Watry Q&A: WWE No Mercy, Roman Reigns, NXT, More

“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. This is from September 2017. No cuss words or insults.

No Mercy 2017 Review

ENVYotb73: Good review of NO MERCY Watry! I think you nailed it on every match this time. I was there live and everything you wrote was spot on my feelings. Best NM 2017 review on the site by far. Props!

Thank you. I don’t read other columns, so I can’t comment on that aspect. Hope you had a great time! Smackdown LIVE is coming to Milwaukee next month. The advertised main event (likely a dark match) is a big six man tag team match. Plus, the local commercial mentions this is the Milwaukee debut for Bobby Roode. Not sure if that is entirely true but whatever. Doubt I will go but maybe…

TBP82: As you can tell the only reason that Braun gets any attention is because he got to work Reigns. Reigns is like Floyd Mayweather everything he does a certain group of fans want to see him lose so much it just makes everything bigger. The moment Reigns passes the torch to Jason Jordan, Baron Corbin, Big Cass, or whoever is signed and gets the chance to be the next guy is gonna be craazzy why? Because Reigns is involved.

I do think there is some truth to the fact that Braun Strowman gained a lot of his popularity because he was bearing up Roman Reigns. Any other guy? Meh, there was never that much buzz. Even back to late 2016 and his mini-feud with crushing Sami Zayn on a weekly basis, there was very little steam behind it. Braun is put out there with THE GUY every week in early 2017 and boom! People are invested big time and slowly but surely begin to cheer. Why? Reigns. Believe that.

Ken Wood: I’m fine with Reigns winning, totally support the passing of the torch, but the way it happened is what bothers me. Reigns kicking out after the double AA and then winning is basically WWE telling us Reigns is the new superman. He can be the new face of WWE without being able to kick out of then finishers and beat everyone in a ten on one handicap match. If that’s the direction they’re going in with him, he’ll lose me as a fan.

As far as the women’s match, it was great, but Bliss has killed my interest in that division. We need Asuka now.

Cesaro is the man. Blood pouring from the mouth as he does the crossface… amazing.

Point by point:

1-Yeah, that is the whole point. Roman Reigns kicked out of John Cena’s big moves, but Cena couldn’t kick out of Reigns’. Same with Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman. That is the whole point. Reigns is better than Cena; Brock is better than Braun. We are well aware of the current landscape of WWE. Nothing was truly ‘learned’ at No Mercy we didn’t already know before. Personally, I am tired of nearly finisher in the company being meaningless. I love the fact that it only took one spear (or F5) to win at No Mercy. Doing all the wild kickouts is cool at WrestleMania but doing that every single bout year round (television or pay-per-view) should stop.

2-Alexa Bliss is a fine choice as RAW Womens Champion right now and rightfully retained on Sunday. Asuka coming in and beating her in 30 seconds will be great for the division and hopefully breathe new life in the red brand. I have high hopes for her debut.

3-Cesaro was just getting a receipt from when Sheamus knocked out Jeff Hardy’s teeth weeks back. Bad karma I guess.

Roman Reigns/Kevin Owens Compared

Ken Wood: It’s not like he says “sufferin succotash” every week. He said it once, so long ago that I can’t even imagine why anyone would bring it up anymore.

Another winning post from Ken. There was a discussion about a promo Reigns did nearly three years ago. Yes, fans (haters) are still bringing up the ONE time Roman quoted a cartoon. One time. Three years ago. With a clearly a scripted line directed to be a spoof, included with a wink at the camera afterwards. Just like the ONE time John Cena used the word ‘poopy’ in a promo in 2008 it was brought up online for the next five years straight as some sort of indictment against the man. Really ridiculous and embarrassing. Move on folks.

Dave Tomlinson: The difference is charisma. It’s intangible and can’t be taught. Someone either has it or they don’t.

For the most part, I agree. However, wrestlers absolutely do improve over time. The Daniel Bryan awkwardly dancing in the ring with Gail Kim and The Bellas is not the same dude main eventing Mania. The Rock being told by fans to ‘die’ as he was trying to find his personality is not the same star who makes $10 million per movie in Hollywood now. Guys grow, evolve, and get better. Owens is great, and Reigns is great. I am a fan of both. Both men have done amazing things but have yet to reach their peak. That is what’s so cool – there is more to come.

cldhrtd: watry can’t see the obvious. And again: already stop with that letter intro. People will appreciate your articles in commentaries when you write them good.

Hey, if cldhrtd tells me something, I must listen!

THELAMBSTER420: The difference between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens, despite being completely different people and having different in ring styles, is that KO toiled for years on the Indies, found great success doing that and then came to WWE AS a hugely respected talent who is excellent on the mic and in the ring.

Roman Reigns failed to become an NFL star and through a combination of his looks, his family name and lineage, somehow found himself pushed straight to the top of the main roster in spite of a lack of charisma and being “pretty good” in the ring.

Took all of one sentence to mention Kevin Owens and his independent wrestling background. Color me shocked. Reigns started in FCW/NXT, became the third wheel as a tag guy for two years and was on his own for 18 months before winning his first WWE Title. Wanna compared to Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Batista, and countless others? Reigns slowly got showcased over time with his run in The Shield and then having good career building Survivor Series and Royal Rumble showings. Then and only then did his star begin to rise. He was far from pushed straight to the top. That is BS and one of the many false ‘conspiracy theories’ on the internet.

“Night Shift” Buford Cain: So are you saying that you are a KO fan?

Yes, sang his praises through NXT and up to the main roster.

Ruben Meyer: I bet you are Megan’s best friend and you are stuck in the friend zone while you watch her go out with other guys. You know? Men, not boys.

Why don’t you actually read the column first before making a lame joke? Megan and I were not friends and barely even knew each other. I suggest you check out My Journey To Orlando (on another website) for the full story. One my better received columns honestly. Then come back with a real comment.

Mae Young Classic Review

Heelchamp: note to watry: Eddie ellner wants his gimmick back…

Who?

Ricky Soelistyo: Rousey looked wayyyy more interested there than when she’s taking Nunes…

Ronda Rousey is definitely interested in WWE. While I won’t say with 100% certainty that she is finished with UFC, it is clear her ambitions are not returning to the octagon right now. That leaves rare appeances in movies and television…or WWE. Being a big professional wrestling fan, that appears to be the direction for her. Survivor Series might be too early. Come January 2018 and the Road to WrestleMania, it would stun me to NOT see Rousey in a WWE ring.

Michael L: I agree on the binge-watching issue. I’d like to have had them put up a round every week of the tournament. SO, the first week would have four episodes, the second would have two, the third and fourth one, and then the finals.

Yes sir. Now that we are a few weeks removed from the Mae Young Classic, that same complaint stands. The while thing was just thrown on the WWE Network and fast tracked to the live finals in no time. Taped in front of a near empty Las Vegas building and following a WWE Smackdown LIVE taping. Not good. Disappointing but luckily, we got the end result: Kairi Sane to the top of the NXT Womens division marking her journey to the title…

AG Awesome: A novel?!

It’s awesome.

Andy: Didn’t he post the ‘predictions’ not only way after it was already taped, but actually after the first episode aired?

I don’t read spoilers. Anybody who knows me in Wisconsin knows that I am nuts about that. The column was done and sent in before anything aired. Most of my stuff is typically done days in advance, as stated a million times. Sadly, it was actually posted on the website after the first episodes aired. Not my (scheduling) decision there.

Roman Reigns/John Cena Feud

Benjamin J: You could really just save a lot of time and words by simply saying “Because WWE says so and they’re always right,” because that’s what most of your rationalizations of the stupider things WWE does comes down to.

I suggest you read all of my columns elsewhere for the full picture. The WWE product has been far more miss than hit in 2017, and I have made that very clear. Go on Twitter, search for @JustinWatry and hit the FOLLOW button. I’m not shy with my thoughts.

cldhrtd: please stop with that fan letter intro. Looks so stupid.

Sure thing bud.

Gutter Punk: Watry, try not to brag too hard when Roman wins. You’re not exactly the first person to make that prediction

I don’t know. There sure were a lot of folks convinced Cena would win at No Mercy during the leadup for whatever reason. I have no clue why that result ever crossed their minds, but these guys and gals exist…

Bubbles: Definitely promo of the year so far, though I liked the Festival of Friendship more.

Wait, you said Reigns/Cena had promo of the year, but you enjoyed the Festival of Friendship more? Huh? Come on Bubbles! I give the nod to the recent No Mercy contract signing because the Festival of Friendship dragged on for what felt like an eternity to get to the point. Cena and Reigns went straight for the jugular and are (by far) the bigger stars promoting a (by far) bigger match.

Previous Q&A

Cactus: Guess we’ve got to agree to disagree on SummerSlam. It was a one match show to me. I didn’t even see the pre-show until later when I heard New Day/Usos had a great match, so the 4 hour version of SummerSlam was extremely weak in my eyes. Good luck on your novel btw, the struggle is real

Fair enough on Summerslam. As for the novel, oh yeah. Writing it was alright and not that difficult because I knew the topic well and already had the story mapped out (50,000 words on the first draft in a few weeks). The REAL struggle is getting the right contacts in the book industry to come through for you and get all the edits/changes in order. Word count needs to be upped as well. Fingers crossed.

Greg Dufour: If Eva Marie became passable in the ring she could have been one of the better heels in wrestling. She’s naturally hateable.

Even if Eva Marie did become passable or amazing, her heart wasn’t in the business. It just wasn’t. I defended her for years and actually enjoyed her latest heel run. Heck, her stuff on NXT was decent too. Once the Wellness suspension hit, completely derailing her ‘no wrestling’ gimmick, that was it. Too bad. The girl will be a star outside of WWE. I am pretty confident of that.

Carl Rood: I acutally disagree on the Asuka/Moon thing. NXT is developmental. If an NXT champion loses the title and the rematch, then shouldn’t it be the person WHO BEAT THEM that deserves a main roster spot?

It’s stupid that its champions lose and THEN get a promotion. An NXT Champion should be dominant, which proves they’ve outgrown it and need the “bigger challenge” of the main roster.

Developmental or territory? Separate entity or third brand? Wrestlers like Adam Cole, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, Asuka, Drew McIntyre, Samoa Joe, and Shinsuke Nakamura were/are not in NXT to develop anything. It is to sell tickets to the shows and get views on the WWE Network…which is the same reason anybody gets signed for Raw or Smackdown. To make money. That means it is the third WWE brand. At the same time, it is completely separate and all but ignored most of the time…only when somebody does get called up, which then makes it exactly like a territory. All of it is still fairly confusing and handled on a case by case basis. Honestly, I don’t really care. NXT is great, and the roster is stacked. Call it what you will.

Aneesh Raikundalia: Maybe it’s cause I’m new here but can someone explain the Watry hate…he’s not bad at his job.

Thank you. Nine years strong, with much more content on the way. MUCH MORE! Consider that a teaser. Announcement soon.

Cheap Plugs

Twitter: @JustinWatry

Email: [email protected]

Thanks.