The Strokes
Banned
Nah, he's gonna have his send off match in the next Takeover marking his anniversary and he'll probably debut on the Raw after Mania.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
February Wrasslin' |OT| Observe THIS, Brother!
- Thread starter Bronx-Man
- Start date
Nah, he's gonna have his send off match in the next Takeover marking his anniversary and he'll probably debut on the Raw after Mania.
serenewarfare
Banned
Really, really great Corey Graves video package that aired during NXT (tonight was his last show in NXT)
https://youtu.be/CFHIZ9gWc0I
https://youtu.be/CFHIZ9gWc0I
excelsiorlef
Member
Those confessional promos from Graves are amazing. It is really sad that his career ended before it really began, he could have been huge.
serenewarfare
Banned
He's the best commentator in the company now, so I'd say it worked out pretty well for him. Job security seems much higher at that position.
Also he had one of his best lines ever tonight:
"I was walking down the Riverwalk in San Antonio last night and saw a guy laying on the ground playing guitar. I gave him fifty bucks just for not being Elias Samson"
excelsiorlef
Member
Oh he's great, but I just mean he could have been like, and I mean this literally, the next CM Punk.
I am glad he's around at the commentator's table but damn I just feel we missed out on years of amazing promos.
serenewarfare
Banned
He was never gonna be the next CM Punk. I was higher on him than most, but his character just didn't work all that well and his matches were average most of the time, and at their best just pretty good. Strangely, as good a commentator as he is, his promos were only ever slightly better than average IMO. He would have ended up a midcard guy if he ever made it to the main roster. Upper midcard at absolute best.
excelsiorlef
Member
Disagree, but we'll never know
Side note:
I wish they never took the IC title away from the Miz (both times)
He should have been on a long reign and lost it after nearly say I dunno a year, to a debuting Tye Dillinger.
excelsiorlef
Member
Was thinking the same thing.
excelsiorlef
Member
Yep
as someone who hasnt been following nxt as long as you guys, this video is really interesting, I keep hearing how Corey was a wrestler but Ive never seen him. To see that he was in nxt at the same time as all the guys that are now in wwe proper (wyatts, shield guys, neville...hell he was even tag champ with neville apparently) is kinda mind blowing.
excelsiorlef
Member
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML_hfAoQMyk
Holy shit is NXT Alexa Bliss unnerving...
Thank god for her new gimmick.
Holy shit is NXT Alexa Bliss unnerving...
Thank god for her new gimmick.
PHOENIXZERO
Member
"Sterling James Keenan" was a dude I had in my development territory in EWR back in the day.
The thing is that Ember hasn't been booked as strong as Asuka who has steamrolled everyone except Bayley, Nia and Mickie James and maybe Bayley could be debated, Ember is "undefeated" (except at live event matches where AFAIK she's lost to Asuka in every match) but her wins aren't as dominant and it makes everyone she beats at least look like they could some day be on her level and beat her opposed to Asuka who completely outclasses everyone who is still in NXT that she's faced.
I agree about the character issues but that's on the creative end and I hope they give her some actual time to develop that, the issues with the presentation issues could be explained fairly easily, in terms of match quality Ember/Asuka is the best choice. Save Nikki Cross for Ember after Asuka is gone, assuming of course Ember beats Asuka, which she should but we'll see.
The thing is that Ember hasn't been booked as strong as Asuka who has steamrolled everyone except Bayley, Nia and Mickie James and maybe Bayley could be debated, Ember is "undefeated" (except at live event matches where AFAIK she's lost to Asuka in every match) but her wins aren't as dominant and it makes everyone she beats at least look like they could some day be on her level and beat her opposed to Asuka who completely outclasses everyone who is still in NXT that she's faced.
I agree about the character issues but that's on the creative end and I hope they give her some actual time to develop that, the issues with the presentation issues could be explained fairly easily, in terms of match quality Ember/Asuka is the best choice. Save Nikki Cross for Ember after Asuka is gone, assuming of course Ember beats Asuka, which she should but we'll see.
Bluekaveli
Member
Corey would've been jobbing or future endevoured by now. Don't even play yourself bwahaha!
Neat. I wonder if they are going to focus on his new look. Dude is hilarious in real life but I really hope they don't do a goofy fat guy gimmick for him.
serenewarfare
Banned
I still remember when they were planting seeds for her heel turn, most people (me included) were unsure if she could even work as a heel. Rarely have I ever been so happy to be so wrong.
excelsiorlef
Member
I still think going through Nikki is a better plan than Ember. Like it's flat out the more developed story already. With the whole they had to literally take Nikki out of the match for Asuka to be able to retain story from Saturday.
Nikki wins, beats Ember in her first try and we build that story, we should not go from one undefeated champ to the next undefeated champ.
I'll be honest though unless they fix that character Ember is going to be a dud as champ.
The Strokes
Banned
Go and watch 14-15 NXT, the best years of the brand so far. Almost every wrestler that's champ on the main roster is there.
excelsiorlef
Member
It's dumb, it makes her look like some hot topic tween.
Either become the killer her look and entrance suggests or drop that shit.
It makes me not give a fuck about her even if she's good in the ring.
Hence my pushing for Nikki Cross who is all in on her gimmick,
HashtagLapsed
Member
I wonder if Cien Almas doing the Ingobernables thing will be a main roster deal with Reigns going tranquilo.
People said they wanted that a while ago.
People said they wanted that a while ago.
The Strokes
Banned
Ember Moon screams for the need of a manager with that gimmick, the problem is that current NXT women's division needs a strong babyface.
excelsiorlef
Member
That's the other reason it should be Nikki Cross who takes the belt, face vs heel instrad of face vs uber super over face.
Hell Nikki takes the belt, Asuka demands a rematch, Ember comes in and says only if you come through me, reminding Asuuka of her Ember who? promo.
Ember beats Asuka... Asuka , Ember fights Nikki and like I said loses it the first time (maybe it's even the same night as the Ember/Asuka fight so we have the story of Ember being tired) and takes it on the second match.
serenewarfare
Banned
Ember Moon is obviously the choice to beat Asuka. She has the most to gain from it and the match is the best that division could currently put on. Cross has the Sanity gimmick, which will help her get over no matter what.
All of this is a moot point anyways because it has been obvious from Day 1 that Ember is who is being built to beat her. She's over enough (especially her finish) that she won't get resentment and the fans will buy it. Plus it immediately establishes her as the top woman in that division.
All of this is a moot point anyways because it has been obvious from Day 1 that Ember is who is being built to beat her. She's over enough (especially her finish) that she won't get resentment and the fans will buy it. Plus it immediately establishes her as the top woman in that division.
excelsiorlef
Member
Yeah I know I just wish they had more of a story to it.
Nikki's story with Asuka has been so much better.
serenewarfare
Banned
Nikki's story with Asuka is fine, but her beating Asuka doesn't add anything to it, unless she does it with help from the group.
Like let's not overestimate the story. It's literally just been "Nikki's craaaaazy! And she gives Asuka weird looks and stares at the belt!"
With Ember vs. Asuka they are already building the disrespect story with Asuka's promo tonight and they have the undefeated angle to push (yes, I know about the house shows).
TheChuggernaut
Banned
I dunno about the next CM Punk, but I always liked his submission based in ring style. It might of just been the people who were selling it, but even when he lost a match, I felt like his opponents needed like a few weeks off to heal from the damage he did to them. His promo's weren't great, but he always could of improved on that. Mid card sounds about right though.
excelsiorlef
Member
I mean the in ring stuff was Nikki pushing hard back against Asuka and making her look beatable even for a moment... that entire match was built around those two taking out Royce and Kay so that they could get back to their one on one fight.
The look at the end of the match was literally Nikki looking at Asuka and saying you're lucky I got taken out.
If they aren't going to give it to Nikki, and they aren't. I hope they never do the one on one match there, because Nikki gains a ton winning and loses a ton losing imo.
I will fully admit I just flat put prefer Nikki. So I'm arguing for major bias.
Bliss has got a pretty cool shirt that I'd say is safe to wear in the wild
The Strokes
Banned
If they're really going to make an Ingobernables knockoff, imagine if Nikki takes the belt from Asuka with the help from Sanity and then Andrade recruits her. That would massively help him, legitimize the stable and would just be plain awesome.
serenewarfare
Banned
I just think the "Asuka runs through everyone, gets cocky, then underestimates a young undefeated challenger" is a better angle for her to take her first loss off of than what would likely be a run-in filled mess with Sanity/Nikki Cross.
For example, when two hot undefeated sports teams meet up, the best scenario is that you have a great and close contest, but a clear winner. Something ending in controversy just sucks in that scenario. Asuka's first loss should be a clean one.
That would make no sense. Like, at all. Why the hell would she leave Sanity? Why would Andrade even want to join up with her? None of that works with their current stories or characters.
excelsiorlef
Member
I'm not even suggesting a run in Sanity has had zero impact on her feud with Asuka at all. They were no were to be seen during the four way match. I'd just flat out have Nikki drop Asuka clean.
serenewarfare
Banned
A long undefeated streak like this going cleanly to a heel is bad booking because all it can do is get her heat, and there are so many other ways to do that that don't involve burning 18 months worth of build. That win is much better suited to firmly establish a new top babyface (which is a hard thing to do) than it is to add more heat to a heel, which is relatively way, way easier.
excelsiorlef
Member
For the record I know you're right, I just think Ember's character is shit, whereas Nikki Cross is a complete package.
That and I don't like it going from undefeated champ to undefeated champ.
serenewarfare
Banned
I mean, for the record, Cross is undefeated too AFAIK. They just don't push it as much.
excelsiorlef
Member
Umm she literally lost on Saturday
And she lost by DQ in October and lost on TV back when she was Nikki Storm.
serenewarfare
Banned
Umm she literally lost on Saturday
I mean she did, but she never got pinned.
By that logic, Asuka isn't undefeated because she lost a battle royal a year ago on NXT TV.
Professor Beef
Banned
Artsy enough to pass for a regular graphic tee, yet familiar enough to those who know who Bliss is.
With the power vested in me by the WrestlingGAF Shirt Committee, I dub this shirt...#Safe
The Strokes
Banned
Asuka joining Andrade to take on Sanity wouldn't make sense?
serenewarfare
Banned
AH, I read it wrong. Thought you meant Cross joining Andrade. My mistake.
Still wouldn't really work though unless you turn Andrade face, which was fucking dreadful eight months ago. Also would be really flippy-floppy with his character in a bad way.
excelsiorlef
Member
I'd say there's a difference between a battle royal and a losing a title match.
And undefeated is definitely a gimmick more than a factual thing.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I wanted AJ vs Miz title for title as the main event of Mania and I wanted Cena vs Taker career vs career. Why is the IC title on a chump again and why is Randy Orton main eventing Mania? I don't understand anything.
excelsiorlef
Member
Goldberg/Lesnar is almost absolutely main eventing Mania
serenewarfare
Banned
I mean she "lost", but she's still technically unbeaten because she has not been pinned or submitted. You said it yourself that the story was that she only lost because she was taken out by Kay and Royce.
And even so, if you apply that logic to Ember Moon
she's not undefeated anymore either, because she's on the losing end of a three-way match in a few weeks on TV.
excelsiorlef
Member
Cool then!
Like I said undefeated is a gimmick more than anything real.
Again Ember is absolutely the right way to do it, I just don't want it because I think her gimmick sucks.
The Strokes
Banned
Yeah, the issue is that if you're gonna have someone who Full Sail isn't really into like Andrade create a stable, there needs to be someone that can make it work.
Vince doesn't want to give you what you want so you keep giving him $ in hopes of getting it someday, that is until the day you realize it's not happening, 85 years too late.
UberTag
Member
There's a part of me that would instead prefer to see the following tag match...
Kassius Ohno & Cesaro vs. Bobby Roode & Sheamus
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
They've literally been using the words main eventing mania referring to Randy winning the rumble. If his match really doesn't close the show after all that....lol.
I'm ok with Goldberg Lesnar main eventing if Goldberg Goldbergs again. But that's unlikely.