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Dalton26

From IU to the WWE

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For those unaware: WWE has its own streaming network like Netflix. They have a show called Breaking Ground, which is essentially WWE's version of Hard Knocks or 24/7. High production quality and is narrated by William Shatner. The documentary follows wrestlers in WWE's minor league system, NXT, based out of Tampa.

Jason Jordan is introduced in episode 4 (makes a cameo in episode 3). Shatner mentions Jason's IU amateur background. Very good television.

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I will use wrestling names in this topic for simplicity.

Jason Jordan is currently in a tag team with Chad Gable (Charles Betts). Like Jordan, Gable was an amateur wrestler in college (D2 - Northern Michigan University) and qualified for the 2012 Olympics. Jordan and Gable remind me of Sheldon Benjamin and Charlie Haas, who were mentored by Kurt Angle and had a similar tag team gimmick of former amateur wrestlers (aka "The World's Greatest Tag Team").

Eventually Jordan and Gable will have to develop unique characters or they will fall into the trap Benjamin and Haas fell into of never growing out of being a former amateur wrestler. The athletes in WWE nowadays are so advanced that guys cannot get by on purely being an elite athleticism and in-ring performer anymore. Everyone is a elite athlete now and you have to offer something more.

Both Jordan and Gable, from the show at least, seem to have serious, straight edge personalities, so it might be tough to get them to break out of their shells.

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35 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

 

 

American alpha is really good. They have been killing on nxt. I'm glad they got called up. Once I found out he was a Hoosier I followed them more. They remind me of Team angle back in the day.

 

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I was glad they got called up because of the IU connection.  I expect Balor to get a pretty good pop when he debuts.

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I was glad they got called up because of the IU connection.  I expect Balor to get a pretty good pop when he debuts.

Yeah he will get a big pop. That match against nakamura the other night was great. Nakamura should of got called up He has it. I watched some of his older stuff in new Japan against styles. Impressive

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58 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

Yeah he will get a big pop. That match against nakamura the other night was great. Nakamura should of got called up He has it. I watched some of his older stuff in new Japan against styles. Impressive

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I haven't seen anything with Nakamura, but I've been a fan of Styles for a while.  I hit the roof when he debuted, but I expected him to be completely buried since WWE loves their homegrown performers and he was an outside star (ala DDP).

I thought Bayley was pretty much a sure thing for the women's side.  The crowd (especially the kids) love her and she has had some great matches with women already called up including a show stopper with Sasha Banks.

Edit:  I mean really, they talk about this women's revolution with the likes of Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte ( which an increased emphasis is good) then they call up EVA MARIE, who is awful, instead of the fourth member of that group who is actually a good performer.

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I haven't seen anything with Nakamura, but I've been a fan of Styles for a while.  I hit the roof when he debuted, but I expected him to be completely buried since WWE loves their homegrown performers and he was an outside star (ala DDP).

I thought Bayley was pretty much a sure thing for the women's side.  The crowd (especially the kids) love her and she has had some great matches with women already called up including a show stopper with Sasha Banks.

Edit:  I mean really, they talk about this women's revolution with the likes of Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte ( which an increased emphasis is good) then they call up EVA MARIE, who is awful, instead of the fourth member of that group who is actually a good performer.

Bayley is real good. Her and Sasha 2 out of 3 match that headline an nxt event was outstanding. I have to guess she will be Sasha partner on Sunday

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19 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

Bayley is real good. Her and Sasha 2 out of 3 match that headline an nxt event was outstanding. I have to guess she will be Sasha partner on Sunday

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Banks has said otherwise, but of course she will to keep the surprise.  I get Bayley is the top face in NXT but NXT is about development and she is ready.  She could still be a star but they need to do something because she's losing momentum.

I'd call her up to Smack down.  RAW got the better roster, naturally, and while I like Becky Lynch, she could be a big star with proper booking, she cannot carry the Smackdown women's division on her own and Bayley would add a legit performer.  Emma wasn't drafted but she's been jerked around since her call up even though she is pretty good herself.

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I think Bayley is going to be the female version of Cena. Very well spoken, a clean cut role model, super positive message, and she has a Hispanic background which will allow her to connect with an even larger audience (not sure if she speaks Spanish but if Cena can learn Mandarin...) She will be an ambassador for the brand like Cena: TV day shows, Make A Wish, etc.

I have no doubt WWE has a plan for her. They aren't going to bring her up until they are ready to legitimately have her in the title picture.

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1 hour ago, akhosrof said:

 

 

I think Bayley is going to be the female version of Cena. Very well spoken, a clean cut role model, super positive message, and she has a Hispanic background which will allow her to connect with an even larger audience (not sure if she speaks Spanish but if Cena can learn Mandarin...) She will be an ambassador for the brand like Cena: TV day shows, Make A Wish, etc.

 

 

I have no doubt WWE has a plan for her. They aren't going to bring her up until they are ready to legitimately have her in the title picture.

I agree she could be, if she's used that way I'm not so sure.  The women's division will never have the focus the men's does, and at the end of the day Vince McMahon still has the final say on everything and he has his own view of what a champion should look like (hence, Roman Reigns being pushed on everyone).  It wasn't long ago the women's matches were a couple of pretty faces bumbling around giving fans a bathroom break.

With NXT and people like Triple H having an interest in improving the women's group they've cultivated some talented performers and the division may be better than it's ever been.  Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch could all be big stars if they're booked that way.  The crowd loves them and they all are good performers.  They appear to think a lot of Sasha, and they should, as well as Charlotte.  On the other hand when they just started to push Lynch they booked her to lose a title shot now they just have her put everyone else over.

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Vince loves money more than anything else. The female target demographic is something the WWE has traditionally neglected until recently. If the WWE can cultivate a female Cena, it will mean major money because young girls will grow up watching the product following Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch. Essentially an untapped revenue source for the WWE. Vince will push the female division as much as there is demand created for it. I think they are just realizing how much they can monetize this demographic.

Interviews with current female talent, sure they mention female wrestlers they looked up to, but still mostly male influences in the sport. The next generation of female wrestlers will grow up saying "I was influenced by Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, etc."

The reason I think Bayley is above the rest is because of how genuine she is. Like Cena, she will never be a heel. The kids love her, adults love her. She can be cheesy like Cena, which is good because it will always warrant a crowd reaction, even if it is split and muffled boo's.

Sasha Banks and Beckey Lynch are awesome, but they somewhat play a character and can be great heels. They won't always be able to do daytime talk shows and other publicity associated with baby faces. Bayley is also extremely relatable. I think the division for a long time has been ruled by stereotypical model-like looks and "silicon enhancements" (it still is to a degree with Eva Marie and Charlotte). I think that is a terrible message to send to young women, and I am glad we are seeing female talents of all different varieties.

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I see where you're coming from.  Believe me, I know Bayley has a lot of potential.  Personally I like Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch a bit more, Sasha has more attitude to her gimmick and Becky's back story.  JR has said Lynch and Banks can be the female Rock/Stone Cold, neither have the attitude of those two but that can help draw a different portion of the female demographic.  All 3 are more than capable of putting on a good show if they're given time to let the story unfold, unfortunately right now Becky Lynch isn't.  It all just comes down to if they are booked the right way.

That division was ruled like that.  They caught lightening in a bottle with Trish Stratus, then just cycled through a laundry list of fitness models or other attractive women with little to no development.  Charlotte at least has some in ring ability, but I wouldn't put her on the level of the 3 we've discussed.  Eva Marie really shouldn't have been called up.  I agree about the message it sends; it's male dominated and always will be, but it's a good thing to have female talents that are genuinely good performers.

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Saw a short video and I must say, well played WWE, well played.  I really didn't think they'd debut Baley as the mystery partner, but they did and it was well done.  Hopefully they leave her up because she's got nothing left to prove in NXT, preferably SmackDown for depth.

I'll admit, I knew she was popular but I underestimated how much WWE fans love her.  Her pop blew the roof off the arena, I don't think I've ever seen a female draw that reaction where even Sasha Banks had an ear to ear smile; that may have rivaled the AJ Styles debut at WM and the crowd erupted for him.  That was nuts.

 

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