wrestling / Columns

411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Are You All In On Strowman As A Main Event WWE Talent?

April 23, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Braun Strowman WWE RAW

Welcome back to the latest edition of 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week are 411’s Wyatt Beougher and Tony Acero!

  • Questions were sent out Monday.
  • Participants were told to expect wrestling-related content, as well as possible statements on quantum physics, homemade pharmaceuticals, the Turtle Total Trip Theorem, pizza and hydroponics.

    1. You are all in on Braun Strowman as a main event WWE Talent.

    Wyatt Beougher: FACT – When Braun debuted as a nameless Rosebud, I groaned and made the joke that we’d get a decade of him as a top guy because Vince would be infatuated with his size. Even a stint in the Wyatt Family didn’t really sell me on the idea of Strowman as a top talent, which surprised even me because of my love for all things Wyatt. Yet here we are, not even two years after Strowman debuted as a member of the Family, and I’m completely on board with the idea of him being a main event talent. His post-Wyatt run of beating up Sami Zayn and various jobbers did nothing for me, but since stepping up in competition and being allowed to showcase more of his abilities, BRAUN continues to impress more and more each week. We haven’t even seen him do anything truly outside of his comfort zone yet, but his combination of size, strength, speed, agility, and a unique charisma have really sold me on his potential as a pillar of WWE going forward. I still don’t think he’s as good an all-around talent as Luke Harper, but unlike his former Wyatt Family brother, I’m also confident that he hasn’t been so poorly utilized that the window on him becoming a main event talent is closed. If WWE plays their cards right (read: stops jobbing him to Roman and making him look like he’s afraid of Brock), they could have the guy who replaces Lesnar on their hands, and Strowman winning the Universal Championship from Lesnar at Summerslam and securing the services of Paul Heyman the following night on RAW would, in my opinion, be the best course of action going forward. Plus, after the matches Braun has had with Big Show in the past month or so, I’d love to see the hossfest that he and Lesnar could have. A pair of shockingly good matches against the Big Show have truly made me a believer, and I honestly believe that Strowman has the aura that they want so badly for Roman to have, that particular set of intangibles that make him a once in a generation talent. Is he going to be the next Stone Cold or the Rock or John Cena? I doubt it, but I do think that by the time the chapter closes on the Big Book of BRAUN, he’ll go down in history as one of the best big men the sport has ever seen.

    Tony Acero: FACT – In a rare feat of good writing and consistent booking, as well as a hell of a motivated performer, we have a well-built wrestler who is believable and easy to get behind – even as a heel. Braun is leaps and bounds beyond what he started as, and deserves every good thing coming to him. He could have easily gone the Ryback route and assume that the push meant he was a good wrestler automatically, but instead Braun focused on becoming a better wrestler because of the push. The dude just put on a main event match with The Big Show in 2017 that was every bit as entertaining BEFORE the ring collapsed. The guy can go, has stamina, has a look, has presence, is consistent (for the most part), and should get a go at the title during the doldrum that is the early part of the year. Roman Reigns can’t sniff Braun’s jock strap at this point, and he shouldn’t even try.

    2. If rumors are true, Mike & Maria Bennett are great pickups for WWE.

    Wyatt Beougher: FACT – Let me preface this by saying that I wasn’t really a fan of what TNA/Impact Wrestling did with the Bennetts. After being treated as a big deal in their debut, Mike basically drifted directionless throughout the upper and middle cards and Maria was honestly more of a detriment to the Knockouts division than she was a benefit to it. That said, like the Hardys, once Maria started getting some positive acclaim for her work outside of WWE (specifically for her time in Ring of Honor, which I know wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea), it felt like it was only a matter of time before she made her way back to the company that gave her, her first big break. The fact that her husband has gained some notoriety of his own didn’t hurt their chances either. That explains why I wasn’t surprised when these rumors started circulating, and why I think there’s probably some truth to them. As to why I feel like they’re a great pickup for WWE? Well, since the Superstar Shakeup began last Monday, there’s been a Miz and Maryse-sized hole on Smackdown that Carmellsworth just can’t fill. And with John Cena busy with Hollywood and Nikki Bella again nursing her injured neck, I think Mike and Maria might just be the couple to fill that particular void. Honestly, I’d be a little surprised if they completely bypassed NXT when performers like Bobby Roode and Eric Young did not, but stranger things have certainly happened, and it might just be the perfect storm of opportunity for the Bennets to come in and make their name on a show that’s lost some of its upper midcard punch as a result of the Shakeup.

    Tony Acero: FACT – They are great pickups. Are the necessary? Nah, not particularly, and yet why the hell not? Maria is another person who grew beyond her potential in the WWE, and returning would be a nice little fuzzy feeling for her, I’m sure. Perhaps more important and more impactful (giggity), would be the signing of Bennett – who is pretty good from what I’ve seen. Of course, I won’t pretend that I know everything about these two other than what I’ve read, and the few matches I watched prior to answering. The end result is that IF these guys are utilized in such a way that puts them in a good position, as well as brings someone else up or to the forefront, then they have done thier job and then some. Often times, the WWE signs people (or brings them up from NXT) then extinguishes whatever Calcifer they had to a mere fizzle of a flame, and it’s a damned shame.

    3. You are excited that Impact Wrestling & AAA are going to work together for Slammiversary & TripleMania 25.

    Wyatt Beougher: FACT – This statement, more than any other this week, has an extremely easy counter argument – “two wrongs don’t make a right”, but I’m erring on the side of optimism here, especially since the last two TripleMania’s have been pretty abysmal (and honestly, Slammiversary hasn’t exactly been a must-see show in a few years either). Best-case scenario, we get some fresh, fun matchups in the vein of the WCW/NJPW partnership from the very early 90s, which could be a lot of fun. Worst-case scenario, both shows are forgettable or only memorable for how bad they are, but again, would that be a huge deviation from the trend they’re currently on? Sure, given the track records of the companies involved, it’s probably more likely to be the latter than the former, but I don’t think it’s going to kill me to be optimistic about this one. Plus, if they do use Lucha Underground performers with their LU gimmicks and draw more attention to LU, then I’m all for it.

    Tony Acero: FICTION – Although the melding of the two companies will make for a good event, I haven’t really felt my excite-o-meter rise when I found out about it. While I won’t say I bleed WWE, I am very much aware that it is my sole wrestling Walter White, and I very rarely deviate other places outside of the indies here in Cali. With that being said, anytime two rosters crash is a call for a good time. Case in point, Greg Demarco’s PHX Wrestling will be teaming with Party Hard Wrestling May 6th in Phoenix, AZ! Check out PHX Wrestling for details! Now that the cheap plug is out of the way, I look forward to the coverage 411 will provide, and will try and catch a few of the matches, but I wouldn’t consider myself excited about it.

    SWITCH!

    4. WWE should start running quarterly specials (similar to what they do with NXT) on the WWE Network for the 205 Live brand.

    Tony Acero: FACT – Sure, why not. Admittedly, 205 Live hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, nor does it have the same passion as the NXT brand – but it could. Doing the quarterly specials may be a step in that very direction. I think what’s lacking in the CW division is a lack of focus on wrestlers as characters. A bulk of them are either generic faces or generic heels. Notice the ones who stand out most are the ones who are a bit more complex than “good guy/bad guy.” Daivari can scowl all he wants, but he will ultimately continue to be the guy that loses until there’s a bit more to him – and a lot of the other guys for that matter. If the WWE ran the specials, there is an automatic direction for the guys to go. The issue may come across, however, that the CW will be relegated to 205 solely rather than the few spots on RAW – and maybe that’s not a bad thing. Although the time is all but passed when PPVs were the ultimate ending, the quarterlies do tend to hold a bit more weight than a Backlash or Payback.

    Wyatt Beougher: FACT – Don’t get me wrong, 205 Live is already a better showcase for the cruiserweights than RAW has proven to be; however, I still think a two-hour special every three months would go a long way towards giving some of the guys who AREN’T Neville, Aries, TJP, or even Jack Gallagher a better chance to shine. It would also give guys like Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, or Aleister Black, who are billed at or below the cruiserweight limit but have yet to appear on 205 Live, a chance to have showcase matches and perhaps draw some new eyes to the product. Plus, I think in a lot of fan’s eyes, quarterly specials would go a long way towards proving that WWE is actually committed to the cruiserweight division, more so than giving them a couple of short matches and segments on RAW each week.

    5. You have no interest in Jinder Mahal challenging for the WWE Title.

    Tony Acero: FICTION – Do I find it somewhat laughable? Am I bothered at the randomness of it? Yes and yes, but I do have some interest. My issue isn’t so much in the fact that they finally decided to get behind someone relatively fresh (not new), it’s that it was done improperly. I know, who am I to accuse a professional writing staff of doing things incorrectly, right? Well, the way I see it is I’m a part of the audience, and if said audience does not believe in the characters you have written for them to be believed in, then the job was not done correctly. Speaking of jobs, that’s all Jinder was doing prior to this week’s win. He got a nice little spotlight at Mania, but ultimately lost. he fought Finn on RAW prior to SD Live, and lost. Before his Mania, he was literally a guy on the roster who lost to other people. Before that, he was a part of a three-man band whose job was to be ridiculous and lose. So you’ll have to forgive a majority of the audience, WWE, if they don’t readily bite the curry-laced fish you’re feeding them. With all that being said, Jinder has very obviously improved – at least visually. He has had a character that lost its ooomph thanks to the terrorist attacks in London’s ill timing (and really, there’s never a good “time” for that shit). His character is finally (hopefully) getting a chance to shine as proven by the promo he cut, and he’s got some back up as well. The Bollywood Boys helped a lot with this most recent push because it makes it more believable (there’s that word again), but they’ll have their work cut out for them if they want the full support (or disdain) from the crowd. The interesting thing is, I have full faith in the Smackdown brand to make this work within the next few weeks. Watch as they do a nice little repair job on what Jinder was and watch who will become. They’re going to make him a legit Number One Contender along with the title.

    Wyatt Beougher: FACT – For the record, I also don’t think he will end up challenging for the WWE title, no matter how big of a push WWE is currently making into India. I know the big rumor over the past couple of days is that the Wyatt/Orton match will not be for the WWE title, and I also know that WWE loves to prove me wrong whenever it comes to Wyatt and winning matches that would benefit his character; however, I stand firm that Wyatt is going to win the WWE title in the House of Horrors match so that the “A” show has a primary title that can be defended more than once every few months. While that leaves RAW with multiple men’s singles titles and Smackdown with only the United States title, you can’t tell me that the US title isn’t going to be the most important title on Smackdown anyway – they’ve got the guy who carried RAW since the brand split bringing that title with him, and his first challenger on his new show is the guy who carried Smackdown over that same period. Even if WWE continues their poor booking of Bray Wyatt and Orton either wins the match outright or it becomes a non-title affair, I’m not particularly interested in seeing Jinder Mahal challenge for the WWE title, no. I can understand why WWE chose him, not only because of their current expansion into India, but also because he’s a guy that is basically guaranteed to get a negative reaction and make the WWE champion look better by comparison, something Randy Orton needs for the 99.99% of the time that he’s not teasing or performing an RKO. But just because I understand why he became the number one contender doesn’t mean I want to see it, and Mahal’s subpar in-ring abilities and mediocre promo skills have done nothing to make me think he’s a good fit for the top of Smackdown’s card.

    6. Impact Wrestling & AAA teaming together is a smart way for both companies to tour and run live events, especially considering that it is something both have wanted to do, but struggled at.

    Tony Acero: FACT – Pretty straightforward question here, as there’s not negative of teaming up and using each others’ resources to get ahead. Impact Wrestling is a company that just doesn’t want to die, yet continuously does what they can to kill themselves. They’re the drunk uncle you care about and love, but know just will never get their act together – and who the fuck keeps giving him money for whiskey?! Anyways, if AAA and Impact wanna pool their peeps for some potential potent power plays, then do it!

    Wyatt Beougher: FACT – Again, the easy counter argument here is that neither company has been particular successful in the past, so why would two companies who have had issues with touring and live event promotion suddenly know what they’re doing, just because they started working together? I am again choosing to be hopeful here, as more wrestling is almost never a bad thing, and I’m going to surmise that Dorian Roldan’s experience running live shows in Mexico, combined with the relationships Jeff Jarrett (and his father) developed over decades promoting in the United States, will complement one another and actually make this a worthwhile partnership for both entities. Admittedly, I selfishly hope that this works for the simple fact that it might get more people interested in Lucha Underground, but I’m not going to lie – it would actually be nice to see both Impact and AAA talked about in a positive light again.

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    7. Pineapple is a bullshit pizza topping, and should be banned from the world of pizza.

    Tony Acero: FACT – Who the fuck thought this was a good idea? Did some high as a kite Hawaiian dude accidentally drop slices of pineapple on his Za and say “fuck it?” Why? Nah, I’m totally kidding. I don’t really care if that’s your way of eating pizza. I’ve had it once or twice, and although it wasn’t my favorite slice, it also didn’t offend me nearly as much as it has others. In fact —– wait, I’m explaining myself over a question about pizza….man, I’m out. Love y’all! See ya Monday! Oh and…..RAGSYS….THEY’RE COMING!!!

    Wyatt Beougher: FICTION – I was afraid I was going to FACT everything this week, and I initially went FACT on this one as well, but then I remembered that my daughter likes pineapple on pizza, so while I completely agree with the first part of this statement, I can’t go all-in because of the second part of it. Personally, I love fresh pineapple, but can’t stand the canned stuff, and while I do enjoy grilled pineapple rings whenever I make them for my mother-in-law, I just don’t care for the chunks on pizza. Not only does the taste throw me off every time I’ve tried it, but the texture of those baked, once-canned chunks just doesn’t sit well with me. That said, I’m all for people enjoying whatever they like, whether it’s wrestling-related, television/movies, music, or even pizza toppings, so as long as it’s not on MY pizza, I can’t support a full ban on pineapple as a pizza topping. Let the weirdos (and I wouldn’t be surprised if my opponent this week counts himself among that number) have the toppings that they like.