CM Punk & Wrestling's Best Storyline in Years...

[mike eagle]

also that shit they pulled with making november free. you had to actively cancel it after that or they started charging. i kept paying and im sure many others did as well

[battlecatmeowstab212]

can battlecat jsut replace vince as head of creative?

Thanks, but I'm sure I'd be gone within a week after making "Raw" a largely Norman Smiley-centric product.

[blastmaster]

Adam Bomb would be my Champ.

#johnnypolo

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Adam Bomb would be my Champ.

#johnnypolo

He's another surprisingly fascinating shoot interview. Dude got into wrestling after getting his business and advertising degree, then created pretty much everything cool about his characters and connected with fans, getting wildly over wherever he went. Knowing that, it's really fascinating to go back and look at how ahead of his time a lot of his stuff was. Perhaps one of the first casualties of the alleged "Brass ring" mentality. Makes you wonder what he'd do in the age of social media.

[ObeseJesus]

The worst part of all of this is that despite #CancelWWENetwork trending #1 Worldwide, Raw ratings were way up and after WWE announced that the network has over 1 million subscribers, the stock price jumped way up, so Vince has no reason to acknowledge the criticism other than to label it a shitty crowd and move on with Reigns as the top face.

I'd argue that WWE network being available in more markets has more to do with hitting the 1 mil mark than any of the currently pushed talent being draws....

Yeah, of course. I'm just saying that nothing is going to make Vince question any of his decisions, including his mancrush on Roman Reigns, because from Vince's perspective, he's having a great week.

[Kalel]

This story is from Wrestlezone so take it with a grain of sea salt but ...

According to The Wrestling Observer, WWE has made a major shift in plans for Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 31, and the previously planned Bryan vs Sheamus III bout has been scrapped.

Furthermore, the recent interactions between Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler on Twitter are reportedly more than just banter, as the working creative plan for WrestleMania 31 is indeed Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler.

In related news, WWE plans to bring back the battle royal match that we saw at WrestleMania 30 last year. It’s unknown at this point whether or not it will be labeled the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but WWE has been talking about making the battle royal match an annual WrestleMania bout.

[blastmaster]

Zigs and Bryan would tear the house down. I kind of would like to see it face-face but I'm sure Dolph will turn heel asap. Great news.

[Brougham33]

How much better would the Rumble have been if Dolph tossed Bryan? The crowd wouldn't know what to do, and it would mean something and lead to something, but I'm fine with this twitter talk leading to a match I guess. I'd like to see Dolph go over, he needs it more, and it could establish him as a main eventer.

[ThaJim2]

How much better would the Rumble have been if Dolph tossed Bryan? The crowd wouldn't know what to do, and it would mean something and lead to something, but I'm fine with this twitter talk leading to a match I guess. I'd like to see Dolph go over, he needs it more, and it could establish him as a main eventer.

Yeah. If they are not going to run a program with Wyatt why have him toss Bryan that way?

[battlecatmeowstab212]

How much better would the Rumble have been if Dolph tossed Bryan? The crowd wouldn't know what to do, and it would mean something and lead to something, but I'm fine with this twitter talk leading to a match I guess. I'd like to see Dolph go over, he needs it more, and it could establish him as a main eventer.

Yeah. If they are not going to run a program with Wyatt why have him toss Bryan that way?

To build him up for Taker.

[Pizon]

Bryan-Ziggler would be great and all, but Bryan deserves better than a match with a perennial midcarder. As good as the action will be, it still feels like a demotion.

Savage-Steamboat wouldn't have felt the same after Wrestlemania 4.

[mike eagle]

Bryan-Ziggler would be great and all, but Bryan deserves better than a match with a perennial midcarder. As good as the action will be, it still feels like a demotion.

Savage-Steamboat wouldn't have felt the same after Wrestlemania 4.

agreed. bryan is a main eventer. he deserves a big match with a big heel with a good build-up. fuck it, ziggler does too. lazy booking here.

[Brougham33]

Mizdow is great on the Jericho podcast, worth a listen, maybe the first time I've heard him out of character.

[zappy]

How much better would the Rumble have been if Dolph tossed Bryan? The crowd wouldn't know what to do, and it would mean something and lead to something, but I'm fine with this twitter talk leading to a match I guess. I'd like to see Dolph go over, he needs it more, and it could establish him as a main eventer.

Yeah. If they are not going to run a program with Wyatt why have him toss Bryan that way?

To build him up for Taker.

i mean, i know it's taker, but like... he lost?

is he still a wrestlemania thing?

[zappy]

i feel like if anything there's going to be some kind of passing of the torch, a dread pirate undertaker type situation

[hustler]

How much better would the Rumble have been if Dolph tossed Bryan? The crowd wouldn't know what to do, and it would mean something and lead to something, but I'm fine with this twitter talk leading to a match I guess. I'd like to see Dolph go over, he needs it more, and it could establish him as a main eventer.

Yeah. If they are not going to run a program with Wyatt why have him toss Bryan that way?

To build him up for Taker.

i mean, i know it's taker, but like... he lost?

is he still a wrestlemania thing?

yah i dont see any point for an undertaker match. the streak is dead.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

How much better would the Rumble have been if Dolph tossed Bryan? The crowd wouldn't know what to do, and it would mean something and lead to something, but I'm fine with this twitter talk leading to a match I guess. I'd like to see Dolph go over, he needs it more, and it could establish him as a main eventer.

Yeah. If they are not going to run a program with Wyatt why have him toss Bryan that way?

To build him up for Taker.

i mean, i know it's taker, but like... he lost?

is he still a wrestlemania thing?

yah i dont see any point for an undertaker match. the streak is dead.

Entrances, yo.

That's the main reason I still at some point want Taker vs. Muta.

[Kalel]

Is Muta still with TNA?

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Is Muta still with TNA?

Muta was never *with* TNA in the traditional sense, just one appearance stateside on TNA programming and then a joint card in Japan where his promotion Wrestle-1's roster took on the TNA roster. But there was never an inclination of exclusivity for his services.

With Sting on Raw, Muta's probably the last worldwide wrestling legend who has never competed in a WWF/WWE ring. Some would add Chono and Liger to that list, but technically they competed at a 1990 WWF show in Japan.

On a side note, I was in the building for Muta's TNA appearance. I felt like a nine-year-old again, full of childlike wonder. Muta casts such an unbelievable presence, and after seeing him on TV for about two decades and never in person, finally layng eyes on him was like seeing a picture of a national landmark come to life. Only time I've gone out of my way to slap a wrestler on the aisle and lean over it to get a picture. Dude would be over in the WWE the instant a camera's in front of him.

Funny other note about that TNA show, which I don't think I mentioned here after I attended it. At that point they were filming several shows a night, and this episode was being taped 9 weeks in advance which, by that point had almost every title had change hands, as well as quite a few face/heel alignments, so during the commercial breaks, poor Jeremy Borash had to come out and explain weeks of storyline developments to the crowd to bring us up to speed. Whatever that guy gets paid, it's not enough.

[hustler]

[Sylissez]

Going to my first Chikara show next week. I'm not really familiar with it outside of that Ashley Remington promo that was posted here a while ago. Sounds like it'll be fun though.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Funny note from a WWE house show in Colorado this week:

"2. Kofi Kingston and Big E beat Goldust and Stardust. Stardust cut a promo in which he plugged WWE.com and Twitter. He told fans he had breaking news, the WWE Royal Rumble 2016 would be at the The Budweiser Events Center. Fans cheered, then Stardust went heel mode and said he lied. The Fans booed as he put down Colorado and Loveland. New Day came out interrupting him. Kofi cut a promo getting on Stardust for lying to the fans. He got cheers, then told fans some news of his own, both Goldust and Stardust had more makeup on their faces then the Divas in the locker room."

I like the faux-announcement method of heeling. So good.

[907]

Don't know how I didn't notice the similarities.

[Pizon]

Wish Fastlane wasn't in a family friendly city like Memphis. In the northeast or Chicago, they'd boo the shit out of Reigns beating Bryan.

Anyone else think Orton interferes against Rollins tonight?

[Pizon]

Well, that was weird. Are they keeping Orton off TV until the PPV or what?

[blastmaster]

Good raw. Good reset.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Why would Reigns agree to that? Like, I wasn't particularly jazzed about Lesnar-Reigns, but I just can't follow his train of thought. I think his face during the whole segment sold it for me that he's getting really screwed here.

I do think, by hook or by crook, we're getting Rollngs-Reigns at Mania for the belt, and then Bryan-Lesnar. Maybe Bryan continues to call Lesnar out and then Lesnar costs Bryan the match. At some point, Bryan and Reigns incapacitate Lesnar, and then Seth cashes in at the end of Fast Lane.

How do we feel about Ambrose calling out Barrett?

[tehgiftofgab]

Dope ass raw, Ziggler vs Wyatt, main event, cesaro gettin another W, stone cold podcast was dope as hell too

[Smithee]

Funny note from a WWE house show in Colorado this week:

"2. Kofi Kingston and Big E beat Goldust and Stardust. Stardust cut a promo in which he plugged WWE.com and Twitter. He told fans he had breaking news, the WWE Royal Rumble 2016 would be at the The Budweiser Events Center. Fans cheered, then Stardust went heel mode and said he lied. The Fans booed as he put down Colorado and Loveland. New Day came out interrupting him. Kofi cut a promo getting on Stardust for lying to the fans. He got cheers, then told fans some news of his own, both Goldust and Stardust had more makeup on their faces then the Divas in the locker room."

I like the faux-announcement method of heeling. So good.

I was there it was pretty funny. The Budweiser Events Center holds like maybe 12,000 ppl tops. The folks I was sitting with were looking at each other like "Whaaaat? No it's not. Lol" But the kids and the rest of the crowd totally sold for it. Cody nailed it, as usual.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

^^^That's awesome.

Also awesome, officially making March's ROH pay-per-view a must order: