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Post by Hobby Drifter on Mar 5, 2022 23:38:01 GMT -5
WWE could have thrown a little money one of the many awesome free agents working right now and it would have been acceptable. Imagine the pop if the mystery opponent would have been, for example, Matt Cardona. Even if he got squashed in a minute or two, it’s a New York guy doing the promotion-hopping, belt-collecting thing.
But, nah, just Austin Theory. Ffs
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Mar 5, 2022 23:40:27 GMT -5
I should make clear for clarity’s sake, I haven’t been watching RAW or SmackDown much lately, so I don’t know if they actually DID hype up a surprise or not. If they did, sure, go nuts with the torches and pitchforks. If they didn’t, if they merely didn’t announce an opponent, I feel like that’s not the same thing as hyping a surprise. Heyman did a big speech about Brock would defend it against Lashley if he was clear... but if he wasn't he'd be facing a SUITABLE replacement... or something similar. then later basically kept saying he wouldn't make it to Wrestlemania as champion due to his opponent at Madison Square Garden. and stuff like that. So they were clearly alluding to something that sounds a lot bigger than Brock/Theory.
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Wieners=$$$
Hank Scorpio
Gif Master Extraordinaire
I Will Always Miss You Peanut
Posts: 6,063
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Post by Wieners=$$$ on Mar 5, 2022 23:41:34 GMT -5
First, the Wrestlemania sign at the Rumble catches on fire, twice. Now, people are crapping their pants at live shows. Why do I feel like there's going to be like a bear attack at Wrestlemania🤔
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Post by "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik on Mar 5, 2022 23:43:39 GMT -5
I should make clear for clarity’s sake, I haven’t been watching RAW or SmackDown much lately, so I don’t know if they actually DID hype up a surprise or not. If they did, sure, go nuts with the torches and pitchforks. If they didn’t, if they merely didn’t announce an opponent, I feel like that’s not the same thing as hyping a surprise. I remember Heyman saying something along the lines of "if Lashley can't compete, I will have someone worthy of main eventing the World's Most Famous Arena!"
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Post by sarkerpolseng on Mar 5, 2022 23:48:25 GMT -5
For an untelevised MSG house show, I think Austin Theory was a great choice. Besides Roman, dude has had the best 6 months of booking and matches than anyone.
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Post by Tiger Millionaire on Mar 6, 2022 0:15:43 GMT -5
I am enjoying pretending like WWE didn't and wasn't leaking a bunch of innuendo about tonight's show and it's the fault of those dastardly dirt sheets. Also, take the surprise factor out of it, it's Madison Square Garden, and it's Brock Lesnar vs a mystery opponent, and it's Austin Theory.
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 6, 2022 0:16:26 GMT -5
I should make clear for clarity’s sake, I haven’t been watching RAW or SmackDown much lately, so I don’t know if they actually DID hype up a surprise or not. If they did, sure, go nuts with the torches and pitchforks. If they didn’t, if they merely didn’t announce an opponent, I feel like that’s not the same thing as hyping a surprise. Heyman did a big speech about Brock would defend it against Lashley if he was clear... but if he wasn't he'd be facing a SUITABLE replacement... or something similar. then later basically kept saying he wouldn't make it to Wrestlemania as champion due to his opponent at Madison Square Garden. and stuff like that. So they were clearly alluding to something that sounds a lot bigger than Brock/Theory. Fair enough. It is a bit funny to me that all this was largely for the “honour” of losing in like two minutes or something. If it actually WAS Cody Rhodes for example, my phone would spontaneously combust from all the anger on here.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,981
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Post by chazraps on Mar 6, 2022 0:17:12 GMT -5
Saying "it's on us" for getting excited is just excusing their shitty behavior and decisions. They know what they're doing. They hyped this up and we are allowed to be disappointed. AGAIN. Exactly. WWE *NEVER* hype untelevised house show title defenses. They never even *mention* them. This was a title match that was mentioned for the last several weeks. Forthcoming house show matches don't get that much - or any - worldwide television hype. This was WWE deliberately trying to make an MSG house show seem more important than it was.
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 6, 2022 0:24:28 GMT -5
For an untelevised MSG house show, I think Austin Theory was a great choice. Besides Roman, dude has had the best 6 months of booking and matches than anyone. ...Kinda sorta not really? His record in the last six months, which conveniently encapsulates this entire second main roster run, is 8-6-1, most of those wins being right at the beginning of it in October 2021. He's only won twice on TV since Survivor Series, and one of those times the guy he beat (Kevin Owens) got his win straight back the next week. Yeah, he's had all those segments with Vince, but what are they REALLY doing for him? All the attention is on the production eccentricities and Vince looking and sounding old AF.
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Post by sarkerpolseng on Mar 6, 2022 0:26:42 GMT -5
For an untelevised MSG house show, I think Austin Theory was a great choice. Besides Roman, dude has had the best 6 months of booking and matches than anyone. ...Kinda sorta not really? His record in the last six months, which conveniently encapsulates this entire second main roster run, is 8-6-1, most of those wins being right at the beginning of it in October 2021. He's only won twice on TV since Survivor Series, and one of those times the guy he beat (Kevin Owens) got his win straight back the next week. Yeah, he's had all those segments with Vince, but what are they REALLY doing for him? All the attention is on the production eccentricities and Vince looking and sounding old AF. I think he had a great Rumble performance, and was the Chamber MVP
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Post by eJm on Mar 6, 2022 0:28:43 GMT -5
For an untelevised MSG house show, I think Austin Theory was a great choice. Besides Roman, dude has had the best 6 months of booking and matches than anyone. ...Kinda sorta not really? His record in the last six months, which conveniently encapsulates this entire second main roster run, is 8-6-1, most of those wins being right at the beginning of it in October 2021. He's only won twice on TV since Survivor Series, and one of those times the guy he beat (Kevin Owens) got his win straight back the next week. Yeah, he's had all those segments with Vince, but what are they REALLY doing for him? All the attention is on the production eccentricities and Vince looking and sounding old AF. And even if you’ve taken those shows to account, as someone who hasn’t been watching, it doesn’t seem like the story is “Vince is going to try and get him a title match whenever possible and treat him like The Chosen One”, it’s “your my new son, let me build you to the person I want you to be” and there’s been nothing on TV that I heard of to indicate that’d have changed or else Vince would have put Theory in, say, a US or IC title match instead of taking on the former-sportsman-turned-podcaster at WrestleMania.
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Perd
Patti Mayonnaise
Leslie needs to butt out for fear of receiving The Bunghole Buster
Posts: 31,991
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Post by Perd on Mar 6, 2022 0:38:59 GMT -5
Yeah, I wasn’t expecting anything big, tonight. So, I’m not disappointed in the slightest. But if WrestleMania is anything other than stupendous, I’m going to lose my shit.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Mar 6, 2022 0:48:50 GMT -5
Heyman did a big speech about Brock would defend it against Lashley if he was clear... but if he wasn't he'd be facing a SUITABLE replacement... or something similar. then later basically kept saying he wouldn't make it to Wrestlemania as champion due to his opponent at Madison Square Garden. and stuff like that. So they were clearly alluding to something that sounds a lot bigger than Brock/Theory. Fair enough. It is a bit funny to me that all this was largely for the “honour” of losing in like two minutes or something. If it actually WAS Cody Rhodes for example, my phone would spontaneously combust from all the anger on here. Yeah, if it was going to be a 2 minute Lesnar squash regardless... they shouldn't have done any kind of hype on the shows...
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Post by Brandon Walsh is Insane. on Mar 6, 2022 0:50:34 GMT -5
I think when they promote a “mystery opponent” I think it’s fair for fans to expect at least a somewhat big name to be that guy. Now, I’m saying they were teasing Cody or something like that. But trotting out Austin Theory as a big surprise is really lame. I don’t know who you bring out there, but bringing Theory makes it seem like a big joke. Jimmy Snuka and Road Warrior Animal both day “hi.” If there’s a name that will bring it money, it’ll be on the marquee.
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Post by Celexa Bliss 54 on Mar 6, 2022 0:53:26 GMT -5
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Post by eJm on Mar 6, 2022 0:55:48 GMT -5
I think when they promote a “mystery opponent” I think it’s fair for fans to expect at least a somewhat big name to be that guy. Now, I’m saying they were teasing Cody or something like that. But trotting out Austin Theory as a big surprise is really lame. I don’t know who you bring out there, but bringing Theory makes it seem like a big joke. Jimmy Snuka and Road Warrior Animal both day “hi.” If there’s a name that will bring it money, it’ll be on the marquee. Sure but the names you mentioned, even at their lowest, at least have some credibility to them. Snuka’s a former champion and jumped off the cage at MSG, the thing to inspire Mick Foley to carry on wrestling and Road Warrior Animal is one half of the most successful tag team in the history of business. Austin Theory is known for a) being Vince’s protégé and b) being “the dumb one” in The Way.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Mar 6, 2022 1:07:05 GMT -5
Jimmy Snuka and Road Warrior Animal both day “hi.” If there’s a name that will bring it money, it’ll be on the marquee. Sure but the names you mentioned, even at their lowest, at least have some credibility to them. Snuka’s a former champion and jumped off the cage at MSG, the thing to inspire Mick Foley to carry on wrestling and Road Warrior Animal is one half of the most successful tag team in the history of business. Austin Theory is known for a) being Vince’s protégé and b) being “the dumb one” in The Way. and they could have used people... like that were on the card in other matches like Finn or Damien Priest for the main event instead of the kinda worthless DQ finish. Hell have the main event be Orton vs. Lesnar... you don't need to go all out for this... it's still a house show. But... .like any of those would be better than Austin Theory for a mystery opponent (granted if it was going to be a 2 minute squash whatever... but like don't hype something like that?))
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Post by eJm on Mar 6, 2022 1:13:05 GMT -5
Sure but the names you mentioned, even at their lowest, at least have some credibility to them. Snuka’s a former champion and jumped off the cage at MSG, the thing to inspire Mick Foley to carry on wrestling and Road Warrior Animal is one half of the most successful tag team in the history of business. Austin Theory is known for a) being Vince’s protégé and b) being “the dumb one” in The Way. and they could have used people... like that were on the card in other matches like Finn or Damien Priest for the main event instead of the kinda worthless DQ finish. Hell have the main event be Orton vs. Lesnar... you don't need to go all out for this... it's still a house show. But... .like any of those would be better than Austin Theory for a mystery opponent (granted if it was going to be a 2 minute squash whatever... but like don't hype something like that?)) Especially for a show that you knew going in wasn’t selling great? Orton/Lesnar wouldn’t have been a bad match to advertise for it now that you mention it since Orton’s decorated, you could play up the SummerSlam match beforehand and you can also use it to build to something for WrestleMania with Orton’s potential tag title match, like Alpha Academy distracts him or something.
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Post by theironyuppie on Mar 6, 2022 1:23:13 GMT -5
The Raw women's triple-threat had some fun sequences:
Also of note given the story on Smackdown last night is that Charlotte tapped to Ronda in the tag match.
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spagett
Hank Scorpio
Great Job!
Posts: 5,649
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Post by spagett on Mar 6, 2022 3:31:12 GMT -5
I'm just shocked Brock seemed to engage in an act of "gory self mutilation" to try and make the angle more effective.
Vince must be furious (!)
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