Watry Q&A: The Rock, James Ellsworth, Part-Timers At WM, More

Hi, I’m Justin Watry. You may remember me from such classic columns as March 2012’s “WWE WrestleMania 28: Sheamus Should Defeat Daniel Bryan in Less Than a Minute” and October 2015’s “WWE NXT: Bobby Roode, You’re Next.”

Backstory

Once a month, I respond to the comment section from my previous columns. No insults or cuss words earn a reply. Because I challenged myself to do something worth while in December, think of this as a super-sized edition. You’re welcome.

What Kind Of Wrestling Fan Are You?

TheR: This is what kind of Wrestling fan I am; Attitude Era, Monday Night wars old school. And I will chant “ECW” until the day the world comes to an end.

That is great and all, but at some point, don’t you move on? I mean, I know Chicago Bears fans who STILL talk about their amazing defense and Super Bowl victory like it was yesterday. Like dude, it’s over. Gone, done, finished. Join the rest of us in 2016 please.

gblock: Puro and more emphasis on in ring product (CWC, New Japan, etc) vs your typical “E” product (primarily RAW lately) with over convoluted storylines and 5 minute matches

I understand that and tend to agree…except WWE has the ‘luxury’ of getting hundreds of millions of dollars in television rights fees and are pretty much forced to create hours of content every week to earn that money. If independents or any other company had to do the same thing, guess what? The roles would be reversed.

Drewski: Your take on fantasy football couldn’t be more wrong.

Feel free to explain. I watch football every single Sunday from the regular season kickoff to the Super Bowl. Never once did I care to stare at my phone and check stats all day long and root AGAINST my favorite team due to some fantasy matchups. Makes zero sense. What’s the point of even watching? Look up your rankings every Tuesday morning and call it a week…you don’t even have to watch then.

Ziriak: I must be tired because for a moment there I thought the author had cheekily posted a personal advert for a NES mini at 400% of the rrp. Back to sleep.

…and it sold at that price, so go back to bed.

The Current State Of NXT

Ken Wood: NXT is developmental, and it is a brand. It’s specifically where new comers go to learn how to wrestle, or, more specifically, how to wrestle the WWE way. How to do promos the WWE way. When to look at what camera, how to stall during commercial breaks, etc. It is also a saleable product. Furthermore, it is a place for HHH to hone his craft, and learn what Vince does without interfering in Raw or Smackdown, it’s a place to test, and push him.

So, based on those three things, you’re going to get different things happening all at once. Does Samoa Joe need to still be there, learning the WWE way? No. Does Raw or Smackdown need, or have a place for him right now? Arguable, I’d say yes. Does the NXT brand need him? For now, the answer is yes. He sells tickets to their road shows and Takeover events, so they’re keeping him until they can fill that void, with Roode.

NXT is at an interesting point right now, but I’m kind of excited to see where they go in a year, when most of the talent we have now gets cleared out. What “big name” person will they be able to attain, what young un and comer will force their way into the mid card or main event, and so on.

NXT excites me because, even if there are times when I’m not into the product, it’s a constantly chaning product, so eventually something fresh and interesting will happen.

Okay Ken, you win. I am just going to post this here and walk away. NXT! NXT! NXT!

The Night Roman Reigns Was Cheered In Philadelphia

SuckaFreeSince83: Not gonna lie….I am not a huge fan of yours. Your i told you so routine is a little played out, bur I get it that is your schtick. However you are getting better and better with each article(not that I have any room to talk on anyone else’s writing considering I topped out as a B level college student.) and this one in particular was very well written. Keep it up man.

Thanks man, appreciate it. I liked how the column came about, as I knew I’d be writing it for over a month in advance.

Voice of Logic: The crowd was off the charts that night in Philly, when you consider the treatment he got at the rumble from the same crowd.

This! Besides, it was not even the volume of the crowd that made the moment. It WAS the moment. His moment. In Philly, from January to December. I thought it was the Raw moment of the year and really is something special looking back on it.

The Night Shane McMahon Saved WrestleMania

SpankyHamm: The WWE handling Shane’s return was done about as well as South Park handling Trump winning the election.

I stopped watching South Park over ten years ago, so is that a compliment or insult? WWE handled Shane McMahon’s return in EPIC fashion…until 8 days after WrestleMania 32. I mean, I was even okay with him running Raw for ‘one night only’ (one source says he was set to win at WM originally). Just after that, he was back every week though. That is when the momentum went away. Still, the night he returned was so great and so goosebump inducing I had to write about the moment.

WWE Roadblock 2016: Worst PPV Of The Year?

Jeff-Advance Web Services: I actually thought this PPV was much better than people give it credit for. The tag team match was great (though they built it poorly agreed) and the Charlotte/Sasha match mostly delivered except for the questionable tapout with 3 seconds left. The Neville heel turn came out of nowhere but worked as well. Not pay-per-view of the year but not terrible either…

I can agree with that. The problem is 2016 delivered a lot of good pay-per-views, so when you stumbles a bit, it stands out more. Roadblock was nowhere near other events – which is a compliment to WWE.

EDIT: Oh, and a new report (truthful or not is up to you) suggests there wasn’t a ton of interest in Roadblock. Surprise, surprise.

Respectmyname: Too much new day disrespect for me.Also Seth Rollins is killing it as a face.I thogiht that was common sense on raw weeks ago.Also how could you hate the list and the team and chris and Kevin?

No disrespect, all I did was list facts. Seth Rollins is entering “make it or break it” territory with his face turn, all comes down to the Triple H story line. I haven’t enjoyed the Chris Jericho/Kevin Owens pairing since it started. Not where I prefer either guy on RAW (basically comedy wrestlers).

Also lost at Summerslam, HIAC, didn't defend titles at Survivor Series and lost at Roadblock clean. #WWE #TheNewDayhttps://t.co/Z6di5CQYXz

— Justin Watry (@JustinWatry) December 19, 2016

The Great Attila: The reason Demolition were tag champs for so long was because they were still over during their reign. The New Day’s shtick (sp.) got tiresome months ago. History will indeed not look too kindly on their “record”.

Pretty much confirmed by the fact that six days after the record…they lost. WWE didn’t care about The New Day getting a legitimate title run; they just wanted to reach the date and move on. Shame.

Total Nonstop Deletion: Good, Bad, & Ugly

Ryan Haseldine: Matt Hardy is the highlight of TNA 2016.

Yep, record lows in TV/PPV, viewership, almost sold to WWE, another group of lawsuits, barely able to film shows, and more talent leaving. Congrats TNA 2016!

silentmovieman: Discussing the hype you forgot to mention Josh Matthews claiming the show was better than any wrestlemania he’s ever seen

Unfortunately, Josh Mathews is making me eat my words because when he left WWE, I wrote THAT DAY he would be perfect as the new voice of Impact Wrestling. I was wrong, so very wrong. Been terrible – on camera and making a fool of himself on social media. He’s in good standing with the company though (and married Madison Rayne), so good for him I guess.

Jack Roberts: Greg Helms was the highlight of the whole thing, Hurricane with superpowers was fantastic.

That’s the issue though. Where does it end? A two hour Hardyz show EVERY week? A King Maxel title run? Helms flying all over the building with his super powers? A boat getting beat up by the heels? A drone as a ref? We all have our limits…

Best & Worst Of WWE Network In 2016

greg: royal rumble had a shocking winner? Everyone and their mother saw hhhs comeback and winning

I watched it with two casual wrestling fans. Neither had a clue he was even still wrestling. You mean internet fans, the diehards, the minority.

Nemesis_Hunter: The Ambrose interview with Austin was the most awkward interview besides the one with Paige. Austin completely exposed Ambrose and showed that he completely lacks the qualifications to be THE GUY. E&C season two doesn’t surprise me and I totally expect them to be inducted into the HoF to promote it. Don’t care about Swerved, Camp WWE, and pretty much any other non-wrestling content that isn’t Legends with JBL (who is completely different from the terrible announcer on SmackDown)

Pretty much with you. It is worth noting that the Stone Cold Podcast series was already limping around the time Dean Ambrose came on. That is what happens something so awesome and intriguing has a series of BAD episodes in a row. Hasn’t been on in months now. Hoping for Bill Goldberg in January. That would be a big way to bring it back and plug the WWE Network some more in early 2017.

Why WWE Fastlane Is So Important

Luisho: You may want to read the intro, to spare yourself.

Yep, I plugged my “12 Days of Wrestlemas” on Twitter and at the beginning of every column. In other words, he either doesn’t actually read the column (which is ridiculous) or he does read it and purposely makes stupid comments (which is also ridiculous). Pick your poison.

Cap Is Rrap: I was going to the get the Network again to watch this event, but instead, my 9.99 is going to Love Alive. What a charity. I can get the results online the following, some people couldn’t even be in a bed that night. Thank you Justin.

No problem. The Love-Alive charity is still there for donations. Don’t forget about it.

WWE Roadblock 2016 Preview & Predictions

Nothing of note. Boo!

Who Attacked Nikki Bella?

Gutter Punk: Natalya. No explanation needed.

Even though Natalya was my (and yours) prediction, it still felt like an underwhelming conclusion. Mickie James would have been the better option. The actual promo/reveal with Nikki Bella was decent enough. It just fell flat. WWE had a legitimate mystery story line going on and kept it alive for a month. Then just ended it on a random episode of Smackdown. At least promote that the attacker would come clean on a certain date. Get anticipation and drama built up!

Jason S: Three articles in four days, Larry? Why? I thought you loved the 411 faithful. You don’t need to be “Michael Cole’ing” this guy on us. We get he’s here to stay. No reason to shove him down our throats.

Actually read the column next time. Or the previous two. Right there in the opening. Thanks though for proving my point – people don’t actually read what I write (sometimes).

The Night The Rock Saved WWE

Michael L: Although the Rock’s return was awesome, it had two major negative effects on the business:

1. In the short run, it pretty much killed Miz as a main event player as the WM 27 buildup was now about Cena v. Rock rather than Cena v. Miz. And although Miz walked out of Miami as the champion, he did not receive the kind of push a champion would normally get.

2. This was the beginning of the over reliance on part-timers in WM, with UT and HHH switching over to a part-time schedule. Thanks to that over-reliance It took another 2-3 years for the WWE to build newer stars and make it stick.

Here is my reply:

1. Would you rather a WM main event focus on John Cena vs. The Rock or John Cena vs. The Miz for the 124th time? Right or wrong, WWE made the EASY decision in switching up the direction to where Miz was now third in line rather than first or second. Rocky trumps all that. We would all do the same if we were in charge and needed to top one million PPV buys, something the previous two Manias failed to achieve.

2. Eh, I already outlined that the youth movement was failing and failing badly! Besides, Hulk Hogan was a prime player in WM18 and 19. Taker was part-time and had a huge effect on the WM20 build. Then WWE entered into a ‘celebrity’ mood for awhile there. That stuff has always been there for WrestleMania. The cream rises to the top. Nobody said these excuses when John Cena and Batista rose to main event status. The best will get there, regardless of their surroundings.

Royberto: Watching the fan cam of Rock’s return in 2011 really gives you a better perspective on how the live crowd reacted as opposed to watching it on TV. The fan cam makes it even more awesome than it was on TV.

It was incredible. This column was one I had wanted to write for awhile now. Finally got around to it Happy I did.

HockeyFan91: I only clicked on this article to read the comments.

Keep clicking buddy.

Debunking The WWE/Hometown Losing Myth

therealnitzilla: You’re listing a dozen or so isolated situations. No one is saying it NEVER happens. We’re just noticing what they do on the whole, for policy.

Right, “for policy.” Glad you know. Another internet myth gets spread around despite facts saying otherwise. Oh well…

Rodney Strangerfields: Next time instead of having your 4 year old cousin write your article, please take the time to write it yourself.

Or you can do it. Or 12 columns in 12 days. Or for eight years plus on a regular basis with no break? Or you know, just yap in the comment section under an avatar and fake user name. Your choice.

Cactus: It’s not a myth if there is a credible source (a former creative staff member) who can verify that it is a real thing that exists. Sorry you wasted your time doing all that research.

Firstly, I read the quote. Even he didn’t seem to know and rambled in his answer about the common belief. Secondly, you have to be kidding me with the “credible source” remark. A former creative staff member is credible apparently. Seriously? Come on now.

SpankyHamm: Curious about you guys making selections (not just Watry, but anyone who contributes to those columns). Do you ever look at the betting odds? Do you make selections based on what you think should happen? Do you make selections based on how you think the WWE will be booking these matches?

I ask because I do follow the betting odds and I would say that the favorite around midday Saturday wins about 97% of the time (there will be the occasional last minute change). Just thinking in terms of bragging about “making the right pick” – I could probably have a 97% success rate just by announcing my picks based on the betting odds – but it’s almost cheating.

I don’t read other columns, so I can’t comment on that. What I can say is I wrote an entire column on this a few days ago, so thanks for the topic idea. Long and short – betting odds are not always right. Survivor Series was terribly unreliable. Plus, my picks are done way before the odds are even out. If you want my full response, head on over to my page. Full of goodness the past two weeks!

Mark Clark: Um… ellsworth didn’t turn heel. He explained why. Nothing heel about it. He’s still very much a face

Quality comment as always Mark. Enjoy the new year, I know I will.

Yohannes Setiadji: Nice comparison with Colin Delaney. Glad I’m not the only one who remember that. This should also end up like how Delaney’s story in WWECW ended. By getting brutalized and destroyed by the guy he screwed.

Well, Dean Ambrose just doesn’t seem to care about anything. I guess the beatdown from AJ Styles will have to do. Fine by me.

November Reader Feedback

Chris: 2 columns in 1 week? What did I do so wrong in my life to deserve this?! I’m so sorry 411! I’ll be good from now on I promise!

You had no idea what was coming Chris. No idea.

Kung Fu Panda: Disrespect? That seems strong. He’s just spot lighting the hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy online? About internet darlings?!?! NO WAY!!!! The New Day had the greatest title reign ever, what are you talking about?

chris: Sorry Goldberg and waltry are awesome don’t care what the iwc says

Who is this waltry fella? Seems like a nice dude.

AG Awesome: If you do a really amazing prediction I’ll give you props Justin. But it has to be something impressive

Like I have done repeatedly since 2008? Like that? Or because I was a fan of Alex Riley and think TNA is garbage, I am labeled a troll somehow? Yeah, my track record speaks for itself.

Chopper: I like this Watry kid.

MUCH better than that waltry bum, am I right?

Summary: Thanks again for everybody reading the past two weeks. Had a blast. Next week should be 2016 Year End Awards, so buckle up for a fun ride!
Final Plugs

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Thanks.