WWE

[Lazerus]

Well since WrestleMania has passed I figure it's time for a general WWE thread.

As I predicted the Cody Rhodes title run has been boring as fuck! There's no real build towards an opponent that is a credible threat. I am hoping we eventually get a feud between him and Orton but I am not holding my breath. Priest's title run has been more entertaining so far.

The feud between Punk and Drew could deliver once Punk is cleared. (that's assuming he doesn't get injured again). This Bloodline 2.0 seems interesting enough but with Reigns MIA I'm not sure it will keep it's mo0mentum for long. The new faction under Uncle Howdy could be something fun and twisted if they handle it right.

With Rhea out with an injury the women's title scene has become dull and they need to do something with Jade instead of just keeping her in a tag team with Belair. Bayley's boring title run can't come soon enough!

I am hoping Summer Slam delivers this year but so far I am not too excited for it.

Thoughts?

[Reign in Blood]

Obviously, Cody isn't losing this soon but AJ Styles is the best worker in the business and the feud has been fine for Cody's first time out. Call it boring but no one can talk shit on Styles with me, phenomenal ain't just a gimmick, he's an all time great everytime.

I agree about pretty much else, Drew and Punk should be cool if Drew doesn't break him outright, I am looking forward to the Wyatt Sicks, but end of the day they are all jobbers that hopefully this gives them some life. Women's division is trash. SummerSlam not looking hot. I dropped Peacock and won't renew for MITB, maybe SummerSlam if that card shapes up.

But yeah it's weird, WWE in general is white hot right now but sure hit a skidmark going into the second biggest event.

[Lazerus]

I agree about Styles, I have been following his work for years. What I said wasn't a stab at him but more so WWE's booking of Cody. The dream match with Styles should have happened later on. My point was that Cody is boring. He was boring before the title win, the whole "finish the story" nonsense was a terrible storyline. After the story is finished... what is there? heck, Cody himself said this once in an interview.

His in-ring work is good but his gimmick is stale and he looks like a rip off of Homelander from the Boys. He is basically the Renaissance Era's version of Bret Hart. Great in-ring work but boring promos and a stale gimmick. Bret never really hit his stride until he turned heel in 97. I suspect something similar will happen with Cody a few years from now. He will turn heel and then we will see his best work.

I am curious who will defeat him for the title. There are only a small handful of candidates. Gunther would be my first choice but if he ends up defeated Priest at Summerslam for the WHC then that won't be happening. LA Knight is an option for sure but it looks like they want him in the mid card titles for now. That leaves only Jey Uso or Randy Orton. The Rock is a less desirable option.

[Lazerus]

Summerslam was good this year. The Gunther-Priest match was brutal.
Roman returns!!!

Who watched?

[Lazerus]

Bump

For those who watch WWE. Who do you feel will eventually beat Cody Rhodes for the WWE championship?

[Reign in Blood]

Summerslam was damn good, when Sami-Bron Breakker is the weakest, you've done good.

[Reign in Blood]

Roman wins it back. They gotta have a rubber match and he'll be the bigger face.

[Lazerus]

Roman wins it back. They gotta have a rubber match and he'll be the bigger face.

I'm ok with him being a face as long as he keeps his character edgy. He sucked as a vanilla baby face years ago and I don't feel they need to try that again.

So if Roman wins it back then question is when? They teased Rock vs. Cody for the title. Imo we don't need that match but instead we need the long overdue Rock vs. Roman for WM next year.

[Reign in Blood]

Depends how long they want to milk it. Rock vs Roman is the plan for Mania and it doesn't need the belt, so Cody is safe until after I'd say. Or they have Roman squash him at the Rumble and make the Rock match for the strap.

[Lazerus]

Given we're in an era of long title runs I could see Cody keeping it until Summer slam 2025, Roman beats him clean for the belt.
I also suspect Gunther will have a two year run with the WHC.

Again, they need to split the WWE and Universal titles up.

[Reign in Blood]

Could go,
Reigns beats Cody at Rumble with help from Rock
Rock beats Reigns at Mania
Cody beats Rock at Summerslam
Cody versus Reigns final showdown at Mania 42.

[Lazerus]

Hopefully not because Rock beating Reigns makes no sense.

[Reign in Blood]

Given we're in an era of long title runs I could see Cody keeping it until Summer slam 2025, Roman beats him clean for the belt.
I also suspect Gunther will have a two year run with the WHC.

Again, they need to split the WWE and Universal titles up.

I see one belt being a hot potato. And I can't see them giving Gunther 2 years with a top strap, he doesn't really move the needle.

[Lazerus]

Given we're in an era of long title runs I could see Cody keeping it until Summer slam 2025, Roman beats him clean for the belt.
I also suspect Gunther will have a two year run with the WHC.

Again, they need to split the WWE and Universal titles up.

I see one belt being a hot potato. And I can't see them giving Gunther 2 years with a top strap, he doesn't really move the needle.

And that hot potato could be the Universal Title. Raw has the WHC, Smackdown the WWE title. The UT could be the one that is not brand specific, it can be defended on any brand and could serve as the hot potato you mention. It's still active but attached to the WWE title. They need to split them up because Cody isn't undisputed since the WHC exists.

[Reign in Blood]

I could go for it, except I think 3 top titles is pushing it.

[Lazerus]

I could go for it, except I think 3 top titles is pushing it.

I might be, just depends on how they would handle it. I feel the main reason they have not deactivated the Universal championship is because it's forever tied to Roman just like the WWE championship is forever tied to Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, & Bob Backlund. They could split them up and have him win it again, which wouldn't surprise me.

[Reign in Blood]

It looks like we've entered the tranny era of pro wrestling. Two hottest feuds going, one is fighting over a necklace, the other is fighting over a bracelet.

Fucking hell.

[Lazerus]

I'm more frustrated with the bad booking of Bianca and Jade. Bianca is arguably the most popular female star on the roster (am argument could be made for Rhea) and she's been shoehorned into the tag team division, i mean wtf. Then there's Jade, the woman they spent months hyping up. She (finally) debuts at the RR and a great one it was. Only she vanishes once again for months, then shows up at the last minute for a tag match at WM. smh.

Since then these two have been a tag team, briefly winning the titles and... well that's it. Bianca's talent is being wasted here as is Jade's. Both are worth far more than just tag wrestling. They need to end this BS and put both back into singles competition where they belong.

[Lazerus]

Bash in Berlin was good. Gunther vs Orton was better than expected but the strap match took the night.

Cody’s title run continues to bore me!

[Reign in Blood]

Strap match was pretty dope, but Bash one of the weaker PLEs recently. Sure Bad Blood will make up for it.

Not WWE, but for AEW All In, MJF vs Osprey was excellent, both those guys should be in WWE. Got all the tools, and like Cody just on another level of wrestling fundamentals.