₦airaland Forum

pu7pl3:
You too dey stress yourself my guy

pu7pl3:
Make dem try am now na
You think Khan wont be licking his lips at a fired Roman...dey play.

Roman Reigns is the real boss in WWE

ValeeLove:
the stats still remain there. Nick Khan is the real MVP of the company right now. Roman na just poster boy.

ValeeLove:
na the 'tribal chief' comments I dey talk be this. Nothing really substantial.

CoolUsername:
It's really not that deep

pu7pl3:
It's not it
You're stressing your self trying to know what's happening behind the scenes when there is Cinematic hold happening right in front of you.

ValeeLove:
You come everyday with review. You critique too, telling us what you liked and what you didn't, while backing it up with logic - that's exactly what I'm doing. We know this, all belts are defended on the said PPV, but today there's an exception with no tangible reason whatsoever. The main company belt isn't defended on the night when all belts are supposed to be defended? And what's the world champ's excuse? Going after a smaller belt he has absolutely no business with and no current expertise on. And all what this company has to say to explain all these is that "strings were pulled"? Haba. No wonder they aren't gaining new fans. Them go just confuse them on their first viewing. And don't worry, AEW isn't exempted from this problem.

ValeeLove:
You come everyday with review. You critique too, telling us what you liked and what you didn't, while backing it up with logic - that's exactly what I'm doing. We know this, all belts are defended on the said PPV, but today there's an exception with no tangible reason whatsoever. The main company belt isn't defended on the night when all belts are supposed to be defended? And what's the world champ's excuse? Going after a smaller belt he has absolutely no business with and no current expertise on. And all what this company has to say to explain all these is that "strings were pulled"? Haba. No wonder they aren't gaining new fans. Them go just confuse them on their first viewing. And don't worry, AEW isn't exempted from this problem.

CoolUsername:
The point of the tournament is to give the other competitors a shot because the Bloodline is currently holding the other world title hostage.

In kayfabe, Roman Reigns has a ton of leverage as the company's top guy due to his long championship reign. Just like Mbappe and Ronaldo in their clubs or Dwayne Johnson during his stint in the DCEU, they get to dictate their terms to a greater extent than others. Right now, he is using said leverage to limit his title defences to only A-tier PLEs and to negotiate title matches for himself and his boys.

In reality, WWE is just trying to protect Roman Reigns from injury and overexposure. Furthermore, at this point, we know he isn't dropping the belt until at least SummerSlam. What's the point of feeding him talent when we all know they aren't going over? He needs a challenger that feels legitimately positioned to win it for us to be really invested. Lastly, WWE knows that he is a megastar and a huge draw so they still want him to be involved in Night of Champions in some capacity.

CoolUsername:
First off, he actually watches the shows that he critiques.

Secondly, WWE had been doing solid ratings and making solid profits at least before the buyout (you can't really lie about profits as a pubicly traded company).

pu7pl3:
When I critique I don't go as deep as you do bro cos at the back of my mind I know it's all Kayfabe and I like it that way.

ValeeLove:
the point of the tournament is to create another world title. If they claim is cos Roman is holding the belt hostage, then all of them in that company don't know what they are doing. Nobody holds a belt hostage. You either do your job or you leave.

ValeeLove:
So a big payday in Saudi isn't "top-tier"? Come on.
And no matter how influential he is, he can still be let go. Man U let go of CR7, WB fired Dwayne and now he's looking for space in F & F. No one is indispensable and everyone obeys the rules. CR7 and Mbappe aren't more powerful than the ref in a match.

ValeeLove:
Now you mentioned injury, but I'm wondering if he didn't know what he signed up for in the first place and can't he also get injured in a tag match? That excuse no follow.
Over-exposure? And yet he's still wrestling. So which exposure again. This one is also shallow.

ValeeLove:
And you talked about feeding him people till SummerSlam, and how is that my fault? Did I send WWE to make their programs very predictable. As far as I'm concerned it's a 'them' problem. They've lost the magic touch and can't seem to do anything right. People have been complaining about the programming since WrestleMania ended, so it's nothing new.

ValeeLove:
They still want him to be involved? But they don't want him to be involved fully. They are confused then.

The point is this, they should be consistent in their programming and not insult our intelligence. If all belts are defended at NOC, then all belts should be defended at NOC, don't give them an excuse.

ValeeLove:
1. I don't need to watch the show to talk about things I talk about. Things I talk about aren't intricacies, but public knowledge you can get from a post or headline on Facebook. Example, knowing all belts aren't defended at Night Of Champions this year as opposed to the rule of the PPV.

ValeeLove:
2. We all know WWE is standing on the weight of it's already built reputation. 50 years + of great programming is what's still keeping them standing, and not what they are currently doing now. And you can easily tell by mentioning any worthy star they've created currently that can match previous guys. They still bring back legends for big matches.
Another reason is marketing. WWE is heavy on that, it's why they brought in Nick Khan. Less value, more marketing. That's their mantra, but it's only going to take a while, before it gradually crumbles if they don't act fast. Bring in Bad Bunny, bring Logan Paul, bring this one, bring that one, make this stage, use this arena...it's all marketing. Why do you think they are so high on merch?

ValeeLove:
how deep abeg. Okay would you like it if there wasn't a Royal Rumble match at a Royal Rumble PPV?

Debroslink:
Make una no fight o. I'm enjoying the raw facts you guys are spewing.

triggaSG:
You no lie. He sweet. Make them carry on.

Salutations.

CoolUsername:
Yeah, like complaining about not understanding the justification for the Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky match at Backlash, only to mention that you didn't actually watch the build up to said match?

CoolUsername:
Reputation doesn't mean much if your product is consistently bad. Disney has been taking losses from their recent MCU endeavours. We've seen the Star Wars franchise go from one of the most profitable in the world to making box office flops like Solo.

Also, 50+ years of great programming is such a wild statement. Where were you during the anonymous Raw GM era?

CoolUsername:
WWE has always brought in celebrity guests. Mr T fought in WrestleMania 1. Denis Rodman had a stint with Hollywood Hogan. Vince McMahon had a feud with Donald Trump ffs. I don't know what you're going on about

CoolUsername:
I hope you understand that's the kayfabe reason, right? Just like when CM Punk won the WWE Championship and was about to leave the company—Roman Reigns is not actually holding the title hostage. Creative just wants a dominant heel champion and it is in character for a heel to do whatever is takes to limit the number of times he defends his title.

CoolUsername:
It's only the month after WrestleMania, Roman Reigns wants to keep his title defences few and far between to prolong his reign.

CoolUsername:
Ronaldo and Dwayne Johnson were let go because they couldn't deliver. Roman Reigns continues to be a draw for WWE and as long as that keeps happening, they will continue to listen to him.

Also, Roman Reigns isn't disregarding refs during his matches. We are taking about assumed backstage politicking.

CoolUsername:
I'm starting to question whether you actually understand the difference between kayfabe and reality. I said that, in reality, WWE wants to protect their top guy from potential injury and overexposure which is why he doesn't fight as much as he used to. That doesn't mean he won't fight at all, it just means that when he does, it would be a bigger deal.

CoolUsername:
Also, a few marks complaining about their programming on twitter and Cagematch doesn't change the fact that in reality, the Raw after WrestleMania did over 2 million viewers in ratings, which is above average for Raw. Despite many members of the IWC predicting that there would be a drop off.

CoolUsername:
In what reality is a company that is making huge profits off live events and merch sales not doing anything right?

CoolUsername:
Don't worry bro, the show that you don't watch isn't insulting your intelligence.

CoolUsername:
This is a direct shot at "WWE can't create new stars."

Attaboy
Show them what real action looks like

pu7pl3:
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS

Take It Back
The Nairalanders who also love Wu Tang Clan might recognize that song choice. For those who don’t—and how dare you not love the Wu—it’s a track from 8 Diagrams. Not the group’s finest hour by a long shot and that song summed up why. Wu promised to “take it back” to their heyday with the song and the album, but lacked a clear direction or reason for existing. Previous Wu projects had that modus operandi, and never presented the group as old men telling kids to get off their lawns
I think about that song in relation to the main event angle and Carmelo Hayes’ recent words about taking NXT back to the Black and Gold days. And he very well might because we know he gets busy between those ropes. Bron Breakker as well.
But like that song and 8 Diagrams, their angle lacks focus.
Melo and Trick called Bron out early. Bron no showed and they got Drew Gulak & Charlie Dempsey instead. Drew & Charlie challenged Trick Melo gang to a match since their scheduled match suffered complications, to which Trick & Melo obviously obliged.
I’m all for more Trick in the ring after last week and he did well again. But it’s also not why I’m here; give me more Bron & Melo.
NXT probably knew that which is why the tag match wrapped pretty quickly with Melo getting the W for his team and immediately turned their attention back towards the Big Bad Booty Nephew.
That’s when things got weird.
Bron showed up on the big screen in Melo’s barbershop. I guess that was threatening? Melo looked angry but...that’s it? He went to the shop, got a cut, and then immediately sat up. There’s no danger there and Bron didn’t even disrespect the place. Yeah the extras patrons looked nervous but he didn’t threaten anyone.
Which brings us to the very end of the show when Bron finally showed after Trick & Melo showed up again and held the show hostage.
Bron came with security in tow, got on the mic, and sounded mad awkward. I said last week that less is more with Bron when it comes to talking. In fact, less talking and more action works for him. This is another exhibit why. Bron switched his motivation back to not wanting the championship.
He seemingly forgot spearing Melo out the air last week even after mentioning it earlier in the show. Then, for some reason, he trash talked Boston sports teams. That makes sense if you’re in Boston, or Melo established on television how much he loved those teams, or both. But trash talking Boston sports teams in Florida won’t get the heel reaction Bron wanted.
And he knew as much because he paused and looked around the arena as soon as the words left his lips.
Chaos eventually broke out like we all wanted. The champion and his challenger who doesn’t care about the championship finally got their hands on each other. They battled to a draw as the credit rolled with both men on the mat and the championship lying between them.
And I felt none of it. This build just isn’t working and I don’t know who to blame. I hoped with Bron firmly as a heel that they might tell an interesting story here but it’s the exact opposite and, unfortunately, boring.
Their angle crystalized most of this week’s show: a lot happening, none of it truly compelling, and not really worth anyone’s time.


B-Sides
I Dare You
Cora Jade practically dared Fallon Henley, or any woman, to test her in this tournament. That’s the way she worked her match too: As the top flight heel who believes she’s above the competition.
Cora capitalized on Fallon’s knee injury, as a good heel should, and went to the pay window. She also advanced to the semi-finals but yeah, pay window.
They got less than 10 minutes to work but they made it physical, which made the hate between the two palpable.

Da Mystery of Chessboxin’
The Brothers Creed and the Dyad rocked the world this week. Incredible match from top to bottom. NXT normally delivers on its tag matches and this lived up to that hype.
And to top it off, it seems like the Diamond Mine as a whole exorcised their Schism demons. At least for the moment.
Ava tried getting the drop on Ivy Nile but Ivy reversed her sneak attack hold into Ivy’s patented submission. Brutus hit a Brutus Bomb on the outside while Julius finished it off in the ring. That’s an emphatic win. And with all that momentum, they officially challenged Gallus to a tag team championship match at Battleground.
They played Chess while Schism, unsurprisingly, played checkers.

Code of the Street
The Supernova Sessions didn’t do much for me. It was Noam Dar interviewing Dragon Lee, with Noam being his normal obnoxious self. Which is perfectly fine and in character, but the execution just left me wanting. Nathan Frazer showed up, which got under Noam’s very thin skin.
The long and short of this very loud and rambling segment? Noam puts his Heritage Cup on the line against Dragon Lee but takes on Nathan next week just to prove a point.

Money, Power & Respect
I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop in this Chase U situation. On one hand, we all see Duke Hudson inching Andre Chase out of power. On the other, Duke shows so much dedication to the job. Duke grading papers during Thea Hail’s initial dustup with Kiana James provided some comedy as he nonchalantly granted Thea permission to wrestle Kiana after Ms. James threw insults her way.
Duke continued grading papers during the actual match, meaning he didn’t provide the spirit and energy Andre does. Thea not having a cheerleader in her corner no doubt contributed to Kiana’s W.
But looking at this as a television show, I’m not sure what a victory over Thea does for Kiana at this point. Kiana had a spot in the tournament for the Women’s championship. Storyline wise, she’s on a different level, so it’s hard getting invested in a match with Thea, who isn’t there yet.

Anger in the Nation
Schism attacked Tyler Bate and Wes Lee, effectively putting them out of the tag match against the Dyad. Joe Gacy wants Wes’ championship, plain and simple. But he also believes Tyler Bate has an ulterior motive; he and Ava believe Tyler only helps Wes because he wants a shot at that same championship.
Aaaaand he was 1000 percent right.
The weird thing about all of this, and this goes for Tyler and Joe, is the fact that Wes never turns down a request! Ever. If you want a shot at his championship, just ask. He established that pattern pretty early in his reign and said it this week.
I get they’re creating drama between Tyler and Wes for a triple threat match at Battleground, but it’s just weird writing from my perspective since, again, Wes’ character takes on all comers, friend or foe, no questions asked.
So now we go into a triple threat where it's truly every man for himself, a development that presumably gives Joe the advantage. I like where they got but the way they got there felt clunky.

Keep It Thoro
The Prodigy vs. the Princess. That’s the other half of the semi-final bracket for the NXT Women’s championship as Roxanne Perez defeated Jacy Jayne this week in a very solid match.
Keeping it all the way real, I’m not a big Jacy fan. I thought Gigi held them up as a tag team and Jacy got over thanks to Gigi and even more thanks to Mandy Rose. But she impressed me this week when she held her own against a former NXT Women’s champ. That’s a big deal and great for her future.
That performance also makes me look forward to her impending rematch with Gigi, who jumped her former partner after Roxanne took the W.
On the whole, this is one of two matches I really enjoyed this week, So hey, they got that going for them.

Whew, rough week. I really don’t know what else to say besides that. The show started with some promise but never found a rhythm and felt like someone mashed several ideas together hoping they fit. Sadly for everyone involved, they really didn’t. And I purposefully left out some segments with Dijak and Ilja Dragunov because...yeah, no.

CoolUsername:
Dijak is such a charisma vacuum it's not even funny. How can you be so good in the ring, with that type of build and consistently participate in the most boring angles? I'm ilsick and tired of that same constipated face he always makes. He just isn't it.

CoolUsername:
This is a direct shot at "WWE can't create new stars."

CoolUsername:
Wrestling ratings since June 2022

ValeeLove:
big deal. They used to hit 6 million back.in the day. Meanwhile, do you know how much FOX lost because of Smackdown in 2022 and 2021? Even me I couldn't believe. You won't see that in the news, for some reason.

ValeeLove:
whether na 'waka pass' we no even know.
Meanwhile una world champ Romanus is reported as going to be working even lesser dates to pursue Hollywood ambitions. He'll probably show up next year and automatically be a 1000 and whatever days champion.