The Wrestling Thread III

[KK]

Just noticed Channel 5 has bumped the WWE SmackDown Highlights to their sister station, the Paramount Channel, joining NXT (UK). They’ve replaced it with Spongebob Squarepants, Ryan’s Mystery Playdate and repeats of Friends. Guess the ratings were awful, even for 10am.

After the last couple of weeks airing AEW at 10pm, ITV4 has shunted it back to 11:45pm this week because of a Bond film (itself broken up by the news ). Has to be the most infuriating network on television.

[Slimgrady]

What sort of contracts are AEW and WWE signing over here?! You would assume a regular time slot would be penciled into it, allowing for maybe an overrun in a live sport to bump it if necessary. No wonder people, including myself, are watching wrestling programming via bite size YouTube clips these days.

[KK]

I've been watching some of the earlier SmackDown's from 1999 on the WWE Network and listening through a sound system some of the opening pyro has been immense. It's just obnoxiously loud.



I can only imagine what it must have sounded like in the building, same with RAW IS WAR.

[Slimgrady]

Kenny Omega’s new entrance is outstanding, douchebaggary at it’s finest

[KK]

I can't remember the bloke's name, but that match Chris Jericho had with that bald Festus looking bloke on the 30th Anniversary show had to be the worst main event match AEW has put out yet, and one of the lousiest Jericho's had in I can't even remember how long. I did like however, having noticeably developed a gut in the last few months, they pointed out Jericho's impressive looking abs last week.

Is it just me or has there been a lot more comedy creeping into Dynamite recently? Tony Schiavone is definitely becoming the butt of more jokes every week.

I presume they're doing a wrestling wedding at some point too, which to me has always felt like WWE territory, despite WCW and TNA also attempting such wackiness over the years.

[captain red dog]

So thoughts on the Jericho/MJF musical? I'm kind of on the negative side. I really didn't laugh, but I do respect MJF and Jericho for doing something really different and it was only 4 minutes long so it's not like it was show or career ruining. It was definitely a watchable segment and by no means turned me away. People comparing it to Rock or Austin singing though, it's totally different as those segments were at least done in a context of some kind of reality. But I can't begrudge them for really trying something and it's not like I hated it.

Kenny Omega's new intro was kind of the same as his old one. I can't even remember his entrance music so that probably says something. I know they probably want to steer clear of looking like HHH but it feels time to pull the trigger on the Elite and actually let them have some title belts. It would probably work well with The Bucks and Omega as a heel, maybe turn Cody too.

Also, WWE need to stop being petty and let Cody have the Rhodes name back. That's probably one of the most stupid and frustrating wrestling "controversies" at the moment.

Back to Jericho/MJF, I don't think it did MJF any favours as the top heel. MJF is an absolutely incredible talent and the best heel in the business at present in my opinion and this basically babyfaced him. I almost want to see them do something unexpected and have Jericho turn on MJF and see just how good MJF is at a babyface run.

I really do compare MJF to Flair who was superb as a heel or face, and I'd like to see MJF really tested as a talent by going babyface at some point.

[Slimgrady]

Omega and the Bucks and Cody with all the gold as “The Elite” heels has to happen, which in turn would be the prime opportunity to have Hangman be the top face in the company fighting against them.
I found the Jericho/MJF segment hilarious, more so the banter and steak ordering than the singing, but a good, silly segment all the same.

[captain red dog]

Omega and the Bucks and Cody with all the gold as “The Elite” heels has to happen, which in turn would be the prime opportunity to have Hangman be the top face in the company fighting against them.
I found the Jericho/MJF segment hilarious, more so the banter and steak ordering than the singing, but a good, silly segment all the same.

Cody going heel would be a good way for him to take the title. As time goes on, that was such a silly stipulation. He definitely gave too much sway to those who thought he would be HHH.

Totally agree, the Jericho/MJF segment I was fully behind until the singing. But, having said that, I thought MJF had a fantastic singing voice and it felt like he lived up to that segment on the Rosie O'Donnel talk show bit when he was a kid.

I can't say I hated it, but I can't say I loved it. I feel like the embodiment of the wrestling community on twitter today!

[KK]

Just watched the clip of the ‘steak dinner’ on YouTube. I thought it was rather amusing in its sheer silliness and was undoubtedly entertaining, which coincidently ties in with my previous post about comedy suddenly being at the forefront of what they’ve been doing recently. I can perfectly understand if a number of people didn’t like it though, likely those that also want their wrestling programming to be presented as a sport and the antithesis of a McMahon-ish way of doing things. It does amaze me however that every company that has ended up on a mainstream network, whether that be WCW, TNA or now AEW, ultimately morphs into WWE-lite. That may have made sense at one point in time, but why you’d go down the overt sports entertainment route when that way of doing things has only resulted in a diminishing audience for WWE doesn’t make any sense.

I’m reminded again of a story Eric Bischoff loves telling and that’s when they launched Nitro he looked at everything that made them different to the competition, as the worst thing you can do is trying to out WWF the WWF. And yet it’s a trap promoter after promoter, storyline writer after the next have found themselves falling into. The wrestlers clearly have a lot more creative freedom in their promo work, which tends to make for a far more engaging interview with less stunted delivery (there’s none of that contrived “WWE Universe” bullshit on Dynamite), but the end result is still becoming more WWE-like as the weeks go by, and you’re also seeing that with a notable increase in backstage skits on AEW (something Tony Khan originally said would be kept to a minimum). This I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on because of Covid, but it does have the side effect of reducing the differences between the two promotions. When you’ve got Tony Schiavone lying naked on a bed, aside from a towel, having a chest wax while conducting an interview with Britt Baker you could be mistaken for thinking you’ve tuned into RAW.