wrestling / Columns

Watry Q&A: Jinder Mahal, Roman Reigns Hate, WWE Backlash 2017, & More

June 3, 2017 | Posted by Justin Watry
Jinder Mahal

“I have been reading your stuff on 411mania and nodq.com for the longest time now and I have never felt inclined to email in. The general consensus of you not being most popular is harsh at times but also can be well-founded too. But I still read your stuff because I do enjoy your articles and find your perspective interesting most of the time.

That said, your article about your friend Megan and trip to Wrestlemnaia was the greatest thing you have ever wrote. Forget about the predictions you brag about getting right. This is your crowning piece. Maybe it is because I can relate as going to Wrestlemania is my ultimate dream and it will be happening next year. But I genuinely loved your article.

Thank you for the great stuff.”

– Jay’s Ways reader

Backstory

Once a month, I reply to the comment section of my columns. No cuss words or insults allowed.

Fact Or Fiction

CS 22: Considering how much time and effort was put in it, not to mention the fact that the WWE title was added to the mix, yes, this was the worst feud of the year until now. We can’t even say that we had the saving grace of fun matches. Their 3 encounters (including the one from No Mercy) were average at best.

This was about Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton feuding. I agree it was the worst top feud. That wasn’t the question though. Trust me, there is plenty of garbage out there on WWE television much worse. It just takes up less minutes and isn’t as important.

Bebop AndRockSteady: Watry does know Zack Sabre Jr. and Kota Ibushi turned down WWE contracts litterally last year, right? He is aware of that?

Yes, but both did appear for WWE, which was one of my criteria listed you simply ignored in your post. Plus, don’t kid yourself for one second. Those two are still on the radar, and odds are they do eventually sign. Same with The Young Bucks. You are kidding yourself if you buy into all that junk about them not wanting a run with the biggest company in the world. They all do. Everybody…when the time is right.

Tony Schiavone: A new contender for the worst 411 Fact or Faction in the history of our sport!

Very funny Tony. As usual, let’s check out my Fact or Fiction stats, shall we?

Mine got 98 comments (more were deleted I believe) and 430 votes. Impressive.

The previous edition had a mere 123 votes and over 20 comments less. Week before that, 252 votes. The column following mine had 141 votes and 70 comments. The week after that had 140 votes and 39 comments. Then just last week…with (former?) internet darling and banana peeler CM Punk in the headline – a mere 99 votes and 55 comments. Yeah, good luck debating that. All about the numbers folks. Reality versus make believe.

April 2017 Q&A

Bob Patel: Seeing Dave Herro on your plane shouldn’t be that weird cause he’s from Milwaukee Area and you are in the Northeast part of Wisconsin. Born and raised in Milwaukee went to school at UWW and lived in Oshkosh for 7.5 years

Well aware. Just a quick and fun story, nothing more. Also works out at the same gym and resides nearby. Cool guy!

Boffo97: I’ve watched the Bret-Shawn match without distraction numerous times. Good (but not great) for its time. There were some really cool spots, but there was a lot of stalling too. It really has not aged well at all, though you can say that about other classic matches.

Agreed. I really do laugh when Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania 12 is STILL considered an all-time classic or anywhere near the top of match rankings. It isn’t even the best Iron Man match!

AG Awesome: Thanks for the random mania story! I like those types of things and of course the behind the scenes stuff people get to experience at the actual show. Shame it took so long to get the food!! I hate that.

I wasn’t even getting any food! I knew the line was going to be ridiculous, so I passed. My buddy didn’t get the hint and still ordered. Oh well, plenty of other goodies from my Orlando trip were written about (on another website).

WWE Payback 2017 Review

Benjamin J: Lowered expectations are the very thing you owe having a column at all to.

Read above a few paragraphs about my Fact Or Fiction stats. Enjoy the comment section 4 LIFE BROTHER!

Chris: “a compelling House of Horrors bout”

‘Compelling’ is not the adjective I would have used. But to each his own.

That is fair. Let me check out your column review of Payback, and I will give it a read.

Ken Wood: I thought every match was really really good, except for the Rollins/Joe match, which was okay, and the HoH match.

The HoH match could’ve been cool, but they went the wrong way with it, imho. I feel like they should’ve just stolen scenes out of classic horror movies. Like when they walk into a bathroom, look into the mirror, open the medicine cabinet, then when they close it and the “monster” is right behind them. They should have had Randy going through the house, and Bray stalking him like in classic horror movies. In one Halloween they toss Mike Myers out a window, then when they run downstairs to find him, he’s gone. They could’ve ended the match by Randy throwing Bray out the window, then when he goes down to find him, he’s gone. Then Randy drives back to the arena, thinking he’s won it, but Bray shows up, and finishes him off (with the help of Jinder if necessary).

Still, at least they’re trying something different, so I give them credit for that. For the most part, it was a great event.

Just seemed like WWE didn’t know how far they wanted to go with the House of Horrors gimmick. They played it safe, and I did think it was pretty creepy. Couldn’t commit 100% because of the Superstar ShakeUp, and they were on separate brands. At the same time, they had to do something to wrap up a six month main event story. Tough to balance, especially with the strange theme. I wouldn’t go back to it anytime soon (like the WM33 graphics). However, if it can be tweaked down the line, sure – try again. Why not? What’s the harm with all the other so-so bland feuds happening?

Roman Reigns

WilliamK99: I love how Watry wrote his own letter to post saying it is from a fan…

That’s not insulting me. That is insulting the fan who actually wrote it. Cool faceless avatar though Will, you da’ man!

Crystal Shepard: Today’s selection for “Watry or Trump? Who Said It?”

“I am a numbers guy. Trust me when I tell you that. “

I don’t proofread my columns or have an editor anymore, so I am going to guess me?

[T.L] Eazy-E: Good post.

The hatred of Roman Reigns is easily identifiable and refuted, either by weak arguments, or by comparison (Roman Reigns is weak in an area that generates hatred of ”fans”, Indy Darling is weak in an area generates nothing but silence).

It’s funny, Roman Reigns is not just a powerhouse/brawler with a good look, he’s a great wrestler and he’s already shown this, and it’s even more laughable when someone with ”indy taste” criticizes Roman Reigns and just watches WWE, A company that has always had and will always have a casual public appeal, an appeal to entertainment.

Yeah, I don’t get the hate. Never have. He checks off every single box. The promo ability is really head scratching considering Cesaro often stumbles with his words, and AJ Styles has never been very good on the mic until mid-2016. Yet, Reigns is a bum because of a few one off scripted promos nearly three years ago. Riiiight.

mjh: I actually think this was one of Justin’s strongest columns. Watry should be someone I support as I pretty much also am mainly a WWE/NXT guy over a true pro wrestling guy and I think there is value in having a writer who shares my opinion that the biggest is what truly that matters. One who treats the WWE like the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc…. Yet Watry usually finds a way to turn me off with his condescension and self promotion. But I’ve already written about that (on another website)

Thanks man. Everybody (athlete, writer, whatever) self promotes, so that criticism is pointless. The condescension depends on if you love sarcasm or not. Trust me, not much of what I write is to be taken seriously. Just having fun; that is the entire point of watching/following professional wrestling. You all should know that by now.

Joeycross3001: Reminds me a conversation I had with a friend of mine, he said the reason he believes fans don’t like Roman is because he is “chosen” to be the “guy”. That sounds petty and stupid, what is wrong with being the chosen one? sounds more like people are upset because an indy darling wasn’t the chosen one instead.

Another dumb argument. Newsflash people: Vince McMahon also CHOSE CM Punk to be WWE Champion for over a year. Those lovely late night text sessions with the boss seem to be swept under the rug pretty quickly by his fans. He also CHOSE Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens and all the other independent stars to win gold. The buck stops with Vince, whether you come from FCW/NXT or a bingo hall.

WWE Backlash 2017 Preview

Sir Truth: How does one apply to provide color commentary for your NRW? (sorry, but I refuse to use hashtags).

Got it covered. Big return match on June 17th, then editing, and the big release video when that is finished up. Hopefully does not take too long to put together.

Negan: R-Truth got his main-event shot once with Cena, headlined a ppv. They had me fooled for a second..

Still fooled? That was then, this is now, and there are a bunch of differences. Jinder Mahal is not R-Truth, and as I have been writing about since April, there are very real reasons why the title change was possible. Admittedly, I didn’t actually think it would happen until that day…but still! Right now, it is Jinder Mahal or nothing.*

*I claimed that phrase as my own a few days ago on Twitter. Be sure to credit me if you use it.

Click_Down_Arrow: Joey Styles isn’t good enough to call Backlash?

Fans forget this about Joey Styles and his epic Raw promo – that entire episode was entertaining. It was the night after Backlash 2006, and from start to finish, the two hours flew by topping off with a fun WWE Championship main event. The Styles thing is what people remember most, but go back and watch the full show on the WWE Network. You will not be disappointed.

WWE Backlash 2017 Review

Flyin -_- High: Now can we do a column and not include the words “I” “me” or “my”?

No, we will not.

Jeffrey: When I read that report stating that Orton wouldn’t lose the title belt to Jinder Mahal at Backlash or for the rest of the summer, I kind of wanted to see Mahal win the belt just to prove it wrong.

It is not even the trash source that is at fault. It is those who read it, take it, and then regurgitate it around the internet. Let the website make up their own junk and keep that stuff there. No reason to contribute to the stereotype that the “IWC” is filled with a bunch of idiots who believe everything they read.

Ken Wood: When I read it, I literally thought “I can’t wait for it to be proven wrong, and Watry to write an article making fun of it.”

Hey, I didn’t post it! Don’t blame me. Awfully quiet since…maybe folks are finally learning?

AG Awesome: I don’t want to toot my own horn but I’m considered the greatest backyarder of all time Justin. Just an FYI

Toot toot! Congrats, I must have missed that Slammy Award given out to you last year.

Kevin Alexander: I agree with it in regards to WWEs business model. Wrestlemania is the only time they are relying on or trying to build household names. Without monthly PPV revenue anymore they are relying on network subscriptions, live events, and merchandise sales more than ever. Its still growing but WWE has nearly reached there maximum revenue in the US. Thats why they are working to increase their revenue overseas. Getting more people in the UK, India, China to purchase the wwe network. Yes he’s the champion but he’s only 1 guy on a roster and maybe 10minutes of TV time a week. That doesn’t equate to much in the US but a lot in other countries.

Well said. The U.S. market has been stagnant for close to a decade. Up and down but no real changes. Try China. Try India. Try the UK more. See what is out there. If it fails, your market in the United States will still be fine. If the international business goes way up, even better! Mission accomplished.

Michael L: JBL worked out all right, but it took Sheamus years after winning the title to really get credibility with the fans. I just don’t think Jinder has the personality or the in-ring ability to work out in the long run. But still, he is better than another extedend run at the top with Orton.

Well, I do not mind Randy Orton at all. He is not “boring” as some claim. The guy is very talented, and he is a surefire WWE Hall of Famer. No questions asked. This title reign though, as explained many times, just never had any momentum or purpose. The Royal Rumble victory and Mania stuff felt tacked onto the The Wyatt breakup. That was the issue, not the belt. Once the two had their big showdown in Orlando, it was…nothing. Nowhere to go with it. Might as well simply move on and start fresh…

2017 Mr. Money In The Bank?

The GoalFather: Nakamura wins MITB

Announces he’s cashing in at Wrestlemania vs AJ

I guess you like the idea of Roman Reigns winning the 2018 Royal Rumble match to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title then? Enjoy your fantasy booking.

Mike Riley: Never thought I’d say this but Justin Watry, you are spot on. Nakamura shouldn’t be included in the MITB this soon. The card needs him 1 on 1. You said Rusev but since he’s returning from injury I would protect him & avoid jobbing to Shinsuke. I say Jericho v Nakamura would make for a solid card.

While I think AJ & KO should be in the match just simply for the star power & crazy spots a US title defense makes sense. As for the rest, it seems the plan has been for Corbin to win for a while.

Thanks, but I am usually more spot on than off. No shame in agreeing with me. Yeah, this card will be tough to round out. My guess is Chris Jericho will keep feuding with Kevin Owens upon return, so a random showdown with Nakamura doesn’t really fit. Good luck to the blue brand for finding an opponent for Naomi and giving the under card time. As for Corbin, the plans in WWE are so wishy-washy it does not matter if the original script still holds. Jinder Mahal is WWE Champion. JINDER MAHAL! The Hardyz are RAW Tag Team Champs. Alexa Bliss is holding the Womens Title…on Monday nights now! Whatever was planned for Baron Corbin three months ago may or may not still be in place. No way to truly tell.

bettypoop: Owens/AJ feud was just awful and killed the hot babyface momentum AJ had after mania. Owens is just not as good as many people claim

The past few weeks have not been good to AJ Styles. Not at all. I wrote about that in my last column. He will bounce back. No worries there. As for Owens, well, viewership is certainly not increasing on Smackdown LIVE now that he is there. Nor was his run on top of Raw a big boost to business. Heck, the company had to call in 95 year old Bill Goldberg after a 13 year hiatus to jump start (early) Mania build. Talented? Yeah. Great heel? Yeah. Good wrestler? Yeah. The next Stone Cold Steve Austin or whatever some want to claim? No.

RipStamps: Zayn needs it the most.

I could argue whoever needs it most is up to WWE. Zayn an Corbin top my list, but again, in a world where Jinder Mahal went from losing to Finn Balor in three minutes to WWE Champion in a month, there are no “rules” anymore in wrestling. Hasn’t been for a long time. Now, my pick is Baron. As we get closer to the event, my heart may win out…rooting on Sami. No wrong choice with the six men involved; all of them could easily walk into the main event picture at the drop of a hat no questions asked. Again, Jinder Mahal.

NRW: The Return

We are close. The match will take place on June 17th, with viewing options to be revealed shortly thereafter. More and more teasers coming – stay tuned!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd9szCNN9XHB0D1-qEgF_WQ

Original theme songs just released on my Twitter account Wednesday night as well! Music by Steve Madsen, courtesy of The Resonant Complex (follow on Twitter at @TriP03). Hit him up with any inquiries or feedback. Very talented, cool guy.

It’s happening.

Cheap Plugs

I’ve been posting more personal columns as of late (on another website). All on my Twitter account.

Follow: @JustinWatry

Email: [email protected]

Thanks.

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Jinder Mahal, Roman Reigns, WWE Backlash, Justin Watry

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