ASK TITO: WWE Draft, Retribution, Cody/TNT, More Submitted by Mr. Tito on 10/09/2020 at 11:50 PM
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The EXCELLENCE IN COLUMN WRITING has returned to NoDQ.com for a Weekend CHILL column in which I take field your questions from Twitter, Emails, and the Comments section below and answer them to the best of my ability. Thanks to the presence of AEW, topics and wrestling discussion are easy to come by. I almost walked away from it all during late 2018, as I was sick of just covering the WWE... But AEW arrive and what it lacks in quality at times, it makes up as hope that it will eventually challenge the WWE as the #1 wrestling company.
We're over 2 months into my tenure here at NoDQ and I am very thankful for not just my longtime readers who have followed me here, but the NoDQ audience who have welcomed me here. For some, it's a shock to see my aggressive, no nonsense style covering Current Events... But you'll get used to it. As you can clearly see by my columns, I criticize WWE and AEW equally. However, I'm not just a "negative Nancy", as I provide advice on how each could logically improve.
You'll get used to me... If not, just let me have it with your feedback.
Onto your questions.
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ASK MR. TITO - Your Questions, My Answers
How would you book Retribution in the WWE?
I wouldn't. If I were in charge of Creative, I'd fly in Brock Lesnar for one night and have him slaughter the entire group to be never seen again. They are a complete disaster. If not Lesnar slaughtering him, I'd have the Hurt Business convincingly put them away.
Mustafa Ali is one of those 5'10, 180 pound guys that are a dime-a-dozen in the wrestling business. Just a bad choice to be a leader of this Dark Order like group.
I won't even dignify how to "fix" this group because they are a bad Creative idea in the first place. By comparison, the Shield arrived from the crowd and just attacked other wrestlers. Retribution was blowing up crap and they may have the worst names ever in wrestling.
Embarrassing.
OK, I'll play nice... Here is what I'd do... If you want to create chaos with Retribution, you'd have them sneak in an infected COVID-19 person into the WWE locker room and have them clearly coughing around... That could create scripted chaos with multiple wrestlers being out of action due to testing positive to the Coronavirus. That would allow Retribution members better chances at Title shots and to further implement whatever plan they have.
Guys, I don't know how to fix this group. They've been terrible from day 1 and now they have a 5'10", 180 pounder as their leader.
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What are your thoughts on Lars Sullivan returning to WWE and being on Smackdown?
WWE tried to repeatedly get him over in the past and it failed. They bring him back looking exactly the same as before and trying to expect different results? Pass... Walking stiff is a walking stiff. They should rename him "Albert 2020", and then eventually "A-Train 2020" and "Lord Tensai 2020".
And I WANT TO STRESS... I'm NOT here to get preachy on his past. I'm talking about the walking stiff that's in the ring and trying to entertain us. WWE will over push the guy because he has size but he lacks talent, personality, charisma, mic skills, and a look to get over.
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Is it a good idea to break the New Day up?
Keeping Woods and Kofi together as a tag team is best for business while pushing Big E as a singles will work. They can keep pushing the New Day franchise and merchandise while repackaging Big E in some way. Maybe he's the babyface that the WWE pushes to challenge Roman?
May I offer advice for Big E? Fix his damn haircut! The shave sides make him look ridiculous. The guy would look like a total badass if he had those 1970s sideburns.
But I'll be honest... The New Day gimmick has run its course and maybe it's time for Kingston and Woods to try something new on RAW?
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Thoughts on the Hell in a Cell rematch for Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso?
They are putting Jey Uso in a big spot and I wonder long-term what they are doing with him... That said, he's making the most of the opportunity. If I were booking, I would have Jey Uso put up a tough fight and then have the mentality that "if you can't beat them, join them". When his brother returns, Reigns and the Usos can be a heel stable together to dominate on the Smackdown brand.
I REALLY LIKE the addition of the "I Quit" stipulation in the Cell. That's cool... It really heightens the gimmick of being trapped in the cell. Hopefully, Roman and Jey watch some clips of one of my favorite matches ever and that is the 1989 "I Quit" match between Terry Funk and Ric Flair. The trick is to beat your opponent senseless with the microphone to demand them to say "I Quit". It would really work in this empty arena setting as you the mic can provide the noise to offset the missing crowd.
I'm sure that Paul Heyman will carefully book this match to tell a great story and to give Roman more ideas on how to use psychology to be an effective heel.
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NODQ Poll Question: When should Otis cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase?
First of all, can we all just admit what a MISTAKE it was to award this comedy act a World Title shot? If he were to ever cash that briefcase and actually defeat Roman Reigns (or Drew McIntyre), I'd jump off a bridge to finish myself off as a wrestling fan. Seriously.
BUT, since he has the briefcase, there is an opportunity here to generate some real heat for Roman Reigns as a heel. I'll be agreeing with NoDQ's Virtue partially here... After a Roman match, maybe at Hell in a Cell, Otis tries to cash it in... After some initial offense, Roman Reigns overcomes him and beats him. Then, Roman attacks Otis violently after the match and I'd want blood. Just a pure beatdown and maybe you could have Mandy Rose appear to beg for mercy (if this were the 1990s, she might get harmed). Referees try to stop it and Roman beats them down too.
And then you have the major option here... WHO saves poor Otis?
I would suggest Braun Strowman but he's getting the match next week with Roman... Big E maybe? Maybe do a spot where the Rock saves him? Maybe even Brock Lesnar? It's a big spot to gain sympathy for a babyface to oppose Roman.
But yeah, I'd have poor Otis get practically murdered by Roman Reigns and then place him back in the midcard already.
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Thoughts on Cody Rhodes winning back the TNT Title?
So and what? I really didn't like Cody's answer a few months ago about if the TNT Title was going to be a "midcard title" or not. In case he hasn't noticed, having co-World Champions in the WWE has diluted their product.
In my opinion, Cody is the most talented performer that AEW has and he's wasting his time trying to justify this title, named after a Cable channel, is something more than a midcard belt. He needs to go after that AEW Title and deliver constant great main event matches to headline Pay Per Views. That is where Cody is needed.
He's wasting years of his own prime on being a MIDCARD TNT Champion and constantly wrestling the 5'10, 180 Pound club in AEW. He's still 35 but selling spots against the tiny spot machines of AEW will take years off of your life. Quit humiliating yourself and push yourself to be the #1 guy. We'll back you and won't declare that you're being selfish. Present your insanely beautiful wife as your "Miss Elizabeth" too. Before you know it, your prime years will pass you buy and you'll wonder what happened during 2019-2020.
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Can Seth Rollins save his career on the Smackdown brand?
He's had a rough year on the RAW brand as the "Monday Night Messiah". Problem is that he's not a good babyface, as he's too sensitive in real life and the fans pick up on that. As a heel, he needs to keep it basic... Maybe consider reuniting him with Roman Reigns and then eventually the Uso brothers to have have a 4 person stable to dominate the Smackdown brand.
I just don't see any value in Rollins as a babyface going up and challenging Roman. What Rollins needs is a veteran guy, like Heyman is now doing for Roman, to get into his ear and direct him into a better direction. Rollins has had some creative input over his character and it has been a disaster. Thus, a repairing with Roman as heels, as Seth has natural chemistry with him, would work.
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Who could benefit most from Night 1 of the Draft?
Bianca Belair. That's a great move to the blue brand, as RAW, for whatever reason, ignored her for 6 damn months after her RAW debut. She's extremely talented, charismatic, athletic, and has a great swagger about her character that you cannot teach.
Who was harmed by Night 1 of the Draft?
Miz and AJ Styles. Styles has jumped back and forth between brands this year. He has no stability for his character. Miz is a lost soul and has been that way since he switched from Smackdown to RAW during that first "Superstar Shake-up" of 2017. Just zero stability for him as a wrestler. He could have been Smackdown's World Champion sometime during 2017 based on the great storyline arc that he had with Daniel Bryan and the feud with Dolph Ziggler.
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What are the chances that WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump retains the Presidency of the United States?
Very slim since he became infected with COVID-19 along with many members of his administration recently. That doesn't look good to groups of Undecided and Independent voters that broke form him in Midwestern states during 2016. For much of 2020, Trump was without a mask for many events and appearances while sometimes downplaying the virus. In the end, he became infected himself and I believe the symptoms were quite serious.
Had he not become infected, I'd say it would be 50/50. If you combine the aggressiveness seen during the first debate + getting infected with COVID, it's right at the heart of early voting in many swing states right now. Just bad timing and less than 4 weeks to repair. The infection caused Debate #2 to be converted into a virtual event and Trump backed out of that. That's a missed opportunity to get revenge in a debate. Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Barack Obama in 2012 had bad first debates but made strong comebacks during the 2nd debate to coast into a 2nd term.
I also believe that Michigan is now out of the realm as a swing state based on the recent kidnapping scheme of the Governor that was uncovered and stopped. Now, President Trump needs to run the table on obtaining Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, especially if states like Arizona and even Georgia could be close or lost.
The tale of the tape for Donald Trump's re-election will be about COVID-19. It cooled down his economy, over 200,000 passed away, and then he became infected from it as well. Had he not become infected, I would say he has a chance. Getting infected paints him in a much different light and many early votes have been cast already just as he became infected. Just bad luck and bad timing to get infected with a Virus when many early votes are being cast.
Once Donald Trump is done being President, whether it is after 2020 or 2024, he needs to send a personal THANK YOU to Vince McMahon for incorporating various Pro Wrestling techniques into his operations. There's a ton of WWE influence on Trump's ability to generate heat with his opposition and how he cuts promos in front of a large audience. Lots of charisma, too. Hosting Wrestlemania 4 and Wrestlemania 5 shall prove to be tremendous business decisions by Donald Trump to further his career.
So just chill... Until the next episode!
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