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Post by Hulk With A Mustache on Jan 28, 2024 17:40:35 GMT -5
The last few Rumbles have been way too similar. It fills up, there are some eliminations now and then, but the ring doesn't get too crowded. It's like 7 to 8 people tops. It's a freaking video game Rumble. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if they are using simulated Rumbles from the 2K games as a guide. The last time the Rumble looked unique was back in 2020 when Brock threw everyone out until Drew McIntyre came in and slayed The Beast. They haven't done a "big name cleans house" spot since 2011. It's getting kind of boring frankly. They need to shake things up.
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Post by Citizen Snips on Jan 28, 2024 17:49:46 GMT -5
I don't think it so much Hunter as the agents. Has there been a good one since Patterson left? I don't think the booker does much for it other than "Here's who is winning, here is what to highlight, here is who should stand out" everything else is on the agents to put together. Someone printed a list of the current agents in another thread recently and I remembered Bret Hart’s line about one of his initial misgivings about WCW being that other than Dusty, none of WCW’s agents had ever drawn a dime in the business. WWE’s current crop of agents really fits that bill. Like it’s probably fine to have a couple solid midcarders on the crew but a whole team of them doesn’t seem to be a great strategy.
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The Kevstaaa
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 28, 2024 17:56:30 GMT -5
This year's Rumbles were fine but unspectacular. Since 2018, we've had all really good Rumbles I think (outside of the awful ones in 2022) so maybe he doesn't suck at it but it might not be his strong suit.
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XIII
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Post by XIII on Jan 28, 2024 17:59:12 GMT -5
I think that HHH is pretty overrated as a booker overall. He does some stuff well and will try different things but he relies way too much HEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAT.
The men’s Rumble was pretty weak. The women’s was decent I thought.
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Post by THE FVNKER on Jan 28, 2024 18:00:11 GMT -5
I think the issue is less the booking and more whoever they have agenting the men's rumbles. That said, he probably gets some of the blame for how eh some of the guys who get picked for these are, or if he has a hand in deciding the elimination order beyond just certain power points I am sure the agents are given. I’d say the agents are more hands on as far as moment by moment booking but it’s still a fair case to put it in HHH’s lap as he’s the guy who signs off on it. I’d say it’s likely that he got the plan and OK’ed it.
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Post by Final Countdown Jones on Jan 28, 2024 18:01:00 GMT -5
It seems like they need someone every year to go a full hour from the starting spot and it just loses any meaning when you do it that much. My belief is that the ways WWE has really become creatively strained have a lot to do with this exact issue. They've got this big bucket of tropes, and rather than using them sparingly or pace them out, they'll take a show like the Rumble to dump the entire bucket out and run as many tropes as they can possibly fit, which dilutes what the impact could be of each individual Rumble trope, and creates a burnout scenario where they get used so much that they stop feeling as special. They don't know restraint anymore, and it takes a massive toll on the whole product.
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john84
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Post by john84 on Jan 28, 2024 18:04:28 GMT -5
I thought the Women's Rumble last night was more enjoyable than the Men's tbh. It had the cool spot of Jordynne and Ivy trying to one-up each other, Jordynne looking good when she was in it. Naomi's return was well done. Chelsea Green made me laugh. Staredown between Bianca and Jade Cargill. Jade looked like a star in time she was in it. Bayley winning after doing the Iron Woman of the Rumble. R-Truth bit.
The men meanwhile didn't have that much in comparison for me personally. It did have R-Truth being R-Truth and the finish with Cody and CM Punk was decent. Return of Andrade was ok. Other than that however it felt a bit flat overall for me personally.
Anyhow, the point I'm trying to make is that I think his booking of Rumbles seems to be up-and-down at least IMO.
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Post by simplydurhamcalling on Jan 28, 2024 18:09:49 GMT -5
I remember enjoying last year's men's rumble and enjoyed the women's this year. It's not really enough of a sample size to say somebody sucks at it though.
Patterson is widely regarded as the best producer/booker of the Rumble and there were some poor ones within his tenure too.
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Gunhaver
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Post by Gunhaver on Jan 28, 2024 18:10:28 GMT -5
They've been alright. I haven't been overly impressed with them but I don't think they've been bad either. I think they are definitely better then most of the ones in 2010's. I do think that someone getting #1 and #2 and lasting to the end or close to it is ridiculously over done. It's no longer an achievement when people keep doing it all the time. It's also become predictable when it shouldn't be. Coming in early like that should be a disadvantage yet they are outlasting most of the people who draw numbers in the 20's which shouldn't be the case. Agreed, and I think commentary banging on about stats and records is really weird, like when the bang on about someone having a WrestleMania moment. It feels really manufactures. Like, don't try to convince me to care about something. If it really is significant to your audience, they'll let you know
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Post by xxshoyuweeniexx on Jan 28, 2024 18:36:16 GMT -5
I don't think it so much Hunter as the agents. Has there been a good one since Patterson left? I don't think the booker does much for it other than "Here's who is winning, here is what to highlight, here is who should stand out" everything else is on the agents to put together. Someone printed a list of the current agents in another thread recently and I remembered Bret Hart’s line about one of his initial misgivings about WCW being that other than Dusty, none of WCW’s agents had ever drawn a dime in the business. WWE’s current crop of agents really fits that bill. Like it’s probably fine to have a couple solid midcarders on the crew but a whole team of them doesn’t seem to be a great strategy. I think that was unfair of Bret to say. The agents during the Attitude Era were guys like Blackjack Lanza and Chief Jay Strongbow. Stars in their era, but not tip top guys. Hell Tyson Kidd produces a lot of the women’s PPV matches and he kills it. I just think something like a Rumble is more difficult to book than a regular match. You want stories to connect, but then you don’t wanna overshadow or bury another guy. You want to put your big guys/girls over, but you also have to be careful of spots in the match that are just dead movement.
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UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm
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Post by UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm on Jan 28, 2024 18:39:43 GMT -5
No he is good at booking the winners. His agents need to stop downing Benadryl and putting in actual wrestling moments/spots in it
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Post by A Platypus Rave is Correct on Jan 28, 2024 18:42:29 GMT -5
Someone printed a list of the current agents in another thread recently and I remembered Bret Hart’s line about one of his initial misgivings about WCW being that other than Dusty, none of WCW’s agents had ever drawn a dime in the business. WWE’s current crop of agents really fits that bill. Like it’s probably fine to have a couple solid midcarders on the crew but a whole team of them doesn’t seem to be a great strategy. I think that was unfair of Bret to say. The agents during the Attitude Era were guys like Blackjack Lanza and Chief Jay Strongbow. Stars in their era, but not tip top guys. Hell Tyson Kidd produces a lot of the women’s PPV matches and he kills it. I just think something like a Rumble is more difficult to book than a regular match. You want stories to connect, but then you don’t wanna overshadow or bury another guy. You want to put your big guys/girls over, but you also have to be careful of spots in the match that are just dead movement. and like why most people aren't trained by main eventers... most big tippy top guys know what they did to get over, which doesn't translate universally. Also Dusty is responsible for a LOT of terrible shit.
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Woo
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Post by Woo on Jan 28, 2024 20:08:51 GMT -5
The last few rumbles have been so underwhelming.
Where the stories throughout the match? Why does the ring never empty to one person anymore? Why is there no creativity like the hardcore rumble segment in 2001?
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Post by thegreatnodnarb on Jan 28, 2024 20:53:01 GMT -5
That Rumble definitely could have used a spot where one guy clears the ring. Nobody in the first 14 spots did anything interesting in the match so let's say Bron comes out at 12 and just clears the ring and then eliminates the next two guys. That automatically puts that person over as a threat and then when Cody comes out at 15 you have a big moment between those two superstars. Cody and Bron eliminate the next two guys and then Bron is finally eliminated to a big pop and the crowd shows him respect. Just when Cody thinks he can rest, out comes Gunther.
It's just weird to me they don't really do ring clearing spots much anymore. Diesel and Austin got over in their Rumble spots for throwing guys out and not sitting in a corner for 40 minutes.
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asuka007
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Post by asuka007 on Jan 28, 2024 22:55:31 GMT -5
A bit of both.
I think how he books the Rumbles is how a lot of his booking is. Namely he’s not the most creative Booker, he doesn’t do a lot of cool surprise. And he is REALLY committed to his plans, which a lot of the time makes things very predictable.
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BRV
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Post by BRV on Jan 30, 2024 12:45:13 GMT -5
If we're judging off the 2023 and 2024 Rumbles, then my vote is a hard "NO."
For the cons, his Rumbles are probably a little too reliant on ironman performances and methodical eliminations rather than sudden bursts of energy like Brock Lesnar's performance in 2020 and 2022, elongated periods with very few in the ring like in 2010, or car-crash chaos like the 2001 Rumble. But honestly, I think that's my taste of Rumbles.
But for the pros, he does a great job firmly establishing the true stars in the match, his Rumbles either continue or create stories for WrestleMania season, and there's always intense drama in the final four and final two.
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