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IS STEPHANIE MCMAHON WWE’S NEGAN, MAKING SENSE OF THE ORTON-WYATT STORYLINE, WWE’S EPISODIC STREAK AND MORE

By Dave Scherer on 2017-03-05 10:00:00

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I was reading Dave's response about how the more Stephanie McMahon berates people without any comeuppance, the less effective the character is. I want to make a comparison to the Walking Dead's Negan character; the current villain in the series. In the current season, ratings have been at an all-time low since the character's constant dominance on screen and his berating of main character heroes is prominent over other storyline arches. Currently in this second half of the season, they have toned that down and Negan's presence has been very minimal. The response is now positive again for the show. Do you think there is a correlation to how Stephanie is the Negan of Raw? Over the past year, she has been all over Mick Foley, Sasha, etc. Even heels like Charlotte. This makes me want to tune out. With no feud with Stephanie in sight, there is no reason for the viewer to hold on and expect she will get hers.

I didn’t check The Walking Dead ratings, but if that is true, it’s a very interesting comparison.  I liked the first half of the season as we got to see a different side of Rick, and he finally had enough and is back to fighting.  But yes, if Negan had kept beating him down and Rick never fought back, that is exactly how it feels to me to see Stephanie’s character abuse people every week on Raw and never get what is coming to her.  It’s a simple tenet of that kind of storytelling, the heel has to get what is coming to them.

So what the hell is WWE doing with the championship match at Wrestlemania? Randy Orton wins the Rumble, then forfeits his title shot. They then have a battle royal leading to AJ Styles and Luke Harper having a match where AJ becomes the new challenger. THEN on the same show have Orton show up attempting to usurp Bray Wyatt?  This whole thing is so convoluted that it boggles the mind.  Are they going towards a triple threat match at Wrestlemania or what?

I know a lot of people loved the visual of the fire.  I did too.  But logically, it was weak to me.  Orton had barely been a Wyatt.  Now if Luke Harper played that kind of long mind game, I would have got it.  But Orton?  It was forced.  And yes, I am with you.  He could have found the barn and burned it without giving up the Title shot.  But that is WWE storytelling.  Now he will probably beat AJ Styles on Tuesday and work against Wyatt at Mania.

Raw likes to refer to itself as the longest running episodic show in television history. Is WWE counting EVERY Raw ever aired or only the ones that are considered canon and continued storylines? Specifically, do Raw episodes such as the Benoit Tribute (2007) and the weather cancelled episode broadcast from HQ (2015) count or have they just been scrubbed from history as the WWE is known to do? 

They run a show every week.  That is how they look at it.  I can’t blame them.  As long as they don’t re-air an old show, it is technically a new episode.

I feel so sorry for Gallows/Anderson. They will probably lose the titles in their next title defense, and even if they don't, I bet it's not real decisive, just a squeak.  They should go back to where they were respected. I don't want to see them go, but it's obvious that WWE creative does not respect them. Well at least VKM. What do you think?

I agree that they haven’t been used close to their potential but I also understand that being in WWE is better for them financially and personally so I understand their decision to go there and do what is best for themselves and their family.

Regardless of who faces Bray Wyatt at WM, do you think that there is any chance that Bray Wyatt will win?

I would sure hope so.  He beat John Cena cleanly twice within a week.  If that is only to go on WrestleMania and lose, I don’t get the point of that.  Not at all.

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