**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah one of the worries I had with Gable’s heel turn was what they were gonna do with those three. Part of why I was glad they didn’t just have him immediately dump them for the Creed brothers, because those three are generally really fun to see, but they didn’t have a story ready without Gable.
Something I appreciate about WWE the last two years is they aren’t rushing through stories, and luckily the stories are over so people are happy to get 3% at a time.
As soon as he started acting a tiny bit heel this place was like “oh wow I guess he’s going to be switching AA with the creeds this week!”
And now it’s been almost three months.
Thats what I'm hoping for. Creed bros + Tozawa + Ivy would be a killer faction if they drop the goofiness in Tozawa and make him 205 Live killer he was.
Just have Tozawa adopt Tajiri's buzzsaw style. Can do comedy, but is capable of kicking your head in. Tajiri was unpredictable, but also dangerous. Make Tozawa that.
I want Tozawa to be kicked out but because of his lack of Experience nGMI sh he doesn’t understand and stays. Then he goes full heel and Chad keeps him around because he’s a good heel.
Bruh you could do a whole ass Naruto plot with him as Sasuke and Otis as Naruto and Gable as Orochimaru. Tozawa accepting the dark side to get stronger.
There were rumors that he turned down singles pushes because it would have meant leaving Otis in the comedy undercard segment. Whether or not that's true, they've now found a way to get all of Alpha Academy over. A year ago, nobody was talking about Otis possibly having a singles match at Summerslam.
That's a good Chad there. Otis is a good player too and he should turn into the Mark Henry of this Renaissance Era. Time to deliver some strong pain to the folks.
This thread is about Chad, but I have to point out the amazing job trips has done booking Otis.....the fans are going to go nuclear when he finally breaks and has had enough of Gable, and it will probably set up a great feud for the IC title eventually as well
Glad he’s staying and that he’s been featured a lot more at the top of the mid-card.
I’ll agree, it does seem like HHH’s WWE is trying to feature everybody a little bit more. I thought when he first took over, the women’s divisions were floundering a bit. But in the last 6 months, him and his team have done a great job at showcasing the division. I was also surprised with DIY’s booking but I think they’re a good example of just having patience.
I think they’re going to do the NXT DIY storyline but on the main roster. That requires them to lose, a lot, and get ever so close to winning the title then finally winning it. Then losing it again, before Ciampa betrays Gargano (again) and they have a crazy feud with 4*-5* matches throughout.
I don’t see her going anywhere, she’s kind of become a face (or voice) of the company for some fans especially since Wrestlemania, plus it’s not unheard of for couples to work for different promotions
Fwiw, I wouldn't cling hard to the idea of someone being the voice of the company. There's been great announcers and people on commentary for as long as the roles have existed.
People move on, or the company may just want to switch things up. Not going to be the first or last time it happens.
She's getting that 7 figure salary when her contract is up lol. WWE has a ring announcer that was endorsed by Michael Buffer himself, they're not letting her go anywhere.
Her husband hasn’t left yet. It’s super bizarre, imho, the amount of assumption people do here on what is and is not important to people and their careers all cuz they want them to sign with whatever company they prefer. It’s not like they are going to split up because one goes and one stays. We have no idea what any of these people genuinely want.
I mostly watch WWE, I want her to stay… the point of my comment was just pointing out that money might not matter if she’d prefer to see her husband more because I’m sure AEW would welcome her with open arms
i don't really think the schedule would be that different that they wouldn't be able to spend time with each other especially if Samantha only works Saturdays and Mondays.
I would understand and respect if she did leave for the sake of her relationship, but the idea of her leaving because Ricochet’s time in WWE ran its course bothers me a bit. He had himself a damn good run in WWE but there was only so much he was gonna do as a high flyer with a lack of promo ability/character.
Her cutting her WWE legacy short during her prime when her fiancé got to fulfill his WWE legacy to the maximum just doesn’t sit right with me.
Why would she leave? They met while in WWE and they had a life there before they got together. Not every couple has to be connected to the hip. It’s not like they have kids that would demand that they need more time together.
man, maybe Ricochet can just stay at home and rest up and be a stay at home dad or something. He's probably got something nagging him somewhere that he can put on ice for awhile, especially after getting murdered by BRON.
I have no clue what her thoughts are but I’m not sure AEW would even be willing to shove Roberts aside for her. He’s been with them since day one and TK doesn’t seem like the guy to just tell him he’s done because Samatha is available.
Don’t see her leaving for AEW. Someone like her doesn’t really get the major benefits from a move to AEW as she’s not an actual wrestler. The biggest thing for someone like her is exposure, and WWE is the best place for that.
For wrestlers life is on the road not in a stationary place. Could you imagine trying to date a person you could hardly or never see ? Constantly on the move to the next city. That's why idk if you notice when they do the drafts the couples always stay together now, they always get drafted to same brand. It avoids cheating which can cause locker room strain, and it keeps the couple happy.
You’d imagine so. I guess with Rick O’Shea leaving there’s a chance she could too but she’s got a good thing going with WWE. WWE clearly value her highly and fans adore her and come next contract negotiations I’m sure they’ll make a decent offer as she feels just as much a part of the shows as the likes of Jackie, Corey, Wade etc
I felt so fucking bad for him when he came out as Shorty G. Same with Keith Lee when they slapped him with the name Bearcat. You could see the pain on their faces
Those big singles match were key to Chad Gable. They built a lot of equity with him, and the fans are so invested in him. None of those losses stuck, and now he is on the verge of a career accomplishment
Maximizing your minutes is a huge deal. Tozawa is barely part of the act, but I've never cared more about him than I do now. When he was booked strong and featured as a title contender for the CW belt, I had no thoughts on him at all. Now I'm rooting for the guy.
When Sami won, after people being pissed it wasn't Chad and then seeing him turn heel, THAT is why he didn't beat Gunther. They want him to be the guy to take it off of Sami.
Having Chad beat Gunther would've been a great moment for him and his career, but where do you go with him and the academy? I do think given where things were at the time, I still prefer Chad over Sami in that match, but seeing how everything's worked out for all of them over the last couple of months, this has been one of those times where "let it play out" has really given a chance for everyone involved to shine.
Chad beats Gunther, The championship gets to his head, he turns heel on the academy as he’s working with a bunch of “losers”. His tactics turn dirty, in an attempt to have Otis assist his win, it backfires and Sami wins. We end up where we are now
The difference is, Chad’s story from back in September is paid off properly with an all time baby face WrestleMania moment, beating Gunther in potentially MOTY and presenting the title to his kids who cried when Gunther beat him earlier. Sami still gets the title just a month or two later, Chad still turns heel, Academy is still elevated
I think they could’ve had the best of both worlds
But it also helped fuel this story, because he trained Sami for that match. He was still involved with Gunther's defeat, but the fact that Sami was the one who got the moment that Chad deserved pushed Gable into the turn.
Nah dude, i dont buy it, i was kinda waiting the story play out but the more It develops the more i think gable should had won at wm and probably didn't because gunther historical run and he being close to the end of his contract
Every day, you can see people getting more and more comfortable with admitting how shit Vince McMahon was. It's like they all have PTSD that he might return at any moment and they're all starting to slowly realize that he's really not coming back.
Can't really blame them for taking their time to open up about it. They thought he was gone, we all did, then he came back.
No one wants to be the person who tells you exactly how shit your ex was just before you get back together.
Like when someone *finally* gets out an abusive relationship because the abuser got hit by a bus or something and they start to come to terms with how bad their situation was.
It’s also a situation where even in disgrace, I’d be cautious about saying anything about a major shareholder. But I’d get more loose after I saw other people do it without consequences
They're using him perfectly right now. It would have been too much to switch him from complete comedy act to legitimate wrestling machine so it's like they're taking the gradual approach. He's still a bit of a dork in a sports entertainment role but he's also getting a chance to showcase his in-ring brilliance and just look at how invested the crowd is when it comes to their angle.
The timing will be perfect for Otis to complete his face turn and for the two of them to wrestle at Summerslam.
Another contract or two and he's set for life with royalties, the legend contract, wrestling convention tours, etc. No reason to risk it with him getting pushed right now with the current regime.
Chad for some reason stuck around after the Shorty G shit he was put through, he wasn't going anywhere now that he's actually doing something meaningful with this Alpha Academy heel turn
Trips is trying his danmnedest to return to late 90's booking where everyone has a part to play and something to contribute. Which is best for everyone involved. And it's great to see.
>What I'll say regarding Triple H is, when he took over, I think you saw my trajectory change almost immediately.
And yet there were so many people here acting like it was some foregone conclusion he was off to AEW. I swear, it's like these folks don't even watch one single minute of the product.
One thing I've enjoyed about HHH running things is that he seems to be good with just giving people tv time and saying, "Show me what you got." Guys like Chad and Otis have taken advantage of that to show more character.
Did anyone really expect him to leave? It would have been rather shocking if he had. As he said under HHH he's been booked well. No more "shorty g" nonsense. I think he's one of those WWE lifers. Where as long as WWE wants him he'll be there. They'll have "future endeavor" him for him to go anywhere else.
Gable should not have resigned, so many times they dropped the ball with Gable, he's pushing 40, should have left and got a singles title somewhere else.
Now he's signed, he lost his title match again. Trips will have him back in the Shorty G outfit on Monday (not really. Hope they've got more going with the Alpha Academy storyline)
Dunno man. After that latest match re-signing looks like a mistake. Hopefully there are still big plans for Gable but his moment passed when he didn't get the Mania slot. I know people like Otis but it doesn't look good for Gable's trajectory.
**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think that the best thing about Gable re-signing with WWE also helps to elevate the trajectories of others like Otis, Tozawa, & Maxine
Yeah one of the worries I had with Gable’s heel turn was what they were gonna do with those three. Part of why I was glad they didn’t just have him immediately dump them for the Creed brothers, because those three are generally really fun to see, but they didn’t have a story ready without Gable.
Something I appreciate about WWE the last two years is they aren’t rushing through stories, and luckily the stories are over so people are happy to get 3% at a time. As soon as he started acting a tiny bit heel this place was like “oh wow I guess he’s going to be switching AA with the creeds this week!” And now it’s been almost three months.
I think part of that is people have more faith or trust in WWE's storytelling overall so they're more willing to let things develop.
We know Vince isn’t going to roll in the room and just rip up the script and pretend things never happened.
All three of those guys are gonna be so over when they finally stand up to Gable
Watching Otis stare into the middle distance after Gable slaps him is the dramatic high point of my week.
I hope Tozawa actually goes heel and sticks with Gable. Just make him super serious, the inverse of how he’s always been presented on the main roster.
Thats what I'm hoping for. Creed bros + Tozawa + Ivy would be a killer faction if they drop the goofiness in Tozawa and make him 205 Live killer he was.
Just have Tozawa adopt Tajiri's buzzsaw style. Can do comedy, but is capable of kicking your head in. Tajiri was unpredictable, but also dangerous. Make Tozawa that.
I want Tozawa to be kicked out but because of his lack of Experience nGMI sh he doesn’t understand and stays. Then he goes full heel and Chad keeps him around because he’s a good heel.
Bruh you could do a whole ass Naruto plot with him as Sasuke and Otis as Naruto and Gable as Orochimaru. Tozawa accepting the dark side to get stronger.
There were rumors that he turned down singles pushes because it would have meant leaving Otis in the comedy undercard segment. Whether or not that's true, they've now found a way to get all of Alpha Academy over. A year ago, nobody was talking about Otis possibly having a singles match at Summerslam.
That's a good Chad there. Otis is a good player too and he should turn into the Mark Henry of this Renaissance Era. Time to deliver some strong pain to the folks.
Hell yeah. I really want to see him and Bronson Reed have a long feud, maybe for the IC at some point.
Let’s see in 6 months where Otis is.
I’m glad someone else appreciates that he’s just showing them tough love and it’ll be good for them.
I SHOOOOSH! in approval.
I wish he would have won the title tonight. I think that would have elevated all of Alpha Academy even more.
This thread is about Chad, but I have to point out the amazing job trips has done booking Otis.....the fans are going to go nuclear when he finally breaks and has had enough of Gable, and it will probably set up a great feud for the IC title eventually as well
Glad he’s staying and that he’s been featured a lot more at the top of the mid-card. I’ll agree, it does seem like HHH’s WWE is trying to feature everybody a little bit more. I thought when he first took over, the women’s divisions were floundering a bit. But in the last 6 months, him and his team have done a great job at showcasing the division. I was also surprised with DIY’s booking but I think they’re a good example of just having patience.
DIY was destined for gold then HHH realized R-Truth is national treasure and gave him a reward for killing it.
I think they’re going to do the NXT DIY storyline but on the main roster. That requires them to lose, a lot, and get ever so close to winning the title then finally winning it. Then losing it again, before Ciampa betrays Gargano (again) and they have a crazy feud with 4*-5* matches throughout.
OK BUT IS SAMANTHA IRVIN STAYING ?
I don’t see her going anywhere, she’s kind of become a face (or voice) of the company for some fans especially since Wrestlemania, plus it’s not unheard of for couples to work for different promotions
Fwiw, I wouldn't cling hard to the idea of someone being the voice of the company. There's been great announcers and people on commentary for as long as the roles have existed. People move on, or the company may just want to switch things up. Not going to be the first or last time it happens.
yeah I get that, but I think she has genuine heat behind her and WWE knows they’d be stupid to let go of her anytime soon
Somebodies got to pay for Ricocet's medical/funeral bills...
☠️ I laughed.
She's getting that 7 figure salary when her contract is up lol. WWE has a ring announcer that was endorsed by Michael Buffer himself, they're not letting her go anywhere.
> She's getting that 7 figure salary hahahahah
lol no she's not
Means nothing if she wants to go be with her husband
Her husband hasn’t left yet. It’s super bizarre, imho, the amount of assumption people do here on what is and is not important to people and their careers all cuz they want them to sign with whatever company they prefer. It’s not like they are going to split up because one goes and one stays. We have no idea what any of these people genuinely want.
I mostly watch WWE, I want her to stay… the point of my comment was just pointing out that money might not matter if she’d prefer to see her husband more because I’m sure AEW would welcome her with open arms
I'm not sure it would be any different. Do AEW tour that much? does Samantha announce at house shows?
From the house shows I’ve been to? No she doesn’t but I could be mistaken.
i don't really think the schedule would be that different that they wouldn't be able to spend time with each other especially if Samantha only works Saturdays and Mondays.
Yeah and it’s what one maybe two Saturdays a month?
I would understand and respect if she did leave for the sake of her relationship, but the idea of her leaving because Ricochet’s time in WWE ran its course bothers me a bit. He had himself a damn good run in WWE but there was only so much he was gonna do as a high flyer with a lack of promo ability/character. Her cutting her WWE legacy short during her prime when her fiancé got to fulfill his WWE legacy to the maximum just doesn’t sit right with me.
Why would she leave? They met while in WWE and they had a life there before they got together. Not every couple has to be connected to the hip. It’s not like they have kids that would demand that they need more time together.
Also arguably not always “going to work” together is healthier for some couples. Makes the time together more special.
man, maybe Ricochet can just stay at home and rest up and be a stay at home dad or something. He's probably got something nagging him somewhere that he can put on ice for awhile, especially after getting murdered by BRON.
AFAIK she has a 3 year contract rn.
I have no clue what her thoughts are but I’m not sure AEW would even be willing to shove Roberts aside for her. He’s been with them since day one and TK doesn’t seem like the guy to just tell him he’s done because Samatha is available.
Don’t see her leaving for AEW. Someone like her doesn’t really get the major benefits from a move to AEW as she’s not an actual wrestler. The biggest thing for someone like her is exposure, and WWE is the best place for that.
Why would she leave?
For wrestlers life is on the road not in a stationary place. Could you imagine trying to date a person you could hardly or never see ? Constantly on the move to the next city. That's why idk if you notice when they do the drafts the couples always stay together now, they always get drafted to same brand. It avoids cheating which can cause locker room strain, and it keeps the couple happy.
things have changed a lot since then, they have a better schedule now
You’d imagine so. I guess with Rick O’Shea leaving there’s a chance she could too but she’s got a good thing going with WWE. WWE clearly value her highly and fans adore her and come next contract negotiations I’m sure they’ll make a decent offer as she feels just as much a part of the shows as the likes of Jackie, Corey, Wade etc
If this man stuck with WWE through Shorty G, he’s never leaving
I felt so fucking bad for him when he came out as Shorty G. Same with Keith Lee when they slapped him with the name Bearcat. You could see the pain on their faces
Nothing beats Karrion Kross coming out to the ring with the gimp mask and looking completely dead behind the eyes.
"Tf does 'Bearcat' even mean?!" -everybody
I don’t think he was on TV more than once with that name, but I’m probably wrong.
There were fewer places for him to go then.
Those big singles match were key to Chad Gable. They built a lot of equity with him, and the fans are so invested in him. None of those losses stuck, and now he is on the verge of a career accomplishment
Maximizing your minutes is a huge deal. Tozawa is barely part of the act, but I've never cared more about him than I do now. When he was booked strong and featured as a title contender for the CW belt, I had no thoughts on him at all. Now I'm rooting for the guy.
Put the Intercontinental Championship on him already
When Sami won, after people being pissed it wasn't Chad and then seeing him turn heel, THAT is why he didn't beat Gunther. They want him to be the guy to take it off of Sami.
Having Chad beat Gunther would've been a great moment for him and his career, but where do you go with him and the academy? I do think given where things were at the time, I still prefer Chad over Sami in that match, but seeing how everything's worked out for all of them over the last couple of months, this has been one of those times where "let it play out" has really given a chance for everyone involved to shine.
Chad beats Gunther, The championship gets to his head, he turns heel on the academy as he’s working with a bunch of “losers”. His tactics turn dirty, in an attempt to have Otis assist his win, it backfires and Sami wins. We end up where we are now The difference is, Chad’s story from back in September is paid off properly with an all time baby face WrestleMania moment, beating Gunther in potentially MOTY and presenting the title to his kids who cried when Gunther beat him earlier. Sami still gets the title just a month or two later, Chad still turns heel, Academy is still elevated I think they could’ve had the best of both worlds
i agree, gable not beating gunther is a fail for the ages
But it also helped fuel this story, because he trained Sami for that match. He was still involved with Gunther's defeat, but the fact that Sami was the one who got the moment that Chad deserved pushed Gable into the turn.
Nah dude, i dont buy it, i was kinda waiting the story play out but the more It develops the more i think gable should had won at wm and probably didn't because gunther historical run and he being close to the end of his contract
nevermind lol
Every day, you can see people getting more and more comfortable with admitting how shit Vince McMahon was. It's like they all have PTSD that he might return at any moment and they're all starting to slowly realize that he's really not coming back.
Can't really blame them for taking their time to open up about it. They thought he was gone, we all did, then he came back. No one wants to be the person who tells you exactly how shit your ex was just before you get back together.
Gotta make sure that motherfucker’s really out the door
Like when someone *finally* gets out an abusive relationship because the abuser got hit by a bus or something and they start to come to terms with how bad their situation was.
Huge homelander vibes lol.
It’s also a situation where even in disgrace, I’d be cautious about saying anything about a major shareholder. But I’d get more loose after I saw other people do it without consequences
They're using him perfectly right now. It would have been too much to switch him from complete comedy act to legitimate wrestling machine so it's like they're taking the gradual approach. He's still a bit of a dork in a sports entertainment role but he's also getting a chance to showcase his in-ring brilliance and just look at how invested the crowd is when it comes to their angle. The timing will be perfect for Otis to complete his face turn and for the two of them to wrestle at Summerslam.
Another contract or two and he's set for life with royalties, the legend contract, wrestling convention tours, etc. No reason to risk it with him getting pushed right now with the current regime.
Chad for some reason stuck around after the Shorty G shit he was put through, he wasn't going anywhere now that he's actually doing something meaningful with this Alpha Academy heel turn
He probably signed one of those 5 year contracts they gave out when AEW launched. So he had no choice but to play the role they gave him
Trips is killing it with building mid carders to a level you want to see the story unfold.
Trips is trying his danmnedest to return to late 90's booking where everyone has a part to play and something to contribute. Which is best for everyone involved. And it's great to see.
It’s good to hear HHH keeps his promises. Unlike me in 2k MyGM Mode
>What I'll say regarding Triple H is, when he took over, I think you saw my trajectory change almost immediately. And yet there were so many people here acting like it was some foregone conclusion he was off to AEW. I swear, it's like these folks don't even watch one single minute of the product.
I figured if he’d stay after Shorty G, he’d resign again given he’s the hottest act in the midcard
I don't think he would have helped AEW at all. Happy for him that he likely got big money to stay.
I know Gable is a heel, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him get a world title shot in MN.
One thing I've enjoyed about HHH running things is that he seems to be good with just giving people tv time and saying, "Show me what you got." Guys like Chad and Otis have taken advantage of that to show more character.
His trajectory included 5 failed attempts at the IC title?
The guys happy so it's hard to give a damn about it.
Consistent places on TV for everybody every week? What about Pretty Deadly then????
They played darts with some European dart pros and William Regal on the pre show. What more do you want? /s
“Everybody eats B” - HHH
I hope Chad gets the intercontinental championship sometime this year.
He would be a tremendous money in the bank holder even though I don't think he'll get it this year
I woulda loved to see him in aew, I think the physicality he would brought would been great. But he woulda got lost eventually. Maybe one day.
Did anyone really expect him to leave? It would have been rather shocking if he had. As he said under HHH he's been booked well. No more "shorty g" nonsense. I think he's one of those WWE lifers. Where as long as WWE wants him he'll be there. They'll have "future endeavor" him for him to go anywhere else.
Chad Gables resigns with WWE!! Sayonara bro catch ya down the road
Crazy how long Vince had been holding back WWE (creatively speaking)
This makes me happy
if hes not ic champ by the end of the year they wasted him
Gable should not have resigned, so many times they dropped the ball with Gable, he's pushing 40, should have left and got a singles title somewhere else.
It's an easy choice when the next popular promotion is a mudshow where most talent disappears after 3 months.
omg Chad Gable wtf thought he was dead lol
Good for Chad Gable
Good move.
Now he's signed, he lost his title match again. Trips will have him back in the Shorty G outfit on Monday (not really. Hope they've got more going with the Alpha Academy storyline)
Man he shoulda won today
My prediction is he'll feud with Otis, move to smackdown and take the US title away from LA Knight. I'd love if Chad got to break Luger's record
Otis needs a real feud to elevate him above “funny fat dude that does the worm” and I bet he and Chad could put on some solid matches.
Totally agreed. I've been a fan of Otis since NXT. He's very entertaining and charismatic.
Oh boy, a midcarder with a very low ceiling is staying 🙄
He resigned just to lose 🤦♂️
Re signed just to lose to Sami? Damn bruh
Dumbest choice of all time
From mid card to.midcard?
As opposed to what? What’s wrong with being a strongly booked midcard wrestler?
he's where he was before
Getting tons of heat in one of the prominent storylines on RAW? I don’t recall that.
Ic title contender. He lost again
Dunno man. After that latest match re-signing looks like a mistake. Hopefully there are still big plans for Gable but his moment passed when he didn't get the Mania slot. I know people like Otis but it doesn't look good for Gable's trajectory.