Live WWE TV Discussion Thread

[Degenerate]

I just watched last week's Smackdown. Honestly, that was one of the poorest overall episodes I've ever seen. They tried so much to make it look like a real sports draft, and it just felt extremely out of place. The War Room stuff was pathetic, and I felt kind of bad for the Fox sports analysts who looked forced to talk about wrestling.

The picks also didn't make much sense from a kayfabe perspective either. Stuff like not choosing the champions first, or teams counted as one pick yet they split up Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross as separate picks (and drafted to the same show, to boot). They even kept people like Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn, or Andrade and Zelina together as one pick.

I don't know, the whole thing just felt poorly prepared. Maybe they were trying to make it more realistic but it just doesn't work in the pro wrestling realm. I just felt pretty disappointed in the whole deal.

[LifeLostInRewind]

Sports should never be incorporated into the WWE. It just doesn't mesh well. And if I were one of the brands, I would have tried to get both the US and Intercontinental champion on one show. It didn't seem realistic from a kayfabe point of view or otherwise.

[Powder]

I am so glad that I fell asleep during the Rusev/Lashley/Lana segment. I just read what happened and it is terrible. If the plan was for Lashley to feud with Rusev, no problem, but this entire angle was weak years ago with Edge/Big Show/Vickie and Vince/Trish/Torrie/Linda. The only reason this type of angle worked with Edge/Matt/Lita and Benoit/Woman/Sullivan was because of real drama and real cheating going on. They brought what really happened into the wrestling world. This angle with Rusev and Lashley is awful.

Rusev and Lana are married. Period. Do not have this angle and then in a few months have Rusev and Lana reconcile and all is forgotten. If Vince likes this kind of crap, then why doesn't he pull it with Rollins and Becky or Wyatt and Jojo or Graves and Carmella or Charlotte and Andrade? He can't because they would all say no. I said it in the Lashley thread, that if I was either Rusev or Lana, I would have said no, and if the WWE got mad, then fine, keep me off TV, but still pay me, or release me. I would then wait out my days and sign with AEW. I would never do this crap with my wife. I do not care that it is entertainment. You are asking a husband and wife to talk shit about each other and forcing them to act separated, and then they go home together.

[Oliver]

Hard to tell if your angle is 'it's still real to me' or 'actual, none of this is real so this is stupid', Powder.

I actually quite enjoyed what I saw of the final segment last night. And I love that Rusev is finally getting something high profile to do, because I think he's awesome.

I'm not especially bothered about how that focus comes.

One thing I would say is that this storyline is waaaaay better than Lana becoming American because she was eating Dolph's dick.

[Powder]

It is the 'None of this is real, so this is stupid' complaint.

I get it, the WWE is Sports Entertainment, and they want story lines that 'could be' set in the real world. Like a cheating angle or a couple that is having problems. But this is not the first time that Vince has put this couple on display, and I personally dislike the angle. I think it is insulting to ask Rusev and Lana a married couple to do this. There are other ways to have Rusev in a high profile match/feud with Lashley than this crap. This angle, as it appears to me, is Vince still pissed off with them for getting married without 'WWE's permission or consent' and thus ruining the cheating angle with Ziggler.

Hell, HHH took his lumps for a year for breaking kayfabe with the Curtain Call, and then went on to become who he is. Why can't Vince get past two people getting married?

Stranger things have happened with this type of behavior. Like how and why Edge and Lita got together, because they were asked to work together like this. Same for Sullivan and Woman. Sullivan did it to himself, by asking his wife to pretend to be Benoit's girlfriend etc, and then in both cases real feelings developed and with Lita it caused real tension and broke up Matt and Lita and it cost Sullivan his marriage.

I am not saying this is going to happen with Rusev and Lana, but why would they agree to this?

And to answer the other questions: Yes, I turn this off b/c it is not my taste for a wrestling story. And Yes, I think this is different than actors acting in a movie and doing love/sex scenes. Those programs/movies do not pretend to be real as the WWE does. The WWE talks out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to kayfabe. On one hand they expose the business, and on the other they want us to believe the script on TV. So in regards to Rusev and Lana, they are asking a married couple to do this stupid cheating angle, and again I would have never agreed to this. But they are adults and made their bed, but that does not mean I like it. So I turn it off.

[PEN15v2]

I don't hate it as much as anyone else it seems, but it's not something I care to follow. What I mean is it doesn't bother me, and it's fine as a story, but I never tune into Raw asking out loud "I wonder what the next chapter of this story is going to be?"

One thing I think needs to be kept in mind is that some people still enjoy these soap opera angles. Not everything on WWE is meant for the online fan. In fact, it's less than online fans believe should be dedicated to their tastes. Expecting WWE to cater to you and only your taste is silly. If the rest of the show is good, or if there's more good than bad, then you can enjoy the rest what's fitting to your taste.

Personally, I'll take a lame angle like this that seems to at least be putting some underused people to use, than I would taking a forgettable match of spots and over-choreographed garbage. This isn't meant to be a bashing of AEW or the Bucks in particular; I'm merely pointing out the type of things that bother me, and cause me to lose interest in a show. This angle is not in that category.

This isn't to say it's good. I think yesterday's segment was the only good one, and it was only good because it at least gave focus to Rusev, and was well performed for once. Storywise, it was silly. Rusev is a sex addict, which led to an accusation of cheating (not exactly a babyface act, but I'm sure the accusation will be proven false at some point), and then because Lana was tired of Rusev's sex obsession....she had sex with Lashley...?

But, it's an actual story, and no matter what complaints many have, the eventual Rusev vs Lashley match will get a better crowd reaction. It's a silver lining to a lame angle, but if the endgoal is achieved, then overall it'll be online complaints for the sake of online complaining from people who would rather watch, bitch and moan, then be an adult and turn it off if they aren't enjoying it.

[Oliver]

To change the pace a little - Jesus, I just saw Ricochet sell the RKO from last night. Guy bounces on his dome with his neck at a sickening angle.

[Powder]

Yes. That was not good and luckily he was ok. BUUUT, where was Randy jumping up and shouting STUPID, STUPID, STUPID at him like he did with Kofi 10 years ago for basically the same thing.

[Oliver]

I thought Orton shouted at Kofi for not being in position for something - wasn't he supposed to stay down for a punt?

Kind of a different situation, as Ricochet was spot on for the RKO. Just sold it straight down, intentionally or otherwise.

[Powder]

I always thought that Orton shouted at Kofi, like he did with Big Show, for jumping into the RKO and landing wrong which would have hurt him, which is why Orton shouted Stupid.

Here is the video...make up your own mind, but it looks like Kofi jumped and landed with his head on Orton's should awkwardly almost really hurting himself, and IMHO is why he calls him Stupid.

EDIT: Nevermind. I looked up the story, and you are correct, Kofi screwed up the finish, and Orton got pissed. Kofi was supposed to stay down and get punted, but then he got up too soon and forced Orton to improvise and RKO him.

[Prime Time]

The version I've seen around is Oliver's - that Orton was pissed that Kofi got up too early and he had to improvise.

[Powder]

I just Edited my post, and Oli is correct.

[LifeLostInRewind]

I am so glad that I fell asleep during the Rusev/Lashley/Lana segment. I just read what happened and it is terrible. If the plan was for Lashley to feud with Rusev, no problem, but this entire angle was weak years ago with Edge/Big Show/Vickie and Vince/Trish/Torrie/Linda. The only reason this type of angle worked with Edge/Matt/Lita and Benoit/Woman/Sullivan was because of real drama and real cheating going on. They brought what really happened into the wrestling world. This angle with Rusev and Lashley is awful.

Rusev and Lana are married. Period. Do not have this angle and then in a few months have Rusev and Lana reconcile and all is forgotten. If Vince likes this kind of crap, then why doesn't he pull it with Rollins and Becky or Wyatt and Jojo or Graves and Carmella or Charlotte and Andrade? He can't because they would all say no. I said it in the Lashley thread, that if I was either Rusev or Lana, I would have said no, and if the WWE got mad, then fine, keep me off TV, but still pay me, or release me. I would then wait out my days and sign with AEW. I would never do this crap with my wife. I do not care that it is entertainment. You are asking a husband and wife to talk shit about each other and forcing them to act separated, and then they go home together.

Wyatt/JoJo and Charlotte/Andrade aren't acknowledged as couples on TV and I don't think Graves/Carmella is outside of total divas. How do we even know Rusev, Lana and Lashley even had a choice??

[Powder]

How do we even know Rusev, Lana and Lashley even had a choice??

Not sure if you read further, but I have said that it really doesn't matter if they had a 'choice'. Everyone always has a choice. I said Rusev and Lana could have/should have said no to this entire angle, IMHO. What would the WWE have done to them? One of two possible things. 1. Kept them off TV, but still under contract so they continue to get paid, for doing nothing. And then both probably could and would complain about not being used and why, hopefully leading to their release. Or 2. Be released from contract outright.

Either way, that would have been beneficial for them. If they were released in either circumstance, they would wait out their non-compete clause and then probably sign with AEW, who would love to sign them I bet, and they would also probably be given a platform to explain where they were, and why they left, and it would come off as terrible for the WWE.

Just imagine the interviews or the first promo on AEW's live TV. "The place where we used to work at first punished us for getting married 'without their permission' because it ruined a potential love triangle story that they wanted us to be in, which neither of us wanted to be part of. Then a few years later, they pitched a very similar idea to us, but this time, I (Lana) was supposed to leave my husband and call him a sex addict and film scenes where I was in bed with another man and flaunting my affair. We wanted no part of that, so they kept us off TV and then released us."

That would be horrible for the WWE, as it comes across that they punished a couple for getting married and then wanted to force that couple to pretend that they are having problems. Bad optics.

Again, I cannot speak for Rusev and Lana, but there always is a choice, and I would not have agreed to this story.

[PEN15v2]

You're obsession with WWE being terrible, and everyone leeching for AEW to bash them is hilarious.

Any promo on AEW like that wouldn't make Vince blink. They could air all the laundry they want, and it could easily be countered with "it's a scripted sport". Plus, AEW ranting about WWE every week isn't growing their business. If all the mistakes I feel they are making, this is one they wouldn't let get out of control.

This week, Rusev was the only babyface in the main event segment of Raw. That's huge. And if the goal is to move onto greener pastures, this will make the jump mean more