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

[Basmat01]

 

Rock v Cena - MGK riled up the crowd and Cena went green. Crowd was nuts for this match as expected. "Fruity pebble! Tooth fairy!" Smart game plan from Cena trying to break Rock's core strength with Rock selling the pain like a pro. Rock looked like he'd never been out of the ring. Made sense going forward for Rock to win. Jericho v Punk was probably better but this one had that special feel to it like Punk v Cena at MITB.

 

Yer he looked like he never has but wrestled like he has had only one match in 8 years prior to this one.

[djthefunkchris]

How many months has Punk been champion in the last 12 months? Things are changing but don't expect year-long reigns that casual fans that find boring.

 

And in all fairness to Kelly, she pulled off 2 really good moves. Blame WWE for making the division a farce when they actually have a few divas capable of actually wrestling.

 

To be fair, it seemed like Beth carried (and I do mean carried) a couple of them moves, but I did enjoy the jump off the ropes. I thought that was one of the best of the night actually. But yeah, they had a bunch of I don't know if I would call them "botch's" or just kind of sloppy, easy to see who was really doing the work, type of thing going on... Like when Beth went to slam Kelly headfirst, took all of Beth's might it seemed to get Kelly back up so she could "reverse" it.

 

That move she did, when she landed right on top of Beth perfectly executed, and perfectly caught (by Beth), looked really smooth, sweet, or whatever you want to say, almost flawless. Best jump from turnbuckle/ropes all night.

[ThatChizzle]

Just FYI, I looked around on the internet, Tensai means Genius or Prodigy.

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_tensai

[TakerNGN74]

Sheamus v Bryan - What? What? What? Ballsy decision to have Sheamus win in no time at all. If anything it's what the fued really needed to kick it up a notch. The Extreme Rules rematch could be brutal if scripted right.

 

I don't know if you read any of the dirt sheets after mania but they did the short World Heavyweight Championship match in an attempt to break the record for shortest WrestleMania Title match. The record they were trying to break was the one set by the Kane vs. Chavo match at WM 23 which was eight seconds long, the match between Bryan and Sheamus was 18 seconds long. It would have probably of broken the record but I read somewhere that the Charles Robinson (the referee of the match) rang the bell too early. He rang it before AJ got on the apron to kiss Bryan and he was supposed to ring it after AJ got off of the apron and before Bryan turned around. That might not be exactly accurate but thats the story I heard. Anyways they didn't break the record and the Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan match got shafted for the second year straight.

 

I was looking forward to that match last year before I heard that it was pulled from the card and I was looking foward to their match at 28 until it turned into what it was. Its almost as if the match didn't happen at all.

 

I agree that their extreme rules match could be awesome but if this was the start of a feud I am just not happy with the way they went about doing it.

 

Other than that though Wrestlemania was awesome not as good as 17 or 19 in my opinion but it was a solid show minus the Bryan vs. Sheamus fiasco.

[Bull]

Just FYI, I looked around on the internet, Tensai means Genius or Prodigy.

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_tensai

 

Yoshi Tatsu said Tensai means a natural disaster or and act of god on twitter when those promos started airing.

[Target Practice]

To offer another point of view on DB/Sheamus, I watched 'Mania with my brother and his housemates, who aren't quite smarks, but not quite marks either, and it actually got a pretty decent pop from all of us to start the event. With the lack of a relevant tag team division, I've often found that WWE PPVs tend to be a bit slow off the mark, whereas this woke all of us up right off the bat.

 

I like DB, he's a top-class worker and I'm really impressed with his heel work, and to not see him get more of a shot at 'mania after the year he's had is a shame, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it - he's a young, talented guy, and he'll have plenty more opportunities over the years.

To be honest, the two guys I felt really sorry for were Jericho and Punk - they had a really good match, but the crowd were caught in a place where they were still a little burned out after the Taker/HHH match and knowing that the Rock/Cena match was going to be next, so apart from a few spots and the ending, the match was worked in pretty flat conditions, which is a shame, as it deserved much more.

 

All-in-all, I thought 'Mania was a pretty good event that had a little bit of something for everyone, smarks, marks or just the guys (and gals) that only watch the big events.

[ThatChizzle]

Oh, well it's hard to translate Japanese to English lol

 

There are also some old anime from 1967 called Tensai Bakabon, which also translated as Genius Bakabon, that was why I posted it as that.

 

But I would Trust Yoshi Tatsu more than myself, heh I'm born and live in Texas, so I know nothing about Japanese

 

 

I found a Dictionary online http://www.freedict.com/, There are four ways to translate Tensai...

Tensai - Horizon

Tensai - Natural Calamity, Disaster

Tensai - Genius, Prodigy, Natural Gift

Tensai - Reprinting

 

lol I kept wondering why everyway I kept searching "Tensai" would only come up as Genius. Heh I must have way too much free time on my hands to search for this for way too long lol

[Genadi]

 

I'm prob going to hell for this but it made me feel good for some reason

[Nathers7]

Lol I didn't think the crowd would be that pissed off with Bryan losing but WWE creative only have themselves to blame for tainting Sheamus' title reign. If Del Rio didn't come out when he did, Sheamus would have been booed out of the building. Looks like Bryan might go back Face as a more serious character judging by that iinterview segment.

 

The look on that Cena fan's face in the front row when Lesnar lifted him up was priceless, must admit the crowd really made that segment.

[Blackman]

Yes! tasty tears!!!

 

Anyhow, kinda suprised that the Rock won. Really expected those goofs to let Cena win once again. This did it for me: Cena is never going to be in stuff of legend. His whole ring-attitude during that match was just... wrong. No offense against him. He probably has a lot of value for the company (and I understand his push to the moon), just not as a wrestler. Sorry.

 

Wrestlemania itself was kind of a disappointment. I don't know. Sure, it had a bit for everyone, yes. The lower card and midcard was complete garbage. To be expected in a wrestling event, no big deal, even for Mania. Apart from those last 2 moves, the entire card was as predictable as hell. Ok, so I thought the first match was going to take 30 seconds. It was 12; big deal. Not that predictability is bad or anything. But the cornyness. God... Maybe HHH vs Taker could be a 5 star match, but I can't seriously give Rock vs Cena 5 stars. Punk vs Jericho was also kind of a missed opportunity. Jericho's heart and soul were simply not in it (imo).

 

So what I recall of the event was that it's indeed the end of an era. The last we'll see of the Rock, probably. And the rest of the older generation simply doesn't have it anymore (except for Trips/Taker). HBK's entrance was awkward (and not because of the botched pyro). Jericho's performance was not as great as it used to be... So end of an era, though they did just bring in Lesnar.

[Jaysin]

Yes! tasty tears!!!

 

Anyhow, kinda suprised that the Rock won. Really expected those goofs to let Cena win once again. This did it for me: Cena is never going to be in stuff of legend. His whole ring-attitude during that match was just... wrong. No offense against him. He probably has a lot of value for the company (and I understand his push to the moon), just not as a wrestler. Sorry.

 

Wrestlemania itself was kind of a disappointment. I don't know. Sure, it had a bit for everyone, yes. The lower card and midcard was complete garbage. To be expected in a wrestling event, no big deal, even for Mania. Apart from those last 2 moves, the entire card was as predictable as hell. Ok, so I thought the first match was going to take 30 seconds. It was 12; big deal. Not that predictability is bad or anything. But the cornyness. God... Maybe HHH vs Taker could be a 5 star match, but I can't seriously give Rock vs Cena 5 stars. Punk vs Jericho was also kind of a missed opportunity. Jericho's heart and soul were simply not in it (imo).

 

So what I recall of the event was that it's indeed the end of an era. The last we'll see of the Rock, probably. And the rest of the older generation simply doesn't have it anymore (except for Trips/Taker). HBK's entrance was awkward (and not because of the botched pyro). Jericho's performance was not as great as it used to be... So end of an era, though they did just bring in Lesnar.

 

Really? Cena has already cemented himself as a hall of famer and they could bury him for months and he'd still probably sell merch out the wazoo. Cena will be remembered up there with Hogan, Savage, Austin, Rock, Michaels, HHH, etc etc. I also thought Cena's acting in the match was actually better than his usual stuff and sure, Rock has lost a step along the way, but I loved the match and I think that match is going to mentioned in the list of best Wrestlemania matches of all time because of Cena AND the Rock's performances. I'm nowhere near the biggest Cena fan, but the guy deserves every bit of success he gets. He works harder than damn near anyone. I would have preferred Cena winning and I don't think they would have been goofs for letting him win either. Since Cena came to the WWE and made a crap gimmick the hottest thing going, he's been there. The only times he's left was when he was injured. He didn't leave to join the NFL or go to MMA or Hollywood. Sure, he made a few movies, but he never missed much time for them. He wasn't gone for 7-8 years like Brock or Rock.

 

Also, for the second part I bolded, Rock said he's going for the WWE title.

[Teh_Showtime]

Yes! tasty tears!!!

 

Anyhow, kinda suprised that the Rock won. Really expected those goofs to let Cena win once again. This did it for me: Cena is never going to be in stuff of legend. His whole ring-attitude during that match was just... wrong. No offense against him. He probably has a lot of value for the company (and I understand his push to the moon), just not as a wrestler. Sorry.

 

Wrestlemania itself was kind of a disappointment. I don't know. Sure, it had a bit for everyone, yes. The lower card and midcard was complete garbage. To be expected in a wrestling event, no big deal, even for Mania. Apart from those last 2 moves, the entire card was as predictable as hell. Ok, so I thought the first match was going to take 30 seconds. It was 12; big deal. Not that predictability is bad or anything. But the cornyness. God... Maybe HHH vs Taker could be a 5 star match, but I can't seriously give Rock vs Cena 5 stars. Punk vs Jericho was also kind of a missed opportunity. Jericho's heart and soul were simply not in it (imo).

 

So what I recall of the event was that it's indeed the end of an era. The last we'll see of the Rock, probably. And the rest of the older generation simply doesn't have it anymore (except for Trips/Taker). HBK's entrance was awkward (and not because of the botched pyro). Jericho's performance was not as great as it used to be... So end of an era, though they did just bring in Lesnar.

 

You do know that Cena has far surpassed the Rock with ring work, right?

 

Punk/Jericho and HHH/Taker delivered in a big way and Obviously Rock/Cena

 

I don't see how you say the older guys don't have it anymore, when HIAC far surpassed the glorified squash from last year, and Jericho and Punk had the best match.

[milamber]

Good move opening the show (bar the intro) with Rock annoucing his intentions to be champions.

 

Santino v Ziggler v Swagger - Okay match. Predictable win for Santino. I smell a Santino/Brodus tag team brewing.

 

Good time for a Tensai's debut. Now that's how you do a squash match! Happy to see A-Ri back on Raw -- the crowd still get behind him.

 

Punk v Henry - Good match with Henry smack talking and countering Punk repeatedly. Punk's comeback was epic. The finish made sense. Jericho smashing the alcohol bottle over Punk's head (nicely faked) was a total holy f*** moment!

 

Sign of the night: "Don't blink. You'll miss a D-Bry match." Del Rioooooooooooooooooo! Sheamus was a good sport ignoring the Daniel Bryan chants. Also seems Bryan's "Yes! Yes! Yes!" is the new hot chant. No way they'll bury him now.

 

I enjoyed Cena's philosophical speech. Brock Lesnar??? Holy f*** moment #2.

 

Damn good Raw. WWE is exciting right now!

[milamber]

My favourite Youtube comment: "When Brock came out I peed on myself a little then got on the ground and started bowing down to my tv screen, then when the show ended I think I passed out..... BEST MONDAY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

I wasn't watching WWE when Brock was in it but I did watch a few clips of him last year. I'd love to see Cena take on Tensai and Brock.

[milamber]

Yer he looked like he never has but wrestled like he has had only one match in 8 years prior to this one.

 

Fair enough. I thought Rock was selling Cena's offense but maybe they were just hiding his ring rust. Either way I enjoyed it because I didn't expect Cena to dominate Rock so much.

[Basmat01]

Fair enough. I thought Rock was selling Cena's offense but maybe they were just hiding his ring rust. Either way I enjoyed it because I didn't expect Cena to dominate Rock so much.

 

What sold it for me was that smirk Cena had though out the match.

[ChrisKid]

To me the best raw for a long time, the crowd was so awesome and was so cool that the crowd practically lost it when Lesnar's music played.

Lord Tensai looked cool and good to see Del Rio again.

If i get good summer exam results you can beat i will be running around shouting "YES,YES,YES!"

[Remianen]

To be honest, the two guys I felt really sorry for were Jericho and Punk - they had a really good match, but the crowd were caught in a place where they were still a little burned out after the Taker/HHH match and knowing that the Rock/Cena match was going to be next, so apart from a few spots and the ending, the match was worked in pretty flat conditions, which is a shame, as it deserved much more.

 

I agree. I think the match order could've been done better. Like put the Divas match between Hell in a Cell and Punk-Jericho and push the GM match back.

 

Yes! tasty tears!!!

 

Anyhow, kinda suprised that the Rock won. Really expected those goofs to let Cena win once again. This did it for me: Cena is never going to be in stuff of legend. His whole ring-attitude during that match was just... wrong. No offense against him. He probably has a lot of value for the company (and I understand his push to the moon), just not as a wrestler. Sorry.

 

You do realize that if WWE followed your line of thinking, they'd be....TNA (or worse), yes? Your opinion flies in the face of the fact that the man sells merchandise better than anyone in the company (makes money, which is the point of WWE), drives PPV buys (even if people only buy to see him get his ass kicked, they still buy), and fosters immense amounts of goodwill outside the industry. He makes more non-wrestling appearances for the company in a year than anyone else on the roster has done in their career (probably combined). I don't know if you're aware of this, but you don't have to be a good (or even 'decent') wrestler to succeed in WWE. So yes, he has a lot of value to the company, as a wrestler. I may not care for him, but I'm not going to make statements like the above, knowing that they're false.

 

Fair enough. I thought Rock was selling Cena's offense but maybe they were just hiding his ring rust. Either way I enjoyed it because I didn't expect Cena to dominate Rock so much.

 

Rock has always been good at selling (some might say 'overselling') opponents' offense. The example often used is how he sells Stone Cold's Stunner. Makes it seem like he got shot with a high caliber firearm.

 

What surprised me was how the smarks got audio time with the possible Brock appearance, with the "We want Lesnar" chants. I thought WWE fans don't read dirt sheets? I'm actually glad D-Bry got squashed at WM. Makes him a sympathetic figure, which will mean people care. Good to have workers who can really work (and not just the stale WWE style, but all styles) at the top of the card. Though I'm not optimistic about the year of Miz-ery that's probably on the horizon.

[juggaloninjalee]

What surprised me was how the smarks got audio time with the possible Brock appearance, with the "We want Lesnar" chants. I thought WWE fans don't read dirt sheets? I'm actually glad D-Bry got squashed at WM. Makes him a sympathetic figure, which will mean people care. Good to have workers who can really work (and not just the stale WWE style, but all styles) at the top of the card. Though I'm not optimistic about the year of Miz-ery that's probably on the horizon.

 

Bob Backlund didn't get any sympathy when he lost to Nash in what 7 seconds.

 

Chavo didn't get sympathy when he lost to Kane in 8 seconds at Mania.

 

Daniel Bryan is just well liked. I think he has charisma, microphone skills, and a star quality all of which are very underrated for him. My fiance hates wrestling but has always liked Daniel Bryan.

[Hive]

I wasn't exactly overwhelmed by WrestleMania, to be honest.

 

Sheamus vs. Daniel Byan - I expected Sheamus to win, but I also expected that they'd actually let us see a damn match between those two after what happened last year. I fear that this match has damaged Sheamus' position as a top face more than establishing it, as a great deal of the fans now seems to boo him because of it. Both Bryan and Sheamus deserves better, but it was at least the right result.

 

Randy Orton vs. Kane - This is the result that surprised me the most. How could they *not* have Orton win this one? Their second-biggest face (or maybe third now that Punk is so hot) and they have him job to an over-the-hill veteran for no apparant reason at the biggest event of the year? Kane doesn't gain anything from this at this point of his career, it only hurts Orton. Weird.

 

Cody Rhodes vs. The Big Show - I expected Show to win so Rhodes can go on to feud with Sheamus, so not much to say here. Decent but unspectacular match that got the job done.

 

The divas match - Couldn't care less, to be honest. And given that they had a faux-celebrity in it, the result was given in advance as well. Did bring a nice opportunity for a bathroom break though.

 

The Undertaker vs. Triple H - I know lots of people loved both this and their last match, but the matchup just really doesn't do much for me. The match in itself was pretty good, certainly above average. But like last year, I just couldn't get involved in it... perhaps even moreso this year, actually, as it was obvious that if Triple H didn't win last year, he wouldn't win this year either. The match never really left you doubting, and I feel that Shawn Michael's involvement was a bit tacked on didn't do much for the matchup. But, of course, constantly thinking "dammit, this should have been The Undertaker vs. Sting II instead!" didn't help much. I did like it more than what they did last year, however. I just think they should have done this last year instead, and not have repeated it. Also: say what you want about Hogan, but he's a legend who does not deserve to see Triple H no-selling his finisher being used on him. Distasteful when wrestlers crap on other wrestlers' finishers like this.

 

Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny - Decent multi-man match that I had expected earlier on the card (and as an elimination match). I thought Teddy would edge out the win, but couldn't care less overall. The Miz deserved the pin though and his team had overall much more star power and should logically win it.

 

CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho - An above average match, but it left me with a taste of "this could and should have been better" given who was involved. Maybe I just expected too much from a match with these two guys, but that's a testament to my view of their skills more than criticism.

 

John Cena vs. The Rock - Easily the match of the night for me. Did it showcase the best fluent technical chain wrestling of the night? Not by a long shot. But they told a story like few others can and it was an epic moment that reminded me of the match beetween Cena and Punk last year and Hogan vs. The Rock that time in Canada.

 

About last night's RAW... am I the only one who does *not* find it funny or cool that a group of "smarks" ruins the surprise for casual fans by insisting on doing stuff like chanting Brock Lesnar's name before he's "surprise" debuting? They're obviously only doing it to 1) piss off Cena and 2) show the world that they're soooo awesome and in the know because they read dirt sheets before a show.

[djthefunkchris]

I understand all your points Hive, but I disagree with one of them. It's all opinion, so it's not that you can be wrong, but let me get this one off my chest, as it's a direct opposite opinion using the exact same logic.

 

Randy Orton vs. Kane - This is the result that surprised me the most. How could they *not* have Orton win this one? Their second-biggest face (or maybe third now that Punk is so hot) and they have him job to an over-the-hill veteran for no apparant reason at the biggest event of the year? Kane doesn't gain anything from this at this point of his career, it only hurts Orton. Weird.

 

The bold part is where my opinion lies. At this point in his career, Kane has been known to be able to beat anyone at anytime, and we all know he's willing to lose to anyone at anytime.

 

To me, someone in his "area", sort of the same area Undertaker is in, or HHH, and various others... Losing to these people doesn't really hurt anyone, especially Orton at this point. He's still very young in comparison, and if he chooses has a good career ahead of him.

 

In other words, because of the status of Kane, I don't think Orton losing to him actually hurts him at all either. Especially with his current gimmick about making his weakness his strength... I figure he will go after Kane and win after this. I really don't think it hurts him at all.

 

Pluss, I think Glen Jacobs deserves a really good push before he hangs up his boots. This has nothing to do about your opinion, as I'm sure you probably feel the same way. I've heard nothing but good things about him, and seen him put over so many people over the last few years, that I wouldn't mind him going on an incredible winning streak that lands him with a major title before he retires...

 

OR, I wouldn't mind him filling in the shoe's of Undertaker, as Undertaker hangs up his boots for good.

[djthefunkchris]

I'd like to point out something else..

 

Unless someone needs a "help" just to get to the ring, or doesn't seem to be able to move very well at all, I don't think most people look at age like we tend to here. I don't mean they can't see Hogan and Flair is really too old to be in the ring anymore, but people like Kane, Triple H, and other's "almost" to that point, really are just seen for who they are currently, not as old guys that make young guys look bad by beating them.

 

Sure, if you make someone sound like they are old and crippled, and explain that this young guy in top physical condition has lost to them, it doesn't sound right, good, or whatever.... However, if you explain that this Old Veteran of the ring, who knows what he is doing, is going up against this young guy who is starting to come into his own... Then it's up in the air who is going to win. I just think this is how people in general view it, far as wrestling goes...

 

That and the fact everyone knows it's fake, so it's not like it actually hurts anyone at all, win/lose/draw. It's all about their "character" and how many people want to see that character.

[Hive]

I understand all your points Hive, but I disagree with one of them. It's all opinion, so it's not that you can be wrong, but let me get this one off my chest, as it's a direct opposite opinion using the exact same logic.

 

Wait, what... you're offering a calm counter-response that does not bash my opinions in any way? That's a new for internet discussions. But rather refreshing.

 

The bold part is where my opinion lies. At this point in his career, Kane has been known to be able to beat anyone at anytime, and we all know he's willing to lose to anyone at anytime.

 

To me, someone in his "area", sort of the same area Undertaker is in, or HHH, and various others... Losing to these people doesn't really hurt anyone, especially Orton at this point. He's still very young in comparison, and if he chooses has a good career ahead of him.

 

I definately see your point, except that Kane's career is winding down and Orton is still young and will in all likelyhood by one of the very top dogs of WWE for many years to come. Had this been on any other PPV, I wouldn't have said much about it - but this is WrestleMania. This is the one time per year when WWE catches a much broader viewership than their usual suspect fans, due to it's status and celebrity involvement. So in my opinion, it should be used to promote their franchise players in the eyes of the mainstream casual viewers. Guys such as Orton, Sheamus and Cena (though one could argue that Cena doesn't need it anymore). And that's why I feel that Orton shouldn't be losing to a veteran who doesn't need the rub in an undercard match.

 

In other words, because of the status of Kane, I don't think Orton losing to him actually hurts him at all either. Especially with his current gimmick about making his weakness his strength... I figure he will go after Kane and win after this. I really don't think it hurts him at all.

 

I agree that Orton won't lose much in regards to WWE's loyal fanbase, I just feel they missed promoting him to people outside that base. But yes, I'm sure he'll eventually come out victorious in this feud.

 

Pluss, I think Glen Jacobs deserves a really good push before he hangs up his boots. This has nothing to do about your opinion, as I'm sure you probably feel the same way. I've heard nothing but good things about him, and seen him put over so many people over the last few years, that I wouldn't mind him going on an incredible winning streak that lands him with a major title before he retires...

 

He got a run with the title last year though, which I saw exactly as a such. But yeah, even though I've never cared much for the Kane character, I agree that Glen Jacobs as a person sounds very likeable. And for a guy his size, he's not at all bad in the ring (though he's no Vader or Bam Bam, but that's another story of course). But I just never cared much for neither him nor his "brother" (as characters only, they both sounds awesome behind the scenes and usually deliver in matches). Either way: I'm not opposed to Kane looking strong and getting a good run, I'm just puzzled as to the timing.

 

OR, I wouldn't mind him filling in the shoe's of Undertaker, as Undertaker hangs up his boots for good.

 

I personally don't think anyone can properly fill his boots, to be honest. Not with the status he has obtained over the years. Besides, how many years does Kane have left himself...?

[djthefunkchris]

Yeah, I figured you would come up with something that I would understand and get. I see all your points now.

[Hive]

Yeah, I figured you would come up with something that I would understand and get. I see all your points now.

 

Cool.

 

To me, it would just have made more sense if Orton won this match and then Kane won the rematch at Extreme Rules. But oh well.