Got an email from BoD Main Eventer, Jobber123, with a small request for some talk about Christian's possible assent back to the main.
"Hey dude I was wondering if would put up a post on Christian going over ADR in a non title match on raw (a "week" after adr goes over sheamus). It seemed like he was coming back to be a jtts, and was an afterthought as any kind of main guy. But since he's come back he's gone over a few big names (and del Rio is probably in the top 5 of most protected guys). Is he getting another main event push? I think so. Why not? Fantastic worker, attitude era tie in, great on the mic. I'm not saying he main events any ppv but I'm betting he gets a run at a couple whc feuds. Does the blog think this is a good thing? I know we all love Christian, but guess whose spot he's taking? Dolph zigglers. So are we OK with that or is this hhh putting an old vet name up the card and fucking ziggler?"
In all honesty, I don't think there's any plan for Christian. I think it's just coincidence that he's gone over the bigger names. I really don't have any faith in WWE planning anything coherent like that. Plus, if they're going to screw with Ziggler & ADR like they have, why on Earth would they make Christian a top contender? I don't say that because I don't think he deserves it, or can't hold the position, I just don't see the WWE team looking at him like that.
"Hey dude I was wondering if would put up a post on Christian going over ADR in a non title match on raw (a "week" after adr goes over sheamus). It seemed like he was coming back to be a jtts, and was an afterthought as any kind of main guy. But since he's come back he's gone over a few big names (and del Rio is probably in the top 5 of most protected guys). Is he getting another main event push? I think so. Why not? Fantastic worker, attitude era tie in, great on the mic. I'm not saying he main events any ppv but I'm betting he gets a run at a couple whc feuds. Does the blog think this is a good thing? I know we all love Christian, but guess whose spot he's taking? Dolph zigglers. So are we OK with that or is this hhh putting an old vet name up the card and fucking ziggler?"
In all honesty, I don't think there's any plan for Christian. I think it's just coincidence that he's gone over the bigger names. I really don't have any faith in WWE planning anything coherent like that. Plus, if they're going to screw with Ziggler & ADR like they have, why on Earth would they make Christian a top contender? I don't say that because I don't think he deserves it, or can't hold the position, I just don't see the WWE team looking at him like that.
All the justification for an eternal main event push are in the following 42 seconds...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ha_MlhOzH0
Fuck Christian, the guy is bland as shit and I hate his whole babyface routine. He should be jobbed out every week
ReplyDeleteYeh, I kinda agree. I find him so dull as a face. Literally nothing about him. What am I meant to get behind? Honestly?
ReplyDeleteAs a heel, however... different story. The guy was really funny. The 'one...more..match!' thing was hilarious! And it got heat!
Agreed. I want him and Sheamus off my tv permanently.
ReplyDeleteI think with WWEs 50/50 booking, EVERYONE in the midcard has recent wins over some pretty big names. Don't think it really means much.
ReplyDeleteWould love to his home get ONE MORE MATCH. Remember how passed everyone was when Orton beat him two days after he won the title vs ADR
ReplyDeleteChristian is one of the most underutilized guys ever IMO, yeah you can say he is currently a 'bland babyface' but seriously what has he been given interms of opportunities to get over big? They never let him 'unleash' at all on the mic anymore, he constantly gets the 50 50 booking with no direction of any kind of feud, he's just filler for ADR at Summerslam I suspect. He gave Randy Orton the best matches he had in years yet was made to look completely inept throughout by jobbing constantly.
ReplyDeleteI wish they pulled the trigger with him back in 2004/2005 when he was getting really over with Tomko despite constantly jobbing. I remember he built up a really fun rivalry with Cena without Cena even being on the same show! This is a prime example of having the right look, because if he had a bigger build I reckon he'd of got the Edge push back in the day (I actually preferred him back in the E&C days).
I was so passed to his home I got TWO MORE MATCH.
ReplyDeleteI think they want to do *something* with him, but they've yet to figure out what that is, exactly. I don't think it's at WHC level, likelier US title level.
ReplyDeleteChristian was the dark horse of a tremendous Summer of 2011. I actually liked his and Orton's match at Summerslam better than the Punk / Cena rematch.That RKO Christian took on the stairs left me shuddering.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, he wasn't booked strongly enough during this period.Needed a slightly longer reign rather than a couple of quick ones, and needed to dispose of some more opponents on Smackdown via nefarious tactics, but nonetheless, everything Christian touched on ppv from Extreme Rules until Summerslam was great.
One thing I like (and others disagree with me on), is how simple yet effective the hand clapping during the face routine is. To me, it's a simple way to establish "ok, I'm the face, trying to build momentum, get behind me." It works in indy matches when the crowd is very unfamiliar with the combatants.
The hand clapping thing is a very underrated face technique and you don't see a lot of that stuff out of faces very much. I went to a local indie show last year that had Ricky Morton on the card and he did a lot of simple yet effective things like that to get the crowd behind him. One thing I remember was when his opponent had him in a chinlock, Morton started banging his foot on the ground in rhythm to get the crowd to chant "Rock and Roll", "Rock and Roll" before he fired up on his comeback. Stuff like that really adds to a match. He could've just laid around resting in the chinlock or doing some half-assed selling but he took the opportunity to get the crowd into it.
ReplyDeleteChristian has been one of the absolute best at this type of thing for a while. If you didn't know coming into the match which side he was on... the work in the ring would fill in the crowd.
ReplyDeleteAlways gets reactions for his ring work.
Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteSo, we're cool about splashing spoilers on the BoD now?
ReplyDeleteCool. Thanks for the heads up!
I think they are just rebuilding him so he can be a more viable jobber when they need to put someone new over. Seems like pretty sound booking to me, it's not 50/50 if he wins a lot to get credible, then months later does a couple jobs on pay per view to sell buys, it's just good business.
ReplyDeleteThey like to push guys who are on their way out...or who are in their twilight years in the business. Kane's run in 2010 or Mark Henry in 2011 come to mind. I could see christian being on his way out soon and therefore giving him a small run at the top. Honestly if they want Ziggler to chase the title further or if they want a post del rio challenge for Ziggler, you can't go wrong with Christian. Honestly he should be feuding with Cesaro or Ambrose or Axel or Fandango...any mid-card talent they really wanna get over in a great match, Christian could do it.
ReplyDeleteHe isn't good at all as a face, but he's tremendous as a whiny heel. His work in 2011 was the pinnacle of his single's career.
ReplyDeleteBasically I think they are just trying to give DelRio a successful summerslam title defence while Ziggler finishes up with Big E. I'm thinking maybe a 4 way with christian, del rio, orton and sheamus.
ReplyDelete''I know we all love Christian, but guess whose spot he's taking? Dolph zigglers. So are we OK with that or is this hhh putting an old vet name up the card and fucking ziggler?''
ReplyDeleteShoot me now.
If you noticed, on raw against Titus o'neil , Christian was bumping like ziggler. It made me wonder if he was trying to send a message like "I can bump like a motherfucker for big guys just like dz."
ReplyDeleteTop world heavyweight title baby face is a pretty exclusive club now a days. They dont push two baby faces at the same time anymore so if Christian is going up the card the other blonde workrate guy is going back down. I get that people like Langston here because he made a Simpsons reference on twitter but he's barely removed from being a nxt geek. Seems like a major demotion for ziggler. Christian is getting that last run, sandow has the briefcase, Cody Rhodes is getting over in a way hotter angle than ziggler, sheamus isn't dropping back down the card, adr has always been protected, and what if rey comes back. Talk about getting lost in the shuffle.
Curses! Spoiled again!
ReplyDeleteAnd he would've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those rotten kids!
Also cal, great fucking title for the post! Loved it
ReplyDeleteChristian has been the dark horse of a few eras. He's been in 4 star plus ladder matches within 13 years of each other, and can work heel or face. He's a first ballot hall of famer yeah?
ReplyDeleteThat would be a great match though
ReplyDeleteHis "feud" with Cena and his interactions with Tomko really put him over with me in 2005. Didn't they just kind of transfer any of Christian's heat over the Jericho, or am I completely mistaking what happened all those years ago?
ReplyDeleteEver since he came back from TNA, though, it feels like he's being used, but not to the best of his abilities, like he's still being punished for bolting (even though he seemed to do everything he could to leave on the best terms possible).
I get the sense the general consensus here is that Christian is still an afterthought, getting a few wins but ziggler is still on a higher spot. I don't agree. He's a big attitude era name (which has been kayfabe acknowledged as superior), he's a full time wrestler with ties to a retired legend, has no heat with hhh that I know of, and he comes back on TV and starts going over guys. Hes gonna get a main event run, and I bet that belt for a short time. Meanwhile Dolph is fighting with a guy in his first feud. The shield vs henry and sandow/Rhodes are way hotter angles right now. This doesn't look good for dz
ReplyDeleteRevenge time passed. ONE MORE??? Yahoo!!!
ReplyDeleteWe should put our Monday night raw "predictions" on reddit!
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe the wwe would care anymore about a guy going to TNA than if he just took a vacation. I heard people were mad at him for inducting sting-in the TNA hof but that was the trade for flair being with the horsemen so I think huntor might have his back on that.
ReplyDeletePeople get sick of the chicken shit heel but I could watch Christian play one every week. He's great at it
ReplyDeleteEh, Jobber, I definitely disagree about Christian being higher in WWE's plans than Dolph. I like Christian and all, but if he's being built up a bit now I'm guessing it's to make him a credible challenger to put over Del Rio at a PPV— maybe Summerslam or Night of Champions or something. I'd be SHOCKED if Christian ever gets a run with the belt again. If they really want to put the belt on an Attitude-Era face, then Jericho or especially RVD are way more over than Christian. (And don't get me wrong— I like Christian a lot, he puts on good matches. But I was in Brooklyn for Raw last week, and even in front of the smarkiest crowd possible Christian doesn't get more than a "Oh cool, Christian's still wrestling! (beat) So, what's the next match?" reaction.)
ReplyDeleteSo to me it looks like WWE wants to have Dolph chase the title for awhile before winning it back, which means A) Del Rio needs a few months of retaining the WHC against midcarders, which is where Christian comes in, and B) Dolph needs to work his way back up the ladder, which is where this feud against Big E comes in. I don't think it's anything more than that.
And again, if anything, I'd bet they maybe put the title on RVD to capitalize on how ridiculously over he is right now.
I never bought Christian as a draw or top guy, but that's totally on me. I take nothing away from him as a talent, and he is a work horse. But a top guy? Never saw it. It's one of the few times I agreed with Vince.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing about Sheamus is I, too, can't stand the guy, but it's not because of him personally, but the way he is portrayed on TV. They never give me a reason to give a shit about him or his character, and he comes off like such a goof most of the time.
ReplyDeleteChristian is useful and entertaining. Let him work mini-programs until Jericho comes back, then work the Jimmy Hart-est angle ever where Christian comes out mocking Jericho to Basketball Highlights #12. Those two could make it work.
ReplyDeleteCaliber, can you please explain why you blatantly spoiled a match for next weeks RAW?
ReplyDeleteI have to agree. He is boring as shit as a face. The hand clapping irritates me for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI love Christian, but he isn't over. You can hear crickets when he enters right now.
ReplyDeleteThey should spend more time building him before getting him back in the main events.
I'm more confused about why the world champion is jobbing to both Christian and Orton in the span of a week.
ReplyDeleteUnless it's to set up a multi-man title defense at Summerslam. And even then, there are better ways to go about doing it than jobbing out the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
(I know, I know, it's the Intercontinental Title, but someone has to care about the principle, even if it's a losing battle)
oh man I can't stop laughing at this, I probably watch it once every couple of months as well
ReplyDeletefolk would go vannana
ReplyDeleteThat too. I guess a 4-way for Summerslam (w/RVD or Sheamus?).
ReplyDeleteBut Caliber really should be more considerate and not blatantly spoil a RAW result on the front page.
Remember when Kane first came back after his injury, and the first thing he did was a "Kane-a-roonie"? I hated that. But Loved it. So conflicted.
ReplyDeleteSpoiler alert would have been helpful.
ReplyDeleteThe little guy wins with three super kicks
ReplyDeleteI have a question: who do you guys think was a better in-ring performer? Edge or Christian?
ReplyDeleteI actually think Christian was better at both in-ring and character work but Edge got the push because he's taller and more photogenic. That's not to say Edge didn't earn his spot (which he totally did...his work with Lita, Cena and Vickie Guerrero was great) but Christian never really got the same opportunities his partner did.
If he is trading wins with big e while Christian, Sandow, Rhodes, sheamus, rvd, henry and the shield get more over he's not going anywhere. I think the boat on ziggler sailed a year ago when he split with Vickie. He was treated as a joke when he had the case, had the big cash in, got hurt, jobbed and was pushed down the card. Now Christian might be taking his place as the bump machine baby face.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...great question. They are both phenomenonal but edge just had the look. And edge has had the opportunity to get 20 min ppv matches with cena undertaker angle etc. But Christian has made absolute gold out of lesser opportunities. He has done more with less but edge hit a home run with his main event push (top heel on smackdown edge is the greatest IMO) so its not like he didn't make gold too. Definitely the most successful singles career for a great tag team.
ReplyDeleteI nominate this for worst thread in BoD history.
ReplyDeleteBecause its a mid card raw match no one really cares about?
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was annoying when Eric Bischoff did it too.
ReplyDeleteUgh. I'm sure you won't have to wait long to rebook lex lugers career or the wcw invasion for the 2000th time. In the mean time I'll discuss something thats happening now.
ReplyDeleteRight, because talking about HHH holding a wrestler down is so fresh.
ReplyDeleteHe's not taking Ziggler's spot. Ziggler is feuding with Big E. and AJ.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't make it okay to just spoil RAW matches out of the blue.
ReplyDeleteCaliber, why can't you include the spoiler as a jump so people who don't want to know don't have to? Wouldn't that be considerate?
Maybe its not hhh. But why is ziggler moved down the card while Christian, Rhodes scholars, mark henry etc blow past him. We all figured it was a lock he'd dominate the whc scene and he's been dropped down the card and didn't get a cup of coffee with that belt. What happened? At some point they have to give him push if he's gonna be a super star.
ReplyDeleteThey are not blowing past him.
ReplyDeleteWhy do some wrestler's names get capitalized and others don't?
ReplyDeleteClever title for the thread maybe? Don't worry though dude it legitimately looks like a great show on psper
ReplyDeleteI'm not worried, it's just a dick move by Caliber that's easily correctable. He should correct it.
ReplyDeleteAj has her own seperate angle and big e is a nxt geek who I don't think is over. Meanwhile Christian is winning more matches than Dolph has all year and the Rhodes scholars are in a red hot feud and Sandow-has the mitb. I think the dz push is a smark pipe dream now.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing this on my phone while I ride the coaster to LA. Mobile disqus and my auto correct are making this difficult.
ReplyDeleteYou seem worried. I just want to assure you this raw sounds good and-the meat of show hasn't been given away
ReplyDeleteZiggler's feud with Black Taz is just getting him reworked as a face in an under card feud. This will get him more face heat and get the crowd trained to root for Dolph all the time. WWE blew it with Christian twice - 2005 before he left he was red hot with Tyson Tomko, and 2011 when Edge retired. Christian was poised to take Edge's place before Orton swooped in and stole all his heat. I don't ever see him being the guy again. Dolph is getting screwed over because McMahon is determined to shove ADR down our throats come hell or high water.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they are trying to elevate Big E. while giving Dolph a feud to help establish himself as a face?
ReplyDeleteYou can't keep running Ziggler and ADR over and over, so this gives two guys something to do and can help get Big E. over as well.
Big E. has also been protected since he debuted.
I wouldn't call the Rhodes Scholars feud "red-hot".
christian needs to reinvent himself somewhat. he has such a gangly look to him, esp his twig legs. the long tights only accentuate that
ReplyDeletemaybe it was the seinfeld shirt, but he actually looked
Morton and Christian are from the generation that was taught to play to the crowd first and foremost. Idiots like Kevin Dunn believe that the wrestlers should play to the TV audience above all since "it's a TV show," but Dunn doesn't realize that playing to the actual live crowd gets them more into it and makes the TV product better.
ReplyDeleteChristian is a thoroughly solid professional wrestler and is far from 'bland.' The way that WWE presents him, however, is quite bland. Has Christian received even one promo since his return? One backstage interview where he talked about his long comeback from injury and wanting to cap off his career with a MITB win and the WWE Championship? This guy is a very good talker so of course, WWE never puts the guy on the mic.
ReplyDeleteDisqus is not smartphone friendly, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all he hasn't traded wins with Big E, as they haven't even wrestled yet. What if Dolph beats him clean at Summerslam and moves on?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think you're wayyyyyy overstating the "Rhodes Scholars Explode!" feud. I like it too, but it's not exactly red-hot and I wouldn't say that Cody has anywhere near the heat/crowd-reaction that Ziggler gets. Cody is way lower on the totem pole than Dolph right now. And honestly, I know you hate AJ and all, but the fact is she's a big deal in WWE's eyes so feuding with her (which is what Dolph is doing— Big E is simply AJ's surrogate) is a pretty big deal in the grand scheme of things. I'm sure WWE treats the AJ feud more importantly than they do anything involving Damien Sandow.
Lastly, Christian is never getting a main event run— if they go that route, it'll be for RVD.
Bang bang!
ReplyDeleteWell...crowd reactions for Ziggler haven't been much recently.
ReplyDeleteAnd honestly it makes sense. His character is a total goober.
Couldn't agree more.
ReplyDelete*cheap pop*
ReplyDeleteWell it's awful good to be here, right here on SCOTT'S BLOG OF DOOM!
ReplyDeleteUpvoting this because it made me google Taz Taz's ethnicity.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty much what I stated, it isn't his fault, it is how the WWE presents him. I got a thumbs down for pointing this out though :/
ReplyDeleteI think he needs to bring back his colorful tights and the gaudy entrance gear. I say this about so many competitors, but Christian always wearing black tights (and varying the secondary color and trim) really prevents him from standing out. Ditto for coming out in his t-shirt (like practically every other Superstar) vs. his formerly unique entrance gear. He used to stand out. Now he's like everyone else.
ReplyDeleteIn what world are the Rhodes Scholars blowing past him? And yes, Christian has some solid wins, but he's absolutely floundering with no discernible feuds or storylines. Meanwhile, Ziggler (who hasn't lost clean since his official face turn) is in an established storyline that has continued over the course of numerous weeks.
ReplyDeleteAnd after checking out the smackdown spoilers I was right, he got another huge win and is wrestling Del Rio at summerslam while Ziggler works a program with a nobody. That sucks for dolph but christain is a better overall package anyways so fuck it.
ReplyDeleteQuestion. Didn't dolph just win the title? They took it right off him. And wouldn't it have made sense to put him in a rematch against ADR at summerslam? He's going to chase the title for ANOTHER year...while Christain gets a summerslam pay day against del rio??? I think he's been shunted down the card
ReplyDeleteRe: the last paragraph. Nope they went with christain over rvd
ReplyDeleteTo continue our intense Christian debate from below...
ReplyDeleteI think you're moving the goal posts a bit. In my response to you, I said I could totally see Christian getting the Summerslam title shot against ADR— for the purpose of giving Del Rio a good match and a tap-out win to pad his title reign. I don't see that as being a "Christian revival", just an example of him being exactly where he should be: putting over guys that WWE actually wants to make money with.
And as for Christian getting the Summerslam title match rather than RVD, again that's not (to me at least) a sign that Christian is higher up on the card than RVD. What I said below, and stand by, is that if WWE was going to actually put the WHC on one of the Attitude Era veterans then RVD would be the guy, not Christian. I'd say (based on the crowd reactions each man gets, and how WWE positions them as stars) that Christian has about a .001 chance of ever having a World title run again, where RVD is probably 50/50. Honestly, do you think otherwise? Do you really think Christian's about to become a big babyface champ? Because if not, then you know the truth is this: WWE just wants someone halfway credible to put Del Rio over in a good match that isn't being counted on to draw a dime at Summerslam.
LASTLY, as for Ziggler, I think you're taking the immediate small pictre and blowing it up way past it's point of importance. Ziggler is feuding with Big E because he JUST turned face and this feud A) Makes sense for his storyline, B) Allows Ziggler to win a feud early in his face run, and C) Is actually something that WWE sees as important. AJ is involved, and hate her or no AJ is a big deal to WWE management and to most fans. So Ziggler feuding with her and Big E is therefore not headliner material, but its not "next stop 3MB-ville" as you're trying to make it seem.
OK, actually lastly— why all the Ziggler hate?
RVD just did a 5 minute job to del rio, Christian is about to go over ADR on raw and RVD on smackdown next week and they just let him main event smackdown and go over Jack Swagger. He's been put over name guys on every show he's worked while RVD just got that one match against jericho on raw. RVD is a novelty act the wwe brought in. There is no way (over or not) he's getting any kind of real push.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing against ziggler, I'm a fan and I was hoping this was going to be his year. However lets look at what kind of push he's gotten; he won mitb, did a insane amount of jobs, he jobbed at wrestlemania to daniel bryan, he finally had his big moment with the cash in, got hurt, jobbed the belt, and didn't go into a new program with ADR. He just dropped the belt. Now he's feuding with AJ, but at BEST thats a lateral move from chasing the WHC belt. Meanwhile Christian is coming in and getting tons of wins, and he put on a ziggleresque bump show against TItus O'neil on raw. I don't think its a forgone conclusion that he does do a job to ADR at summerslam. I could see him getting the belt and trading it with del rio or even more likely, beating del rio and then dropping it to Sandow.
My only point is that maybe they are never planning on pushing ziggler to the main event and thats underscored by the fact that all of a sudden christian is getting a big push