It's a bit unfair to compare Bryan's WWE run with everyone else's because it wasn't until after everyone else that WWE tried to make everyone do the WWE main even style match. Watch his ROH stuff and you'll see way more diversity and everything. There's a reason why he was constantly winning "Wrestler of the Year" awards in ROH and barely won them in WWE.
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WWE Raw drops to lowest TV rating in 18 years
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It's a bit unfair to compare Bryan's WWE run with everyone else's because it wasn't until after everyone else that WWE tried to make everyone do the WWE main even style match. Watch his ROH stuff and you'll see way more diversity and everything. There's a reason why he was constantly winning "Wrestler of the Year" awards in ROH and barely won them in WWE.
Arrowgigantic
Member
SpideySenses
Member
With the exception of Orton, who he was strangely hit and miss with, Bryan delivered every time he had a big match in WWE. But even at his best, he didn't touch his ROH work, not even close, so I can understand why people might find him overrated when people are factoring that in.
Over-consolidation of the "industry" is really what killed it.
The WWE only competes with itself now. They have no one to force them or inspire them to make a better product.
Arrowgigantic
Member
This is ten times as worse as saying Reigns is good. D. Brine is the most entertaining guy they have.
Of course this is seen as very odd as almost the entire business is focused on collaborations and not being walled garden. Only WWE is the outlier to this, save for NXT.
Although the initial Invasion angle with wcw was botched, I was ok with Shane "controlling" wcw. The night that happened, I was hoping for some good "wcw" vs wwf(e). We all know how that ended. Later when Heyman ripped that massive promo and some unexpected ecw guys entered the fray, i thought this would be the redemption, and an awesome wwe/wcw/ecw showdown. You had Vince, Shane, and Heyman with their respective brands, so yeah, I was hyped over the moon at that point. Then a mere hour later, they merge wcw/ecw, cut Heyman's nuts off, and put Steph in charge. I knew from that moment on, it was going to be total shit. I've had Xpac heat with Steph ever since.
UberTag
Member
I'm trying very hard to think of what Steph has contributed to the product that's ever been good. I mean, she can be a convincing heel... but she refuses to have any sort of comeuppance. I mean, the only time I can think of where Steph got put in her place in recent memory was Vickie Guerrero throwing her into a pool of pudding. And good on Vickie for getting that in her farewell. She was always awesome.
I miss Vickie dearly.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
It's still perplexing that WWE didn't buy out Ric Flair or Eric Bischoff's contracts and have them represent WCW in the invasion.
Especially considering Flair showed up THE NIGHT AFTER the invasion ended. Good timing there guys.
Especially considering Flair showed up THE NIGHT AFTER the invasion ended. Good timing there guys.
Jimmy King
Member
gotta step in and defend my boy D-Bry
As far as Bryan's merch not selling, a lot of it was hideous. Even for WWE. Agreed on all these other points though.
His character got the typical WWE face push, but at least some of it was genuine as far as the "thanks to the WWE Universe" shtick. In-ring wise though he was absolutely remarkable and made fans get into matches they had no business being into.
As far as Bryan's merch not selling, a lot of it was hideous. Even for WWE. Agreed on all these other points though.
His character got the typical WWE face push, but at least some of it was genuine as far as the "thanks to the WWE Universe" shtick. In-ring wise though he was absolutely remarkable and made fans get into matches they had no business being into.
Pop-O-Matic
Banned
They obviously didn't want to spend more money than they though they needed to.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
The funny thing is that Flair wasn't even making top star money. The WCW contracts from 2000 are floating around the internet. Flair was making $500k per year. Guys like Nash and Steiner were making 1.5 mil and Goldberg was making 2.5 mil. I can understand not wanting to pay Kevin Nash 1.5 million dollars but I don't think paying Flair half a mil was going to break the bank, especially considering how much money they were making at the time and how much they desperately needed WCW guys,
Arrowgigantic
Member
I know I come off markish in my posts, but this was a once in a lifetime moment for a life long wrestling fan, and it still just boggles my mind how horrible the whole thing was handled. I don't hate Stephanie as a person obviously, I just can't stand to see her. Anytime she's on, I have to change the channel.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
They desperately needed WCW guys for the WCW invasion. WCW was represented by Booker T and a bunch of WWF guys IIRC.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Was Luger in any shape to do anything at that time?
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
I think he was a huge druggie at the time.
Ninja Scooter
Member
So he was in wrestling shape?
Onion_Relish
Member
I thought Luger and a bunch of other guys had restrictive contracts at the time which prevented them from making the jump. Also Luger has never been that good to begin with (although the torture rack is still one of the best finishers out there)
Arrowgigantic
Member
It was the WCW/ECW Alliance, not just WCW. But they didn't need to do that angle.
Sure they did. They needed on-screen proof that WCW couldn't hope to compete with WWE, because shutting down the promotion wasn't enough.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
It was the WCW/ECW Alliance lead by a bunch of WWF guys.
Whether or not they needed to do it was irrelevant. They did do it. That's why they needed WCW guys.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Lex is ready for another run, friend.
Buff Bagwell won.
thiscoldblack
Unconfirmed Member
Right...
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
What turned things around 18 years ago? A Star Trek crossover!
Clearly they need another one.
Clearly they need another one.
Arrowgigantic
Member
--who used to be in ECW and/or WCW.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Shane and Stephanie McMahon were never in ECW or WCW.
And neither was Kurt Angle unless you want to count the time he attended ECW as a fan once.
Arrowgigantic
Member
McMahons don't count. Shane was the owner of WCW, if you'll remember, though.
The angle worked as well as it was going to whether or not they had more than Booker T and Stunning Steve on there repping WCW.
The stories are just so bland.
Things have been revolving around The Authority forever now. That's fine, I get that a generic bad guy organization is an easy storyline to do, but in three hours of TV you need to run some smaller, more interesting storylines alongside the big ones. Throw shit at the wall, scrap what doesn't stick and if you trip over a good storyline the fans buy into, develop it! Run with it! Pull side stories out of it!
Things have been revolving around The Authority forever now. That's fine, I get that a generic bad guy organization is an easy storyline to do, but in three hours of TV you need to run some smaller, more interesting storylines alongside the big ones. Throw shit at the wall, scrap what doesn't stick and if you trip over a good storyline the fans buy into, develop it! Run with it! Pull side stories out of it!
Ninja Scooter
Member
I've long thought they should just get rid of the "Authority" thing. They've been relying on it way too long (since the mid 90s and Mr. McMahon) as the impetus for feuds and wrestler motivations.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Is this a shoot?
Pop-O-Matic
Banned
Nah, I think it's because his brother's dying or something. Either that or all those injuries are finally starting to catch up with him...
...Him?
JesseEwiak
Member
What newzzzzz site did you get that from?
Also, people on the Internet always complain about the top face buying people. Hell, despite the retro love it has now, people were saying Cena BURRRIEDDDDDD Edge on the Internet back in '05.
As always, the problem isn't when heels get pinned by Cena. It what happens to them the day after.
Are they even a bad guy organisation? "The Authority" is just HHH and Stephen wandering about, doing what they like without any focus or intent, regardless of whether it makes any sense. They're hardly bad. They're ethically ambiguous at best. Spouting "best for business" every 5 minutes doesn't change that.
They're a blatant, front-and-centre example of WWE's inability to write anything vaguely comprehensive, let alone entertaining.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
This guy came here right from the Internet place that wrestlers always refer to when they say we don't know shit.
TheStruggler
Report me for trolling ND/TLoU2 threads
need to start pushing young talent better, and need better creative writers. One week something happens the next week they forget what do to with it. Wrestling was at its best when they had one writer and he used story boards to plan out the storylines and characters.
Paracelsus
Member
About the Authority:
Vince started the whole corporate thing on November 98, Survivor Series, and it was over at Fully Loaded in July of 99. It had a brief revival in between WM2000 and Backlash in April, it died again at KOTR in June.
Now, do you want me to tell you for how long has the Authorephee been going on?
Vince started the whole corporate thing on November 98, Survivor Series, and it was over at Fully Loaded in July of 99. It had a brief revival in between WM2000 and Backlash in April, it died again at KOTR in June.
Now, do you want me to tell you for how long has the Authorephee been going on?
CartridgeBlower
Member
This is a MASSIVE problem. Turnovers for storylines. For some reason, they just keep the same shit going WAAAAYYYY longer than they used to, and it becomes beyond stale.
Then other stories they drop after two episodes...
There is no consistency, no pacing, to any of their arcs.
I think it was at its best when it was Vince, Cornette, and Russo writing the stories and Pat Patterson designing the matches.
Paracelsus
Member
It's what Chopper said, they have no ideas so they put the bad guys up there, the Authority, because grrrr I'm evil hate me. They think it's a safe spot to have.
Meanwhile, enjoy your 99th six men tag team match in a year. Highest rated RAW episode had fake-face Vince, Stone Cold and Rock vs Undertaker, Triple H and Shane in a tag team match. It was the main event and each individual kinda had valid reasons to be there.
Now we open with the Shield and Orton vs the Wyatts, as both smarks and casuals have realized by now are feuding for absolutely no fucking reason other than they have no plan for them either as a tag team or for a belt or whatever.
Lex is ready for another run, friend.
It's like bane in Batman Forever
CartridgeBlower
Member
What happened to Lex exactly? Is he sick?
Corpsepyre
Banned
I hope they really take this into consideration and improve the product. They badly need some out-there killer personalities too, and some interesting storylines, which they don't have at all.
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