RavishingRickRudo

But still Micheals looked lost when he was on offense That's because he doesn't really have any - Benoit had the same problem with Flair. Half the fun with Benoit is his bumping, and if the best he's bumping off of is a punch, then the match will lack the necessary drama; it's harder to sympathize. Though I will say this, Benoit's effort still showed in that match and was able to get the crowd a lil bit behind him.

Not everything Joss touches turns to gold. Firefly is THE example of that. Just delete your comments now and all will be forgotten.

I thought HBK's reversals of the crossface (pushing Benoits hands away) and the ab stretch (moving the leg) were very good. As was the way he took benoits offense.

I'd like to have one of those magical things where you get to see exactly what the fans "get" and "don't get". Where did you buy yours Jhawk?

But it seemed like such a good idea at the time...

Well, did leaving ever stop him before from getting his nose in things?

I've always found that CSI and Law and Order are easy shows to get into because there really isn't a whole lot of baggage associated with it. You can watch an episode and not worry too much about whatever came before it. They are also good because they solve mysteries. When you can "share" an experience with the viewer, it is easier for that viewer to become connected and stay with you. Speaking of baggage, I really should start renting Babylon 5 as I can now watch it without getting confused by ongoing plots... Babylon 5 and Farscape are two shows that I _should_ be into, given my preferences, but have yet to fully realize. I really need to rent Firefly. I have urges to buy it just based on the great reviews it gets, but I think I want to preview it first. Maybe I should download an episode or something Well, lemme put it this way, I watched Serenity and was hooked. As were every single person I've showed it too. So, watch Serenity first. Hell, I'd send a copy of it on disc to anyone who wanted to watch it if I ever figured out how to do that

Food for thought there. Probably won't surprise you that I never really watched Buffy though. No real reason - I just never did... I never watched Firefly up until well after it was cancelled. It can take just one episode to make you get into a show. But if you don't see that episode, you'll probably never watch it. A recent example, for me, would be with CSI. I never really watched the show before, but I ended up catching a bit of it and watching it the whole way through and really dug it. I can see myself easily making this my replacement show for Angel.

Yeah, I agree with the basis of your point. When I read the concept I groaned as well. But I don't think that's significant enough to warrant a "they're running out of ideas", which you "weren't saying". Buffy had Sid the dummy early on in its run, and they weren't exactly out of ideas considering they did their best work in season 5, and their most creative work in season 4.

It does. There are actually some really significant plot points during it.

Please don't quote like that. It makes it seem like *I* said it, rather than JR

I will just put it this way. There should be NO QUESTION who "the best" is after Mania. Since that's the reason why Benoit made his irrational move to RAW and it would make him look HORRIBLE if he wasn't. HBK can still turn heel and get a title match at Backlash - there's lots of ways he can bait Benoit in. Hell, the very mention of Bret Hart could fuel the feud. I do, however, think it's important for Benoit to beat HHH again and to beat HBK to become a strong champion.

Wait-a-sec. I'm not saying he should beat Michaels (though I would like it if he did), I'm just saying that Michaels shouldn't beat him. I am for Benoit looking strong, but I am *more* against Benoit looking weak.

I'd just like to point out that you came in here with the asinine opinion that a job by Benoit to HBK on a RAW to build to 'Mania would somehow tarnish Benoit's "ultimate destiny" or whatever the fuck smark wet-dream scenario it is this week Benoit said he moved to RAW to be the best. If Benoit gets beaten by HBK on RAW and then beats HHH at Mania for the title, he technically shouldn't be happy with the win, since HBK got the better of him and that his title win doesn't represent that. Quite legitimate. ( Despite saying the exact same thing about Benoit moving to Raw in the first place). Oh, I still think that. I just thought bringing that up would open up a can of worms that's not really necessary in this topic. Besides, people would have problems with me if I said THAT, it's a lose/lose situation. No it won't. Sure it will. Benoit has worked, supposedly, 17 years to this one goal and it's now questionable since he didn't beat HBK. If anything it'll build to a logical, entertaining feud with HBK at Backlash for the belt, and it'll paint Benoit as an underdog going into the main event. Benoit has already been painted as the underdog. Getting punked out by HBK and HHH will do that to you. Logic would dictate that Benoit would not be happy with his title win at Mania. As for entertaining, there are many ways to accomplish that. Having Benoit lose isn't the best way. But this is all just to detestable to this dream scenario you've cooked up. Yes, my high expectations are a problem here. DAMN my logic. Listen, I don't care. I don't. I'm not going to waste my time talking to a brick wall over PRO WRESTLING, just because he'd be a little peeved if his guy got beat. What a joke. You already have. So what does that make you?

No, I'm saying it wasn't LEAGUES better. HHH's promo saw him for the first time since before the quad tear, play a REAL, legitimate, mindgame with his adversary. Most promos that length make me channel-surf, but this one held my attention. Yes, but you're also a HHH mark. I copped to being a Benoit mark, so c'mon, let's be fair. It was a good promo, HHH sold it well, it wasn't nearly as good as Foleys as Foley did much more with the time he was given. HHH's promo was also very predictable and made Benoit look bad. Foley's promo made Orton look bad, but it wasn't at a time when Orton needed to look good. They had that already. With Benoit, they haven't. It also repeated *a lot* of what Benoit said last year, almost word-for-word. You need to understand that certain things are subjective, Rudo. Sometimes people aren't just going to see things your way. *I* need to understand that? I also think that crediting Benoit with a sgement HHH carried on the mic is foolish. I also think it's funny crediting HHH/HBK, since their feud has been going on a long time and they haven't exactly been breaking any records with their segments. I haven't credited Benoit with anything, btw, as I think segment ratings have too many variables effecting it. I just brought up Benoit's historical "success" when being brought up to the main event as not to make it unheard of that he could have had something to do with it.

Why should I bother arguing with you, Rudo? Why one should argue with me? Well, I tend to actually read what people say before I post, I have a pretty good mind for wrestling, I've seen a variety of different styles, workers, and promotions that compose my "experience" in the field, my writing style -at least I think- is easy to read and accomodating, as long as you respond respectively I tend to do the same, and I like to think that I am fairly open-minded and can see things objectively; though whenever my bias may effect me, I'll let you know where I stand on things. I like to promote intelligent discussion. Why *you* should argue with me? I have no idea. You've got your mind made up, already. You're a brickwall, and I'm sick of it. Why would I post if I was undecided? Why bother making statements that I am unsure of? And if my mind is made up already, then what is yours? If I am a brickwall because of it, then what are you? We have two different perspectives, we each think ours is the right one, we come on here to prove which is by sharing our reasoning. I, at least, am willing to discuss and share. You, not so much. I'm sick of half of this folder psychoanalysing every single damn segment of every show, while simultaniously decrying the product. I actually like that about this folder. The little things are very important, the details show how much effort is being put in; how believable the story is. Great works of art are great because of the details. It shows dedication. If the fans are willing to put in the time and effort in looking at the details, shouldn't the company be as well? I guess not... Hence, the poor product. Who thinks about what this meaningless RAW match will mean to Benoit's ULTIMATE JOURNEY? Well there's your problem, no match is meaningless. At least, no match *should* be meaningless. The Journey is what matters most. Get laid, dude. Aw Zsaszy, I didn't know you cared so much. But, we're so far away from each other, I just don't think it would work out.

You're saying that Foley's promo _wasn't_ better than HHH's? Despite it showing more emotion, coming off less cliched, and actually enhancing the story of Foley/Orton as well as each of their characters?? You're saying that segment ratings are a precise way to judge who's watching what and why? And that a pattern isn't? Wait, you're not saying ANYTHING here worth considering, who am I kidding?

Ok, so you're just an idiot. Gotcha. Isn't this what the mods were designed to stop?

HHH's promo was nowhere near Foley's promo. Not even close. Segment ratings are too hard to judge - too many variables -, as are singular nightly ratings. Rating patterns over a 3 month span are the best indicators of success. What am I saying here? I wouldn't hang my hat on this number. Though, I find it funny that -historically- HHH and HBK haven't exactly been setting the world afire when it comes to ratings and buyrates. Benoit, on the other hand, has an surprisingly good record when he gets pushed in a top spot... Food for thought. I'm also a Benoit mark, so maybe I'm just looking in that direction

... No. Well, I said 3 things there, you have to be more specific. If "no" for Benoit losing to HBK takes away from his Mania win, I'm right. It puts doubt on his title win. Do we want to have the winner of the main event at the supposedly biggest show of all time not be the true winner? Do we top off Benoits "17 year quest" with a "Yeah, but..."? That's retarded. If you're saying "no" for HHH not wanting Benoit to upstage him in a match with HBK, are we thinking about the same HHH here? And the contract thing, well, they haven't specified so, you can't be disagreeing with that.

How much does this PPV cost? I'm still pissed that Benoit has to do a three-way. It should just be him against one guy. One-on-one is the only way to go. Have we learned nothing from 2000? Where HHH goes over everybody?

They have 5 weeks to bring in the ladder. They have reason for HBK vs. HHH to be a ladder match, since their last match was a draw. Benoit and HHH/ Benoit and Michaels do not have a reason.

Best bet is that HHH will come in and knock out both of them, and then put HBK over Benoit for the win. And by "best" I mean "oh dear god please god no god"

If Benoit loses to HBK on RAW and pins HHH at WM in a 3 way, then his win will be incredibly devalued as his goal to "be the best" will not have been accomplished at "the grandest stage of them all". I doubt HHH will let Benoit and HBK go longer than any match he and HBK have gone, or anywhere close to. As for Benoit on RAW or Smackdown, it depends on which contract they are talking about. If it's a Smackdown contract, he's on RAW for good. If it's the Royal Rumble contract, he's only there until the contract expires (which would be WM). I don't believe they have specified which.

That risk... didn't pay off. I thought she absolutely butchered it.