The Shield probably get the best-stable-handling-by-WWE award.
Well, yes, but the only competition they have for that are--
Got it in one. I don't care what they say about you, you're plenty clever. The Wyatt Family's vignettes have been absolutely fantastic - to the point that I'll happily watch one I've already seen over again, even if it's in the middle of a show which I've mostly fast-forwarded through. Of course, history is littered with wrestlers who had great vignettes and great gimmicks that never quite got off the ground but, having seen Bray and his boys in NXT, I'm confident that the Family will do themselves proud once they do eventually, ahem,
come.
For the future civilizations who've recovered the information on this forum to see what twenty-first century humanity was really like (God help us all) this is what I'm talking about:
[YOUTUBE]wBUEUvIRB28[/YOUTUBE]
Catching flaaaahs. In his mouuuth. That's a fucking theme.
If we're going to discuss the best single line of the year (and why wouldn't we?) then "Send us someone. Just don't send us anyone you want back" and a half dozen others in those vignettes must be up there.
That's one to look for in the second half of 2013.
I'll give some special props to Sheamus here. I was never that high on the guy, but this year, his matches have been an absolute delight. That fast paced brawler shtick; gotta dig that.[/QUOTE]
What stands out most to me over the first half of 2013 has nothing to do with an individual, it is TNA getting out of the Impact Zone. The venue was a solid one that had served the company well as it grew, but the company had clearly outgrown it at this point. Far too many made the mistake of believing that size of crowd was indicative of the fanbase the company had cultivated around the world. Now that myth is getting put to bed and we get to see feedback of different groups all around the world. This helps with perception, promotion of the company and potential pushes for talent that the higher ups might not be completely sold on absent a larger sample size. WWE is a juggernaut in a declining industry but it is nice to see that competition to drive improvement for all of wrestling isn't non-existent.
Agreed. What, you want more out of me? Subscribe to my newsletter.
-Mark Henry cut a rather convincing, emotional retirement promo two weeks ago, didn't he? Someone needs to sit WWE's talking-point people down and explain that there are acting awards dedicated specifically to television performances so that I can stop listening to how "Oscar worthy" the moment was. Still, quite entertaining.
If we were to decide a promo for the (half) year, then Henry's would surely be it, no? What competition is there? Daniel Bryan's shown how underrated he is on the mike, Punk and Heyman have been Punk and Heyman, I'm sure there are others, but Henry's performance-- man, that was just... Daytime Soap Awards worthy.
-CM Punk and John Cena may have topped their MITB match from two years ago and put Dwayne to shame. Even more than Dwayne's tired, stale act puts him to shame by default.
I think the Money in the Bank match was just the perfect storm. Punk and Cena could wrestle the perfect match, flawless by all metrics, and I don't think it could live up to
that night. It's certainly a match of the (half) year contender though, that's for sure - and Punk's piledriver isn't nearly as crooked as his moonsault, nor Cena's hurricanrana.
-Big E Langston has really distinguished himself on Twitter. Given how social-media conscious the WWE is these days, I thought it was worth mentioning.
This is true. Perhaps the best Twitter personality in wrestling. Kudos, Big E, you've really had quite the impact.
-Daniel Bryan is still really fun to watch. As if there was ever any doubt.
Well, duh.
-The Shield have consistently been one of the very best things on WWE programming. Proof that people will actually care about new acts if they're treated like big deals.
I really think Dean Ambrose could be something big. I know Klunderbunker doesn't, so he definitely won't, but the way he wrestles, the way he acts... Somebody give that man a National Television Award for Sexiest Male. If he can get RVDGurl wet, the world is his oyster.
-RVD's vignette at Payback gave me the best kind of erection.
Yup.
-Damien Sandow still cuts one hell of a promo. I could listen to him talk up the Gordian knot (bold to match the emphasis Sandow placed on it in his promo) all day. Oh, and "I'm also a magician. Is there no end to my talent?"
Sandow's too much of a caricature for me to buy into him but there's no denying he's good at what he does.
-Alberto Del Rio's new theme song doesn't make me feel drowsy and fatigued. Already a step up from the old one.
A new theme? My word, I really am out of the loop!
-The Usos got to win on Raw and SmackDown multiple times in the same month. Feels like we're in an alternate WWE Universe!
Eh. Not big on The Usos to be honest. Just clone Roman Reigns and
there's your Samoan tag team.
-I love how there are so many main-event-ready NXT talents that they can be shuffled around the card with little build. Adds some variety (the spice of life) to the show.
Sami Zayn makes me smile. Shit has really been spun into gold with that one, I feel. The first week I saw him and his gimmick seemed to be "nice bloke with hat," I had a bad feeling. Everything seems to be working out better than expected though.
When I think of more, I might post them.
Do, because I'm on empty.
Worst of the first half of 2013? Chris Jericho getting the last word in a contract signing by trying to give Paul Heyman testicular paper cuts.
Since his return at the Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho has been white-hot in my eyes. I had grown quite tired of the guy since his Suit Jericho days, and his return was bland and stale as all get out. But ever since his Rumble return, his Fandango program, and his excellent matches with Alberto Del Rio, he's redeemed himself in my eyes as a man who - as of right now - can do no wrong. He's back to being the charismatic and exciting performer we all knew he could be and I'm loving it every time he steps in that ring.
I was at a Smackdown taping a few Tuesdays ago - An excellent, excellent show, I might add - and he played the crowd like a fiddle during his match with ADR and had them popping like hell for every single move of his. I'm loving it, I really am. He's one of the many reasons wrestling's been fun again.
I don't care for Chris Jericho. I don't care for his tattoos, I don't care for his hair, I don't care for his persona. His match with Punk at Payback was all sorts of disappointing - I can think of a dozen wrestlers Punk should have gone up against instead. Jericho and Punk have no chemistry and, what's more, they magnify each other's clumsiness. My hype got punctured like a balloon that night. Not a
bad match, no, but not living up to the triumphant return that I thought would be so easily achievable.
The Payback pay-per-view gets my first half award for best PPV. A great show from bell-to-bell. The Chicago crowd, Curtis Axel winning the IC Title on Father's Day, AJ and Kaitlyn acquitting the Diva's Division, the brilliant Ziggler/Del Rio double turn, CM Punk's return and subsequent MOTY candidate with Chris Jericho, The Shield retaining their titles against top-flight competition, and John Cena squashing the roster in one fell swoop (and the match was fun, too). The show had something for everyone. It helped build a new star, cement some rising ones, set a foundation to help a floundering division, and allowed a group of main eventers to show the world why they're at the top of the number one promotion.
Payback's certainly the pay-per-view of the year, yes, but what about that Raw the night after? Compelling television from start to finish. One might even say it was... Golden Globe worthy.
Gail Kim vs. Taryn Terrell is probably my favourite thing about 2013. Wrestling has pretty much bored me lately but this match got me out of my slump and I've been a little more active in my viewing. The match was entertaining, well wrestled, brutal and showed that female wrestlers aren't completely shit. They put on one hell of a show which completely engrossed me which is either due to their talents or the fact I was horny at the time and Taryn looks great in a pair of shorts.
I've also enjoyed AJ Styles coming back and actually being entertaining. For years he's been fun to watch in the ring but other time he's been pretty boring, but the current storyline has allowed him to transform himself into this dark loner which hopefully leads to him becoming world champion once again.
And TNA deserves the Nobel Prize award for an excellent wrestling product. At times.
