Raw/NXT/PPV Spoiler Thread 5

[Pinkfloyd]

Sami did lose in a very heelish fashion. An old fashioned eye poke into finisher.

Heels are supposed to lose so I'm not to worried about KO to be honest. Plus Dean legit needed a win.

Bad match at mania. Absent from the following Raw, then just a talk segment the raw after? He needed a win.

Right now all the squashes are being fed to Corbin and Apollo. It makes sense for Corbin, but it's an utter waste on Apollo. Dude isn't getting over in the way they are booking him.

The Crews bit is the same old out-of-touch booking trying to establish a new babyface. Crews has Vince's fingerprints all over that one. It's just a way to get him on TV while keeping him free in case they need something but you're right that it won't get him over. It's pretty much how Ryback was booked to start. lol

I think KO gets a win at Payback on Zayn through heel tactics that probably pushes him closer to the main event. If there's a screwjob finish in Styles/Reigns, it pretty much takes Styles from the title picture and will require someone to fill the void. KO makes some sense there with Reigns playing tweener unless Seth is ready to go and then you have your Extreme Rules and MitB title match so that KO can just mess around with Sami until it's time for him to take the briefcase.

The way they hot-shotted the IC strap off of KO was something I utterly despised. I understand getting the title off of KO but they didn't need to give it to Ryder to give it to Miz and make him as a heel get screwed by Shane to lose his rematch. KO should've won that and then gone one-on-one with Sami, lost it at Payback and lost the rematch at Extreme Rules before going into MitB and winning. Then Zayn gets the rub, KO gets the Mania moment, and is justifiably in the main event picture with something for him to crow about while giving the upstart babyface a meaningful title that legitimizes him on this show. Then afterwards, both have convenient ways to move on to other things to revisit their feud after KO cashes in and Zayn has dropped it to someone like the heel leader of the Bullet Club or Jericho or Rusev.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

You write all of that with the assumption the WWE thinks that far ahead in storytelling nowadays, haha.

 

[Emperoreddy]

The Crews bit is the same old out-of-touch booking trying to establish a new babyface. Crews has Vince's fingerprints all over that one. It's just a way to get him on TV while keeping him free in case they need something but you're right that it won't get him over. It's pretty much how Ryback was booked to start. lol

I think KO gets a win at Payback on Zayn through heel tactics that probably pushes him closer to the main event. If there's a screwjob finish in Styles/Reigns, it pretty much takes Styles from the title picture and will require someone to fill the void. KO makes some sense there with Reigns playing tweener unless Seth is ready to go and then you have your Extreme Rules and MitB title match so that KO can just mess around with Sami until it's time for him to take the briefcase.

The way they hot-shotted the IC strap off of KO was something I utterly despised. I understand getting the title off of KO but they didn't need to give it to Ryder to give it to Miz and make him as a heel get screwed by Shane to lose his rematch. KO should've won that and then gone one-on-one with Sami, lost it at Payback and lost the rematch at Extreme Rules before going into MitB and winning. Then Zayn gets the rub, KO gets the Mania moment, and is justifiably in the main event picture with something for him to crow about while giving the upstart babyface a meaningful title that legitimizes him on this show. Then afterwards, both have convenient ways to move on to other things to revisit their feud after KO cashes in and Zayn has dropped it to someone like the heel leader of the Bullet Club or Jericho or Rusev.

I literally cringed when Cole asked Saxton what he thought of when he mentioned Crews, and Saxton went on and on about the kind of athlete he is. Add that hype video *barf*. It is such Vince booking, and its the kind of squeaky clean booking that never works (and it sort of wastes time. Segments like that make a long show feel even longer. Much rather see the Emma/Becky feud on TV then Crews not getting over).

It is such a weird haphazard way they are booking KO right now. I am with you that I'm under the impression the IC belt was taken off him for some kind of push into the main event picture (most likely being the briefcase), but it is a weird and rocky road getting there.

I think their IC belt plans is for Cesaro to hold it as a face for a while, which again makes sense to keep KO and Sami away from the picture. It kind of seems like that was always the plan coming out of Mania. Get the belt off of KO, and onto a heel lower on the card to feed to Cesaro. They just decided to give Zach a moment in the middle of it all.

It does leave KO in a weird holding pattern though, and I have no clue what they actually plan to do with Sami. Their match at Payback seems a bit of an afterthought, and they are just running it off their NXT feud. IDK I would of liked to see one of them get involved in the finish of the other's match last night. With no stakes on the line every reason to add more fuel to the fire of a blood feud is a good one.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

You write all of that with the assumption the WWE thinks that far ahead in storytelling nowadays, haha.

They have an idea of what they're going to do for the main title and Cena. Maybe not to that detail but I wouldn't doubt that they would plan ahead for someone they plan on inserting into the picture or feeding their golden boy champion.

I just think that their firm plans for KO was to just get the IC title off of him to move him up the card and that was it going into Mania. Then someone else handled the rest and the mess you got now is there because at this point Vince probably doesn't give that much of a crap about it.

It was just silly that they had a good opportunity to give a good rub to KO, Zayn, and the title so that other guys will get the rub for having it down the road because it was on talent that one could legitimately compare to important holders of that strap in years past. Now that it went to Ryder and Miz, it loses that luster.

 

[Emperoreddy]

They have an idea of what they're going to do for the main title and Cena. Maybe not to that detail but I wouldn't doubt that they would plan ahead for someone they plan on inserting into the picture or feeding their golden boy champion.

I just think that their firm plans for KO was to just get the IC title off of him to move him up the card and that was it going into Mania. Then someone else handled the rest and the mess you got now is there because at this point Vince probably doesn't give that much of a crap about it.

It was just silly that they had a good opportunity to give a good rub to KO, Zayn, and the title so that other guys will get the rub for having it down the road because it was on talent that one could legitimately compare to important holders of that strap in years past. Now that it went to Ryder and Miz, it loses that luster.

Well the end goal is to get the belt on Cesaro. Miz is just the hand over heel.

They definitely have a plan to get Cena his Flair tying championship.

 

[Paris in Flames]

I already hate Crews and that feels wrong to me considering he IS a damn fine athlete.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I already hate Crews and that feels wrong to me considering he IS a damn fine athlete.

It is forced babyface booking which never works, and most know from NXT what his limitations are. He should still be down there working on his character, while guys who are ready like Finn or Joe are up.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Yeah I don't think he was realistically top 10 (or 20) in terms of readiness of the NXT depth chart. Vince probably saw him...loved his size and basically forced his promotion.

All he does it go around smiling a lot. What the **** is that.

 

[Kimi]

He's Nigerian, he was born smiling. It's like their natural state, kinda like how we British always queue for anything by default.

But yeah. He has no character. If he had been left in NXT he would have been the focus of the show (and probably champion), building that character so that he'd be ready for a main roster run. But now he has to do that on the main roster instead.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Apparently, there's a new Reddit insider. This was his post, let's see how much of it is accurate. I have a hard time believing anyone will come close to FalconArrow, and some of these just sound so ridiculous:

- Cesaro won't win the IC Title from Miz at Payback.
- The Vaudevillains will defeat Enzo & Cass at Payback and then beat The New Day for the tag titles. Enzo & Cass will continue their feud with The Dudleyz.
- Ambrose will beat Jericho.
- Zayn and Owens will feud for a while.
- Apollo Crews vs. Ryback will be happening soon (oh god...)
- WWE has discussed signing Eric Young and putting him in The Wyatt Family to do The Wyatts vs. League of Nations without Bray.
- "You will be surprised to see what John Cena does when he returns"
- The Authority will return soon and there will be a Triple H vs. Shane McMahon match at Summerslam for control of the company. A brand split will follow.
- Roman Reigns will turn heel at Payback and join forces with Gallows and Anderson and possibly The Usos to form "The Empire" or "The Roman Empire". Rollins might team up with AJ Styles upon his return to take on The Empire, along with Ambrose and Balor.

He's Nigerian, he was born smiling. It's like their natural state, kinda like how we British always queue for anything by default.

But yeah. He has no character. If he had been left in NXT he would have been the focus of the show (and probably champion), building that character so that he'd be ready for a main roster run. But now he has to do that on the main roster instead.

But yeah... the rushed call-up and lack of character has turned me off of Apollo. He should have stayed down in NXT for another 6-12 months, IMO.

 

[Paris in Flames]

A lot of that sounds horrific.

A Wyatt Family without Bray? Or even Harper (who was an obvious second in command and only other passable one on the mic? That's just horrific. I don't even want to see Rowan and Braun on my TV until Bray is healthy and working again.

Zayn and Owens will feud for a while.

Really went out on a limb there.

 

[The Gongshow]

Lol people want Finn & The Bullet Club. Too bad you're getting Reigns!!!! & the bullet club and more of Reigns' crazy cousins.

 

[Kimi]

I'm not against that at all really.



But a stable of Rollins, Bálor, and Styles. It's like you're a kid playing the wrestling games and you make your own super group for career mode lol.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This new guy needs to predict a RAW right before he gets stock for guessing long term things.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I'm not against that at all really.



But a stable of Rollins, Bálor, and Styles. It's like you're a kid playing the wrestling games and you make your own super group for career mode lol.

Reigns would not be my first choice for that. I don't have a problem with Reigns forming his own stable but Anderson & Gallows should not be a part of it. Reigns and Usos teaming up as a stable is fine to me since all of them need that turn but they will kill any steam that Anderson/Gallows and a potential Bullet Club would have affiliating those two with Reigns even as a needed heel turn for him.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Roman tweeted today he doesn't need any "club" and AJ better watch out for messing with him and his family.

 

[Sarcastic]

The same family that Roman never bothers to help.

 

[Kimi]

Reigns would not be my first choice for that. I don't have a problem with Reigns forming his own stable but Anderson & Gallows should not be a part of it. Reigns and Usos teaming up as a stable is fine to me since all of them need that turn but they will kill any steam that Anderson/Gallows and a potential Bullet Club would have affiliating those two with Reigns even as a needed heel turn for him.

It's the Usos more than Bullet Club that I like joining Reigns, but him taking Bullet Club isn't instantly negative to me.

I agree there are far better uses for Bullet Club, but I like this far more than I like Styles taking them.


Really is all comes down to the groups everyone else ends up in. If we're going full faction warfare, along with Shane vs HHH, then there's lots of grouping up to be done and tons of ways to do it.

 

[RockLobster]

Ugh...Roman joining with Gallows/Anderson/The Bullet Club? The WWE has a chance to do something REALLY great with The Bullet Club, having them align with Reigns ****ing ruins them. So I guess I fully expect the WWE to do it, because it's all about making Roman LOOK STRONG!

 

[Emperoreddy]

Ugh...Roman joining with Gallows/Anderson/The Bullet Club? The WWE has a chance to do something REALLY great with The Bullet Club, having them align with Reigns ****ing ruins them. So I guess I fully expect the WWE to do it, because it's all about making Roman LOOK STRONG!

I mean it would piss smarks off and get a lot of heel heat, but it would also drive people away if they don't make up for it somehow.

 

[Paris in Flames]

I initially hated the idea of AJ/Rollins working together just because AJ/Rollins need to work against each other. I would put money down on that being MOTY but...eh...Rollins is gonna be a face anyway so they won't square off for a bit.

 

[RockLobster]

I mean it would piss smarks off and get a lot of heel heat, but it would also drive people away if they don't make up for it somehow.

The Bullet Club has massive potential if they do it right...but "doing it right" does NOT involve Reigns aligning with them in any way/shape/form.

 

[Sacha Baron Corbin]

Don't agree with Roman Empire, definitely hate the Wyatts without Wyatt, and there's no way the Vaudvillians should be the ones to take the belts off New Day

 

[xtra]

They could just as easily have Wyatt cut promos from the back or on his chair and have the family attack
Everyone. No need to keep him off tv

 

[Paris in Flames]

They could just as easily have Wyatt cut promos from the back or on his chair and have the family attack
Everyone. No need to keep him off tv

I disagree but I suppose it depends on how long he's out. If it's a month...sure. If it's long term then I see no point to him essentially being a manager and all feuds would end up stinking because the payoff match would HAVE to involve Rowan and Strowman.

Just let him disappear for however long he needs and listen to the pop he gets for his surprise return.

As for Rowan and Strowman..eh. Don't care.