Vince Wanted To Bury Cedric Alexander (Meltz)

[Cyno]

Maybe if WWE concentrated more on putting on a consistently entertaining show and less on worrying about the dirtsheets, their product would actually be good.

[Deleted]

I appreciate that this is considered the burial of Cedric Alexander, and not the months he spent running around in the 24/7 chase right after getting put on Raw.

[MrElijah]

Sept 17, 2019 14:48:21 GMT -5 This Player Hating Mothman said:

Sept 17, 2019 14:47:24 GMT -5 MrElijah said:

It's one of the problems of modern WWE: find something that works then apply to everyone. Or something DOES work so let's strip it down to the bare minimum.

THe hsow is just easier to write and especially to last minute rewrite if you follow an overly restrictive formula you can just generically churn out over and over

This style of booking is another example of WWE's/Vince's logic of not making everyone feel special. I'm not saying Cedric should destroy everyone in 8 seconds, but make him(& the roster) feel worth a damn.

[Ryushinku]

Weird...I'm actually feeling a little nostalgic for the old CM Punk NUCLEAR HEATZ~! reports now, no joke.

[Squirrel Master]

Sept 17, 2019 14:10:45 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Cedric is about to get super pushed

Lest he sneeze in proximity to Vince.

[eJm]

Sept 17, 2019 14:49:30 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Maybe if WWE concentrated more on putting on a consistently entertaining show and less on worrying about the dirtsheets, their product would actually be good.

THIS is what gets to me when people say "Well, this was obviously planted by Meltzer etc to get people to feel a certain way!". Do you know how absolutely crazy that sounds? An actual honest to God billion dollar company with a slot on two major television networks in the US, a billion dollar deal paying them to do shows in another country, more talent then they know what to do with and their focus is working a small subsection of fans who are going to watch regardless? Like...how would that get them anywhere?

[This Player Hating Mothman]

Sept 17, 2019 16:47:57 GMT -5 eJm said:

Sept 17, 2019 14:49:30 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Maybe if WWE concentrated more on putting on a consistently entertaining show and less on worrying about the dirtsheets, their product would actually be good.

THIS is what gets to me when people say "Well, this was obviously planted by Meltzer etc to get people to feel a certain way!". Do you know how absolutely crazy that sounds? An actual honest to God billion dollar company with a slot on two major television networks in the US, a billion dollar deal paying them to do shows in another country, more talent then they know what to do with and their focus is working a small subsection of fans who are going to watch regardless? Like...how would that get them anywhere?

I think its roots are in the continued idea that wrestling has to on some level be a con. Deception and trickery and "working" the marks. Interviews straddling the line, weird meta narratives being written in a way that you need an Observer subscription to understand, and of course the next level is to start aggressively working the sheets and leaking out info so that big stories can break just in time to be proven false so that we all get fooled and happy??? when they're proven wrong. I think the brain trust involved at the top of WWE are just so slimy and weirdly committed to a lot of shitty ideas that don't let them get past the idea that they have to be working everyone all the time and that it's only successful when it's a work. They lack the storytelling chops to specifically provoke emotions from their audience, so the next best idea is to roll with messing with them and gaslighting them so that they think they know something and you can then write against that expectation to the payoff of having written against that expectation. It's insane and ludicrous, but these carnies won't ever stop being carnies.

I think in some way, it's also a factor of competition and wanting to try and keep a firm grip. Meltzer's sometimes critical of WWE or seen as 'more favorable' to other promotions, reports on their backstage issues, and is tight with the AEW guys. Undermining him makes his reporting seem weaker and tries to run damage control on the bad PR within their fanbase that the reporting can give them.

[Allie Kitsune]

Sept 17, 2019 17:07:39 GMT -5 This Player Hating Mothman said:

Sept 17, 2019 16:47:57 GMT -5 eJm said:

THIS is what gets to me when people say "Well, this was obviously planted by Meltzer etc to get people to feel a certain way!". Do you know how absolutely crazy that sounds? An actual honest to God billion dollar company with a slot on two major television networks in the US, a billion dollar deal paying them to do shows in another country, more talent then they know what to do with and their focus is working a small subsection of fans who are going to watch regardless? Like...how would that get them anywhere?

I think its roots are in the continued idea that wrestling has to on some level be a con. Deception and trickery and "working" the marks. Interviews straddling the line, weird meta narratives being written in a way that you need an Observer subscription to understand, and of course the next level is to start aggressively working the sheets and leaking out info so that big stories can break just in time to be proven false so that we all get fooled and happy??? when they're proven wrong. I think the brain trust involved at the top of WWE are just so slimy and weirdly committed to a lot of shitty ideas that don't let them get past the idea that they have to be working everyone all the time and that it's only successful when it's a work. They lack the storytelling chops to specifically provoke emotions from their audience, so the next best idea is to roll with messing with them and gaslighting them so that they think they know something and you can then write against that expectation to the payoff of having written against that expectation. It's insane and ludicrous, but these carnies won't ever stop being carnies.

I think in some way, it's also a factor of competition and wanting to try and keep a firm grip. Meltzer's sometimes critical of WWE or seen as 'more favorable' to other promotions, reports on their backstage issues, and is tight with the AEW guys. Undermining him makes his reporting seem weaker and tries to run damage control on the bad PR within their fanbase that the reporting can give them.

It's not like we as fans (in general) don't make it easy on them to work, work, work.

Look how people (me included) are still pushing the "Shorty G" thing.

[Bub (BLM)]

Sept 17, 2019 13:48:08 GMT -5 Mister Pigwell said:

Going for that meta Bryan support again I see.

Trying to purposefully recreate that is such a bad move. It worked with Bryan because he's Bryan Danielson and rabid wrestling fans had been pissed at his WWE career since day 1 (ish). He's probably on most people's "Indy Wrestling Mt. Rushmore". Cedric is just a talented guy they picked up who most people hadn't heard of. You have to make fans care about him before they'll even remotely rally behind him.

[JoDaNa1281]

Sept 17, 2019 13:36:52 GMT -5 @dax said:

So Cedric's winning the US Title next week, then.

They saw this article, so next week he'll beat AJ for it...before losing it back to him at HiaC.

[Chiral]

Sept 17, 2019 14:49:30 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Maybe if WWE concentrated more on putting on a consistently entertaining show and less on worrying about the dirtsheets, their product would actually be good.

It's like a lesson from late WCW they never learned to not over-rely on worked shoot crap and that was like 20 years ago.

[eJm]

Sept 17, 2019 18:17:38 GMT -5 Chiral said:

Sept 17, 2019 14:49:30 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Maybe if WWE concentrated more on putting on a consistently entertaining show and less on worrying about the dirtsheets, their product would actually be good.

It's like a lesson from late WCW they never learned to not over-rely on worked shoot crap and that was like 20 years ago.

Honestly, still blows my mind that people that work in the two companies whose shows in their prime had actual shoot promos, actual shoot interviews and more worked shoot angles then a kid with finger guns shooting an adult having to sell said shot...then turn around and be like “Wow, the fans are too aware of the business now, I wonder why THAT is?!”

[King Devitt: Scrum Guzzler]

Is it just assumed that WWE is using Dirt Sheets to f*** with people? I don't get that at all.

I mean it's entirely possible, but it seems way too creative for WWE and Vince to go that far to mess with the fan base.

I believe the original story about Vince being a stupid asshole for no reason over them going so hard to work everyone.

Like "hey we have AEW on our heels, let's make it sound like Vince is an even bigger d-bag to get sympathy...from...the....fans..........for Cedric..."

what? When did the consensus turn into "everything is a work by WWE in the dirt sheets now"?

Either way it's damning and not the best look for a company about to get legit competition in a couple weeks.

[Susan "Poison" Candy]

I could care less if they bury him because to me he is still Blandric Alexander

[Deleted]

Cedric is a good wrestler but literally nothing about the man stands out or catches your attention.

He’s as bland as anything.

Some of these wrestlers need characters, gimmicks and catchphrases.

I can’t get invested in two bland guys wrestling in a match that means nothing.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

The one factor that made the YES Movement effective was Bryan's status as a former long-running Ring Of Honor World Champ. And ROH, for all the issues it's currently having, still weren't as big as they currently are during the peak of the "American Dragon" character's run. DB was really one of the main performers who helped put the company on the map.

So to a portion of his fandom that followed him into WWE, he was ready to main event right there. Or at least he was bigger than the scrappy underdog role WWE wanted him to play, which is why his chants got so loud. (Even though Bryan turned out to be a master of playing that kind of babyface ) But WWE don't realize he's the exception, not the norm. Other wrestlers who don't have the kind of unique charisma Bryan does, or that notoriety under his belt pre-WWE, look like geeks in this role.

That's why I always say, no company should be afraid to Hogan-protect or Cena-protect their faces a little. The fans' faith is important, and Cedric isn't going to keep it with this writing.

[Allie Kitsune]

Sept 17, 2019 18:53:58 GMT -5 Susan "Poison" Candy said:

I could care less if they bury him because to me he is still Blandric Alexander

"Cedric Alexblander" was RIGHT THERE.

[Dub H]

Sept 17, 2019 19:24:06 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

The one factor that made the YES Movement effective was Bryan's status as a former long-running Ring Of Honor World Champ. And ROH, for all the issues it's currently having, still weren't as big as they currently are during the peak of the "American Dragon" character's run. DB was really one of the main performers who helped put the company on the map.

So to a portion of his fandom that followed him into WWE, he was ready to main event right there. Or at least he was bigger than the scrappy underdog role WWE wanted him to play, which is why his chants got so loud. (Even though Bryan turned out to be a master of playing that kind of babyface ) But WWE don't realize he's the exception, not the norm. Other wrestlers who don't have the kind of unique charisma Bryan does, or that notoriety under his belt pre-WWE, look like geeks in this role.

That's why I always say, no company should be afraid to Hogan-protect or Cena-protect their faces a little. The fans' faith is important, and Cedric isn't going to keep it with this writing.

I dont think ROH really had anything to do with it.

It was a mix of Bryan being a once in a lifetime type of talent amd people remembering following his career in WWE and struggles,culiminating with what was seen by the fan a major miss.

It was time for someome new,the perfect opportunity to push Bryan and instead they go with people either stale,old or someone completely unlikeable.As people says,it was natural.

Alexander is not as good and the current landscape is fairly "new" and accepted. Most fans that had issues and wantes to "fight" WWE's choices just left too so there is not as many to fire up the same reactions. And Cedric doesnt has the fan support and story support both Bryan and Becky had before being " buried".

[Deleted]

I've fallen for stories like this too many times

[Gus Richlen Was Wrong]

I don't know what to believe anymore.