🔴 RAW Thread 01/01/18: Big Dog on a Leash

[RI Richmark]

Jan 1, 2018 23:06:22 GMT -5 @bootytime said:

Brock holds belt up upside down

No he was making an "M". He's excited about the Miz returning next week.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Fam this is gonna sound mean, but Kane is worthless. The guy was never the best hand in the ring and unlike Undertaker he never improved or evolve, he has been washed up for about 10 years, and he debuted 20 years ago.

The casual fans don't give a f*** about him, if they did he would've been on top in his younger years.

[Peeetah]

Jan 1, 2018 23:08:26 GMT -5 the2ndevil said:

Jan 1, 2018 23:04:21 GMT -5 Peeetah said:

Never thought I could be bored by a Paul Heyman promo, here we are though.

He’s been cutting the same damn promo since 2014. I’m shocked it’s taken you this long.

I have a really high tolerance for samey Paul Heyman promos I guess.

[Ringmaster]

Jan 1, 2018 23:08:49 GMT -5 Jokaine said:

Jan 1, 2018 22:53:19 GMT -5 Ringmaster said:

Actually, I was comparing today to the loud crowds of the territory days, When people cared for the product.

But if you think the story has nothing to do with it, I'd like to hear your explanation for why Daniel Bryan VS Management(The latter parts of it) got the loudest reactions out of anything they had done in previous years and louder than anything now.

If the story is not relevant why was Roman booed out of the arena after his Rock aided rumble win?

This notion that people don't care because they are too busy with their smartphones or are "too smart" is nonsense, Hollywood has made insane bank off fictional tales about space raccoons and guys dressed as bats. People care about stories, but you have to make them care. WWE does not, The current batch of bookers seemingly only care about consistently breaking even while making sure they prop up the next poster boy so they continue to break even into the next decade.

I'm talking about consistently loud crowds, not occasional one-offs.

Bryan was super over. He had a genuine connection with crowds and WWE played it to where fans thought they forced WWE into pushing him when they didn't want to.

Just like you can't replicate how fans felt about Austin, you probably can't just create another Daniel Bryan.

You mention Roman getting booed out of the building, but I would argue that was a direct result of crowds wanting Daniel Bryan in the Mania main event and not getting him. WWE knew Bryan wasn't physically 100 by that point and continuing to build around him was not an option to them. I don't necessarily agree with that mindset, but I'm pretty sure that was the thought process.

I mentioned territory days in my original post, too. Again, you're not going to get national crowds in 2017 who consistently sound like 1980s Memphis and Dallas crowds who thought the shit they were watching was real.

I highlighted the most important part for you, Now how does WWE play to people popping for Joe and Braun? By jobbing joe out clean as a sheet and giving Braun nothing for weeks then putting him into a meaningless title triple threat which ends with the winner having the privilege of losing clean to, you guessed it, Roman Reigns at his umpteenth WM coronation.

[hbkid718]

Here are the facts for RAW:

- This was the 3rd time in Raw History that it took place on New Year’s Day, with the other times being in 2001 & 2007
- Anything that happened in 2017 will not count here, therefore any match that was a re-match of a previous match doesn’t count and everything is fresh & new
- Jason Jordan VS Cesaro was both wrestlers’ 1st singles match of 2018 & their 1st Raw opener of 2018
- Apollo Crews VS Bray Wyatt was both wrestler’s 1st match of 2018 & Wyatt’s 1st match overall since he defeated Matt Hardy on Raw on November 27, 2017
- Asuka VS Alexa Bliss was both women’s 1st match of 2018 & the 1st Women’s Match of 2018
- Rhyno & Heath Slater VS Braun Strowman was the 1st Handicap Match of 2018 & all 3 wrestlers’ 1st match of 2018
- Roman Reigns VS Samoa Joe was the 1st Intercontinental Championship Match of 2018 & both wrestler’s 1st match of 2018
- Cedric Alexander & Goldust VS Ariya Daivari & Drew Gulak was all 4 wrestlers’ 1st match of 2018 & Goldust’s 1st win since he defeated R-Truth on Raw on July 10, 2017
- Finn Balor & Gallows & Anderson VS The Miztourage & Elias was the 1st 6-Person Tag Team Match of 2018 & all 6 wrestlers’ 1st match of 2018 & 1st main event of 2018

[Jokaine]

Jan 1, 2018 23:14:04 GMT -5 Ringmaster said:

Jan 1, 2018 23:08:49 GMT -5 Jokaine said:

I'm talking about consistently loud crowds, not occasional one-offs.

Bryan was super over. He had a genuine connection with crowds and WWE played it to where fans thought they forced WWE into pushing him when they didn't want to.

Just like you can't replicate how fans felt about Austin, you probably can't just create another Daniel Bryan.

You mention Roman getting booed out of the building, but I would argue that was a direct result of crowds wanting Daniel Bryan in the Mania main event and not getting him. WWE knew Bryan wasn't physically 100 by that point and continuing to build around him was not an option to them. I don't necessarily agree with that mindset, but I'm pretty sure that was the thought process.

I mentioned territory days in my original post, too. Again, you're not going to get national crowds in 2017 who consistently sound like 1980s Memphis and Dallas crowds who thought the shit they were watching was real.

I highlighted the most important part for you, Now how does WWE play to people popping for Joe and Braun? By jobbing joe out clean as a sheet and giving Braun nothing for weeks then putting him into a meaningless title triple threat which ends with the winner having the privilege of losing clean to, you guessed it, Roman Reigns at his umpteenth WM coronation.

You should have highlighted some of the other stuff I wrote, especially that part about not being able to recreate Austin/Bryan passion.

There is no comparison between the passion fans put into Bryan and the reactions Joe and Braun get. I'm a Joe fan but to say there is a similarity between reactions to the two guys other than being positive is simply not factual.

As for Braun, what's really the endgame? The only way he seems to be able to have an entertaining match is if he has a bunch of props he can break. The irony in bringing him into the conversation is he was pretty much viewed as a joke "hoss" until he got put in a bunch of gimmick matches with Roman.

Let me be clear, there are plenty of things WWE could do differently. I would have liked to have seen Roman go full "Die Rocky Die"promo at the height of his being booed. I also think had that happened, the same people who are bitching about his push would be on here within a few weeks starting threads about how bad WWE sucks and what could be done to fix it.

[Ringmaster]

Jan 1, 2018 23:25:25 GMT -5 Jokaine said:

Jan 1, 2018 23:14:04 GMT -5 Ringmaster said:

I highlighted the most important part for you, Now how does WWE play to people popping for Joe and Braun? By jobbing joe out clean as a sheet and giving Braun nothing for weeks then putting him into a meaningless title triple threat which ends with the winner having the privilege of losing clean to, you guessed it, Roman Reigns at his umpteenth WM coronation.

You should have highlighted some of the other stuff I wrote, especially that part about not being able to recreate Austin/Bryan passion.

There is no comparison between the passion fans put into Bryan and the reactions Joe and Braun get. I'm a Joe fan but to say there is a similarity between reactions to the two guys other than being positive is simply not factual.

As for Braun, what's really the endgame? The only way he seems to be able to have an entertaining match is if he has a bunch of props he can break. The irony in bringing him into the conversation is he was pretty much viewed as a joke "hoss" until he got put in a bunch of gimmick matches with Roman.

Let me be clear, there are plenty of things WWE could do differently. I would have liked to have seen Roman go full "Die Rocky Die"promo at the height of his being booed. I also think had that happened, the same people who are bitching about his push would be on here within a few weeks starting threads about how bad WWE sucks and what could be done to fix it.

Thing is you can recreate it, They don't need the next Bryan, Austin or rock. They have the next Samoa Joe, Braun, Wyatt(When he mattered), Finn Balor etc. They have arguably the best roster they have ever had and possibly the best roster in the history of the business and instead of getting what should be amazing shows, We get drawn out snooze fests, over guys jobbing and the occasional return of a bygone star because their ratings start to dip too low.


Braun got over by improving himself and being booked strong as a total monster, He's still basically a hoss, He didn't become lou thez.

Joe was getting over as a bad ass and has been dead-ended multiple times, I still fail to see how that gets him over. On the other side Russev is thee top seller and his reward will be jobbing in a high profile tag match that may just squeak out of pre show into the next PPV.

[Steveweiser]

69 pages... nice.

[nisidhe]

I may ruin the huhhuh 69-page thread length here, but...

I no longer think it inevitable that Roman will end up wearing the big red strap at 'Mania, though I can't see Lesnar keeping it, either. With Reigns comfortably settling in as IC champion, the field for the Universal title can reopen - as can that for the Tag Team titles. Gallows and Anderson are enjoying a face pop, in part thanks to the beacon of joy and hope that is Finn Balor (watch, they'll turn them into Jake Roberts-level heels and ruin it all.) If the face run continues (perhaps with Finn as corner man to contribute to the statement that Tex and Chadd are faces) look for them to challenge The Revival when they take the belts from Seth and Jordan.

With the Bar unable to get the titles back from Seth and Jordan, you'll see a split and at least one of them getting another singles run - either would be suitable to face Lesnar, though obviously that depends on Sheamus's neck whether he gets the nod to challenge Brock. Once the title is off Lesnar - by whomever Vince deems worthy of rendering Lesnar surplus to requirements - the field can be blown wide open at that point. Samoa Joe has been taken down a peg in that now he can reasonably be expected to eat a pin once in a while: he'll be a top-level heel still, but can build a top face into something that can plausibly look good against Lesnar or Strowman.

After last year, we're going to need to see more possibilities for matchups - while it should still be possible to sustain a longer feud, the idea that one needs the parties involved to wrestle exclusively each other at every opportunity should go away.

[Skeletor]

The show should have ended with Kane choke-slamming Brock and leaving him in a pile. Crumpled and confused.

[Hypnosis]

Jan 2, 2018 7:44:45 GMT -5 Steveweiser said:

69 pages... nice.

[Surfer Sandman]

Jan 1, 2018 20:04:28 GMT -5 Chiral said:

Free Agent John Cena doesn't sound as cool as they think it does.

The only thing worse is "TNA/GFW/WTF Champion John Cena".

[Surfer Sandman]

Jan 1, 2018 20:04:31 GMT -5 @dax said:

I want Todd Pettengill on the 25th anniversary of Raw.

Michael Cole and Todd Pettengill meeting up would rip a hole in the space/time continuum.

[Surfer Sandman]

Jan 1, 2018 20:28:29 GMT -5 lionheart21 said:

This crowd does not care about Jordan at all

Jason Jordan's new shirt is dropping tomorrow.

Front:

JASON JORDAN (most generic font ever)

Back:

BUT DAAADDDDDD!!!!

[trollrogue]

Jan 1, 2018 20:57:42 GMT -5 cjb01: Limited Edition Item! said:

Cole actually started to talk and Asuka IN RECAP PROMO interrupted him

This dude is horrid.

...nobody is ready for Asuka.

Jan 1, 2018 21:14:40 GMT -5 ben:friendship frog said:

"Asuka has tapped the champion"

Hmm

The champ's ass has been tapped by Tap Dat Asuka!

Between Cole's hilarious commentary gaffes, Joe emasculating Dean to his wife's face and Braun teaching a class in Ebonic Smacktalk 101 by telling Heath to get in the ring and "come catch dese hands" I thoroughly enjoyed the 2018 debut of WWE TV.

[JoDaNa1281]

Jan 1, 2018 23:08:49 GMT -5 Jokaine said:

Jan 1, 2018 22:53:19 GMT -5 Ringmaster said:

Actually, I was comparing today to the loud crowds of the territory days, When people cared for the product.

But if you think the story has nothing to do with it, I'd like to hear your explanation for why Daniel Bryan VS Management(The latter parts of it) got the loudest reactions out of anything they had done in previous years and louder than anything now.

If the story is not relevant why was Roman booed out of the arena after his Rock aided rumble win?

This notion that people don't care because they are too busy with their smartphones or are "too smart" is nonsense, Hollywood has made insane bank off fictional tales about space raccoons and guys dressed as bats. People care about stories, but you have to make them care. WWE does not, The current batch of bookers seemingly only care about consistently breaking even while making sure they prop up the next poster boy so they continue to break even into the next decade.

I'm talking about consistently loud crowds, not occasional one-offs.

Bryan was super over. He had a genuine connection with crowds and WWE played it to where fans thought they forced WWE into pushing him when they didn't want to.

Just like you can't replicate how fans felt about Austin, you probably can't just create another Daniel Bryan.

You mention Roman getting booed out of the building, but I would argue that was a direct result of crowds wanting Daniel Bryan in the Mania main event and not getting him. WWE knew Bryan wasn't physically 100 by that point and continuing to build around him was not an option to them. I don't necessarily agree with that mindset, but I'm pretty sure that was the thought process.

I mentioned territory days in my original post, too. Again, you're not going to get national crowds in 2017 who consistently sound like 1980s Memphis and Dallas crowds who thought the shit they were watching was real.

That's um...that's because fans did force them to really push him, especially to put him into the main event of WM XXX.

[Feargus McReddit]

Jan 2, 2018 19:51:00 GMT -5 JoDaNa1281 said:

Jan 1, 2018 23:08:49 GMT -5 Jokaine said:

I'm talking about consistently loud crowds, not occasional one-offs.

Bryan was super over. He had a genuine connection with crowds and WWE played it to where fans thought they forced WWE into pushing him when they didn't want to.

Just like you can't replicate how fans felt about Austin, you probably can't just create another Daniel Bryan.

You mention Roman getting booed out of the building, but I would argue that was a direct result of crowds wanting Daniel Bryan in the Mania main event and not getting him. WWE knew Bryan wasn't physically 100 by that point and continuing to build around him was not an option to them. I don't necessarily agree with that mindset, but I'm pretty sure that was the thought process.

I mentioned territory days in my original post, too. Again, you're not going to get national crowds in 2017 who consistently sound like 1980s Memphis and Dallas crowds who thought the shit they were watching was real.

That's um...that's because fans did force them to really push him, especially to put him into the main event of WM XXX.

Yeah, they were dead set for HHH/Bryan as it was until the last minute. Heck, if Punk was still around, we’d be talking about how WWE had Sheamus/Bryan at two WrestleManias in three years.

Also, this company couldn’t make a consistent push from the people they actually had, you’re kidding if you think they’re able to pull some kind of elaborate hocus pocus on fans.

[Bang Bang Bart]

Jan 2, 2018 12:17:36 GMT -5 Surfer Sandman said:

Jan 1, 2018 20:28:29 GMT -5 lionheart21 said:

This crowd does not care about Jordan at all

Jason Jordan's new shirt is dropping tomorrow.

Front:

JASON JORDAN (most generic font ever)

Back:

BUT DAAADDDDDD!!!!

His name in Papyrus, the "but daaaaaaadddd" in Comic Sans.