Random Wrasslin' thoughts.....

As much as I like Sheamus i'd be fuming if he somehow wins the ladder match.

So, its Wrestlemania weekend and I’m looking at the Intercontinental Championship Ladder match. On paper it could well steal the show in terms of a high quality match, no doubt, as it has some great workers and talent taking part. I realize a lot of fans are just happy to see the match but in my eyes the belt has suffered so much over recent years that I just don’t care about it . All of the feuds going into Mania are all victim of lazy booking and the IC title match is no different. 7 great wrestlers just lumped into a match to have them on the show. The booking of this match and nearly all previous IC matches over the last 2/3 years has been awful. I simply don’t care about the match and wonder am I alone in thinking this?

This year the title is currently on Bad News Barrett and he has lost a good few matches in the build up as is tradition with IC champs these days. He’s not looked strong since winning the gold at all and loses most non title match ups. He is coming off a nothing feud with Ambrose and both men plus R-Truth, Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler, Stardust, Daniel Bryan have been lumped into this match together. With a real lazy build up in the last 5 weeks, these men will battle it out on Sunday. Apart from the talent in the match, who are capable of pulling off a memorable match, I have no reason to care. I’m simply not emotionally invested in a match and its a shame considering the talent thats in it.

The title is at a low in terms of value and prestige, perhaps not an all time low, but its not viewed as important in my eyes at the current time. The days when this was a title that solidified a talent into an upper mid card guy are a distant memory. The days when Savage and Steamboat battled over the gold or Rock/HHH or Shawn/ Razor are long gone. The title always has rough patches through out history (take WM15 for example), but these days the championship is just an after thought for me as it seems its at its lowest point for a while. Wrestlers that have won the gold have had very little terms of a push. Miz v Ziggler was the last real feud I enjoyed over the gold and it was a decent feud to be fair. Around that particular feud we’ve had no decent feuds at all , just the title being lumped on guys like Luke Harper, Big E, Curtis Axel and Bad News Barrett.

Champions in recent history, like the guys I just mentioned, have simply won the title and done nothing of note. If anything winning the gold didn’t elevate them, rather it hampered them. They will ‘feud’ (I use the term very loosely) with a challenger or challengers, have them lose to challengers on Raw and Smackdown before winning on PPV with no real build up or storyline. Before then I think maybe Cody Rhodes v Big Show was the last decent feud the IC gold has seen and that was in 2012. Creative have no idea what there doing with this title.


Another part of the problem is the booking. The titles current value as its represented on TV is below that of some of its challengers. In the match we have Daniel Bryan who I fail to see his motivation for putting his body on the line for a title I would say is beneath him. After the last year and a half at main event level (granted he was injured for a good chunk of it) its a serious drop down for him. Same goes for Ambrose and a lesser extent Ziggler. Both men should be above this title and competing in bigger matches but they are lumped into this mid card feud. Ambrose and Ziggler have been both at the bad end of WWE booking after both should be in the upper mid card perhaps fighting for a title shot, not fighting over a title that has lost a lot of its prestige over the last decade.

Sure the match can be very entertaining and a win for Ambrose or Bryan could elevate the title. However I fear a win for either of these will just devalue their stock. For example if Ambrose was to win, I fear he will suffer as a result. Hes already beaten Cena and Rollins and Bray, he should be aiming higher. . A win for any of the others can also be good, but I fear the title will revert to normal practice and be in lazy nothing feuds used to beef up a PPV.

I used to love the IC title. When Cody Rhodes introduced the White Belt, I had high hopes but poor booking since then has done nothing for it. I had a little hope again when Miz and Dolph feuded over it at Summerslam. It wasn’t the best feud but it was entertaining but it hasn’t been built on since. I had more interest when Val Venis and Rikishi battled over the title. Nether men were steamboat or Savage but they were booked in a decent feud, something which is lacking for an IC champion as of late. The lack of a decent feud around the once prestigious IC title is making said title a joke and an after thought.

WWE creative have to take the blame. The title has been on some great talent over the years, from Dashing Cody Rhodes, to a younger pre upper card Dolph Ziggler even to a guy like current Champion Bad News Barrett. All have suffered from bad storylines and terrible booking. Its not easy I’m sure but I’m sure any sort of decent attention towards this title could elevate it from its current mediocre state. Hell, look at the PW Boards Draft, myself and others have written better storylines in this fun fantasy booking game this year and in previous years than what’s been seen on WWE television.

Ideally Id love who ever wins, what could be a show stealing match on Sunday, is given a real feud when he wins the gold. A feud with some story to it, with anyone of the winners above (Maybe not Luke Harper yet as hes a characterless zombie) can help drag this once glorious title out of the WWE creative sh!thole.

Thank you!

briany wrote: »

I like Wyatt, too, but it feels like the guy doesn't get involved in too many meaningful matches.

Wyatt can back it up when he has to, but he does some amount of talking in between those occasions.

If we look at his two WM matches so far though-last year vs Cena and this year vs Taker-he is in very high profile matches at the show that matter most. That gives me hope. After Cena last year he had nothing and his feud with Ambrose was good but I hated how weak they made Ambrose look during it.

That being said, a victory against Taker would be absolutely massive. I'm not sure who wins here. My heart is saying Wyatt but my head is saying Taker. I can easily see Wyatt being a title contender come the end of the year though, he has been pushed strongly since HIAC. And I like his talking when he is actually talking about someone rather than what has become his incessant rambling about nothing when he doesn't have a real feud.

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

If we look at his two WM matches so far though-last year vs Cena and this year vs Taker-he is in very high profile matches at the show that matter most. That gives me hope. After Cena last year he had nothing and his feud with Ambrose was good but I hated how weak they made Ambrose look during it.

That being said, a victory against Taker would be absolutely massive. I'm not sure who wins here. My heart is saying Wyatt but my head is saying Taker. I can easily see Wyatt being a title contender come the end of the year though, he has been pushed strongly since HIAC. And I like his talking when he is actually talking about someone rather than what has become his incessant rambling about nothing when he doesn't have a real feud.

Wyatt is definitely better when he has someone to bounce of off, no doubt about that, just to give what he's saying some frame of reference at least. I'm still waiting on the day when a feud of his starts for a reason outside of him 'selecting' someone though. You know, Cena's bad because of what he represents, Taker's bad 'cause he disappointed Wyatt, Wyatt sees Ambrose as a kindred spirit. Who will Wyatt randomly choose next? Who will he decide is a cancer of society type deal?

And still I'm waiting on his character to become a bit less 'pantomime'. To me the whole evil laugh, singing schtick comes off as a bit forced. Again, to draw parallels to Mankind, who was good from the get-go, but really hit his stride with the fans when he dropped the more theatrical aspects of his character, the hair pulling, the squealing, the crying out for mommy stuff. The darker characters tend to really connect with the fans when the find that bit of humanity to relate to. I think until Wyatt hits that point, he'll always be teetering between the sometimes main eventer/sometimes mid-carder, good promo guy. Still waiting on that crucial evolution.

Most certainly will but alas it will be awhile for it to be finished! My tattoo guy is always booked out! Took him a year and a half to finish my half sleeve!

briany wrote: »

Wyatt goes over 'taker this year to set up Wyatt v. Lesnar next year?

It could be billed as " One plus one make two. And two's a crowd. "

I would love that but instead of your catchphrase have it as "there can only be one". Would be so much better!

veganrun wrote: »

The WM travel thread on here seems very quiet this year, what's the story?

East Coast Wrestle mania is cheaper than West Coast WM! That was my thinking anyways

Itssoeasy wrote: »

I was watching smackdown to see how they edited that promo between aj, paige, and the bellas and maybe it's me but Aj looks thinner than before she was off. I mean she's a petite girl anyway but she looks thinner. Anyone else think that ?

Yeah. Unhealthily so imo.

Nikki has thickened out a ton in recent months which I have no issue with however :pac:

I feel like The Rock unfairly buried some wrestlers, or aspects of their gimmick at his peak. He'd basically take the p*ss and make them a figure of fun. A good example of what I mean is giving Jericho the works upon his debut, mocking the Big Show's signature chokeslam taunt, doing a little impersonation of the Undertaker's eye-rolling, saying 'Who are you?' to Booker T, poking fun at the Boss Man's weight etc. I enjoyed The Rock's antics because the man was just so entertaining, but it seems almost like he got special license to do this, that it was an aspect of his character and I wonder if any of the other wrestlers ever expressed concern that the Rock was getting over more at their expense? Or did the Rock make up for that by selling in the ring?

Lord TSC wrote: »

Will spoiler this one just n case. It's a Mania spoiler.

the UFC's women's champion entered a WWE ring at the biggest event of the year, and got chants of This Is Awesome.

I wonder what would happen if the WWE Diva's champion entered the Octagon, and got in Dana White's face? :pac:

Somehow,

I can't be the only one that finds the AxelMania stuff a bit cringey.

I think Botchamania WM31 Edition may be slim pickings. Off the top of my head I don't remember any big ones. Although the 'Everybody Talks Too Much' segment should have a field day.

Lord TSC wrote: »

Ideally, from a story point of view, I'd like Taker again; if the discussions of Taker's retirement are true, a rematch in his home state would be a great send off. The only man to beat him at Mania, one last chance to right the biggest wrong....just think a story is too good a chance to pass up myself.

Not if Brock has signed a three-year deal, then he's losing to a guy who's finished. If Brock wins again you've achieved nothing and if Taker wins you've beat the unbeatable for no net gain. You book thinking forwards, not backwards. Sting would be better than that, cus it doesn't hurt anyone for Taker to win then.