Something that bothered me in the TLC match...

[The Ichi]

(I was going to title the thread "Ryback is a dumbass", but we don't need more anti-Ryback threads, even though I like him).

So Ryback literally has the belt IN HIS HANDS, and the lights going out stops him from taking it? All he had to do was tug on it a little.

I doubt The Shield got to the ring the second the lights went out, so he had time.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Maybe he's afraid of the dark

[Wolf Hurricane]

Perhaps he knew the only way it'd count is if they saw him take the title down. If he took it down with the lights out, they (Heyman and/or Punk) could spin it and say Shield grabbed the title first and gave it to him. Better yet, they could take the title from him in the dark and plant it "magically" across Punk.

[________ has left the building]

Ryback fears hunger, the dark, and pyro.

[mrbananagrabber]

He thought it was the Undertaker and shit bricks.

Well, wouldn't you?

[Deleted]

Jan 8, 2013 12:26:22 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

He thought it was the Undertaker and s*** bricks.

Well, wouldn't you?

That is literally what I thought when the lights went out. "wait they are going to have Ryback go after the streak?" Then I saw the shield and laughed.

[Snowman]

Probably spooked him and he let go, then couldn't find it again because of being disorientated.

Like if you turn the light of in a pitch black room then you realise you have forgotten something so you go to switch the light back on but you ended up fumbling on the wall for a while before finding the switch.

[Mayonnaise]

If I am standing on a wobbly 10-12ft. Ladder, am suddenly cast into complete darkness, I'm going to drop what I am doing so I can grab the ladder and not get disoriented and fall. Yeah the belt was right there but what good does it do to be champion if you grab it, fall and break something?

[Deleted]

Jan 8, 2013 12:26:22 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

He thought it was the Undertaker and s*** bricks.

Well, wouldn't you?

I read this as "He thought it was the Undertaker and his s*** bricks," as if that was something Taker was going to chuck at him.

[Deleted]

I'm probably not the first person to defend a Ryback flub, but I think it was more a timing issue with the lights.

In all fairness, he did the best he could trying to stall for them to go to black.

[The Ichi]

Jan 8, 2013 12:35:34 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

If I am standing on a wobbly 10-12ft. Ladder, am suddenly cast into complete darkness, I'm going to drop what I am doing so I can grab the ladder and not get disoriented and fall. Yeah the belt was right there but what good does it do to be champion if you grab it, fall and break something?

It was in his hands though. He literally just had to tug down a little. Plus wouldn't you take falling off a ladder if it meant you're the new champ?

[Cronant]

Jan 8, 2013 13:11:39 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

Jan 8, 2013 12:35:34 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

If I am standing on a wobbly 10-12ft. Ladder, am suddenly cast into complete darkness, I'm going to drop what I am doing so I can grab the ladder and not get disoriented and fall. Yeah the belt was right there but what good does it do to be champion if you grab it, fall and break something?

It was in his hands though. He literally just had to tug down a little. Plus wouldn't you take falling off a ladder if it meant you're the new champ?

Falling off a ladder in the dark. Even on instinct, you'd pause at least.

[Crappler El 0 M]

The only thing I would have liked it an explanation of the lights going out. They should have theorized that Roman Reigns must have done it as he didn't come into the ring into later.

[Big Kahuna Burger]

Also, with the likes of Cena, The Rock, Orton, Sheamus and Team Hell No backstage, plus a boatload of young superstars itching to make a name for themselves, why did no-one come to Ryback's aid during that 3-on-1 mugging?

Most illogical thing of the night for me had to be the referee who had apparently been watching the Cena-Ziggler match backstage (and seen Big E lay Cena out) rushing out to make the three-count rather than disqualify Ziggler. ;D

[mrbananagrabber]

Jan 8, 2013 13:47:55 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

The only thing I would have liked it an explanation of the lights going out.

Calling it.

[Big Kahuna Burger]

Jan 8, 2013 14:01:32 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

Jan 8, 2013 13:47:55 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

The only thing I would have liked it an explanation of the lights going out.

Calling it.

Already called it in another thread bro.

[eJm]

Everyone knows a lot of Pro Wrestler's biggest weakness is the dark, even if they don't fear it.

They stop what they're doing and act confused. That is when enemies strike!

[Mayonnaise]

Jan 8, 2013 13:11:39 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

Jan 8, 2013 12:35:34 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

If I am standing on a wobbly 10-12ft. Ladder, am suddenly cast into complete darkness, I'm going to drop what I am doing so I can grab the ladder and not get disoriented and fall. Yeah the belt was right there but what good does it do to be champion if you grab it, fall and break something?

It was in his hands though. He literally just had to tug down a little. Plus wouldn't you take falling off a ladder if it meant you're the new champ?

You cannot just tug it a little, watch Punk at the end or any ladder match lately, you really pull of the belt and have to use two hands to unhook the belt 99% of the time. No, I wouldn't take falling off a ladder for anything if I couldn't see where I was landing, how I was falling or what I was doing.

Instinct is to stop and that is what he did, made perfect sense.

[joebob27]

Jan 8, 2013 13:56:56 GMT -5 Big Kahuna Burger said:

Also, with the likes of Cena, The Rock, Orton, Sheamus and Team Hell No backstage, plus a boatload of young superstars itching to make a name for themselves, why did no-one come to Ryback's aid during that 3-on-1 mugging?

Most illogical thing of the night for me had to be the referee who had apparently been watching the Cena-Ziggler match backstage (and seen Big E lay Cena out) rushing out to make the three-count rather than disqualify Ziggler. ;D

That was great. Made no sense at all.

[trollrogue]

Jan 8, 2013 14:35:26 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

You cannot just tug it a little, watch Punk at the end...

Jan 8, 2013 13:11:39 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

It was in his hands though. He literally just had to tug down a little...

Seriously though I had the same critique of the finish. I knew that The Shield would always be the cause for Ryback losing but I was hoping they were saving some form of closure for the TLC match that they never got a chance to have-- not just another Shield beatdown in the end.

The metaphoric victory of Ryback having his hands on the title before it gets robbed from him as a result of his own stipulation (no-DQ) means that he defeats himself in the end. CM Punk was able to climb the ladder after his table shot and Ryback wasn't, thus end of feud.

Ryback can only blame himself for the loss, not Punk's cowardice-- but again this sense of closure in Punk/Ryback isn't really something that comes across well. Not after having to suspend disbelief with the lame-ass blackout while we're supposed to believe Ryback wouldn't grab the WWE belt. It seemed like an opportunity to give the crowd a shocking spectacle that went too far into the illogical.