From a psychological standpoint, isn't the cash-in a shortcut to win a title, rather than winning it in a fair fight? So a very heelish thing? I don't get it
Fair point. Another reason why they need to retire the concept for a while.
Scott Keith
Rebuilding Karrion Kross
What if, next week on RAW, Karrion Kross comes out & jobs in two minutes again, throws down the NXT Title, and says “This devil shit ain't working. Next week you're gonna see the real Kross!”
The next Monday on RAW, he comes out in Tugboat's old gear with “Sailing” by Christopher Cross as his theme song? License to print money?
Only if he’s SHEIK TUGBOAT and suddenly he hates America for some reason.
The Return of the American Dragon
Unless WWE is somehow pulling off the greatest con since Montreal (snark), all signs seem to point to Daniel Bryan Danielson coming to AEW.
With 90 days after his final appearance being July 29th, how would you pref they handle the debut? Walk him out on the Jacksonville Dynamite a few nights later and move some tickets, or hold off until September for one of the bigger shows for the huge surprise?
Daniel didn’t get fired, his contract ended. He can show up on any show he wants any time he wants. 90 days only applies when WWE ends the contract early. Regardless I think he’s going to Japan once they get their shit together over there.
We are through the looking glass here
That's a level of meta I was not expecting…
Long as they don’t try to trademark Let It Play Out and See Where It Goes.
NXT in the WWE Universe
Is NXT officially part of the WWE Universe? These competing storylines are do confusing. Kross is undefeated & NXT champ. He shows up on RAW & jobs in a minute to a jobber.
Gargano & Ciampa hated each other. They show up on RAW as a tag team.
There are many more…
These decisions need a Deadpool time travel rewrite.
Don’t forget Charlotte retconning out her own NXT title reigns so they don’t count in her total anymore.
Raw Results
Job retiring Keith Lee!
Job debuting Karrion Kross!
Push Jinder again!
Give Goldberg another title shot!
Truthfully not even mad that’s amazing.
What say, you?
No disagreement here.
The Raw After An Actually Good PPV…
John Cena opens the show! (to challenge a guy who isn't there)
The NXT Champion makes a surprise appearance! (to lose to Jeff Hardy and get buried by the announcers)
Keith Lee is back! (to job to Lashley for no good reason)
Goldberg returns! (to stumble through another completely undeserved championship match)
Nikki cashes in! (to inflate Charlotte's ridiculous number of title reigns)
So how long until they screw all that momentum up? One night? Never change, Vince.
Remember when Raw was the A show?
You know, it’s even more sad and disappointing because I had ordered pizza and decided to sit down and watch the show for the first time in forever because the PPV was so great, and I got to Keith Lee and Karrion Kross and I was done. Bet I’m not alone.
Goldberg Question
Hot take here. Why doesn't the WWE build up a young hoss as an unbeatable monster like Goldberg in the late 90s rather than bringing a 54 year old Bill Goldberg back yet again?
HOW'S YOUR PROMOTION DOING, PAL?
Liar liar pants on fire??
Just watched the Broken Skull Session with Nash and boy. I feel like he was lying his ass off for most of the show but he was drinking so maybe he was saying some truths.
But how much was it lies (he never booked, he told Eric that they would never Vince) or truth?
I haven't watched it yet but does Nash really have any motivation to lie at this point? He seems to so thoroughly give no fucks at this point that he's probably telling the truth. Or maybe he's just messing with everyone. Either one is equally likely.
The Main Event
Hi Scott, I know we get on them, but when they were/are right, no one does epic like the WWF/WWE. And I know a lot of people will say Hogan-Andre, but for me Hogan-Warrior is the greatest Wrestlemania main event of all time. Not the match per se, but the spectacle of the event. It just felt epic, and it was a pretty damn good match. And I feel its the last true Wrestlemania main event until Austin-Rock at X-7, where it was like, “Ok, these are the top 2 guys.” Hogan-Rock, if it goes last, is definitely on this list. Rock-Cena and Shawn-Taker. Who do you have?
Hogan-Andre and I don’t think it’s even close.
Public Service Announcement
I recognize that it has been a long time since we’ve had fans at wrestling events so I wanted to help out with this special announcement.
If you are the person that yells too sweet after two counts please know that you are a fart that comes out of a girl part.
Have a great day everyone.
Harsh but fair.
Money in the TV Ratings
Money in the Bank was great and it was a breath of fresh air to see a WWE PPV end with clear cut main event matches established for the next PPV.
But isn’t the real money in TV ratings now and not the $5 it’s going to cost to watch Reigns vs. Cena and Rollins vs. Edge? While I’m definitely there for SummerSlam, there’s an almost zero percent chance I bother tuning in to Raw or Smackdown between now and then.
Obviously, SummerSlam is an exception because it’s a stadium show and they need big matches to sell tickets, but moving forward, wouldn’t it make more sense for WWE to actually do bigger matches on TV instead of PPV – especially once Monday Night Football returns to dig Raw’s ratings hole even deeper?
Agreed. Another reason why it would make sense for NBC Universal to just cut a $4 billion cheque and buy the company outright.
Hailing from…
If you were a wrestler, what would be your fake hometown?
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Alberta.
Long contracts
Hey Scott,
Since AEW, WWE had back locking talent up to 5 year or so contracts. Wouldn't it be better if they gave people 2-3 year contracts instead? This way, no one can get stale and people can have to opportunity to jump to AEW, Impact, NWA or MLW, come back, be fresh or more over. In the 80's and 90's no one aside from your top couple of guys had 7, 8, 9 or 10 year runs. What do you think?
Contracts are only enforceable if you're the talent. If you're WWE, you just fire whoever you're tired of and then pay them out for 90 days, regardless of contract status. So really WWE has no motivation to sign people to short term deals from their perspective.
WrestleMania
Was there any particular reason why WWE took a 2 year break from big dome shows in 2005/06 for WrestleMania 21/22? It seems odd that they were in the AstroDome, SkyDome and Safeco Field for that string of years from 01-03. Then, for obvious reasons they went to Madison Square Garden in 2004. They took the two year break and then headed to Ford Field in 2007. Since then, they haven't looked back and have all been in stadiums or big domes.
Was business just so low during that period?
Well the thing is that they have to book stadiums WAY in advance, so it's not like they can just pivot and run a huge show like Wrestlemania somewhere else. Plus I'm pretty sure they were getting a shitload of money to run in LA in 05 anyway.
McMahon
Is he one of the best if not the best characters in wrestling history? At his peak, he was pure evil but in a Skeletor type of supervillain way whom you respected. And at the end of the day, he was always willing to show ass when business required it even pissing in his pants.
Not exactly a hot take, but yes, he's 100% one of the greatest of all time, if not in the conversation for THE greatest.
Smackdown
Scott
The entrance to the first week back was pretty damn awesome right?
That's all.
Andy
I enjoyed the show! I did laugh heartily at the first match back being a distraction rollup finish won by the heels. Never change, WWE. But it was a breezy watch and Kevin Owens jumped through a table, so thumbs up.
92 Watts WCW
The more I watch of the Watts Era of WCW (which didn't even last a year in total I think), the more I'm fascinated by the really good (Cactus push and turn, megaheel Vader, constant Rude top heel push, alot of hardhitting fast-paced action preferably in the main event scene, many really good big events, getting rid of El Gigante, PN News and co.) and really stupid (Vader losing his first WCW title a few weeks after his victory at GAB92, Steiners without direction/new ideas and leaving, Super Invader and Barbarian getting big pushes out the gate then fizzling out as expected, Erik Watts, peabrain White Castle Of Fear and Spin The Wheel drek, top rope rule…) decisions.
Is Watts the ultimate angel/devil on your shoulders guy? Sting/Vader vs Coal Miner's Glove! Wargames 92 classic vs badass Erik Watts with the unbreakable STF! Rude/Steamboat vs laser-shooting eyes in mini-movies! Prime JR vs Simmons/Barbarian world title program! I mean wtf!
Bill's main problem was that he was completely out of touch with what wrestling actually WAS in 1992, and by the time he was able to adjust, it was too late. Really, his main directive from the company was to come in and cut the spiralling costs of running WCW, which he did. I actually like the Watts era a lot because it's such a fascinating trainwreck of what could have been and that's why I'm continuing to do the WCW Saturday Night series.
Money in the Bank preview
Hello Mr Keith
Many members of the sold-out capacity crowd in the Blog of Doom have been speculating as to the action coming up tomorrow night at WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Maybe they'd appreciate an update from the Gorilla?
WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view update, with the Gorilla
Coming your way this Sunday night, World Wrestling Entertainment's annual pay-per-view extravaganza, Money in the Bank – it will be a happening!
WWE SmackDown Tag-Team Championship
Rey Mysterio and Dominic Mysterio vs The Usos
First time ever in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment that a father and son team have gone against a genuine pair of biological twins. No one wants to miss this one.
Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Richochet vs John Morrison vs Riddle vs Drew McIntyre vs Big E vs Kevin Owens vs King Nakamura vs Seth Rollins
Holy mackerel! Eight of the most exciting young superstars in the whole of World Wrestling Entertainment look to climb the ladder and earn an opportunity at the World Heavyweight Champion. This one will be excitement personified!
Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Asuka vs Naomi vs Alexa Bliss vs Nikki Ash vs Liv Morgan vs Zelina Vega vs Natalya vs Tamina
More Money in the Bank action here, as the toughest ladies in the whole of professional wrestling go at it. I haven't been this excited since I last saw the Jumping Bomb Angels in action. You'll literally be able to cut the electricity with a knife.
WWE Championship
Bobby Lashley (c) vs Kofi Kingston
The WWE Championship is on the line in this one. That piece of garbage MVP will be in the corner of the champion, but will Xavier Woods be able to keep him in check? Do either of these guys even have a Manager's Licence?!
WWE Raw Women's Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair
The two toughest ladies in the sport today square off in this epic match-up for the Raw Women's Championship. This one promises to be a real knock-down-drag-out affair.
WWE Universal Championship
Roman Reigns (c) vs Edge
This one is for all the marbles, and don't forget that piece of work Paul Heyman will be at ringside. Will Roman remain the head of the table? Or will the wily veteran, Edge, get a victory that would literally have the capacity crowd in Fort Worth, Texas going bananas?
WWE Raw Tag-Team Championship
AJ Styles & Amos (c) vs The Viking Raiders
Tag-team titles on the line in this one. The ring will surely have to be reinforced for this ton of humanity. One would even consider the addition of a second referee to try and keep some semblance of order.
All this and more coming your way tomorrow night. Nobody does pay-per-view like World Wrestling Entertainment!
“Do you like wrestling?” (non-passive aggressive version)
Obviously you like (or at the very least have liked) wrestling. But what (if any) wrestling would you be watching if the blog didn't exist and you didn't have to worry about which shows to cover (or not cover) based on how well that content did on the blog?
Are there promotions you'd follow more closely that perhaps you enjoy but can't justify devoting time to when reviews on that promotion make you less money than other shows? Would you still watch WWE PPVs? Would you still bother with modern wrestling or would
you just relive classic shows on the Network?
Hmm, good question. I'd probably still watch modern PPVs because I have friends who like to watch along and chat with me and it's included with the Network anyway. I'd likely have binged through all of Superstars, Challenge and Mid-South by now if I wasn't worried about spacing it all out weekly for the blog, to be honest. I might be watching more of the indie stuff on the Network or ROH on Fite, stuff like that. Of course I'd still be watching AEW. I'd actually be LESS likely to go back and watch stuff on the Network that I've seen before, though, because usually I do that with the intention of writing about it and freed from that I wouldn't have any reason to do so. I'd probably also watch a bit of RAW or Smackdown here and there as well. You know what I probably would watch a lot more of? The 3.5 hour “Best of whatever” collections on the Network, which I don't really want to review but which would be fun time-wasters.
