WWE Payback (2016)
Sunday, May 1 2016 8:00 p.m. Eastern/7:00 p.m Central
Allstate Arena, Chicago (Rosemont), IL
WWE Network/PPV
LINK TO WRESTLEMANIA THREAD
WWE Payback (2016) Thread
- Thread starter jdoggivjc
- Start date
WWE Payback (2016)
Sunday, May 1 2016 8:00 p.m. Eastern/7:00 p.m Central
Allstate Arena, Chicago (Rosemont), IL
WWE Network/PPV
LINK TO WRESTLEMANIA THREAD
There was kind of a reset done tonight and a lot of new promotions from NXT, so it's really hard to give any kind of prediction what the card will be - that will come over the next several days.
Right now I'm just going to keep marking out over the Enzo and Cass debut. Been wanting this since SummerSlam 2015.
Right now I'm just going to keep marking out over the Enzo and Cass debut. Been wanting this since SummerSlam 2015.
I think we see:
AJ Styles v. Roman Reigns v. a third in a triple threat match for the WHC. The third person will be the person they actually want feuding with Reigns, and AJ is in there to take the fall so that neither of their "real stars" have to.
I think we see Enzo and Cass v. Duddly Boys.
I think we see Owens v. Zayn, finally.
I think we see some form of Wyatts v. LoN.
Other than that, it's up in the air, I think.
AJ Styles v. Roman Reigns v. a third in a triple threat match for the WHC. The third person will be the person they actually want feuding with Reigns, and AJ is in there to take the fall so that neither of their "real stars" have to.
I think we see Enzo and Cass v. Duddly Boys.
I think we see Owens v. Zayn, finally.
I think we see some form of Wyatts v. LoN.
Other than that, it's up in the air, I think.
You two are so ugly, your tears fall down the back of your head to avoid your face - how ya doin'?
I've got the gift of gab and the gift of jab - and I'll put that lazy eye right back to work.
Listen, Bub, you'd better think twice - it'll be two more thoughts than you've had all day. Now fall back like your hair line.
Pure gold.
I've got the gift of gab and the gift of jab - and I'll put that lazy eye right back to work.
Listen, Bub, you'd better think twice - it'll be two more thoughts than you've had all day. Now fall back like your hair line.
Pure gold.
I'd tune it for that card.
My guess is we'll also get Miz or Ryder with the ICC if either of them gets a decent push this month. Of course that belt could change hands multiple times before May 1st.
I honestly think the Dudleyz are going to enjoy the hell out of this feud. I mean, if you watch Bubba Ray as Enzo is talking, you can see he's trying to hold it together, but it gets to the point where he can no longer contain it and he breaks down and starts laughing.
I really hope that not only does Vince give Enzo and Cass freedom to talk, but gives Bubba Ray and Devon the freedom to engage them on the mic as well. The Dudleyz are really good mic workers as well, but they really haven't been given the freedom to do so - it's really part of the thing that has been killing their return.
This is the kind of feud where not only will the Dudleyz put over Enzo and Cass, but Enzo and Cass can end up legitimizing and revitalizing the Dudleyz in the process. It's also the kind of feud that, if done right, can last a good portion of the summer due to the entertainment value. Enzo and Cass should win this feud, but if it's done right both teams should come out of this feud looking really good.
I really hope that not only does Vince give Enzo and Cass freedom to talk, but gives Bubba Ray and Devon the freedom to engage them on the mic as well. The Dudleyz are really good mic workers as well, but they really haven't been given the freedom to do so - it's really part of the thing that has been killing their return.
This is the kind of feud where not only will the Dudleyz put over Enzo and Cass, but Enzo and Cass can end up legitimizing and revitalizing the Dudleyz in the process. It's also the kind of feud that, if done right, can last a good portion of the summer due to the entertainment value. Enzo and Cass should win this feud, but if it's done right both teams should come out of this feud looking really good.
This is the perfect type of feud where you don't need many matches between the two teams which has been a big problem with recent feuds across the company that incorporate 50/50 booking. Just cut promos, have run ins, backstage attacks, etc...you know, wrestling. Then have them face off at the PPV's in stipulation matches.
But alas, we'll probably get some iteration of these teams facing off in the ring every week in tag matches, 1 v. 1's, 6 man tages, etc, on Raw and Smackdown, splitting victories, and we'll be sick as **** of all of it.
I'm surprised you and all of us were able to hear that considering he apparently sounds like he's got marbles in his mouth.
First, Carmella has a legitimate chance at a career as a Women's wrestler, so instead of sticking around last night, she might have gone back to Orlando to get back to work, especially if they make her a part of the next round of NXT tapings.
Second, it might be best to introduce Enzo and Cass on their own, especially since Carmella isn't critical to the group's success (unlike Blake and Murphy, where Alexa Bliss is the only reason why they have any connection whatsoever with the audience). As Enzo and Cass become ingrained, you can bring Carmella in.
Third, I have a smarky fantasy booking as it pertains to this rivalry. I've made clear that Velvet Sky chose not to renew with TNA and is leaving the company. I've also said a few times I'd like to see Velvet become the new Duchess of Dudleyville. Someone countered that WWE might be going with the "Bully Ray" character, which wouldn't necessarily be conducive to a Duchess character, and ordinarily I'd agree. However, some of Velvet's best work has been done as a despicable heel, so if there's someone that can morph the character to suit those needs, it's her. Have her cost Enzo and Cass a couple of beatings as a distraction, a match here and there. Boom - Enzo and Cass have their counter to Velvet in Carmella. I'm not saying have intergender tag matches (because I really don't want to see that out of this feud), but use it more as a distractor/neutralizer type of thing.
No details, but Lucha Dragons did the job to the debuting Vaudevillians this evening (to be aired Thursday)
The Vaudevillains vs. Sin Cara and WWE United States Champion Kalisto is first. Good pop for Aiden English and Simon Gotch for the entrance but the match felt like a Superstars taping.
I agree with an article on Cageside Seats - if WWE decided to take the booking of its tag team division seriously like it did during the Attitude Era, The Vaudevillains are probably good enough to be gatekeepers to the Tag Team Titles. The way WWE currently books the division, though, get used to Superstars booking because Superstars will be about the best they can hope for.
From what I'm reading about SmackDown from people that were at the show last night, it's about as "must watch" as SmackDown gets.
The booking of Raw and SmackDown have been so different this week that people are beginning to theorize that changes had to have been made to the creative department - it almost feels like HHH is running the show. We'll see if this holds in weeks to come.
Just a for instance, heel Roman Reigns is almost a certainty at this point. Not that he's done the full turn yet, but he was a total ***** to AJ Styles last night
The booking of Raw and SmackDown have been so different this week that people are beginning to theorize that changes had to have been made to the creative department - it almost feels like HHH is running the show. We'll see if this holds in weeks to come.
Does anyone here foresee splitting up the belt into WWE champion and heavyweight champion anytime in the next couple months? Part of me likes the idea because it adds another string of storylines for the NXT guys to latch onto. The other part of me doesn't like it because it would probably really stretch thin the top billing talent with the injuries we already have going on.
Not in in the next few months. First, while a roster split seems to be the direction they're headed, even if you dedicated ICT to Raw and UST to SmackDown (or vice versa), it would be just as easy to have WHC, WC, and TTC to appear on both shows until they decide what they want to do with a roster split and if splitting the titles are necessary.
If there is a roster split, I don't think it will even be a "competitive" split like it was in the 2000s. Word going around is The Authority angle may (finally) be done - at least as the overbearing kayfabe overlords that they've been for the last nearly 3 years (we'll find out on Monday as HHH and Steph are supposed to be on Raw). Word is any Authority angle going forward may more resemble the role William Regal plays at NXT - he's on nearly every show, but, unless there's a major announcement, he interacts with his talent in his office in the back. He doesn't interfere with nor manipulate matches in a fashion that is "best for business" - he remains neutral. In fact, his role as GM of NXT is neither a face nor heel role - it's neutral (although NXT fans treat him like a face because his role is a breath of fresh air compared to The Authority's role over the last 3 years). In fact, that's kind of sort of how Shane played Raw this week. It's one of the reasons why people are saying Raw (and SmackDown) felt almost like a main roster NXT show this week.
Anyway, if there is a roster split, it will probably be a lot more synergistic this time around instead of competitive, which would mean splitting titles wouldn't be necessary.
This post is an extension of my previous post. Keep in mind everything in this post is pure speculation without any solid information to base it on. I have read no articles - basically, it's just guesswork based on what people who may or may not know anything have said in comments sections of various articles. Keep in mind that those comments sections are for the most part cesspools which should be read for entertainment purposes only and not necessarily be taken seriously.
With that said... Nobody really knows what's going on with corporate and how that may play out story lines into the future.
Vince is 70 years old. He has been doing this business for more than 45 years. For 35 of those years he's been Chairman of Titan/WWF/E, many of those years being spent as President and/or CEO. Through much of that time, he's been "hands on" with the product, whether as announcer, televised authority figure, wrestler, and head of creative (or at least significant influence on it). I can't imagine how much he loves this business - outside of his family (who has been doing this with him for the last 20 years), this is his life.
That being said, he's 70 and this has been his life for almost 50 years. While CM Punk's statement that he's a millionaire that should be a billionaire is no longer relevant, in spite of him making money hand over fist, for someone that loves the business as much as he does it has to eat at him the criticisms he faces weekly as he puts on shows that are generally not-well received, he sees his ratings and viewership dwindle, and he's bleeding Network memberships every time he puts on a PPV that's ultimately rejected.
Vince may be reaching a stage in his life where he just wants to hang it up. But where does the business go from here?
Shane coming back for a WrestleMania run threw a gigantic monkey wrench into assumptions about where this company is headed in the future. Odds are he's not in control of things, as various bios say he's still vice-chairman of that Chinese company, but those same bios also say he's once again in the employ of WWE. Maybe that means nothing more than his involvement the last month and a half. Or maybe it means a lot more, as in he's back to eventually, legitimately, take control of the company.
When Shane left, the assumption was he left for good and the company was going to Stephanie (and by extension HHH). Perhaps that's still the case. Perhaps that was never the case (Shane only left to gain first-hand knowledge of how to run multi-billion dollar corporations). Perhaps it was the case, but over the years she's decided she wants to do something else with her life. Everyone knows her involvement with Susan G. Komen and Connor's Cure. It has led to people saying she wants more active role in humanitarian projects. But perhaps her "evil" WWE character is getting in the way of that. While her husband has publicly stated that kayfabe is dead, you still have the "It's still real to me, damnit" idiots that can't divorce kayfabe from reality. Perhaps she feels she needs to end The Authority angle, at least the evil part of it, to accomplish that. Or perhaps she feels she may need to separate herself from WWE - either visibly, or even completely. I mean, take a look at her bio sometime - I don't know how she finds the time to do everything.
Then there's HHH. Obviously, he's a member of the family (a "McMahon"), but some have said that, in spite of his lofty corporate role, he'll never end be part of "THE family" (as in someone who could end up running the family business).
In his corporate role with WWE, HHH gained control of developmental brands, particularly FCW. To borrow one of Dusty Rhodes' more famous phrases, he took the "chicken ****" that was FCW and turned it into "chicken dinner" that is NXT. But you have to ask why he did that. It's not like WWE needed NXT - FCW was serving its purposes just fine. But HHH took NXT to the point where a lot of people say at times his product is better than Vince's product.
But then that leads to other questions. Obviously Vince is impressed with HHH's work - he made him a part of his creative department. But how impressed? It has been said that Vince isn't a fan of NXT and doesn't generally watch the product. Is it because he truly doesn't like it, or is it perhaps the statements that NXT is the better product are hitting Vince's ego the wrong way? Another thing is HHH has respect for the indies and regularly brings them into his programming, turning them into WWE products. On the other hand, Vince is an industry xenophobic that pretends other promotions other than WWE don't even exist. So the question is, is HHH impressing Vince, or is he alienating him?
Nobody knows what's going on. Maybe there's nothing going on right now. While it feels like we might be entering a transitional period, if we're not there now, it has to happen in the near future simply because of Vince's age. It just makes you curious where things are going in the future, especially with the different tone of programming this week.
With that said... Nobody really knows what's going on with corporate and how that may play out story lines into the future.
Vince is 70 years old. He has been doing this business for more than 45 years. For 35 of those years he's been Chairman of Titan/WWF/E, many of those years being spent as President and/or CEO. Through much of that time, he's been "hands on" with the product, whether as announcer, televised authority figure, wrestler, and head of creative (or at least significant influence on it). I can't imagine how much he loves this business - outside of his family (who has been doing this with him for the last 20 years), this is his life.
That being said, he's 70 and this has been his life for almost 50 years. While CM Punk's statement that he's a millionaire that should be a billionaire is no longer relevant, in spite of him making money hand over fist, for someone that loves the business as much as he does it has to eat at him the criticisms he faces weekly as he puts on shows that are generally not-well received, he sees his ratings and viewership dwindle, and he's bleeding Network memberships every time he puts on a PPV that's ultimately rejected.
Vince may be reaching a stage in his life where he just wants to hang it up. But where does the business go from here?
Shane coming back for a WrestleMania run threw a gigantic monkey wrench into assumptions about where this company is headed in the future. Odds are he's not in control of things, as various bios say he's still vice-chairman of that Chinese company, but those same bios also say he's once again in the employ of WWE. Maybe that means nothing more than his involvement the last month and a half. Or maybe it means a lot more, as in he's back to eventually, legitimately, take control of the company.
When Shane left, the assumption was he left for good and the company was going to Stephanie (and by extension HHH). Perhaps that's still the case. Perhaps that was never the case (Shane only left to gain first-hand knowledge of how to run multi-billion dollar corporations). Perhaps it was the case, but over the years she's decided she wants to do something else with her life. Everyone knows her involvement with Susan G. Komen and Connor's Cure. It has led to people saying she wants more active role in humanitarian projects. But perhaps her "evil" WWE character is getting in the way of that. While her husband has publicly stated that kayfabe is dead, you still have the "It's still real to me, damnit" idiots that can't divorce kayfabe from reality. Perhaps she feels she needs to end The Authority angle, at least the evil part of it, to accomplish that. Or perhaps she feels she may need to separate herself from WWE - either visibly, or even completely. I mean, take a look at her bio sometime - I don't know how she finds the time to do everything.
Then there's HHH. Obviously, he's a member of the family (a "McMahon"), but some have said that, in spite of his lofty corporate role, he'll never end be part of "THE family" (as in someone who could end up running the family business).
In his corporate role with WWE, HHH gained control of developmental brands, particularly FCW. To borrow one of Dusty Rhodes' more famous phrases, he took the "chicken ****" that was FCW and turned it into "chicken dinner" that is NXT. But you have to ask why he did that. It's not like WWE needed NXT - FCW was serving its purposes just fine. But HHH took NXT to the point where a lot of people say at times his product is better than Vince's product.
But then that leads to other questions. Obviously Vince is impressed with HHH's work - he made him a part of his creative department. But how impressed? It has been said that Vince isn't a fan of NXT and doesn't generally watch the product. Is it because he truly doesn't like it, or is it perhaps the statements that NXT is the better product are hitting Vince's ego the wrong way? Another thing is HHH has respect for the indies and regularly brings them into his programming, turning them into WWE products. On the other hand, Vince is an industry xenophobic that pretends other promotions other than WWE don't even exist. So the question is, is HHH impressing Vince, or is he alienating him?
Nobody knows what's going on. Maybe there's nothing going on right now. While it feels like we might be entering a transitional period, if we're not there now, it has to happen in the near future simply because of Vince's age. It just makes you curious where things are going in the future, especially with the different tone of programming this week.
