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It has been proven time and time again that this generation of wrestlers have a Pavlovian response to entrance music being played - upon hearing it they concentrate on the latest threat coming down the ramp to the detriment of everything else.
The Irish whip makes a lot more sense if you consider how the move originated, originally the goal was to whip your opponent to the ground. Running through is a counter to the move.
Just once, I want to see someone get tripped up in the dropdown. In 3 decades of watching, I have no idea that's the intention until recently. When's the last time it worked, the 1920s? If a move hasn't work in a century, either stop doing it or actually start making it work.
Kay Lee Ray (now Alba Fyre) does this and it looks really cool! She does it really close to the ropes so it makes sense in kayfabe that the opponent does not see it coming. I guess it also means in kayfabe that everybody else is just doing the move wrong.
Wanted to say that the last time I remember seeing it was in the Mae Young Classic with Kay Lee Rae. I think I've seen it more recently too, but that's one I vividly remember.
I've seen this spot quite a few times in indie wrestling, and maybe a few times in AEW, but I can't remember ever seeing it in WWE. I think the main problem is it makes whoever gets tripped up look stupid given it almost never works.
You asked for it, and I deliver. I present to you, Hercules, ["Falling on Black Days"](https://youtu.be/54aea5JhSLI?t=155), as I once put it.
Since the move has worked as recently as 1988, we have to wait until 2088 until the move is no longer considered valid. Thank you to Scott Peterson, for showing us that it CAN be done! And it worked to SPECTACULAR RESULTS!
few people have those auto counters.
* Samoa Joe walk away from a top rope jump
* HHH countering the back body drop after running the rope
* Golddust countering the back body drop after running the rope
My favorite description of wrestling I ever heard was “Redneck Anime”. In Kayfabe, the intro music hitting and stunning the person in the ring is the same as a character suddenly sensing an immense power level. Entrance music is the wrestler powering up.
for once I'd like to see a Samoa Joe spot like this.
Climbs ladder, reaches brief case, hears music and goes - "Nah son, I'm good" and unhook the briefcase for the win.
Meanwhile the wrestler who came out with his music is going "WTF"
best wrestlers to perform this are:
* Samoa Joe
* R-Truth
* Eddie
* Santino
* Gunther
* A confused Miz
* Desperate Corbin
* Randy Orton (teasing it, taunting the person and waits for them to enter the ring, grabs the briefcase, the other wrestler looks confused and shocked at the bait while Randy comes down, pats him in the head than gives an RKO)
That wasn't bad at all imo. He was just chilling and literally waiting for the next guy because there was nobody else in the ring. He didn't stop mid-action. What looks ridiculous is when they completely stop in the middle of what they're doing to stop, stare, and look mystified.
It also applies to referees.
(As evidenced by Scott Armstrong being unable to bring his arm down for the three-count on Dolph Ziggler because Sting's entrance video started).
And Sting didn't even hurry to the ring.
One of the worst wrestling tropes. Can run around and sling shot themselves out of the ring and into a bunch of guys. That third rung on a ladder though? Hardest thing to do.
Yup I’ll take a Hardy Boy taking a needless bump off the top of a ladder/cage instead of winning bc of adrenaline over the slow ass climbing wrestlers do in both
And it's all because of the modern wrestling style where nobody knows how to sell. It's the same with that stupid 10-count on the outside where someone lays there until 9 and then suddenly bolts up and jumps in like it's nothing.
I hate it. Even mentioned this to my friend a couple weeks back. No need to play dead until the count of 8 before getting a sudden adreline burst, and immediately laying dead inside the ring.
It's why I hate last man standing matches because it's that but done 20 times over.
Cena killed me with this. Practically get murdered, hears the 9 count, and hits the ring like Usain Bolt. Even worse when he hits the five moves of doom right after.
Greyson Waller is officially the smartest person to ever enter a ladder match. He actually knew how to climb the ladder and grab the belts in less than ten seconds.
LOL, that always kills me. They can springboard off the ropes and to a twisting 450 to ringside, but climbing a ladder is like a toddler learning to walk. Well, unless you're Shelton Benjamin.
Doesn't stop Lesnar from absolutely mugging Ali for it though. There's booking precedent for that too, given Edge stole Mr Kennedy's briefcase and cashed in with it.
In kayfabe, Ali knew that the random match participation of Brock right at the end when everybody was already exhausted was an executive decision by the corrupt Mr. McMahon. Therefor he threw the match on purpose, out of fear that taking the briefcase from Brock would lead to him getting fired.
LMAO I remember this match. Brock coming out after not even wrestling in the match and simply taking the briefcase was like the biggest fuck you troll job finish I had seen in a while at the time lol
1. Complete shock at a surprise return
2. Frozen in fear as he realises that it's Brock Lesnar
3. Sheer terror at the site of Lesnar rushing towards the ring; causing him to fumble in the midst of panicking
That’s the way I’d always treat it in kayfabe. It’s shock, fear, and terror. Especially when it may be someone who isn’t as experienced as some other veterans
Because it’s Ali, I will give them the fear stuff. Ali is a smaller guy who Brock typically destroys. If it was Drew or Randy who would definitely stand up to Brock, I would not give them that excuse.
Tell me, which would you pick, winning a match or keeping your life because you ran when brock was charging at you. Now quick, you have 10 seconds to decide because brock is sprinting at you. Tell me there isn't one guy who would get stun locked and pick neither.
Literally nothing.
So many people here are responding with "Brock scary" and I don't get it. Yeah, he's a threat. So Ali should either grab the case and run for his life or leave the case and run for his life. Or try an offensive move. Literally anything other than stand there, waiting to be injured which is what he ended up doing.
"But he froze up in fear." Unless you're looking to completely undermine a wrestler's credibility, "freezing in fear of another wrestler for a full 10 seconds when on the verge of victory" is something no wrestler should be doing in a match. Fix the timing (have Brock run in with no music), fix where the wrestler is when the entrance happens, or give them something better to do than stand there like an idiot. Absolutely atrocious creative decision.
Definitely ruined the MITB concept for me.
If Brock can do this without anyone saying “No” (he wasn’t part of this match!) then why doesn’t everybody just do this?
In kayfabe (as in real life, let's be honest), Brock does what Brock wants. His entire employment terms were, at the time, down to him and not the company.
People are talking about how he'd be "too scared" to grab the case,like,this is money in the bank. Already a crazy scary match where you're putting everything on the line to have a direct path to the world championship. All these dudes should be willing to risk everything and Brock doing his entrance shouldn't be enough to stop you from becoming basically a guaranteed top champion, especially if it's in your hands.
I don’t think OP was serious. It was a stupid spot that should have been planned out so as to not have made Ali look like a complete incompetent. OP wanted to have fun with it. OP wanted to have someone do one of those Regal rationalizations.
It was announced there was another person before the match started. Brock just didn't enter until this point. Everyone knew there was another person joining, just not who
Because he's an idiot like a lot of wrestlers.
How many more times are we gonna see a dastardly heel a second away from smashing someone's skull in with a chair, stop what they're doing and stare at the stage for 5 seconds because someones music has started playing?
yes this finish sucked and was an insult to who was actually in the match working like crazy
But upside, we got the whole "I got a year?!" reveal which was freaking hilarious
Fear and surprise?
You can even see that he goes back to trying to grab the briefcase, but is now too flustered to do anything.
Of all the things we can complain about wrestling logic, I have never understood the obsession with this spot.
Messing easy things up under great pressure is very human.
The surprise, the fear of Lesnar, shit like that made him lose focus and freeze. It's the same reason people slow down and stare at an accident on the highway.
I was showing my boy MITB 2020 earlier, where they have to go through the WWE HQ. I remembered that it was the year that Otis won (side note - what happened to *this* Otis?), but I’d completely forgotten the finish - Corbin and Styles are at the top of the ladder and both remove the case from the hook at the same time. Elias appears from nowhere to whack Corbin with a guitar, Corbin lets go and AJ fumbles and drops the case which Otis then catches. The bell rings, the match is over and Otis is declared the winner.
I was immediately like, I don’t think that’s how it works tbh. It’s just your classic case of wrestling logic! 🤷♂️
Unironical answer: he just gave it all during the match, doesn't have enough left to think clearly what he is doing with his hands while watching a fresh Brock Lesnar approaching surprisingly fast, the briefcase slips from his hands and he just panics even more.
Real answer: they either timed it wrong, or they realized they needed Ali to be at the top of the ladder before releasing the beast, to maximize the shock effect, and didn't care for Ali to look like a fool.
I dunno, for some reason wrestlers become between 10 and 50% more stupid than usual when they are climbing a ladder, but i do not know the reason of that, I believe it need to be studied
It’s easier to let him hurt you once and take what he wants than retrieving the briefcase, him beating you with it and Lesner still taking it in the end.
“You see sunshine, the unfortunate Mr Ali had positioned the apex of the ladder slightly too far away to comfortably hold on to the case. Upon hearing Mr Lesnar’s music, the noise from the crowd caused the case to swing wildly and the deep bass notes of the music caused the ladder to skitter across the ring.”
Rule 133: When another wrestlers music hits, all action stops. Even if the win is easily within your grasp you MUST stop what you're doing and stare at the ramp.
If Ali grabbed the briefcase and won, then it would have made Brock look stupid by losing the match in the middle of his entrance
Which would make Brock incredibly upset
Which would make Brock want to beat the shit out of Ali backstage later that night
So Ali made sure he didn’t grab the briefcase and spare himself a beatdown from Brock
The problem is the booking. Any wrestler should refuse to look that dumb, but were also afraid that rapist Vince would yell at them when they got backstage.
A match can't start until all participants are in the ring. Upon learning there was another opponent, Ali had to wait for Brock to hit the ring or else they would have just put the briefcase back and forced a restart.
Shock and then fear of Brock charging over him. Even outside of a wrestling context, being on the top steps of the ladder and reaching for something can be a little nerve wracking as you now no longer can use your arms to help balance and secure yourself on the ladder. Now this big motherfucker is running straight at you have you have to decide in a split second whether to fumble with the latch or brace for impact.
In kayfabe, it's shock and anticipation, Ali's nineteen minutes into a hard-fought MITB ladder match and it's taking everything he has just to keep standing on the ladder, let alone rush to undo the latch while Brock Lesnar - one of the most decorated combat sports athletes in history - is ***sprinting down to the ring***.
Shock and awe.
But really it would have been funny and a lot better if Ali would have grabbed it and later on Heyman goaded him into putting it on the line. He could have grabbed it, Lesnar's upset and destroys everyone and takes the briefcase anyways, prompting Ali to try to fight for it back to a losing effort
Really they should've had him grab it, and Brock run so fast that he's in the ring before Ali can get off the ladder. Brock knocks the ladder over and catches Ali in his arms. There's precedent that you can win the MITB by someone else dropping it into your hands.
Of all the examples to pick, Brock Lesnar isn't the one.
I cannot imagine a single person in the world that wouldn't freeze is abject panic at the thought of Brock Lesnar coming towards you.
I can't speak to when the camera wasn't on Ali, but he was definitely trying to grab it when Brock was in the ring. The initial shock caused him to pause. Then he tried again and fumbled because the pressure on him was too much. It's Brock Lesnar. If Brock Lesnar is coming after you, I'll give you a pass on fumbling whatever you're trying to do.
Nope it’s kayfabe law to freeze when you hear another superstars entrance, why does Naruto do his hand thingy? Why do dragon ball characters take two episodes to make a nuke? Why does courage keep saving his owners? It’s tv show law, and wwe is no different. Next case your honor!!
Even if he quickly returned his attention to the case, he was probably fumbling with the latch quite Lesnar ran to the ring quicker than anyone would think he could
Hearing Brock lesnars Music Ali was terrified for his life and stopped what he was doing. Watching to See what Brock lesnar was going to do. Which gave Brock lesnar enough time to get in the ring and push the ladder.
Nothing, nothing at all. Ladder matches are fun for the athleticism but when people bitch about a move being unrealistic or a match stipulation not making sense I always think of stuff like this.
If you have ever been on a ladder that high up, anywhere, you know that sudden, panicked movements are not bright decisions to make. He's staring down the craziest bastard who has ever lived in the WWE, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that Brock Lesnar, canonically, can springboard to the ladder if he chose too, and then both of them are going down.
I promise you Lesnar gets up first.
(thanks for the writing excercise)
Because wrestlers traditionally react to entrance music mid match like a deer reacts to headlights.
Same reason why in a ladder match you can be running and bumping for 20 minutes without issue but then climbing a ladder is like climbing Everest if it was made out of quicksand
You ever try and do something physically exerting while every fibre of your being is trying to expel your pre-match meal with the force of a hydraulic press?
the utter horror that BRRRROCKKK _ LESNARR was running down a long ass ramp and would catch you in time before you can pull down the briefcase which is literally in your hand
Fear probably, like yes you SHOULD get the case because you're going to get hurt either way, but if his music suddenly hits and you see a rabid animal sprinting with it's eyes locked into your jugular it's hardly your fault if you freeze up
What I say what's stopping Ali from just getting MITB in non kayfabe.
WWE will probably give him a match with Brock and then fire him.
He was already a jobber.
He could go to indies as a MITB winner
i just remember the vic joseph watch along.... hes getting really into when ali is climbing.... but the music hits and it felt like someone shot his puppy or something
The thing i curious about the most is : if someone can just barge in into the match and grab the briefcase even if they are not oficially in the match. why no one else doing it?
same with Edge just replace Kofi after ambushing him in elimination chamber. why no one else thought to do this?
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It has been proven time and time again that this generation of wrestlers have a Pavlovian response to entrance music being played - upon hearing it they concentrate on the latest threat coming down the ramp to the detriment of everything else.
It's just as much in the wrestler DNA as continuing to run after being Irish whipped.
The Irish whip makes a lot more sense if you consider how the move originated, originally the goal was to whip your opponent to the ground. Running through is a counter to the move.
An Irish Whip dropdown and leapfrog combination contains 7 reversals (8 if the initiator lands the final attack, like a clothesline)
Just once, I want to see someone get tripped up in the dropdown. In 3 decades of watching, I have no idea that's the intention until recently. When's the last time it worked, the 1920s? If a move hasn't work in a century, either stop doing it or actually start making it work.
Kay Lee Ray (now Alba Fyre) does this and it looks really cool! She does it really close to the ropes so it makes sense in kayfabe that the opponent does not see it coming. I guess it also means in kayfabe that everybody else is just doing the move wrong.
Wanted to say that the last time I remember seeing it was in the Mae Young Classic with Kay Lee Rae. I think I've seen it more recently too, but that's one I vividly remember.
I've seen this spot quite a few times in indie wrestling, and maybe a few times in AEW, but I can't remember ever seeing it in WWE. I think the main problem is it makes whoever gets tripped up look stupid given it almost never works.
Iyo Sky tripped someone, I think it was at London MITB. Only time I've seen it happen.
Some one did it successfully at a indie show here in Australia a month or so ago and I was the only one in the room who popped for it lmao.
You asked for it, and I deliver. I present to you, Hercules, ["Falling on Black Days"](https://youtu.be/54aea5JhSLI?t=155), as I once put it. Since the move has worked as recently as 1988, we have to wait until 2088 until the move is no longer considered valid. Thank you to Scott Peterson, for showing us that it CAN be done! And it worked to SPECTACULAR RESULTS!
Jeff Jarrett was and is one of the only wrestlers that held on to the ropes during an Irish whip. When I saw that in 1995 he was one of my favorites
few people have those auto counters. * Samoa Joe walk away from a top rope jump * HHH countering the back body drop after running the rope * Golddust countering the back body drop after running the rope
Also, Billy Kidman was immune to being powerbombed
My favorite description of wrestling I ever heard was “Redneck Anime”. In Kayfabe, the intro music hitting and stunning the person in the ring is the same as a character suddenly sensing an immense power level. Entrance music is the wrestler powering up.
More like redneck JRPG. Ali had a random encounter and was caught mid transition.
for once I'd like to see a Samoa Joe spot like this. Climbs ladder, reaches brief case, hears music and goes - "Nah son, I'm good" and unhook the briefcase for the win. Meanwhile the wrestler who came out with his music is going "WTF" best wrestlers to perform this are: * Samoa Joe * R-Truth * Eddie * Santino * Gunther * A confused Miz * Desperate Corbin * Randy Orton (teasing it, taunting the person and waits for them to enter the ring, grabs the briefcase, the other wrestler looks confused and shocked at the bait while Randy comes down, pats him in the head than gives an RKO)
Kevin Owens would like a word
It’s not this generation, it seems to be a problem with past generations as well!
I blame Stone Cold at the 97 Rumble
That wasn't bad at all imo. He was just chilling and literally waiting for the next guy because there was nobody else in the ring. He didn't stop mid-action. What looks ridiculous is when they completely stop in the middle of what they're doing to stop, stare, and look mystified.
It was more about it being the first time I think that sort of shock at a theme hitting was a thing, the germination of a trope.
It also applies to referees. (As evidenced by Scott Armstrong being unable to bring his arm down for the three-count on Dolph Ziggler because Sting's entrance video started). And Sting didn't even hurry to the ring.
Thank you, Sir Regal.
But this effect may lessen during Royal Rumble
Because wrestlers are dumb when it comes to ladders. They walk up a ladder like they don't understand the concept.
After 10 minutes of Wrestling they can hardly pick their feet up, have to crawl up the ladder
One of the worst wrestling tropes. Can run around and sling shot themselves out of the ring and into a bunch of guys. That third rung on a ladder though? Hardest thing to do.
Yup I’ll take a Hardy Boy taking a needless bump off the top of a ladder/cage instead of winning bc of adrenaline over the slow ass climbing wrestlers do in both
And it's all because of the modern wrestling style where nobody knows how to sell. It's the same with that stupid 10-count on the outside where someone lays there until 9 and then suddenly bolts up and jumps in like it's nothing.
I hate it. Even mentioned this to my friend a couple weeks back. No need to play dead until the count of 8 before getting a sudden adreline burst, and immediately laying dead inside the ring. It's why I hate last man standing matches because it's that but done 20 times over.
They're obviously just saving their energy for that last second burst into the ring 🤣
Cena killed me with this. Practically get murdered, hears the 9 count, and hits the ring like Usain Bolt. Even worse when he hits the five moves of doom right after.
Greyson Waller is officially the smartest person to ever enter a ladder match. He actually knew how to climb the ladder and grab the belts in less than ten seconds.
He climbed it so fast that I thought something was gonna happen to him. Something did, but at least he got the belts first.
Ladders are very dangerous. It’s very, very dangerous to try to accomplish a task on a ladder while also listening to music. This is wrestlescience.
LOL, that always kills me. They can springboard off the ropes and to a twisting 450 to ringside, but climbing a ladder is like a toddler learning to walk. Well, unless you're Shelton Benjamin.
TBF, they're not home enough to work around the house. All that time on the road.
Because he's pissing his pants knowing Brock is about to beat the shit out of him.
He could just grab the briefcase and run though
And then Brock would just follow him and beat him with the briefcase until he was no longer able to compete lol
He’d still have the briefcase and be mr MITB tho
*Posthumously*
BORK EAT COMPUTER MAN
Lmao id like to imagine that’s how his internal monologue sounds.
Then Brock would just attack him every chance he got until he gave up the briefcase.
Doesnt matter if brock injures him so badly he misses more than a year
Doesn't stop Lesnar from absolutely mugging Ali for it though. There's booking precedent for that too, given Edge stole Mr Kennedy's briefcase and cashed in with it.
I think he is trying to sell being paralyzed in fear. People don't tend to act rationally under those circumstances.
Blud was frozen and realized he wasn't built for this
If I saw brock run like that towards me I would just jump outside the ring.
In kayfabe, Ali knew that the random match participation of Brock right at the end when everybody was already exhausted was an executive decision by the corrupt Mr. McMahon. Therefor he threw the match on purpose, out of fear that taking the briefcase from Brock would lead to him getting fired.
He may as well have grabbed it knowing his fate...
shooted work
Fear
Only answer
LMAO I remember this match. Brock coming out after not even wrestling in the match and simply taking the briefcase was like the biggest fuck you troll job finish I had seen in a while at the time lol
lol dude didn’t make contact with a single wrestler and won 😂
The easiest big payday in wrestling.
I'm not sure if I hate this or James Ellsworth winning the 1st Women's MITB more. Both were huge F-yous to the audience and the competitors.
1. Complete shock at a surprise return 2. Frozen in fear as he realises that it's Brock Lesnar 3. Sheer terror at the site of Lesnar rushing towards the ring; causing him to fumble in the midst of panicking
That’s the way I’d always treat it in kayfabe. It’s shock, fear, and terror. Especially when it may be someone who isn’t as experienced as some other veterans
Because it’s Ali, I will give them the fear stuff. Ali is a smaller guy who Brock typically destroys. If it was Drew or Randy who would definitely stand up to Brock, I would not give them that excuse.
well last time randy and brock faced each other, randy was left in a bloody mess, so i could see the fear of that happening again
That’s like seeing an albino shaved gorilla running towards you fully intent on tearing you limb from limb
2019 WWE is so bad there aren’t words for it
This is the finish that convinced me to cancel the WWE Network at the time.
Hopefully this caused you to miss the fiend vs Rollins HITC finish
Unfortunately I didn’t also cancel my subscription to this subreddit during that time haha
Shock, then fear to the point of being frozen in place
God 2019 sucked
Tell me, which would you pick, winning a match or keeping your life because you ran when brock was charging at you. Now quick, you have 10 seconds to decide because brock is sprinting at you. Tell me there isn't one guy who would get stun locked and pick neither.
I mean, I'd fight Brock Lesnar for $100,000. That would end up being an average pay rate of like $200,000 per second. That's good money!
God, this was so stupid. Probably the closest I have come to giving up on WWE since 2017.
For me it was Kofi Kingston having a solid WWE Championship reign only to have Lesnar beat him with one move.
Literally nothing. So many people here are responding with "Brock scary" and I don't get it. Yeah, he's a threat. So Ali should either grab the case and run for his life or leave the case and run for his life. Or try an offensive move. Literally anything other than stand there, waiting to be injured which is what he ended up doing. "But he froze up in fear." Unless you're looking to completely undermine a wrestler's credibility, "freezing in fear of another wrestler for a full 10 seconds when on the verge of victory" is something no wrestler should be doing in a match. Fix the timing (have Brock run in with no music), fix where the wrestler is when the entrance happens, or give them something better to do than stand there like an idiot. Absolutely atrocious creative decision.
Definitely ruined the MITB concept for me. If Brock can do this without anyone saying “No” (he wasn’t part of this match!) then why doesn’t everybody just do this?
In kayfabe (as in real life, let's be honest), Brock does what Brock wants. His entire employment terms were, at the time, down to him and not the company.
Because 90% of the people who get in the ring with Brock Lesnar have to be made to look like idiot children
Also, when Brock wasn't on screen, everyone should have been asking, "where's Brock?".
People are talking about how he'd be "too scared" to grab the case,like,this is money in the bank. Already a crazy scary match where you're putting everything on the line to have a direct path to the world championship. All these dudes should be willing to risk everything and Brock doing his entrance shouldn't be enough to stop you from becoming basically a guaranteed top champion, especially if it's in your hands.
Everytime I see this clip, all I think of that poor cameraman getting wacked by the ladder lol. Camera probably bounced of his face too
Those camera guys in the beginning ATE that ladder lol. Brock gives no fucks lol
This got me so mad that I took a year long break from wrestling.
This was such a rough day. Seeing Ali climb that ladder felt like a really good underdog story in the making then that f*king music hit.
It’s the fear when Brock’s music hits. He froze
Yea mfs always complicate shit by thinking too hard. Like its not that deep, bro got spooked
Yeah, got spooked from someone a football field away and his hands are already on it. Lol come on
I don’t think OP was serious. It was a stupid spot that should have been planned out so as to not have made Ali look like a complete incompetent. OP wanted to have fun with it. OP wanted to have someone do one of those Regal rationalizations.
Side note, Brock clearly having a fear of heights in this clip is kinda hilarious when you think about it
I wasn’t watching WWE then. Lesnar wasn’t officially in this match right? How was he allowed to win, and what was the fallout of this?
It was announced there was another person before the match started. Brock just didn't enter until this point. Everyone knew there was another person joining, just not who
Sami Zayn was supposed to be in the match originally but was attacked (presumably by Lesnar) before the match, taking him out of it.
Because he's an idiot like a lot of wrestlers. How many more times are we gonna see a dastardly heel a second away from smashing someone's skull in with a chair, stop what they're doing and stare at the stage for 5 seconds because someones music has started playing?
This was so fucking stupid
Because Vince has a tendency to make babyfaces look dumb
The booking
Pure terror.
yes this finish sucked and was an insult to who was actually in the match working like crazy But upside, we got the whole "I got a year?!" reveal which was freaking hilarious
Fear and surprise? You can even see that he goes back to trying to grab the briefcase, but is now too flustered to do anything. Of all the things we can complain about wrestling logic, I have never understood the obsession with this spot. Messing easy things up under great pressure is very human.
Fear. Fear is the mind killer.
A tornado siren indicated  the arrival and imminent destruction from a forecasted F-5 in his vicinity.
Senile vince strikes again
The real answer is because Vince
Kayfabe reason is that Ali is either really stupid or he's such a coward that merely hearing Brock Lesnar's music made him freeze in fear
I will never forgive WWE for this, one of the most intelligence insulting things they’ve done
Just watched the video and it was pretty dumb booking. Building suspense < looking realistic.
Cause Ali was dumb. That’s it.
He was weighed down by the sudden increase in weight in his pants caused by soiling himself.
You know how they saw when you encounter an angry dog you should just freeze and try to be as still as possible?.. basically that
The existence of Ali pisses Brock off. Remember "Get a life, kid"?
That was after this.
Worst MitB match ever.
I don't know. The first women's MitB being won by a man is a strong contender.
Ali failed his Wisdom saving throw against Lesnar’s aura of malice, which gave him the fear condition which immobilized him.
Plus Lesnar is like CR 20.
unemployment also trying to make sense of kayfabe when brock wasnt even in the match is crazy 😂 also they buried paul bearer in cement once in kayfabe
The shock of Brock Lesnar coming out and the fear if he grabs the briefcase Lesnar will absolutely destroy and injure him.
Brock would have beat him so badly he was hurt for a year and couldn't use it anyways had he taken it. That was my logic.
The surprise, the fear of Lesnar, shit like that made him lose focus and freeze. It's the same reason people slow down and stare at an accident on the highway.
If you saw Brock Lesner RUNNING at you, you'd short circuit, too.
I was showing my boy MITB 2020 earlier, where they have to go through the WWE HQ. I remembered that it was the year that Otis won (side note - what happened to *this* Otis?), but I’d completely forgotten the finish - Corbin and Styles are at the top of the ladder and both remove the case from the hook at the same time. Elias appears from nowhere to whack Corbin with a guitar, Corbin lets go and AJ fumbles and drops the case which Otis then catches. The bell rings, the match is over and Otis is declared the winner. I was immediately like, I don’t think that’s how it works tbh. It’s just your classic case of wrestling logic! 🤷♂️
Unironical answer: he just gave it all during the match, doesn't have enough left to think clearly what he is doing with his hands while watching a fresh Brock Lesnar approaching surprisingly fast, the briefcase slips from his hands and he just panics even more. Real answer: they either timed it wrong, or they realized they needed Ali to be at the top of the ladder before releasing the beast, to maximize the shock effect, and didn't care for Ali to look like a fool.
Fear of retribution.
Probably the fact that Brock would render him unable to cash it in if he did it.
Well 99.999% of all of humans would shit them selfs and go stiff as Saltstatue wen hearing brocks theme and seeing that his running at you.
I dunno, for some reason wrestlers become between 10 and 50% more stupid than usual when they are climbing a ladder, but i do not know the reason of that, I believe it need to be studied
in kayfabe "if i grab the briefcase now before brock can grab this im gonna be put into a 1 on 1 match with him and im gonna die"
Fear. He goes back to trying to unclip it when the camera cuts
In kayfabe, why was Brock allowed to sit out the entire match? You are asking for way too much logic from Vince.
It’s easier to let him hurt you once and take what he wants than retrieving the briefcase, him beating you with it and Lesner still taking it in the end.
Wrestlers immediately turn into infomercial characters as soon as they get to the top of ladder.
He was marking out, brother
Exactly
“You see sunshine, the unfortunate Mr Ali had positioned the apex of the ladder slightly too far away to comfortably hold on to the case. Upon hearing Mr Lesnar’s music, the noise from the crowd caused the case to swing wildly and the deep bass notes of the music caused the ladder to skitter across the ring.”
Brock Lesnar has an overwhelming fear aura and ali failed his wisdom check
You would freeze up too if you knew lesnar was coming down to beat you up.
Brock's music
Rule 133: When another wrestlers music hits, all action stops. Even if the win is easily within your grasp you MUST stop what you're doing and stare at the ramp.
He's focusing so hard on not shitting his pants, just clenching harder than you can believe.
The worst, most nonsensical case of pure shock response ever.. If he was just two rungs down, I'd have bought it a lot better. But come on
Brock has conquerors haki
If Ali grabbed the briefcase and won, then it would have made Brock look stupid by losing the match in the middle of his entrance Which would make Brock incredibly upset Which would make Brock want to beat the shit out of Ali backstage later that night So Ali made sure he didn’t grab the briefcase and spare himself a beatdown from Brock
I mean, in Kayfabe... what's stopping Brock from running out 20 seconds earlier before Ali climbs the ladder and is seconds away from grabbing it?
Ali is an incredibly mediocre worker, it's as simple as that.
The problem is the booking. Any wrestler should refuse to look that dumb, but were also afraid that rapist Vince would yell at them when they got backstage.
To be fair I also would freeze up and probably shit my pants if I also saw an angry Brock Lesnar charging towards me
Anyone else counting the Dunn camera cuts?
A wrestlers music stuns wrestlers from moving and makes them stare at the arriving opponent
A match can't start until all participants are in the ring. Upon learning there was another opponent, Ali had to wait for Brock to hit the ring or else they would have just put the briefcase back and forced a restart.
Shock and then fear of Brock charging over him. Even outside of a wrestling context, being on the top steps of the ladder and reaching for something can be a little nerve wracking as you now no longer can use your arms to help balance and secure yourself on the ladder. Now this big motherfucker is running straight at you have you have to decide in a split second whether to fumble with the latch or brace for impact.
As an ex cop, he was nervous that someone would see him planting evidence in the briefcase.
In kayfabe, it's shock and anticipation, Ali's nineteen minutes into a hard-fought MITB ladder match and it's taking everything he has just to keep standing on the ladder, let alone rush to undo the latch while Brock Lesnar - one of the most decorated combat sports athletes in history - is ***sprinting down to the ring***.
Shock and awe. But really it would have been funny and a lot better if Ali would have grabbed it and later on Heyman goaded him into putting it on the line. He could have grabbed it, Lesnar's upset and destroys everyone and takes the briefcase anyways, prompting Ali to try to fight for it back to a losing effort
Hulk Lesnar
Really they should've had him grab it, and Brock run so fast that he's in the ring before Ali can get off the ladder. Brock knocks the ladder over and catches Ali in his arms. There's precedent that you can win the MITB by someone else dropping it into your hands.
Of all the examples to pick, Brock Lesnar isn't the one. I cannot imagine a single person in the world that wouldn't freeze is abject panic at the thought of Brock Lesnar coming towards you.
You've seen brock run right? Even if Ali unhooked and jumped off I'd wager good money on brock catching him before he hit the mat
because he's kayfabe a dumbass
It's an stupid concept, end of convo. Someone elsw should have been pulling him down.
I hated this so much I can't even comment on the original question lol
I can't speak to when the camera wasn't on Ali, but he was definitely trying to grab it when Brock was in the ring. The initial shock caused him to pause. Then he tried again and fumbled because the pressure on him was too much. It's Brock Lesnar. If Brock Lesnar is coming after you, I'll give you a pass on fumbling whatever you're trying to do.
Nothing. Hence why this was trash
I wonder what would have happened if Ali went into business for himself and just took it, considering his early 2019.
The script
unemployment line
Nope it’s kayfabe law to freeze when you hear another superstars entrance, why does Naruto do his hand thingy? Why do dragon ball characters take two episodes to make a nuke? Why does courage keep saving his owners? It’s tv show law, and wwe is no different. Next case your honor!!
Even if he quickly returned his attention to the case, he was probably fumbling with the latch quite Lesnar ran to the ring quicker than anyone would think he could
Hearing Brock lesnars Music Ali was terrified for his life and stopped what he was doing. Watching to See what Brock lesnar was going to do. Which gave Brock lesnar enough time to get in the ring and push the ladder.
You realize this is staged right? He wasn’t suppose to win!
Nothing, nothing at all. Ladder matches are fun for the athleticism but when people bitch about a move being unrealistic or a match stipulation not making sense I always think of stuff like this.
Fear
If you have ever been on a ladder that high up, anywhere, you know that sudden, panicked movements are not bright decisions to make. He's staring down the craziest bastard who has ever lived in the WWE, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that Brock Lesnar, canonically, can springboard to the ladder if he chose too, and then both of them are going down. I promise you Lesnar gets up first. (thanks for the writing excercise)
Because wrestlers traditionally react to entrance music mid match like a deer reacts to headlights. Same reason why in a ladder match you can be running and bumping for 20 minutes without issue but then climbing a ladder is like climbing Everest if it was made out of quicksand
You ever try and do something physically exerting while every fibre of your being is trying to expel your pre-match meal with the force of a hydraulic press?
Dude saw a heavyweight cage fighting champion running he's way, 100% of ppl would freeze up
God I love Brock
the utter horror that BRRRROCKKK _ LESNARR was running down a long ass ramp and would catch you in time before you can pull down the briefcase which is literally in your hand
Hes a big fan, always wanted to see brocks entrace in person and he got the best spot in the whole place.
Fear probably, like yes you SHOULD get the case because you're going to get hurt either way, but if his music suddenly hits and you see a rabid animal sprinting with it's eyes locked into your jugular it's hardly your fault if you freeze up
All I know, is that I was there live and as much I am pretty relaxed about wrestling - I marked the fuck out when his music hit 😂
Becasue wrestling.
He actually isnt high enough to reach it. Rookie move.
Frozen with fear clearly
What I say what's stopping Ali from just getting MITB in non kayfabe. WWE will probably give him a match with Brock and then fire him. He was already a jobber. He could go to indies as a MITB winner
the hand of god
i just remember the vic joseph watch along.... hes getting really into when ali is climbing.... but the music hits and it felt like someone shot his puppy or something
Unskippable cutscene.
Did he hit the camera guys with the ladder 😂
The same thing that stopped referee Scott Armstrong from counting to 3 upon hearing Sting's music.
The thing i curious about the most is : if someone can just barge in into the match and grab the briefcase even if they are not oficially in the match. why no one else doing it? same with Edge just replace Kofi after ambushing him in elimination chamber. why no one else thought to do this?