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Post by RI Richmark on Mar 27, 2019 19:42:43 GMT -5
When the WWE first announced the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal back at WrestleMania XXX I loved the idea. Not only was it a good way to get everybody who didn't have a WrestleMania match on the card but it could be a big push for someone's career. And the first one was well executed. With such stars as Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes, Big E, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston and The Big Show competing. Cesaro coming out on top over all that talent was a major high point of his career and it should have lead to a big push. But as we all know the WWE botched Cesaro's push afterward and ever since then the Andre has suffered.
In back to back years they pulled superstars out of the Andre to put them in a seven man IC Title clusterf@#k. Soon it seemed that any wrestler with more than three people cheering for him was deemed "Too big for the Andre." Mojo Rawley won simply so they can get Gronk on the show. Last year John Cena whined about not having a WrestleMania match but never considered entering the Andre. And now many people regard being in the Andre to be a demotion.
And that brings us to this year. On paper this battle royal has the potential to be the best since the first one. Assuming no more matches get added to the card you could see names like Kevin Owens, Andrade, Mustafa Ali, Sheamus, Cesaro, Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, Booby Roode, Chad Gable, the Revival, 2/3 of New Day, the Usos and the Hardys in this year's Andre.
But as of this writing none of those guys have announced their entrance into the match. No one has cut a promo stating how much they want to win the trophy. Instead the entire build so far has involved Braun's stupid fued with the SNL guys. And you know while all that other talent will be eliminated those three will be there at the end. And would it surprised anybody if somehow one of the SNL guys eliminate Braun to win the whole thing. How much vaule would the trophy have then?
And if that happens many fans would just respond "Who cares? The match is a joke anyway." But it doesn't have to be that way. The winning Andre could a big push for someone's career. But the WWE doesn't seem to be interested in that. And that's just sad.
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Post by Feargus McReddit on Mar 27, 2019 19:49:14 GMT -5
The first battle royale was, before the 2018 Men’s Rumble, genuinely one of the better Rumbles/BRs in WWE in the last few years, really entertaining throughout and the ending was an absolute belter.
The fact that the winner of the first one and every other winner went entirely nowhere is no fault of the people involved and more on those for not doing anything with it at the time or with the people involved.
Shaq entering at 32 was both really cool and really dumb at the same time, though.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2019 19:52:32 GMT -5
The winner should at least get an IC or US title match or something.
As most things with the WWE I like the concept but hate the execution.
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MolotovMocktail
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Mar 27, 2019 19:54:14 GMT -5
Did they even acknowledge Matt Hardy’s win last year like, at all?
I do like the winner’s names being engraved on the trophy Stanley Cup-style. That’s a nice touch even if the win is meaningless in the long run.
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Post by Feargus McReddit on Mar 27, 2019 19:56:54 GMT -5
Did they even acknowledge Matt Hardy’s win last year like, at all? ...I actually forgot Matt Hardy won it before right now outside of glimpses on WWE Top 10s randomly. |
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Perd
Patti Mayonnaise
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Post by Perd on Mar 27, 2019 20:02:11 GMT -5
Ironic, that something so forgettable, is in honor of someone so unforgettable.
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Post by The Heartbreak TWERK on Mar 27, 2019 20:06:47 GMT -5
Ironic, that something so forgettable, is in honor of someone so unforgettable.  |
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Post by Final Countdown Jones on Mar 27, 2019 20:08:49 GMT -5
Ironic, that something so forgettable, is in honor of someone so unforgettable. Can we get that in like a cross-stitch and send it to WWE's office? It feels like an apt description of the company on the whole. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2019 20:09:49 GMT -5
Sorry about the Andre's damn luck.
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Post by The Heartbreak TWERK on Mar 27, 2019 20:11:09 GMT -5
Sorry about the Andre's damn luck.   |
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Zen411
Dennis Stamp
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Post by Zen411 on Mar 27, 2019 20:39:25 GMT -5
Killian Dane would be a great surprise winner. Guy needs to be utilized. Big man who is fast and agile and can get a reaction from the crowd if used right.
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Post by Some Guy on Mar 27, 2019 20:46:39 GMT -5
Really should have been an omen when Cesaro's Andre trophy broke the night after he won it
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Jake, The Jake, Jake
Dennis Stamp
Will never EVER get a personal title. Ever. Nope. Never. Not a chance. No way, no how.
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Post by Jake, The Jake, Jake on Mar 27, 2019 20:47:51 GMT -5
I think the sudden unimportance of the Andre was kicked off the night after Wrestlemania when they had Swagger destroy Cesaro’s trophy. Like I get it, the trophy is comically oversized and probably a pain in the ass to transport, but what the f*** is the point of destroying the thing THE VERY NEXT NIGHT? Have the winner carry that shit around for a while so viewers care about it and remember that it exists. Owen Hart brought Slammies to the ring for a year; he made it part of his freaking gimmick. Cesaro (and everyone else that followed him) were never seen in the same camera shot with the trophy after Mania week.
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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Mar 27, 2019 20:55:07 GMT -5
Knowing how erratic and eccentric Vince can be, 99% of his behavior doesn't shock me in the slightest. But this? Knowing how much Vince loved him and how close they were, I'm genuinely stunned he's allowed it to become the pre-show nothing match that it has. You would think he'd want it to have some level of meaning with it being named after such a dear personal friend. It's such a slap in the face to Andre's memory.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Mar 27, 2019 20:57:09 GMT -5
I don't mind it for what it is, but it really could be used better. It's kinda sad that arguably the guy who has gotten the most out of it was Corbin.
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Post by The Legend of Groose on Mar 27, 2019 21:11:28 GMT -5
The winner should at least get an IC or US title match or something. As most things with the WWE I like the concept but hate the execution. They win a cool trophy of Andre that will get destroyed on a random Raw. |
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Post by Rudy Gobert Fingers on Mar 27, 2019 21:37:25 GMT -5
Big Show standing next to the trophy and crossing his arms like M Bison was the absolute peak of the ATGMBR and I refuse to hear otherwise.
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Post by MrElijah on Mar 27, 2019 21:51:54 GMT -5
Big Show standing next to the trophy and crossing his arms like M Bison was the absolute peak of the ATGMBR and I refuse to hear otherwise. Big Show with a Bison Gimmick=All of the Bison Dollars. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 13:11:00 GMT -5
I feel especially bad for Mojo.
All my hatred of him was ultimately wasted, as he wound up never being used, and he's probably going to miss WrestleMania since he's still in front of a mirror.
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Post by Prince Petty on Mar 28, 2019 13:56:46 GMT -5
There's something about battle royal matches that I find fundamentally dull. Twenty guys crammed into the ring, flailing and grappling until all the obvious ones are eliminated, and the few left do some moves and try to get the audience invested in the drama.
They don't have that curiosity factor of 'who's going to come out next?', which is the main appeal of the Royal Rumble. The pre-show is absolutely where a battle royal match belongs. But even with that, the WWE could give it some stakes by saying the winner gets a title shot or something, and having a lower card guy getting a main event match against the champion at Backlash would be something novel and interesting. Hell, the WWE could even pull a surprise win for the underdog.
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