NXT

[Team Farrell]

I don't think there's anything actually wrong with his teeth other than being a little chipped up.

[PEN15v2]

Teeth will be fine for him since he'll be a heel more often.

Night 2 was better than night 1,but mostly because it was a more well rounded card. Both nights had matches that were too long, and women's matches that didn't really reach the quality of the men, and choreographed spots with too many kick outs.

But night 2 had a genuine wrestling match for the title. So it wins. WALTER VS Ciampa was a better match, EXCEPT it was 30 seconds too long. Ciampa kicking out of 2 consecutive WALTER bombs really annoyed me.

[Powder]

I just cannot believe that the Men's title did not close the show. I know that the Cole/O'Reilly blood feud was a major match, but it should not have closed the show.


Side note: I really liked Ember's tribute to Road Dogg. She did the three left jabs, then the lame arm wave dance, then the crotch chop, and the big right.

[Powder]

NXT was a solid show, I'm not a fan of The Way or Shotzi so the main event to me was blah. Also, I think that the WWE is lost in what to do with Austin Theory. The kid is a blue chip prospect, and last year was called up to the main roster (too early, I agree) and had a spot at Wrestlemania, and now he is reduced to a 1980's stereotypical bumbling idiot meathead that is a Johnny Gargano lackey.

Yes, he has so much time ahead of him, as he is still only 23, but come on, you can't find any other gimmick for him. Theory's character is literally the one that Shane accused Strowman of being in the build to Wrestlemania.

Kross is intense. Kross is big. Kross is intimidating. Kross is not great on the mic. He fumbled some lines and it was evident. Keep his promos short and to the point, or pretaped.

Who is the next challenger for Kross?

Taya Valkyrie aka Franky Monet, what a terrible gimmick. It's just another version of Lacey Evans. And her debut was very underwhelming.


I really liked the RG, Rhea, and Bianca Segment. The three of them posing with their titles with their old picture behind them in the same positions. Cool moment.

[Oliver]

I wish Scarlett didn't just stand next to Kross looking horny during his promos. She either needs to stand back and just let him talk, or leave the ring after the entrance - basically get out of the shot somehow.

I'm guessing they run Finn vs Kross II at some point in time, but not as the next Takeover main event. O'Reilly and Dunne are surely in the conversation, especially off the back of a pair of big wins. It feels a bit like there's more to come between O'Reilly and Cole after the additional footage this week, so maybe Dunne. There's a part of me that wonders if they might use the mini-feud they had previously as background for Escobar vs Kross as a first title feud, which I'd be good with.

Franky Monet is very different from Lacey Evans. Lacey's an upper class Southern woman. Franky is a bougie fashionista. Most importantly, Franky/Taya can really, really go in the ring.

[Powder]

So an upper class Southern woman who talks down to her opponents because she feels that she is above them VS a Bougie fashionista who talks down to her opponents because she feels that she is above them. Hmmm.....totally different. Same gimmick, from different areas of the country.

However, I have never seen 1 TV/FM match ever, so I take your word that she can go. I am looking forward to her in ring work.

[PEN15v2]

I mentioned on the podcast today that Io, Toni Storm and Finn were noticeably missing and not mentioned in a way that indicated we'll be seeing them on NXT again. So I suspect the post Mania surprises might be on Friday.

Those middle of the ring promos are tough. WWE overuses them in general, but thankfully there's likely no reason for Kross to need to deliver one again. He just won the title, so having him declare this brand being his is a one time thing. This is one came off badly because no one interrupted him, he had no one to bounce off of. He's good on the mic when threatening someone. But without a target for his hostility, what he did wasn't intimating.

Your Austin Theory complaint is essentially "I don't like this gimmick, so change it for me." As much as I don't enjoy The Way either, I recognize they are over with the crowd, and have moments (Indy was very good last night, and Candice is always great in the ring). So you should let it go. The gimmick is an easy one to transition away from any moment they decide to. His career will be just fine.

Taya was obviously given a scripted promo, and it flunked. Taya can talk, and we know this as she's proven it on Impact, Lucha Underground, and anywhere else she's worked. But that segment was disjointed at best.

That said, it was nothing like Lacey Evans, unless all blonde women with egos have the same gimmick. Lacey is a southern belle, family focused, and a manipulator according to the Flair angle. Monet is more like a "Real Housewife from Los Angeles," carrying her toy dog as an accessory. "talking down to your opponent" isn't a unique gimmick. It's every heel wrestler on the planet.

• I'm sensing bigger things for Escobar after dropping the title
• I love how so many people promoed about wanting to go after the titles in their division (Dunne, Mercedes, Thatcher/Ciampa, Devlin, Monet...etc)
• Jordan Devlin can go back to NXT UK and stay there. Black hole of charisma and boring as fuck.

[Oliver]

[*]I love how so many people promoed about wanting to go after the titles in their division (Dunne, Mercedes, Thatcher/Ciampa, Devlin, Monet...etc)g as fuck.[/LIST]

This is a really, really great point. The tag division looks really strong right now, with Imperium using Dain/Maverick to make a point, obviously Thatcher/Ciampa, and then still Grizzled Young Veterans and LdF out there who could claim a shot. The titles are so integral in NXT, they are the heart of a lot of the storylines. Even at Takeover, the non-title Dunne/Kushida match was considered as something of a #1 contendership bout for the NXT Championship.

[Team Farrell]

NXT was a solid show, I'm not a fan of The Way or Shotzi so the main event to me was blah. Also, I think that the WWE is lost in what to do with Austin Theory. The kid is a blue chip prospect, and last year was called up to the main roster (too early, I agree) and had a spot at Wrestlemania, and now he is reduced to a 1980's stereotypical bumbling idiot meathead that is a Johnny Gargano lackey.

Yes, he has so much time ahead of him, as he is still only 23, but come on, you can't find any other gimmick for him. Theory's character is literally the one that Shane accused Strowman of being in the build to Wrestlemania.

Here's the thing: I think Austin Theory has the potential to be the next John Cena level star in WWE. He's that good, that young. But he has no personality. He's vanilla ice cream in a white room. All he had before this gimmick was "I'm a prodigy, I'm super good." ZzzZZzZZZzzzzZZZzzZZzZzz

This is something on the developmental show to let him find some personality. Cena didn't really have any personality either until he was a silly Vanilla Ice ripoff that he managed to spin into an actual gimmick.

Theory has all the tools, and if being the dumb meathead can help him discover some personality, that's good.

I really liked the RG, Rhea, and Bianca Segment. The three of them posing with their titles with their old picture behind them in the same positions. Cool moment.

I actually hated it. Rhea left NXT in a blood feud with Raquel, and I'm pretty sure she and Bianca weren't getting along before Bianca left NXT. I hate that no women can be actual heels because they're so happy to be there so they win a title and have a big smile on their faces. How is Raquel expected to come out next week and get booed?

Do the segment for the live people if you feel like you absolutely have to. But is Raquel suddenly a babyface because she won the title and she "deserves it" and she's worked so hard to get there? Why can't one of these fucking heel women win a belt and instead of tearing up because they're "so emotional" just say "You're goddamn right I'm the Women's Champion. I'm the best woman in this business and there's not a single person who can take it from me"?

Act like you fucking belong there. Is that too much to ask?

• I'm sensing bigger things for Escobar after dropping the title
• I love how so many people promoed about wanting to go after the titles in their division (Dunne, Mercedes, Thatcher/Ciampa, Devlin, Monet...etc)
• Jordan Devlin can go back to NXT UK and stay there. Black hole of charisma and boring as fuck.

I could see Escobar showing up on Smackdown this week. He's a potential star, but I'm not 100% on where he fits in on the main roster.

[PEN15v2]

This is a really, really great point. The tag division looks really strong right now, with Imperium using Dain/Maverick to make a point, obviously Thatcher/Ciampa, and then still Grizzled Young Veterans and LdF out there who could claim a shot. The titles are so integral in NXT, they are the heart of a lot of the storylines. Even at Takeover, the non-title Dunne/Kushida match was considered as something of a #1 contendership bout for the NXT Championship.

I think it's more than that. It make these people worth taking seriously. On Raw for example, has John Morrison ever had a promo about wanting to accomplish something, nevermind wanting a title. I don't mind a goofy character, which he is. But the whole Raw and Smackdown roster seems full of people aimless and without a purpose. Corbin is another example. We know he feels better than everyone, but when has he ever made a statement that he'll prove he's better than someone, or deliver a promo about accomplishing something? Main roster talent rarely act like competitors, and too often like performers (literally in the case of Elias).

[Oliver]

Yeah, it really gives the show purpose and drive beyond things just happening. I like it.

I know want Escobar vs Bryan to happen, so there that is.

[Powder]

I think it's more than that. It make these people worth taking seriously. On Raw for example, has John Morrison ever had a promo about wanting to accomplish something, nevermind wanting a title. I don't mind a goofy character, which he is. But the whole Raw and Smackdown roster seems full of people aimless and without a purpose. Corbin is another example. We know he feels better than everyone, but when has he ever made a statement that he'll prove he's better than someone, or deliver a promo about accomplishing something? Main roster talent rarely act like competitors, and too often like performers (literally in the case of Elias).

Yeah, it really gives the show purpose and drive beyond things just happening. I like it.

I know want Escobar vs Bryan to happen, so there that is.

I wonder how much of this is a product of HHH (and HBK) doing the booking and being the driving force behind creative in NXT. It is clear that Vince is driving force for RAW and SD. It makes you think that if HHH was in charge of RAW and SD if the overall product would change. Not completely, but maybe be more like NXT, where everyone has a purpose and drive, and not just being there.

[Team Farrell]

I'm not sure I'd put Triple H in charge of everything, honestly.

Vince McMahon is a mad man. He's a once in a million years type of person.

Eric Bischoff has said multiple times that one of his biggest creative downfalls was Thunder. Having two more hours a week to be the creative head of had him running out of ideas pretty quickly.

If I were magically put in charge of the company and Vince was gone, I'd have Triple H be the overall yes/no guy, and creative head of SmackDown since that's kind of become the flagship show with it being on network TV.

Someone else would be in charge of Raw, maybe Heyman maybe someone different.

And NXT would be used creatively the same way it's used for talent: let someone new learn the ropes. Maybe having an HBK there as a voice, but give it to maybe Gabe or someone like Borash or TJ who have never had that opportunity but might have potential to be the next generation of Heymans, Cornettes, Pattersons and other great booking minds.

Triple H has the ultimate yay/nay on big picture decisions -- X is going to be the top Champion of the brand, Y is getting a major push and will main event WrestleMania -- to make sure things don't go too insane and there's both consistency and lack of repetition, and whomever is in charge of their show is in charge. Sink or swim. Success or fired.

Then you're going to create professional rivalry between the shows to see what one is best and most watched.

Will the booking philosophies mesh perfectly? Not necessarily. But you can work that out. That's going to keep everyone's focus on one show, and hopefully take longer to burn out creatively.

And with Triple H as the ultimate decision maker, it gives the opportunity for these creative leads to cycle in and out. Bookers rarely last successfully more than a handful of years at a time.

But I cannot fathom having to be the person running Raw, Smackdown AND NXT and having to come up with ideas for all of them. No wonder WWE isn't all that creative or exciting. Vince has to be burnt out.

[Prime Time]

Didn't Memphis.... I want to say Jarrett and Lawler?.... take turns about once a year, just to avoid the kind of burn-out you're talking about here? And that's obviously booking a hell of a lot less than seven hours of TV every week, before you've considered anything on PPV.... or literally anything else to do with the business, for that matter.

[Team Farrell]

Yeah. Cowboy brought in bookers on a regular basis, despite being one of the best bookers of his era. After a year or two, Cornette was going to hand the book to Eddie Gilbert in SMW, before Gilbert decided he could make more working and booking in Puerto Rico.

Bookers used to pretty regularly come in, book for a year or two, and then move on to another territory. Bookers were typically former or current top guys. So they'd book and before their creativity was tapped they'd move on somewhere else where they could be a top guy and/or book a new crop of talent (and in a place that hadn't seen his angles so he could re-use them).

It wasn't really until, what, Russo left WWF and Vince headed up booking completely on his own with non-wrestling writers to fill in the blanks that someone booked one territory for 20 straight years. I'm sure there are other examples I'm not thinking of, but I'll bet they all suffered major drops.

Even Dusty left Crockett for WWF after his peak booking years in 85-87. Business started to dip so he moved on.