Tozawa vs Kendrick kicking off 205 live

Kayfabe wise.... WHY WOULD A REF NOT BE OVER THERE?

Probably not a good idea for the WWE to show a replay of it considering how obvious it was Styles fell first. Should have used a different angle to hide it.

Happy that we get Harper and AJ next week. Was hoping for both to be put into the Mania match but that is just giv3 AJ something besides for Shane. Would be insane if AJ wins and Orton and Harper get a third natch at Mania with Harper finally going over. But that won't happen.

Harper in the WWE Title match would be the goods.

I have no desire whatsoever to see the best wrestler in the company have to sell for Shane McMahon's shitty punches. But I'm not really sure what other choice there is. Even if Daniel Bryan were somehow magically cleared by everybody including WWE doctors - I'd still cringe with every bump he takes and it would make it hard to enjoy what would otherwise be a total dream match.

Nakamura being brought in to face Styles as a proxy for Bryan AND Shane would be 700 shades of amazing, but I highly doubt that they'd debut anybody else this close to Mania.

Styles vs Mojo

:lol: at random guy backstage laughing at Dar's "Foooooooooooooooxx" bit on 205 Live.

smh wwe deleted that tweet

I think Mustafa Ali has a hole in the gooch part of his tights

lol @ WWE deleting that tweet of the most obvious thing ever

I'd prefer to see Cena vs. Styles, but Styles vs. Nakamura intrigues me more than Styles vs. Shane. But I'm also all for a Fatal 4-Way. It makes sense for Bray to call Orton into the match, given that Styles and Harper reduce his chances "statistically."

Harper tells a better story with just his eyes than Baron Corbin can with his mouth.

Talking Smack just announced John Cena on MizTV next week on SmackDownLive

:lol: Bryan just walking off the set and letting Styles host next week's Talking Smack show.

:yes:

Wish Talking Smack was before 205 so I would watch it.

They obviously fucked up the finish but went with the draw so Shane can show up next week and over rule Bryan with the visual evidence of AJs feet touching first and sending us on our way to AJvs Shane.

Vastardikai'd?
 

That would actually be a cute way of setting it up. Shane can also fire Bryan so he can spend time with his pregnant wife and AJ can be the avenging hero.

If they've got Natalya as a top heel, I don't understand why they didn't put the belt on Becky and head towards that match. Seems overly complicated to me.

Because Becky is boring as a bag of rocks.

And Alexa is so interesting with the same bitch heel shtick that every female heel has been doing since Sunny?

I am sure the SD title will just be all the girls, beside Bella and Mayrse, thrown into a match like a fatal 4 way or some crap. I am sure Naomi will be back by then also for another face to be in the match and win the title from Alexa.

Well, you have stated multiple times you turn off the television when she is on and refuse to watch her. So I don't think you really can make a honest judgement call.

I don't go out of my way to avoid Alexa. I don't normally watch WWE programming. There is a MASSIVE difference there, so please don't misrepresent my points. I did watch her almost get killed by a fucking moonsault at Elimination Chamber though. I have also heard some of her recent mic work, which I have been assured is really good. It wasn't. It's the same bitch heel routine that bitch heels do. Would you deny this?

Yes. As does everyone else it seems. She has amazing facial reactions and really knows how to get the crowd to want her to lose. She gets the crowd involved. I don't know what else you really want besides for Alexa to be Becky.

I'd like her not to die getting into position for moves, thanks.

Everyone else on here seems to think that Matt Hardy is a good gimmick. People here are very slanted towards her just because she's hot. Her facial expressions are your usual "I'm a bitch look at how I can distort my face" mannerisms. They're exaggerated for laughs (I imagine), and it always looks like she has surprised herself. You can hear a pin drop in most of her segments.

She's been wrestling for 3 years and is like 25 years old. She's quite far along for where she should be, but let's not pretend she's brilliant. Becky's matches are often underwhelming as a babyface (unless she's contributing to a multi-woman match) and she has the same scripting problems as everybody else, but her overall presentation is at least something that people can really bite into. The WWE have done a really good job of trying to get me not to care, but when you have a heel being built and have the chance to rebuild your top babyface on the roster, it makes sense to go that route instead of back to the old experiment of the generic heel girl.

We're trying to move away from the stereotypical "look how skimpy my attire is as you cringe at my matches" Diva. I'm genuinely surprised how many people are calling for her to be the champion. It really hurts what they are trying to achieve long-term. That being said, given that it's just promotional buzz to try and appear less sexist as a company, I don't think the WWE really cares what they do with their Women's Titles. Hence the constant switches on RAW and putting the belt on the #5 -- at BEST -- woman on the SmackDown roster.

It just isn't believable, it feels like they are coddling her and it actually takes away potential chase stories for her later in her career, when she is good enough to sustain the push. She works hard and will get there. Carmella and Eva Marie are the only women on SmackDown that have not been a champion. Yay for "everybody gets a turn" booking. But they'll probably just ignore her past history when it comes time for her to be properly good, or act like more reigns = better. Problem solved, right?

Alexa Bliss is basically Kelly Kelly with less screaming and as a heel instead of a babyface.

I think that is highly insulting to Alexa Bliss. She is definitely overrated by most here, but she is definitely underrated by you. But we should all be able to agree that she is at least better than Kelly Kelly.

I think that's insulting to Kelly Kelly. How quickly people forget how much she improved in 2011 by Diva standards.

Alexa Bliss is a lot better overall than Kelly Kelly. Would argue maybe Eva Marie out of everyone on NXT tv and WWE women's divisions is as bad as Kelly Kelly was overall.

Alexa Bliss is prob the best Diva on SDL

Of course noid prefers Natty and Nikki, the "I can't act" friends.

Nikki is worse than Alexa, I'll grant you that. Alexa is really bad though.

I think Alexa is tight. Met plenty of bitchy chicks like her, attitude wise. I think she's a great heel character. Is there a SDL Diva with better mic work? I can't think of one. Also, her matches are good too.

Feel like Noid is on a crusade to ensure everyone knows he thinks Alexa sucks since we enjoy her.

He feels Natty is better.

I don't really understand why you would put down Alexa Bliss, but be really into Becky.

I would put them on equal par tbh. I don't think Becky has it in her to be a big star. I think Alexa has a higher ceiling because of her age and lack of experience.

That being said, I think being a heel is easier than being a face.

I actually think Natalya is the best worker on Smackdown and think she deserves to be in the title mix. She was carrying Nikki (vocals on Smackdown made it clear) to some really good matches.

Hoping she makes the trade to Raw in the next draft and breaks up the repetition there.

I can't get over how much I enjoyed that Usos promo. It's like they found a cocaine stash.

Probably Adderall

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I liked the <s>Warrior</s>Usos promo too even though I didn't understand what they were saying

I too loved the Usos promo. I understood what they were saying too.

I have no idea why it would be hard to understand.

Neither do I, but I don't want anyone to think I feel I'm better than them because I did.

Not everyone needs to know about the casual forum over here.

I also love the fact that the Usos hoodies said "DAY ONE ISH". That's pushing the PG limit.

The Usos were basically faces on Talking Smack though. It was both weird and awesome as between the two segments they seemed human rather than just heel or face.

I'll have to check that out.

Rewatching Smackdown right now. Apollo Crews needs to find...SOMETHING. I don't understand how someone could be that awful of a promo and not realize it.

A personality?

He makes Bobby Lashley look like New Jack.

Did you just compare three bald black dudes on purpose?

I don't get it

I know they have used the "DAY ONE" thing for a long time...... like they have been tag partners since day one (AKA their birth, being twins)........

Dunno why they added the "ISH" or why it might be pushing PG limits.......

They're getting the Nintendo Switch on Day One... Ish.

Good heavens, no. It was much worse than that.

I was referencing the Negrodamus skit from Chappelle Show. Equating Crews with Wayne Brady, Lashley with Bryant Gumbel, and New Jack with Malcolm X.

Be mad at me for the right reason, good sir.

Who's mad? I was just asking.

Whoa, calm down ABT.

Chill out.......

When it comes to Apollo Crews, I would take him over Taye Diggs, but below Terry Crews

Nah, but for real, his promos are bad but away from that, I was enjoying him in the battle royal, then the enzuguri to Dolph was great. Then he looked like a fucking moron standing on the bottom rope.

He can have a manager and mitigate the promo thing, he's fun in the ring that will overcome that, but fuck me they just book him to look stupid.

Apollo Crews is depressing. The guy is great in the ring but holy shit he is possibly the most boring character on the roster. There is no depth to him at all.

Really not sure why they rushed him up from NXT. He was only on NXT television for a brief period of time. He should've stayed down and developed a character.

Yeah, I get that Apollo is Vinces wet dream, but I want to think thatat least one person said that he he needed to stay back and work on a character.

Like Corbin had nothing when he started on NXT TV, but gained a character. Sure, bar his 2 really actually awesome moves, he has nothing to offer in the ring. But he has a character, and that goes further in WWE than workrate.

Hell, that Baron/Apollo match had Baron look better because just because he yelled "GO BACK TO RING OF HONOR" even though Apoloo never wrestled there.

SIDE NOTE: 'Why? because Baron Corbin' best not become a signature line.

I have to disagree there. Corbin's intentions at least make sense.

I like "Because Baron Corbin". It's just stupid enough to work.

Also, it's a way to say BBC on PG TV. Really pushing the limit again.

If they shorten it to "Why? Because BBC" Im on board. Hell, I'll even buy merch if Corbin and Crews tag up but that line stays.

https://media.giphy.com/media/CkyV1ZWhU3oGI/giphy.gif

Because because Baron Corbin?

Only reason I can think of is maybe they wanted to do something similar with Kalisto in the sense of using his as the new main star for a certain demographic.

Kalisto was meant to replace Rey and Del Rio as the star for the Hispanic market and maybe Crews was meant to do the same with African Americans.

Just like Kalisto, WWE didn't know what to do with him after the initial run and his early struggles.

Like getting your money out of an ATM machine.

Go to a porn site and type in BBC.

I was scrolling through my phone at the same time.

"Coming to Fox this fall, Corbin and Crews"

Crews: I don't care how you cops did it in Chicago! But here in LA we do things by the book!

Corbin: I play by my own rules!

BBC ATM

The overrating of her does genuine annoy me, so I do like razzing you guys who are shameless marks for her.

I feel like Becky has more genuine charisma. She won me over with her brief run in NXT. It really felt like she was going to be forgotten on the main roster, but she managed to "connect." Not in a HUGE way, but in a genuine way. Of course, shitty booking has led to that being pissed on and I do agree that the time to make her a genuine star may have passed.

It is easier being a heel than a face and Alexa does your most basic heel package ever. "I'm a bitch, look at my bitch face, insult the babyfaces." She's also trash in the ring. I actually agree that Becky's face work can get "boring," but how you can then turn around and say that Alexa is "good" fucking baffles me. I wish I could find a gif of that moonsault that almost killed her. Yeah, mistakes happen, but I think the only match I haven't seen her botch in was the Six-Pack where they crowned a champion. Everything else has been the equivalent of Kelly Kelly trying to run the ropes. I don't believe in her yet, because you can see the gears turning all he time, and that's because she's only been doing this for a few years. She's a human being -- she's allowed to have a massive learning curve, but I find it fucking insulting to someone like Natalya, who can have good matches with her muscle fucking memory (unless she's in there with a Nikki Bella) that people say Alexa is "better" than her overall.

This would be like people saying Chris Masters was better than Shawn Michaels after he just debuted in 2005 when he was as green as baby shit. It's cool you guys are fans. I actually believe that Alexa Bliss has a TON of potential. I see a lot of Trish Stratus in her. In fact, once a bunch of the people here have taken a cold shower and a fresh hot girl comes along, I bet you I am the one singing Alexa Bliss' praises when she is actually good while people here are saying shit like "Are you fucking kidding me, man?!? This new girl is so much better. It's not just because she's hot. I mean, it doesn't matter that she almost broke her neck on RAW this week, because she plays her character really well. I mean, she just comes out and says "Hi everybody, maybe if I win I'll have sex with you," but she is such a good babyface man. How can you not see that?"

Lock Jaw at least admitted it -- she is overrated as hell around here. If you were to rate her as a wrestler, the highest you could honestly give her is a 6, surely. Because he ring work is average -- AT BEST. She has never had a genuinely GREAT match. Her promos are good -- AT BEST. They might even be considered well written, but they are easily forgotten as they are your usual episodic bullshit. One thing she has is a great look. Maybe not in terms of height, although I think it would make a sympathetic babyface and as a veteran allows her to be a great heel; but she is hot as fuck and looks like a star that should be on television somewhere. She has got about as much potential as any woman on the roster -- but you can't rate her objectively, now, based on potential. Just give her time before you start declaring her the best female wrestler in the world, for fuck's sakes.

I hate The Usos on the mic, by the way. Haven't heard any of their heel shit though. But their babyface shtick was AWFUL.

So, you're saying "No", you didn't see their promo Tuesday night? If not, search it on YT. You won't be disappointed.

I'll give it a go. I didn't like the timing of their heel turn. I think they could have pissed off people with more face stuff and then done the turn when they were going to go somewhere with it. Feels like they have "cooled off."

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Oh god, I tapped out at 1:13.

That was good?!? What's going on with you guys lately? Come on. I do like that their look is coming together, although "Day One Ish" is dumb. They are still playing around in the paint, but they are just trying to be an angry version of it.

"Day one ish" is something that......Urban people say.

Pretty sure Noid is never going to enjoy WWE again.

Was going to say the same thing. Noid needs a new hobby.

He's pretty critical for someone with such terrible fantasy booking ideas.

Like, I'd get it if he enjoyed NJPW and was just critical of WWE or something, but he straight up doesn't enjoy wrestling.

I miss the days when he thought Doug Bashem should be WWE champ.... Or when he went full on "Evil Noid"