Wrestling Hey Yo: WWE, AEW, Impact and More

[Sharpshooter]

Ugh. Another reason to watch AEW gone by the wayside.

 

I never thought Punk was going to Impact no matter the money. WWE would easily top it and that's where he really wants to be anyway.

[Phil]

 

[Phil]

Caught the Punk promo. What a massive, massive nothing burger.

[Sharpshooter]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was disappointed. lol Very, very vanilla for a CM Punk promo. I'm sure they will be better once he starts feuding with Rollins or something. I hope. I'm glad he's back, but I don't want diet CM Punk.

[Phil]

In the highly sanitized environment of WWE? Color me skeptical.

[Sharpshooter]

Gonna go by PG Punk now.

[Phil]

I'm gonna happily go back to not watching now. I caught like 15 minutes, on and off, of RAW last night and was quickly reminded this is not for me. I was hoping the Punk promo would give me a reason to "Summer of Punk" watch, but nope.

[Sharpshooter]

Yeah, not a very good show overall anyway. It's still early with Punk. As I said, I expect things to heat up when he starts a feud with Rollins, which will probably be the Wrestlemania main event on night one. Not used to so much sap from Punk, though. lol

[Phil]

14 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

Yeah, not a very good show overall anyway. It's still early with Punk. As I said, I expect things to heat up when he starts a feud with Rollins, which will probably be the Wrestlemania main event on night one. Not used to so much sap from Punk, though. lol

 

I mean, maybe, but this feels like the same excuse I always heard when WWE put out it's usual product. "Oh, it's still early, they're still building, it's coming..."

 

And it never comes. Or rarely does. Not fooling me again. I'm not gonna be dragged through three hours of who gives a fuck for the next four months in the hope that it'll pay off big. Just not interested.

[Sharpshooter]

46 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

I mean, maybe, but this feels like the same excuse I always heard when WWE put out it's usual product. "Oh, it's still early, they're still building, it's coming..."

 

And it never comes. Or rarely does. Not fooling me again. I'm not gonna be dragged through three hours of who gives a fuck for the next four months in the hope that it'll pay off big. Just not interested.

Understandable. With AEW they really can't do any long-term booking to save their lives, and in WWE almost everything goes too long and takes forever. lol

[SaveByRichter35]

I've been watching WWE again for a little over a year now.  I've seen the tag belts change hands 4 times, and the US belt change twice I think, maybe once.  I know I saw Theory to Mysterio but I thought I remember seeing another one prior too, can't remember who.  I don't pay attention to the women because they all suck except for Rhea.  Shit is getting old.  I want some title changes.  

 

I was late watching Survivor series, I had to catch up on the two go-home shows first.  Facebook ruined the surprise returns for me, which sucked.  I didn't realize Orton's return was already told in advance on the Raw go home until I watched that on Sunday evening.  Yesterday I watched Survivor Series before work while the kids were at school.  I enjoyed the show, what I watched of it at least.  Like you guys, @Phil @Sharpshooter, I also fast forward through a lot of stuff.  I watch more for storyline than actual wrestling so I only watch some of the wrestling.  I feel like the talent has been there to definitely have some title changes.  At least on Raw.  Maybe not so much on SmackDown.  I haven't watched last night's Raw yet, I'll watch when I get home from work tonight.  So you guys are saying Punk is going to be on Raw?  I figured they would have put him on SmackDown to feud with Reigns.  Although, iirc, Orton was on SmackDown when he was teamed with Riddle so I guess he'll be feuding with Reigns next.  They better fucking use this chance to take the belt off Reigns.  So sick of him too.  Would've liked to have seen Gunther drop his belt to Gable a few months back.  Gunther is another one I am over.  Glad they didn't put Miz over though.

[Sharpshooter]

It wouldn't surprise me if Punk appeared om Smackdown this week, but he's going to wind up on Raw. Wrestlemania is going to be Reigns vs. Rhodes and Rollins vs. Punk where I think you'll see both championships change hands.

 

Raw was not very good and Punk's promo was not that great and it was the last five minutes of the show. Very stupid to not have him lead off the show and then only give him a few minutes at the very end to spew some WWE processed bullshit. I hope it was only just to start things off and we won't see a neutered Punk going forward. But with WWE in control, they will definitely reign him in, I'm afraid.

[Phil]

I'm exactly the same way @SaveByRichter35 re: watching for story, not wrestling. In spite if it being pro wrestling, the entertainment aspect of it is what I find most compelling. It's why I've always gravitated toward the best storytellers, and not necessarily the best wrestlers. In particular, guys who can talk. It's what made me such a massive fan of Punk to begin with. I'd rather listen to Eddie Kingston go off on someone than watch him wrestle for 35 minutes with three commercial breaks. That shit is just exhausting to me.

 

This is what has me worried about AEW right now, with the reports that they're looking to shift the product to a more NJPW-style product that will heavily lean on long, grueling matches over story. I have no interest in that.

[Sharpshooter]

I'm kind of the same way myself, but I do still enjoy the wrestling aspect of it. But what you mentioned, that's what made the 90's so great is that you had some of the best talkers the industry has seen in both companies. In some regards, the actual wrestling took a backseat but it didn't matter. You had guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels anyway, two of the best to ever do it.

[SaveByRichter35]

20 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

It wouldn't surprise me if Punk appeared om Smackdown this week, but he's going to wind up on Raw. Wrestlemania is going to be Reigns vs. Rhodes and Rollins vs. Punk where I think you'll see both championships change hands.

 

Raw was not very good and Punk's promo was not that great and it was the last five minutes of the show. Very stupid to not have him lead off the show and then only give him a few minutes at the very end to spew some WWE processed bullshit. I hope it was only just to start things off and we won't see a neutered Punk going forward. But with WWE in control, they will definitely reign him in, I'm afraid.

Rhodes is on Raw though, not Smackdown.  They're gonna have to make another "trade" soon to get that storyline brewing.  I don't wanna see it happen if its just going to be a one off rematch of last years Mania.  

[Sharpshooter]

2 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Rhodes is on Raw though, not Smackdown.  They're gonna have to make another "trade" soon to get that storyline brewing.  I don't wanna see it happen if its just going to be a one off rematch of last years Mania.  

They'll just move Rhodes if they have to. I assume they want Punk on Raw. It'll be a one off but it's going to be when Cody gets his moment and Reigns historic title run comes to an end. 

[Phil]

3 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

I'm kind of the same way myself, but I do still enjoy the wrestling aspect of it. But what you mentioned, that's what made the 90's so great is that you had some of the best talkers the industry has seen in both companies. In some regards, the actual wrestling took a backseat but it didn't matter. You had guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels anyway, two of the best to ever do it.

 

Right, but even Hart and Michaels were phenomenal storytellers. Michaels, especially, because he had a a comedy side to him that literally berthed DX.

 

I'm not saying I don't enjoy great matches, either. I'm saying I don't want a wrestling-focused product. I want an entertainment-focused wrestling product where the wrestling is the payoff to the story, not where the wrestling is the story.

[Sharpshooter]

Just now, Phil said:

 

Right, but even Hart and Michaels were phenomenal storytellers. Michaels, especially, because he had a a comedy side to him that literally berthed DX.

 

I'm not saying I don't enjoy great matches, either. I'm saying I don't want a wrestling-focused product. I want an entertainment-focused wrestling product where the wrestling is the payoff to the story, not where the wrestling is the story.

That's what I meant they were great at both. I'm in the same boat there. If you have great storytelling to go along with good matches, there's nothing like it. I absolutely do not want wrestling only. I don't find a lot of the talent in AEW to be the best workers anyway, but they are expanding their roster with Ospreay, so that's good. But I have zero faith in this current regime to get much right.

[Phil]

1 minute ago, Sharpshooter said:

That's what I meant they were great at both. I'm in the same boat there. If you have great storytelling to go along with good matches, there's nothing like it. I absolutely do not want wrestling only. I don't find a lot of the talent in AEW to be the best workers anyway, but they are expanding their roster with Ospreay, so that's good. But I have zero faith in this current regime to get much right.

 

I don't find most of them to be good workers. The company is filled with spot monkeys who no-sell basic psychological shit to pop a mark crowd for "this is awesome" chants. A good 60% of AEW matches are better described as choreographed gymnastics routines, rather than high quality wrestling matches. If I never see another  suicida dive through the ropes or moonsault into a crowd of bodies waiting to catch the body, it can't come soon enough.

[SaveByRichter35]

6 minutes ago, Phil said:

I'm exactly the same way @SaveByRichter35 re: watching for story, not wrestling. In spite if it being pro wrestling, the entertainment aspect of it is what I find most compelling. It's why I've always gravitated toward the best storytellers, and not necessarily the best wrestlers. In particular, guys who can talk. It's what made me such a massive fan of Punk to begin with. I'd rather listen to Eddie Kingston go off on someone than watch him wrestle for 35 minutes with three commercial breaks. That shit is just exhausting to me.

 

This is what has me worried about AEW right now, with the reports that they're looking to shift the product to a more NJPW-style product that will heavily lean on long, grueling matches over story. I have no interest in that.

Same here dude.  I'll watch the wrestling if its someone I enjoy wrestling.  Gable, Owens, Ricochet, Ford, Gunther, as a few.  I'll also watch the match if it deals with the storyline I am interested in.  

[Sharpshooter]

Just now, Phil said:

 

I don't find most of them to be good workers. The company is filled with spot monkeys who no-sell basic psychological shit to pop a mark crowd for "this is awesome" chants. A good 60% of AEW matches are better described as choreographed gymnastics routines, rather than high quality wrestling matches. If I never see another  suicida dive through the ropes or moonsault into a crowd of bodies waiting to catch the body, it can't come soon enough.

Those chants make me cringe. It's so overused. No, not every match is awesome. lol Good ones, sure, but not every 'good' match needs those chants either.

[Sharpshooter]

1 minute ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Same here dude.  I'll watch the wrestling if its someone I enjoy wrestling.  Gable, Owens, Ricochet, Ford, Gunther, as a few.  I'll also watch the match if it deals with the storyline I am interested in.  

WWE has a lot of good ones.

[Phil]

Just now, SaveByRichter35 said:

Same here dude.  I'll watch the wrestling if its someone I enjoy wrestling.  Gable, Owens, Ricochet, Ford, Gunther, as a few.  I'll also watch the match if it deals with the storyline I am interested in.  

 

For me it's almost entirely based in the story. I love Christian Cage, for example, but if Tony Khan announces some random fucking "dream match" between him and some Japanese wrestler no one has ever heard of, I couldn't give a fuck. I literally have negative interest in watching and will fast-forward right through it, pausing only if something happens during it that's related to his current fued.

[Sharpshooter]

2 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

For me it's almost entirely based in the story. I love Christian Cage, for example, but if Tony Khan announces some random fucking "dream match" between him and some Japanese wrestler no one has ever heard of, I couldn't give a fuck. I literally have negative interest in watching and will fast-forward right through it, pausing only if something happens during it that's related to his current fued.

And we know that's exactly what's going to happen.

[SaveByRichter35]

I spend more time being forced to watch ads while streaming on the USA and Fox Sports apps than I do actually watching the shows.  USA isn't as bad as Fox though.  I wish they'd go right to Peacock, having to wait a month before they're added is ridiculous.