mrwood
Mike the Goon
Posts: 45
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Post by mrwood on Mar 17, 2015 11:45:02 GMT -5
What is the purpose of this?
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SUPES
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,373
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Post by SUPES on Mar 19, 2015 3:18:21 GMT -5
This is practically a year in review project that starts with the prior year's WM or sometime prior to that if a dynamic calls for it, and then closing with this year's go-home Raw. The goal isn't just to build anticipation for the Granddaddy, but also have a somewhat fresh perspective on the year that led up to it, and also have all the details to understand the stories that will be told at WM.
I frequently do the same thing with TV shows going into a season/series finale, but I just happen to not review them as there are already a number of others who can do those better than me.
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SUPES
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,373
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Post by SUPES on Mar 21, 2015 1:15:21 GMT -5
Raw - January 26, 2015: The Good Shit
Due to shitty weather in the Northeast, tonight's show is postponed and the only new shit is a series of live studio interviews.
Seth Rollins is great detailing how much his stock was raised the night before, but of course talks the talks then doesn't walk the walk when Brock Lesnar shows up with Paul Heyman.
Heyman does a great job in putting over Lesnar as usual, then goes through the nit-picking detail of why Lesnar is head and shoulders above everyone else. Why exactly couldn't Cesaro get even a fraction of the consistent promotion when he was a Heyman guy?
Daniel Bryan talks about his failure, then in kayfabe goes into great detail why the correct match to headline WrestleMania 31 would've been Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Title. The guy who never lost the title. The dominating champion. The ultimate Goliath. The ultimate David. The only detail he forgot to include is that the match would've been a year in the making, the two shining stars of WrestleMania XXX finally colliding. Not to mentionn the athleticism of both participants as well, including strikes and submission wrestling. Such a match certainly wouldn't be a bad idea for America's largest indoor venue.
In the main event segment, Roman Reigns is put over by Heyman while Lesnar sits back cockily. Heyman does a great job of making Reigns sound like the right choice for the spot, then goes into further detail on why Lesnar will not be taken down. The staredown between Lesnar and Reigns is a great one as I always knew it'd be, and although right now isn't the right time for it, there are still worse ideas.
NXT - January 28, 2015: The Good Shit
NXT Title Shot Tournament Quarterfinal Tyson Kidd vs. Adrian Neville - ***3/4
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have a contract signing moderated by GM William Regal. After very transparent manipulation, Owens forces their hand and makes the match at Takeover: Rival for the NXT Title.
Raw - February 2, 2015: The Good Shit
The opening segment is the usual 15-20 minutes of talking, but as long as it leads to quality main events like Seth Rollins vs. Daniel Bryan, it's tolerable. I did enjoy the Authority trolling Denver about the Patriots being Super Bowl champs, although it'd have meant more if they said, "Hey, don't get mad just because New England knew how to beat the Seahawks on the grandest stage." They should've trolled D-Bry about it too.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Bray Wyatt - ***1/2
Triple H wants Sting for a confrontation at Fast Lane 2015.
WWE Title Shot Match Qualifier Seth Rollins vs. Daniel Bryan - ***3/4
NXT - February 4, 2015 NXT Title Shot Tournament Semifinal - Dream Match Finn Balor vs. Hideo Itami - ***3/4
Raw - February 9, 2015: The Good Shit
Rusev & Lana air a John Cena tribute video that becomes a burial video, saying that he's past his prime. Out comes Cena to cut a great promo, and calls Rusev a bitch to bait him into a great brawl. Rusev leaves Cena laying after a thumb to the eye and tossing him into the video wall.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Bray Wyatt - ***
Sting accepts Triple H's confrontation offer in a segment obviously influenced by superhero scenes involving criminals.
Paul Heyman comes out with Brock Lesnar and goes over both potential matches: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan. Heyman of course in kayfabe points out in detail why the latter is an objectively far more intriguing matchup.
Main Event - February 10, 2015 Cesaro vs.. Sin Cara #2 - ***1/4
NXT Takeover: Rival: The Good Shit
NXT Title Shot Tournament Final Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville
Excellent match as expected. Neville gets the early advantage with multiple headlocks but Balor manages to get the heat for awhile with his offense, then is cut off later going for a dive. Of course as the third act arrives the nearfalls become outstanding, as well as the fighting spirit moment of the match. Neville briefly absorbs Balor's Pele kick and gives a superkick before both collapse as the crowd is in a collective orgasm. At the finish, Balor got his knees up during the Sky Twister and went for the small package for a nearfall, but it was enough damage to put Neville down moments later. Rematches of this please. ****
Women's Title Match Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks
Nice spotfest here with Lynch & Banks working together at first, throwing Charlotte into a hard LED screen hanging off of an apron (what a stupid engineering idea actually.) They'd of course go at it, resulting in Lynch grabbing Banks from behind and giving a pumphandle slam to her friend. They'd all dive on the outside and then Charlotte got back in, only for Banks to get in and go to war with her again. Banks kept Bayley and Lynch on the outside and got a tremendously angled crossface on Charlotte. The champion couldn't reach the ropes but refused to tap out, so after having enough neck damage inflicted, Banks rolled her over for a crucifix pin to get that elusive championship victory. ***1/4
NXT Title Match Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens
Quality storytelling here obviously influenced by John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2014. After getting corner punches, Owens drops Zayn face-first on the turbuckle and dominates his archnemesis. It is a destruction with Owens busting out all kinds of shit and displaying an attitude that contradicts his claim that this is merely about business and being champion. All of Zayn's hope spots the first half of the match are for naught as Owens constantly cuts him off.
Zayn does manage to make a comeback in the second half of the match, selling his beating and thus having to dig down deep to maintain the heat, including a brawl on the outside. But a blow to the face as well as his head hitting the steel entrance ramp caused him to get woozy. This made him lose his balance and footing on a Yakuza kick attempt, so he went for it again but Owens knew it was coming. After numerous powerbombs and medical staff trying to help Zayn, the ref calls the match off, Zayn's reign coming to a screeching halt to his archnemesis due to TKO ref stoppage. Owens is great posing over Zayn's carcass. I want a rematch at WrestleMania 32 dammit. ***1/2
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SUPES
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,373
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Post by SUPES on Apr 11, 2015 23:29:27 GMT -5
The rest of this project, as I'd rather knock it now rather than wait until next year.
SmackDown! - February 12, 2015
Fun gauntlet tag with Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan facing the entire world to make up for the night's thin roster and give them screen time. A shame the Kane & Big Show dissension led nowhere of course.
Raw - February 16, 2015: The Good Shit
John Cena kicks off the show with a promo vowing to end Rusev's undefeated streak, and ends up standing tall when they have another great brawl.
Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose - ***
Kane vs. Roman Reigns
A meaningless match that's must-see strictly for Daniel Bryan's commentary, highlighted by him pointing out Brock Lesnar six months into his reign had only one more title defense than him. Yet another layer as to why Lesnar vs. D-Bry is best for business. D-Bry then does the Yes chant to steal the thunder of Reigns.
Triple H is joined by Ric Flair in the ring. The Nature Boy warns the Game about Sting, but HHH becomes irrational enough that he shoves his friend down and leaves, clearly flustered by the future HOFer's vigilantism.
Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan
Another meaningless match that only matters because of Reigns being ringside for commentary. He goes around signing autographs and posing for fan photos, then this go-home show ends with a tremendous brawl between him and D-Bry. I'm looking forward to this match.
NXT - February 18, 2015 NXT Title Match Kevin Owens vs. Adrian Neville - ***3/4
SmackDown! - February 19, 2015: The Good Shit Luke Harper vs. Roman Reigns - *** Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins - ***
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SUPES
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,373
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Post by SUPES on Apr 12, 2015 0:03:33 GMT -5
Fast Lane 2015: The Good Shit
Randy Orton finally returns after the opener to target Seth Rollins.
Tag Titles Match The Usos vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd
Odd to see the Bay Area native Usos in Seahawks colors. Nice match that had its story become the challengers working on Jimmy's left knee, including strikes, pounding it on the apron, and submission holds. Jey did everything he could to keep the titles including all kinds of dives, including a sequence that involved a scary one deep into the match. After superkicking Cesaro, Jimmy found himself dropped with a neckbreaker out of nowhere by Kidd to signify new champs. Really looking forward to seeing these four in a PPV rematch. ***
Sting and Triple H confrontation
HHH does everything he can to attempt to get into Sting's head, and even suckers the future HOFer to temporarily get the heat, but Sting won't go down. HHH grabs a sledgehammer, only to get put in his place when Sting puts a baseball bat against his throat. Without saying a word, Sting makes his intentions clear, glaring back and forth at the Game and the WrestleMania 31 sign, and the Game accepts the dream match challenge that had been building since Survivor Series 2014. HHH of course tried to sucker him again but got left on the mat after an inverted DDT.
Undertaker's music is played with druids carrying a coffin to ringside. It's opened to reveal Bray Wyatt, bringing the obvious to reality, in that his promos from the last month were a challenge to Taker to face him at WrestleMania 31.
US Title Match Rusev vs. John Cena
Glorified finishers match, but that's the power of protecting a monster heel and the other guy for a decade. They did everything to escape each other's finishers, then reached the ropes and kicked out for quality nearfalls. Cena broke the Camel Clutch, then moved Rusev's arm the second time, but Rusev kept locking it on. Frustrated by his greatest challenge to date, Rusev low-blowed Cena when Lana jumped on the apron, causing the face of the company to pass out in the Camel Clutch. Tremendous layout to lead to the obvious rematch at WrestleMania 31. This show is on a roll with its focused direction. ***1/2
WWE Title Shot Match Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan
Excellent main event that showed Reigns is quite capable of being carried to the best match of his career to date by best wrestler on the roster. Time will tell if Rollins will be able to pull this off too. Reigns really shined here with his physicality, and for those who wanna speculate that D-Bry isn't physically ready to work a dream match against Brock Lesnar, eat this fact: Reigns gave D-Bry the same overhead belly-to-belly suplex on the floor that Lesnar gave CM Punk at SummerSlam 2013.
This is nowhere near the work of art of that Lesnar vs. Punk classic I mentioned, but this definitely delivered. D-Bry kept pulling out his submission arsenal, digging more into it every time Reigns would power out with his superior size and strength. He then gave a preview of what will come when the day arrives that he faces Lesnar, busting out THREE tope suicidas, only to get caught and powerslammed by Reigns on the third one. They exchanged nearfalls on a spear and Busaiku knee, as well as Reigns reaching the ropes while in the Lebell Lock. Another one later had Reigns trying to pummel on D-Bry, but found himself in a Triangle Hold that was broken via a powerbomb.
A spear attempt was countered with a fantastic small package nearfall, a move that D-Bry had used to put down Kane in the past as well as many of his greatest opponents on the indies. With both exhausted, they emptied their gas tanks, ending with Reigns getting a spear on D-Bry during a Busaiku knee attempt for a great finish. Post-match, D-Bry congratulates him and says he better slay the Beast. This was obviously the wrong choice, but they got the most out of it. Reigns showed he was capable of having a great match, and D-Bry proved nobody on the WWE roster is more reliable in getting a pet project over. ****
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SUPES
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,373
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Post by SUPES on Apr 12, 2015 0:23:57 GMT -5
Final stop!
Quick star ratings
NXT - March 4, 2015 NXT Women's Title Match Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte - ***1/4
Raw - March 16, 2015 Wade Barrett, Luke Harper, & Stardust vs. Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, & Daniel Bryan - ***1/2
SmackDown! - March 19, 2015 Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan - ***
Raw - March 23, 2015 Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan - ***1/4
NXT - March 25, 2015 NXT Title Match Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor - ***1/2
For NXT, Sami Zayn has been recovering from his loss (in real life a shoulder injury), while Alex Riley got a nice temporary push against the bully NXT Champion Kevin Owens. It was nice to close out the TV portion of the brand with a quality dream match for the title, but the crowd atmosphere was lacking of the occasional specials to take it over the top into greatness.
On the main stage, the MVP has clearly been Paul Heyman. Nobody could've done a more fantastic job of giving Roman Reigns credibility, while managing to explain that Brock Lesnar is still superior. This has probably been the best month of his entire career on the microphone. Lesnar's contribution was easily highlighted by his video package in which he said "I'm going to f*** [Reigns] up." But the less said about how Reigns has been booked in the ring, as well as the tug-of-war to close out the road to WrestleMania 31, the better. And despite Heyman's work, Reigns still isn't over enough or moving enough ratings/merch to be the one to slay the Beast and take Cena's spot, no matter what his fans say.
Sting vs. Triple H was a fine program, but there was a missed opportunity in all the mentions of WCW. Sting clearly should've said "Yeah, WCW's dead, but it was because of snakes that came in and killed it, snakes making decisions just like you and your wife. One of my last two goals is to make sure WWE doesn't die under your watch just like I had to witness WCW die."
The creative team had no nailbiting followup for the red-hot Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton match a few months earlier. But that's fine - it's my most anticipated match based on quality expectations.
I'll be curious to see how Undertaker looks and if all the protection of Bray Wyatt pays off after feeding him Ambrose, Ziggler, and D-Bry.
Speaking of the audience's three favorites, their ladder match for the IC Title should be great and hopefully it rekindles the prestige, but what a waste to throw them altogether in an afterthought involving such substantial acts as Stardust and R-Truth.
Storyline-wise, the hottest angle has clearly been Rusev vs. John Cena. I absolutely loved Cena having to be cutthroat when locking the STF on Rusev, not breaking it until Lana agreed to his terms: a rematch for the US Title at the Showcase of the Immortals. Then they followup with an awesome brawl on the go-home Raw, with Rusev cleanly getting the advantage after just one forearm and putting Cena through a commentary table. Now if only this obvious match had been teased when they were on opposing teams a few months earlier.
This road just couldn't measure up to the road to WrestleMania XXX, and in revisiting this, the decisions made by Vince McMahon have only been more frustrating in light of the potential he had on his roster. But the roster is stacked enough even with CM Punk gone, and credit must be given in elevating Rusev and Rollins. NXT has been an exceptional product thanks to its roster only getting deeper with indy and puro talent as well as consistent booking, and gives hope for the company's aesthetic future when Vince is no longer in charge.
Those who bothered to read this, thank you. I wish there were more detail-oriented fans like you.
This now concludes this project, as The Road to WrestleMania 32: The Good Shit will begin with me reviewing the entire WrestleMania 31 event.
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