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Wow!

Fight Clubro have just announced this match for April....

Just saw this and thought I'd post it for everyone's information...


http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/andre-the-giant-set-for-big-upcoming-documentary-on-hbo/ar-AAmTkCH?ocid=ASUDHP

Forgot there was a smack down ppv Sunday. Watched the main event last night. Pretty good match, but the Miz is practically an auto channel change for me.

And yet his work is being almost universally praised these days - a model Heel, we're told!

He is the perfect heel and I cannot stand watching him wrestle. There is no redeeming quality about his character the heel mentality permeates every fiber of his slimy being he has so much heat with me it'll burn the perogies his beloved hometown of Parma Ohio to a crisp.

At this point I don't think I could like him if he turned face.

Doesn't that mean that, for you, he is the quintessential heel?!?

Anyway, can you believe Bayley won the Women's Championship?

I mean, most likely Charlotte is just winning in back at Fastlane, but still pretty cool.

And maybe, just maybe, one of her BFFs - Finn Bálor! - can make a shocking return to help her out?

 Alpharius wrote:
Doesn't that mean that, for you, he is the quintessential heel?!?

Was gonna say. The company's other supposed top heels (KO, Jericho, Styles) are just far too loveable to be effective. That's why Miz is so necessary right now. He did breath a bit of life into Dolph Ziggler for a while there.

Not sure where his next fued is coming from though. Probably Ambrose? Could be OK, but I'm not a huge fan of Ambrose either.

I thought Bailey's win was a strange choice. I really thought Charlotte was going on a long run this time (I had no basis for that feeling), and I would've thought that Bailey's first win would've been saved for a bigger PPV in the future. So yeah, it seems odd to me. At least it wasn't a clean win, and I'm sure Charlotte will regain at Fastlane. Could even be a bit of a squash.

I'm delighted in the Elimination Chamber result though. I'm also pleased with the way they finished the match. Clean pins on both Cena and Styles? That bodes well for Wyatt. He needs to be a strong Champ. None of this cowardly heel stuff.

Smackdown is intruiging at the moment. If they can keep Wyatt and Orton away from eachother for the next 6 weeks, it'll help make their Mania collision really interesting.

Does Orton put Wyatt over here?




Back in the UK, that Fight Club: Pro card I mentioned above is getting a bit ridiculous....



And on Sunday I went to the ICW FightClub TV taping. Headlined by Trent Seven vs Jimmy Havoc, with Wolfgang doing a little run-in at the end, it was a really good show. Lots of fun, lots of talent.... and a balcony leap through a table

Am I the only one utterly bored by Bray 'seriously looks like my mate Fat Paul' Wyatt?

I mean the whole 'inbred hick family' shpiel got quite old, quite quickly. And given he's rarely won a match without outrageous cheating has made it repetitive.

Any time he's there on his todd, he tends to get his head kicked in off The Face.

To be fair, they're not really doing the 'inbred hick family' anymore, are they?

He's not my favorite either, but he's an effective heel - and Smackdown does need more of those, so...

I'm not sure he's even an effective heel.

There's rarely any closure to his nonsense. Continually pick fights and 'harass' Daniel Bryan - get head kicked in. Switch to continually picking on John Cena - get head kicked in. Switch to Roman Reigns - get head kicked in. Switch to someone else.

Still, not as terrible a heel as Shamus.

That's a problem that "WWE CREATIVE" definitely had with him - and has had with him for quite some time.

So he can be an effective heel - when booked correctly.

The Elimination Chamber main event result and last night's Smackdown main event result show that, possibly, WWE CREATIVE has removed their heads from their butts in terms of booking him....'better'.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I'm not sure he's even an effective heel.

There's rarely any closure to his nonsense. Continually pick fights and 'harass' Daniel Bryan - get head kicked in. Switch to continually picking on John Cena - get head kicked in. Switch to Roman Reigns - get head kicked in. Switch to someone else.

I agree. That's a fair summary of his last couple of years. I think I said the same thing earlier in the thread.

I just think, as Alph points out, his booking in Elimination Chamber and this weeks Smackdown are at least... encouraging? (He said hopefully).


Did any of you guys catch the Tyler Bate - Trent Seven match on NXT this week?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it from across the pond.

What did you make of the pace, style, manner, etc?

Bray Wyatt, is one of the more interesting gimmicks that the WWE has had in awhile I think he's solid. That being said I'm excited for Samoa Joe he's a great talent.

I think WWE need to really think about there heels.

They can be fun, but when they all repeatedly get out of a loss because their goon squad shows up, it's predictable and dull - and the second their goon squad is stripped away (by one means or another) boom, time to eat some mat.

Would it kill them to have a heel that isn't surrounded by goons, but is instead just a really, really awesome wrestler - someone for the Face to have to train against.

I mean, you can't be a hero if you don't have a montage, no?

Yes, WWE needs to do fewer schmoz/dodgy endings and just have the Heels win 'clean' every now and then!

Getting closer!

http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/article/finn-balor-appears-at-nxt-tapings

And while I'm OK with 'guest appearances' all over the place, I do hope he makes his 'official medically cleared return' up on the main roster, challenging for the title he never officially lost!!!

Someone showed me this Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) entrance from Wrestle Kingdom 8. Just think of this happening at Wrestlemania

That was great! - and yeah, that's the eventual goal, no doubt!

I'm not sure he'll have an actual match at this year's Wrestlemania, but I certainly hope so.

You know what could be very cool, Heel turn wise?

A complete switch of the Roster.

So the current Faces gain too much power, and go a bit 'mad in the head' - setting up unfair matches to punish heels etc.

Wouldn't have to be a long term thing, and you could even keep John 'ultimate Face, can never turn Heel for reasons of munneh' Cena out of that - perhaps rallying the fallen Heels in the name of sportsmanship and not bring Sports Entertainment into disrepute?

Debating reactivating my WWE Network memebership.

I mean, £9.99 a month, and you get £15 PPVs thrown in?

But I ditched it because plots were being repetitive (not helped by repeated injuries to the top card)

Man, that Orton/Wyatt storyline from last night?

Ouch.

Channeling the worst parts of 90's Wrestling?

Not good.

The Hardy's are getting away with it just because they seem to really be enjoying it.

And now, the Hardy's are free agents again too...

Not sure what the storyline was.

But a question....

Am I the only one who finds NXT a better viewing experience that the main WWE roster?

NXT can be just as hit or miss, but benefits from a bit more frenetic pace as well as being a shorter overall show.

For me, that's usually why SMACKDOWN beats RAW most days too.

Sadly, the weekly shows are one of the reasons I ditched my Network sub.

Here in the UK, we're a month behind on weekly shows, but up to date on PPV - all thanks to Sky being difficult, it would seem.

Means I can't follow the plot lines!

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Sadly, the weekly shows are one of the reasons I ditched my Network sub.

Here in the UK, we're a month behind on weekly shows, but up to date on PPV - all thanks to Sky being difficult, it would seem.

Means I can't follow the plot lines!

Don't worry, The Network is a month behind in the US with Smackdown and RAW as well... Its broadcasting rights with USA Network, part of the reason I canceled my free trial. I like the NXT stuff I've seen online but only after I hear from people that it's worth watching.

Reddit's SquaredCircle keeps me up to date on most.of what's going on with the WWE.

I found out I'm going to the NXT show in Cleveland Friday, hopefully Johnny Gargano will get to show off in front of the hometown crowd.

Also, Lucha Underground seasons 1 and 2 are coming to Netflix March 15th.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Not sure what the storyline was.

But a question....

Am I the only one who finds NXT a better viewing experience that the main WWE roster?

Yeah, NXT seems a little more grounded and old school than the other shows.

Alpharius wrote:Man, that Orton/Wyatt storyline from last night?

Ouch.

Channeling the worst parts of 90's Wrestling?

Not good.

The Hardy's are getting away with it just because they seem to really be enjoying it.

And now, the Hardy's are free agents again too...

Worryingly... I quite liked it?

Not sure why. It was obviously pretty silly and OTT but I didn't mind it. One of those ones where I would've been cringed up like an accordian if there were any non-wrestling fans in the room with me watching it, but one that I quite guiltily enjoyed alone.

Randy Orton is a dispicable character. I really don't like him. He's my quintessential heel as the Miz is to Alfndrate (he looks a bit like the dude who bullied me when I was a boy too, that helps)

And Wyatt is destined to be a big "every-man/Jake the Snake" babyface. This is the turn we all knew was coming. Although Orton's betrayal came sooner than expected, I thought Bray sold it pretty well. If they build it well over the next few weeks, have Orton get really, really nasty, make Wyatt look powerless without Sister Abigail, then have Wyatt fething DESTROY Orton at 'Mania? I'll be delighted. I think that'd have to be they way to go?

Surely Orton puts Wyatt over at 'Mania? Can't see it going any other way.

Maybe Harper could get involved and join back up with Wyatt? That'd be a hugely popular face team as well.

Alpharius wrote:NXT can be just as hit or miss, but benefits from a bit more frenetic pace as well as being a shorter overall show.

For me, that's usually why SMACKDOWN beats RAW most days too.

For me it's the sole reason why I watch Smackdown most weeks, and rarely watch RAW. I generally just catch up with what happens on RAW on Whatculture.com. Which is a shame, because I'll miss big moments/surprises (Samoa Joe's debut for eg), but it's just too difficult a show to sit through for me, and 3 hours a week is quite a big chunk of my limited free time.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Debating reactivating my WWE Network memebership.

I mean, £9.99 a month, and you get £15 PPVs thrown in?

But I ditched it because plots were being repetitive (not helped by repeated injuries to the top card)

I'm really happy with my subscription.

Obviously you get the current PPV's which I look forward to watching on the Monday evening usually. I watch and enjoy NXT for most of the reasons mentioned above. The one hour format helps a great deal. It's also more atractive to me now that the UK guys are appearing on it (Trent Seven, Bate, Dunne and Mandrews in recent weeks).

But outside the current stuff, there's the archive which is just bottomless - as you know if you were a previous subscriber.

I started off just rewatching the stuff I remember (a span of only about 5 years) for the nostalgia, but now I find myself going back in for much older stuff. I listen to the Bruce Prichard podcast religously, really enjoy it, and it's nice to go back and what some of the events and wrestlers which they discuss. Conrad Thompson also has just started doing a podcast with Tony Schiavone too, which means I'm watching old WCW stuff, which I never watched in my youth.

I even watched Starrcade '83 the other day. An event held 4 days before my birth.

I'm also encouraged by the rumours of the Network picking up some Independent shows too.

Fair enough - and that might be why I didn't like it much - I really can't stand Orton.

At all.

And this 'betrayal'?

We all knew it was coming, but it was way too rushed.

On top of that, Wyatt is the big Heel here, and yet in that segment he really looked/acted/felt like the Babyface!

But I'm with you - if this means that Orton gets crushed at Wrestlemania?

OK!

But is this going to make it a Triple Threat Match now?

Styles/Wyatt/Orton with the WEE Championship?

The rumour is Styles heading for a clash with Shane McMahon......

.......

........

Ah, that's right!

I'd forgotten about that...

Ugh.

Looks like there's a potential for a Finn Bálor/Rollins (!) tag team vs. HHH/Samoa Joe at Wrestlemania!

Or, a solo Bálor/Joe match IF Rollins is OK to go solo vs. HHH.

Wrestling is funny - imagine a Bálor/Rollins tag team (Bálor injured by heel Rollins) vs. HHH/Joe (who injured a face Rollins!)...

Wow!