WOW!!!

I was NOT expecting Jey to win it! He wasn't my 3rd, 4th, or even 5th guess, but here we are!
Main Event Jey Uso is going to Main Event WrestleMania!

YEET-A-MANIA!
Put that on a T-shirt! It'll make millions!
You can thank me later, WWE!

Now the question is: Who does Jey go after? Cody or Gunther?

Poor Lyra 😁
I thought the women’s rumble match was a little crowded for too long. The problem when that happens is too many get lost in the mix and it feels like the match is at a standstill for too long. We got to see a lot of interaction, but almost no story to speak of. Just a lot of stuff going on in small parts of the ring, but nothing much exciting. The Royal Rumble March is great for two reasons: 1. It’s a battle Royale - and 2. It’s a gauntlet. I kinda feel like the gauntlet part of it was a bit muted - and that’s the part where standout wrestlers are built.

The men’s rumble, when Priest, Knight, Sami, Drew, Roman, Punk, and Seth all went out in like a 3 minute window, I was wondering WTF happened? Well, for those going for Sami, his brother won! 😁

Anyway, on WWE shows. I mostly prioritize NXT - and it’s the only show I regularly watch top to bottom when time’s afforded. It’s a different type of show than RAW or Smackdown. Much less hierarchical, and so it feels more like everyone’s story is important. Anyone who isn’t featured regularly are a treat when they’re on the show. But RAW and Smackdown are more focused on a few characters. Those who aren’t in the focus window are extras/jobbers, and their matches/stories feel like filler with no tension. For me, those are easier to skip. It feels like on NXT that whenever a big story happens, that it wasn’t forced, that it rose organically. IMO, Gargano and Ciampa’s story was the best in the last 10 years of WWE, one that rose to the top with a cult-like following. It happened in NXT, without needing those 20 minute promo windows.

In other words, RAW and Smackdown are more a pyramid. With some exceptions, your storyline is really only important when you’re near the top. Otherwise you’re either unimportant or have found some niche as an entertaining sideshow flair (like R Truth, Logan Paul, or LA Knight) - I feel like Penta, right now, is the exception to the rule where he’s both a big sideshow but somehow also comes off as significant.

NXT is more like a Mastaba where everyone is on the same level, and it’s just a matter of proximity to the altar or the throne. On top of that, mostly everyone has the chance to get their sideshow flair (or gimmicks) over. So, I find the shows are mostly fun beginning to end.

Look at DIY, in NXT these guys rose to the top because they have a lot of talent. But on RAW/Smackdown they’re stuck in unimportance. Their stories have no tension, no real stakes besides unimportant titles, whether they win or lose matches is inconsequential.

That’s how I see WWE.

Don’t get me wrong, I like all the shows, and understand that RAW and Smackdown are where the biggest stars are. But most of the RAW and Smackdown roster would be more fun to watch on an NXT-like show.

Another thing, NXT never gets stale. When someone gets too big, they never have the chance to lose their lustre while monopolizing the top, as they’ll be transferred to RAW/Smackdown before that happens. Sometimes they get to the top of the pyramid, but it’s a small peak; so, more often than not, they become a shell of their former selves (DIY is a probably the best example).

A number of releases. Mixed bag. Some I expected, others are a bit surprising.

1. Sonya Deville
2. Cedric Alexander
3. Isla Dawn
4. Authors of Pain and Paul Ellering
5. Giovani Vinci
6. Blair Davenport
7. Anderson and Gallows

Kay Lee Ray/Alba Fyre is probably going too. I liked that team, but they weren’t getting over, and they flubbed the match with Jakara and Lash Legend recently- I mean, it was Jakara/Lash’s error, but they failed to cover it up by attacking them when the move took too long.

Sonya Deville marks the end of Absolution. And Riott Squad member Liv Morgan went to the top.

Maybe. But also consider that you're almost 30 years older. People always tend to think the stuff from when they were young was so much better because they remember how it exciting it used to feel, but maybe it was just more exciting because they were younger 

Edit: For anyone stuggling to get excited for wrasslin, I got some advice. Get very high. Order pizza. I'm super highped for the show man.

No , it's not an age thing. I've gone through the 80s era, 90s, attitude, ruthless agression. The issue is after a while, you've seen it all. Repeated storylines etc etc.  The starts just don't have the same "it" factor.  I think it has something to do with alont of them these days looking too young, or not manly enough. Before you'd have stars well into their 30s, prob early 40s. They had a look to them that boys the yound and older people can look to.  

The best is long gone. Even how they do promos and such.  Cody's run to the top feels so manufactured.  What theyre doing now with uso. Plus i seem to notice alot more botches in the ring, especially from the womans matches.  

Seeing that logan paul is being set up for a match with cm punk, is just absurd.  The state of wwe really is terrible.  I will be tuning in for wrestmania, to see gunther smash uso, he bring a little excitement. And ofcourse cenas last match against cody. But that's about it.

Wrestling is better than ever. I don't watch WWE, though but know they are doing well again. I know AEW is doing well. I like AEW because it puts on great shows, focuses more on amazing matches, teams up with New Japan Pro Wrestling and CMLL, and does joint shows. Tonight, AEW is in Australia. TBH WWF AE sucked ass. It was novel then but watching it now. It's just crash TV and mostly trash. Nitro nor AE aged well. Wrestling is better now than it has been since the territory era. Everyone is doing well. Everyone is putting on good shows. More choices for everyone and more employment opportunities for wrestlers and those behind the scenes. Anyone pining for Nitro/AE has nostalgia goggles and/or has not watched in a long long time to see how shit it has aged.

I think when it comes to the attitude era there is a bias.  We remember all of the great moments of which there were many,  but there was also a lot of really terrible stuff surrounding it.  I wouldn't say it sucks ass but it's probably not as good as people remember. 

Harley should have won.