WWE/NXT/AEW/NJPW Thread

[Jack Brickman]

I'm just trying to brainstorm something for Joe to do since he had his big debut, and now his initial opponent is on the shelf. I struggle to think of a better (and plausible) scenario. They probably won't put on a 5 star match, but it's not like their NXT matches stunk, they were still pretty good.

In regards to Rollins, if it's just the MCL, that's 4-8 weeks. I assume they'd keep the match on while having a back up plan if there is a set back.

On a related note: We'll probably never know the answer to this, but I really wonder what the plans were for Joe after Fastlane when Rollins moved on to Triple H.

Yeah, Joe is certainly going to need a new feud. Rumors are that Goldberg will be taking the title off of Owens at Fastlane because the WWE hates us, so unless that changes it looks like Owens won't be facing Joe. That also wouldn't make a lot of sense unless they were going to turn Owens face, which I don't think is in the cards right now.

I agree their NXT matches weren't bad, but they just weren't great either, and I don't have a lot of desire to see them have another long feud on the main roster. If Balor is coming back, I'd rather he feud with Owens over the title he never lost. Their matches in NXT weren't amazing either, but they were better than the Balor/Joe matches, and they also a long time ago so they're less fresh in the mind. I feel like I just got done watching Balor and Joe feud, and that feud just isn't compelling in the ring on the level of, say, Zayn/Owens, who I am totally fine with watching whenever because they are always great together.

Good question regarding Joe. I honestly have no idea what they were going to do with him after Fastlane. It also seems weird that they'd have him lose his first PPV match, so maybe they were going to do a DQ finish or something that gave Rollins the "win" but also kept Joe strong. Guess it doesn't matter now.

By the way, the rumored 'Mania card is...kind of awful. I'll put it in spoilers.

Spoiler: Wrestlemania Card Spoilers

* WWE Universal Championship: Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
* WWE Championship: Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
* RAW Women’s Championship: Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax
* Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker
* Seth Rollins vs. Triple H
* Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho
* AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
* John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse
* The Big Show vs. Shaquille O’Neal
* Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

I mean, yikes that is bad. Lesnar and Goldberg for the title is vomit-inducing. Taker can barely even move and looked like absolute shit in the Rumble. I have no desire to watch Styles be wasted on Shane McMahon, although rumors are now that Shane may battle Triple H if Rollins can't go, which will at least be unoffensive since it's not wasting a guy with Styles' talent.

Supposedly Nikki Bella is going to retire soon due to her neck issue getting worse, and so that mixed tag match may be her sendoff. I don't really have a problem with it so much as I have a problem with them having Cena win the title only to drop it literally two weeks later and then be inserted into a totally meaningless 'Mania match. What a fucking waste. The Big Show and Shaq...whatever. It's going to be a shit match but it probably won't be long.

The only matches I'm looking forward to on that card are Wyatt/Orton (looks like Wyatt will finally win a singles title...about fucking time) and Owens/Jericho (which has been a long time coming, although sadly it probably won't be for the Universal Title). The women's match probably won't be bad, but I'm also not all that excited about it. Rollins/HHH probably would have been good too, but it may not happen now.

 

[TheLand1287]

Yeah, Joe is certainly going to need a new feud. Rumors are that Goldberg will be taking the title off of Owens at Fastlane because the WWE hates us, so unless that changes it looks like Owens won't be facing Joe. That also wouldn't make a lot of sense unless they were going to turn Owens face, which I don't think is in the cards right now.

I agree their NXT matches weren't bad, but they just weren't great either, and I don't have a lot of desire to see them have another long feud on the main roster. If Balor is coming back, I'd rather he feud with Owens over the title he never lost. Their matches in NXT weren't amazing either, but they were better than the Balor/Joe matches, and they also a long time ago so they're less fresh in the mind. I feel like I just got done watching Balor and Joe feud, and that feud just isn't compelling in the ring on the level of, say, Zayn/Owens, who I am totally fine with watching whenever because they are always great together.

Good question regarding Joe. I honestly have no idea what they were going to do with him after Fastlane. It also seems weird that they'd have him lose his first PPV match, so maybe they were going to do a DQ finish or something that gave Rollins the "win" but also kept Joe strong. Guess it doesn't matter now.

By the way, the rumored 'Mania card is...kind of awful. I'll put it in spoilers.

Spoiler: Wrestlemania Card Spoilers

* WWE Universal Championship: Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
* WWE Championship: Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
* RAW Women’s Championship: Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax
* Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker
* Seth Rollins vs. Triple H
* Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho
* AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
* John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse
* The Big Show vs. Shaquille O’Neal
* Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

I mean, yikes that is bad. Lesnar and Goldberg for the title is vomit-inducing. Taker can barely even move and looked like absolute shit in the Rumble. I have no desire to watch Styles be wasted on Shane McMahon, although rumors are now that Shane may battle Triple H if Rollins can't go, which will at least be unoffensive since it's not wasting a guy with Styles' talent.

Supposedly Nikki Bella is going to retire soon due to her neck issue getting worse, and so that mixed tag match may be her sendoff. I don't really have a problem with it so much as I have a problem with them having Cena win the title only to drop it literally two weeks later and then be inserted into a totally meaningless 'Mania match. What a fucking waste. The Big Show and Shaq...whatever. It's going to be a shit match but it probably won't be long.

The only matches I'm looking forward to on that card are Wyatt/Orton (looks like Wyatt will finally win a singles title...about fucking time) and Owens/Jericho (which has been a long time coming, although sadly it probably won't be for the Universal Title). The women's match probably won't be bad, but I'm also not all that excited about it. Rollins/HHH probably would have been good too, but it may not happen now.

Spoiler

I don't understand why you need a title for Goldberg vs Lesnar. Owens/Jericho with both the Universal and US Titles on the line sounds like a much better option. Raw Women's match looks good. So does Rollins/HHH IF it happens. I'm actually ok with that mixed tag match only because it keeps Cena out of the title picture and The Miz can do worse than a feud with Cena. And he deserves a high profile feud. Big Show vs Shaq is dumb as hell, but WM always has some gimmick type shit like that, so whatever. Reigns/Taker and Styles/Shane are really what is holding this card back. No one wants to see a legend like Undertaker, no matter how past his prime he is, lose to the most hated superstar on the roster. And one of the best wrestlers on the planet, AJ Styles, is totally being wasted when he should be in a main event match. I'm also assuming there will be some sort of multi team tag match for Raw between The Club, New Day, Cesaro/Sheamus, and maybe Cass/Enzo. So, I guess where does this leave Ambrose?

 

[Tornicade]

so apparently Reigns and Stroman are matched for fastlane.
and Reigns is slated for undertaker for Wrestlemania according to how the rumble went down.

what to do with Samoa Joe? Zayn or Owens? or have him feud with Big show

or does he just trash on the b listers for a bit in hopes of a reigns return

only other guy is Jericho

Edit ... looks the the Owens vs Goldberg is happening. . Hopefully Owens Retains or at the very least gets to put on a good showing

 

[Kizzle]

I'm critical of a lot but someone explain to me why Reigns VS Taker is not a Wrestlemania caliber main event. Also explain to me why this Goldberg VS Owens thing isn't sweet. A year ago that would've been a dream match and WWE is giving it to us now no one cares?


This RAW was ok. I honestly only watched the first segment and fast forwarded stopping at kinda cool stuff and then watched the final match all the way through.


Iv done this the past 2 weeks and RAW actually becomes bearable lol I got to skip the useless women's matches, a useless New Day promo that did NOTHING and I got to skip the Cruiserweights

 

[Jack Brickman]

I'm critical of a lot but someone explain to me why Reigns VS Taker is not a Wrestlemania caliber main event.

Because everyone is sick of Roman Reigns being pushed and booked like he's John Cena. Fans got sick of how John Cena was pushed and booked over a decade ago. Very few fans want to see an all-powerful face who always wins his feuds and is booked like a monster heel, only they play it off like he's a good guy. It's just boring booking. Add to that the facts that Reigns was obviously pushed more because of his family name than because of his actual ability (to be fair, he has gotten a lot better in the ring, but his move arsenal is still really anemic) and he was pushed over a whole roster full of guys who were obviously better both in the ring and on the mic and you've got a recipe for fan backlash.

As far as Taker/Reigns goes, no one wants to see Reigns go over Taker, especially now that it might be Taker's last match. For one, the audience is going to shit all over it. Second, if the WWE tries to push Reigns as the face in that match (which, sadly, Vince is probably stubborn enough to do), it's going to backfire spectacularly.

So really, the problem is more one of booking than anything. Roman has been so mishandled to this point that he's bordering on unsalvageable, and fans are just sick of him now. He gets that classic X-Pac "go away" heat. What he really needs is an injury to sideline him for eight to twelve months, because that's the only thing that might save him from Vince's awful booking right now. And no one wants to see Taker put over one of the two full time guys on the roster (Cena being the other) that doesn't actually need the boost that beating Taker would give.

Also explain to me why this Goldberg VS Owens thing isn't sweet. A year ago that would've been a dream match and WWE is giving it to us now no one cares?

I haven't seen too many wrestling fans consider Goldberg to be dream match material with anyone. Even in his prime, Goldberg was a shit worker who only ever had two moves. The reason he's relevant is because WCW booked him brilliantly and worked with his limitations early on. The problem is that he never moved past those limitations. Where most guys start out raw and gradually work their way to becoming good workers, Goldberg never became anything more than a guy who could do a couple of things well and sucked at everything else.

Does anyone honestly see Goldberg/Owens becoming some classic? I sure as hell don't. I haven't seen Goldberg do shit in over ten years, and thus far all he's been tasked with doing was deliver two moves on Brock Lesnar a couple of times and clothesline a bunch of guys in the Rumble. If he couldn't work over a decade ago, I highly doubt he's spent his retirement learning how to wrestle.

More likely, Goldberg will squash Owens because they can't have him wrestling actual matches (he doesn't have the ability or the stamina for a real match at this point), the crowd will shit all over it, and yet another part-timer will be booked like he matters so much more than the guys who actually punch the clock every day and earn money for the WWE. The fact that a guy like Owens, who has been a highlight of the WWE for almost two years now both in the ring and on the mic, is going to drop his title to a fifty-year-old Goldberg is absurd. Kevin Owens is 32 years old and one of the top five workers in the WWE right now. He's a guy that should be treated as the future of the company, not some schmuck who gets to put over a fifty-year-old who will probably collect his 'Mania payday and then never be seen again. Booking like this is why the WWE has been hemorrhaging viewers for the past fifteen years.

Now, maybe all this talk of Goldberg winning has been bullshit and Owens will walk out with the belt, but I doubt it. And even if he does, he's been made to look like Goldberg's bitch already, as has Jericho (despite the fact that Jericho is a hundred times the wrestler that Goldberg is and is an actual legend of the business...also, Jericho kicked Goldberg's ass in real life).

Owens/Angle? Now that would be a fucking dream match.

 

[Tornicade]

Even if Lesnar comes in and bails out Kevin Owens. Owens will be made to look even weaker. most likely Owens would get speared out of the ring and out comes Lesnar.

Owens hasn't been allowed for a clean win since august and creative has Owens basically reenacting Seth Rollins Title run.

Goldberg isnt gonna take a powerbomb or a frogsplash or a cannonball roll

 

[Derek]

I'm critical of a lot but someone explain to me why Reigns VS Taker is not a Wrestlemania caliber main event. Also explain to me why this Goldberg VS Owens thing isn't sweet. A year ago that would've been a dream match and WWE is giving it to us now no one cares?


This RAW was ok. I honestly only watched the first segment and fast forwarded stopping at kinda cool stuff and then watched the final match all the way through.


Iv done this the past 2 weeks and RAW actually becomes bearable lol I got to skip the useless women's matches, a useless New Day promo that did NOTHING and I got to skip the Cruiserweights

Simply put, I think you have different tastes than a lot of us in here. I'd rather watch the women's matches, New Day promo, and cruiserweight than anything involving Reigns or a Goldberg title hunt right now.

I didn't initially mind the Goldberg/Lesnar stuff because they were keeping them away from the rest of the roster, but now that they're using everybody else to build them up (which they didn't need), it's awful. I've never had any interest in seeing Goldberg interact with anybody on the full-time roster.

Reigns/Taker I don't mind because I don't really care about Taker's matches anymore, and it keeps Reigns away from the matches I actually want to watch.

 

[Derek]

Obviously, things can change, and I'm sure they have a back up plan ready to go, but...

As noted, WWE had advertised an injury update for Seth Rollins on last night's Monday Night RAW after Rollins tore his MCL on last week's show during a brawl with Samoa Joe. Rollins flew to Birmingham, Alabama last week, where WWE physician Dr. James Andrews is based, to get his injured right knee evalutated. He then flew back to Birmingham over the weekend.

WWE didn't provide any new details on Rollins' injury, and noted that his participation at WrestleMania was in serious doubt. Dave Meltzer reported on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE officials are proceeding with the idea that Rollins will be able to make the show and face Triple H, as originally planned.

"Seth is considered good for WrestleMania," Meltzer said. "So Triple H vs. Seth is on, and that's what they're working towards."

Source: F4WOnline

 

[Real Deal]

I'm still upset HHH buried Sting at WM. But that was probably more Vince and his WWE/WCW ego. I figured HHH was more of a name putting people over for their glory. That was Sting's going out glory, not HHH.

Now HHH will put Seth over in prime fashion. He'll lose to his own pedigree, book it. Predictable booking at its finest.

 

[BMAN]

Plus it's looking like Takers last match. They're going to have shitty Roman fucking Reigns retire The Undertaker. No thanks

 

[TheLand1287]

I'm still upset HHH buried Sting at WM. But that was probably more Vince and his WWE/WCW ego. I figured HHH was more of a name putting people over for their glory. That was Sting's going out glory, not HHH.

Now HHH will put Seth over in prime fashion. He'll lose to his own pedigree, book it. Predictable booking at its finest.

I don't mind predictable booking as long as it's the correct booking. Triple H absolutely should put over Rollins. He did for Roman last year, and Bryan a few years ago.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I'm still upset HHH buried Sting at WM. But that was probably more Vince and his WWE/WCW ego. I figured HHH was more of a name putting people over for their glory. That was Sting's going out glory, not HHH.

Now HHH will put Seth over in prime fashion. He'll lose to his own pedigree, book it. Predictable booking at its finest.

I wouldn't say he buried Sting. He had to use a sledgehammer to win, after all. Regardless, Sting was already a legend at that point and was nearing the end of his career, so a win or a loss didn't really matter. I agree he should have won, but the writing was on the wall the second Vince made that feud into WWE versus WCW. Vince is too petty to have WCW come out on top even fifteen years after he finished them off.

 

[Jack Brickman]

View: https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/828830882790154241

 

[Real Deal]

KO is the show.

Stupid ending in the match either way.

If Goldberg wins the strap or how Goldberg wins by DQ

 

[Derek]

The only thing that makes less sense than Goldberg having the title is Lesnar having the title, and that's exactly what will happen at Mania if they follow through their presumed Fastlane plans.