Official WWE/TNA/ROH Thread

[HollywoodLeo]

I don't know if Sandow would work as a face. The biggest part of his persona is his condescending attitude, which immediately dies if he's a face.

I also disagree that he's stale. He just seems a bit stale right now because he's stuck in a ridiculously horrible feud where the other guy supposedly got "betrayed" in an every man for himself match and is the one coming off as the sore loser no matter how much creative tries to spin it otherwise.

[Stoney]

Maybe it's just that he was teaming with Rhodes for so long and now they are feuding, but there just is something missing from him that I almost turn the channel when he comes on...

[HollywoodLeo]

He was stale during the Rhodes Scholars time, I agree.

I think he's breaking back out now that he's by himself again, but he's also being held back a bit by this stupid feud.

I'm hoping it dies after Summer Slam and we can move on, but given Cody's remark about "not letting him become World Champ before me" I'm worried they're going to drag it out.

[Slyder]

As a fan, I would love to see a double turn in the Rhodes/Sandow match and a heel alignment of Orton/Rhodes/HHH... I like Sandow as a heel, but I think he has a lot of upside as a face, plus he's already getting stale as a heel.

The last thing Rhodes needs is get into another stable. Sandow as a face is like making the Miz a face, too much of his charecter SCREAMS heel and would force him to change a lot of what makes Sandow, Sandow. He's stuck in a shitty run of fueds. I would personally LOVE to see Christian vs Sandow or Punk vs Sandow or Bryan vs Sandow from now until the Rumble.

They've been talking about the possibility of HHH/HBK or HHH/Austin at Wrestlemania with Michaels or Austin representing Vince in a the finale of the HHH/Vince storyline. I wouldn't count out The Rock as a darkhorse to be in this match if it is indeed taking place... We all know Rocky won't pass up a 7 figure payday for 20-30 minutes worth of work...

If they hadn't done HHH/Lesnar 3 times already that would be where my money would be. If Austin can wrestle again its to face Punk at Mania IMO and it makes all the sense in the world.

There's just so many ways this roster can go, they just need to get a better writing team and try to plan some feuds out 3-4 months down the line... So many guys have potential (Kingston, Cesaro, Ziggler, Miz, Rhodes, Truth, Christian, Ryder (WOO WOO WOO, You Know It!), Santino) that could take off and carry the company for the next 7-10 years but are stuck in the mid card because of guys like Cena, Orton, Del Rio, Punk who are consistently at the top. I feel Kingston should have won the title a few years back when he had his feud with Orton and destroyed the NASCAR... Kingston was at his absolute best then because he could showcase his ability and it really made him open up his talking that he really improved but since has been relegated to the mid card abyss...

Kingston= Shelton Benjamin Mk II at this point IMO. They missed the chance to elevate him after that stupid crap with Orton.
Miz= I like as the "told you so" heel, his personality, his look, everything YELLS heel. He's miss used as a face and why he's getting NO reaction now.
Truth= Y2J/RVD without the title reigns. He's like 42 now. He's there for nostalgia and to put guys over.
Christian= See Truth with 2 title reigns.
Rhodes= Im not a fan, I thought his brother was better but I've been wrong before.
Ryder= Ceiling is Brutus Beefcake. Granted Brutus made a lot of money and had a long career but he was never more than a midcarder.
Santino= I still would make a manager and I think he could be the closest thing WWE has had to Bobby Heenan in a LONG time.
Ziggler= Another example of them never getting off the pot. They needed to put him on his own long ago and everytime they try to they saddle him with another albatross. First Vickie, then AJ, now everything I hear he's gonna team up with Kaitlyn vs Big E and AJ.

Another name that I think is criminal that they haven't done more with. Wade Barrett, he's got almost everything the WWE looks for in a star and he's gone from being a main eventer to pre show filler.

[HollywoodLeo]

Regarding Ziggler/Kaitlyn I'm thinking/hoping that's just a SummerSlam match and nothing more.

[Stoney]

I think Ziggler/Kaitlyn is only for Summerslam as well... While I mostly agree with your assessment, of the group that I mentioned Ryder has the most upside. They really failed to capitalize on his popularity, and he still gets one of the biggest cheers when he has a match.

Another guy who is mis-used now is Fandango! The guy continues to be over and the Jersey crowd at Raw after Mania (which I'm proud to say I was a part of) really elevated him. Speaks volumes when you have John Cena talking to the crowd after the show stating how great it was for the fans to get behind a guy like that, and to how great it was to be in the back watching the crowd react to Ziggler cashing in MITB.

[HollywoodLeo]

While I agree that since he inexplicably got so popular they probably should have used him more, but I've never understood why Ryder's been so popular. His character is corny as hell and his in-ring work, while not horrible, isn't anything exceptional.

I've always got the feeling that fans grasped onto him out of pure spite because propping up a perennial jobber kind of sends a message because what they were pushing at the time he really gained popularity really stunk (a lot more than it still does today to some extent).

As for Fandango. As much as I enjoyed that Raw I think that huge Fandango crowd pop really destroyed Fandango's heat. He was making great strides as a cocky heel then this Jersey crowd comes along and has fun wih his theme music and now fans began cheering him while WWE marketing began pandering to "Fandangoing!" And the "Fandangoing" after the awesome Jersey show just came off as people trying to copycat and it's not as awesome.

Of course, the legit injury when he was set to fight for the IC title didn't help.

[Stoney]

I think that Jersey crowd helped him... At the time he was really going nowhere... He had a couple good matches with Jericho, but it was Jericho, he makes everybody look good. The injury did hurt, but I don't think they had any real plans for him after Jericho and that crowd kinda forced their hand to do something with him... I'm just glad they didn't kill him like they did Tensai by placing him with Brodus Clay..

[Slyder]

Another name I think could be a guy to keep an eye on in 2014 and going forward (maybe even a dark horse in the whole HHH/Vince storyline).

WWE Drew McIntyre Theme 2010 Broken Dreams 100% Full Clear + Download link - YouTube

He was "the Chosen One" signed personally by Vince (although that was the story at the time). Good size, 28 years old.

[HollywoodLeo]

I think that Jersey crowd helped him... At the time he was really going nowhere... He had a couple good matches with Jericho, but it was Jericho, he makes everybody look good. The injury did hurt, but I don't think they had any real plans for him after Jericho and that crowd kinda forced their hand to do something with him... I'm just glad they didn't kill him like they did Tensai by placing him with Brodus Clay..

Eh, I respectfully disagree.

His "I will not debut until you learn how to pronounce my name" segments was really building his character up. Then Jericho helped him display his in-ring abilities (which, naturally, Jericho helped a lot but Fandango was still on display).

Also, they were doing something with him before the Jersey crowd came along. I doubt they have Jericho job to a newcomer at Wrestlemania if they didn't already have plans for him.

I disagree that the Jersey crowd helped him for 2 reasons

1 - they were playing around with Fandango's music, not necessarily popping for him directly. While fun, that's not exactly sustainable face heat.

2 - It was face heat while he was being built as a heel. That contradicts all of the buildup they had to that juncture. Then from that Raw forward he's going out there trying to get boos when all the crowd wants to do is "da da! da da da da da!"

[Slyder]

2 - It was face heat while he was being built as a heel. That contradicts all of the buildup they had to that juncture. Then from that Raw forward he's going out there trying to get boos when all the crowd wants to do is "da da! da da da da da!"

I'd say "F' it, go with it"

[HollywoodLeo]

I'd say "F' it, go with it"

Well, yeah, they should. But that means having to rebuild his character to something that works as a face because trying to live off viral reactions to his theme music isn't sustainable.

[Stoney]

trying to live off viral reactions to his theme music isn't sustainable.

That's the problem though.. Everything WWE is doing right now, with all wrestlers, they aren't building sustainability... Like we've been saying all day, there is so much talent on the roster that they just don't know what to do with it all.. And if your name isn't Cena, Punk, Orton, Bryan then you're forgotten about...

[HollywoodLeo]

The fact that you can throw Bryan's name in that list shows progress.

[Trendy Bastard]

So, when is Cena going to take that heel turn?