NXT

[Team Farrell]

Let's be honest, shades of grey have existed around alignments for so long now, Austin obviously being a starting point but there were things like Sheamus shitting in Del Rio's rental car which were absolutely ridiculous.

I think they've lost the idea somewhat, though. Pro wrestling works and sells so much better when there are defined, clear babyfaces you can get behind and heels you can hate.

I used Austin as an example in a seminar I did last week for young wrestlers of a great babyface who knew who he was and didn't do things that were out of character for who he claimed to be.

For example, Austin had edge (he dropped a guy from a forklift) but he didn't take shortcuts like a heel does. He didn't gouge eyes, he didn't go low, he didn't pull hair...at first. If the heel was doing that stuff, and the referee turned his back, then it was fair game because "fuck that guy that's been jerking me around".

He would stun babyfaces sometimes, but that was in part because he was such a big star that it would get a pop and in part because his gimmick was that he didn't want or need anyone watching his back. That was his biggest heel quality. The babyfaces are supposed to look out for one another, and the heels are supposed to do the same until it becomes inconvenient (no honour among thieves). Austin stood on his own.

That's not all "traditional" babyface behaviour. But because he was generally honourable, and what he did was in line with what you'd come to expect from Austin, he was cheered.

People looked past things with Austin because he was so over. They did the same for The Rock. But if some of those segments where Drew and Keith Lee were having their problems had been in front of actual fans, it would have split the crowd and neither one would have been over. A babyface today needs some edge, that's the world we live in, but none of them are over enough to behave out of character for babyfaces.

Kyle O'Reilly, huh? Wrestling Twitter shit a brick last night because apparently someone thought he had a seizure, and then WWE was getting heat for "using a seizure as an angle" despite the fact that they never claimed as much. Apparently stretchering someone out after the show to play it as real is "too far" and using real injuries to get a reaction these days.

I will state plainly and clearly for the record: fuck those fans. If you're so sensitive that you get hot at a company for treating it as real instead of yelling "cut" when the show's off the air and having everyone pop up and walk away fine, and it makes you worried for your favourite wrestler (you know, the thing that's literally the entire goal of a babyface) I hope that professional wrestling continues to offend you to the point that you abandon the business entirely. And I am disappointed that Speaking Out didn't run you off already. If you need pro wrestling to be an "escape" so much than an injury angle that seems too real and makes you scared for a wrestler is too far, reevaluate your pathetic fucking life.

[PEN15v2]

When I read about that, I felt it might have been in bad taste if it went down as reported. But not because I am offended, but because you just know it would lead to outrage.

Man, I remember being a kid and buying into Shawn Michaels collapsing in the ring, or his mentor Jose having a heart attack when Sid hit him with the camera. Ricky Steamboat with the sell job of the century with his crushed larynx.

2021, these would all offend someone.

[Team Farrell]

People were talking like "well, I don't want to believe these people are actually hurt."

Forget the boys, when did fans become this soft?

[Oliver]

So, Ciampa needs to commit to shaving his head. He looks like a very muscular version of my (61 year old) Dad with the short salt and pepper hair.

I think Imperium might be recruiting Thatcher - I spotted that Thatcher was having a chat with Barthel before their match backstage, and I don't think their subsequent turning up during that match was a coincidence. They have a bit of a shared history from WXW in Germany, I believe Thatcher and Walter were tag team champions together there and Barthel and Aichner were certainly there during that time too.

At some point in time, I think they've GOT to pay off the Robert Stone Brand thing with a win(ning streak) of some sort. I get why Aaliyah isn't beating Ember Moon, even through shenanigans, but I don't think anybody in that little group has picked up a single win in NXT since they came together.

Cole vs Balor next week is a big match.

[Powder]

Cole vs Balor next week is a big match.

If you are 5'2" tall.


And what is Regal's announcement?

[Oliver]

I think it'll either be a women's tag title rematch on FastLane, or they're establishing their own NXT women's tag titles, and I really hope it's the former rather than the latter.

Can only assume that it has something to do with the women's tag match given the context they gave it this week. I did see a headline about NXT changing nights, but that doesn't make sense as a link to the story around the announcement.

[Powder]

There are rumors about that Regal’s announcement may be about the rumored move to Tuesday nights.

[Team Farrell]

Cole vs Balor is the test. Are they going to go out and keep doing that incredible mat-based, hard-hitting style the main event scene has been since Balor won, or are we going to get a typical Adam Cole main event.

[PEN15v2]

I don't think it's a test. I've never seen Adam Cole wrestle anything but his style, which Finn can also do. It'll be a draw, I guess. But I doubt it'll reach the quality we've seen with Dunne and O'Reilly in terms of actual wrestling. I'll be well rated by Cole/AEW/modern fans though.

[Team Farrell]

I mean more of a test for Triple H. Is he going to push for them to stick to the style that's been successful with Balor to this point, or revert to what they were doing before.

Buuuut, we're probably going to get 45 false finishes, two Destroyers and a forced sense of "epic".

[PEN15v2]

Cole should just go to AEW

[Powder]

I want Kross to come to the ring and utterly destroy both of those guys, pick up the NXT title, grab a mic and say "Neither of you tiny little acrobats are worthy opponents to me. I leaving to go to RAW to find better competition. Hey Drew McIntyre...Tick Tock."

[PEN15v2]

Bury NXT on the way out? That's what I call a ridiculously stupid idea.

[Powder]

I was thinking of burying both Cole and Balor, not the brand, but I can see how you could have thought that.

[PEN15v2]

If you bury the champion of a brand by saying you're going after better competition, you bury the entire brand.