Rampage Spoilers for December 25th

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Dec 23, 2021 0:58:35 GMT -5 @selhurst said:

I’ve said the HHH/ Jarrett comparisons are overkill in the past as he makes himself look second best a lot of the times even if he always has the last word in a feud. This is possibly the first time I’ve taken pause and wondered if they weren’t overkill after all.

They were, and still are. Seriously I dare anyone to go back and watch Peak Jarrett and peak Reign of Terror and then come back and try and compare it to the Cody stuff. Cody goes over a lot but he still draws, he's still important, the storyline he's in right now just puts him in a very weird place.

[Heartbreaker]

LMAOOOO

[El Cokehead del Knife Fight]

Dec 23, 2021 2:44:26 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

Dec 23, 2021 0:58:35 GMT -5 @selhurst said:

I’ve said the HHH/ Jarrett comparisons are overkill in the past as he makes himself look second best a lot of the times even if he always has the last word in a feud. This is possibly the first time I’ve taken pause and wondered if they weren’t overkill after all.

They were, and still are. Seriously I dare anyone to go back and watch Peak Jarrett and peak Reign of Terror and then come back and try and compare it to the Cody stuff. Cody goes over a lot but he still draws, he's still important, the storyline he's in right now just puts him in a very weird place.

Cody also makes people look good, the thing about the Reign of Terror and Planet Jarrett is that not only did they win all the time but they almost went out of their way to not let the other guy look good.

[Dave the Dave]

Cody vs American Top Team? Shoot me.

Will the fans cheer Dan Lambert? Thatd be wild. Sammy doesn’t do much for me, so I’m not too mad. I like him in tag matches. Let’s get those trio titles going and put him with PNP. Thatd be cool.

[Super Duper Dragunov]

Laaaaaaame.

I don't mind Cody, I find his current character very fascinating, but this is certainly a shock.

If it's because Sammy needs time off, that's completely understandable, just bad timing, and I wouldn't have picked Cody to be the one to dethrone him.

We'll see where it goes.

[eJm]

Man, if Sammy’s TNT title reign was a flop, I must have read the ratings wrong since, like, he was the one actually drawing in the demos every time he had a match, regardless of it being Rampage and Dynamite.

For everything else, going to need a bit more context before jumping on the “Cody is the new Jeff Jarrett/HHH” bandwagon.

[Mozenrath]

Dec 23, 2021 3:56:21 GMT -5 eJm said:

Man, if Sammy’s TNT title reign was a flop, I must have read the ratings wrong since, like, he was the one actually drawing in the demos every time he had a match, regardless of it being Rampage and Dynamite.

For everything else, going to need a bit more context before jumping on the “Cody is the new Jeff Jarrett/HHH” bandwagon.

I wouldn't call Sammy a flop either, no. His angle winning it was good, and he had some solid title defenses, but even if he's probably the weakest champion so far outside of Cody's second reign, maybe, where it seemed to mostly just be him preparing to hand the title over to Darby, it was still fine, and he definitely is higher on the food chain than he was before it.

Cody's a curious choice. I wonder if they wanted someone who will transition the belt and could take the blow, Garvin-style, but I'd have almost expected a heel like Ethan Page to be a guy for that, or a veteran like Kazarian who probably doesn't have another reign in him, anyway, but all the same. I'm certainly intrigued, I can say that much, I'm dying to know what's going on.

[robferatu]

I wouldn’t say that Sammy Guevara’s reign was a complete dud, it certainly has been lackluster, and if the plan was to get it off of him so he could take some time off due to personal reasons I’d much rather of them

A.) Do some type of injury angle, perhaps having the Men of the Year attack Guevara after the match after Rhodes celebration, or perhaps even during it to play more into Cody’s flirtation with turning heel.

Or

B.) Have Cody “lightly” cheat in winning the match to setup a rematch upon Guevara’s return.

However, based on reports it appears that they did neither of those things and just let Rhodes win cleanly which makes me wonder what their actual endgame is with Cody because long past the point of AEW being able to deny the fans have turned on him.

I’m fine with a story of him being a dillusional heel, but it feels more and more like their going to continue to push him down the audiences throats as a face, and it’s reached that point of being impossible to deny he’s just AEW’s John Cena.

[mrbananagrabber]

I get that Sammy might need some time, but did they really need to take the belt off him? Would anyone be calling for heads on spikes if the TNT title wasn’t defended for a month? What was even the point of him taking it off Miro?

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Dec 23, 2021 5:26:40 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

I get that Sammy might need some time, but did they really need to take the belt off him? Would anyone be calling for heads on spikes if the TNT title wasn’t defended for a month? What was even the point of him taking it off Miro?

The point was for the shock win of a loved babyface to avenge his friend getting massacred and it worked, and he mad multiple good defenses afterwards. Nothing is saying Guevara was stripped of the belt either if he requested time off or if it wasn't his decisionn to do so, that's pure speculation to what is currently a theory.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Here are my two predictions. Both have Cody holding the belt and defeating both Page and Sky, then he drops the belt in open challenge fashion to either

A debuting Johnny Gargano at the Cleveland Dynamite

A returning Moxley if he's ready

Either way it feels like Cody getting it is to set up someone else beating him and getting it.

[eJm]

Dec 23, 2021 5:26:40 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

I get that Sammy might need some time, but did they really need to take the belt off him? Would anyone be calling for heads on spikes if the TNT title wasn’t defended for a month? What was even the point of him taking it off Miro?

I mean, if he needs time off, it’s better to have the belt still around then it is not to. And it’d be sort of weird if they’re solidifying Rampage as the TNT show with Dynamite moving to TBS and having Battle of the Belts kicking off the 4 Saturday night TNT specials they’re having for the TNT title to not be there. All of that makes sense to me.

And again, he’s basically solidified himself as a ratings draw from the title run. Even the match against Nese was one of the more watched Rampage matches of the past month. Regardless of match quality (and I honestly haven’t caught up with them to say one way or the other), that’s pretty true.

[markymark]

I would have Cody dropping the belt to a debuting Swerve or Keith Lee imo

[kingoftheindies]

I dont agree with the move since Cody has been ice cold it seems but I get the impression it will be a short transition reign

[Deleted]

Lol... good grief.

I do feel for Sammy. He's a great talent and had some good matches, but I can't say he had a strong feud over the belt. The ATT stuff was fine but had some terrible segments and made Sammy feel secondary to Jericho. Apart from that, there was no real story to his reign after the hot beginning beating Miro.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

You know what? If I was Cody at this point, I'd just quit AEW. TNT Championship or not, he can't be having much fun at this point.

If I've made it adamant and 100% clear to both the writers/bookers, and these fans, that I do not want to turn heel, and everyone on these shows both in and out-of-script are going to keep pushing that on me, why the hell should I keep sticking around? If my creative vision says "be a babyface" and I'm surrounded by people going "nono, what you want to be is bad", at that point were I in Cody's stars-and-stripes boots I'd be like "okay, screw this shit. I'll sign up with an organization with a fanbase that isn't so hopelessly jaded, and I can play the heroic character I've been honing over time without being dragged through the mud for it."

If I'm him, I don't go villain, I just walk out. I wouldn't care what the fans wanted. Now if you personally were in Cody's position, maybe you'd go heel and just go with the audience flow, and I totally understand and respect that. But me, I wouldn't be able to do it.

If these crowds were gonna continue being that shitty towards me, I'll just toss the belt at TK's shoes and peace out. Like, what's the point anymore?

[eJm]

Dec 23, 2021 6:41:13 GMT -5 @flaminghalo said:

Lol... good grief.

I do feel for Sammy. He's a great talent and had some good matches, but I can't say he had a strong feud over the belt. The ATT stuff was fine but had some terrible segments and made Sammy feel secondary to Jericho. Apart from that, there was no real story to his reign after the hot beginning beating Miro.

See, I can agree with that. There isn’t really a momentum building moment for the guy that solidified his reign like there was with Cody or even Darby and even Miro had the iconic Fuego squash and the Kingston brawl.

Which sort of then makes his ratings status more of a mystery considering.

Dec 23, 2021 6:44:43 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

You know what? If I was Cody at this point, I'd just quit AEW. TNT Championship or not, he can't be having much fun at this point.

It’s hard for me to agree with that when at times it feels like he’s playing up to it. Like, dude is either turning soon or he’s setting himself up for a big fall and there isn’t really a big in between with it.

Like, it’s also not really my place to say how people are feeling because at the end of the day, Cody still sells and it’s not like that’s going to suddenly stop but I don’t know. Just hard for me to really know unless he actually says it.

[moxfan1]

Dec 22, 2021 23:54:26 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

Might as well have just left it on Miro until this point honestly. He's not really done anything since losing it, Sammy spent almost his entire title run in a tag feud, and could milk Cody beating Miro on both Christmas and his birthday.

I think Miro has time off filming role in movie. He originally got it when losing TNT title. Then they had to rush him back for a week after Mox needed to check into rehab. But that's why he hasn't been on show live since Full Gear.


I'm also shocked by Cody winning title here. I thought it was perfect match to establish Sammy as Champ. Since outside of Ethan Page, most of his title defenses have been against lower card opponents. Tony Khan a smart guy though and knows fans don't want this. Especially not baby face TNT Champion Cody like before. So this only makes sense if its leading to real heel turn. Doing actual reign of terror storyline around the title. With them building up baby face to finally over come the odds to defeat Cody. Maybe Cody seeing someone like Bryan Danielson flow into heel role so easily. After being beloved baby face for so many years. Has changed Cody mind about turning heel.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Dec 23, 2021 6:53:35 GMT -5 eJm said:

Dec 23, 2021 6:41:13 GMT -5 @flaminghalo said:

Lol... good grief.

I do feel for Sammy. He's a great talent and had some good matches, but I can't say he had a strong feud over the belt. The ATT stuff was fine but had some terrible segments and made Sammy feel secondary to Jericho. Apart from that, there was no real story to his reign after the hot beginning beating Miro.

See, I can agree with that. There isn’t really a momentum building moment for the guy that solidified his reign like there was with Cody or even Darby and even Miro had the iconic Fuego squash and the Kingston brawl.

Which sort of then makes his ratings status more of a mystery considering.

Dec 23, 2021 6:44:43 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

You know what? If I was Cody at this point, I'd just quit AEW. TNT Championship or not, he can't be having much fun at this point.

It’s hard for me to agree with that when at times it feels like he’s playing up to it. Like, dude is either turning soon or he’s setting himself up for a big fall and there isn’t really a big in between with it.

Like, it’s also not really my place to say how people are feeling because at the end of the day, Cody still sells and it’s not like that’s going to suddenly stop but I don’t know. Just hard for me to really know unless he actually says it.

Yeah, but my issue is that he hasn't done enough to even warrant such a serious fall from grace.

And if that's the case, then Cody's a more giving person than I am. Because I'd be like "Lambert shouldn't be saying that crap, I don't care if he's heel, it makes me look worse, it adds to the bad narratives.".

But this is the point where I'd throw up my hands and say "DONE" like Peter Griffin and walk out the building, because the fans aren't willing to budge anyway.

[eJm]

Dec 23, 2021 7:00:31 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Yeah, but my issue is that he hasn't done enough to even warrant such a serious fall from grace.

I mean, honestly, as unfair as that might be, that’s the nature of the industry. I don’t know what else to say except that. It’s the advantage and disadvantage of doing a live audience instead of taping in advance like almost every other show and genre of television.

I also can’t really see Lambert saying what he said without approval from Cody since he seems savvy enough to know about reactions and getting them. Does it make a real amount of sense? I’m in the “not really” column but then that’s the crazy thing about pro wrestling.