Shawn Michaels/Batista Program

[strummer 0]

I don't know where this Shawn/Batista feud is going but they better watch out or the fans will start to see Shawn as pathetic.

 

I think the idea is that we're supposed to feel sorry for him because he had to beat his idol but it could turn into him getting heel heat.

 

At least it's a fresh program and Batista finally has an actual storyline other than getting random title shot after title shot.

[garfieldsnose 0]

I'd hope it's a slow turn for Batista when fans finally get sick of him giving Shawn so much shit.

[sluggo 0]

I don't know where this Shawn/Batista feud is going but they better watch out or the fans will start to see Shawn as pathetic.

 

I think the idea is that we're supposed to feel sorry for him because he had to beat his idol but it could turn into him getting heel heat.

 

At least it's a fresh program and Batista finally has an actual storyline other than getting random title shot after title shot.

 

well based off Raw, I would think Batista is the heel. The fans are suppose to feel bad for Shawn for doing what he did. That and the fact when Shawn came out to hug Flair, the camera was focused on Batista.

 

I guess they wanted to point out Batista's anger at Shawn. That was the only angle I could see based off the ending to Raw. One would think Orton could seek out revenge seeing that he was wiping away tears when the roster came out.

 

[Enigma 0]

If they do this right, Batista vs. Shawn Michaels can start off as a good face/face program but once they have that match (presumably at Backlash with a non-finish or maybe a fluke rollup/small package win for either man), then they can up the shithead in Batista to the point where the fans can't stand how he's harassing HBK and that he's taking what happened to Flair all wrong. Then it can be a slow burn for Michaels to finally take enough of his shit and kick his face off and now it has new life as a heel/face feud. I honestly believe if they do this right, this could be stretched out to a big time gimmick match (I'm thinking No Holds Barred) payoff at Summerslam.

[Perfection 0]

I don't know where this Shawn/Batista feud is going but they better watch out or the fans will start to see Shawn as pathetic.

 

I think the idea is that we're supposed to feel sorry for him because he had to beat his idol but it could turn into him getting heel heat.

 

At least it's a fresh program and Batista finally has an actual storyline other than getting random title shot after title shot.

 

well based off Raw, I would think Batista is the heel. The fans are suppose to feel bad for Shawn for doing what he did. That and the fact when Shawn came out to hug Flair, the camera was focused on Batista.

 

I guess they wanted to point out Batista's anger at Shawn. That was the only angle I could see based off the ending to Raw. One would think Orton could seek out revenge seeing that he was wiping away tears when the roster came out.

 

Regardless of who is *supposed* to be face or heel, it's going to be fascinating watching which side the crowd is on. This is really a unique and never before seen angle in the wwe that I can recall. (I don't have nearly as good as memory as many of you do about past storylines though). But to me it seems new and in wrestling where every angle or story line has been done over and over and over, you just change the details a little, it's great when you have something really unique and different. I hope they do this right because if they do it can be good I think.

 

[Zack Malibu 0]

While I'm no fan of his regardless of storyline affiliation, a heel turn for Batista is greatly needed. The man is beyond stale at this point, and even the marks are sick of him (as evidenced by the past year of crowds turning on him). If anything, having him be jealous that Flair "passed the torch" to Shawn rather than being upset Shawn retired Flair would work well, as it would turn him into the egocentric prick he seems to be outside of the ring.

[Silence 0]

I think I heard some boos for Batista during his match with Umaga at WMXXIV as well.

[Diamonddust 0]

I think I heard some boos for Batista during his match with Umaga at WMXXIV as well.

 

The ringside section of the crowd was clearly behind Umaga in that match.

[The Truthiness 0]

I got a funny feeling Flair is going to get involved in this angle. Which is why this feud is going to suck, because all its going to do is ruin (arguably) the best storyline ever.

[The Niggardly King 0]

If you take a look at Flair's celebration again, when Shawn Michaels comes out to say farewell and thank him, he hardly gets any claps from most of the wrestlers in the ring... most of the old timers look like disgusted with him. I wonder when they do the scenario of him needing a tag partner, and nobody wants to team up with him?

[Guest]

I misinterpreted what you said. They probably just don't like Shawn.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Everyone was happy to see a new guy get into the ring and say goodbye, but when Michaels came in the kayfabe crashed the party.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Like I said in the Raw thread, this really is going to leave a taste in my mouth like them using Eddie to help Rey. They should have just had the big celebration for Flair and next week it would be business as usual, but no, just because it was Shawn Michaels that did it they have to create a storyline out of it.

 

It hurts the retirement in general when it became a storyline with Vince, but now they are doing something with it after he is gone to do what, exactly? Make Batista a heel? There are plenty of other ways they could do that without bringing Flair into it. I guess it keeps Batista out of the title picture for a while, but they could have continued a story with Umaga a little bit if they would have wanted to.

 

The only storyline I really have always been hoping for them to do but they have never really went full-tilt with using it is Raw vs. Smackdown (and ECW or vs. ECW). Yes, they play up "brand supremacy" every once in a while but it needs to get down and dirty and actually mean something. I'd rather have some fabricated brand competition over no competition any day. I want to see them get creative with it. A silly spring-time draft, a possible match at SurSer and a match at WM doesn't exactly scream to me that one brand is better than the other. The constant moving around of wrestlers from brand to brand just for one quick match here and there doesn't make sense either unless it's an ECW guy doing an SD match or vice versa cause of their "joining forces"

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

They could probably work this storyline for 3-6 months without ever having to bring Flair back in the mix.

 

Batista goes after Shawn for retiring his mentor. They do the face/face respect thing for a while until ultimately Batista loses his cool and goes heel on Shawn. Flair comes back to try to talk sense into Batista, Batista lays him out and bam, mega heel.

[AntiLeaf33 0]

Not sure what you guys were watching, but I'm watching the last segment on Raw, and when Shawn and Flair were hugging in the ring, everyone was clapping (well, except for Batista)

 

EDIT: Ok, no one was clapping until they hugged in the ring to build the tension, if there was any

[The Truthiness 0]

They could probably work this storyline for 3-6 months without ever having to bring Flair back in the mix.

 

Batista goes after Shawn for retiring his mentor. They do the face/face respect thing for a while until ultimately Batista loses his cool and goes heel on Shawn. Flair comes back to try to talk sense into Batista, Batista lays him out and bam, mega heel.

 

No, Flair's last physical enounter should be the one he had at mania. There is a million ways to turn Batista in to a 'Mega heel", ruining Flair's retirment to get Batista more over is kind of crazy.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Just let Batista feed David Flair to a woodchipper

[The Amazing Rando 0]

That's not very sensible.

[Guest]

How exactly does Batista hitting Ric Flair ruin Flair's retirement. Better yet, if you do something like that, do it in Charlotte.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

It doesn't ruin Flair's retirement, per say, but why bring Flair back at all after a storyline was created to get rid of him? Part of me doesn't even like the fact that he got a "final farewell" since Vince seemed so happy to get him out of the company.

 

Batista can still be a huge heel without doing anything to Flair.

 

 

 

 

...the more I think about this, the more I *hate* the entire storyline of Vince wanting Flair gone. None of this would matter if they would have just let Flair defeat HBK and then say he was retiring anyway. God dammit.

[The Truthiness 0]

How exactly does Batista hitting Ric Flair ruin Flair's retirement. Better yet, if you do something like that, do it in Charlotte.

 

Because he couldn't just punch Flair, he'd have to beat Flair down. Than he'd have to brag about it, and in WWE people are known for beating a dead horse with a guy gloating about something he did years ago. Tiple H did it with Foley, Orton did it for years with Foley, and Jericho does with his victory over Austin and Rock in the same night. I don't want to add, Batista bragging about beating down Flair to that list. Flair should be through with the physical part of westling, he can still be a special guest or something, he shouldn't have to get beat down to get over a storyline, by 2 guys who are over with the fans enough to tell their own compelling story.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Jericho brings it up in sarcastic fashion.

[The Truthiness 0]

Jericho brings it up in sarcastic fashion.

 

He did it kind of sarcastically in the promo with Orton after his comeback, while explaining to Orton that it doesn't matter who've you beaten in the past, ironically. The last few times he did it, it was for cheap heat, as was all the times he talked about it from 2001-2005.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I don't see the issue in having Flair be a part of future storylines or even having phsycial encounters. Was it wrong to have Orton punk out Harley Race? What about Edge beating up Michael Hayes? As far as I know, Flair's still under contract and it doesn't hurt anyone to have him around to help sell the product. It's not like he has to get in the ring to sell a storyline split from Batista.

[Dandy 0]

While I agree that it is way too soon to involve Flair in any kind of angle, you know that it is inevitable if he makes any future appearances. You don't have someone of that magnitude appear for you and not have him do anything or get involved in something.

 

This storyline needs a slow burn, and hopefully it won't lead to a match at Backlash or something. I would like to see it evolve ever so slowly and perhaps have Batista turn heel in time for a SummerSlam program. If this gives Dave and Shawn something to do and keep them out of title matches in the mean time, I am all for it.

[The Truthiness 0]

I don't see the issue in having Flair be a part of future storylines or even having phsycial encounters. Was it wrong to have Orton punk out Harley Race? What about Edge beating up Michael Hayes? As far as I know, Flair's still under contract and it doesn't hurt anyone to have him around to help sell the product. It's not like he has to get in the ring to sell a storyline split from Batista.

 

Race was long through with wrestling and retired rather quietly. Nobody gave Race such a big send off, and plus Race was still bumping around as Vader's manager years before the Orton thing. Sadly, it wasn't a big deal when Race retired, like it was for Flair's retirement.

 

Edge and MVP beating up Michaels Hayes is just like Harley, plus it was probably Hayes idea seeing as he is the head booker of the show.

 

WWE put in a lot of work, to give Flair the biggest send off ever. Tarnishing that storyline, to get over a feud between two established main event players is a mistake. HBK/Batista shouldn't be feuding any way, Batista should be feuding with Umaga, HBK should be working with a guy like Morrison, or even looking for another shot at Orton, because their feud didn't really have a ending. The reason they're probably going with HBK/Batista now, is because Batista goes in to these "I should be in a more high profile feud" phase, and becomes a lazy fuck. So as a result the feud with Umaga was probably scratched.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

In what way does Batista attacking Flair tarnish the retirement storyline in any way? I'm not advocating that Flair return to the ring or become an active part of the feud, but a program between Batista and Shawn that is built on Flair would probably require his interaction at some point later on down the road. If Flair pops in six months from now and Batista beats him down, that doesn't hurt what they did on Monday for Ric at all. It would actually make him more sympathetic. Batista would just look like a massive dick by beating up a retired legend coming there to talk some sense to him.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

In what way does Batista attacking Flair tarnish the retirement storyline in any way? I'm not advocating that Flair return to the ring or become an active part of the feud, but a program between Batista and Shawn that is built on Flair would probably require his interaction at some point later on down the road. If Flair pops in six months from now and Batista beats him down, that doesn't hurt what they did on Monday for Ric at all. It would actually make him more sympathetic. Batista would just look like a massive dick by beating up a retired legend coming there to talk some sense to him.

If they slow build the Batista vs. Shawn program, when Flair pops back in six months it can be to try and talk his two best friends into making peace. Batista can fake going along with it, and then turn on Shawn and Flair, leaving them both laying if need be.

[The Truthiness 0]

(1)In what way does Batista attacking Flair tarnish the retirement storyline in any way? (2)I'm not advocating that Flair return the ring or become an active part of the feud, (3)but a program between Batista and Shawn that is built on Flair would probably require his interaction at some point later on down the road. (4)If Flair pops in six months from now and Batista beats him down, that doesn't hurt what they did on Monday for Ric at all. It would actually make him more sympathetic. Batista would just look like a massive dick by beating up a retired legend coming there to talk to him.

 

1.It's pretty senseless. Two guys like Batista/HBK shouldn't need a Flair beat down to get over THEIR feud. If HBK/Batista has already started feuding about Flair's retirement, and then you add Flair getting beat down in the angle. That would mean that Batista/HBK is nothing more than a continual edition of Flair's retirement angle. Which means the entire angle with Flair was pretty much for nothing.

 

2. Yes you are.

 

3. Which is why they shouldn't have used Flair as a issue for Michaels/Batista's program anyway.

 

4: More sympathetic for what exactly? A comeback? Because that's what it would probably have to lead too.

 

5. The fan already want Batista to be a "massive dick", all he has to do is embrace it. Beating down Shawn Michaels would do that in 5 minutes. If they're just using Flair, as a method to advance it in to something personal between Batista/HBK, that would be adequate, even though I even hate that proposal. To bring back Flair, to help advance the storyline, is just a waste in my opinion.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Why am I seeing this six months thing pop up in posts here? Do you guys honestly think they're going to stretch it out that long? The furthest I see the blowoff happening, if one exists, is Vengeance. I'd say if Flair is getting involved, it's in the next month, not in the summer, with how hurried the burn seems.