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April Wrasslin' |OT| 2017 Season Premiere

cordy

Banned
I'm thankful that the Revival did that angle breaking Kofi's leg, if not for that you would have thought they were faces.

Exactly. They know how to be heels. There's certain things guys that can get them some boos. Neville for example last night, he was going for the Red Arrow and everyone got hyped but he said fuck it and went for his submission. Everyone then booed him, that's a great heel.
Is that pic recent? If so, there it is.

Nah older pic taken last year.
 

Ithil

Member
Just rewatching bits of RAW on youtube and the Finn return really highlights how great the presentation of him is. His theme is great, the "dun dun" heartbeat fulfills the iconic opening sound requirement, the lighting and entrance graphics are cool, and he comes out with his leather jacket and his arm waving that the crowd does with him, it's all really good. And that is just his regular normal Finn intro.

By contrast, it also highlights that despite all they push him, the presentation of Reigns actually really sucks. His music is boring and it's just the Shield's remixed, his entrance is boring, he just walks to the ring, his vest is stupid and there's no interesting lighting or graphics for him, etc.

I'm not crapping on Reigns here, I'm saying even though WWE want him to be their new top guy, they've totally failed to give him a really iconic entrance like every top guy has had. Rollins and Ambrose have the same problem. You know Stone Cold's entrance, you know Cena's entrance. Nakamura's entrance is a big part of his popularity, he even says so himself. Let's not get started on Roode.
 

Hex

Banned
The only issue I have with Balor is that he doesn't do anything different when he's the Demon versus when he's normal. Beyond that I think he's actually an overall pretty solid talent. I think he could use a different finisher too.

For his career longevity I definitely would prefer a different finisher
 

Zach

Member
Missed that...

I've shit on plenty things the WWE has done, I've stopped watching in the past.

I just strive for accuracy. Such as occasional cannot equal 2/3rds :p

I bet a RAW and/or Smackdown Live superstar has competed on their sister brand's "exclusive" PPV before, and if I find out that happened, you're in deep trouble, excelsiorleaf.
 

cordy

Banned
Yeah and I'm saying AJ is a unique case, the fans do not want to hate him, they will never want to hate him... It's like saying Roman just needs to be a better face

You're wrong in this case.

Neville for example last night, he was going for the Red Arrow and everyone got hyped but he said fuck it and went for his submission. Everyone then booed him, that's a great heel. Styles for example say it were him. He would have used his forearm rather than saying "you know what, screw it" and the forearm would get people hype rather than him doing something else like a submission.

Owens for example, say he's going to the top rope for something, he'd immediately stop that to get boos, he'd leave the ring to get boos, he knows how to get boos but Styles doesn't do that. Owens always finds a way to get people to boo him no matter how loved he is. When you see Styles come to the ring, he hears the fans chanting for him and he actually relishes in the chants. You see him. You don't see Styles insult the fans, you don't see Styles toning down his moveset like Neville and Owens to get cheers because they are better heels than he is. Styles uses all sorts of high-flying moves and his moveset in general is hype for the crowd. As a heel it's your job to get people to boo you. He's just not doing his job in that which is something he himself acknowledges he needs to get better in. Idk what to tell you but if the man himself says that then it's more obvious.

Styles just isn't a good heel no matter how much people like him.
 
Just rewatching bits of RAW on youtube and the Finn return really highlights how great the presentation of him is. His theme is great, the "dun dun" heartbeat fulfills the iconic opening sound requirement, the lighting and entrance graphics are cool, and he comes out with his leather jacket and his arm waving that the crowd does with him, it's all really good. And that is just his regular normal Finn intro.

By contrast, it also highlights that despite all they push him, the presentation of Reigns actually really sucks. His music is boring and it's just the Shield's remixed, his entrance is boring, he just walks to the ring, his vest is stupid and there's no interesting lighting or graphics for him, etc.

I'm not crapping on Reigns here, I'm saying even though WWE want him to be their new top guy, they've totally failed to give him a really iconic entrance like every top guy has had. Rollins and Ambrose have the same problem. You know Stone Cold's entrance, you know Cena's entrance. Nakamura's entrance is a big part of his popularity, he even says so himself. Let's not get started on Roode.
I agree with that last part. I find Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins to have themes you could slap on a jobber and no one would notice the difference.

Ambrose walks out, does a bit of a sidewalk and stares at the audience, then enters the ring. Rollins walks out when the lights turn, raises his arms a bit and then enters the ring. Roman walks out, climbs the turnbuckle, arms raised high in the air then enters the ring.

The Shield had a great entrance but each member individually have the most jobber entrances ever.
 
Owens until recently after the turn on Jericho annoyed me as a heel. Dude was constantly doing shit that looked like he was pandering to the crowd for obvious pops.
 

Toki767

Member
You're wrong in this case.

Neville for example last night, he was going for the Red Arrow and everyone got hyped but he said fuck it and went for his submission. Everyone then booed him, that's a great heel. Styles for example say it were him. He would have used his forearm rather than saying "you know what, screw it" and the forearm would get people hype rather than him doing something else like a submission.

Owens for example, say he's going to the top rope for something, he'd immediately stop that to get boos, he'd leave the ring to get boos, he knows how to get boos but Styles doesn't do that. Owens always finds a way to get people to boo him no matter how loved he is. When you see Styles come to the ring, he hears the fans chanting for him and he actually relishes in the chants. You see him. You don't see Styles insult the fans, you don't see Styles toning down his moveset like Neville and Owens to get cheers because they are better heels than he is. Styles uses all sorts of high-flying moves and his moveset in general is hype for the crowd. As a heel it's your job to get people to boo you. He's just not doing his job in that which is something he himself acknowledges he needs to get better in. Idk what to tell you but if the man himself says that then it's more obvious.

Styles just isn't a good heel no matter how much people like him.

To be fair, people cheer even when AJ does the Calf Crusher.
 

Sephzilla

Member
Roman has a little bit of the Randy Orton problem where he thinks walking slow and showing no emotion makes him look cool and badass. But it actually makes him look boring.
 
Read that article and it's a very fun perspective to see. I particularly liked this bit right at the start though.

I’ve bought a subscription to the WWE Network which I fully intend to cancel on Monday before the free month runs out.

First time ever and she's already carny enough.
 
I hope Aleister Black does well in WWE.

I assumed when he took the name Aleister he was referencing Crowley but it was still funny to hear commentary talking about how he follows the law of Thelema.

I've been involved with Thelema as a religion or philosophy for over a decade so it will be fun to see how WWE represents it.
 
What is your guys problem with Balor?

I dont think he is a great wrestler, and his mic skills are sub par; but man you guys are really laying into him for things that are beyond hid control, the WWE machine is in control now. All he can do is really take the ball and run with it.

The Demon sucks.
 
I hope Aleister Black does well in WWE.

I assumed when he took the name Aleister he was referencing Crowley but it was still funny to hear commentary talking about how he follows the law of Thelema.

I've been involved with Thelema as a religion or philosophy for over a decade so it will be fun to see how WWE represents it.
You can tell from his entrance WWE have big plans for him.
 

Zach

Member
Look for yourself.

Kg1Ua1.gif
 
You can help this, Beefy!
677896561e6539b116478e0c9b65108a7f197856_hq.gif

What is your guys problem with Balor?

I dont think he is a great wrestler, and his mic skills are sub par; but man you guys are really laying into him for things that are beyond hid control, the WWE machine is in control now. All he can do is really take the ball and run with it.
He's boring as all fuck. Passable in the ring on the HHH scale, sub-par on the mic. People like Benoit, Bryan, and Malenko weren't great on the mic, but they had phenomenal in-ing ability to justify it. Balor has jack shit. He makes me appreciate Reigns.
 

cordy

Banned
To be fair, people cheer even when AJ does the Calf Crusher.

I bet you anything that if Styles was going for the Phenomenal Forearm and then said "fuck it fuck you fans" and did something else that looked lamer people would boo him. Styles has too many cool moves and it's up to him as the "heel" to get people to boo him but he just doesn't do it. I'd seen Ambrose of all people, someone who people love to trash, change his moveset up from heel to face, even get at the fans. We just don't see Styles do near the amount of things as a heel as guys like Neville, Owens, Ambrose, Jericho, I mean when the man himself says he needs to be a better heel there's nothing people can say to that.

Neville's so great at it because even he, someone who's moveset is CAW-like, changed his moves up just to get that heel heat. Styles just ain't doing it.
 
I bet you anything that if Styles was going for the Phenomenal Forearm and then said "fuck it fuck you fans" and did something else that looked lamer people would boo him. Styles has too many cool moves and it's up to him as the "heel" to get people to boo him but he just doesn't do it. I'd seen Ambrose of all people, someone who people love to trash, change his moveset up from heel to face.

Neville's so great at it because even he, someone who's moveset is CAW-like, changed his moves up just to get that heel heat. Styles just ain't doing it.

Styles could wrestle like Neville and still get pops.. fuck Styles does wrestle like Neville only better.

Neville still flies around, he still does the Red Arrow... I mean he literally did it the night before.

People aren't popping for a movset, they are popping for how fucking good AJ is at... everything... He's good at everything... The Phenomenal Forearm is arguably not even his most over move.. that's the shittier looking Styles Clash that is still over despite being a glorified 2 count spot now...

Sure maaaaybe if Styles wrestled like say Randy Orton at his laziest he might get heat but then what's the point?
 

cordy

Banned
Styles could wrestle like Neville and still get pops.. fuck Styles does wrestle like Neville only better.

Neville still flies around, he still does the Red Arrow... I mean he literally did it the night before.

People aren't popping for a movset, they are popping for how fucking good AJ is at... everything... He's good at everything... The Phenomenal Forearm is arguably not even his most over move.. that's the shittier looking Styles Clash that is still over despite being a glorified 2 count spot now...

Sure maaaaybe if Styles wrestled like say Randy Orton at his laziest he might get heat but then what's the point?

Do you know what a heel is lol?
 

Tom Nook

Member
I hope Aleister Black does well in WWE.

I assumed when he took the name Aleister he was referencing Crowley but it was still funny to hear commentary talking about how he follows the law of Thelema.

I've been involved with Thelema as a religion or philosophy for over a decade so it will be fun to see how WWE represents it.

This guy is a star. Based on his look with the tattoos and all, he's the guy Baron Corbin should've been.

Bye Corbin.
 
Do you know what a heel is lol?
If (and a big if because fans would probably just get mad at WWE instead) he just wrestled shittier matches he might get heel heat but AJ Styles wrestling like a lazy Randy Orton just to get boos would be a waste of AJ Styles is my point...

Do you not understand that AJ Styles is a guy that people don't want to hate....

Do you think if Roman Reigns right now just did better face work people would start loving him?

It's not just a matter of changing a few moves and he'd get boos, the dude does everything good. He's the best wrestler this company has had possibly ever.
 
You can help this, Beefy!
677896561e6539b116478e0c9b65108a7f197856_hq.gif


He's boring as all fuck. Passable in the ring on the HHH scale, sub-par on the mic. People like Benoit, Bryan, and Malenko weren't great on the mic, but they had phenomenal in-ing ability to justify it. Balor has jack shit. He makes me appreciate Reigns.

You do know that HHH is/was one of the best workers in the company right?
 
This guy is a star. Based on his look with the tattoos and all, he's the guy Baron Corbin should've been.

Bye Corbin.

I hope so and think you are right.

Regal in interviews always talks about eyes andnif you dont believe in yourself people see it in your eyes and what you are doing probably wont work.

He looks like he believes in himself in a kinda scary way. Hopefully he does well.
 
He was good, reliable, good but rarely great, he is the actual B+ Player.

Idk he does little things that makes me appreciate his talent. Watch SummerSlam 2000 after Angle got legit concussed. He has good ability to improv a match and would really be the guy I want to fake punch me in the face if I had a concussion.
 
Idk he does little things that makes me appreciate his talent. Watch SummerSlam 2000 after Angle got legit concussed. He has good ability to improv a match and would really be the guy I want to fake punch me in the face if I had a concussion.

That's why I said good and reliable... He doesn't have bad matches like basically ever against anyone not named Kevin Nash or Scott Steiner

But literally his biggest run at the top was horrible... The Reign of Terror on Raw basically killed that show for several years and it is amazing Orton recovered
 
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