Floyd Mayweather vs The Big Show

[Scroby 0]

The Mayweather vs Big Show match has been pretty much booked really solid and is really one of the best, if not the best things WWE really has going for them currently and I think last night on Raw really helped get it over as something that's going to be really good at Wrestlemania. The segment last night really gave it that "this could be a shoot and something's about to go down" feel to it. I'm really looking forward to see what happens next.

 

Discuss....

[JaMarcus Russell's #1 Caucasian Fan 0]

I want them to play off the Mayweather "injury" more. Have Mayweather "heel it up" by faking this "injury" so he can get his 20 million dollar payday without having to fight Big Show.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

Seeing Mayweather prove, last night, that he's willing to take bumps really makes this more interesting. Plus the whole posse war is really well done as well.

[haws bah gawd 0]

Mayweather is doing a very good job in his role as a stuck-up heel. I was really believing he was injured last night as well, since he looked like he was crying while holding his elbow.

[Diamonddust 0]

They did the right thing by making Mayweather the heel last night.

 

As far as "spectacle" matches goes, I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with this one. The start of the angle at No Way Out was pure gold, and last night on Raw was a very hot segment.

 

In the "it'll never happen, but man it'd be awesome if it did" category, Big Show should try to get Fat Joe to join him at ringside for the match. Joe and 50 Cent, who will be coming to the ring with Mayweather, hate each other. Joe has even said he might buy some ringside seats to Wrestlemania just for the chance to heckle 50 Cent.

[hyperchord24 0]

Thanks for making a thread on this. I wanted to start one because the whole angle is just so fascinating, but I didn’t want to get noobed out of the building.

 

Does anyone else find it completely odd that the WWE actually listened to their fans and let Mayweather be the heel? Some of us have been clamoring for years to turn Cena heel because some of the fanbase wanted it and it seemed to just make sense. Of course, once you do that, you alienate a part of that fanbase and potentially kill off a moneymaking machine. Applying that to the Mayweather angle, he was brought in to put more “butts in the seats.” One could argue that for the reason the WWE won’t turn Cena heel is the same reason they wouldn’t turn Mayweather heel. Why is the WWE on top of the crowd dynamic now and why are they not afraid of the potential loss of profit (as it would seem they are with turning Cena heel)?

 

Or is it really just a matter of Rey getting injured?

 

[reign 0]

Fat Joe won't need to buy anything..Vince will give up ringside seats to him without a fuss....I just hope they use all this attention to some good use with someone other than just TBS...MVP would be the perfect candidate but I can't imagine who else...

[Dandy 0]

I think the reason they would turn Mayweather heel but not Cena for the past year and a a half or so is because Mayweather is in for one angle and match. After the match, he's gone. Mayweather's sell is on that one match. Cena sells a ton of merchandise, they had to promote him for his album and movies, etc.

 

The problem we have is a vicious cycle that keeps repeating itself. You have a guy brought up as a heel and the fans start to get behind him because he is so good at his character. They decide to let the fans get behind him, but they feel the need to turn him into a more generic face. If they would have left him with the attributes that got him over in the first place, the fans would have stayed behind him. So all of a sudden, we start clamoring for the guy to turn heel. He turns heel, gets and edge back to his character, and does such a good job that we get behind him again. Cycle starts repeating at this point.

[The Truthiness 0]

Fat Joe never said he'd show up at mania, that was some Media Take Out garbage. It would be awesome if he did though.

[hyperchord24 0]

I think the reason they would turn Mayweather heel but not Cena for the past year and a a half or so is because Mayweather is in for one angle and match. After the match, he's gone. Mayweather's sell is on that one match. Cena sells a ton of merchandise, they had to promote him for his album and movies, etc.

 

The problem we have is a vicious cycle that keeps repeating itself. You have a guy brought up as a heel and the fans start to get behind him because he is so good at his character. They decide to let the fans get behind him, but they feel the need to turn him into a more generic face. If they would have left him with the attributes that got him over in the first place, the fans would have stayed behind him. So all of a sudden, we start clamoring for the guy to turn heel. He turns heel, gets and edge back to his character, and does such a good job that we get behind him again. Cycle starts repeating at this point.

You're right about it being a cycle. The most obvious example is the Rock and SCSA. Of course you have people in charge now that claimed they made them the stars, so everything has to come from them and not the talent themselves, but that's for another discussion.

 

But you're right though. Since it's a one shot deal, they would feel more pressure to make the angle as successful as possible.

[Dandy 0]

Well, I would agree with Rock, but not about Stone Cold. I think the reason Stone Cold was such a big draw for a long time was the fact that he was allowed to keep his heel persona as a face. It was new and different at the time. Sure, he did what was right occasionally but it was always put over that he did it because he had other agendas (saving Steph from Taker). Austin was always booked as the DTA badass that was out for himself and himself alone.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

And WWE allowed the one thing I was hoping wouldn't happen: a double turn in the middle of the feud. Its just awful how this whole feud has been booked. Either Floyd should've done his best to stay face or Shane and company should've talked to him backstage about not acting heelish for the sake of the feud.

 

How are we suppose to boo the guy that is defending the honor of Rey Mysterio? It makes no sense.

If WWE was going to do this, then Floyd should've attacked Rey Mysterio with Big Show returning to make the save.

 

Another question is if (insert other boxer's name here) was in Floyd's place, would he have been rejected by the wrestling fans too?

[Diamonddust 0]

And WWE allowed the one thing I was hoping wouldn't happen: a double turn in the middle of the feud. Its just awful how this whole feud has been booked. Either Floyd should've done his best to stay face or Shane and company should've talked to him backstage about not acting heelish for the sake of the feud.

 

How are we suppose to boo the guy that is defending the honor of Rey Mysterio? It makes no sense.

If WWE was going to do this, then Floyd should've attacked Rey Mysterio with Big Show returning to make the save.

 

Another question is if (insert other boxer's name here) was in Floyd's place, would he have been rejected by the wrestling fans too?

 

De La Hoya would have probably gotten over as a face. Mayweather is just a natural heel.

 

The interesting question is would a UFC guy gotten over as a face. I remember reading the original plan was that Shane wanted someone like Chuck Liddell in this role.

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

They just need to "make the save" more about promoting himself and less about saving Mysterio. However the huge problem in making Show the face and Mayweather the heel is that you have to assume Mayweather is going over at WM.

 

This angle has been butchered from the get-go in all actuality.

[ashamed wrestling fan 0]

However the huge problem in making Show the face and Mayweather the heel is that you have to assume Mayweather is going over at WM.

 

This angle has been butchered from the get-go in all actuality.

 

Pretty much

 

You have to think they'll need to somehow do a double-turn in the match or have someone interfere that will put both Mayweather and the Big Slow on the same side.

 

In terms of entertainment, it's no different than any other celebrity sideshow of the past.

 

[Downhome 0]

Here is an AP report:

 

Mayweather injures elbow at WWE, promises comeback

 

CHICAGO - Undefeated WBC welterweight Floyd Mayweather lacked his usual energy in Chicago today, but the boxer promised he would achieve revenge against World Wrestling Entertainment's Big Show.

 

Mayweather walked on stage today at Trump International Hotel and Towers with his right elbow wrapped. On Monday night, the 7-foot, 441-pound Big Show pressed Mayweather above his head and tossed him out of the ring.

 

But Mayweather's manager assured the media and fans that Mayweather wasn't seriously hurt.

 

Mayweather will face off with Big Show again March 30th on WWE's "WrestleMania 24" in Orlando.

 

 

The guy is selling the "injury" in public, and the press is buying it.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

Screw the haters, this angle is brilliant.

 

You have Mayweather only in it for the payday at the event wrestlers would headline for free. Show representing that wrestler paradigm with the added element of him being 450 pounds, giving it a David/Goliath feel. Mayweather is obviously going to play up the elbow thing to get out of the actual match with his money. The whole "Risk vs. Reward" thing is great booking, imo, as it pits Mayweather's love for money vs. his fear of getting fucked up. Then you add the WWE role, represented by Shane McMahon, which is to get the world's biggest PPV draw on their biggest show to get lots of viewers, and to do this you have to pay Mayweather the money he lusts after and essentially spits in the face of the establised wrestlers. So WWE creates the situation that they have to then mediate until Wrestlemania. Meanwhile Mayweather wants to screw over the E by getting out scott free with his cash.

 

All 3 parties have the "Risk vs Reward" theme. Floyd with his cash vs. his career, Show with his pride vs. the backlash that would come with destroying a "real" athlete, WWE with media recognition vs. probably(kayfabe) having the best boxer in the world seriously injured on their watch.

[Hawk 34 0]

As far as the possible finish, does anyone expect to see each "posse" at ringside and a brawl similar to last night erupts and during the whole thing, another wrestler sneaks in and hits TBS with a chair or his finisher, allowing Mayweather to crawl in for a cheap win and reveals the wrestler went for a money grab over the respect of his peers? This way TBS doesn't outright lose his credibility, Mayweather looks dirty, and it easily sets up something for TBS beyond Mayweather. I'm not sure who that guy could be, though.

[Downhome 0]

That's a great idea Hawk. Without thinking it through, the first two that popped into my head for some reason were Ken Kennedy and MVP.

[Diamonddust 0]

That's a great idea Hawk. Without thinking it through, the first two that popped into my head for some reason were Ken Kennedy and MVP.

 

Agreed. That seems like the most logical ending, and both MVP and Kennedy could pull it off.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

They could easily subtly tease it as MVP before Kennedy turns out to be the one that betrays WWE. He can even cite being suspended by Vince as provocation.

[hyperchord24 0]

As far as the possible finish, does anyone expect to see each "posse" at ringside and a brawl similar to last night erupts and during the whole thing, another wrestler sneaks in and hits TBS with a chair or his finisher, allowing Mayweather to crawl in for a cheap win and reveals the wrestler went for a money grab over the respect of his peers? This way TBS doesn't outright lose his credibility, Mayweather looks dirty, and it easily sets up something for TBS beyond Mayweather. I'm not sure who that guy could be, though.

I like this too, but is his posse ready to do a worked brawl? Some reports have been saying that his posse were trying to test the wrestlers.

 

Or you could just replace his posse with indy wrestlers.

[Hawk 34 0]

I'd like to think they could be taught how to run around the ring and Mayweather can be scrict about these guys trying to test them again. They don't actually have to exchange blows. Perhaps throwing a couple indy/development guys in there to take a couple punches from the wrestlers would be doable.

[The Truthiness 0]

Hawk, I like your idea, but there will have too be some physical contact between the 2. Probably not much, but there will have too be some. Maybe Floyd could do some stick and move spots with Show, like catching show with some body blows and then running like a bitch, Show no sells the body blows becomes frustrated. Than as Floyd is running around the ring getting heat from the fans, Show gets on his knees and they do the NWO spot again. This time Floyd gets a few worked punches in on Show, which results in to Show "hulking up" and getting his hand around Floyd's neck, when he lifts Floyd up for the choke slam, thats when your riot starts. While Show has Mayweather dangling in the air like a rag doll, the ref is distracted outside trying to get order, with the other officials. This is when MVP comes in and blast Show with a few brutal chair shots, which leads to Money Mayweather's victory.

[Hawk 34 0]

I only said it was going to be a probable finish, not the entire thing. MVP might be too obvious. It could be a chance to give someone a big push.

[Downhome 0]

Let's say they do something like that, MVP or whoever runs in and nails TBS with a chair or something. Do you have MVP just pull Mayweather on top of TBS, or do you book it where MVP gets TBS down to his knees and then allow a confused Mayweather to land the final blow leading to the pin?

 

If they do the "pull Mayweather on top" spot, it makes him look weak, but then again will TBS still look strong if he is knocked out by Mayweather even after taking a beating from someone else?

[The Truthiness 0]

Yeah, but I think MVP and Money Mayweather would be a more realistic alliance, than anybody else on the roster.

[Hawk 34 0]

Remember, Mayweather is only there for that night. Having a realistic alliance wouldn't be a important factor as long as the attacker makes it clear he did it for the money and that would kick start that feud with Show after WM. It's MORE likely that someone who isn't the "highest paid athlete on Smackdown" would make an attempt for attention and money by aligning with Mayweather. Kennedy is more suited for that but Kennedy screws everything up, I'd rather someone else get that spot.

[The Truthiness 0]

Let's say they do something like that, MVP or whoever runs in and nails TBS with a chair or something. Do you have MVP just pull Mayweather on top of TBS, or do you book it where MVP gets TBS down to his knees and then allow a confused Mayweather to land the final blow leading to the pin?

 

If they do the "pull Mayweather on top" spot, it makes him look weak, but then again will TBS still look strong if he is knocked out by Mayweather even after taking a beating from someone else?

 

Have Show on his knees selling the chair shots (maybe showing a little color) than have Floyd finish him with a nice blow to the jaw, and get the pin or the count out. Than you can have Show sell the broken jaw, that Mayweather promised. Than build to a match at Backlash (assuming Mayweather would do one more appearance) where Show get his revenge on MVP (or who ever) and Floyd, who would be in a manger type role.

[Diamonddust 0]

Heck, if MVP wins Money in the Bank, I'd have him nail Big Show with the briefcase.