2023 Pro Wrestling Thread

You have to have Sami stand tall at the end of this.

I know the suggestion is to have Roman defend the belts on both nights, but that kinda seems sucky because whoever beats him on the second night has beaten a weakened champion.

I’m trying g to figure out how they can go about doing the is with Cody stuck in the middle.

 

Poor Cody Rhodes. He comes back to get the main event at ‘Mania, and he’s going to be an afterthought to whatever becomes Sami and Roman.

And they did a great job slowly rolling Reigns back from his tweeter role the last few months to full heel, with this being the final shift. This story has been so well done.

 

They managed to make Jey Uso a bigger babyface than the Rock wooda been while ensuring Reigns is a mega heel.

Considering how in the summer Reigns was getting some cheers and how easy using Sami as a vehicle to make him a face wooda been, this is such damn impressive work.

I really dunno where it goes, KO is still an asshole who’s tuened on Sami 500 times and will again. Does Jey really turn? Cody really doesn’t fit, at all, which kinda lends credence to the idea if a title split and return to a true brand split at the top of the card…

 

Maybe Cody challenges the multi-generation star as promised, but instead, it's Bron Breakker for the NXT belt.

 

Still trying to wrap my head around the atomic pop when Sami struck Roman, undoubtedly helped by the sound being trapped indoors. Trying to think of the last time we heard something like that in WWE -- probably even rivaling Cody's return last year.

Might even go back to Bryan at WM 30, or him turning on Bray in the lead-up. The whole arena doing the "YES" chant in unison that time was chilling.

 

The memorial service for Jay Briscoe today (Sunday), which began with Jay Lethal and (I think) Roderick Strong tolling the bell together.

Apparently, Tony Khan chartered a jet to fly AEW personnel who were in attendance for yesterday's Dark tapings at Universal (while others flew in from elsewhere).

Caprice Coleman was one of the eulogists and asked those in the wrestling community to stand, and up went most of the floor of the gymnasium, which was a great sight. While you couldn't see their faces, I think I saw the backs of Sami and KO, which was especially nice that they were able to make it from San Antonio.

 

Drew McIntyre eliminating Brock at the 2020 Rumble was on that level. Edge coming back in that same match as well.

 

That was a good Rumble match, but the ramp and stage was my one huge problem while watching it.
Guy's music hits, and normally he's in the ring fighting in 10-15 seconds. There, it was taking them a full minute to get to the ring. The announcers go into full "Business is about to pick up!" mode, and then they show the guy running to the ring and he's only halfway there. Meanwhile, the action slows to a crawl because everybody in the ring has to wait for the new guy to get his entrance.
It screwed with the timing in a lot of spots.

Meanwhile, the stage was tiny and in a cave. It took something away from the entrances. Reminded me of Chris Farley's "Fat man in a tiny coat" bit from Tommy Boy.

 

My one problem with the way they turned Sami was using his relationship with KO to do it.
KO had one of the most memorable heel turns ever in NXT when he viciously turned on Sami. I think they've been enemies more than friends ever since. The two have feuded more often than not ever since, and have had about 10,000 matches against each other in the past five or six years. Yet WWE wants us to forget all of that.
Why on earth would Sami have any special affection for KO at this point, let alone be conflicted enough about him to turn on the Bloodline? Making it the linchpin of this whole story feels weird.

 

Some other thoughts:
1) I loved Cole mentioning Otis eating a ton of food at some BBQ joint in San Antonio, and McAfee coming back with, "Is that who paid you some money, Cole?" It was very Heenan-esque.

2) One of the little things in the Rumble that I really enjoyed was Sheamus and Drew working as a tag team the entire time they were in there. We always see these nonsensical mid-Rumble turns between guys who should be smart enough to realize you can't win the match by throwing out a trusted partner while entrant No. 20 is coming down the ramp and there are still at least 30 minutes to go. Watching those two, it was believable that they would be happy to brawl as the last two but they also had a plan and knew that if they didn't get to that point it didn't matter.
In a similar vein, I really wish the announcers would play up that idea from time to time. Like when New Day was in there together, they wondered what would happen if they were the last two — when there were still 20+ wrestlers and 45 minutes minimum to go. You can't win the Rumble in the first 30 minutes, you can only lose it. Some recognition of that would be nice.

3) Cody and Gunther worked a pretty full match as the last two. That was cool.

4) They need to tighten up the Royal Rumble/battle royal rules. Nobody should be able to be eliminated by wrestlers who have themselves already been eliminated, or those not in the match. Otherwise, what's to stop somebody like Lesnar or Strowman from just getting back in the ring, chucking guys out and refusing to leave?
The mid-match breaks outside the ring also need to stop. If you leave the ring on your own, you should have 30 seconds (or in the Rumble until the next entrant comes down) to get back in, or else you're done. There's nothing stopping somebody from getting in, hopping out, and then sitting at the commentary desk for the next hour until he comes back to eliminate the last guy.

5) The overlooked part about Jey Uso turning his back on the Bloodline is how it'll affect the tag titles. Do he and Jimmy split up, and Solo steps in under Freebird rules? Do we get Sami and Jey (or Owens and Jey) vs. Jimmy and Solo for the tag titles at some point?
The way the Usos have dominated and the WWE has elevated those belts to main event status, playing up their long reign as on par with Roman's, it's not a small plot point.

 

Reportedly, Pat McAfee's return was a legitimate surprise to Cole and Graves, and Pat didn't even show up at the Dome until less than a half hour before the Rumble.

 

With Sami's face turn, I'm holding out hope he goes back to his full ska theme. Talk about banger after banger after banger ...