Dawn Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Ilja vs. Trick was an absolute classic that NXT enjoyers should check out pronto with an awesome turn at the end of it. The rest of Vengeance Day was ok I guess. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martel123 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 I know this is beating a dead horse, but I'll say I 100% think it's gonna be Roman vs Cody. No way Rock is gonna see the reaction, do the math with the crowd, and realize that having the match sounding like Goldberg vs Lesnar WM20 will legit kill the reputation he has. I'm honestly 50/50 on this just being a stunt to get people to stop talking about Vince from the jump, but that depends on The Rocks ego (which is....really high clearly.) On 2/4/2024 at 12:10 AM, eayragt said: This decision isn't about the WWE Title, unfortunately. WWE wanted Cody Vs Reigns and Punk Vs Rollins as the two main events. It's an anniversary year, it stacks up, and there would have been a Brock match, and probably a Rock appearance. WWE would prefer Cody Vs Rollins and Rock vs Reigns rather than Priest / Drew Vs Rollins and Cody Vs Reigns (with a Rock appearance and no Brock). This also, in isolation makes sense. Feel like there are ways to do a Rock match while also doing say Seth vs Drew or something. Hell have Dom Mysterio call out The Rock, his name will have mainstream value due to Rey. Or do a special guest referee match between Roman and Cody with Rock taking out an interfering Sikoa or something. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blonde Bomber Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 9 hours ago, Martel123 said: I know this is beating a dead horse, but I'll say I 100% think it's gonna be Roman vs Cody. No way Rock is gonna see the reaction, do the math with the crowd, and realize that having the match sounding like Goldberg vs Lesnar WM20 will legit kill the reputation he has. I'm honestly 50/50 on this just being a stunt to get people to stop talking about Vince from the jump, but that depends on The Rocks ego (which is....really high clearly.) Feel like there are ways to do a Rock match while also doing say Seth vs Drew or something. Hell have Dom Mysterio call out The Rock, his name will have mainstream value due to Rey. Or do a special guest referee match between Roman and Cody with Rock taking out an interfering Sikoa or something. What happens when it’s Cody Roman with Rock as ref and he turns, Roman retains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Bryan Alvarez claims WWE planted pro-Cody Rhodes signs at Vengeance Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQI13 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 54 minutes ago, Jaysin said: Bryan Alvarez claims WWE planted pro-Cody Rhodes signs at Vengeance Day I don’t know that he knows any more than we do. But if we are to believe that is true, there is something I heard a while back that holds true: whenever some news leaks, ask yourself “who benefits from this information leaking?” And when you answer that, you have your answer as to the source. Wrestling fans are a nutty bunch - myself included. But the internet is a different animal. The negativity could be largely coming from bots or whatever, or have been started by them. I will vent my frustrations here, but don’t worry too much about it outside of it. If the story is not compelling, I will enjoy the rest of the show and have that match on in the background. 1 hour ago, The Blonde Bomber said: What happens when it’s Cody Roman with Rock as ref and he turns, Roman retains If it’s this, I would see Cody vs Rock at Summerslam and then Vs Roman hopefully by Survivor Series. I am all for long term stories but the Bloodlines isn’t big enough to warrant Cody taking 7 more months after Summerslam to get to Roman again.0 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammoth Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 It's a work. The fact guys like Ricochet and Logan Paul have added to the hysteria on social media more or less confirms it. They wouldn't openly criticise booking without being given the green light to do so. It's very savvy asking Logan Paul - there biggest social media star - to stir the pot too. It's going to be interesting to see how they do it from here, but I don't see anything other than Cody beating Reigns at WrestleMania now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martel123 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 1 hour ago, The Blonde Bomber said: What happens when it’s Cody Roman with Rock as ref and he turns, Roman retains would be funny, and I'd guess after that Born Breakker beats Roman since no way Cody comes back from that 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthetop2 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 10 hours ago, Mammoth said: It's a work. The fact guys like Ricochet and Logan Paul have added to the hysteria on social media more or less confirms it. They wouldn't openly criticise booking without being given the green light to do so. It's very savvy asking Logan Paul - there biggest social media star - to stir the pot too. It's going to be interesting to see how they do it from here, but I don't see anything other than Cody beating Reigns at WrestleMania now. Still makes Cody look like a chump for turning down his chance to face Roman again on-camera. I don't see how this Russo-esque attempt to recreate the Yes movement helps him or adds to the match that was already going to take place. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_Black Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 ... I'm betting that Sami "I'm doing it for the fans" promo was taped before he went on Twitter yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Self Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 17 hours ago, Mammoth said: It's a work. The fact guys like Ricochet and Logan Paul have added to the hysteria on social media more or less confirms it. They wouldn't openly criticise booking without being given the green light to do so. It's very savvy asking Logan Paul - there biggest social media star - to stir the pot too. It's going to be interesting to see how they do it from here, but I don't see anything other than Cody beating Reigns at WrestleMania now. Feels like a lot of 'works' these days are these bizarre attempts to trick their viewers into thinking the company is dumber than they actually are. Which is a strategy, I guess. Promising something before taking it away. Wrestlers leaving because the company is bad. There's been the same discourse around various AEW things. I don't think "it's a work" makes anything better. It's like punching someone in the back of the head and saying "It's just a prank" and expecting the victim not to get mad. Or claiming you won an argument simply because the other person had an emotional response. I'm sure there are passionate folks on both sides. And I'm sure WWE want to magnify the passions of both sides. The one guy at my work who watches wrestling is THRILLED by the announcement. He loves the Rock and wasn't excited by Roman vs Cody, who don't have much history. And I sort of agree. I defended Cody losing last year, because I thought they'd spend 2023 developing a blood feud between the two. They've done nothing. I couldn't tell you with 100% certainty that Cody and Roman have even met, let alone have opinions on each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammoth Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Just for the record, I don't discredit peoples anger or unhappiness. I was simply expressing my opinion that I believe it's a work, and I wasn't defending it. If indeed it is a work, then I would argue that it's done its job though. Like all forms of entertainment, professional wrestling is there to make its audience feel something. And that doesn't always mean it should be a positive emotion - especially at first. The 'E wanted more eyes on the product leading up to WrestleMania (as they always do) which The Rock brings, and they wanted the crowd to reinvest in Cody Rhodes because, like Self said, they haven't really done anything since last year. They've done both. For everybody who is angered or upset, how happy are they going to be if Cody "finishes the story" at 'Mania? Storytelling is simple sometimes. The lower the low, the higher the high. Triple H more or less spelled it out at last years WrestleMania press conference: "the story never changes". 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet-Left Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Whether or not it was by design, the WWE now have an organic groundswell of support for their top babyface (in an era not known for cooperative crowds) just days after the (arguably) worst scandal in the company's history broke. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthetop2 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 (edited) 12 hours ago, Mammoth said: If indeed it is a work, then I would argue that it's done its job though. Like all forms of entertainment, professional wrestling is there to make its audience feel something. I don't buy it. Repeatedly getting people's hopes up only to dash them is not the type of feeling any storyteller should be aiming for. Dashed hopes turns to apathy, and apathy turns to people not watching your product anymore. Quote Storytelling is simple sometimes. And the simple story was there to be told way back at WM 39: the prodigal son returns to save the federation from Roman's reign of terror. Instead the WWE had to complicate it by having him lose to interference he should've seen coming, get made to look like fodder the following night by Brock Lesnar, and then do nothing interesting after conquering Lesnar until the right time to "complete the story" that should've already been completed came around. Then they had to complicate the conclusion even further by adding The Rock to the mix! All of this contributes to why I haven't watched the 'E in at least a couple of years; the lack of payoffs and over reliance on part time stars was depressing to watch. And clearly I'm still interested in what happens if I'm still posting here, but they've jaded me so badly that I'm not sure I can put myself in the right mindset to enjoy the WWE even after Reigns finally drops the belt. Edited February 7 by overthetop2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 | 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 What a masterful pivot. The buildup just got a whole heck of a lot more interesting if Cody has to worry about Corporate Rock in his way as well. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQI13 Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 3 hours ago, Jaysin said: I get that’s probably a reference to Tony fearing for his life. But maybe I am missing the relevance - Cody vs Rock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrestling Machine Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 I still don't understand what they are cookin to get out of this situation lol but it still doesn't make sense. Cody less than a week ago said that he wasn't going for the WWE title at Mania, and now he is. I mean they are using nonsense to get out of a nonsense situation. Certainly this is interesting but only because of the star power of the wrestlers involved, let's see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eayragt Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 Who knows what they were planning, but they have brought eyes on Mania through massive social media engagement so they'll be happy as long as this equates to buys. If it does, expect future planned works on the same scale. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 5 hours ago, CQI13 said: I get that’s probably a reference to Tony fearing for his life. But maybe I am missing the relevance - Cody vs Rock? There was a WrestleMania press conference last night and the Rock slapped Cody. Punk was on the analysis panel. Punk made that comment after. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 (edited) On 2/7/2024 at 12:05 AM, overthetop2 said: I don't buy it. Repeatedly getting people's hopes up only to dash them is not the type of feeling any storyteller should be aiming for. Dashed hopes turns to apathy, and apathy turns to people not watching your product anymore. Don't know dog, apathy is the last sentiment anyone who's invested in Cody's story was feeling all week leading up to the press conference and is feeling today still. Cody and the product as a whole are hotter than ever, even. React with confused all you want but you know that to be true. Yes, the direction they took was likely a pivot and one that requires you retcon SmackDown for now as they had booked themselves into a corner (unless you share my headcanon that all this Rock involvement is going to be a ruse to screw Roman over from the inside and set up their match for NEXT year) but come on man, just ride the wave of support Cody has right now and enjoy it. Remember Daniel Bryan's RTWM to the world title? That was infinitely more stupid than Cody's and they took ages longer to pivot. All people remember now is how big of a star he became in the end. Cody is going to finish the story, and if by that point anyone is complaining about the one misstep they took on the road (for THIS WM anyway) they'll just be shouting at a wall of cheers. Edited February 9 by Dawn 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blonde Bomber Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 I’m thinking Roman v Cody with Rock as ref or enforcer or something. Basically the Mike Tyson role. He turns on Roman then and they face off probably in Saudi or Summerslam. Could see them doing the Cena Rock thing of booking the match for Wrestlemania 41. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blonde Bomber Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 Though I do love Rock as a heel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthetop2 Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 (edited) 11 hours ago, Dawn said: Cody and the product as a whole are hotter than ever, even. React with confused all you want but you know that to be true. No I don't, because that doesn't reflect my personal feelings towards the product WWE puts out. I think Cody had his momentum killed yet again by a needless complication to the story, and pretending the Feb 2 segment never happened doesn't erase everyone's memory of it happening. Quote Remember Daniel Bryan's RTWM to the world title? That was infinitely more stupid than Cody's and they took ages longer to pivot. All people remember now is how big of a star he became in the end. Okay, let's actually remember that rather than cite it as "muh long term booking". The Daniel Bryan storyline lasted 8 months all up, which is already shorter than the 12 it will be between Cody Rhodes unexpectedly jobbing at WM 39 and him finally getting another chance at 40. Throughout those 8 months, the fans did not simply "let the story play out" but rather clearly voiced what they wanted, demanding a refund over a BS sports entertainment finish at Battleground, and rejecting the development of Bryan joining the Wyatt family to the point where he turned on them at the first sensible opportunity. I have not seen any of that vocal rebellion against how long it's taking for Cody to "finish the story", in spite of the WWE continuing to keep him away from the title picture after the Lesnar feud just to eke out the story to WM 40. So you get the confused emote because your comments of just sitting back and enjoying the show is completely alien to someone like me who first seriously got into wrestling in the 2010-15 era of the IWC. Quote Cody is going to finish the story, and if by that point anyone is complaining about the one misstep they took on the road- Implying that it's just one misstep that made me sick of the Roman reign of terror. No, this has been going on since at least Clash at the Castle 2022, when McIntyre should've won at home since Roman had already been champion for 2 years. He instead lost, and ever since I've grown increasingly frustrated every time I hear about an angle that's hinting towards Roman dropping the belt to freshen up the main event and give me a reason to watch more than just occasional highlights and results... only for Roman to retain anyway in the blow-off match. At this rate I'm not 100% certain they'll even let Cody win the rematch! Edited February 10 by overthetop2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eayragt Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 I think you're confusing Cody's story with Roman's reign, the latter of which you despise, which is fine. However, this clouds your judgment so you make claims like "Cody has had his momentum killed", whereas Cody's momentum is super high right now. Was it marginally higher after the Rumble? Sure. But Cody Vs Roman has huge heat going into WrestleMania regardless, and if The Rock is at Mania (and it would be crazy for him not to be at this point) the last few weeks would have increased the intrigue in his appearance. It's certainly brought more eyes to the Mania build up. I feel it's too easy for some people to concentrate on one thing that they don't like (especially if it's a main storyline) and claim it's hugely damaging, but I can't see it in this case. Cody's momentum went from 10/10 to 8/10 last Friday, went back up to 9/10 the other night, and has plenty of time to go back up to 10/10 before Mania. Did Cody's momentum need to take this hit? Of course not, but he's not coming out of this any worse so no need to dwell on it, especially when it's bringing eyes to the product. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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