Board 8 > All-Purpose Wrestling Topic 421: Hell in a Concession Stand

(+) Yeah! (+)

You're not the only one Scarlet

To me it's like... look guys this is supposed to be a big deal, react! It's not something to actually get hyped for, just canned like TNA telling its audience to get hyped for back in the day.

Probably doesn't help that I was never huge in The Shield to begin with.
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The Shield being back makes me not want to watch RAW.
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They gonna do that to BRAUN though?
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Roman probably will never get over with me because he's created a Pavlovian subconscious response of disgust every time his theme hits.

This describes things well.

SHIELD had its time, now it's just ehhhhhhhh
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Wait they are back to go over Braaaaaaaaaaaaun?

Oh hell no
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I am fine with Braun being sacrificed for the Shield.

Hell, that's how Braun should have been booked in the first place: an seemingly insurmountable force that push Roman's shit in for months and a reunion was justified to defeat such a monster.

Like the Shield reunion would be so, so much better if it was to stop some faction/individual that was unstoppable before then.
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I think we should sacrifice the shield for Braun instead
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Lopen posted...

I think we should sacrifice the shield for Braun instead

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Lopen posted...

I think we should sacrifice the shield for Braun instead

Yes please

Make Braun the monster heel of the ages
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I can see Braun interfering in the match for sure

Or even replacing the Miz though storyline wise that's odd given he's who got them all together in the first place
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TLC Braun causes the Shield the match.
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I really don't get the love affair for Braun.

I like him well enough, he's good at his role but dude cannot do anything in a standard match beyond average.
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Like Braun was at his best when he shows up a week after Christmas still holding the tree from last week to assault Bo Dallas.
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Who needs standard matches

Be great at non standard matches and you're providing more than the damaged goods that are the Shield can provide
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Lopen posted...

just canned like TNA telling its audience to get hyped for back in the day.

Yeah, I agree on this. Just inorganic. It's a shame too; I used to like the Shield.
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Lopen posted...

Who needs standard matches

Be great at non standard matches and you're providing more than the damaged goods that are the Shield can provide

Totally agree. I don't want to watch Braun fight Brock. I want to watch Braun attack Brock with the torch from the Statue of Liberty and have Brock respond by dropping a meteor on Braun.
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So basically you hate one novelty act but love another.

Gotcha.
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aww so I'm the only one who marked out for the shield just standing there at the top of the ramp
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Wrestling is a series of novelty acts working together.

They are called gimmicks.
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Was that directed at me or someone else?
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To be fair, this shield reunion probably could have been worse too
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GTM posted...

aww so I'm the only one who marked out for the shield just standing there at the top of the ramp

No you're not! This topic is just currently full of Debbie downers! Lol
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"Words matter" ??
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Was that directed at me or someone else?

It's an in-general comment. If you can't wrestle in standard matches then you're just Shane McMahon in a different coat of paint.

Like I said, I like Braun. I think he's good in his role. I don't expect him to carry a main event scene if he can't be good in a standard match.
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eaedwards6400 posted...

GTM posted...

aww so I'm the only one who marked out for the shield just standing there at the top of the ramp

No you're not! This topic is just currently full of Debbie downers! Lol

I think that's a little unfair. I would be happy to talk about the things I love in wrestling, but no one really talks about NJPW or Lucha Underground or Impact that much. And hell, I loved the Sami shocker last night.
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Novelty

1.
the quality of being new, original, or unusual.

Yeah, a 3 man unit that was new and exciting 4 years ago is totally that.
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Lopen posted...

Novelty

1.
the quality of being new, original, or unusual.

Yeah, a 3 man unit that was new and exciting 4 years ago is totally that.

To be fair, a monster heel that destroys everything in his way isn't really a novelty either

We're just lucky there is no John Cena to fight Braun this time
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TheRock1525 posted...

It's an in-general comment. If you can't wrestle in standard matches then you're just Shane McMahon in a different coat of paint.

I like Shane McMahon. I also like to make fun of him for being bad at punching and for potatoing guys like AJ and Jericho, but that's part of the fun. I had way more fun watching the gimmick-y matches last night than the non-gimmick-y ones. But that's because the lack of variety in WWE matches has really gotten staggering in the last several months. I just want to be entertained. That's why the Fatal Four-Way was so fun two months ago. It was different and enjoyable. And Roman/Braun was freaking fantastic.

And, in general, my favorite matches have no gimmicks. But in WWE, the creativity is really on display in those, so I have more fun. Braun pulling the world down around its ears is way more satisfying than Braun pacing around in a ring and occasionally punching something.

And that's all to say that my favorite WWE match this year is AJ/Cena. A traditional match. When something breaks from the slog of the norm in WWE nowadays, it's refreshing. Everything just feels super-processed.
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Lopen posted...

Novelty

1.
the quality of being new, original, or unusual.

Yeah, a 3 man unit that was new and exciting 4 years ago is totally that.

something unusual and entertaining that is popular for a short period of time usually used before another noun

Try using the definition that better fits novelty act (with the intentional noun at the end).
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VeryInsane posted...

To be fair, a monster heel that destroys everything in his way isn't really a novelty either

The general concept of a monster heel that destroys everything isn't, no, because they're usually just squashing opponents

When said monster heel is literally destroying everything, including but not limited to, various parts of the set, the ring, ambulances, announcer tables, etc etc

Yeah it's kinda new. It's nothing like, super creative or unique, but there really hasn't been another monster like Braun ever.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

When something breaks from the slog of the norm in WWE nowadays, it's refreshing. Everything just feels super-processed.

You don't think Braun wasn't super-processed?
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TheRock1525 posted...

something unusual and entertaining

How is regurgitated stuff from 3-5 years ago "unusual" though
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poor husky harris already having 1 demon in him was enough, but 2 now
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Lopen posted...

TheRock1525 posted...

something unusual and entertaining

How is regurgitated stuff from 3-5 years ago "unusual" though

I'd say it's pretty unusual we're getting a Shield reunion here and now. You'd think they'd save that for a big four PPV (especially with Survivor Series around the corner) but considering they rushed Reigns/Cena to a non-big four PPV...
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ninkendo posted...

poor husky harris already having 1 demon in him was enough, but 2 now

That's what you get for bathing in ashes of your weird nun mother figure.
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TheRock1525 posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

When something breaks from the slog of the norm in WWE nowadays, it's refreshing. Everything just feels super-processed.

You don't think Braun wasn't super-processed?

Those are two separate sentences. One says something is fresh when it breaks from the norm. The other says everything feels super-processed. There are some processed angles I like. The two sentences aren't mutually exclusive in my eyes. Any TV show is processed. You disguise it by filming well, directing well, writing well, acting well. If you're WWE, you write poorly film backstage segments archaically, have direction that is somewhat questionable, and are reliant on your talent's acting ability to make your lines their own. When the line is "RRRRAAAARRRGGH" it's easier to believe than "This isn't boring, this is real life!"

The only things in WWE that aren't super-processed are post-show interviews and they died when Talking Smack did. Like, I don't like New Day promos. I like the New Day in-ring. One way, the process works, the other doesn't.
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okay

let's make one thing clear

The Shield is not "damaged goods"

Dean is the closest you get to damaged and even he's getting used better because of how over him and Seth were as a tag team for the last month or two, and Roman may not be over with TV crowds but he's sure as hell not damaged goods. Seth, I just don't see why y'all think he's damaged. I don't get the reasoning there at all.

Dean and Seth are both pretty over with the crowds, and Roman is over with a certain chunk of the crowd but heavily booed by the rest of it.
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Like I'm not saying a reused idea can't be a novelty act.

But it's not like The Shield are ancient history, either. I mean they've teased the damn thing at least yearly too. This is kinda like when The Main Event Mafia came back in TNA after a 3 year break for no real reason-- everyone just sorta groaned. If the Shield weren't so damn beloved people would be groaning here too. As it is, everyone who isn't a total Shield nut is.
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The idea that they're damaged goods comes from the fact that they were massively over as a unit and none of them were as over as individual babyfaces.

Which is largely true (although babyface Ambrose trying to murder Rollins week after week was pretty damn close) which doesn't mean they're damaged goods so much as it's really, really hard to match how beloved The Shield was by the end of their run.
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Lopen posted...

everyone just sorta groaned.

I'm watching the crowd reactions.

That's certainly not a groan.

And are we really comparing some half-assed TNA faction of really old wrestlers to The Shield?
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There is one thing that is going to be bought by casual WWE crowds and it is nostalgia acts even if it is only for from a few years ago.
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Am I understanding it right that Bray is just possessed by Sister Abigail now instead of her actually being a person? Because that's kind of weak.

I know people say "Well who can Sister Abigail be? Everyone knows any potential call ups because of NXT." So just have Bray pick some random girl they think has the acting chops to play a crazy bitch and have Bray use her as a vessel for Sister Abigail. There's plenty of girls he could choose, even on NXT. Not sure who I think would be the best actress for the job though.
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Solioxrz362 posted...

okay

let's make one thing clear

The Shield is not "damaged goods"

Dean is the closest you get to damaged and even he's getting used better because of how over him and Seth were as a tag team for the last month or two, and Roman may not be over with TV crowds but he's sure as hell not damaged goods. Seth, I just don't see why y'all think he's damaged. I don't get the reasoning there at all.

Dean and Seth are both pretty over with the crowds, and Roman is over with a certain chunk of the crowd but heavily booed by the rest of it.

I think there are two arguments happening here. I'm just operating on a personal level. A long time ago, the viewer that is me decided to watch wrestling like I watch a regular TV show. I want compelling characters with nuance and layer. Failing that, I want vibrantly-painted characters that burst with personality. So when I say I am not interested in Seth, it's because he lost all of his depth and became a floating top card guy with no real definition. And Dean became toothless. Roman never had a personality and to me, he is just defined by standing around and being the fun police.

Now, the other argument about them all being "damaged goods" is maybe true. Maybe it's not. There are quantitative reasons why you could make either argument. You could also just say that WWE is suffering because all of TV viewership is on a decline. But I'm just coming at this as someone who enjoys storytelling and thinks that this type of angle is the opposite of the Shane/KO story we've been getting instead.
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And keep in mind, this is a rare nostalgia act involving wrestlers in their fucking primes, too. This ain't "We gotta have Taker and Kane punk out the Wyatt Family because TAKER!" Or watching a 40 year old Shawn Michaels telling people to suck it.
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I wouldn't be unhappy if Bray just disappeared. His content is just awful
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

Am I understanding it right that Bray is just possessed by Sister Abigail now instead of her actually being a person? Because that's kind of weak.

I know people say "Well who can Sister Abigail be? Everyone knows any potential call ups because of NXT." So just have Bray pick some random girl they think has the acting chops to play a crazy bitch and have Bray use her as a vessel for Sister Abigail. There's plenty of girls he could choose, even on NXT. Not sure who I think would be the best actress for the job though.

I never want an actual physical Abigail. It ruins the whole concept behind it.
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

Am I understanding it right that Bray is just possessed by Sister Abigail now instead of her actually being a person? Because that's kind of weak.

I know people say "Well who can Sister Abigail be? Everyone knows any potential call ups because of NXT." So just have Bray pick some random girl they think has the acting chops to play a crazy bitch and have Bray use her as a vessel for Sister Abigail. There's plenty of girls he could choose, even on NXT. Not sure who I think would be the best actress for the job though.

If I get to pick, Rosemary. She has the chops, the look, the moveset. She's a great character wrestler. I think if a big company got behind her, she could be something really special. There aren't creepy girls in wrestling like her.
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Yeah I don't think they're like, unable to be salvaged or anything

But the Shield were a main event unit years ago, with the popularity to match

Right now you had Ambrose and Rollins slumming in the midcard for the tag titles and that was the right place for them at the moment. You have Roman who is highly mixed, booked at the main event level but no one really wants to see him there.

So basically you reform The Shield, and you have them against Miz, Sheamus, and Cesaro-- in their prime this would be a squash for The Shield. Nowadays, it probably still will be, but that's not the natural way of things either and is rather just forcing things. Naturally booking the two units, that should be a close match.

You can say "oh look at the audience!!" but uhh, yeah I dunno how well WWE audiences really compare to the home viewers in general. If anything the longer we go the more it feels like WWE audiences aren't as far off from TNA's sweetened audiences than you'd think. Like there's definitely things they don't obey on, but I don't really think their reactions are truly indicative of the fanbase at the moment either.
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BAYLEY was just pinned by Alicia Fox?!?!
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Bayley needs to go away more than Bray
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