WWE General

[Eizan 126]

You know somebody should really come up with a rule set for a Hell in a Cell match...

 

 

[Vic Boss 612]

Dig the graphics and production values on SDL

 

[MT 917]

One of the dudes I saw back at Bar Wrestling was on 205 Live tonight, wrestled against Daivari. Unfortunately he wasn't able to get any actual offense in. ?

 

Edit: Jesus fucking christ. How awful.

[Vic Boss 612]

I don't think anyone in WWE management actually watches sports. Generally, you draft the best players first and then the so-so's and then after them the scrubs.

[Garlic Junior 136]

I didn't even watch the draft. Did lower tier wrestlers get drafted early?

[Vic Boss 612]

Format = they'd have a Raw vs Smackdown match, and the winner got to select first for the round. Each round Consisted of 2 SDL picks and 3 Raw picks (Because Raw has a third hour, so they need a larger roster). Instead of doing what sports would do, picking the best players first, they instead seemed to save a number of higher tier stars so that most rounds would have someone interesting get picked.

 

So you had a situation like Seth Rollins, despite being the Universal Champion and one of the top stars in the company, basically getting picked almost 30th overall because they had to save some big-time picks for Raw, which means people like Nattie, the Viking Raiders and Heavy Machinery got picked ahead of him on Smackdown.

[Blackjak 57]

@Garlic Junior

 

Yeah, what Mad said... so they had a "pool" of Superstars that could be drafted for Smackdown and one for Raw as their way of trying to make it so not every champion was immediately drafted during Smackdown (Part one of the draft was last Friday on Smackdown, Part two last night on Raw). 

 

And they shared the list of these pools. Unfortunately, someone (probably now fired) forgot to alphabetize those lists before putting them on dot com. So they were listed... before the show... in the order they ended up being drafted. 

 

Everyone picked up on this early, so we just followed along. WWE tried to mix it up a little, and alphabetized the pool lists over the weekend, but everything I think pretty much stayed as it was supposed to. Miz may have been the only one that ended up on a different show than originally intended. 

 

So yeah, they WWE'd their own draft. 

 

And everyone that wasn't drafted is a free agent that can go to whatever show they choose to. (Still permanently, not like a Wild Card or anything)

---

 

Cesaro was not drafted. Titus O'Neil was. That's a thing that happened. 

[Garlic Junior 136]

Okay, THAT'S hilarious

[Blackjak 57]

Raw Roster:

 

Spoiler

Men:

Seth Rollins (c), AJ Styles (c) [part of OC], Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, Andrade [w/ Zelina Vega], Rusev, Aleister Black, Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio, R-Truth (c), EC3, Eric Young, Sin Cara, Cedric Alexander, Humberto Carillo, Erick Rowan, Buddy Murphy, Jinder Mahal, Akira Tozawa, Shelton Benjamin, Titus O'Neil

 

Women:

Becky Lynch (c), Alexa Bliss, Natalya, Nikki Cross, Charlotte Flair, Zelina Vega, Kabuki Warriors (c), Liv Morgan

 

Tag Teams:

The Viking Raiders (c), The OC (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson), Street Profits

 

 

 

 

Smackdown Roster:

Spoiler

 

Men:

Brock Lesnar (c), Shinsuke Nakamura (c) [w/ Sami Zayn], Roman Reigns, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Kofi Kingston [part of New Day], Daniel Bryan, Ali, The Miz, King Corbin, Shorty Gable, Elias, Apollo Crews, Drew Gulak, Heath Slater

 

Women:

Bayley (c), Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, Tamina, Carmella

 

Tag Teams:

The Revival (c), New Day, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, Lucha House Party, Heavy Machinery, B-Team

 

 

Free Agents:

Spoiler

 

Men:

Cesaro, Luke Harper, Mojo Rawley, No Way Jose

 

Women:

Dana Brooke, The IIconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce), Sarah Logan, Fire & Desire (Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville) 

 

Tag Teams:

AOP (Akam & Rezar), Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder

 

 

Unlisted in Draft Pools/Part-Time/Other:

Spoiler

The Usos, Jeff & Matt Hardy, Sheamus, Naomi, Lars Sullivan, Lana, Mike & Maria Kanellis, Nia Jax, Mickie James, Ruby Riott, Alicia Fox, The Ascension, The Colons, Cain Velasquez, John Cena, Ronda Rousey, The Undertaker

 

---

 

Note: EC3, Eric Young, Sin Cara, Apollo Crews, Drew Gulak, Heath Slater, Tamina, and The B-Team weren't actually drafted. They were the undrafted people from Smackdown and signed with their brands after. So don't worry... Sin Cara wasn't drafted before Cesaro

---

 

Finn is fully NXT now... wouldn't surprise me actually if Cesaro did the same. 

[MT 917]

Send Sami, Asuka and Nakamura back down to NXT too, plz.

[MT 917]

Bruce Prichard has replaced Eric Bischoff

[Blackjak 57]

Well that didn't take long

[Garlic Junior 136]

Wait, why is Zayn w/ Naka?

 

Also inb4 theories that Easy E was only signed to stop him joining AEW.

 

Also also I heard rumours that there will be a major announcement from both NJPW and "WWE concerning Japan" on the same day this month (18th?).

 

Also also also CM Punk doing an AMA on wreddit on the 25th.

[Blackjak 57]

3 hours ago, Garlic Junior said:

1) Wait, why is Zayn w/ Naka?

 

2) Also inb4 theories that Easy E was only signed to stop him joining AEW.

 

3) Also also I heard rumours that there will be a major announcement from both NJPW and "WWE concerning Japan" on the same day this month (18th?).

 

 

1) Basically playing his hype man/manager. Basically what Lio Rush was doing for Lashley... but far more entertaining

 

https://i.imgur.com/kUgu51B.gifv

 

2) It really could be that reasoning. Though apparently Fox weren't pleased with him.

 

3) Could be just coincidence and unrelated... could be a slew of things from New Japan stuff on the new tier'd Network to a combined one-time SuperShow to them helping with NXT Japan to them beginning a full partnership like NJPW's had with ROH (that's up, isn't it?). That last one would open door for the others, I guess.

 

I mean, the Viking Raiders had no problem mentioning that they were former IWGP Tag Champs in their post-win Promo last night and apparently there was some other New Japan-type mention somewhere... so who knows. 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

4 hours ago, Blackjak said:

 

1) Basically playing his hype man/manager?. ?Basically what? Lio Rush was doing for Lashley... but far more ?entertai?n?in?g

Excuse me.  Lio Rush album introducing the All Mighty Bobby Lashley was pure gold, and I'll hear nothing else.

[Vic Boss 612]

There is no way WWE and NJPW would be able to co-exist. WWE's trying to kill all other wrestling and NJPW is what the average Japanese person thinks of when the word "wrestling" comes up in Japan.

 

I do recall that WWE and Dragon Gate were talking to each other. Tozawa, Apollo and Ricochet were Dragon Gate guys. Dragon Gate's lost a number of their top stars because of management issues. You need a Japanese partner to break into Japan. Only thing that wouldn't make sense is that Dragon Gate is the exact opposite of WWE wrestling, it's small fast guys.

[Vic Boss 612]

NJPW bought Stardom. Sounds like they're covering their last base for when NXT Japan starts up

[Garlic Junior 136]

Should I be cautiously optimistic about this? NJPW hasn't really "done" Joshi, correct? Do they view it as equal, or carny sideshow?

[Vic Boss 612]

To be more specific, Bushiroad bought Stardom and it's still being run by the same people, separate from NJPW (and I think even a separate division of the company, the one that promotes Kickboxing or something), with their separate streaming platforms. They're going to try to build the brand up the same way they did NJPW, and likely use it to put on joint shows in the west because western fans demand women's divisions (RoH already had a working agreement with both NJPW and Stardom anyways).

 

I think there's room for optimism. Though, Harold Meij and Minoru Suzuki are on their way out, so who knows if everything's hunky-dory in NJPW right now too

[MT 917]

Looks like Jake Atlas may have signed with WWE

 

Dude is amazing to watch, not surprised he got snatched up quickly after BOLA.

[Vic Boss 612]

ACH/Jordan Myles testing if WWE actually will fire anyone or not.

 

Also apparently the NXT roster hasn't gotten their pay upgraded and some of them aren't seeing the progression they want (probably to the main roster). Oh boy

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

46 minutes ago, Death Rider Mox said:

ACH/Jordan Myles testing if WWE actually will fire anyone or not.

 

Also apparently the NXT roster hasn't gotten their pay upgraded and some of them aren't seeing the progression they want (probably to the main roster). Oh boy

What's the story with ACH?  Has he been tweeting some shit?

[Vic Boss 612]

He wasn't happy with the offensive T-Shirt that they're selling with his name on it and has been publicly calling out the WWE, Vince and Hunter over it. He trashed the WWE system and how they still employ Hogan, posted a video with him flipping the bird and saying "WWE doesn't care about black people" and called Jay Lethal an Uncle Tom (RoH even catching some bullets).

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Just read up on the whole issue as well.  It seems like the whole thing is a mess.  ACH clearly has a reason to be upset, but the circumstances with him apparently approving it until it came out definitely muddies the situation.  It feels like there's more here, like this is the catalyst to other things that have been bothering him.

 

I also think the intentions of WWE definitely make a difference of whether this should have been made public.  If either the samboism was intentional or this is the final straw in a string of racial injustices he's experienced, then WWE fully deserves to be put on blast.  But if it's an isolated incident that is more a case of WWE corporate not realizing how insensitive it is to represent a black guy with smiling red lips(according to Myles, the initial idea was a sort of parody of the Rolling Stones logo), then maybe it would be better to take this as a moment of education behind closed doors.

 

Of course, that ignores WWE's history of racially insensitive content, so they probably deserve to be called out in general.  And I think this definitely hints at more problems he's already been dealing with behind the curtain.

 

[Vic Boss 612]

The thing I don't really get: Vince McMahon isn't racist in the sense that he hates PoCs, but Vince is racist in the sense that if he thinks it will make him money, he'll do it regardless of any insensitivity unless it'll hurt business somehow, and even then, there is a certain amount of money or value where he'll stop giving a fuck even with the bad publicity. That filters down through his company, which means that for the most part, race isn't going to be an issue that's taken seriously in the backstage either way, it's just something to work the crowd with to make money. This has been true for decades. I don't know why people think Vince is the kindly Walt Disney grandfather of pro wrestling and then show up and somehow act shocked or surprised when things like this happen. It's par for the course when it comes to WWE, even down to ignoring the Gucci incident in pop culture and using that as internal lesson to avoid something like this, because upper management are old and rich and therefore don't pay attention to pop culture (or maybe in WWE's case, they think they ARE pop culture rather than just a reflection of it)

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

In reading up about this, a Forbes article made an interesting point.  Vince was 19 when the Jim Crow laws were abolished, so by the time he was an adult, those values were just baked into him.  So yeah, like you said, it's not that he's anti-black or anything.  He just doesn't realize/care that he exploits them.

[MT 917]

 

[Eizan 126]

 

That HHH entrance. 

 

I guess the WWE had to have a wrestling game like most of the product right now huh? 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Well, well...

 

Spoiler

"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt is now your Universal Champion.  Did not see that coming.

 

[Vic Boss 612]

Large portion of the Smackdown crew have been held back in Saudi Arabia and it apparently wasn't for plane or weather issue. Vince got out of there on his own plane. Rumours ofc start flying (unlike the SDL roster) that he had a disagreement with the Saudis over something. They won't be able to make it back in time for SDL so they'll be running either with a light crew or an emergency crew.

 

Pussy-ass Vince probs should've stayed behind regardless what the issue is.

[MT 917]

Smackdown sounds like a good one tonight. I read the post show thread on reddit.

[Vic Boss 612]

What a fucking main event

[Vic Boss 612]

Apparently the Saudis didn't pay Vince a lot of money, so Vince ordered the Saudi feed cut off and in retaliation the Saudis kicked talent off whatever plane they were using. If anyone chartered a flight out, they got out, everyone else had to wait for [however they ended up flying out]. Also WWE is apparently trying to cover it up and get any talent on video to say it was a mechanical issue.

 

Also it apparently can go deep enough that if WWE knew the Saudis were going to stiff them on pay, there's a massive inside trading scam they can get fucked by.

[MT 917]

Read the whole thread.

[Vic Boss 612]

They'd call up NXT guys in the event of a unionization, but then they have no one on NXT able to war with AEW. Also the people trying to unionize would get fired, which means a dispersal of high-quality talent with WWE-television exposure suddenly available for AEW, RoH, Impact, NJPW's American expansion, the UK indy scene, AAA etc.

[MT 917]

EVERYTHING IS FINE

[Vic Boss 612]

I'd be skipping out on that one next time

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 10/29/2019 at 12:20 AM, Death Rider Mox said:

I don't know why people think Vince is the kindly Walt Disney grandfather of pro wrestling...

 

Ironic

[Vic Boss 612]

WALTER murdering fools on Raw

[MT 917]

Hearing that Punk showed up on the WWE Backstage show tonight. Tried watching it on their site but the video would load for about two seconds, and then forward me to a page showing a Family Guy episode instead. 

[MT 917]

Punk on WWE Backstage

[MT 917]

 

[Garlic Junior 136]

Goofy af line though.

 

I enjoy Punk in any capacity. He can talk for days. Looking forward to this.

[MT 917]

Wish this were a bit more in depth, but it's still nice to see.

 

 

[MT 917]

 

[Garlic Junior 136]

ACH got his release

On 11/3/2019 at 6:36 PM, MT said:

Read the whole thread.

 

Genuinely though, *shocked Pikachu face* for the talent that chose to go for the payday. What did they actually THINK was gonna happen? A revolution for women's rights?

[MT 917]

 

Super happy to see that Cole/Dunne match was NXT caliber, and seemingly not touched by Vince. I was afraid with it being on the "main roster" that it'd be watered down, but I was pleasantly surprised.

 

Edit: And then they had to go fuck it up with Walter's quick elimination. What a crock of shit that was.

[Vic Boss 612]

My man Vinny Mac trying to hand AEW the Wednesday Night War

[Blackjak 57]

By making NXT more or less dominate the night (and weekend)? 

 

 

 

[Vic Boss 612]

Dominate?

 

- Rhea Ripley won via cheating with interference against heel Sasha when the crowd was ready for her to straight up win clean and make her an instant star the way they want Lacey Evans to be

+ Roderick steals a win (that's okay, he's a heel)

- Roderick had to steal a win off of someone else's finisher, doesn't win strong when most of NXT doesn't win strong over the course of the night

- Roderick's entrance gets cut off before the BOOM

+ Adam Cole BAYBAY (BOOM) and Pete Dunne got to do their thing at least

- Walter eliminated early like a fucking chump

+ Riddle pins RKO

- Riddle pins RKO with a fluke roll-up

- - - - - - - Riddle RKO'd and eliminated immediately right after

- Ciampa, the top babyface of the brand, is not the last elimination of his team

- Keith Lee also still loses

+ Shayna wins strong

- In a dead match

- Doesn't even kill Becky, just heel Bayley

 

Even though they upgraded the minor league to an equal brand, it was still pussy booking to protect the "main" roster from the "minor league" roster.