I think Punk should be respected for not settling for #2. Guy wants to be the top dog, WWE wants John Cena, Punk gets pissed off, I get that. If I wasn't pushed ahead of inferior colleagues because they were the bosses pet project I'd fucking blow a lid at some point too I'm sure.
Especially if I had the money to walk away without consequence.
Word within WWE is that nobody has heard back from CM Punk after they've reached out to him via phone calls and text messages. The belief is that Punk is keeping to himself, except for people in his inner circle, and that circle isn't going to talk about the situation.
We noted on Sunday that there were major WrestleMania XXX creative meetings held this past week and the only thing now considered a lock is Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena. There has been a lot of back and forth discussion over Brock Lesnar's WrestleMania XXX role. The original plan was for Lesnar to face The Undertaker, as noted. That may or may not be the plan still but there could be something to Batista vs. Lesnar being teased on RAW last week.
The Miz is the obvious answer, I'd love to see his face rearranged by Stan. On the other hand, Dolph Ziggler would be a good choice, because I'm sure the bump he'd take would be pretty spectacular. Also, as much as I like The Bucks, something tells me a Stan Hansen vs Young Bucks handicap match would be fucking amazing - tandem superkick combos, Stan topples, rebounds off the ropes and double lariatoooooooos the Bucks to death.
Another answer, Roman Reigns - Stan pulls off his elbow pad, calling for the lariat, but Roman hits him with a spear out of nowhere! As Stan groggily gets to his feet, Roman sets up the Superman punch and leaps high, only to get caught in mid-air with a hellacious lariatoooooooo.
Oh, West Ham, without a doubt. I enjoy watching deathmatch wrestling, remember. Even bad deathmatch wrestling. Supporting West Ham is just an exercise in misery, with brief, fleeting moments of unexpected success.
I swear half these reports sound like random speculation. I don't think WWE would ever do a Batista vs. Orton match at Wrestlemania for the title. I still don't. I've always thought that if it's a one on one with Batista as a face, he's facing Lesnar. WWE has already somewhat teased that in an interview. If not, he's not a face and against someone else since Triple H has somewhat teased his heel turn. Guess we'll know beyond EC what their plans are but I very much doubt they ever considered Batista vs. Orton as their main event. It just sounds like nonsense to me. If Batista is staying a face, and it's not against Lesnar, then it would only be Cena. There is no way they put jobber Orton in there with him. The only other option is a match involving more than two people.
I think the Network launch will be solid. They have the MLB.TV crew behind it and I have heard no complaints about that service which broadcasts tons of live baseball TV broadcasts online each year.
Oh, I'm sure it will be fine on tuesday, but since it's launching after Raw I'm sure they're planning something that will cause everyone who subscribes during the day to log on at once to watch.
And they can't even get a big PPV to stream properly, they had huge issues with WM on ppv.wwe.com and I hear the Rumble was shit as well this year.
Not really anything they can do to avoid it, unless you're going to have twice the capacity actually needed for that one night. It's the same with online games, people get really upset because it doesn't work that great the first day or so even though it happens every time and it makes sense that too many people at once is not gonna work.
Oh, I'm sure it will be fine on tuesday, but since it's launching after Raw I'm sure they're planning something that will cause everyone who subscribes during the day to log on at once to watch.
And they can't even get a big PPV to stream properly, they had huge issues with WM on ppv.wwe.com and I hear the Rumble was shit as well this year.
Not really anything they can do to avoid it, unless you're going to have twice the capacity actually needed for that one night. It's the same with online games, people get really upset because it doesn't work that great the first day or so even though it happens every time and it makes sense that too many people at once is not gonna work.
But it isn't their own infrastructure this time. It's the MLB guys that are behind it. How many people watch those baseball games with their app? If that works without a hitch I would be less worried.
I think the Network launch will be solid. They have the MLB.TV crew behind it and I have heard no complaints about that service which broadcasts tons of live baseball TV broadcasts online each year.
I swear half these reports sound like random speculation. I don't think WWE would ever do a Batista vs. Orton match at Wrestlemania for the title. I still don't. I've always thought that if it's a one on one with Batista as a face, he's facing Lesnar. WWE has already somewhat teased that in an interview. If not, he's not a face and against someone else since Triple H has somewhat teased his heel turn. Guess we'll know beyond EC what their plans are but I very much doubt they ever considered Batista vs. Orton as their main event. It just sounds like nonsense to me. If Batista is staying a face, and it's not against Lesnar, then it would only be Cena. There is no way they put jobber Orton in there with him. The only other option is a match involving more than two people.
So WWE hyped Batista's return and gave him a Royal Rumble win so that they could take his title shot away. I'm not buying that theory. I really believe that WWE thought that we actually like Batista, and that we consider him a mainstream start. Even though he's not and we don't.
So WWE hyped Batista's return and gave him a Royal Rumble win so that they could take his title shot away. I'm not buying that theory. I really believe that WWE thought that we actually like Batista, and that we consider him a mainstream start. Even though he's not and we don't.
I have a feeling that similar to The Rock, Batista winning the rumble and then winning the title at Mania is literally written into his contract, so they're pretty much fucked unless they can convince Batista the plan is a terrible one.
So WWE hyped Batista's return and gave him a Royal Rumble win so that they could take his title shot away. I'm not buying that theory. I really believe that WWE thought that we actually like Batista, and that we consider him a mainstream start. Even though he's not and we don't.
How on earth do you get that from the post? Obviously they're not taking his title shot away. It was clear he was going to be involved with the title at Wrestlemania, whether by winning the Rumble or the title at EC, as soon as his return promos began saying he wants the belt. Now that he's actually won the Rumble, we know he's going in as challenger. I'm saying I don't believe they would ever do a Batista vs. Orton match at Wrestlemania for the title. That means either Orton is dropping the belt, or there are more than two people in that match. Like I said, we'll see what their plan is after EC, but these reports do sound like random speculation.
I could care less if the WWE Network works fine at 11PM Eastern, I'll be happily asleep then and in a country that is geolocked from using it anyways. I'm just saying that I've had bad experiences with WWE PPV streams and I don't see half a million people logging on at the same time working properly when they initially launch.
I could care less if the WWE Network works fine at 11PM Eastern, I'll be happily asleep then and in a country that is geolocked from using it anyways. I'm just saying that I've had bad experiences with WWE PPV streams and I don't see half a million people logging on at the same time working properly when they initially launch.
PPV streams aren't on MLB infrastructure, I've used MLB extensively though for years and it's fine. The only place that may have an issue is the signup on their site, since I don't know if that's being handled via MLB's pipe or not, and they're not letting you pre-register.
MLB Advanced Media has dealt with TONS of streams far larger than WWE's, so I'm comfortable, you negative nancy.
PPV streams aren't on MLB infrastructure, I've used MLB extensively though for years and it's fine. The only place that may have an issue is the signup on their site, since I don't know if that's being handled via MLB's pipe or not, and they're not letting you pre-register.
MLB Advanced Media has dealt with TONS of streams far larger than WWE's, so I'm comfortable, you negative nancy.
XBL went down? Microsoft is really good with their infrastructure in general, they push out Windows Updates so it's not their first rodeo. I've not experienced any outages or slowness aside from a weird blip here and there over the past couple years.
XBL went down? Microsoft is really good with their infrastructure in general, they push out Windows Updates so it's not their first rodeo. I've not experienced any outages or slowness aside from a weird blip here and there over the past couple years.
XBL went down? Microsoft is really good with their infrastructure in general, they push out Windows Updates so it's not their first rodeo. I've not experienced any outages or slowness aside from a weird blip here and there over the past couple years.
We're getting a wintry mix for the next full day. Gonna be hazardous. Considering doing my Workplace Special Call-In - where you don't go in due to the weather but actually say you're sick and would try.
As we noted last week, Kurt Angle gutted his way through the TNA UK tour with a knee injury and is slated to undergo surgery shortly after he returns to the United States. The surgery was originally planned for late January but was pushed back by Angle so he didn't miss the TNA tour after Jeff Hardy was unable to go and Sting left the company, leaving Angle as the biggest "name" on the roster.
During the Glasgow, Scotland tapings, an angle was shot where
Angle was beaten with steel chairs
, which appears to be where he is written out of TNA storylines.
The next day in Manchester, Angle was informed by TNA Creative that he was slated to do a run-in during a segment. Sources indicated that Angle hit the roof because he had already been written out of storylines and because he was working despite doctor's orders to not do anything physical due to the impending surgery. John Gaburick was said to have been on the wrong end of Angle's rant and in the end, Angle did not work that taping.
However, an angle was filmed at the Wembley Arena where
Angle, after accepting his TNA Hall of Fame induction, ends up in a physical confrontation with Ethan Carter III and announces he will wrestle Carter in a cage at Lockdown
.
So, unless the angles were filmed out of sequence, it appears TNA is expecting Angle to gut through the Lockdown PPV as well.
I'm wondering whether it's a case of WWE learning their lesson, or they just don't really want to get behind Daniel Bryan, but they seem to realise directly endorsing him is the wrong way to go.
Remember that horrendous segment last year where they killed "Fandangoing" instantly, a week after it started? I hope they realise the whitebread corporate WWE endorsing something as "cool and groovy" is the exact opposite of what people enjoy seeing.
Bryan, if they get behind him, needs the Austin way of promotion, where the company of course promotes him but pretends they don't on TV.
Would Daniel Bryan have the same level of fan support if it seemed like the company was behind him at all? I don't think so, but I also don't think they are smart enough to build that intentionally.
Would Daniel Bryan have the same level of fan support if it seemed like the company was behind him at all? I don't think so, but I also don't think they are smart enough to build that intentionally.
His constant screwing over definitely helped to build him in the eyes of the fans, and that certainly wasn't intentional for 90% of his WWE career.
However, if he'd have gotten the usual top guy push, I think he would have still gotten over a lot. He's just very good at connecting with the audience.
Would Daniel Bryan have the same level of fan support if it seemed like the company was behind him at all? I don't think so, but I also don't think they are smart enough to build that intentionally.
Interesting, he was supposed to be on the same episode as CM Punk, correct?
I think Punk should be respected for not settling for #2. Guy wants to be the top dog, WWE wants John Cena, Punk gets pissed off, I get that. If I wasn't pushed ahead of inferior colleagues because they were the bosses pet project I'd fucking blow a lid at some point too I'm sure.
Especially if I had the money to walk away without consequence.
I wonder if the past 8 years of pushing Cena has skewed WWE's perspective on what an underdog is. Cena has not been an underdog since about 2006, but they seem to think that if they say he is, then he is.
