It’s Wrestlemania season, and I talk WWE with friends multiple times daily, so what the hell, let’s start a blog. First off: I love Roman Reigns. Everyone who boos him and hates him makes me love him even more. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a dude who paid $500-$1000 for front row PPV tickets to boo him and wait for him to lose to have his night speared to hell. Nobody booed Roman until it was reported that he was handpicked by WWE as the future and was going to win the 2015 Royal Rumble. All of a sudden he becomes the company man that everyone needs to hate otherwise they’re a sellout and don’t know anything about wrestling. One guy probably not much younger than me (33) in a video said “men, our age, we just don’t like him.” He can flat out wrestle. He’s not Rollins, he’s not going to do a Phoenix splash, but he can go. For being the chosen one, he loses a lot of matches, so he definitely puts guys over too. He’s not in every segment. He’s not constantly in the main event picture. He’s not Rock or Austin on the mic but his program with Cena certainly made him better on the mic. No one’s who consistently boos him will notice his wrestling skills, because even when he does something awesome, they just chant “You still suck.” So apparently there’s nothing he can do to not suck for a lot of people, simply because the bosses like him and want to showcase him. Daniel Bryan’s run to WM30 was possibly the greatest buildup and payoff to a storyline ever. I cried when he won the title. I freaked out when occupied Raw and when HHH came out because I KNEW he was going to get his match. So I understand fighting the authority and why the audience can get behind it and why everyone loves the ultimate underdog Daniel Bryan. None of that should have anything to do with the fact that it came out that Vince loves Reigns. Should he do a shit job and make the bosses not like him? Does he have to go on the indies before anyone will give him a chance? Braun Strowman didn’t cut a promo for months. It was reported that he was Vince’s “pet project”. He wasn’t on the indies. And people LOVE him. I love him. What makes him different from Reigns?
Second: Braun Strowman is the future. Give that man a cello every week. Or whatever the hell he wants. Let him destroy everyone and everything in his path, then let him sing a song about it. Have him part of every segment. Is there anything this man can’t do? I’m waiting for him to hit a 450 splash. Don’t tell me it’s not possible.
I think most of us were hoping for and expecting AJ vs. Shinsuke at mania, and thankfully, so far, WWE has delivered on that. They could still pull the plug on it having AJ lose his title at Fastlane but I don’t see it happening. I’ve always been strictly a WWE guy and never saw their Japan matches so I’m hoping and optimistic that it’s going to be as good as everyone says it will be. Lesnar and Reigns? Referring to my earlier words, Roman is likely going to carry that match. He’ll really have to sell the 8,392 suplexes he’s going to take. I hope they don’t close with that match. As much as I love Reigns, the people who attend mania will not cheer his likely title win and I don’t believe anybody wants Lesnar to keep the title off TV for months at a time any longer. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t expect a good match. I think our only hope is some kind of no holds barred stipulation or no dq or street fight or whatever, it’s all the same match. Hell, make it a ladder match. That would swerve the shit out of people. Who would expect that? Gotta have a stip mostly to protect Lesnar’s ever-worsening ineptitude.
Good thing: I have a feeling this year may be when they close mania with a women’s match. Bad thing: I have a bad feeling that it might be Stephanie McMahon beating Ronda Rousey. WWE is damned if they do and damned if they don’t with women. If they push them and showcase them and have them main event PPVs and Raws and Smackdowns and be a huge, integral part of the show, they’re exploiting the recent calls for women’s equality for their own personal gain. Which may be true. But what business doesn’t want to advertise “hey we’re doing something groundbreaking and progressive”? If they have them as a regular part of the show but never have them headline, they’re not being treated equally and are being held back. There’s a middle ground, and I think WWE has done a good job of giving the women their due respect and time to work. But dear god, do not use this women’s movement as a springboard for Stephanie McMahon. WE DO NOT NEED HER TO WRESTLE. Maybe I could buy a mixed tag match with Angle or Rock against her and Trips, but Christ, please don’t have her pin Rousey just to get her name in every publication out there.
Lots of stuff to open up some discussion here. Only rule is be respectful. I’m going to delete anything that’s not. Thoughts?
It's Damn True: All About WWE 
What’s goodie friendo?
I understand and respect your feelings on Roman; I too think his work as an in ring performer is damn good. When it comes to his character, that’s where I fall off. I care less about the fact that he’s Vince’s chosen and more about the fact that he’s Vince’s chosen AND he happens to have all the personality of hospital food in the sun. The man doesn’t compell me to watch the show; he isn’t interesting. And I think that is evident of his personality; on UPUPDOWNDOWN he’s a boring dude there too. I think he’s naturally a bland dude, and for that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to enjoy him. In fact, I’d say that’s the difference between him and Braun. They’re both exceptional workers, but it’s clear as hell who is having more fun, has more personality, and may have more to offer in ring than the other. Braun’s just starting in truth, but his personality is what is winning people, not his origins.
As for the women, I agree with you that there’s a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation here, but part of the problem is the fact that it lacks an organic story. It’s not as groundbreaking or progressive for two reasons:
One, diminishing returns of announcing THE FIRST EVER [Insert match here] all within a year or two, and Two, the fact that it lacks for a good story. It’s all just happening, and doesn’t get the same writing attention that male storylines do. If they can fix that, we’re in business.
And if Rousey gets pinned by Steph, then we can officially confirm that nothing beyond narcissistic idiocy runs the booking process at the top.
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Reigns isn’t gonna bring a crowd to his feet with a “hard times” promo. But in that sense, why do people love Randy Orton? Why isn’t he treated the same way, he was dubbed the golden child from day one and has phoned it in the whole time. There’s no personality there. Same with Lesnar, though obviously that’s faded to the point of being almost gone now. You have a legitimate reason for not liking Reigns, and it makes sense. But the amount of vitriol directed at him and not at other performers for the same reasons is ridiculous
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I think Roman is eye candy. I think he can def wrestle and is good at it. But his over all character is bland and boring.
As for the women I love me some Stephanie McMahon but I agree I don’t want her to wrestle. Especially Rhonda. I think Naia should be the first to have a match with Rhonda. Build it up so Rhonda breaks Asuka undefeated streak.
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Nia would be cool but I think the problem there is, Nia is technically limited. It might not be a pretty match. In NXT Shayna Baszler needed Ember Moon to make her look good, and Ember is a technical wizard. I don’t know if Rousey is going to wrestle the same style as Baszler but I think to protect her you need someone who really knows how to sell and put someone over. I don’t know if Asuka should ever lose. But I could see Rousey ending her streak if they picked anybody to do it. I guess I feel like I don’t need Roman on the mic to entertain me, his matches make me pop every time.
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