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

[MightyDavidson]

Well I admit, WWE got my attention with Punk's return.  Not sure if it's quite enough to get me to watch RAW but I'm definitely interested in seeing who Punk's first program is with.  I don't imagine they'll throw him in the Universal Title scene right away, but maybe a feud with Seth Rollins?

[The Swanton825]

8 hours ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

side note: I got a pet peeve with the war games matches just being a cage match where weapons get brought in. First of I think it needs a ceiling. Why wouldn’t a heel just exit the ring if not? Nothing happens if they forfeit. Also I find it bizarre that WWE says no to blood cause it’s “self mutilation”, but they allow people to actually be hit with weapons where you see welts and sore on the people’s bodies. Makes no sense to me. Blading seems safer than half the stuff people are doing these days.

My assumption is that they don't want to pay to run blood tests on the wrestlers before bloody matches to check for STDs and the like. Thus there's no legal issue for them if they wind up in a Bob Orton Jr. situation again because they can say that the performers "went rogue". Plus this way they can sell themselves to moralizers who are fine with people viciously bludgeoning each other so long as there's no blood or swearing.

As for Punk's return, I eagerly await the epic drama of him being back in WWE. Oh, and the on-screen storylines should be interesting too.

[parkereddy]

1 hour ago, The Swanton825 said:

My assumption is that they don't want to pay to run blood tests on the wrestlers before bloody matches to check for STDs and the like. Thus there's no legal issue for them if they wind up in a Bob Orton Jr. situation again because they can say that the performers "went rogue".

I don't really buy that a corporation that gets over 1 billion in yearly revenue is worried about the costs of blood testing their employees, I think it's more of a media relations thing and keeping their product relatively "clean" by US television's strict standards. Standards which are still largely stuck in the days where concerned Christian parents were running rampant about their child hearing a curse word or a violent act on screen.

[The Swanton825]

4 minutes ago, parkereddy said:

I don't really buy that a corporation that gets over 1 billion in yearly revenue is worried about the costs of blood testing their employees, I think it's more of a media relations thing and keeping their product relatively "clean" by US television's strict standards. Standards which are still largely stuck in the days where concerned Christian parents were running rampant about their child hearing a curse word or a violent act on screen.

You'd be shocked at the dumb things corporations do to "maximize profit". Though I don't disagree that it's also likely an attempt to look "clean".

[Wrestling Machine]

A few sparse reflections: 

I'm certainly not the biggest fan of the War Games matches because honestly in the end they all always seem the same to me, wild brawls with a few high spots (done very well tho), but still the storylines behind them and the good level of in-ring psychology made the two cage matches quite enjoyable.

Everytime I am fascinated by the skills of Rhea Ripley, she has to be the best female wrestler I have ever seen. Who do you think is at her level or even higher? Don't think there are many of them lol

That Low Blow-Skull Crushing Finale combo made me believe for a moment that The Miz could take home the title strap. When something like that happens in a match against bloody Gunther it means that booking and performance have been good.

Randy Orton, my godness! He really is the perfect prototype of the pro wrestler, looks like 2 million bucks. Huge pop, dominant break in the match, virtually no bumps, and an RKO that we will see again and again. I would love to see Cody (c) vs heel Orton at Mania 40.

And of course the return of CM Punk in Chicago, it doesn't get much better than this. In recent months/years there has been much discussion about him. I do not pretend to be 100 percent objective and certainly Punk is very vocal and has a big ego, but he's one of the very few top draw in the business, a megastar that understands the business and knows how to work.

Saturday he could have been at Collision, being hands-down the top star in AEW and helping them. In a professional company they would have capitalized on the tensions like real PROs and there would have been a CM Punk vs. Kenny Omega, there would have been a CM Punk vs. MJF, in a professional company a "Mr. Nobody" like Jack Perry would have had his ears pulled after shooting at their biggest star LIVE, just like Hangman Page would have had his ears pulled for ruining a reasonable storyline with that ridiculous promo (because gosh it was awful).

I have the feeling that several cliques inside AEW, and also among the insiders (very close to the YBs etc), did everything to throw Punk out of the promotion, but I don't blame them for that either, because the responsibility lies with TK who allowed them to do all this. IMO Tony Khan is a bad boss before he is a poor booker, unable to impose himself on his EVPs and talents who he wants to have as friends rather than employees. I don't think this attitude is tolerated in a serious company like WWE, which is why I think CM Punk will have far fewer of these kinds of problems. Of course, it is now up to CM Punk as well; his behavior backstage in the coming years will be critical in defining his legacy as a person.

 

P.S. BOYYYY CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR CULT OF PERSONALITY ON RAW! Like Corny would shout: "LIKE MUSSOLINIIIIIIIIII" 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Wrestling Machine

[MightyDavidson]

Punk's last run with WWE lasted ten years, I'd imagine if the issues that led to his dismissal were dealt with he could manage to do so again.

[ColdBloodedSausageMaker]

Punk's still got a lot left in the tank. If he can't stay healthy, you could always use Punk as a manager or color commentator.

He could like Jerry Lawler or JBL remain with the company in an on-screen role decades after retirement and do a great job. With his history with Dana White and UFC, Punk could be a great bridge between the McMahon ownership group and the new ownership group.

If I'm WWE, I have to think you capitalize on the momentum and run him vs. Reigns soon while Punk is healthy. Since Roman beat Punk's record for the streak, you could always have that be a bone of contention between the two stars.

Edited November 28, 2023 by ColdBloodedSausageMaker

[Dawn]

Good little episode of Raw every time THINGS WERE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN WITHOUT 20 DUMB STAR PLUS SOCCER COMMERCIALS IN A ROW INTERRUPTING THE FLOW.

Sigh.

Orton looks great, he should have just squashed Dom to give Punk more time on the mike but I suppose they gotta leave us wanting more. The Punk promo itself was good stuff though I wish his first actual storyline would have started. Creeds looked awesome and the Drew stuff is intriguing. I just can't take Raw seriously when a wrestler is standing in the ring doing nothing for a good 10 minutes while they recap the previous PPV and commercials galore. I don't know whether to blame WWE or USA Network for this so let's just move on and give flowers for a good show. Not sure I can do this every week, though. SmackDown is so perfectly paced by comparison it's ridiculous.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Dawn

[MightyDavidson]

So it looks like they're laying the groundwork for Punk vs Rollins, though Rollins seems to be feuding with Drew McIntyre for the moment.  Or possibly Jey Uso judging from the review I read.  The question is, if Rollin's fighting McIntyre first then who does CM Punk feud with?

[Mootinie]

CM Punk cut that promo on RAW as though he would rather have been literally anywhere else.

[Sisma]

I don't get the criticism. I thought Punk's promo was perfectly fine, especially considering it was 6 minutes long. I don't know what people were expecting? That he'll bury Tony Khan and AEW? It was short, sweet and to the point. The last line seemed like a subtle dig, at least. 

Did you guys see that he did a partial victory lap after they went off air? 😆

Edited November 29, 2023 by Sisma

[The Blonde Bomber]

Yeah I thought the promo was fine. I feel like I was waiting for something controversial to be said. But he felt less controversial and more mainstream. That may have been due to the promo being cut for time. Maybe he had more to say that was left out. But overall I was okay with it and am interested to see what will come going forward. Definitely left wanting more.

[Dawn]

People who were expecting a promo shock full of digs at AEW don't really know Triple H's WWE any well. They were actively referencing AEW (well, not really AEW but All In, the show that caused AEW to be a thing) in a positive light during the Survivor Series. I'm fully expecting someone to ''haha'' this post but in my estimation this war is not taken seriously by WWE at the moment and Vince was likely the major reason they ever did back in 2019 as he would have enjoyed crushing the only semblance of competition WWE had received since WCW went under.

If it was down to Hunter I don't think NXT would have ever left the wave of momentum it was on before the WNW was shoehorned into existence. Maybe a few guys who are now in AEW would have never left.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Dawn

[The Blonde Bomber]

WWE are the far and away number one, and number one doesn't directly mention number two. AEW had a shot in my estimation when Vince was in charge. But they kept blowing their chances time after time. They highlighted subpar talent and under-utilize people who could have made a difference in business. Now AEW is cold while WWE is heating up hotter than they've been in years. I wish AEW was the serious sports based wrestling that was mentioned at it's on set because that's what I would want out of my wrestling. WWE is pretty dull with moments of color nowadays but I still hope for a promotion to come through that's exciting and logical.

Edited December 1, 2023 by The Blonde Bomber

[Croquemitaine]

3 hours ago, Dawn said:

 in my estimation this war is not taken seriously by WWE at the moment and Vince was likely the major reason they ever did back in 2019 as he would have enjoyed crushing the only semblance of competition WWE had received since WCW went under.

I would have agreed with this... but then WWE trotted out the Undertaker on their development show just to beat AEW in the ratings for one week. An utterly pointless and frankly, pathetic move for a company that's clear and away #1 and trending hotter.  I've actually lost a bit of respect for the Undertaker for agreeing to do it. Seriously dude, stop being such a company man. You should be insulted to be asked to appear on NXT.

 

[The Blonde Bomber]

1 hour ago, Croquemitaine said:

I would have agreed with this... but then WWE trotted out the Undertaker on their development show just to beat AEW in the ratings for one week. An utterly pointless and frankly, pathetic move for a company that's clear and away #1 and trending hotter.  I've actually lost a bit of respect for the Undertaker for agreeing to do it. Seriously dude, stop being such a company man. You should be insulted to be asked to appear on NXT.

 

To me that was to try and get the developmental company to beat AEW's main show. Which I understand. You want to prove even your minor leagues gets better ratings than AEW's main show. The fact they were under 1 million viewers was surprising. But still the fact they won against AEW on NXT a down note for AEW. Side note I laughed when TK tried to say oh well Undertaker & Cena never were on a show under 1 million viewers before. Like dude, your company is under 1 million all the time now. Edge just debuted for you which means it's the first time he was on a show under a million people and that was your main show. Also, it's the first time Cena & Taker are on a show under 1 million and it still beat Dynamite. I found that funny so I wanted to mention it.

Edited December 2, 2023 by The Blonde Bomber

[The Swanton825]

16 hours ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

To me that was to try and get the developmental company to beat AEW's main show. Which I understand. You want to prove even your minor leagues gets better ratings than AEW's main show. The fact they were under 1 million viewers was surprising. But still the fact they won against AEW on NXT a down note for AEW. Side note I laughed when TK tried to say oh well Undertaker & Cena never were on a show under 1 million viewers before. Like dude, your company is under 1 million all the time now. Edge just debuted for you which means it's the first time he was on a show under a million people and that was your main show. Also, it's the first time Cena & Taker are on a show under 1 million and it still beat Dynamite. I found that funny so I wanted to mention it.

TK is his own worst enemy. Constantly tweeting, talking about ratings, etc. Dude, you run the clear #2 promotion in the US. Just let it ride. Wars are exhausting, painful, and leave the industry lesser than it was before. Why would you want one? For two or three years of a boost to ratings?

[The Blonde Bomber]

That Punk promo on Smack down was a masterpiece!

[ColdBloodedSausageMaker]

Punk is a wrestler who can slot in and make an impact outside the ring like few others. You could slot Punk in on color commentary or have him manage or be an authority figure and he's still a standout performer. In that way, Punk's resembles Jerry Lawler.

His promos are that good. A lot fans still overlook that.

WWE really needs to make the brands feel different. I struggle to care about which brand CM Punk chooses when RAW and Smackdown feel like the same show with a different coat of paint.

Maybe when the two are on different networks, WWE will make them feel a bit more different. Tweak the in-ring action a little bit or push tag teams on Smackdown or something.

[CQI13]

1 hour ago, ColdBloodedSausageMaker said:

Punk is a wrestler who can slot in and make an impact outside the ring like few others. You could slot Punk in on color commentary or have him manage or be an authority figure and he's still a standout performer. In that way, Punk's resembles Jerry Lawler.

His promos are that good. A lot fans still overlook that.

WWE really needs to make the brands feel different. I struggle to care about which brand CM Punk chooses when RAW and Smackdown feel like the same show with a different coat of paint.

Maybe when the two are on different networks, WWE will make them feel a bit more different. Tweak the in-ring action a little bit or push tag teams on Smackdown or something.

But they *are* on different networks already. Part of me thinks that they would put Punk on Raw to start, then you can always bring him over during the draft. I still think Punk is going to get the title from Seth, and when Roman loses the title, Heyman will drop him like a bad habit. At that point, imagine the story that could be told - Roman being unable to win the big one against Punk while being able to win against pretty much anyone else. Could be a good way to build Reigns up as a babyface after this whole Tribal Chief period.

[Matt_Black]

"A Tribute To The Troops is our most important show of the year!"

"Is the Universal Champion here?"

"... No."

"The U.S. Champ?"

"No."

"The tag team champs?"

"No."

"..."

"Dominik is here, though!"

[Wrestling Machine]

When was the last time WWE had so many hot top babyfaces? CM Punk, LA Knight, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens.

CM Punk vs Rollins at Mania 40 could be legendary with or without the World title involved, and the man came back just like 2 weeks ago 😂

[The Blonde Bomber]

On 12/9/2023 at 9:20 PM, Matt_Black said:

"A Tribute To The Troops is our most important show of the year!"

"Is the Universal Champion here?"

"... No."

"The U.S. Champ?"

"No."

"The tag team champs?"

"No."

"..."

"Dominik is here, though!"

I’ll take Dominik over anyone 😗

[Dawn]

9 hours ago, Wrestling Machine said:

When was the last time WWE had so many hot top babyfaces? CM Punk, LA Knight, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens.

CM Punk vs Rollins at Mania 40 could be legendary with or without the World title involved, and the man came back just like 2 weeks ago 😂

It's been forever. Maybe because Triple H actually knows how to book them without their only predominant trait being that they smile and kiss babies.

[FellaLibby]

So Charlotte is legit injured and is pretty likely to miss Mania. Kind of a shame really, she was beginning to have a slight redemption. Saw some people actually liking her for once.