WWE Hell in a Cell (2019) Thread
- Thread starter jdoggivjc
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There are no other major WWE or AEW PPVs between now and HIAC, but there is a lot happening in the wrestling business between now and then.
First, starting this coming Wednesday, NXT moves to USA. For the first two weeks the first hour will be aired live on USA with the second hour live on the WWE Network (due to the last two episodes of Suits). After that, NXT in its entirety will be aired on USA with replays available on WWE Network.
Next, starting on October 2, AEW on TNT (the current working title) will debut on, obviously, TNT.
Next, on October 4, SmackDown officially moves to FOX and back to Friday nights. It will also be dropping the "Live" part of the name which nobody liked.
Next, following HIAC, on Friday, October 11 WWE will conduct a draft on SmackDown to realign its rosters. The draft will continue on Monday on Raw.
Finally, this last week Anthem, the owner of Impact Wrestling, bought a majority share of AXS. That means at some point in the near future Impact will be aired on AXS. It is also anticipated that this move is in part to pressure NJPW into a working relationship with Impact (and dropping ROH in the process), or Anthem will drop NJPW's TV deal with AXS. While there is no doubt NJPW would likely love to drop its relationship with ROH at this point, it's likely NJPW has no desire to work with Impact, not after how TNA treated Okada(? - I think that's the guy) when he was loaned to them. Granted, that was a long time ago and the people that made Okada look like an absolute fool on TNA no longer have anything to do with Impact, however, just the fact that Impact is trying to blackball them into working with them isn't a good look.
First, starting this coming Wednesday, NXT moves to USA. For the first two weeks the first hour will be aired live on USA with the second hour live on the WWE Network (due to the last two episodes of Suits). After that, NXT in its entirety will be aired on USA with replays available on WWE Network.
Next, starting on October 2, AEW on TNT (the current working title) will debut on, obviously, TNT.
Next, on October 4, SmackDown officially moves to FOX and back to Friday nights. It will also be dropping the "Live" part of the name which nobody liked.
Next, following HIAC, on Friday, October 11 WWE will conduct a draft on SmackDown to realign its rosters. The draft will continue on Monday on Raw.
Finally, this last week Anthem, the owner of Impact Wrestling, bought a majority share of AXS. That means at some point in the near future Impact will be aired on AXS. It is also anticipated that this move is in part to pressure NJPW into a working relationship with Impact (and dropping ROH in the process), or Anthem will drop NJPW's TV deal with AXS. While there is no doubt NJPW would likely love to drop its relationship with ROH at this point, it's likely NJPW has no desire to work with Impact, not after how TNA treated Okada(? - I think that's the guy) when he was loaned to them. Granted, that was a long time ago and the people that made Okada look like an absolute fool on TNA no longer have anything to do with Impact, however, just the fact that Impact is trying to blackball them into working with them isn't a good look.
We just switched to Sling and I've just had my first experiences with NJPW. Would hate this lose that. However any broadcast I'm seeing is months old, so I'm not sure when they air newer stuff. Last week I saw a match with Ricochet and War Machine.
Cuban owns part of AXS still so unless AEW partners with NJ, I assume that'll likely continue as well.
I liked seeing Brock on Smackdown. If nothing else, it was a change of pace.
Freaking love the fiend so far and like him vs. Rollins. I'd assume based on the amount of time put into the Fiend, they're going to have him win clean or at least Rollins win due to DQ.
Can't wait until we get Demon Balor vs. the Fiend. Wonder if they'll save that for Mania...
Freaking love the fiend so far and like him vs. Rollins. I'd assume based on the amount of time put into the Fiend, they're going to have him win clean or at least Rollins win due to DQ.
Can't wait until we get Demon Balor vs. the Fiend. Wonder if they'll save that for Mania...
Brock is going to SmackDown because Fox wants its show to be a more "sports-oriented" variety of "sports entertainment". Brock is a former UFC champion - of course it would make sense for him to go there.
Word is Raw and SmackDown are getting new stage designs either next week or the following week (next week makes sense as SmackDown moves to Fox next Friday; the following week also makes sense as it's following HIAC). Also, pyro is coming back with the new stages.
NXT looking like it should be good tonight.
Riddle/Dain street fight to decide who will be the #1 contender for the NXT title. Thinking Riddle wins but Dain will interfere during Riddle/Cole title match costing him the belt and setting up a blow off at War Games. I know that's a ways off but I think they can definitely stretch it out that long. This just seems like a feud that should end at War Games.
Lee/Dijakovic will be good no matter what but these 2 could put on a match of the year type match if they give them time and let them go. Odds are that won't happen tonight but will still be a match worth watching. With Lee on a bit of a losing streak lately, I think he loses tonight and slowly moves toward a heel turn which will be cemented when he betrays his buddy Jordan Myles. When he turns back to face down the road, he feuds with Dijakovic again and we get that match of the year at a Takeover.
Imperium/Kushida and 2 mystery partners who should without a doubt be Moustache Mountain. Could see it being the Street Profits which would be fine but Full Sail would pop hard for Moustache Mountain and their recent history with Imperium would make it way more interesting and meaningful. This should eventually lead to Walter/Kushida which I'm definitely ready to see.
Riddle/Dain street fight to decide who will be the #1 contender for the NXT title. Thinking Riddle wins but Dain will interfere during Riddle/Cole title match costing him the belt and setting up a blow off at War Games. I know that's a ways off but I think they can definitely stretch it out that long. This just seems like a feud that should end at War Games.
Lee/Dijakovic will be good no matter what but these 2 could put on a match of the year type match if they give them time and let them go. Odds are that won't happen tonight but will still be a match worth watching. With Lee on a bit of a losing streak lately, I think he loses tonight and slowly moves toward a heel turn which will be cemented when he betrays his buddy Jordan Myles. When he turns back to face down the road, he feuds with Dijakovic again and we get that match of the year at a Takeover.
Imperium/Kushida and 2 mystery partners who should without a doubt be Moustache Mountain. Could see it being the Street Profits which would be fine but Full Sail would pop hard for Moustache Mountain and their recent history with Imperium would make it way more interesting and meaningful. This should eventually lead to Walter/Kushida which I'm definitely ready to see.
RAW is coming to Des Moines December 16th. Tickets on sale Oct 11.
https://www.iowaeventscenter.com/events/detail/wwe-monday-night-raw-1
https://www.iowaeventscenter.com/events/detail/wwe-monday-night-raw-1
Stunning new development, one which I never really ever thought was going to happen anytime soon - John Hennigan, aka Johnny Nitro/Mundo/Impact/John Morrison, has signed a new contract with WWE.
https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2019/9/26/20885376/report-wwe-signs-john-morrison-new-deal
Granted, Vince always said that Hennigan was a guy he never wanted to let get away. I’m more surprised Hennigan decided to come back - he always seemed happier away from WWE.
I also wonder if this means Taya Valkyrie will soon follow once her commitments to Impact/AAA and other places are done.
https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2019/9/26/20885376/report-wwe-signs-john-morrison-new-deal
Granted, Vince always said that Hennigan was a guy he never wanted to let get away. I’m more surprised Hennigan decided to come back - he always seemed happier away from WWE.
I also wonder if this means Taya Valkyrie will soon follow once her commitments to Impact/AAA and other places are done.
Always really liked him when I was younger. Very athletic and looked the part of a star. Haven’t seen him in a while so I don’t have any idea whether he’s actually any good, but I'm definitely rooting for him from a nostalgic place.
At 39, is he too old to go to NXT first? Will be interesting to see how they use him.
If I would rate John Hennigan, from a pure in-ring perspective there are few in the world that are better than him (there are, but not many). He has a unique in-ring style due to his parkour abilities and his training in Capoeira. It leads to a hybrid style where he's a highly agile high-flyer that can also be a believable striker. People are already salivating at a potential 2020 MITB match featuring John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, Mustafa Ali, Andrade Almas, Ricochet, and Aleister Black.
His character work is where at times he can struggle. He's been accused in the past of being duller than a butter knife, but his time at Lucha Underground proved that's not a fair assessment. He showed there he absolutely can be an interesting, charismatic performer that's capable of being a top-of-the-card player. His problem is he's not the kind of guy that's going to, in the words of the late great Dusty Rhodes, "turn chicken **** into chicken dinner". When creative and writing are top notch he's capable of being a main event performer. When it's not, well, anyone that witnessed his work at the end of his first WWE tenure in 2011 knows what that's like.
People are speculating his going to NXT because it's the "best brand". Personally, I think it may depend on what happens with Taya Valkyrie. My opinion is if Morrison ends up in NXT it means that Valkyrie probably isn't too far behind in joining him and WWE wants to run her through NXT to learn WWE-style TV. Personally I think he ends up on SmackDown as Fox wants to push that as the sports-oriented show and IMO that's what he's best suited for. As far as the question "is he too old for NXT?" Well, if we're not going to count anything William Regal has done, at almost 39 he'd probably be the oldest performer ever to regularly perform at NXT. However, too old? I don't think so. Both Kushida and Roderick Strong are 36, Tommaso Ciampa is 35, and both Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura were in their upper 30s when performing at NXT. At this point it's really hard to classify NXT as "minor leagues" anymore. It's become a legitimate 3rd brand.
