Crayo said:
Very nice third post, liked. Though I disagree on your analysis on the main event.
Punk can't be built up super strong in my opinion. I know the IWC hates stereotyping the "look" but you can actually believe someone like Cena beating Rock or Lesnar, but can you honestly believe Punk?
Yes, easily. Because he's BETTER than them. He doesn't have to be the strongest, or the tallest, BETTER is all he needs to be. Better at making the impacts he brings count, greater number of submission moves he can slap from every position, greater number of different punches and kicks that he can always make connect.
He needs to be a heel but he does not need to be booked like a dominant heel, though I would prefer them to tone back this coward stuff as it is so generic, I would rather them take him down the direction of the evil genius.
Every heel is a coward in the WWE and it is one of the worst tropes in history, it's so bad it's gimmick destroying; it destroyed Punk's gimmick as the "best in the world", what person that considers himself the "best in the world" will be an utter coward, gets beaten like shit, mostly because he's too scared to put up a correct fight, and has to bribe an official?
It destroyed Shaemus Celtic Warrior gimmick back when he was still a heel. A Celtic warrior that loves to fight may retreat when he's outnumbered; but he wouldn't be running away scared shitless like a coward: gimmick destroyed.
Hell, remember the Russian's gimmick when he first arrived? Undefeated streak, and, "I want competition", so what happened when he got competition? He ran off. Gimmick destroyed.
And on, and on. It needs to end; it's one of the biggest failures in the product of the WWE. Heels need variety, they can't all be cowards.
Ryback may be a rookie in terms fo how long he's appeared in WWE, but kayfabe wise he's one of the strongest competitors out there and was heading into this match with a "prestigious" undefeated streak and two RAW's coming out on top against Punk. I agree that the match itself was poor though.
So what? I'm sorry, but he can be strong all he likes, he's facing the best in the world. Not in the strongest, not the most powerful, THE BEST. And all we've seen from Ryback is a couple of power moves, that he often can't even pull off right. You can't say something is happening that defies what you see in the ring, and then treat what you say is happening as "reality" and expect people to swallow it hole. Ryback is an unpolished, barely competent, brute who only has power going for him.
If I can point this out, see weaknesses, holes in his defence, rather he has none; why can't the best in the world? The best in the world should be able to spot a 100 times more flaws than a guy in the audience can.
Ryback's character is purely a wrestler who kicks anyone's ass because he's "hungry", him admitting he's not good enough to beat Punk really buries Ryback completely.
Are you kidding me? That won't bury him, that'll catapult him into the next phase and gives him a story line. "Feed me more, for only experience and more matches allows me climb the mountain to the WWE championship."
You cannot ask for a better publicity than having the WWE champion end your undefeated streak. I can tell you already who will legitimately beat Ryback for the first time: some low-card guy, maybe Santino Marella, or hell, a diva. Undefeated streaks mean very little unless undefeated can actually remain standing; it's who you lose it against that matters whether or not your undefeated streak was worthwhile..
Furthermore, the ending was surprising, did you call it? I mean I think this is a fantastic way to end it. It completely protects Ryback, it protects Punk's long title reign, iit leaves us asking "Wtf?, it gives us something to actually discuss and it opens up many opportunities.
Yes, I called it, maybe not the details, but the ending was bloody predictable, and it's partially because the WWE refuses to use non-coward heels.
And no, it didn't protect Ryback, it destroyed him. See above about who will end his undefeated streak.
More importantly Punk's title reign isn't half as important as his whole character, that is his gimmick; you know "best in the world"? Who is going to believe Punk believes he's the best in the world when he ran like a complete coward the whole time and believed on beforehand he couldn't beat Ryback so he bribed the official beforehand? Which means that every time he says "best in the world" or similar will from now on be completely hollow to the audience.
So it destroyed both of them.
