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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 13, 2023 18:05:08 GMT -5
Just noticed… This card (as it currently stands, even after some other matches get made official) doesn’t speak highly of SmackDown’s booking and depth beyond its main angle. Reigns and Flair are the only SmackDown talents currently booked, and it’s only the Usos, Zayn (Owens is a RAW guy), Gunther, McIntyre and/or Sheamus and Rey Mysterio that are pencilled in at this point. The rest of the talent on the card is either RAW, free agents or legends.
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Post by theironyuppie on Mar 14, 2023 2:09:11 GMT -5
Just noticed… This card (as it currently stands, even after some other matches get made official) doesn’t speak highly of SmackDown’s booking and depth beyond its main angle. Reigns and Flair are the only SmackDown talents currently booked, and it’s only the Usos, Zayn (Owens is a RAW guy), Gunther, McIntyre and/or Sheamus and Rey Mysterio that are pencilled in at this point. The rest of the talent on the card is either RAW, free agents or legends. It's interesting, yeah. I suspect there's a post-Mania draft and there they'll be able to give SD a little more depth.
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msc
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Post by msc on Mar 14, 2023 4:43:40 GMT -5
So Balor/Edge Hell in a Cell confirmed.
Lashley without an opponent.
Omos did one move on Brock on RAW and buggered it up. Christ he really bloody sucks. That match has to be "LOL F5, 10 seconds, done" but if it is, I suspect there's going to be a "bonus surprise match" for Brock and the crowd but against who? I haven't a clue.
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Legion
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Post by Legion on Mar 14, 2023 15:18:23 GMT -5
Could be it since if Edge vs. Finn HiAC was gonna be a thing, it’d be announced by now. Edge is discussing Finn’s challenge Monday so it could still be HIAC. There’s 3 Raws left still and Triple H doesn’t seem to mind waiting on announcements as KO/Sami vs the Usos isn’t set nor is Rey vs. Dom or the IC title match and those are all pretty big attractions. Well, we got that HITC. Leaves Priest with nothing to do, assuming Rey/Dom still happens. Gargano is off to NXT, but he's the type who'd easily be able to do two matches across the weekend, so we could still get Priest/Gargano.
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Post by polarbearpete on Mar 14, 2023 15:20:01 GMT -5
Edge is discussing Finn’s challenge Monday so it could still be HIAC. There’s 3 Raws left still and Triple H doesn’t seem to mind waiting on announcements as KO/Sami vs the Usos isn’t set nor is Rey vs. Dom or the IC title match and those are all pretty big attractions. Well, we got that HITC. Leaves Priest with nothing to do, assuming Rey/Dom still happens. Gargano is off to NXT, but he's the type who'd easily be able to do two matches across the weekend, so we could still get Priest/Gargano. I think Priest will just end up seconding the others for one or more of their matches. Unless they do Dom/Priest vs. Rey/Santos
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Legion
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Post by Legion on Mar 14, 2023 15:38:48 GMT -5
They've two nights and barely enough matches to fill one night so far.
I think they have scope for some filler/exhibition matches just to get more people on the card without just having them in second positions.
Might be wrong, they might just have long matches, but there is still room for things before we write people off just yet
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msc
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Post by msc on Mar 14, 2023 16:01:44 GMT -5
They've two nights and barely enough matches to fill one night so far. I think they have scope for some filler/exhibition matches just to get more people on the card without just having them in second positions. Might be wrong, they might just have long matches, but there is still room for things before we write people off just yet Cody/Reigns Bianca/Asuka Rhea/Charlotte Edge/Balor Hell in a Cell Gunther v Shimmy or Drew or both Seth v Logan Paul Brock v Omos Austin Theory v Cena Damaged Control v Lita, Trish and Becky Plus Usos v Owens/Sami Dominik/Rey Womens tag titles Given some of those will go long, I can't see much more. Mania 37 had 14 matches with no really long ones.
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Legion
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Post by Legion on Mar 14, 2023 16:04:47 GMT -5
They've two nights and barely enough matches to fill one night so far. I think they have scope for some filler/exhibition matches just to get more people on the card without just having them in second positions. Might be wrong, they might just have long matches, but there is still room for things before we write people off just yet Cody/Reigns Bianca/Asuka Rhea/Charlotte Edge/Balor Hell in a Cell Gunther v Shimmy or Drew or both Seth v Logan Paul Brock v Omos Austin Theory v Cena Damaged Control v Lita, Trish and Becky Plus Usos v Owens/Sami Dominik/Rey Womens tag titles Given some of those will go long, I can't see much more. Mania 37 had 14 matches with no really long ones. Yeah, true enough. Maybe they can do the Andre on the preshow again. I always just feel sorry for the regularly featured people who dont manage to get a real Wrestlemania moment, and some how that seems to have got worse even with the double night events!
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Post by polarbearpete on Mar 14, 2023 16:08:11 GMT -5
They've two nights and barely enough matches to fill one night so far. I think they have scope for some filler/exhibition matches just to get more people on the card without just having them in second positions. Might be wrong, they might just have long matches, but there is still room for things before we write people off just yet They really only need about 12-14 matches for two nights. Right now they’re at : Rhodes-Reigns Charlotte-Rhea Bianca-Asuka Rollins-Paul Edge-Balor Cena-Theory Lesnar-Omos Wyatt-Lesnar Becky/Lita/Trish - Damage CTRL Plus they’ll add: Gunther-McIntyre-Sheamus KO/Sami - Usos Dom-Rey That’s 12. Then you’re looking at guys like LA Knight, New Day, Rousey, Street Profits as major players that you think would likely get a match.
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 14, 2023 16:12:33 GMT -5
I don’t think we’ll ever have the perfect balance between reasonable show length, maximum amount of talents featured and reasonable time for all of them. I mean, this uneasiness is with, what, maybe a dozen talents who have been pushed decently well in the last year on the outside looking in? Imagine how big the logjam would be if everyone was booked good?
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Post by Legion on Mar 14, 2023 16:16:15 GMT -5
I don’t think we’ll ever have the perfect balance between reasonable show length, maximum amount of talents featured and reasonable time for all of them. I mean, this uneasiness is with, what, maybe a dozen talents who have been pushed decently well in the last year on the outside looking in? Imagine how big the logjam would be if everyone was booked good? Probably not even a dozen, maybe half a dozen. I think putting MITB back at 'Mania would probably solve the issue now that we have two nights. Alternatively, not having Theory/Cena involve the US title and doing some sort of multi-man again for that would have worked. Granted, it's a lot worse if you're a woman at the moment, though the lack of focus in their division on anyone not the top 4 leaves us with less people 'deserving' of a moment, booking wise.
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 14, 2023 16:21:45 GMT -5
I don’t think we’ll ever have the perfect balance between reasonable show length, maximum amount of talents featured and reasonable time for all of them. I mean, this uneasiness is with, what, maybe a dozen talents who have been pushed decently well in the last year on the outside looking in? Imagine how big the logjam would be if everyone was booked good? Probably not even a dozen, maybe half a dozen. I think putting MITB back at 'Mania would probably solve the issue now that we have two nights. Alternatively, not having Theory/Cena involve the US title and doing some sort of multi-man again for that would have worked. Granted, it's a lot worse if you're a woman at the moment, though the lack of focus in their division on anyone not the top 4 leaves us with less people 'deserving' of a moment, booking wise. That’s what I would’ve liked too, having the Money In The Bank matches on the WM card. Easy (if not a bit sore) WM payday for 12-20 wrestlers. That said, people would still miss out, and their fans would just be the ones making the noise instead. There is literally no WrestleMania card that could be booked that would make everyone happy.
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Post by polarbearpete on Mar 14, 2023 17:32:00 GMT -5
I think they should do a multi person ladder match for an IC or US title shot at the next PPV. Can have Montez, Ricochet, Braun, Knight, Kofi, Gargano, Reed used in that
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schma
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Post by schma on Mar 14, 2023 20:48:39 GMT -5
Someone said Lashley has nothing. The could throw him and Priest together?
It's tricky that even with 2 nights they can't get everyone on who is in a visible role. This might be a good sign that they need to start making the other PPVs more important. So often I see people clamouring for someone to have their big moment at WM or Summerslam because those are often the only two that matter. Rumble is a bit of a different beast where it matters but is less known for moments and the nature of the card means most are working that night. So we have something like 9 other shows where something may happen but nothing truly big.
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 14, 2023 21:18:26 GMT -5
Someone said Lashley has nothing. The could throw him and Priest together? It's tricky that even with 2 nights they can't get everyone on who is in a visible role. This might be a good sign that they need to start making the other PPVs more important. So often I see people clamouring for someone to have their big moment at WM or Summerslam because those are often the only two that matter. Rumble is a bit of a different beast where it matters but is less known for moments and the nature of the card means most are working that night. So we have something like 9 other shows where something may happen but nothing truly big. It's been better since the management change, but a lot of these other PPVs just don't have the gravitas and history that things like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble and even Survivor Series have just through their sheer longevity. I wish there was a completely objective way to determine who should get to be on these cards, because the fact is everyone has fans and everyone works hard, thus everyone "deserves it". But so much of wrestling is based completely on the subjective. Wrestlers are hired and booked around the subjective opinion of promoters, bookers and writers. Those wrestlers only get the fanbase they do based on the pushes resulting from that subjectivity. Someone like Liv Morgan or Damian Priest don't spontaneously get their fanbase through osmosis, they get it because the promoter and booker gave them the TV time to get it. And all of it is at the expense of other wrestlers that other people might be fans of. Some of it is a failure of the system, but a lot of it is just how this shit has to work. Someone doesn't win clean unless someone loses clean. You can't do an objective meritocracy when who gets to show their merit in the first place is pre-determined. And I sincerely think some of us in this fanbase can't handle that and take that personally on behalf of the talent.
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msc
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Post by msc on Mar 15, 2023 12:11:41 GMT -5
Or you know, crazy idea here, a Battle Royal and a big ass ladder match can use up most of your active roster, and still give you 5 hours of WrestleMania to put the marquee matches and "folk who need their own thing".
It's not an either OR situation.
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Post by Friday Night SmackOwn on Mar 15, 2023 12:37:40 GMT -5
Or you know, crazy idea here, a Battle Royal and a big ass ladder match can use up most of your active roster, and still give you 5 hours of WrestleMania to put the marquee matches and "folk who need their own thing". It's not an either OR situation. If only there was a big Battle Royal held at Mania involving winning a big trophy or something.
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BRV
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Post by BRV on Mar 15, 2023 12:45:32 GMT -5
As has been mentioned, the balance between "timing out the show properly and putting on the best matches" and "giving everyone screentime at WrestleMania" is a delicate tight rope. With a two-night WrestleMania, there is more time for more talent to get on the card, but also if you create two 10-match cards for Saturday and Sunday, you're running the risk of diluting the meaning of a WrestleMania match, not giving enough time to every match, or giving each match enough time and killing the crowd by the end of a four-plus-hour show.
As it stands now on March 15, there are nine confirmed matches, with two more inevitable at this point (Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Usos, Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio) and one that is sort of uncertain at the moment (Bray Wyatt vs. Bobby Lashley). Let's say all three happen, and we have a 13-match card. That gives enough time for each match to breathe and tell its own story without being rushed. But it also leaves deserving people like LA Knight, Ricochet, The Street Profits, and Liv Morgan on the sidelines. (I'm not concerned about Damian Priest not having a WrestleMania match, because he'll likely have some involvement in Hell in a Cell and the Mysterios match)
Considering they haven't done a pre-show match at WrestleMania since 2019, I don't expect one this time around. The best for those without a match at this point might be to hope for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and possibly the returning WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal getting onto the main card, but honestly, it would just be as filler.
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msc
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Post by msc on Mar 15, 2023 13:20:10 GMT -5
Or you know, crazy idea here, a Battle Royal and a big ass ladder match can use up most of your active roster, and still give you 5 hours of WrestleMania to put the marquee matches and "folk who need their own thing". It's not an either OR situation. If only there was a big Battle Royal held at Mania involving winning a big trophy or something. They haven't had a Battle Royal at WrestleMania since 2019! And that was the pre-show. 2020 - pandemic, nothing 2021 and 2022 - Battle Royals on Smackdown the week of WrestleMania. Smackdown is famously not WrestleMania.
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Post by polarbearpete on Mar 15, 2023 13:21:29 GMT -5
I think now that Smackdown is live on Fridays in the same city, they choose to put some matches that would’ve normally been on Mania or the preshow on Smackdown instead.
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