NXT now. I think he should win (correction, needs to win) the US Title at Battleground and move right into a feud with Samoa Joe. They haven't had a blow-off match yet and the story writes itself: Owens leaves NXT, Joe accuses him of running away.</p><p> </p><p> Balor should form a stable though, I agree with that. Balor Club seems the natural fit, but it'd be so cool if they were all like comic book villains. And to get a match at Balor, the challenger should have to beat every member of the Balor Club, before they get to fight the last boss, the Demon King himself.</p>

[K-Nection]

Anyone know if WWE Network is free this month?

[Jaysin]

It was free for June, so I highly doubt July is a free month.

 

Your first month is free when you sign up though. At least that's what the ads say.

[jwt13]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>It was free for June, so I highly doubt July is a free month.<p> </p><p> Your first month is free when you sign up though. At least that's what the ads say.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> It is free this month for first timers</p>

[milamber]

Best Raw in recent weeks, although it's still a slog to get through 3 hours. You could tell by the format of the show (Brock/Heyman to start, Brock manhandling the Authority and Ambrose in the middle, Cena/Owens/Cesaro in a long main event) that WWE were in damage control trying to improve the poor ratings. If only they were this motivated every week.

 

- Even with Miz trying his best, the IC title feud is boring. How about Ryback gets a big head from being champ and Neville takes the belt off him? Neville is tailor-made for a David vs Goliath feud.

- Not a bad match but the Divas division is stuck in a bad rut. My idea: 1. Put Natalya & Charlotte with Paige and have them win a tag match at Battleground against The Bellas & Fox. 2. Have either Paige or Charlotte win the title at SummerSlam and once Charlotte's established have her turn on Paige because she's a Flair. 3. Let them wrestle multiple 10-15 minute matches. 4. Profit?

- Sheamus/Reigns/Wyatt/Orton was smart overbooking, combining feuds in a way that made no one look weak.

- Finally a decent segment in the Ziggler/Rusev/Lana/Summer feud. Still, the execution of this feud has been lazy at best so far. Ziggler & Lana can win a mixed tag match at Battleground but if Rusev doesn't go over Ziggler at SummerSlam he'll be the next Bray Wyatt.

- Ambrose vs Bo was fun.

- Brock destroying the car was great. Shame he almost injured a fan throwing a car door at the crowd.

- It's hard to care about either Barrett or Truth

- Lucha Dragons vs New Day was fun. It's also worth watching New Day's Raw Fallout antics every week. Titus will make a good announcer when he retires from wrestling, just like Miz and Big Show.

- Owens shooting on Cena made me LOL. Cena vs Cesaro was even better than their last match. I'd be happy with a triple threat at Battleground, so Owens doesn't have to pin Cena clean. They might hold off on that until SummerSlam or have Owens and Cesaro wrestle on Raw only but they should capitilize on Cesaro ASAP. I just hope he improves on the mic as it's the only thing holding him back from being in the upper midcard/main event scene long term.

 

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/a415354c99610d9389b345c172cb020a/tumblr_nironaUP5k1s02vreo8_400.gif

[Stennick]

Owens shooting on Cena made me LOL

 

That word....I don't think it means what you think it means.

 

Shooting in pro wrestling means to "go off script" to do something that wasn't previously agreed upon. I assure you every word KO said was agreed upon before hand. They aren't letting a guy thats been up on the main roster a month...no matter how good people think he is and no matter what kind of push they are giving him. They aren't letting him "shoot" on anyone.

[milamber]

That word....I don't think it means what you think it means.

 

Shooting in pro wrestling means to "go off script" to do something that wasn't previously agreed upon. I assure you every word KO said was agreed upon before hand. They aren't letting a guy thats been up on the main roster a month...no matter how good people think he is and no matter what kind of push they are giving him. They aren't letting him "shoot" on anyone.

 

Just short-hand on my part. "Worked shoot" would have been more appropriate.

[Remianen]

- Not a bad match but the Divas division is stuck in a bad rut. My idea: 1. Put Natalya & Charlotte with Paige and have them win a tag match at Battleground against The Bellas & Fox. 2. Have either Paige or Charlotte win the title at SummerSlam and once Charlotte's established have her turn on Paige because she's a Flair. 3. Let them wrestle multiple 10-15 minute matches. 4. Profit?

 

I like the idea but I had thought of Sasha Banks. It would basically allow foreshadowing from the very beginning (assuming she keeps her best known characterization). The uneasy alliance of necessity (Paige) and convenience (Sasha). Since they've forgotten how to book face/heel with the divas, you wouldn't even have to do any turns. Thinking about it, Charlotte would make a lot more sense, especially now that Sasha has the title.

[BHK1978]

Since they've forgotten how to book face/heel with the divas, you wouldn't even have to do any turns. Thinking about it, Charlotte would make a lot more sense, especially now that Sasha has the title.

 

I read a couple of months ago, and there seems to be some validity behind it from what is shown on television, that Vince doesn't think the fans care about faces and heels in the Divas Division. He thinks of them as just a bunch of women who are having catfights. It that is the case that seems to make sense because it would explain how the Bellas are seemingly booked as faces one month and then heels the next month.

[crownsy]

I like the idea but I had thought of Sasha Banks. It would basically allow foreshadowing from the very beginning (assuming she keeps her best known characterization). The uneasy alliance of necessity (Paige) and convenience (Sasha). Since they've forgotten how to book face/heel with the divas, you wouldn't even have to do any turns. Thinking about it, Charlotte would make a lot more sense, especially now that Sasha has the title.

 

Speaking of Sasha and Charlotte, I saw a moment on NXT last night that gets the conspiracy theory person in me going. On last nights show, they had Sasha and Charlotte tag out of necessity (and also because Sasha now "owes charlotte a favor" which became a title shot).

 

All pretty standard stuff, but what caught my eye was after they won, they had what appeared to be a very real moment where the hugged and Sasha looked like she was getting emotional, and Charlotte smiled and said something. Then they snapped back into character.

 

The conspiracy part of me wonders if they know Charlotte is going to lose next week, and head to the main Roster shortly thereafter. I dunno, probably out of my mind and reading a lot into it, but that quick exchange read "Good luck, this is one of our last showdowns on NXT, it's been real" not "Yea, thanks for the random help to get yourself a title shot teammate."

[K-Nection]

I read a couple of months ago, and there seems to be some validity behind it from what is shown on television, that Vince doesn't think the fans care about faces and heels in the Divas Division. He thinks of them as just a bunch of women who are having catfights. It that is the case that seems to make sense because it would explain how the Bellas are seemingly booked as faces one month and then heels the next month.

 

If that's the case Vince is on some good kind of drugs! It makes absolutely no sense from a story telling perspective. It angers me every week because it just make them all look bi-polar. I remember when women's wrestling made sense...not nowadays. Just a bunch of cat fighting women...sigh.

[milamber]

 

The sound isn't the best but it's entertaining. Owens wins the panel because he's awesome.

[K-Nection]

It's that's the case then why is Paige still being booked as a face, why are the Bella Twins still being booked as heel? And what about Naomi and Tamina? Would they count as heels?

 

I still believe that there's some hope left for the WWE divas division, yes most of the divas are being treated like wildcards but let's look at the bigger picture. What about NXT? Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss? Bayley? Becky Lynch?

 

The future is bright; you just have to believe in it....or in the case of Bo Dallas. BO-lieve in it. #getthetomatoes

 

The biggest elephant in the room is the Bella Twins. If you look back from lets say a 6 month booking with them. They went from heels feuding with Paige and AJ to a random face turn just because Naomi was attacking them. They were still cheating to win and expecting you to cheer for them. To right back to being not caring what the fans think and still cheating to win. I think they are going to end up keeping the title on Nikki just for the mere fact so she could have a longer reign as a champ. No matter how unsuccessful that reign is they are just going to spite AJ just because she isn't there and who she is married to.

[milamber]

There's a rumor Charlotte and Sasha will be called up to help Paige beat the Bellas but even then they will probably drag it out for a few PPVs and keep the title on Nikki.

[Russelrules44]

There's a rumor Charlotte and Sasha will be called up to help Paige beat the Bellas but even then they will probably drag it out for a few PPVs and keep the title on Nikki.

 

If that is true; then that proves my point. There's still hope for the divas division and there are still faces and heels in the divas division. (Although; I will admit than I could have worded it a lot better.)

[Russelrules44]

The biggest elephant in the room is the Bella Twins. If you look back from lets say a 6 month booking with them. They went from heels feuding with Paige and AJ to a random face turn just because Naomi was attacking them. They were still cheating to win and expecting you to cheer for them. To right back to being not caring what the fans think and still cheating to win. I think they are going to end up keeping the title on Nikki just for the mere fact so she could have a longer reign as a champ. No matter how unsuccessful that reign is they are just going to spite AJ just because she isn't there and who she is married to.

 

In all honesty I made that statement very close to when I went to bed, so I was tired.

 

Whether Nikki will make it to 300 or not, we'll just have to see. Either way AJ still has held the belt for the most days in combined reigns at 406. A record I highly doubt will be broken anytime soon, least of all not in this day of age.

 

That being said; I can't defend The Bellas at everything; while I will say that their ring work has somewhat improved, (say around 3-7ish points, and even that may be a lot.) the nonsensical turn to face and heel was pointless and could have been done without.

 

I would also like to see the reign end soon, now about the company not knowing how to book divas face or heel wise anymore. Again, I like to look in the bigger picture, maybe (this might be just a coincidence but I digress) they've all just gotten sick of The Bellas, Alicia Fox and Paige in general and decided "You know what, screw it." and gone on with their daily lives. Or at least their trying to; but the Bellas are still butting into them. Of course they want to make their words felt but if they did; they would get destroyed by Nikki and Brie.

 

Besides, it's not like the NXT division is doing well for itself either. Don't get me wrong the storylines are good there and they have some talented ladies; but it's basically a two star division with Charlotte and Sasha Banks, and who knows until they go onto WWE. Bayley's injured, Becky's injured, Carmella's still green, Cassie and Jessie have yet to prove themselves; Alexa's managing Blake and Murphy (which i'll conceed to as a good thing, they are the tag team champions after all.), Dana and Marie may very well be the best ones right now not named Charlotte and Sasha in terms of star power. (Ring work is a completely different story.)

 

Also; to prove my point further that there are still faces and heels in the divas division, Summer Rae and Lana. Rae's a gold-digger managing Rusev and Lana is turning into the next Sable.....sorta.

 

Whether you disagree with this is your opinion but you have to admit, it's not as bad as we think it is right NOW. Key word; NOW. All I know is, there might be worse things in this world of wrestling (or sports entertainment) that we don't know that there are already.