Support NeoGAF

[Alucard]

Just watched Smackdown. That was a really good episode, and I found it to be more entertaining than Raw. Based on the amount of wrestling alone, it was easily the best "wrestling" show this week, just above Ring of Honor, although I still liked ROH's content more. It looks like they may be going the route of Bryan vs. Kane or Hunter at some point in the WWE.

Things I liked on Smackdown:

-Sheamus vs. Ryback: What a good big man match this was. Ryback looked to be in better shape than he's been in a while, and Sheamus looked like a wrecking ball. Even Curtis Axel played his small role well.

-Bryan vs. Cesaro: Another clinic from two masters of the game. And that finish? Forget about it.

-Orton vs. Christian: I paid special attention to Orton in this match, and his in-ring awareness was practically flawless. He sold moves and put himself in the perfect positions for the execution of the next sequence. A really well-worked match from a performance perspective.

Wrestling TV rankings this week:

1. Ring of Honor
2. Impact Wrestling
3. Smackdown
4. Raw

 

[Forkball]

 

[XenoRaven]

Looking at that gif, I'm wondering if they wanted to wait to make sure Orton was far enough away.

 

[Xater]

Wrestling TV rankings this week:

1. Ring of Honor
2. Impact Wrestling
3. Smackdown
4. Raw

No, just no.

 

[RBH]

News and notes from the latest issue of Figure Four Weekly:

The Network launched for select WWE employees this week for testing purposes. One person who has access told us, "It's literally the best thing ever. It's totally like Netflix, very easy to use. If porn wasn't free on the 'Net this would be the greatest thing on the 'Net ever."

This week's CM Punk rant from another WWE employee: "Honestly, Punk is being a little bitch. I liked him so much before his run leading to and after that Money in the Bank in Chicago. He's a guy where you have to be really in his circle for him to I guess open up, which I understand, but being put in a feud with Kane and then with HHH at Mania is not a bad thing. Now I understand he feels this is his last Mania and he wants to main event and really, with the right storyline, that match could main event, but literally after the Tribute to the Troops incident he's just been difficult. There are so many there that want his spot, that want to say, 'I need a weekend off to go to UFC.' I really and fully believe he's a little jealous of the crowd reactions to Bryan and it's getting to him—He's just been such a dick lately. That interview with Ariel, he acted like he was the victim at the Troops taping when Michelle was just joking. Little b AJ took it to the wrong level. Do you really think AJ would have a 'pipe bomb' interview time or longest Diva champ BS if she wasn't dating Punk? Punk really doesn't want to be the face of the company. That's BS. I hate hearing that shit. He says he does but this isn't ROH or OVW. He would bitch so much if he had to do Michael & Kelly at 9 a.m., then fly to a different state (for Raw), do a Make-A-Wish at 1 p.m. and then RAW, then do SmackDown, then do something Wednesday to fly home Thursday to be on the road Friday or Saturday. No way he could handle that for four months. He may come back as soon as Monday or he may never come back, but if never comes back he better remember how many fans he's screwing over right now, the same way he believes the WWE is screwing him over. And I'm not defending Vince or HHH. Especially HHH, because people are seeing that HHH taking over isn't as cool as they thought it would be. Outlaws, Nash, X-Pac, Flair, HBK, Batista—yeah must be nice to be HHH friends."

They are reconsidering certain things on the Mania card, and we're told the company is going to gauge crowd reactions and business over the next few weeks before making any major final decisions.

There is talk of Shield doing a triple threat against each other at Mania, but that's only if they don't add Bryan to the main event. They don't want two triple threat matches on the same show. So realistically, whether or not Bryan gets put into that match could determine when and where Shield breaks up.

 

[Spider from Mars]

No, just no.

Oh yes. Impact is better than both main WWE shows (not including NXT)

 

[slightconfuse]

FYI there are 2 New begining cards one tonight and one on Tuesday. one is headlined by tanashashi/nakamura the other Okada/Goto

Feburary 9th

1 Bushi and Kota Ibushi vs. El Desperado and Jushin Liger Tag team match
2 Minoru Suzuki vs. Tama Tonga Singles match
3 Chaos (Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano) vs. Kazushi Sakuraba and Yuji Nagata Tag team match
4 Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Tarver Singles match
5 Satoshi Kojima (c) vs. Big Daddy Yum-Yum Singles match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
6 Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii and Yujiro Takahashi) vs. Tetsuya Naito and Tomoaki Honma Tag team match
7 Alex Shelley, Kushida, Ryusuke Taguchi and Togi Makabe vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson and Prince Devitt) Eight-man tag team match
8 Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Yoshi-Hashi) vs. Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata Tag team match
9 Bullet Club (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) (c) vs. K.E.S. (Davey Boy Smith, Jr. and Lance Archer) Tag team match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
10 Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

and the 11th

The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (c) vs. Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) Tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
2 Katsuyori Shibata vs. Yoshi-Hashi Singles match
3 Bullet Club (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga) vs. Suzukigun (Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki) Six-man tag team match
4 Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale and Prince Devitt) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi and Togi Makabe Tag team match
5 Big Daddy Yum-Yum and Michael Tarver vs. Ten-Koji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) Tag team match for the #1 contendership to the NWA World Tag Team Championship
6 Daniel Gracie and Rolles Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba and Yuji Nagata Tag team match
7 Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jushin Liger vs. Chaos (Shinsuke Nakamura and Yoshi-Hashi) Tag team match
8 Kota Ibushi (c) vs. El Desperado Singles match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
9 Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship
10 Kazuchika Okada (c) (with Gedo) vs. Hirooki Goto Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship

tonights card is looking a bit better imo

http://www.ustream.tv/njpw

 

[WhoaIsThatMars]

 

[British Monsoon]

New Japan in a little over 12 hours!

NJPW, "NEW BEGINNING IN HIROSHIMA", 2014.02.09
Hiroshima Sun Plaza

http://www.ustream.tv/njpw - $25

15:00 JST | 07:00 EU | 06:00 UK | 01:00 EST | 22:00 PST

01. Kota Ibushi & BUSHI vs Jushin 'Thunder' Liger & El Desperado
02. Minoru Suzuki vs Tama Tonga
03. Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba vs CHAOS (Takashi Iizuka & Toru Yano)
04. Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Michael Tarver
05. NWA World Heavyweight Title: Satoshi Kojima © vs Big Daddy Yum Yum
06. Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma vs CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Yujiro Takahashi)
07. Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi & Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA) vs Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Bad Luck Fale & The Young Bucks)
08. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI)
09. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles: Bullet Club (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) © vs K.E.S. (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr)
10. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Both events are sold out of seated tickets, which speaks well to New Japan's decision to run two venues for New Beginning this year.

Also, NOAH remotely interesting again;

*edit, dammnit slightconfuse! lol. I'd say Sunday's is looking better overall, but Tuesday's will prove to have the better matches - those 3 title matches at the top of the card should be really awesome.

 

[strobogo]

God damn Vader is one rambling mother fucker.

 

[Khrysler Jerikho]

So I was checking out the FAQs for the WWE Network and saw this...

19. Will shows be closed captioned?
Yes.

Were all WWE TV shows (except Total Divas) available with closed caption? I don't seem to recall this being the case.

 

[slightconfuse]

Regenertion-x was a fun tag team

 

[strobogo]

So I was checking out the FAQs for the WWE Network and saw this...




Were all WWE TV shows (except Total Divas) available with closed caption? I don't seem to recall this being the case.

All those Warrior/Hogan/Savage promos with closed captioning...glorious.

 

[Khrysler Jerikho]

All those Warrior/Hogan/Savage promos with closed captioning...glorious.

EXACTLY!

 

[Anth0ny]

They are reconsidering certain things on the Mania card, and we're told the company is going to gauge crowd reactions and business over the next few weeks before making any major final decisions.

There is talk of Shield doing a triple threat against each other at Mania, but that's only if they don't add Bryan to the main event. They don't want two triple threat matches on the same show. So realistically, whether or not Bryan gets put into that match could determine when and where Shield breaks up.

If this is really true, I guess Bryan is going to job to Batista at Mania.

Just wait, it'll give so much heel heat to Batista. And it'll make it so much better when Bryan finally does overcome the odds and win the belt!

 

[slightconfuse]

i found punk, lol

 

[Kyoufu]

News and notes from the latest issue of Figure Four Weekly:

I like it when people make things up.

 

[Rapstah]

I didn't even realise Mason Ryan's entrance music in NXT this week was the same music he used in 2011. There's a guy they have nothing for but he's still employed for some reason.

Is he technically even better off than Justin Gabriel? Gabriel is technically on the main roster and has switched music and ring gear like five times but never does anything. At least Mason Ryan wrestles every other month.

 

[Xater]

Oh yes. Impact is better than both main WWE shows (not including NXT)

Crazy talk!

This picture is priceless. Can't wait for hi. To talk about this trip on the podcast.

New Japan in a little over 12 hours!

NJPW, "NEW BEGINNING IN HIROSHIMA", 2014.02.09
Hiroshima Sun Plaza

http://www.ustream.tv/njpw - $25

15:00 JST | 07:00 EU | 06:00 UK | 01:00 EST | 22:00 PST

01. Kota Ibushi & BUSHI vs Jushin 'Thunder' Liger & El Desperado
02. Minoru Suzuki vs Tama Tonga
03. Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba vs CHAOS (Takashi Iizuka & Toru Yano)
04. Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Michael Tarver
05. NWA World Heavyweight Title: Satoshi Kojima © vs Big Daddy Yum Yum
06. Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma vs CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Yujiro Takahashi)
07. Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi & Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA) vs Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Bad Luck Fale & The Young Bucks)
08. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI)
09. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles: Bullet Club (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) © vs K.E.S. (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr)
10. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Both events are sold out of seated tickets, which speaks well to New Japan's decision to run two venues for New Beginning this year.

Also, NOAH remotely interesting again;

*edit, dammnit slightconfuse! lol. I'd say Sunday's is looking better overall, but Tuesday's will prove to have the better matches - those 3 title matches at the top of the card should be really awesome.

I want to watch it live but it's so early. I can't make myself get out of bed that early on a Sunday!

 

[British Monsoon]

Yeah, it's a real pain - good for US folks, though.

I'm probably gonna set the alarm for 7:30 and just watch the second half of the show, then watch the rest on replay. New Japan's VOD's are up super quick after the show finishes anyways.

 

[bean breath]

They never deserved them.

Why, because they're black?

 

[TL21xx]

This week's CM Punk rant from another WWE employee: "Honestly, Punk is being a little bitch. I liked him so much before his run leading to and after that Money in the Bank in Chicago. He's a guy where you have to be really in his circle for him to I guess open up, which I understand, but being put in a feud with Kane and then with HHH at Mania is not a bad thing. Now I understand he feels this is his last Mania and he wants to main event and really, with the right storyline, that match could main event, but literally after the Tribute to the Troops incident he's just been difficult. There are so many there that want his spot, that want to say, 'I need a weekend off to go to UFC.' I really and fully believe he's a little jealous of the crowd reactions to Bryan and it's getting to him—He's just been such a dick lately. That interview with Ariel, he acted like he was the victim at the Troops taping when Michelle was just joking. Little b AJ took it to the wrong level. Do you really think AJ would have a 'pipe bomb' interview time or longest Diva champ BS if she wasn't dating Punk? Punk really doesn't want to be the face of the company. That's BS. I hate hearing that shit. He says he does but this isn't ROH or OVW. He would bitch so much if he had to do Michael & Kelly at 9 a.m., then fly to a different state (for Raw), do a Make-A-Wish at 1 p.m. and then RAW, then do SmackDown, then do something Wednesday to fly home Thursday to be on the road Friday or Saturday. No way he could handle that for four months. He may come back as soon as Monday or he may never come back, but if never comes back he better remember how many fans he's screwing over right now, the same way he believes the WWE is screwing him over. And I'm not defending Vince or HHH. Especially HHH, because people are seeing that HHH taking over isn't as cool as they thought it would be. Outlaws, Nash, X-Pac, Flair, HBK, Batista—yeah must be nice to be HHH friends."

Yeah... Read this with one of my brothers and we agreed that this totally sounds like The Miz.

 

[Spider from Mars]

So this 6/10 from class that I agreed to get drinks with tonight after she asked on 4 separate occasions sent me a text that said

Perfect! I'll be there around nine. Disclaimer: I will be putting a modest amount of effort into my appearance and call it a "date"

Yo...what? Nope, don't call it that. Do I have to buy her drinks now? If I see someone I know will I have to call her my date? Spider don't buy drinks for 6's!

 

[strobogo]

Any girl that would say " I will be putting a modest amount of effort into my appearance and call it a "date" sounds like she'd be the female equivalent of a neck beard. What a weird thing to say to someone.

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

So this 6/10 from class that I agreed to get drinks with tonight after she asked on 4 separate occasions sent me a text that said

Yo...what? Nope, don't call it that. Do I have to buy her drinks now? If I see someone I know will I have to call her my date? Spider don't buy drinks for 6's!

SWERVE

You're actually a 6/10 to her and her circle of friends, and she's just going out with you out of pity or because of a dare she made.

 

[UrbanDandy]

boom boom colt ca-ba-na!

 

[Spider from Mars]

Any girl that would say " I will be putting a modest amount of effort into my appearance and call it a "date" sounds like she'd be the female equivalent of a neck beard. What a weird thing to say to someone.

She likes to fancy herself a quirky girl so she is probably talking like that because she thinks it's cute.

 

[strobogo]

She likes to fancy herself a quirky girl so she is probably talking like that because she thinks it's cute.

So...the female equivalent of a neck beard. Just like I said.

 

[darkside31337]

She likes to fancy herself a quirky girl so she is probably talking like that because she thinks it's cute.

Pretty sure she just wants you to make sure you know that you're paying for the drinks.

 

[Aiii]

As per random twitter person attending her panel at Wizard World New Orleans yesterday. I don't think we need to guess who the girls complaining were.

 

[UrbanDandy]

Does colt cabana do hardcore?

 

[Pavaloo]

So this 6/10 from class that I agreed to get drinks with tonight after she asked on 4 separate occasions sent me a text that said

Yo...what? Nope, don't call it that. Do I have to buy her drinks now? If I see someone I know will I have to call her my date? Spider don't buy drinks for 6's!

Any girl that would say " I will be putting a modest amount of effort into my appearance and call it a "date" sounds like she'd be the female equivalent of a neck beard. What a weird thing to say to someone.

She likes to fancy herself a quirky girl so she is probably talking like that because she thinks it's cute.

So...the female equivalent of a neck beard. Just like I said.

fuckin :lol

know so many girls like this (guys too), it's such a deterrent. how the fuck do you even respond?

As per random twitter person attending her panel at Wizard World New Orleans yesterday. I don't think we need to guess who the girls complaining were.

Fuckin' Nattie and Cameron with the politics again

 

[Khrysler Jerikho]

So this 6/10 from class that I agreed to get drinks with tonight after she asked on 4 separate occasions sent me a text that said

Yo...what? Nope, don't call it that. Do I have to buy her drinks now? If I see someone I know will I have to call her my date? Spider don't buy drinks for 6's!

I'll just say that you're in it now and there's no turning back.

 

[Plywood]

Natalya is very whiny on Total Divas.

 

[UrbanDandy]

Natalya is very whiny on Total Divas.

Did the second season already come out?

 

[Spider from Mars]

I'll just say that you're in it now and there's no turning back.

It's my fault as well. I have a bookmark shaped like a TARDIS that a friend made and she saw it and wouldn't shut the fuck up about Doctor Who. I love Doctor Who, but Who fans are the worst.

 

[bean breath]

As per random twitter person attending her panel at Wizard World New Orleans yesterday. I don't think we need to guess who the girls complaining were.

Riiiiiiight, she did it for them. It was for their benefit. How kind and selfless.

 

[Aiii]

Did the second season already come out?

March 16th.

 

[strobogo]

March 16th.

You do a little math and March 16th becomes May 19th. Kane is the new Diva on Total Divas!

 

[Aiii]

Riiiiiiight, she did it for them. It was for their benefit. How kind and selfless.

That's not what she said. She said she wanted things to happen for the divas. That includes herself and would mean more screentime and focus on her. So it was neither selfless nor for the other girls.

AJ can't get anywhere if she doesn't have competition on her level, as illustrated by the past six months of 3-minute tag matches and no promo's and exactly 1 backstage segment summarized from the app.

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

Riiiiiiight, she did it for them. It was for their benefit. How kind and selfless.

 

[Khrysler Jerikho]

It's my fault as well. I have a bookmark shaped like a TARDIS that a friend made and she saw it and wouldn't shut the fuck up about Doctor Who. I love Doctor Who, but Who fans are the worst.

I can pretty much tolerate my Whovian friends except when they spazz.

As per random twitter person attending her panel at Wizard World New Orleans yesterday. I don't think we need to guess who the girls complaining were.

So there's a Diva version of JTG?

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

So there's a Diva version of JTG?

Alicia Fox

 

[Aiii]

So there's a Diva version of JTG?

...You should ask Maria Kanellis about that...

 

[Spider from Mars]

Alicia Fox

Alicia Fox is on Raw almost weekly. JTG hasn't been on Raw since 2012.

 

[UrbanDandy]

Jon Moxley is damn fine actor

 

[Pavaloo]

That's not what she said. She said she wanted things to happen for the divas. That includes herself and would mean more screentime and focus on her. So it was neither selfless nor for the other girls.

AJ can't get anywhere if she doesn't have competition on her level, as illustrated by the past six months of 3-minute tag matches and no promo's and exactly 1 backstage segment summarized from the app.

lol whovian girls

 

[Recall]

I totally had forgot Mark Henry was in the nation of domination.

 

[Hasney]

Decided to watch Smackdown purely because I need to cut the plastic around a stripped screw in my phone on the road to repairing it. Glad I did, especially since Titus O Neil looks like he could be entertaining now.

 

[Pavaloo]

Head writer of NXT moved up to Smackdown right? Difference is noticeable