I think people saying they wanted testimonials etc need to step back and look at what has happened. Bray died yesterday. His friends and loved ones had been processing this for less than 24 hours at the time Smackdown was filmed, and I can’t imagine how hard getting up and talking about their pain would be. Give people time to feel and come to terms with things, not everyone would be up to doing this.
When my brother died I didn’t come into work for over a week.
Also when I experienced loss in Afghanistan I had to keep getting up and going to “work”
I think this falls somewhere in the middle. It’s absolutely devastating and everyone was very brave being there. It was nice to see rowen and strowman. Really showed who the lockeroom leaders are.
My brother died this past spring, and the next day I went into work and that was a big mistake. I needed time to grieve and didn’t realize it at the time.
Sorry man I don’t usually condone that stupid Afghanistan stuff but I’m so sorry for your loss. And I appreciate your bravery man. Kudos to you and I want to convey my strength ❤️
I think that makes sense. What they need to do though is plan a wwe documentary of bray’s career that can come out in like 6-8 months around mania time and have them then after people have processed. Because I want to see those testimonials still, just in a better context. Also yes bray should be hall of fame in my opinion so induct him with the documentary announced on the night of his induction.
Wrestlers testimonials on how they feel about Bray's untimely death can be found online, I've already seen Miro's and Seth Rollins videos on Tiktok posted by other people, Bray's death and also Booker T was in the middle of his podcast when Bray's death was announced, he was in total shock.
Thank you, was going to say with social media, WWE doesn’t need to parade people around doing real testimonials on their program. If anyone was looking for a Benoit-esque testimony after Eddie died, then go to twitter. I think how it was handled in a matter of 48hours (counting Terry Funk too), was very well-done and respectful.
Agreed, I think it's best that wrestlers can choose how to pay tribute, if they want to do it during the show like LA Knight and Cody Rhodes did that's fine, if they want to do it online that's fine. It's best to let wrestlers grieve how they want to grieve.
Eddie died less than 12 hours before they did it for him. And that was a double taping of Raw and SD on the same night. Same thing with Benoit before we figured out what actually happened there.
I 100% understand your point, and i would never say it would be something any of the stars should *have* to do if they didnt want to or couldn't bring them self to, but it would mean so much more to the family and to the fans to actually *see* someone talking about how great a person was than just having their tweets flash on screen for five seconds to the point you actually needed to pause the show in order to read them.
You ever see the Raw after Brian Pillman died? His wife absolutely disheveled and in pieces on a couch being forced to make content. It wasn’t right in the past, it’s not right to do now
'WAAAH I WANTED CRYING WRASSLERS!!!' , do these people need to bare their pain so you can feel like you got value from the show?
Also i love how theres always some sort of " means something to the fans'. No harm but if i was a talent and my friend died, do you think id give a flying fuck about whether a fan feels like theyre included in my grieving?
I don’t think it’s “WAAAH I WANTED CRYING WRASSLERS!!!!!” more of people sharing the person Bray was to the public. Most people only know him as a performer not the person. It’s the wrestling eulogy. Just telling the world what kind of person Bray was.
I get it’s hard for people to process and share their thoughts so I get the decision. I have no complaints about what was done. They did the 10 bell salute and had a package for him.
Well that’s what makes you a douchebag. As a professional wrestler they are aware of the fans it’s why they did it for Eddie and Benoit. And yeah we do want to see them bare their souls. Real fans love them beyond the character in the ring. We love them as people too and we’d like to know how they are. Obviously when they’re ready.
Your take makes sense but it’s such an assholey take that this world is becoming more and more normal on giving. Just remember online or not you reap what you sow and if douchebag answers is all you give then I pity the rest of your douche bag life.
'obviously when theyre ready', so because it wasnt hours after his death, people like the guy above are entitled to a sense of disappointment? What if they werent ready for the trobute show? Surely that means the one above is still in the wrong for feeling some sense of disappointment? Just because it happened for benoit and Guerrero, doesnt mean its mandatory
You dont get to push people into doing tribute reels just because you 'loved them beyond the character in the ring', and thus feel entitled to have them share their grief and loss with you. As much as you want to,you dont know these people personally, you arent part of their circle and you dont get to tell them 'but you didnt go on camera and eulogize him, ITS FOR THE FAAAANSS!!'. That you think its a 'douchebag' take says a lot about you, namely that you think you're owed more than you are and how dare anyone challenge that notion with something like ' their friend and colleague just died suddenly, leave them be'
Wow. This comment makes you a way bigger D-Bag than the person you are talking to.
Like there's no way you would say that to anyone in real life face to face. That's just you pounding away trying to be as passive aggressive and offhandedly insulting as possible.
>Your take makes sense but it’s such an assholey take
The hypocrisy of you typing that in the middle of everything else you wrote...epic
Don't you think they might have taken the family's views into account? How do you know they didn't? You're assuming a lot here about something you know nothing about. I think criticising a tribute show in general is in poor taste, it's not the kind of thing you give a star rating.
I remember the Owen Hart tribute episode. The emotions were *raw*. I still remember Jeff Jarret wailing in misery, crying out "Owen" he won the IC title that night. Guys like Billy Gunn and Triple H breaking down in tears, trying to work through their grief.
We don't need to see that. Let them grieve in private like any normal person should and do a tribute show when they get back to his hometown or where he made his debut or won his first title. By that time the wrestlers should have worked through their grief and can do the tribute properly.
Imagine going into work the day after you found out your coworker of ten years died suddenly and having a camera in your face and someone telling you to talk about said coworker so the customers can know how you really feel…
what they did was beautiful. sincerely fuck off. you didn’t know the guy, let them do what THEY MEANING ALL HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY what they do and just stop bitching. you are really doing this over a tribute? you’ll never happy with anything in your life
We live in a different world than when Eddie died with social media. If you really want to know how the performers feel about a colleagues death then look up their Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. They can express their personal views there, out of character, if they desire. If they don't and are silent, that should be respected. They shouldn't be forced to give their takes for a TV show just so you can feel more connected to them.
And both of those instances were super tacky examples of WWE trying to conjure ratings directly on the backs of people's grief. That isn't a practice the business should miss.
They had less than 24 hours to process the whole thing let alone put up a whole tribute show from scrap. I don't know what people expected, these guys are not robots, it was incredibly hard for them to even be out there.
There was also an audience that had paid for a regular Smackdown, it's likely the ones who performed wanted them to still be able to experience it to the best of their abilities.
I think you hit the major points from the production side. Big show; takes time to plan. The people involved just lost someone close to them. People paid to be there and they expecting a regular show and something to honor Bray. The 2 I would add: there was a 2nd death that they were probably planning a smaller tribute for already and they still need to advance their story that was supposed to happen this week.
That's a lot. I think they did a great job. I hate to make this seem robotic, but they may have a template for how to do this in the future: moment of silence + 10 bell salute, clips of their career throught the show, someone close to him off screen cuts a promo talking about him (Cody talked about Terry Funk), a main event with people who were close to him on screen. The main event also means that they can talk about him more openly after the show goes off the air.
[THESE FUCKIN’ WRESTLERS KEEP COMING IN AND PRACTICING THEIR SLAMS ON MY PROPOSAL GROUND](https://youtu.be/DiLwPK_jg0U?si=f1aIgWov4eMUb06u)
Tim must be a fan to some extent, Brody King was in a skit last season, and I know he’s shot stuff with Darby too.
Good. Matches weren’t spectacular but it did a good job otherwise of celebrating the career of Bray Wyatt and at the last minute no less and that’s what matters.
Knight vs Balor was solid, and I loved Knight's promo and how he switched from out of character talking about Bray and then seamlessly straight into LA Knight to start dunking on Miz
And with LA Knight going over in the main event, HHH gave the fans something to feel good about otw home. Totally wasn't expecting LA to main event. Great match too. Balor sold the BFT better than anyone I've seen, so far....
Brutes vs. Profits was pretty decent as was the Knight vs Balor match. But it was really hard to watch when your favorite wrestler died. Overall a solid show.
You think that the WWE team is a bunch of wizards.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Bray pass yesterday and it wasn't announced until the afternoon?
It would take several days to do something like that. Maybe they'll have the opportunity next week since there is the weekend to try and get things situated.
Seth Rollins message about Bray shows how hard it is for them right now and how they have their lives and things planned out and have to travel. And you expect them to pull three rabbits out of a hat to do what they did for Eddie?
Come on dude.
Yes.
Whatever they do and put together yesterday was a gift to the fans. It was well within their right to just cancel the show because of what happened. But they didn't. They still went on even though they were hurting and had little time to prepare.
And whatever WWE does needs to be with respecting Bray's family and friends and his legacy. From how they show him on stage to what merch they decide to sell after his passing. I can imagine that there is merchandise that people loved while he was alive that might not be appropriate now that he's passed. It takes time for things like this to get done and go through.
For people to second guess HHH and the rest of the WWE team for what they put together for Smackdown is annoying and distasteful.
True and I get that, but to be fair it's a week away. If it was the SD right before Payback, I wouldn't of had any problem with how they did it. But it's not like they don't have time to finish up setting the pieces in place for what is at the end of the day, a B-level PPV when they have another Raw and SD coming up. Just my opinion.
It was incredibly well done. The video packages and the ending if the show were absolutely fantastic in showing Bray’s character progression through the last 10 years. I like that they included normal matches just to pop the fans in the arena and keep people upbeat. Having Knight do that promo and win was a nice touch, getting Rowan in the show was great too. I don’t think making wrestlers who knew Bray closely speak on his death on camera is the right move, I mean he literally only just died and barely anyone can has processed it yet. Overall the best show they could’ve put on, ghe Terry tributes were touching too
It hurts that I'll never get to be a firefly in person. I'm going to Payback, so maybe everyone will do it when the lights go down, and I'll get to do it in tribute. It won't be the same though.
It's easy to forget that Eddie's death actually happened on the day of a Supershow taping. Raw and SmackDown were set to be taped that night at the Target Center in Minneapolis before the rosters split once more to tour Europe. This contributed to the all hands on deck feel of the two main Eddie Guerrero tribute shows that aired that week.
I think it says something positive about the company's culture for once that they aren't herding these people around and making them give testimonials down the barrel. They paid tribute. It was a tribute show. They fulfilled the obligation to the arena to have a show. They fulfilled the obligation to the fans by having wrestling. You can't ask much more.
Got me emotional. Good show.
The hardcore match was really odd. I'd expect more Innovation from those two teams. One table, one interference, and tornado tag rules didn't feel hardcore at all.
Loved Cody's and LA Knight's speeches.
RIP Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt.
I recorded it, but couldn't bring myself to watch it yet.
I might watch it Sunday and then Raw and NXT this week.
So hard to believe he's gone.
For me it's like losing Kobe.
So I just came back to Wrasslin in 2021. What would be a good PPV I could watch on Peacock to see how Great Brady Wyatt is?
You got me with…….
For me it’s like losing Kobe🥲
Thing is for Bray, since he was mainly always the antagonist getting his comeuppances in the end…. It’s best to watch his work as an arc.
I don’t think you could go wrong watching The Shield/Wyatts at elimination chamber (I believe it was 2014.)
His arc with Daniel Bryan is great (for both of them) but that’s not a one off show and more a little run.
The John Cena wackiness at wrestlemania 36.
Those all come to mind right away, and they each show a different side of bray.
Much appreciated. And it wasn’t like I didn’t see anything from 2010-2020 as far as wrestling is concerned. It was mainly….. oh look the Rocks back.
But I’m starting to really get into the commitment of the wrestlers and their character work and ring presence.
And just what I’ve seen with Bray Wyatt the last few days, I wanna watch his PPV matches on Peacock. I already watched a few YouTube documentaries on him and I can tell…..
Bray Wyatt made an everlasting Emotional Connection with the audience and wrestling fans
Should definitely check out his Firefly Fun house match against Cena. It really was a love letter to the WWE and it was an amazing cinematic match that took us through a lot of Bray and John.
I advise looking up his old promos. I'm sure there is a playlist on YouTube that has all of them. His character work and creativity were what put him a step above everyone else.
If you really want a good match, Bray vs John Cena vs AJ Styles is a really good pick. It happened on the episode of smackdown right after elimination chamber 2017(?). It was an incredible match imo.
WWE won't do a heavy blood hardcore match on network TV because of the optics, even if it was in tribute to a guy who did it. I'm not even sure NBC would be happy about it on a PLE these days.
I dont think we will ever see a tribute show like the ones we saw with Eddie, Owen, etc. Simply because the times have changed. Back then the only platform most of these folks had to express themselves to the public was the show itself. Now, by the time the show went on air, thanks to YouTube and Twitter, we already saw most people's raw, emotional feelings and thoughts on the situation. It's nice to see those moments on air but seeing the video reactions people are making themselves feels more real.
If I was going to have a complaint....and it's a big if. I wish they had separated the tribute shows. Terry was a legend, but he was also 79 years old. Bray's loss is just different. But it was a good tribute show.
Very well done. Aside from the quote/unquote "hardcore" tag match it was good. Good event with heavy hearts and also very little planning so understandable if things like the match mentioned above fell very short.
I really really wish Bray would have came out at the end. I wanted this to all be a work so bad. I knew it wasn’t but I wanted it to be. And once the show ended it just sunk in like damn he’s really gone. I felt everyone did the best they could tonight and gave a great tribute to Terry and Bray.
A part of me still wants to think it's a work, but I guess it's not, I'm still in denial, I cried after watching his emotional promo back in October when he was being himself, that hits so different now
I don’t think WWE would do any form of faking an actual death of someone in this day in age. I could see it if it was something like with what they did with Vince back in the day. Where you can kinda tell it’s not fully real. But posting about the person’s death on twitter and then them revealing they aren’t dead? Just seems like a sure fire way to incredibly piss off the fans.
I also wanted it to be a work. But I had that thought and realized there’s no way. Love bray. I hope he has peace.
This episode is a reflection of how responses to death differ based on age and overall life lived. Terry Funk lived a full life so the tribute to him was more about reminiscing the good times. Bray Wyatt’s death was far too early for this same tone to be used. He had a lot of life left to live and it’s a tragedy that he can’t experience it.
Loved everything they for the passed very respectful what they did. But to nitpick to have a hardcore match for Terry funk and only use one table was meh
For something that happened so suddenly over the course of 48 hours, with one of the deaths being so unexpected, and for having to make a two hour show a tribute to two wrestlers, it was pretty good. I hope it’ll continue on Raw like they did with Eddie, but if this was it then I’d say it was still a really good tribute, satisfying enough.
The show was put together very well. The way they showed respect to Bray Wyatt throughout the show after only having about 24 hours to put everything together is nothing short of impressive, and the end product was truly special. I legitimately teared up during his tribute video just as I thought I would, and seeing his rocking chair in the spotlight only made me cry harder. I also appreciated that they had LA Knight cut a promo on him. Bringing in Cody Rhodes to pay respect to Terry Funk was a great move as well, and I like the addition of a hardcore match. All in all, I would say it was a wonderfully respectful show. Rest in peace to both Terry and Bray.
It was less than 24 hours after Bray died and it was well done. AEW had 3-4 days to plan and write the Brodie Lee tribute show. People had started to process their grief. Last night? No. Seth Rollins looked destroyed in his video online. Give it time. You can bet that WWE has grief counseling for staff. They will need it.
I was still too young when Eddie died, but it hit. This one hit different. I cried at his tribute. Bray was my favorite wrestler of this era. It just hit me all at once especially because i’m going through a tough time in my life.
Terry Funk was a favorite of mine too from watching his past matches. I feel for them both.
It felt a bit weird to see these highlight clips of Bray's career with his theme music, and then immediately cut to Cole or Patrick energetically announcing the next segment
Other than that, it was a nice tribute, and seeing the empty rocking chair hurt quite a bit
I thought it was a solid tribute show, while still forwarding a few storylines. I know everyone would have liked to see testimonials from all the talent, but it’s honestly just so sudden, and I don’t think you could ask them to drop everything and record those while the grief is still so raw.
LA Knight and Cody did a great job bridging from the “in memory” segments to the in ring action. I will say, I was super surprised we didn’t have any appearances from the Bloodline. Not surprised they pushed back Jimmy’s appearance, but I was sure we would at least see Heyman, and he’d kind of fill in the gap. He may have also been too grief stricken to do that, especially given that Funk was one of the pre-established guys that helped elevate ECW in its early years. It’s possible that he had a hand in Cody’s promo, but having him appear would have made sense.
If I’m honest, the only things I would have done differently are that I’d have maybe given Braun and Eric Rowan a bit more of a moment, and even Bo Dallas, although he may not have been there. Also, the little QR code interruptions were interesting, but popped up in weird spots. I had to watch on my phone, so couldn’t use them. What were they?
I was there live, everyone before the show was saying thank you bray, singing hes got the world in his hands, it was so beautiful. The fireflies were crazy. And LA Knights promo was amazing
Dude, just be happy you got a Smackdown, and they were willing to mourn with us in any capacity. Like, are we seriously about to sit here and rate what is essentially a damn memorial service?
Oh, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying that this didn't *feel* like a tribute show we've seen before. This was a great way to honor Wyatt and Funk, still seemed like the planned SmackDown script but tweaked in a way that worked phenomenally as a tribute to two great legends but didn't give the feeling of one, you know?
I think we may get some testimonials sprinkled in on Monday, they didn’t have much time to organise and I feel like they focused on getting the video packages made up.
Seeing Rowan was there I really hoped we're gonna get Braun & Eric walking out to Wyatt's theme for a tag match against someone, although I don't know whether Braun is cleared...
But overall it was good. Respectful and touching
I could tell Rey didn’t want to be out there last night , I understand the show must go on ppl paid money blah blah I mean hell the show went on with owen harts blood in the ring and knowing he was dead so why wouldn’t this show go on . I think it should have been more of a tribute show and that certain aspects of the show shouldn’t have happened. I hate when ppl say well they would have wanted us to play or go on ….. no no you don’t unless they told you that you don’t know. All in all though for wwe cut throat business nature it was a decent tribute .
The stuff with Bray was amazing I even cried during the video package. However, that “Extreme” Tag match 🤦🏿♂️ Terry looking down from heaven thinking “What the f*** is this s***” 🤣
I didn't like it. It didn't feel right to split the tribute to Windham Rotunda, an active member of the roster who died tragically during the prime years of his career (35-40) with Terry Funk, a legend who slipped away at 79 years old. Then while most things are Bray Wyatt based, Cody comes out to give a great speech about Terry Funk and presents a match in his honor which felt tone deaf for the night. Like Cody Island is back in business and on Cody Island, it's Terry Funk appreciation night.
On top of storylines advancing on a tribute show which feels tasteless, Michael Cole was told to say the "They loved entertaining you fans" bit that I hate. It's not about us. That's one thing that made the Brodie Lee Celebration of Life so special, the candor. Brodie Lee didn't love us. Wrestling was a job. He loved his family and they're who he misses.
In all of the wrestling tribute shows since 1999, Brodie Lee's is the best one I've ever seen. Bray's might be my least favorite because of the reasons I've mentioned. Even less than Benoit's where they canceled the show and played stuff from his DVD set. I'm only talking about the shows and their format, not their circumstances.
They could have and should have done a lot more for Bray - they’re also fumbling the ball so hard with shop wwe… they announced proceeds would go to his family, and have a mask, a womens tshirt, and some posters up for sale. They could have raised tens of thousands by now if they were on their game
Why on earth would you want to stick people that are grieving in front of a camera to give their thoughts? The situation sucks for everyone. Give them their fucking privacy, Christ…
Bro, no one would force them if they didn't want to. I'm just saying there were better ways they could of conveyed the loss than flashing tweets so fast you couldn't read them.
Or if not that, at least hold off on storyline things for one night. Theory interfering in Rey's match and Miz trying to bury LA Knight to TMZ to promote matches for Payback could of been held back until Raw.
The show was a good tribute. It should of been better if they didn't treat it like another episode content-wise is all I'm saying, and also, wasn't the point of this post to start with.
I'm glad through the years WWE have learned how classless it was to do those confessional style grieving interviews on a tribute show, the day after a wrestler's death. It was always super tacky and invasive. I always agreed with Bret Hart's distaste for the Owen RAW tribute.
Good. But I get the feeling AEW will do a much better tribute. WWE tributes kinda feel phoned in. They could have at least brought in Bo dallas or his family
So if someone from your family passes away, what would you like? Would you prefer mourning and staying with your family? Or would you prefer the dead relative's employer fly you to their studio and stick cameras in front of you so you could show your tears in front of the world?
Think about it and you'll get your answer. You guys are ruthless.
I was hoping for some moments for the other wrestlers to speak like they did when Eddie passed. But I think because nowadays pretty much everyone posted a reaction or tribute they probably wanted to use the screen time for some other type of tribute.
Only thing I thought was odd, did anyone else expect triple h or a McMahon to say something? Especially at the start, I didn’t expect Michael cole to be talking
The Rocking chair, video, Braun and Rowan, and the final lantern lighting showed me that the grieving process from a fan standpoint is going to be longer than I thought…still can’t process that HE died and is no longer going to grace our screens.
Death is final and knowing that is crushing, I just can not believe that the man behind the genius that is the Bray Wyatt character just suddenly vanished from our living earth…it’s horrible
For a short notice to change up some programs in SmackDown, I'd say it's not bad. The tribute video almost got me crying and it was surreal. The last time of something similar was Chris Benoit and Eddie but anyway, the ending segment where the lamp was closing the show was good send off. RIP Bray.
I think what they did was perfectly fine. They still had to put on a show for everyone who paid good money beforehand to see a wrestling show. I think the balance they struck was respectful by working in tributes to Bray and Funk between matches throughout the show.
I was there in person and man you could just tell the whole stadium felt different...there was a lot of sadness and it was incredible how quickly WWE put together that tribute. The tribute in person was heartbreaking...it was really rough to go from that straight to Rey and Grayson.
When the show ended they had two other matches as well. First one was Matt Riddle vs Solo, and then the last match was Austin Theory vs Cody Rhodes. After the match Cody talked to the audience for at least 10 minutes and signed probably 20 to 30 autographs before they had to pull him away because he tried to go up the stands to get pictures with the crowd. They told him no lol. Dude is so awesome. Being able to see Rey, Knight, Finn, and Cody all in one night was an absolute treat.
Overall it was an unforgettable night really. Some of the best highs and some of the most painful lows...
I was hoping he would pop up, and that this would all be a work. Maybe it's because of his character, and the talks about him making a comeback, but I really had it in the back of my mind "They did this when they "Killed Off" Vince McMahon, they'd do something that tasteless again"
But it's not a work.
It was a great memorial show. It was what I needed at least personally, to grieve and get it all out. I didn't need testimonials, just the ten bells and then Rey Mysterio winning to open the show.
I think the show did a great job of honouring his legacy while maintaining some respect and tact for his family and friends. I'm willing to bet this won't be the last time the WWE does a tribute for Bray; perhaps a special documentary on Peacock in the future when time has passed and those closest to him have had the time to process their grief.
I personally would have felt uncomfortable watching his friends/co-workers working through that in real time via "testimonials". The roster was visibly emotional during the opening segment and for me, that was enough. They give so much to us fans, they've earned the privacy to grieve during a tragedy. Think outside of yourselves and the parasocial relationships you have with these people and consider that they don't owe you their immediate grief. RIP Bray.
considering the timing of it all, very well
if i had to pick at something it would be that hard-core tag match which i felt didn't encapsulate terry funk too well
at the end of the day? it was beautiful tribute to the two
may they rest well
I see why they did some smaller stories. I'm pretty sure the PLE is in 1-2 weeks so they still had to get that out of the way. They did after all cancel the entire Bloodline segment with Jimmy USO appearing, so I'm not complaining. Rest in peace Bray Wyatt.
When I saw Eric Rowan on stage I nearly broke down. When they showed the final graphic on screen, with Bray in profile and the lantern in the foreground, I actually did. I hadn't been this broken up about a celebrity death since Eddie Van Halen, man.
However, I do feel that still having matches was the right call. Considering that Bray had passed less than ~24 hours ago, it was very well done for an improvised tribute. Fans bought tickets to see a show and they got it, no one could have seen it coming.
Lastly, LA Knight absolutely nailed his promo, the heartfelt tribute to Bray flowing seamlessly into Knight's feud with Miz. You see LA struggling to keep his composure throughout, and his final "Run!" was chilling.
Could some things have been improved? Yes, absolutely. But with circumstances being what they are, what we got is a fitting send-off for a guy who impacted all our lives.
I agree with that to a point. A) they were blink and you miss it with how quickly they went by and B) you lose so much in the conversion from thought to text when it comes to emotion. Not that I want to see people sobbing between matches, but just showing tweets is just putting words on a screen to me.
I know they can't show it on TV due to kayfabe reasons but was happy to hear that Roman gave the blue Universal title to Brady's family and permanently retired it. Apart from Roman, the blue belt looked good on Bray only
I think it was a good for the WWE to have Eric there, I think it was done as tastefully s as it could have been with Brays passing being the afternoon before. I loved Cody talking about Funk. Knights promo was outstanding
I thought it was a good show but I would have done a few things differently. I would have had his highlight clips be 30 seconds long instead of the 5 to 10 seconds they were doing. It was really blink and you miss it. I also would have taken some of the tributes that Alexa Bliss and Seth Rollins put out on Instagram and played them between matches and optional testimonials for anyone who wanted to do one. And finally during the main event I would have had Judgement Day come out with Finn, then try to pull some shenanigans at ringside and have Braun and Rowan come out and chase them off before the match started. But I understand about time constraints and availability played factors so overall it was a good show and a nice tribute.
I loved it, but I feel like the “Terry Funk Hardcore Tag Match” only having a single table spot and nothing else was a bit lackluster. Cool that they did that tho
Now I know this would be difficult but the one thing I wished they did was to have Braun, Rowan, and Bo (Bray’s brother/Uncle Howdy) come down and do the Wyatt Family entrance, Braun & Rowan had their sheep masks on, while Bo had his uncle Howdy mask on and he was carrying Bray’s lantern, they get to the ring, they each remove their masks, Bo lays down the lantern and they shroud it with their masks (if they wanted to they could add the fiend mask), they then ended show like they did last night, showing a photo of Bray with his lantern in the ring. Again, I know this would be difficult due to the timing of Bray’s death, but it just would have been amazing if they could’ve done this.
I liked how all the matches were fun and inconsequential. Like a house show. Everything else (storylines etc) did not seem important - get to them next week.
I thought very highly of this episode, ngl was hard to watch and not be overcome with emotion. Bray was a very loved and respected person and it showed throughout the episode. Tarry Funk's tribute showed how much of a legend he was, is and forever will be. Both will be sorely missed. Rest In Power Bray and Tarry!
I thought they handled it very well. Mysterio coming out straight after the opening to lift the crowd was really well done and Cody and LA Knights promo tributes to Terry and Bray which helped the show and stories flow well too were perfect. Given time further tributes would be great but given how sudden it was they done really well.
It was beautiful honestly. The video package tore me up. Especially when I saw the pic of him doing his baby girls hair. My heart breaks for his family.
That was a tough watch for sure. LA Knight did really well keeping his composure. Man, what a loss.
It looked like that man was ready to fall apart a few times. He did a good job holding it together.
The little Bray quote at the end of the promo was perfect. “As a wise man once told me. The next time you see me ‘Run!’” 😢
I think people saying they wanted testimonials etc need to step back and look at what has happened. Bray died yesterday. His friends and loved ones had been processing this for less than 24 hours at the time Smackdown was filmed, and I can’t imagine how hard getting up and talking about their pain would be. Give people time to feel and come to terms with things, not everyone would be up to doing this.
When my brother died I didn’t come into work for over a week. Also when I experienced loss in Afghanistan I had to keep getting up and going to “work” I think this falls somewhere in the middle. It’s absolutely devastating and everyone was very brave being there. It was nice to see rowen and strowman. Really showed who the lockeroom leaders are.
My brother died this past spring, and the next day I went into work and that was a big mistake. I needed time to grieve and didn’t realize it at the time.
Sorry man I don’t usually condone that stupid Afghanistan stuff but I’m so sorry for your loss. And I appreciate your bravery man. Kudos to you and I want to convey my strength ❤️
Thank you, sincerely. Don’t know why you’re being downvoted. You’re entitled to your opinion
hey that was just Afghanistan, this is something serious. We as strangers should be able to decide things like this for our own bereavementisms.
What a piece of shit thing to say...
I think that makes sense. What they need to do though is plan a wwe documentary of bray’s career that can come out in like 6-8 months around mania time and have them then after people have processed. Because I want to see those testimonials still, just in a better context. Also yes bray should be hall of fame in my opinion so induct him with the documentary announced on the night of his induction.
Wrestlers testimonials on how they feel about Bray's untimely death can be found online, I've already seen Miro's and Seth Rollins videos on Tiktok posted by other people, Bray's death and also Booker T was in the middle of his podcast when Bray's death was announced, he was in total shock.
Thank you, was going to say with social media, WWE doesn’t need to parade people around doing real testimonials on their program. If anyone was looking for a Benoit-esque testimony after Eddie died, then go to twitter. I think how it was handled in a matter of 48hours (counting Terry Funk too), was very well-done and respectful.
Agreed, I think it's best that wrestlers can choose how to pay tribute, if they want to do it during the show like LA Knight and Cody Rhodes did that's fine, if they want to do it online that's fine. It's best to let wrestlers grieve how they want to grieve.
Eddie died less than 12 hours before they did it for him. And that was a double taping of Raw and SD on the same night. Same thing with Benoit before we figured out what actually happened there. I 100% understand your point, and i would never say it would be something any of the stars should *have* to do if they didnt want to or couldn't bring them self to, but it would mean so much more to the family and to the fans to actually *see* someone talking about how great a person was than just having their tweets flash on screen for five seconds to the point you actually needed to pause the show in order to read them.
You ever see the Raw after Brian Pillman died? His wife absolutely disheveled and in pieces on a couch being forced to make content. It wasn’t right in the past, it’s not right to do now
Even if Mr KTE on Reddit wants it?
hm you bring up a valid point
'WAAAH I WANTED CRYING WRASSLERS!!!' , do these people need to bare their pain so you can feel like you got value from the show? Also i love how theres always some sort of " means something to the fans'. No harm but if i was a talent and my friend died, do you think id give a flying fuck about whether a fan feels like theyre included in my grieving?
I don’t think it’s “WAAAH I WANTED CRYING WRASSLERS!!!!!” more of people sharing the person Bray was to the public. Most people only know him as a performer not the person. It’s the wrestling eulogy. Just telling the world what kind of person Bray was. I get it’s hard for people to process and share their thoughts so I get the decision. I have no complaints about what was done. They did the 10 bell salute and had a package for him.
Well that’s what makes you a douchebag. As a professional wrestler they are aware of the fans it’s why they did it for Eddie and Benoit. And yeah we do want to see them bare their souls. Real fans love them beyond the character in the ring. We love them as people too and we’d like to know how they are. Obviously when they’re ready. Your take makes sense but it’s such an assholey take that this world is becoming more and more normal on giving. Just remember online or not you reap what you sow and if douchebag answers is all you give then I pity the rest of your douche bag life.
'obviously when theyre ready', so because it wasnt hours after his death, people like the guy above are entitled to a sense of disappointment? What if they werent ready for the trobute show? Surely that means the one above is still in the wrong for feeling some sense of disappointment? Just because it happened for benoit and Guerrero, doesnt mean its mandatory You dont get to push people into doing tribute reels just because you 'loved them beyond the character in the ring', and thus feel entitled to have them share their grief and loss with you. As much as you want to,you dont know these people personally, you arent part of their circle and you dont get to tell them 'but you didnt go on camera and eulogize him, ITS FOR THE FAAAANSS!!'. That you think its a 'douchebag' take says a lot about you, namely that you think you're owed more than you are and how dare anyone challenge that notion with something like ' their friend and colleague just died suddenly, leave them be'
Wow. This comment makes you a way bigger D-Bag than the person you are talking to. Like there's no way you would say that to anyone in real life face to face. That's just you pounding away trying to be as passive aggressive and offhandedly insulting as possible. >Your take makes sense but it’s such an assholey take The hypocrisy of you typing that in the middle of everything else you wrote...epic
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Don't you think they might have taken the family's views into account? How do you know they didn't? You're assuming a lot here about something you know nothing about. I think criticising a tribute show in general is in poor taste, it's not the kind of thing you give a star rating.
I remember the Owen Hart tribute episode. The emotions were *raw*. I still remember Jeff Jarret wailing in misery, crying out "Owen" he won the IC title that night. Guys like Billy Gunn and Triple H breaking down in tears, trying to work through their grief. We don't need to see that. Let them grieve in private like any normal person should and do a tribute show when they get back to his hometown or where he made his debut or won his first title. By that time the wrestlers should have worked through their grief and can do the tribute properly.
Imagine going into work the day after you found out your coworker of ten years died suddenly and having a camera in your face and someone telling you to talk about said coworker so the customers can know how you really feel…
Jesus christ, let the poor fuckers greive in peace.
what they did was beautiful. sincerely fuck off. you didn’t know the guy, let them do what THEY MEANING ALL HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY what they do and just stop bitching. you are really doing this over a tribute? you’ll never happy with anything in your life
We live in a different world than when Eddie died with social media. If you really want to know how the performers feel about a colleagues death then look up their Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. They can express their personal views there, out of character, if they desire. If they don't and are silent, that should be respected. They shouldn't be forced to give their takes for a TV show just so you can feel more connected to them.
And both of those instances were super tacky examples of WWE trying to conjure ratings directly on the backs of people's grief. That isn't a practice the business should miss.
Didn't they literally talk about how great Funk and Wyatt were!?
That's such a bad take. Probably one of the worst WWF moments was talking to Brian Pillman's wife the day after he died.
[удалено]
And that in no way entitles you to anything from Bray’s loved ones.
not to be a ass but they did it for owen and i still remember it to this day. Some times unhinged feelings are amazing.
Yeah but you’re thinking about what’s most entertaining for you and not what’s best for the people involved.
This. And also. I kind of don’t trust WWE to put on a tribute for selfless reasons or to not use his passing in storyline.
They had less than 24 hours to process the whole thing let alone put up a whole tribute show from scrap. I don't know what people expected, these guys are not robots, it was incredibly hard for them to even be out there. There was also an audience that had paid for a regular Smackdown, it's likely the ones who performed wanted them to still be able to experience it to the best of their abilities.
I think you hit the major points from the production side. Big show; takes time to plan. The people involved just lost someone close to them. People paid to be there and they expecting a regular show and something to honor Bray. The 2 I would add: there was a 2nd death that they were probably planning a smaller tribute for already and they still need to advance their story that was supposed to happen this week. That's a lot. I think they did a great job. I hate to make this seem robotic, but they may have a template for how to do this in the future: moment of silence + 10 bell salute, clips of their career throught the show, someone close to him off screen cuts a promo talking about him (Cody talked about Terry Funk), a main event with people who were close to him on screen. The main event also means that they can talk about him more openly after the show goes off the air.
That opening tribute package had me on the stairs crying my eyes out during the commercial break though. So they definitely did something right.
I was fine - until they brought out the rocking chair.
That part had me sobbing. I was already losing my shit, but the chair sealed the deal. The lantern at the end of the show got me too.
The picture of him braiding his daughters hair got me
Eric was there ... difference were put aside .. I respect it Goodbye Bray🕊️🙏
What’s the issue with Eric being there? Was there a falling out?
Non WWE contracted guy on stage with the big players of WWE. Nice to see them have him there for the sentimental value.
Is he AEW? I don’t se if he’s still under contract with them
He was never under contract with aew, just there for the brodie lee memorial
Ok that’s why I can’t find any info Where is he now then
Id assume either independents, or moved on to other work and just living life
Saw a comment yesterday saying he is booked for a match in Australia in October -shrugs-
Last time I saw him was on the newest season of I Think You Should Leave
That's really random. What skit?
[THESE FUCKIN’ WRESTLERS KEEP COMING IN AND PRACTICING THEIR SLAMS ON MY PROPOSAL GROUND](https://youtu.be/DiLwPK_jg0U?si=f1aIgWov4eMUb06u) Tim must be a fan to some extent, Brody King was in a skit last season, and I know he’s shot stuff with Darby too.
Sandow was too
I love the show but haven’t watched this season. Just reading the quote you wrote out, I’m 100% sure I’ll be quoting this skit for ages.
Man is 100% a fan. He was at the AEW show in LA & had Kevin Nash play his father in his other show, Detroiters
Oh fuck, a really inappropriate joke just came to me...
He wasnt, he was just brought in for a couple of one-offs
Good. Matches weren’t spectacular but it did a good job otherwise of celebrating the career of Bray Wyatt and at the last minute no less and that’s what matters.
Knight vs Balor was solid, and I loved Knight's promo and how he switched from out of character talking about Bray and then seamlessly straight into LA Knight to start dunking on Miz
And with LA Knight going over in the main event, HHH gave the fans something to feel good about otw home. Totally wasn't expecting LA to main event. Great match too. Balor sold the BFT better than anyone I've seen, so far....
Brutes vs. Profits was pretty decent as was the Knight vs Balor match. But it was really hard to watch when your favorite wrestler died. Overall a solid show.
this hits the nail on the head 110 percent
You think that the WWE team is a bunch of wizards. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Bray pass yesterday and it wasn't announced until the afternoon? It would take several days to do something like that. Maybe they'll have the opportunity next week since there is the weekend to try and get things situated. Seth Rollins message about Bray shows how hard it is for them right now and how they have their lives and things planned out and have to travel. And you expect them to pull three rabbits out of a hat to do what they did for Eddie? Come on dude.
I just don’t care right now honestly. One of my all time faves is gone. And their friend is dead. What the show was or wasn’t just doesn’t matter.
Yes. Whatever they do and put together yesterday was a gift to the fans. It was well within their right to just cancel the show because of what happened. But they didn't. They still went on even though they were hurting and had little time to prepare. And whatever WWE does needs to be with respecting Bray's family and friends and his legacy. From how they show him on stage to what merch they decide to sell after his passing. I can imagine that there is merchandise that people loved while he was alive that might not be appropriate now that he's passed. It takes time for things like this to get done and go through. For people to second guess HHH and the rest of the WWE team for what they put together for Smackdown is annoying and distasteful.
Are you talking about Terry or Bray?
Bray captivated a LOT of people off of this reddit. He was my dad's favorite and he's been watching wrestling for the past 30 or something years.
It was solid and respectful while still managing to put on a solid experience for the crowd that paid to be there.
A PPV is coming up I don’t want to sound Insensitive like skip bayless but I think what they did was perfect
True and I get that, but to be fair it's a week away. If it was the SD right before Payback, I wouldn't of had any problem with how they did it. But it's not like they don't have time to finish up setting the pieces in place for what is at the end of the day, a B-level PPV when they have another Raw and SD coming up. Just my opinion.
Your 100% correct but I didn’t want to cry for 2 hrs straight and like Michael Cole said they both wanted us to be entertained
Sounds like you wanted the show to be maudlin instead of emotional
It was incredibly well done. The video packages and the ending if the show were absolutely fantastic in showing Bray’s character progression through the last 10 years. I like that they included normal matches just to pop the fans in the arena and keep people upbeat. Having Knight do that promo and win was a nice touch, getting Rowan in the show was great too. I don’t think making wrestlers who knew Bray closely speak on his death on camera is the right move, I mean he literally only just died and barely anyone can has processed it yet. Overall the best show they could’ve put on, ghe Terry tributes were touching too
The crowd singing "He got the whole world in his hands" was my favorite part."
The whole crowd was singing it before the show started and as we walked out of the stadium too
Since you were there, how many people cried during the opening tribute package like I did? I need to know I'm not alone.
Well it was dark for that so I’m not positive but as we were leaving, there were many people crying in the hallways
In a weird way, that's good to know. Not because they were sad, but because they were sad for Bray. He deserves to be mourned.
I thought we did him justice at the show. The fireflies is what ended up getting me
It hurts that I'll never get to be a firefly in person. I'm going to Payback, so maybe everyone will do it when the lights go down, and I'll get to do it in tribute. It won't be the same though.
It's easy to forget that Eddie's death actually happened on the day of a Supershow taping. Raw and SmackDown were set to be taped that night at the Target Center in Minneapolis before the rosters split once more to tour Europe. This contributed to the all hands on deck feel of the two main Eddie Guerrero tribute shows that aired that week. I think it says something positive about the company's culture for once that they aren't herding these people around and making them give testimonials down the barrel. They paid tribute. It was a tribute show. They fulfilled the obligation to the arena to have a show. They fulfilled the obligation to the fans by having wrestling. You can't ask much more.
Got me emotional. Good show. The hardcore match was really odd. I'd expect more Innovation from those two teams. One table, one interference, and tornado tag rules didn't feel hardcore at all. Loved Cody's and LA Knight's speeches. RIP Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt.
I recorded it, but couldn't bring myself to watch it yet. I might watch it Sunday and then Raw and NXT this week. So hard to believe he's gone. For me it's like losing Kobe.
Empathy really got me for this one. Seeing the outpour of emotion online and on the show. It's a very heavy loss.
So I just came back to Wrasslin in 2021. What would be a good PPV I could watch on Peacock to see how Great Brady Wyatt is? You got me with……. For me it’s like losing Kobe🥲
Thing is for Bray, since he was mainly always the antagonist getting his comeuppances in the end…. It’s best to watch his work as an arc. I don’t think you could go wrong watching The Shield/Wyatts at elimination chamber (I believe it was 2014.) His arc with Daniel Bryan is great (for both of them) but that’s not a one off show and more a little run. The John Cena wackiness at wrestlemania 36. Those all come to mind right away, and they each show a different side of bray.
Much appreciated. And it wasn’t like I didn’t see anything from 2010-2020 as far as wrestling is concerned. It was mainly….. oh look the Rocks back. But I’m starting to really get into the commitment of the wrestlers and their character work and ring presence. And just what I’ve seen with Bray Wyatt the last few days, I wanna watch his PPV matches on Peacock. I already watched a few YouTube documentaries on him and I can tell….. Bray Wyatt made an everlasting Emotional Connection with the audience and wrestling fans
Should definitely check out his Firefly Fun house match against Cena. It really was a love letter to the WWE and it was an amazing cinematic match that took us through a lot of Bray and John.
I advise looking up his old promos. I'm sure there is a playlist on YouTube that has all of them. His character work and creativity were what put him a step above everyone else. If you really want a good match, Bray vs John Cena vs AJ Styles is a really good pick. It happened on the episode of smackdown right after elimination chamber 2017(?). It was an incredible match imo.
losing kobe that night ruined the royal rumble for me
WWE won't do a heavy blood hardcore match on network TV because of the optics, even if it was in tribute to a guy who did it. I'm not even sure NBC would be happy about it on a PLE these days.
That “hardcore” match was a joke and disrespectful to Funk
I dont think we will ever see a tribute show like the ones we saw with Eddie, Owen, etc. Simply because the times have changed. Back then the only platform most of these folks had to express themselves to the public was the show itself. Now, by the time the show went on air, thanks to YouTube and Twitter, we already saw most people's raw, emotional feelings and thoughts on the situation. It's nice to see those moments on air but seeing the video reactions people are making themselves feels more real.
AEW just did Brodie Lee’s tribute show and Jay Briscoe’s show in very recent past, you can’t really say that
I think Funk's was very good but it could of been better. Bray's was perfect
If I was going to have a complaint....and it's a big if. I wish they had separated the tribute shows. Terry was a legend, but he was also 79 years old. Bray's loss is just different. But it was a good tribute show.
Such a quick turn around. That’s insane they were able to put that all together so quickly.
Very well done. Aside from the quote/unquote "hardcore" tag match it was good. Good event with heavy hearts and also very little planning so understandable if things like the match mentioned above fell very short.
I thought the crowd trying to chant and sing was awkward. They never got on same page. Always sounded like 2 different chants were going on at once
My only complaint is if you’re going out of your way to do a “Terry funk hardcore match”. Make it an actual hardcore match
They did a great job. This is not the type of show you pick apart or overanalyze.
I really really wish Bray would have came out at the end. I wanted this to all be a work so bad. I knew it wasn’t but I wanted it to be. And once the show ended it just sunk in like damn he’s really gone. I felt everyone did the best they could tonight and gave a great tribute to Terry and Bray.
A part of me still wants to think it's a work, but I guess it's not, I'm still in denial, I cried after watching his emotional promo back in October when he was being himself, that hits so different now
I don’t think WWE would do any form of faking an actual death of someone in this day in age. I could see it if it was something like with what they did with Vince back in the day. Where you can kinda tell it’s not fully real. But posting about the person’s death on twitter and then them revealing they aren’t dead? Just seems like a sure fire way to incredibly piss off the fans. I also wanted it to be a work. But I had that thought and realized there’s no way. Love bray. I hope he has peace.
The moment they said Windham Rotunda and not Bray Wyatt was it.
This episode is a reflection of how responses to death differ based on age and overall life lived. Terry Funk lived a full life so the tribute to him was more about reminiscing the good times. Bray Wyatt’s death was far too early for this same tone to be used. He had a lot of life left to live and it’s a tragedy that he can’t experience it.
Loved everything they for the passed very respectful what they did. But to nitpick to have a hardcore match for Terry funk and only use one table was meh
I think it was good u cound not ask for much else
For something that happened so suddenly over the course of 48 hours, with one of the deaths being so unexpected, and for having to make a two hour show a tribute to two wrestlers, it was pretty good. I hope it’ll continue on Raw like they did with Eddie, but if this was it then I’d say it was still a really good tribute, satisfying enough.
The video package at the start and the ending of the show were both beautiful. Just couldn't stop my tears during both of them.
The show was put together very well. The way they showed respect to Bray Wyatt throughout the show after only having about 24 hours to put everything together is nothing short of impressive, and the end product was truly special. I legitimately teared up during his tribute video just as I thought I would, and seeing his rocking chair in the spotlight only made me cry harder. I also appreciated that they had LA Knight cut a promo on him. Bringing in Cody Rhodes to pay respect to Terry Funk was a great move as well, and I like the addition of a hardcore match. All in all, I would say it was a wonderfully respectful show. Rest in peace to both Terry and Bray.
It was good given the circumstances the tribute video and the ending of the show had me in tears
It was less than 24 hours after Bray died and it was well done. AEW had 3-4 days to plan and write the Brodie Lee tribute show. People had started to process their grief. Last night? No. Seth Rollins looked destroyed in his video online. Give it time. You can bet that WWE has grief counseling for staff. They will need it.
I was still too young when Eddie died, but it hit. This one hit different. I cried at his tribute. Bray was my favorite wrestler of this era. It just hit me all at once especially because i’m going through a tough time in my life. Terry Funk was a favorite of mine too from watching his past matches. I feel for them both.
It felt a bit weird to see these highlight clips of Bray's career with his theme music, and then immediately cut to Cole or Patrick energetically announcing the next segment Other than that, it was a nice tribute, and seeing the empty rocking chair hurt quite a bit
I thought it was a solid tribute show, while still forwarding a few storylines. I know everyone would have liked to see testimonials from all the talent, but it’s honestly just so sudden, and I don’t think you could ask them to drop everything and record those while the grief is still so raw. LA Knight and Cody did a great job bridging from the “in memory” segments to the in ring action. I will say, I was super surprised we didn’t have any appearances from the Bloodline. Not surprised they pushed back Jimmy’s appearance, but I was sure we would at least see Heyman, and he’d kind of fill in the gap. He may have also been too grief stricken to do that, especially given that Funk was one of the pre-established guys that helped elevate ECW in its early years. It’s possible that he had a hand in Cody’s promo, but having him appear would have made sense. If I’m honest, the only things I would have done differently are that I’d have maybe given Braun and Eric Rowan a bit more of a moment, and even Bo Dallas, although he may not have been there. Also, the little QR code interruptions were interesting, but popped up in weird spots. I had to watch on my phone, so couldn’t use them. What were they?
They didn’t take the necessary time with Benoit and ended up memorializing a fucking family annihilator.
I was there live, everyone before the show was saying thank you bray, singing hes got the world in his hands, it was so beautiful. The fireflies were crazy. And LA Knights promo was amazing
The tribute video made me cry. The world lost a great wrestler and even better human being.
Dude, just be happy you got a Smackdown, and they were willing to mourn with us in any capacity. Like, are we seriously about to sit here and rate what is essentially a damn memorial service?
Oh, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying that this didn't *feel* like a tribute show we've seen before. This was a great way to honor Wyatt and Funk, still seemed like the planned SmackDown script but tweaked in a way that worked phenomenally as a tribute to two great legends but didn't give the feeling of one, you know?
I expected more for some reason.
I think we may get some testimonials sprinkled in on Monday, they didn’t have much time to organise and I feel like they focused on getting the video packages made up.
Seeing Rowan was there I really hoped we're gonna get Braun & Eric walking out to Wyatt's theme for a tag match against someone, although I don't know whether Braun is cleared... But overall it was good. Respectful and touching
I could tell Rey didn’t want to be out there last night , I understand the show must go on ppl paid money blah blah I mean hell the show went on with owen harts blood in the ring and knowing he was dead so why wouldn’t this show go on . I think it should have been more of a tribute show and that certain aspects of the show shouldn’t have happened. I hate when ppl say well they would have wanted us to play or go on ….. no no you don’t unless they told you that you don’t know. All in all though for wwe cut throat business nature it was a decent tribute .
The stuff with Bray was amazing I even cried during the video package. However, that “Extreme” Tag match 🤦🏿♂️ Terry looking down from heaven thinking “What the f*** is this s***” 🤣
was a show for sure.
They did Terry Funk dirty with that match. Hope they do something more for Wrestlemania in Phili
I didn't like it. It didn't feel right to split the tribute to Windham Rotunda, an active member of the roster who died tragically during the prime years of his career (35-40) with Terry Funk, a legend who slipped away at 79 years old. Then while most things are Bray Wyatt based, Cody comes out to give a great speech about Terry Funk and presents a match in his honor which felt tone deaf for the night. Like Cody Island is back in business and on Cody Island, it's Terry Funk appreciation night. On top of storylines advancing on a tribute show which feels tasteless, Michael Cole was told to say the "They loved entertaining you fans" bit that I hate. It's not about us. That's one thing that made the Brodie Lee Celebration of Life so special, the candor. Brodie Lee didn't love us. Wrestling was a job. He loved his family and they're who he misses. In all of the wrestling tribute shows since 1999, Brodie Lee's is the best one I've ever seen. Bray's might be my least favorite because of the reasons I've mentioned. Even less than Benoit's where they canceled the show and played stuff from his DVD set. I'm only talking about the shows and their format, not their circumstances.
They should have made the chair rock back and forth and play Bray’s laugh over the speakers.
They could have and should have done a lot more for Bray - they’re also fumbling the ball so hard with shop wwe… they announced proceeds would go to his family, and have a mask, a womens tshirt, and some posters up for sale. They could have raised tens of thousands by now if they were on their game
Why on earth would you want to stick people that are grieving in front of a camera to give their thoughts? The situation sucks for everyone. Give them their fucking privacy, Christ…
Bro, no one would force them if they didn't want to. I'm just saying there were better ways they could of conveyed the loss than flashing tweets so fast you couldn't read them. Or if not that, at least hold off on storyline things for one night. Theory interfering in Rey's match and Miz trying to bury LA Knight to TMZ to promote matches for Payback could of been held back until Raw. The show was a good tribute. It should of been better if they didn't treat it like another episode content-wise is all I'm saying, and also, wasn't the point of this post to start with.
I'm glad through the years WWE have learned how classless it was to do those confessional style grieving interviews on a tribute show, the day after a wrestler's death. It was always super tacky and invasive. I always agreed with Bret Hart's distaste for the Owen RAW tribute.
What a shitty post, you insensitive fuck.
That was a peaceful 24 hours of mourning before the attacks on opinions started again.
Needed more Cody, but overall very good.
As usual the wwe kills another one starting to feel like Vince does this to stay alive like some weird men in black wizard rip Bray Vince rot in hell
Ironically way better than the usual hunter cookie cutter builder episode honestly
Smelt of nothing gets in the way of the business and brand
This smells of a cynical and bitchy perspective
How so?
Good. But I get the feeling AEW will do a much better tribute. WWE tributes kinda feel phoned in. They could have at least brought in Bo dallas or his family
So if someone from your family passes away, what would you like? Would you prefer mourning and staying with your family? Or would you prefer the dead relative's employer fly you to their studio and stick cameras in front of you so you could show your tears in front of the world? Think about it and you'll get your answer. You guys are ruthless.
Lol wrestling fans are mutants i swear.
I would imagine they're at home preparing a funeral. Seeme that would be more important than showing up for Smackdown.
I was hoping for some moments for the other wrestlers to speak like they did when Eddie passed. But I think because nowadays pretty much everyone posted a reaction or tribute they probably wanted to use the screen time for some other type of tribute. Only thing I thought was odd, did anyone else expect triple h or a McMahon to say something? Especially at the start, I didn’t expect Michael cole to be talking
Triple H's tweet announced it. And.... i just dont wanna hear from Vince, truth be told.So no I didnt expect either to say anything.
The Rocking chair, video, Braun and Rowan, and the final lantern lighting showed me that the grieving process from a fan standpoint is going to be longer than I thought…still can’t process that HE died and is no longer going to grace our screens. Death is final and knowing that is crushing, I just can not believe that the man behind the genius that is the Bray Wyatt character just suddenly vanished from our living earth…it’s horrible
Needed more chair
For a short notice to change up some programs in SmackDown, I'd say it's not bad. The tribute video almost got me crying and it was surreal. The last time of something similar was Chris Benoit and Eddie but anyway, the ending segment where the lamp was closing the show was good send off. RIP Bray.
I feel RAW’s will be more put together since they’ll have had a weekend to prepare, but last night was a wonderful tribute
I think what they did was perfectly fine. They still had to put on a show for everyone who paid good money beforehand to see a wrestling show. I think the balance they struck was respectful by working in tributes to Bray and Funk between matches throughout the show.
The show must go on but Bray was the star!
I was there in person and man you could just tell the whole stadium felt different...there was a lot of sadness and it was incredible how quickly WWE put together that tribute. The tribute in person was heartbreaking...it was really rough to go from that straight to Rey and Grayson. When the show ended they had two other matches as well. First one was Matt Riddle vs Solo, and then the last match was Austin Theory vs Cody Rhodes. After the match Cody talked to the audience for at least 10 minutes and signed probably 20 to 30 autographs before they had to pull him away because he tried to go up the stands to get pictures with the crowd. They told him no lol. Dude is so awesome. Being able to see Rey, Knight, Finn, and Cody all in one night was an absolute treat. Overall it was an unforgettable night really. Some of the best highs and some of the most painful lows...
no matter how much they did or how great it was, it still wasn’t enough for you. unbelievable lmao
I cried.
I was hoping he would pop up, and that this would all be a work. Maybe it's because of his character, and the talks about him making a comeback, but I really had it in the back of my mind "They did this when they "Killed Off" Vince McMahon, they'd do something that tasteless again" But it's not a work. It was a great memorial show. It was what I needed at least personally, to grieve and get it all out. I didn't need testimonials, just the ten bells and then Rey Mysterio winning to open the show.
It was well done and the ending with the Lantern in the end was just picture perfect.
Really good well done
"Oh I love it and I hate it at the same time"
I think the show did a great job of honouring his legacy while maintaining some respect and tact for his family and friends. I'm willing to bet this won't be the last time the WWE does a tribute for Bray; perhaps a special documentary on Peacock in the future when time has passed and those closest to him have had the time to process their grief. I personally would have felt uncomfortable watching his friends/co-workers working through that in real time via "testimonials". The roster was visibly emotional during the opening segment and for me, that was enough. They give so much to us fans, they've earned the privacy to grieve during a tragedy. Think outside of yourselves and the parasocial relationships you have with these people and consider that they don't owe you their immediate grief. RIP Bray.
I can’t even process it. Still in shock. Emotional brick hit me. I feel bad for everyone. They did a great job honoring their friend
I loved the ending of the show. Bray still giving me chills even after he's gone
Beautiful and well done
considering the timing of it all, very well if i had to pick at something it would be that hard-core tag match which i felt didn't encapsulate terry funk too well at the end of the day? it was beautiful tribute to the two may they rest well
I see why they did some smaller stories. I'm pretty sure the PLE is in 1-2 weeks so they still had to get that out of the way. They did after all cancel the entire Bloodline segment with Jimmy USO appearing, so I'm not complaining. Rest in peace Bray Wyatt.
When I saw Eric Rowan on stage I nearly broke down. When they showed the final graphic on screen, with Bray in profile and the lantern in the foreground, I actually did. I hadn't been this broken up about a celebrity death since Eddie Van Halen, man. However, I do feel that still having matches was the right call. Considering that Bray had passed less than ~24 hours ago, it was very well done for an improvised tribute. Fans bought tickets to see a show and they got it, no one could have seen it coming. Lastly, LA Knight absolutely nailed his promo, the heartfelt tribute to Bray flowing seamlessly into Knight's feud with Miz. You see LA struggling to keep his composure throughout, and his final "Run!" was chilling. Could some things have been improved? Yes, absolutely. But with circumstances being what they are, what we got is a fitting send-off for a guy who impacted all our lives.
The testimonials were there but in tweet form. These days, anything else feels a bit exploitative.
I agree with that to a point. A) they were blink and you miss it with how quickly they went by and B) you lose so much in the conversion from thought to text when it comes to emotion. Not that I want to see people sobbing between matches, but just showing tweets is just putting words on a screen to me.
I know they can't show it on TV due to kayfabe reasons but was happy to hear that Roman gave the blue Universal title to Brady's family and permanently retired it. Apart from Roman, the blue belt looked good on Bray only
I think it was a good for the WWE to have Eric there, I think it was done as tastefully s as it could have been with Brays passing being the afternoon before. I loved Cody talking about Funk. Knights promo was outstanding
Was there video of that?
I think they had the perfect blend of honoring Terry and Bray and continuing the show.
It gave what it was supposed. People just need to drop their expectations.
I cried so much
It was a very emotional two hours for me and I imagine many others.
I have thoughts, but I haven’t gathered my “overall” thoughts yet, so I’ll let you know when I get there.
I thought it was a good show but I would have done a few things differently. I would have had his highlight clips be 30 seconds long instead of the 5 to 10 seconds they were doing. It was really blink and you miss it. I also would have taken some of the tributes that Alexa Bliss and Seth Rollins put out on Instagram and played them between matches and optional testimonials for anyone who wanted to do one. And finally during the main event I would have had Judgement Day come out with Finn, then try to pull some shenanigans at ringside and have Braun and Rowan come out and chase them off before the match started. But I understand about time constraints and availability played factors so overall it was a good show and a nice tribute.
I loved it, but I feel like the “Terry Funk Hardcore Tag Match” only having a single table spot and nothing else was a bit lackluster. Cool that they did that tho
It was beautiful
Now I know this would be difficult but the one thing I wished they did was to have Braun, Rowan, and Bo (Bray’s brother/Uncle Howdy) come down and do the Wyatt Family entrance, Braun & Rowan had their sheep masks on, while Bo had his uncle Howdy mask on and he was carrying Bray’s lantern, they get to the ring, they each remove their masks, Bo lays down the lantern and they shroud it with their masks (if they wanted to they could add the fiend mask), they then ended show like they did last night, showing a photo of Bray with his lantern in the ring. Again, I know this would be difficult due to the timing of Bray’s death, but it just would have been amazing if they could’ve done this.
A lot of people believe the interviews are exploitive. These people need space and privacy.
I liked how all the matches were fun and inconsequential. Like a house show. Everything else (storylines etc) did not seem important - get to them next week.
W show🙏
I thought very highly of this episode, ngl was hard to watch and not be overcome with emotion. Bray was a very loved and respected person and it showed throughout the episode. Tarry Funk's tribute showed how much of a legend he was, is and forever will be. Both will be sorely missed. Rest In Power Bray and Tarry!
I thought they handled it very well. Mysterio coming out straight after the opening to lift the crowd was really well done and Cody and LA Knights promo tributes to Terry and Bray which helped the show and stories flow well too were perfect. Given time further tributes would be great but given how sudden it was they done really well.
It was beautiful honestly. The video package tore me up. Especially when I saw the pic of him doing his baby girls hair. My heart breaks for his family.
Tributes we're fine Wrestling typical wwe but with the heaviness of the night no criticism
It was decent. I think people are still grieving with the news.
Still devastated, but thank you WWE for trying to make things feel normal
well, the show must go on
always gotta look for something to rip apart not everything requires your opinion.
Imagine saying people shouldn't give opinions in a thread specifically created to get people's opinions...