Descension of the Ascension?

[Mustang Sally]

Okay, now what?

At the very time you'd think the company wants to make these guys look as powerful as possible, they're thrown to the wolves by a bunch of has-beens who stand up to them in fearless fashion. Then, they're left lying as the old guys celebrate.

If the goal was to make the legends look strong, you would think a team like Cesaro and Kidd would be tossed in there, rather than sacrificing guys who've had a huge build-up ("Ascension is Coming!"), followed by victories over teams with people we've never heard of. Didn't you figure the idea was to make them look as powerful and ominous as possible?

All of this is a preface to watching Ascension face the Old Age Outlaws? Presumably, the Road Warrior wanna-bes will prevail in this brief feud since NAO has no current rep to protect.....but is this really the way WWE wants to get Ascension over?

I don't get it.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

It's pretty standard WWE. While I don't really see anything special about these two, I still agree that if they're going to be taken seriously, their booking should've been better for last night.

That said, I expect them to beat NAO and the announcers to say something along the line of "Wow! These guys need to be taken seriously."

I guess WWE realized that by ripping off an old legends tag team so much, they needed to beat some legends to make them seem credible.

 

[Navi]

Ever since they brought the Ascension up I've been scratching my head with the booking of these two. I mean when was the last time we saw total unknowns in the ring getting squashed by a dominant tag team. It takes me back years when I see that happening.

You had to figure though, they've known for weeks that there was going to be a Legends show and this was all leading up too it. I think the question is, does the Ascension really need the New Age Outlaws to put them over? They were undefeated for a year in NXT, and more of a match for New Day and the Uso's. Their debut has been a disaster so far.

 

[Reflection]

They didn't get sacrificed as all. They will be facing the New Age Outlaws (who are legends from the Attitude Era, 6-time WWE tag team champions, and their most recent reign was as late as last year) in the Royal Rumble PPV- a match which they will most likely win. The Ascension's gimmick is that they think claim they are better than legendary tag teams. At Royal Rumble, they are gonna show it. THAT's the payoff.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

It is Mania season. The Ascension have and should have little to no part in the build up of Mania. There may not even be a tag match at the event. They are basically rookies taking their lumps at this point. Even though their promo was awful yesterday, getting the snot beat out of them by NAO and JBL was the most fun thing I have seen them do in their short careers.

What I don't get is why people think they are supposed to get over right now. Then again, I don't watch NXT and think they are a couple of jokes.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

What you saw with the Ascension last night was pretty much all of the WWE's problems in a nutshell.

It would appear that the Ascensions entire gimmick so far was simply to build to a spot where a bunch of guys with receding hair lines and pot belly's got to beat them up. The old guys are fun to see once and a while, but every time they come out, they're a reminder to the people watching that things used to be better in this place.

It's even worse considering they were giving the Ascension the dominant team push. Having them come out every week and destroying local jobbers. The message sent... the best we have today is nothing compared to what we used to have.

The Ascension is a joke right now. Even Nash last night was having a hard time keeping a straight face when they were talking. If they're to have any type of future, they need to get their heat back quick and be taken seriously. Considering the fact that they look and talk like a low rent indy team, that's not going to be easy, but here's what should happen:

On Smackdown, they should have JBL doing commentary (I know he's off the Smackdown team, but come up with an excuse for him to be there this week). Have the Ascension come out and go straight to the commentators table. Drag JBL into the ring, and then just dummy the shit out of him in payback for what happened on RAW. Beat him so badly that he needs to be stretchered out, and is kept off of commentary for at least the Rumble. Have the remaining commentators sell this as serious, and hype it on the website. Take away the air of them being a joke, and make them credible going into the match with the Outlaws. Then have them go out at the Rumble and dominate the Outlaws as well, destroying them in a lengthy squash... lengthy in the sense that they just won't stop beating on these guys. Even have them get DQ'd for it and not care.

Come Monday, no one's laughing at the Ascension anymore. You can have them ready to go after another 'legend', only to have say the Uso's come out for the save and start a real program.

I don't expect any of that to happen though. They'll go into the Rumble, and probably get beat. Or at least if they win, the Outlaws will be made to look competitive and at least their equals. And guys down in NXT will watch and pray they're not the next ones called up.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think they were sacrificed at all. Last night was an example of giving fans a strong nostalgia moment before setting up a match that'll see The Ascension gaining a decisive, and dominant victory over a legendary tag team during their first ppv appearance. By the by, I don't see The Ascension having a short future, otherwise why bother putting this match on a ppv? It could've easily been on the kickoff show or held on TV. While it's true that this match happening on a ppv isn't some automatic guarantee of success, it's unusual for two guys who've been on the main roster for less than a month to get a match on one of the biggest shows of the year.

As for the overall booking, I'm not surprised that it's confusing because Vince McMahon is the one making the call. The Ascension were doing just fine in NXT as a couple of dominant, heavy hitting bruisers. But, of course, Vince decided to mess around with a winning formula because it was a formula he didn't have any hand in developing, so he decides to make them come off as a couple of low rent clones of The Road Warriors.

 

[TDFG]

It shows why the tag-division is in bad shape. These guys aren't going to be taken seriously until they have some good tag-matches and ditch the LOD persona.

 

[RedRegan1005]

I know what you mean. WWE always seems to think that even if they have someone get their ass kicked or lose to someone, as long as its to a legend, or past big stars that it will give the wrestler, or in this case team, some credibility. Which can be true, if its a back and forth feud or match where both teams look to give everything to win. However if the Outlaws comeback for one week, to beat up the ascension and then beat them in a tag match at the Rumble, and then just poof thats the end of the feud....Well then it doesn't really help the Ascension at all, who needs all the help they can get at this point.

 

[WhiplashUnited]

Hopefully this is a feud for the Ascension to get some 'respect' and lose the LOD style crap.

Their booking has been as illogical as Brie Bella going heel and siding with Nikki with no explanation in the storyline.

 

[DCLXVI]

I thought they honestly could have done worse... They did stand in the ring with some of the biggest living legends in the ring and did not flub their lines or anything. It did look bad with Konnor standing next to Nash who was actually much bigger and (still) more muscular (who wasn't taking the whole thing seriously anyway). Although at the same time, had Nash acted scared it would have been even more cheesy... I think X-Pac was trying to sell it for a little while.

JBL has no qualms about getting himself over and buried them a little bit when he said "You can paint your face and wear all the spiked shoulder pads you want but that doesn't make you one of the greatest tag teams of all time" and then visibly laughing and earnestly enjoying Clotheslining Viktor. But that's JBL.

They'll win over New Age Outlaws (who can actually still go, especially Mr. Ass who trains in NXT) which will give them some credibility. I'm happy to see that instead of seeing Ascension go into a feud with the fucking Uso's.

Overall they were still less awkward than The New Day, and were put in a pretty tough spot. I guess the ring gear is starting to seem less odd to me, but I wish they'd go back to either the old "vampire" style Ascension or the pseudo-Satanic thing they were doing before. They are not big or jacked enough to do the LOD thing really.

 

[FightOwensFight]

As others have said, I don't think it was that bad. They are in there with 7 guys, 4 of whom (X-Pac, JBL, NAO) look to be in pretty decent shape still. Makes sense they would get trashed a bit. They obviously need to destroy NAO when they meet up and I also like the idea of them assaulting JBL for the way he has talked about them and his involvement in the beat-down last night (he can still hit that clothesline though). Have them ranting about how "You think we are a joke? How funny is it now?". That kind of stuff. It could work to get them back on track.

 

[BaconBits]

The Ascension has always been kind of goofy to me. They take themselves way, way too seriously. Still, I thought they'd be a good addition to the main roster tag division because they're a legit tag team, and not just some dudes with nothing else to do thrown together. So far, it hasn't been good. I hope it gets better soon.

 

[Aquaman6686]

They didn't get sacrificed as all. They will be facing the New Age Outlaws (who are legends from the Attitude Era, 6-time WWE tag team champions, and their most recent reign was as late as last year) in the Royal Rumble PPV- a match which they will most likely win. The Ascension's gimmick is that they think claim they are better than legendary tag teams. At Royal Rumble, they are gonna show it. THAT's the payoff.

The Ascension beating The New Age Outlaws would be a HORRIBLE decision. Skyrocketing young guys to the top NEVER works in the long run, because the fans turn on them. If you want these guys to get over, you should be hoping they lose on Sunday and go into a long program with legend tag teams, learning from their mistakes and actually improving to where they CAN beat the legends. The Ascension winning on Sunday would do nothing for them in the long run and would just make the NAO look like jokes.

 

[chicagokmc]

It seems like a rite of passage type of thing. However, I think WWE needs to be careful with how they book them from this point on. We've seen several in the past do the "get beat down by the old guys" thing and a lot of the time those wrestlers are usually never looked at seriously again. Heath Slater comes to mind. I also agree that booking these guys to come up to main rosters to immediately face jobbers...wow, that was the 80's and early 90's all over again. Even Rose and Bo Dallas came in from NXT facing credible competition.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Okay, now what?

At the very time you'd think the company wants to make these guys look as powerful as possible, they're thrown to the wolves by a bunch of has-beens who stand up to them in fearless fashion. Then, they're left lying as the old guys celebrate.

If the goal was to make the legends look strong, you would think a team like Cesaro and Kidd would be tossed in there, rather than sacrificing guys who've had a huge build-up ("Ascension is Coming!"), followed by victories over teams with people we've never heard of. Didn't you figure the idea was to make them look as powerful and ominous as possible?

All of this is a preface to watching Ascension face the Old Age Outlaws? Presumably, the Road Warrior wanna-bes will prevail in this brief feud since NAO has no current rep to protect.....but is this really the way WWE wants to get Ascension over?

I don't get it.

That's one way to see it.

The other way is that they got jumped by 7 dudes

It took a whole crew of legends to lay that beat down, and if they wreck the NAO this weekend in a two on two fair fight, then it will further drive the point home.

Just being in the same ring as those guys and working a mini angle with them is ten times the rub than everything they have done so far put together.

 

[L@RISANO]

Okay, now what?

At the very time you'd think the company wants to make these guys look as powerful as possible, they're thrown to the wolves by a bunch of has-beens who stand up to them in fearless fashion. Then, they're left lying as the old guys celebrate.

If the goal was to make the legends look strong, you would think a team like Cesaro and Kidd would be tossed in there, rather than sacrificing guys who've had a huge build-up ("Ascension is Coming!"), followed by victories over teams with people we've never heard of. Didn't you figure the idea was to make them look as powerful and ominous as possible?

All of this is a preface to watching Ascension face the Old Age Outlaws? Presumably, the Road Warrior wanna-bes will prevail in this brief feud since NAO has no current rep to protect.....but is this really the way WWE wants to get Ascension over?

I don't get it.

I think it all adds up to how the announcers have reacted to the Ascension's promos which have included crying down past legends.


I'll assume they go over the NAO at the Royal Rumble in a one-off, as I can't see the crowd getting behind them if they lose so quickly. Honestly, I'd just have them squash the Outlaws in much the same way as the Shield did. That would make people take notice of them, especially amongst the casual fanbase.


The thinking behind them seems simple. The Ascension claim to be better than those of the past, now they have to prove it, and that road started last night with the NAO being the first opponent for them.
As you said, the Veterans have no rep to protect and their legacies are solidified, but the Ascension have to make a splash, but given the state of the tag division in terms of available teams, I feel this is a great way to go instead of them going after the Usos right away and then hitting a road block thereafter...

 

[kadroan]

Okay, now what?

At the very time you'd think the company wants to make these guys look as powerful as possible, they're thrown to the wolves by a bunch of has-beens who stand up to them in fearless fashion. Then, they're left lying as the old guys celebrate.

If the goal was to make the legends look strong, you would think a team like Cesaro and Kidd would be tossed in there, rather than sacrificing guys who've had a huge build-up ("Ascension is Coming!"), followed by victories over teams with people we've never heard of. Didn't you figure the idea was to make them look as powerful and ominous as possible?

All of this is a preface to watching Ascension face the Old Age Outlaws? Presumably, the Road Warrior wanna-bes will prevail in this brief feud since NAO has no current rep to protect.....but is this really the way WWE wants to get Ascension over?

I don't get it.

I'm not surprised. I guess they really believe NAO can elevate The Ascension. They did the same with The Usos, Usos winning in the end.

It'd be interesting if NAO still have their alliance with The Authority and sent Kane and Big Show after them.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

I give these guys a ton of credit alone for not laughing during their promo. Seemed to me Xpac, Hall, and Nash were all literally laughing in their face and making funny faces trying to get them to crack. They delivered their hilariously over the top old school promo threats without a hitch. Good for them.

Now they'll get a nice start with a win over "the legends" from the New Age Outlaws at Royal Rumble. They are going to be built into a pretty solid heel tag team it seems to me.

 

[MC_Live]

As silly as it seems for these guys to get beat up by old timers, it's the most exposure they've gotten in the month they've been around. Even if they lose on Sunday to the Outlaws, the match will still be their biggest and most important yet. They weren't burried on RAW. They were given a spot. And now they have a chance to prove themselves against one of the best tag teams of all time. The Outlaws are legit hall of farmers, and they can still go in the ring. 50 years old or not, if the Ascension beat the NAO, they'll look good.

 

[snazzy]

So they get put on one of the largest PPVs of the year against NAO (presumably to beat them) and people are up in arms about this?

Seriously people get too tetchy after a segment. It was simply a nostalgia mark out moment for fans in a ~15 minute segment. How on Earth does anyone think that will define their career trajectories? They are on the damn Royal Rumble, not even the kick-off show, and it's a non-title match - a month after their debut. I don't need to say more.

 

[MERPER]

I am not up in arms about anything with them...

All I know is I don't like them. And not at all cuz of their attitude, obviously they're playing a scripted character.

I just find them very boring and unimpressive in the ring. Especially after so much hype about them in NXT.

 

[MartialHorror]

To be honest...I kind of liked the segment. My only issue is I think everyone should've ganged up on the Ascension. Nash, Hall, Pac and Farooq wouldn't have to do much, just put in some punches or something. It would've given some justification to the Ascension being overpowered and caused more people to mark out.

It also finally gives the Ascension something to do. Now if the Outlaws win at the Royal Rumble, then the Ascension is fucked. Instead, they should squash the Outlaws. Or at least be the decisive winners. The NAO's actually still do have some credibility as they won the Tag Team belts last year and were in some high profile matches.

I also think it was a mistake to have Flair get pwned by the Big Show on the same night. Show no selling Flair just reminds us of the gap between past and present wrestlers in strength, so having the past crush the present in a later segment was...odd...It reminded me of when Ryback attacked Kane for getting involved in his match and he was praised for it by the commentators while Adam Rose did the same thing to the Bunny on the same night, yet was damned for it.

 

[MERPER]

To be honest...I kind of liked the segment. My only issue is I think everyone should've ganged up on the Ascension. Nash, Hall, Pac and Farooq wouldn't have to do much, just put in some punches or something. It would've given some justification to the Ascension being overpowered and caused more people to mark out.

It also finally gives the Ascension something to do. Now if the Outlaws win at the Royal Rumble, then the Ascension is fucked. Instead, they should squash the Outlaws. Or at least be the decisive winners. The NAO's actually still do have some credibility as they won the Tag Team belts last year and were in some high profile matches.

I also think it was a mistake to have Flair get pwned by the Big Show on the same night. Show no selling Flair just reminds us of the gap between past and present wrestlers in strength, so having the past crush the present in a later segment was...odd...It reminded me of when Ryback attacked Kane for getting involved in his match and he was praised for it by the commentators while Adam Rose did the same thing to the Bunny on the same night, yet was damned for it.

Difference was Big Show and Flair were obviously never going to fight/wrestle down the road.

NAO had to look formidable and actually do something good in that spot against the Ascension to pass it off that they are in shape, and can give a good match at Rumble.

Ascension beating NAO now gives it some legitimacy, them beating NAO who did nothing and looked old still gives them zero legitimacy after Rumble.

 

[stonecoldstunner]

The Ascension flat out suck. What a bunch of wannabes. Trying way too hard. They aren't even ripped, they are flabby. I mean these 2 need to go away foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr