NXT Thread II

Celtsfan1980 · Post #1781 » by **Celtsfan1980** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 8:11 pm

Since the roster is expanding on what seems to be a weekly basis, should the Takeover cards be expanded as well?

improper · Post #1782 » by **improper** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 8:52 pm

They should honestly probably move to 1.5 to 2 hours for the weekly NXT show, as the roster is just so jam-packed that a lot of people can barely get TV time.

I think a better solution to expanding Takeover cards is to just add an extra two Takeovers a year and try to alternate secondary feuds between them. The NXT roster is absolutely deep enough with top-tier workers to pull that off. It would also allow you to give more people title shots, and even if they don't win, I think that's a good thing. Even if you lose, working a competitive 4+ star match for the NXT title won't hurt your standing with the fans.

improper · Post #1783 » by **improper** » Fri Dec 28, 2018 3:30 am

Re-watching WarGames II and I have to say that everything about Ciampa is amazing. I absolutely love the way he carries his title, hugging it like it's the only thing that matters to him. It says so much about who he is and what he's willing to do to keep it than any words possibly could. The way he grins when he holds the title up is amazing as well. Just an incredible professional wrestler.

tugs · Post #1784 » by **tugs** » Fri Jan 11, 2019 3:10 am

Poppy doing the Takeover theme is, well, weird.

Celtsfan1980 · Post #1785 » by **Celtsfan1980** » Sat Jan 19, 2019 4:01 pm

Too many jobber matches lately. Coming off its best year I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come.

Scott Hall · Post #1786 » by **Scott Hall** » Sun Jan 20, 2019 3:31 am

I agree HHH has been a little complacent since the last Take Over probably concentrating on getting NXT UK going
and helping Vince get the main roster out of the crapper.

They've really gone out of their way to dig deep and get the undercard guys some exposure but its come at the expense
of the main core guys who haven't been on as frequently and the feuds seem to be lacking juice.

iMoreland · Post #1787 » by **iMoreland** » Thu Feb 7, 2019 1:46 am

Eric Bugenhagen is fun

bestnamezRtaken · Post #1788 » by **bestnamezRtaken** » Fri Feb 8, 2019 5:53 pm

Watching the highlights of the show (maybe I'll start watching the highlights at least) on Wednesday (I think that's when they do their shows, yeah?) and wow...I can't tell you how impressed I am with Shayna Baszler and how far she's come. She has the arrogance, the swag, the look, she's legit. The other two definitely need more work in NXT (Duke and Shafir) but it seems they're putting in the work in NXT. I was worried about these women coming in and how they wouldn't be ready but if Duke and Shafir develop as quickly as Shayna did...wow. Ronda should have definitely gone to NXT first and as a heel. WWE has botched her start as a weird tweener baby face. I know I've said this before but in my opinion, as it stands, if we ever got a WWE 4HW v UFC 4HW, Shayna should definitely be the leader. Much more believable, legit, able to hold her own in the ring. She's awesome. I never thought I'd be this high on Baszler ever since the MYC.

improper · Post #1789 » by **improper** » Fri Feb 8, 2019 10:28 pm

bestnamezRtaken wrote:Watching the highlights of the show (maybe I'll start watching the highlights at least) on Wednesday (I think that's when they do their shows, yeah?) and wow...I can't tell you how impressed I am with Shayna Baszler and how far she's come. She has the arrogance, the swag, the look, she's legit. The other two definitely need more work in NXT (Duke and Shafir) but it seems they're putting in the work in NXT. I was worried about these women coming in and how they wouldn't be ready but if Duke and Shafir develop as quickly as Shayna did...wow. Ronda should have definitely gone to NXT first and as a heel. WWE has botched her start as a weird tweener baby face. I know I've said this before but in my opinion, as it stands, if we ever got a WWE 4HW v UFC 4HW, Shayna should definitely be the leader. Much more believable, legit, able to hold her own in the ring. She's awesome. I never thought I'd be this high on Baszler ever since the MYC.

They need to lock Ronda in a room like in Clockwork Orange, pry her eyes open, and force her to watch Baszler footage for a week. That's the character she should have been from the start, or at least after that match with Triple H and Steph.

LLJ · Post #1790 » by **LLJ** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 1:53 am

The problem with Ronda is her need to be liked. I'm convinced she hasn't turned heel because she doesn't want to be booed.

Shayna is a natural performer now. Ronda is still more like a real athlete who just happens to be in a pro wrestling world. This is sort of Ronda's appeal, because she feels realistic, yet at the same time she has a hard time with the crowd control aspect of being a pro wrestler. She reminds me of Ken Shamrock a little sometimes. In that they are essentially themselves in a very cartoonish world.

Post #1791 » by **Stanford** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 1:56 am

I think you guys are nuts

iMoreland · Post #1792 » by **iMoreland** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 1:57 am

Lol, some of these takes are delusional

LLJ · Post #1793 » by **LLJ** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 2:01 am

Stanford wrote:I think you guys are nuts

What do you disagree with? Ronda was clearly thrown off by the boos the other week and it affected her train of thought during her promo. That means it bothers her. Not to mention she was visibly upset also at Survivor Series when the crowd cheered her getting her ass kicked by Charlotte.

Now, could Ronda just be a really good actor? Maybe. But given her entire tenure so far, can we really say she's THAT good most of the time?

Post #1794 » by **Stanford** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 2:05 am

She's said plenty of times that she thought she was going to get booed for a long time while she earned the crowd's respect. She was surprised at the reaction she got immediately. I believe her.

Lol at thinking Ronda Rousey decides when she turns heel. If Vince wants her to be a heel, she'll be a heel.

Also, she's a great **** wrestler.

LLJ · Post #1795 » by **LLJ** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 2:12 am

Stanford wrote:She's said plenty of times that she thought she was going to get booed for a long time while she earned the crowd's respect. She was surprised at the reaction she got immediately. I believe her.

Lol at thinking Ronda Rousey decides when she turns heel. If Vince wants her to be a heel, she'll be a heel.

Also, she's a great **** wrestler.

If you don't think Ronda doesn't have any say in her creative direction, I don't know what to tell you. Ronda isn't just some girl on the roster. They will run things by her and see if she's comfortable with it first.

Also, nobody here, NOBODY...has said she wasn't a great wrestler. From an in-ring standpoint she has been pretty Ace and that's been pretty unanimous with most people.

improper · Post #1796 » by **improper** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 2:21 am

LLJ wrote:What do you disagree with? Ronda was clearly thrown off by the boos the other week and it affected her train of thought during her promo. That means it bothers her. Not to mention she was visibly upset also at Survivor Series when the crowd cheered her getting her ass kicked by Charlotte.

Now, could Ronda just be a really good actor? Maybe. But given her entire tenure so far, can we really say she's THAT good most of the time?

She also looked like she was going to cry when the fans chanted "you deserve it" after Charlotte beat her ass at Survivor Series.

LLJ · Post #1797 » by **LLJ** » Sat Feb 9, 2019 2:27 am

I'll give Ronda credit, she recovered well from the boos the other week in her second promo against Becky later in the night. But yes, I do think she was taken aback by the boos. Especially considering crowds have largely supported Ronda most of the time up to this point. But against the more popular women, those reactions were always eventually going to split. It's one thing beating up the Alexas (who is liked by fans, but most were ready for her to take a backseat by SummerSlam anyway), the Nia Jaxes and Nikki Bellas, but once she started moving on to the Charlottes and Sashas and finally the Beckys, those reactions were always going to diverge.

bestnamezRtaken · Post #1798 » by **bestnamezRtaken** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:51 pm

I can't buy into Ronda at all. I'm sorry. Like I've said before, her title reign is hurting the value of the Raw women's championship. She's not ready, even right now. If you don't agree, please tell me why you don't agree, not just tell me I'm wrong or whatever.

tugs · Post #1799 » by **tugs** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 10:01 am

I believe this whole denial/acceptance with Ronda is a product of a combination of factors:

1. Rousey being a legitimate MMA Champion
2. The presence of NXT as a developmental phase
3. Rousey as a WWE rookie
4. WWE as a sports entertainment product

For new recruits, the progression of a WWE newbie begins at NXT, whether you're a WWE original or an Indy star. The product is competition based, but does not solely focus on the fighting, but also "selling" what's happening.

Ronda is a world renowned fighter, a champion. You'd expect someone of her caliber can easily take on anyone. What does this say now with regards to the 4 points mentioned?

- You can't make her look weak
- She's prepped and battle ready

Points 1 and 2. But the next two complicates matters:

- She already has a "character" that people recognizes going into the company
- She doesn't have the other ingredients to be a sports entertainer

What happened?
- She was thrusted into a big storyline
- She was "not herself" during the storyline
- They thought Ronda, being an athlete, an actress, and being used to the spotlight, can cope with the demands

Big props to Ronda for learning on the fly but her image has been tarnished for not learning the "business basics". This is why unless you're an AJ Styles, you go to NXT first.

bestnamezRtaken · Post #1800 » by **bestnamezRtaken** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 1:17 pm

I would agree with you on all of your points. I think she was thrust into a major storyline when she wasn't ready. With her being a big star, it hurt her because she wasn't ready. They thought her reputation would help her and the women's division, but it hasn't. At least not in my opinion. Her character/gimmick flopped. WWE totally misread the way she should have been used. Now hopefully, she doesn't end up going over Becky at WM, otherwise it'll hurt everyone involved.