Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.
I liked Ambrose vs. Miz pretty well. I'm glad Ambrose didn't lose despite the distraction.
Fun post-match. I'm liking the angle between Ambrose and Rollins.
Fine enough Goldust/Stardust segment. They've made this angle work in spite of how silly it is in some ways.
I really liked the battle royal, but I'm a sucker for that kind of match every once in a while. Cesaro was pretty impressive with his win.
I liked the segment with the Usos. Their match should be pretty good.
That tag title match was AMAZING. Everyone really brought it. I can't wait for the rematch.
Rollins and Kane make for a pretty interesting duo given the differences they have in age and working style.
Fine enough Divas match to get the Total Divas segment in for this show. I liked the action.
I liked the Big Show promo. He can still be effective in the right role.
I really liked Cesaro vs. Ziggler. Both men are incredible athletes.
I'm guessing there's a rematch set for Hell in a Cell. Should be great!
I'm ready for Rusev vs. Show! I hope it doesn't end in a Mark Henry heel turn or something.
Mehhhhh. That ending kind of deflated the match, but it was effective in setting up a rematch. As long as Rusev comes out on top when it matters, I'm OK with this.
I wasn't a big fan of Rusev being KO'd, but it sets drama up for another clash. I'm excited for Rusev beating Show. They really need to go that route.
More wrestling coming up.
Very interesting article I saw on this site. Hopefully Vince McMahon is taking notes with regards to Daniel Bryan and his "star power."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cagesideseats.com/2014/9/27/6854187/wwe-summerslam-2014-buy-rate-announced-was-john-cena-vs-brock-lesnar
I also am not a fan of the way Big Show has upended both Wyatt and now Rusev for a number of reasons. I agree with your stance on Big Show. He has accomplished a lot in the company, but it's time for newer stars to get the limelight. Show getting the best of Rusev and also Wyatt really deletes both of their momentum, and if anything, makes Big Show look like he is in his prime.
My other question is that what does WWE see in Big Show that they don't see in Mark Henry or Jack Swagger? To my count, not including house shows, Rusev has gotten the better of Swagger four of five times and has upended Henry two straight times. Wyatt has been in the ring and got the better of Cena, Jericho, Kane, and Roman Reigns. That also doesn't include how strong they've looked in non-match segments against them. That being said, what is it with a 42-year-old Big Show that causes WWE to put a halt to the momentum of Rusev and also Bray Wyatt? It's just a bit puzzling to me.
One of the Internet's favorite sloppy news stories is comparing incomplete buy rates to actual buy rates from previous years. It's like saying the initial amount of months for 2014 is only 9 compared to 12 for last year because we're still in September. I never report initial buy rates because it is such a false comparison. WWE should look at that number, but should wait until the actual number is calculated before really assessing anything about star power.
ReplyDeleteBuy rates were going to go down regardless due to the Network, and more people dropping cable/satellite. So it's not as easy of a comparison as might be thought. Network subscription renewals are also part of the formula for seeing what's successful, and that piece of the puzzle is missing for now. All in all, it's too early to make a direct comparison between Brock vs. Cena and Bryan vs. Cena as main events.
All that said, I want to see Bryan return to the main event scene when he returns. He has a connection with the audience that can't be forced.
As for Show, he's been a favorite of WWE since Day One. Some of it probably comes from him doing so many appearances for PR purposes, movies, that kind of thing. The front office likes having someone they can use in that role. He probably has more name value outside of WWE than Henry given his movie and TV appearances. And there's his actual size to consider. He makes for an easy main eventer for that reason. Yokozuna and Diesel (Kevin Nash) had the same thing going for them. Just be big and you can get push after push.
As for Show halting Rusev's momentum, I don't see that at all. I fully expect Rusev (who's still undefeated) to beat Show at HIAC. They're just setting some drama so it looks like Show might be the one to beat him. It's the kind of thing they sometimes neglect to do for Cena's feuds: making his opponent look like a serious threat.