If you missed the opening segment of Raw, it was essentially this:



Stephanie and the Bellas' horrible acting, opens Raw the night after Summerslam instead of Cena, Heyman, Lesnar...



[Edited on August 18, 2014 at 8:25 PM. Reason : .]

8/18/2014 8:22:34 PM

Bob Dole loves hearing Paul Heyman talk about BAHROOOOOCCCCCKKKK LESSSSSSSNAAAARRRRR

8/18/2014 9:11:33 PM

I assume everyone else also ordered their "STEPH! STEPH! STEPH!" shirts already.

The profits go to pediatric brain cancer research.

--

Unsurprisingly, the three best performers on the show (Heyman, Stephanie, and Ambrose) turned in the best performances on the show.

8/19/2014 2:40:11 AM

Ambrose and Rollins put on one hell of a match.

8/19/2014 3:33:33 AM

If they're trying to get me more impatient for Daniel Bryan to come back, well done. Stephanie is doing amazing heel stuff, and she's stuck playing off the damn Bella twins.

8/19/2014 7:44:17 AM

^Yeah, not to mention CM Punk also being gone & now Ambrose is probably written off for a while to film a WWE movie. Who will the IWC cheer for now??

8/19/2014 9:02:49 AM

Cesaro

8/19/2014 10:27:36 AM

#RyderRevolution #WWWYKI

8/19/2014 11:13:52 AM

SLATER GATOR

8/19/2014 12:35:38 PM

all you have to do...is BO-LIEVE

8/19/2014 2:00:35 PM

After last night, I'm all for cheering THE BIG GUY

8/19/2014 2:06:00 PM

Night of Champions (9/21) main event is Lesnar-Cena rematch.

8/19/2014 9:15:59 PM

tonight is the night...supercena buries bray wyatt for good. I wonder if his brother will advise him to...BO-LIEVE

8/25/2014 9:32:10 PM

Velvet Sky and Bully Ray do the Ice Bucket Challenge. (This one is not clichéd, there's some originality.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgufhLhnZrc&feature=player_embedded

8/25/2014 10:20:45 PM

8/25/2014 10:59:48 PM

this got posted onto a board I'm on and not only is the matchup a surprise, but it's pretty good offense for the massive underdog babyface

Match on Raw for the WWF Championship: Triple H vs. Taka Michinoku

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I-iUL2IBn4

8/28/2014 6:28:20 PM

from the WON:

Quote :

"News: Is WWE bailing on the Network or on use of archives...? The Wrap.com has an article that WWE is in talks of selling its entire pro wrestling library to Warner Brothers. The story said that neither side would comment on the story and that WWE is transitioning away from using its library. It indicated it was due to disappointing network subscriptions. "

9/11/2014 10:35:54 PM

Well, it does seem true that they haven't shown much interest in using the library.

When the Network was announced, I was hoping they'd be uploading scores of footage from AWA, WCCW, Stampede, etc., but it hasn't happened, and that's been disappointing. Their argument will probably be "No one's watching Superbrawl '92, so why would we spend resources uploading/hosting episodes of Stampede from 1980?" but the major stuff has been available in some form forever.

Personally, I was hoping the on-demand nature of the Network would provide access to the tape library in ways that we hadn't seen from traditional releases, and let people explore -> promote to their friends all sorts of niche shows, in the way that people dig up forgotten gems on Netflix.

We'll see what happens.

--

In other news, Takeover 2 wasn't a great show, but the women's match was again excellent, and the main event was fantastic. All four guys looked great. Also psyched that the Ascension lost, because they are the most boring shit of all time.

9/12/2014 5:30:43 AM

Quote :

"Also psyched that the Ascension lost, because they are the most boring shit of all time."

In other words, they're moving up to the main roster

9/12/2014 8:19:37 AM

Exactly. And since I watch NXT religiously but only skim Raw/Smackdown for the people I care about, it's a way better return on time for me to watch them fly by at 4x FF on Raw.

In other news, it's been years and I still can't believe that I'm supposed to roll with one of the God of War pulverizing tag dudes being named "Konnor."

9/12/2014 10:09:33 PM

How can Ascension be the worst when Bull Dempsey is a thing? Also, changing KENTA's name sucks. I know the WWE wants everyone to have a trademark-able name but in this case they already promoted KENTA by name several times and he's a big enough star that I'd hoped they'd put the NXT name generator away. Hideo Itami????

9/13/2014 7:36:45 AM

Haha. From Figure 4 Weekly:

Quote :

"A few hours before NXT Takeover: Fatal 4-Way, Triple H decided to blow the Internet's mind by taking a selfie with Fergal Devitt, Kevin Steen, and KENTA. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Seriously, he included the hashtag #LetTheInternetExplode. —Vince) This led to Joey Ryan tweeting what was easily the line of the week: "Why doesn't Triple H ever take selfies with the guys Bill DeMott trained?" "

I don't watch NXT. But from what I gather, WWE are attempting the Ascension to be a modern-day Road Warriors of sorts.

[Edited on September 13, 2014 at 10:44 AM. Reason : /]

9/13/2014 10:43:09 AM

Quote :

"How can Ascension be the worst when Bull Dempsey is a thing?"

Because everyone knows and acts like Bull Dempsey sucks. The push on the Ascension as cool badasses makes it much worse.

9/14/2014 3:08:57 AM

Roman Reigns had emergency surgery for an incarcerated hernia this morning in Nashville. He'll be out 1 to 3 months and his match with Seth Rollins tomorrow night is obviously off.

9/20/2014 6:17:19 PM

thoughts on The Rock's return?

10/7/2014 3:08:44 PM

Think it was just a one-off appearance.

Raw has been sucking lately. You know it's-----this post has been interrupted by Seth Rollins. Sentence ends in disqualification.

(add-on: at Hell in a Cell, Lesnar - as champion - is not on the card at all. The show will open with Ambrose vs. Cena. The winner gets Rollins in a cage. The loser gets Orton. First, you kill the Orton match right off the bat. Second, they're pretty much advertising they won't have a clean finish in the Ambrose-Cena match.)

[Edited on October 7, 2014 at 5:32 PM. Reason : .]

10/7/2014 5:20:00 PM

The only entertaining things on the show lately are Ambrose and Damien Sandow.

10/8/2014 12:02:51 AM

Heard today: an anagram for Stephanie McMahon is "The Macho Man Penis"

10/8/2014 7:51:06 PM

Holy shit. This is a thread?

Are you guys gonna see POTA @ dpac?

L. O. L.

10/8/2014 10:05:38 PM

Andrew Lloyd Webber doesn't hold a candle to Damien Mizdow and his mancape.

10/9/2014 11:10:51 PM

so I heard mcintyre got the boot

10/13/2014 5:06:42 PM

four months ago, yes

10/13/2014 7:11:50 PM

Rock and Hunter on Smackdown Friday teasing a future WrestleMania match. Great segment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVSpJjEs82U

10/13/2014 9:18:40 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCvWW5ppyIs

10/13/2014 9:37:02 PM

http://www.chicagofilmarchives.org/collections/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/5

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWXxP_rvXryBPpjIw7Dl9Tg/videos

If you're interested in older wrestling, this has been one of the greatest finds in recent memory. The Chicago Film Archives released 370 reels of wrestling matches from 1932 to 1970.

for example from 1951: Lou Thesz vs. The Mighty Atlas for the NWA Championship, full match, before the match you can see Ed "Strangler" Lewis, an early 1900s wrestler that was Thesz's real-life manager and mentor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pSgNpVEs-_Q

[Edited on October 21, 2014 at 9:11 PM. Reason : .]

10/21/2014 9:10:50 PM

good to see wrestling fans haven't changed much in 70 years (throwing garbage in the ring, etc)

also, Russ Davis is a better play by play announcer than Michael Cole

10/21/2014 9:44:00 PM

Wrestler Ox Baker died this week of cancer. He had a famous role in the movie Escape from New York where he fought Kurt Russell in a ring.

10/21/2014 11:58:41 PM

JOHN CENA VS. RANDY ORTON IN HELL IN A CELL FOR A TITLE SHOT

Cena won clean with an Attitude Adjustment through a table by reversing when Orton went to superplex him through the table. They really wanted to do a classic match, used weapons, Cena kicked out of two RKO's and Orton kicked out of two Attitude Adjustments. The chants for and against Cena were far louder than anything on the show, but the heat for the match was nothing that special, and if anything hurt the match a little. The crowd was mixed, kids and women pro-Cena big-time and adult guys for Orton, but it wasn't that heat that builds because of it, as the crowd wasn't all that passionate past the chants. But definitely a good match.

SETH ROLLINS VS. DEAN AMBROSE IN A HELL IN A CELL MATCH

Rollins won due to interference from Bray Wyatt. The match started with Ambrose on top of the cage. Rollins told Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble to get him down. They went up there. Rollins attacked Ambrose when he was beating Noble and Mercury. It built to a spot where Rollns climbed down and Amborse was fighting him on the way down. They were halfway down and Ambrose head-butted Rollins and they both let go of the cage and each flew off the cage and through a table, Rollins through the Spanish announcerse table and Ambrose through the American table. Everyone had cleared out so you could see the spot being set up. Medics came out and both were put on stretchers. Ambrose got off his stretcher and limped toward the stretcher Rollins was on and dumped him off. They ended up in the cage. Lots of weapons. Ambrose did an elbow drop off the middle rope onto Rollins who was outside the ring, on a table. The first interference saw Kane spray a fire extinguisher through the cage on Ambrose. Rollins made a comeback but Ambrose kicked out of the curb stomp. Ambrose came back and hit Rollins with the MITB briefcase. He brought in cinderlocks and was going to curb stomp Rollins but the lights went out. They were out for a long time. When they came on, a lamp was in the cage. Then a fog appeared with the idea someone was in the fog. Then the lights went out again. When the lights came back on, Wyatt was in the cage and he gave Ambrose a uranage and Rollins pinned him. Rollins left the cage and Wyatt gave Ambrose Sister Abigail to end the show.

10/26/2014 11:52:38 PM

Highlights of the show were Ziggler/Cesaro and HOLY FUCK DAMIEN SANDOW GETS BETTER EVERY DAY.

10/27/2014 12:31:14 AM

OMG KING KANE WYATT HAS GOT THA URN?!?!


also, lol cena wins getting sick of them trying to make him a credible threat to Lesnar

10/27/2014 8:25:02 AM

Quote :

"getting sick of them trying to make him a credible threat to Lesnar"

Same. Orton would be a much fresher opponent. I'd even take a triple threat match over that.

10/27/2014 10:32:53 AM

so far (excluding 9-930 when I switched to American Dad) WWE logic runs as follows:

Bo Dallas beats Mark Henry 3 times in a row
Mark Henry billed as credible threat to Rusev, loses
Big Show billed as credible threat to Rusev, loses
Mark Henry & Big Show tag team, lose to Gold & Star Dust (and Big Show looks like he's about to cry when Mark Henry turns on him and gives him 3 worlds strongest slams)
Bo Dallas loses to Ryback, who is coming off a shameful tag team with Curtis Axel and has been injured

also

Cena & Ambrose fight over who faces Seth Rollins
Ambrose beats Cena
Cena gets #1 contender's match against Orton
Rollins beats Ambrose
Cena beats Orton
Cena vs Rollins tonight

gee I wonder what is going to happen. Oh I know, Cena wins.

10/27/2014 9:54:34 PM

10/28/2014 7:17:23 AM

Quote :

"WWE announced the latest WWE Network subscriber count as 731,000. "

They announced 700000 on July 30. And in between July 30 and now, they officially opened up in a lot of international countries they were previously unofficially available in.

Doom...

10/30/2014 9:38:23 AM

^I don't think its available in the UK yet, which I believe would really boost subscriptions. I wonder which countries it's currently available in?

10/30/2014 10:35:25 AM

170-some countries is the number I heard.

In Canada, they're an HBO-type channel offered by Rogers.

In the UK, they have to work out something with Sky, but it's not like they're going to get 100k or something. Their problem is they have to average 1.2 million subscribers next year just for them to get back to even with where they were prior to them dropping PPV.

[Edited on October 30, 2014 at 10:46 AM. Reason : /]

10/30/2014 10:40:51 AM

they wouldn't have this problem if they had made the price point 14.99, most people would still have paid that much and they'd have only needed 2/3 of the userbase, which would be 800k instead of 1.2m. I think they can get 800k once they add the UK, but they aren't breaking 1M, which is a shame because it's a good idea on paper (though the current product leaves a lot to be desired)

10/30/2014 11:10:39 AM

The promo that Vince cut to promote the free month of November is pure gold.

10/30/2014 3:20:56 PM

A funny message board rant after the network numbers were released. I don't agree with all of it, but there's some truth in it.

Quote :

"John Cena is the poster boy for the decline For over ten years they have been shoving John Cena down our throats. A babyface champion with no redeeming qualities. A clumsy, roided up non athlete who dresses like five year old. Now with the network bombing badly people may finally see the truth: Cena is the main reason for the decline. He's the main reason I quit watching RAW many years ago. Being a hardcore I still follow the product via the observer. Most of my semi hardcore friends (at least 15 guys from Europe, Britain, USA) stopped watching all together. Each and every one because of John Cena and what he stands for. That is the cold hard truth. Cena stands for everything most grown up fans hate about the product. Cena represents the idea of sports entertainment where wins and losses don't matter. Cena represents the idea of sports entertainment where 99 percent of the show is just bad comedy. Cena represents the idea of sports entertainment where scripted promos are for the most part cringeworthy crap recited by bad actors. Cena represents the idea of sports entertainment where the majority of the guys look like a bunch of underwear models playing pro wrestling. Cena represents the idea of sports entertainment that is basically a bad parody of what pro wrestling used to be. A bit like GLOW without the trashy charm. I know Dave and Bryan firmly believe that Cena is this all time great draw but I firmly believe that he is the epitome of why WWE is in such a serious condition. Think about that: For years now John Cena is getting booed out of every arena in the country. Yet some people somehow still believe that he is this all time great babyface. The mind boggles."

If you hate Cena, don't worry, Reigns will become the new Cena within a year, although I don't know if Reigns is capable.

[Edited on October 30, 2014 at 6:29 PM. Reason : /]

10/30/2014 6:28:40 PM

At least Reigns' emotionless "emotional" promo will be slightly different, right? RIGHT?!?

Speaking of promos, can we get Dolph some goddamn mic time on TV? He's been cutting fantastic promos on the fucking WWE App for months.

10/30/2014 7:00:54 PM