The WWE Thread

[TYFDK]

Yeah booking is the reason why the people they have left don't look so good. But that's not to say that 10/13 of those guys injured are still out, and that's quite a bit of them.

[supersonic]

Observer:

Bret Hart is recovering faster than expected from the surgery to remove his prostate due to cancer

For next year’s WrestleMania, it is official that there will be an NXT Takeover show on March 31, 2017, at the Amway Center.

On Raw, there was a commercial for the WWE Network plugging all the shows over Mania week, pushing seven hours of Mania coverage (two hour pregame show, one hour postgame show, four hour main show), the Hall of Fame, an Austin podcast with Foley and other special events. Very conspicuous by its absence was the 4/1 NXT special, which with the Nakamura debut and ridiculous secondary market prices, is clearly the most anticipated NXT show in history. The next day, a lot of people were openly not happy about that

Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and HHH are being advertised for Raw shows on 4/11, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9 and 5/23. In theory, that would mean that HHH & Stephanie aren’t getting “fired” in storyline, but it really doesn’t mean that necessarily either

It hasn’t been announced yet and obviously this would be late stuff if it happens since it wasn’t in the magazine, the WWE was looking at putting together deals to get Snoop Dogg into the WWE Hall of Fame (in the spot this year originally set for Regis Philbin) and to give Joan Lunden the Warrior Award. Last year was the argument that it isn’t what Warrior suggested, and it very clearly wasn’t, as he suggested an award for people who work backstage as good employees for little notice (mentioning Jimmy Miranda, and he actually the award named after Miranda, not himself). But you could argue last year’s induction of Connor Michalek did serve a greater good. This year it does in a sense that honoring celebrities who have powerful TV names is good for business in a number of ways. In this case, Lunden was the longtime host of Good Morning America who has battled breast cancer very publicly

[supersonic]

Meltzer says Neville out 3 months, no surgery required.

Plan is Wyatt to feud with Lesnar and Reigns again this year.

[supersonic]

No confirmation yet but Meltzer's sources believe Harper has a torn ACL.

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25 YEARS AGO:

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ORTON's RETURN ADVERTISED

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Please note that EVOLVE 58 on April 1st starts at 4pm in Dallas. The event will be about 2 1/2 hours, giving you plenty of time to make it a double header with another event that night.

Entire card for Evolve 58 - Friday, April 1 @ 4PM:

Ethan Page vs. Sami Callihan

Fred Yehi vs. Marty Scurll

Ricochet vs. TJ Perkins

Chris Hero & Tommy End vs. Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams

Tag Titles vs. Tag Tenure
Drew Galloway & Johnny Gargano vs. Anthony Nese & Caled Konley

Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.

Evolve Title Match
Timothy Thatcher vs. Matt Riddle

[supersonic]

http://www.arenalasvegas.com/events/las ... arena.aspx

WWE MONEY IN THE BANK – 6/19 (PURCHASE LINK COMING SOON)

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

Eva Marie shows up on Raw last night looking as beautiful as ever, and I'm the only one who cares.

[Sardonic Artery]

Eva Marie shows up on Raw last night looking as beautiful as ever, and I'm the only one who cares.

Buy a poster?

Most others would rather see a better wrestler. Not someone the E thought would get a face pop (how? WHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYY????).

[isles11]

It makes sense that is was Eva Marie. Its Total Divas vs Non Total Divas not in the title match.
Nikki still isn't cleared, so the only one left if Eva.

But yea, she is awful, and how they thought she'd get a face pop in NYC is mind boggling.

[BrandenScott]

Let this sink in.... Eva Marie is on the mania card getting a mania pay day. Bray Wyatt is not.... Hurt back or not this is criminal. Almost TNA like

[Northwoods_Nightmare]

Let this sink in.... Eva Marie is on the mania card getting a mania pay day. Bray Wyatt is not.... Hurt back or not this is criminal. Almost TNA like

Well, with Wyatt hurt and Harper hurt and Strowman not quite ready for a mania spot it's completely understandable. It's not like Eva is taking Wyatt's place on the card. Although Bray Wyatt joining Team Total Divas would be entertaining.

[Northwoods_Nightmare]

The Women's Title match stole the show. Great match.
And holy shit, Shane McMahon...

[Big Red Machine]

The Women's Title match stole the show. Great match.
And holy shit, Shane McMahon...

This.
I had the ladder match at 8/10, AJ vs. Jericho at 8.75, the Women's Title match at 8.5, and Taker vs. Shane at 8.75, and Brock vs. Dean at 7.5. I don't get why so many people have been saying this show was so terrible. It's like they were watching a completely different show.

[Wilson]

The Women's Title match stole the show. Great match.
And holy shit, Shane McMahon...

This.
I had the ladder match at 8/10, AJ vs. Jericho at 8.75, the Women's Title match at 8.5, and Taker vs. Shane at 8.75, and Brock vs. Dean at 7.5. I don't get why so many people have been saying this show was so terrible. It's like they were watching a completely different show.

Right there with you, BRM. Within the first two matches, the show already wildly outran my expectations—given the “make-do” card, the expansive timeframe of the show, and the supposed hostility from the wrestling community, and on and on. I think the only match that did not overdeliver was the main event (which was disappointing from both workers). Otherwise, it was a strong show, especially for a WrestleMania. The depth of their roster has made all of the Network ‘Manias vastly watchable shows.

And, of course, The New Day’s entrance finally, finally, truly, truly confirms that it is indeed 2016.

[ROHFan25]

Everyone is down on the show because the finishes all sucked.

Ladder match was good. Womens match was good. Everything else was heavily disappointing. And the crowd was mic'd so poorly it sounded like they weren't into any of the matches.

Brock/Dean was by far the most underwhelming match of the night. I'm not an Ambrose fan but holy shit is it obvious that the WWE just doesn't view him as anything other than just another guy. A 13 minute extended squash basically. Ambrose got a few chair shots and a dirty deeds. Just hilarious.

Taker/Shane and the main event went way too long and neither match delivered really. Taker/Shane was fine for what it was...just a match leading up to a ridiculous spot which was awesome. However, the booking of the match is stupid because there was no point in bringing Shane back and having this stipulation if he's going to lose. Desperation mode because of injuries but stupid.

New Day lose to LON who are then buried by 50 year old men which makes New Day look even worse. AJ loses because AJ didn't make his name in WWE ala Sting/HHH in a underwhelming match that basically felt like it was just spot spot spot nothing in between.

Womens match match of the night. Ladder match not far behind. Every other match underwhelmed IMO. Especially Ambrose/Brock. 13 minutes...just comical.

[Big Red Machine]

I'm not disputing that the finishes weren't ideal and the stuff with the retired guys was terrible, but in terms of the in-ring action we got on this show, I thought it was pretty top-notch.

[Wilson]

There were certainly faults and certainly there was WrestleMania pablum (which, believe it or not, tends to abound during WrestleMania), but almost everyone wrestled to the best of their ability. (which, believe it or not, tends to abound during WrestleMania), but almost everyone wrestled to the best of their ability.

The ladder match to start was a particularly good ladder match. It seemed to be thoroughly planned and paid a nothing-story off with a precious ending. Overachieved.

Styles and Jericho strung together a good match. AJ himself looked incredible. I don’t think anyone liked the outcome, but I suspect that there may be a reward for that on tonight’s RAW. Overachieved.

The New Day looked like rock stars at the onset. All match competitors, other than Del Rio, came across as motivated. This was the night’s first instance of ‘Mania pablum. I didn’t like it, but it wasn’t for me. I have to imagine that it did make a lot of people hapy. Though, even if the ‘Mania nonsense is to be a necessary evil, what was booked could have protected New Day a little better. At expectation.

Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar were never going to have a barnburner as the “third main event.” Matches like that can be dangerous to the proceeding matches. I really could have been an incredible match, but what we got was, as I had anticipated, safe midcard showing. Both guys stand now no better, no worse. Still, it was another good match. At expectation.

The women’s match was the most dignified female contest I have seen on mainstream WWE television. It’s going to be an important WrestleMania moment. Overachieved.

Shane and Undertaker have been absolutely wonderful with the junk they’ve been handed the past two months. I can’t recall a more hastily put together match in WWE. Despite the contrivance, Shane manages to a playa white-hot babyface and Undertaker still retains a presence. There’s no reason these two 45+ year old men should have reached what they had. Shane overachieved massively and Undertaker has had his best WM match since Punk. Overachieved.

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is an inoffensive buffer. I like where it is on the card. At expectation.

The Rock’s segment had some good but a lot of bad. This was most definitely something and it rates somewhere.

And I’m not willing to defend much of the main event other than it sounded like Reigns wasn’t being booed all that harshly? Underachieved.

I don’t have much stronger thoughts than what’s above. Using means of arithmetic, I think it was mostly good!--

[supersonic]

There are many misconceptions in regards to what was wrong with the event. More when I get home tomorrow and eventually when I start my Road to Orlando journey.