WWE Fastlane ***Official Thread*** The road to WrestleMania will be FAST!

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

If house show ticket sales are good it wouldn't make a difference

[Big Vic]

I think you would lose the people who purely watch out of habit.

[The CyNick]

Because as a fan, it's pretty difficult to invest in most of the full time talent when every year around Mania time WWE is telling you that they aren't anywhere near as important as the generation of wrestlers that came before them.

That's not the fault of the part timers. I'd take the spot too if offered to me. But that doesn't excuse WWE for being shit at making their full time talent credible enough to headline the biggest show of the year.

I absolutely love that rotation idea by the way, if such a thing were feasible I'd be all for it. The guys and gals on the road all year get beat to shit, giving them any sort of a built in break would be good by me.

The appearance of the part time guys is part of what makes Mania standout from the other events of the year. Surely you understand that.

[The CyNick]

Gonna be awkward when the part timers are actually done for good and there are no part timers to replace them that anyone would car about because an entire generation was made to look second rate to the Attitude Era.

If that happens, you can tell everyone I told you so.

Or when John Cena and Randy Orton are the new part timers who come in for Mania, and Mania is more popular than ever, you'll just pretend you never made that comment.

[The CyNick]

I always loved the idea of having an actual off-season after Mania.

You do Mania, then the Raw and SmackDown ever as a teaser for the next "season". Announce a few call ups as they normally do around that time, lay the groundwork for possible programs, etc.

Then take two months off or so. Maybe run some original Network content in the interim, do a draft special since drafts should happen in the offseason, etc. Maybe give NXT a bigger focus during the offseason or run one of those tourneys they've been doing.

Then come back and everyone's gotten a breather, both the talent and the fans.

I know that would never happen in a billion years because it'd lead to a loss in terms of ticket sales and losing 2 months of TV revenue, but fuck - that'd be such a nice breath of fresh air instead of just going right to the next PPV with the same programs that were featured at Mania.

Why do people like you act like it's your job to watch WWE? If you're burned out, take a break. Shut off the product post Mania, come back for the lead up to SummerSlam, and you'll have a more positive outlook.

[Swiss Ultimate]

The appearance of the part time guys is part of what makes Mania standout from the other events of the year. Surely you understand that.

It's not a sustainable business model. How many older full timers could become part time draws? Cena certainly...and...then...I can't think of anybody who isn't medically retired.

Who is the next part time headliner?

[Destor]

It's not a sustainable business model. How many older full timers could become part time draws? Cena certainly...and...then...I can't think of anybody who isn't medically retired.

Who is the next part time headliner?This. You also have to look at why the part timers are needed. And dont kid yourself: they are needed. The current crop can tell fabulous stories between the bells but they are not translating to new eyeballs. It's like the baby boomer leaving the job market. If no one replaces them you're going to have a talent vacuum.

[Swiss Ultimate]

CM Punk had enough outside cred to have become a great part timer. Too bad they fucked it up.

Racking my brain here to come up with a legit name.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Bray Wyatt has potential.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns don't.

Zack Ryder?

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Why do people like you act like it's your job to watch WWE?

lmfao I dunno why but I loved this question.

[Destor]

Bray Wyatt has potential.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns don't.

Zack Ryder?
I think Reigns will. Cena won everyone eventually, no reason to think history wont repeat itself.


Rollins is going to burn out fast I think...

[Swiss Ultimate]

Do kids like Roman Reigns?

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

You forget that Cena had quite a few years of good will before he was public enemy #1. Roman did not have that benefit. They liked him in the shield, then he got hurt shortly after some BRIEF momentum in his singles push, and when he came back he was kind of dead in the water.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

YOU BEING THAT MOTHERFUCKER DESTOR :rant:

[Destor]

He's the no.2 merch mover by a comfortable margin (but wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy behind Cena.)


He's over as a baby with his target audience.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

He's pretty good tbh. Just a bit bland. If they stop Diesel pushing him and let the shackles off he'll be a motherfucker and a half IMO

[Destor]

You forget that Cena had quite a few years of good will before he was public enemy #1. Roman did not have that benefit. They liked him in the shield, then he got hurt shortly after some BRIEF momentum in his singles push, and when he came back he was kind of dead in the water.
I think the descision to push him was justified. He was getting hot...until the office got behind him anyways...
YOU BEING THAT MOTHERFUCKER DESTOR :rant:
:fu:

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

PS. I loved Big Daddy Cool

[Swiss Ultimate]

Who can be the next Rock?

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Nobody. They have to be the first "whoever the fuck they are".

Austin nor Rock was the "next" Hogan. They were entirely themselves.

[Vastardikai]

He's the no.2 merch mover by a comfortable margin (but wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy behind Cena.)


He's over as a baby with his target audience.

I thought New Day was above him.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

New Day seemed to be very close to Cena in merch sales for awhile.

[Destor]

Who can be the next Rock?

Nobody. They have to be the first "whoever the fuck they are".

Austin nor Rock was the "next" Hogan. They were entirely themselves.
The question is more "who can be the next star who transcendes the industry"


The answer is there isnt one. Not yet. This is similar to the Hart/HBK years where the guys could work but they didnt make any money.

[Swiss Ultimate]

I feel both Austin and The Rock were the next Hogan for a while.

[Destor]

I thought New Day was above him.
I cant confirm that...do you have a source? I wouldnt be *too* shocked with the volume or merch they have. Hats/shirts/wrist bands/etc

[Swiss Ultimate]

CM Punk transcended wrestling only because of how terrible it was to work for the WWE at that time.

If he had been treated well, he'd never have reached as high as he did.

[Destor]

CM Punk transcended wrestling only because of how terrible it was to work for the WWE at that time.

If he had been treated well, he'd never have reached as high as he did.Punk was going to be unhappy no matter how they treated him

[Ruien]

Randy will be a part timer later with Cena. Don't know if anyone else from their generation will be near their level. Can't even think of another real main eventer honestly. But there have a lot of potential people in the current generation. Rollins, Reigns, Ambrose, AJ, Owens, and so on. Just depends on how many stick around and how WWE treats these people.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Blue Meanie

[Emperor Smeat]

The question is more "who can be the next star who transcendes the industry"


The answer is there isnt one. Not yet. This is similar to the Hart/HBK years where the guys could work but they didnt make any money.

Even if there was a real candidate now, probably not going to happen till the WWE gets rid of their current "nobody can be bigger than the brand" mentality and/or Vince leaves. Not even Reigns will be able to go beyond the "brand" in terms of mega stardom and Cena right now is the last mega star of the WWE because his rise wasn't impacted by this.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Is that official policy?

[Emperor Smeat]

More on the unwritten side but places like the Observer have stated or implied over the years about that sort of mentality within the WWE. Rock leaving for Hollywood was the basis for it but didn't really take effect or become a hindrance till maybe the end of the 1st Brand Split era. By then Cena was already well established as the mega star for the WWE.

[Cool King]

• Joe/Zayn was alright but the outcome had been pretty obvious for weeks now.

• The ending of the Tag Team Championship match pretty much cements the rematch taking place at WrestleMania.

Enzo & Cass could possibly win there, even though Enzo is just terrible.

• Nia losing to Banks is just stupid. What's even more stupid is the way she lost, especially after what happened during the match.

• When Foley said that both Jinder and Rusev would be having singles matches, I just knew one of them would be against Big Show.

Cesaro/Jinder was a pleasant surprise. I can only hope this is the beginning of some investment going into Jinder.

As for Big Show/Rusev, I think Rusev came off pretty bad from that match. A part of me thinks that Big Show/Rusev could be a "backup plan" if Shaq doesn't get his act together for WrestleMania.

Also, Rusev's new haircut is terrible. He just looks like your average fatass with it. Short hair on Rusev just makes him look fat and not at all intimidating.

He's lost his "look" and just looks more like a random jobber now with that haircut.

• I skipped the Cruiserweight Championship match because the division is just awful and I have about 5% interest in it.

• Strowman losing to Reigns is just stupid. What's even more stupid is the way he lost, especially after what happened during the match.

• I skipped the Raw Women's Championship match because the division is just awful and I have about 5% interest in it.

• • I actually think Goldberg will win the Universal Championship at Fastlane, then drop the title to Lesnar at WrestleMania.

Halfway there.

• Overall, the PPV was pretty bad for so many reasons.

[Cool King]

I think i'm just going to watch Smackdown from here on out.

It's funny that you say that because I had the exact same thought as I was watching the PPV.

[Cool King]

I most likely won't go through with it though.

Old habits die hard and all that jazz.

[Lock Jaw]

Cruiserweight match was probably match of the night, and I'm saying that with also having very little interest in the division.

[Emperor Smeat]

Also, Rusev's new haircut is terrible. He just looks like your average fatass with it. Short hair on Rusev just makes him look fat and not at all intimidating.

He's lost his "look" and just looks more like a random jobber now with that haircut.

He looks a lot like Andrade Cien Almas with the new hair style.

Just waiting for him to start wearing a hat and/or suspenders to complete the look. Might as well also give him his own 100-based nickname to become Rusev Cto Machka "100 Crushes"

[Lock Jaw]

Was thinking the same thing about him looking like Cien.....

[RP]

LOL Am i the only one that thought Big Show vs Rusev might have been the best match of the night?

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

LOL Am i the only one that thought Big Show vs Rusev might have been the best match of the night?

yes, the ko punch should be an automatic DQ for closed fist.

[RP]

yes, the ko punch should be an automatic DQ for closed fist.

That actually would have been a good way to not bury either of those guys.

[Lock Jaw]

Thought it was just "so mean" when Big Show put an already dead Rusev in the corner just so he could punch him in the face.......