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

[TakerNGN74]

When I was watching that entrance live I had no idea it was Charlotte, Sasha, and Alexa because I was so focused on how bad ass Triple H looked. However after going back and watching it you could definitely tell that it was them.

[Teh_Showtime]

I noticed Sasha almost instantly but mostly because she's my favorite diva on the roster.

 

HHH's entrance was great

[milamber]

<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Smackdown Review:</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>The Shield</strong> - Vicki set up an 11 vs 3 Handicap match. They powerbombed Swagger after his match, attacked 3MB and Brad Maddox backstage (Reigns tossed him against the wall and Ambrose went nuts on him), took out Axel with a steel chair (on the App) and powerbombed Fandango into a pair of tables off the stage during his entrance for a tag match with Santino, Emma and Layla that thankfully didn't go ahead. All awesome segments.</p><p>

<strong>Heyman vs Zeb (Debate)</strong> - Entertaining segment. Heyman ranted about Lesnar beating the Streak again (annoying but it plants seeds for a future Cesaro/Lesnar feud). Then he ranted about Cesaro being a Heyman Guy when he won the Memorial Battle Royale. Zeb insulted Heyman a few times, knocked over a podium and attacked Heyman. Cesaro and Swagger pulled them apart.</p><p>

<strong>Cesaro vs Swagger</strong> - Great match won by Cesaro. He hit 2 insanely good spinning uppercuts from the ropes and the top turnbuckle!</p><p>

<strong>Tamina vs Natalya</strong> - Another good promo video for Paige. Tamina and Natalya were given enough time to put on a solid match, which Tamina won clean.</p><p>

<strong>Jay Uso vs Axel</strong> - OK match. Axel picked up a rare win to cement Rybaxel as strong Tag Title contenders.</p><p>

<strong>Wyatt Family</strong> - They lowered a steel cage for Bray to cut an A+ promo.</p><p>

<strong>Harper & Rowan vs Rhodes Bros</strong> - Good match. Goldust accidentally knocked Cody off the top turnbuckle to the barricade and Harper pinned him.</p><p>

<strong>The Shield vs Ryback, Sandow, Titus, BNB & Del Rio</strong> - Good match. Reigns pinned Sandow.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Verdict:</span></strong> Smackdown of the Year contender. Storyline progression for Cesaro, Swagger, Heyman & Zeb. The Divas divsion is getting some attention. Rybaxel are finally being booked strong. The Shield kicked ass the entire show.</p>

[Stennick]

That's how awful this show is that an average to below average show like this can be smackdown of the year.

[Teh_Showtime]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Stennick" data-cite="Stennick" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>That's how awful this show is that an average to below average show like this can be smackdown of the year.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> What was so below average about it? Cesaro and Swagger had a PPV quality match, multiple great promo segments, multiple stories progressed, and solid enough action elsewhere that didn't feel like a waste of time</p>

[bigtplaystew]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Stennick" data-cite="Stennick" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>That's how awful this show is that an average to below average show like this can be smackdown of the year.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Dude you do not like wrestling. Why do you still watch? I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or start a fight. I am genuinely curious as to why you habitually watch a product that you haven't liked for a long time.</p><p> </p><p> And i'm not making this personal but like wrestling is kind of the only thing this happens with. No one goes and joins a hockey forum to talk about how much they hate hockey. Why do people love talking about how much they don't like wrestling? It's so weird to me. I mean we all on this board have criticisms at times and we make fun of things or even blast things. But I mean your one of the guys who simply does not enjoy this TV show anymore. So why waste your time watching? And then waste even more time talking about hating the time you spend watching?</p>

[Jaysin]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="bigtplaystew" data-cite="bigtplaystew" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Dude you do not like wrestling. Why do you still watch? I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or start a fight. I am genuinely curious as to why you habitually watch a product that you haven't liked for a long time.<p> </p><p> And i'm not making this personal but like wrestling is kind of the only thing this happens with. No one goes and joins a hockey forum to talk about how much they hate hockey. Why do people love talking about how much they don't like wrestling? It's so weird to me. I mean we all on this board have criticisms at times and we make fun of things or even blast things. But I mean your one of the guys who simply does not enjoy this TV show anymore. So why waste your time watching? And then waste even more time talking about hating the time you spend watching?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Go to any comic site and it's filled with people bashing everything Marvel or DC puts out. Most nerdy subcultures are filled with fans like that. I agree that it's dumb, but wrestling isn't the only fanbase like that.</p>

[Stennick]

I enjoy it in flashes a show here or a show there. I just can't accept that the shield being in another multiple man handicap match and a heel vs. heel match and boring Curtis axel winning a match and them planting the seeds for the Rhodes brothers splitting months after anyone cares is a good show. The raw after wrestlemania was a great show and this compared to that is what I think is sad. That there have been a few Raws already this year that gave been great but heel vs heel matches and more smiled handicap matches with two old managers fighting is call for this to be the best smackdown of the year.

[dpoolez]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="bigtplaystew" data-cite="bigtplaystew" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Dude you do not like wrestling. Why do you still watch? I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or start a fight. I am genuinely curious as to why you habitually watch a product that you haven't liked for a long time.<p> </p><p> And i'm not making this personal but like wrestling is kind of the only thing this happens with. No one goes and joins a hockey forum to talk about how much they hate hockey. Why do people love talking about how much they don't like wrestling? It's so weird to me. I mean we all on this board have criticisms at times and we make fun of things or even blast things. But I mean your one of the guys who simply does not enjoy this TV show anymore. So why waste your time watching? And then waste even more time talking about hating the time you spend watching?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I completely agree. Although pro wrestling isnt what it used to be i still can enjoy some or most parts of the show, so while i can understand where the guy was coming from,hes still wrong for saying that the entire show sucks and there are smarks everywhere that do that.Its the most annoying thing to see smarks constantly bag on the E yet continue to watch it. Its self torture when you think about it lol</p>

[Stennick]

For the record I love most everything Cena does. I also highly enjoy triple h especially in this current role. I'm a fan of several divas work I loved the Rhodes brothers before they were completely job bed out and forgotten about without a shred of meaningful conclusion to their story. I enjoy Tysons Kidd when they let him wrestle. I'm a big Cesero guy. I like Christian. So I don't complain just to complain and let's not pretend like everyone on here hasn't said "man this product sucks" more than they can count. Even you Stew have voiced displeasure several times with shows and stories so I'm not sure why I do it it's a bigger deal. I just refuse to give anyone applause for being average. I love plenty about the product but this show was below average but since it had Cesero and the shield on it in big roles people like it even if we have seen all of this before and it added nothing interesting to the story progression for wither story. I mean it's lazy booking at its best to do another handicap match within a week of the last one.

[Stennick]

I never said it sucks if 5 is average on a ten scale this show was a 4.5-5 but I was just amused at someone saying this is the best smackdown of the year. I mean again that post Wam Raw was the best Raw of the year and if you compare that to the best smackdown of the year according to that one guy then there is a HUGE gap in the quality of the two "A" shows. That or this wasn't the best Smackdown of the year which I'm hoping it's not. But if it is that speaks to the low priority of the watch list that smackdown is she. In the past it was treated as an equal or a high quality alternative to Raw.

[Jaysin]

I'm not going to say names or anything, and I don't agree with a lot of Stennick's opinions on things, but there are people here who are far worse at seemingly only watching wrestling to complain about it. Stennick actually posts positive things and negative things, whereas these other posters do nothing but complain about a product they hate, but can't stop talking about it.

[bigtplaystew]

Thanks for answering with respect, Stennick. My post could have very easily been taken as an insult and I didn't intend it to come across that way. I perhaps was overly judgmental and for that I should apologize. It shouldn't have to be said but when we disagree (and it happens A LOT haha) you're always intelligent and generally you make rational points that are well backed up.

[Stennick]

@ Jaysin thank you I recognize we don't agree on things but I'm glad you recognize that I am very positive on certain aspects and don't purposely get down on "the product". I still maintain that calling this the best episode of smackdown is a bit overzealous in the least but to each their own. @ Stew I appreciate the kind words no offense taken I'm glad my arguments and points are coherent if not agreed with.

[Hitman74]

The WWE needs to go back in time and have more storylines for for non main eventers that way they can build up more wrestlers than one or two at a time. About a month ago they had the strongest tag team division in about 10 years then they start breaking up most of the teams. They have some good talent that they don't use properly or enough. For example Dolph Ziggler the crowd loves him but he's never in any hunt for a title or has any good story lines. At least the Diva division seems to be getting better. Also they need to bring back War Games that was the best match WCW had and would be cool to see Evolution and Kane vs. The Shield and Daniel Bryan in War Games.

[The Swanton825]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hitman74" data-cite="Hitman74" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>The WWE needs to go back in time and have more storylines for for non main eventers that way they can build up more wrestlers than one or two at a time. About a month ago they had the strongest tag team division in about 10 years then they start breaking up most of the teams. They have some good talent that they don't use properly or enough. For example Dolph Ziggler the crowd loves him but he's never in any hunt for a title or has any good story lines. At least the Diva division seems to be getting better. Also they need to bring back War Games that was the best match WCW had and would be cool to see Evolution and Kane vs. The Shield and Daniel Bryan in War Games.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> The biggest question with that is, can creative can come up with enough stories for more of the roster without producing wrestlecrap on a regular basis? A War Games match seems possible though, I've read before that Hunter is a huge NWA mark and has been pulling for a War Games-type match for years.</p>

[milamber]

<p>Look at the comments on Bleacher Report and Cageside Seats. I'm not the only one raving about how good Smackdown was. Perhaps not the best this year but close to it. The main reason: The successful booking of the Shield as babyfaces and Cesaro getting a great match out of Swagger. And there were weren't any bad segments.</p><p> </p><p>

My counterpoint to the "oh no not another handicap match" argument: It was supposed to be 11 vs 3 as the Shield got the Authority treatment. But the Shield are 3 men and smarter than Maddox & Vicki who were in charge with Evolution absent. They took out Maddox and 6 of their opponents in highly entertaining segments, which also served to give the show a nice structure. BNB hightailed it because he cares more about the IC Title hunt. So it was really only The Shield vs Ryback, Del Rio, Sandow (who's hit rock bottom) and Titus (who's inexperienced). The Shield were too good. Perfect booking from start to finish, IMO.</p>

[Stennick]

I disagree completely and you can still focus on the shield throughout the night and still having them cause havoc backstage without the handicap premise. Handicap matches sh loud let be a weekly thing it's gimmicky and the matches themselves are rarely any good. They should have still been pissed about the last handicap match and taken r even g e for that. Or what about t dying to split them apart in three singles matches since so much of their gimmick is the team aspect. I don't really look to cage side seats and bleacher report for anything. A guy on bleacher report was just predicting random CM punk stuff a day or two ago. Again if this was the best show its more of an example of how far the gap in quality is between two shows that for a decade were damn near equal shows.

[milamber]

Without the Handicap match The Shield would have been acting overtly heelish taking out those wrestlers. Granted, they could have played up a revenge/justice angle but the focus would have been on the events of Raw. The handicap premise gave them cause to dish out justice in advance to the heels and have the audience cheer them for it.

 

It was also a nice swerve because like most people, I wasn't looking forward to an 11 vs 3 handicap match and had no idea the Shield would turn the tables in such an impactful and entertaining way. The other swerve was Emma and Santino doing their entrance only for Fandango to be attacked, which made me cheer the Shield for saving me from a match I didn't want to see.

 

I thought it demonstrated attention to detail from the Creative team. As a whole it was booked better than the average Raw/Smackdown, especially in terms of focus. Raw in particular often falls victim to being too scattered in its focus and containing lots of filler. Smackdown tends to fare better with the shorter runtime. This particular show didn't even most of the upper midcard/main event wrestlers available (Cena, Bryan, Orton, HHH, Steph, Batista, Kane, Sheamus) to work with.

[Stennick]

I disagree completely on the handicap match. I still believe that singles matches with Vickie trying to divide and conquer this TEAM via singles matches and or having them get revenge for Monday doing the same attacks they did would have been much more effective than another handicap match. Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way. To each their own I still think with there being less than three months worth of smackdown this year that citing any show as a potential smackdown of the year is a bit overzealous and ultimately a mute point. If I were giving this show a grade with ten scale I still maintain its a 5.5 or a 6. A decent efficient average show. That being said I'm not interested in much with regards to extreme rules and I'm looking forward to the story progression when they wrap up the remainder of the WM feuds.

[Rickymex]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Stennick" data-cite="Stennick" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I disagree completely on the handicap match. I still believe that singles matches with Vickie trying to divide and conquer this TEAM via singles matches and or having them get revenge for Monday doing the same attacks they did would have been much more effective than another handicap match. Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way. To each their own I still think with there being less than three months worth of smackdown this year that citing any show as a potential smackdown of the year is a bit overzealous and ultimately a mute point. If I were giving this show a grade with ten scale I still maintain its a 5.5 or a 6. A decent efficient average show. That being said I'm not interested in much with regards to extreme rules and I'm looking forward to the story progression when they wrap up the remainder of the WM feuds.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Splitting them up is probably the next part of the feud and if someone's going to do it it'll be Triple H. The show was basically just to let The Shield be badass and to get clips of Raw.</p>

[Rickymex]

<p>Anyways Bray Wyatt everything for ever and ever.</p><p> </p><p>

<span>http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss210/ricky696119/Cena_zps0087ded0.gif</span></p>

[Rone Rivendale]

Yeah, that might be my favorite Bray Wyatt moment ever. And that's saying something because he has consistently been the highlight of Raw and Smackdown for the last several months.

[The Swanton825]

That's it, Bray Wyatt is the new Raven.

[Kitarzu]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="The Swanton825" data-cite="The Swanton825" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>That's it, Bray Wyatt is the new Raven.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> PG version.</p>