Wrestling News & Rumours Thread ***NO CHAT***

ThePott

The NJPW TV deal is with Roku on the Roku Channel on their streaming devices.
https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1357343387368648710

Agent Coulson

As I said in the other thread streaming is the way to go however I won't be buying a Roku device to watch this as I already have enough streaming devices I don't need or want another one.

ThePott

Just to say this and of course I can't verify for all but you can get the app for the Roku channel for freeon other devices, just downloaded it onto my Firestick and I'd imagine you could possibly get it on smart tvs and the like.

Now I will say I tested this on stick set to America with a US Vpn but as far as I know they have it on the UK one too so I can test that later.

EDIT- Seems the UK Roku Channel app is strictly UK so unless you have a VPN you might not be able to get it unless you sideload it on a device maybe.

ShagNastii

I think the money argument is pretty disingenuous.

Picture the WWE making a breakthrough in China or India with the New Gen roster and the product at the time. This brings in trillions of dollars. Do we as fans deem it a success? I couldn’t care less where WWE stand financially.

WWE “doing well” doesn’t make me want to tune in to something that does nothing for me.

savemejebus

ShagNastii wrote: »

I think the money argument is pretty disingenuous.

Picture the WWE making a breakthrough in China or India with the New Gen roster and the product at the time. This brings in trillions of dollars. Do we as fans deem it a success? I couldn’t care less where WWE stand financially.

WWE “doing well” doesn’t make me want to tune in to something that does nothing for me.

That's the thing. WWE couldn't care less about you, me and really anyone else who posts here/elsewhere. We aren't the fans that they want/cater to o/ and make BIG money off of.

We are not the target demographic and we never have been.

AEW kind of cater to 'us' but we won't be able to tell if an audience of 'us' can sustain a promotion until the khans get bored and stop backing the promotion. That's if the egos don't make it explode first.

Agent Coulson

Seeing some reports that Bad Bunny is now the biggest selling merch seller on Shop WWE as he now has a partnership to sell his merch with them.


Not a good sign for the wrestlers in a wrestling company when a rapper is outselling them on a wrestling merch site.

beakerjoe

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Seeing some reports that Bad Bunny is now the biggest selling merch seller on Shop WWE as he now has a partnership to sell his merch with them.


Not a good sign for the wrestlers in a wrestling company when a rapper is outselling them on a wrestling merch site.

Not really. If hes as famous stateside as I hear he is, then hes gonna have a lot of fans snapping up his merch, esp if its limited addition.

Wrestling is a very niche market by comparison.

I still think he is ****e though. Hated his performance

LineOfBeauty

savemejebus wrote: »

That's the thing. WWE couldn't care less about you, me and really anyone else who posts here/elsewhere. We aren't the fans that they want/cater to o/ and make BIG money off of.

We are not the target demographic and we never have been.

AEW kind of cater to 'us' but we won't be able to tell if an audience of 'us' can sustain a promotion until the khans get bored and stop backing the promotion. That's if the egos don't make it explode first.

So many things to say to this but right now I'll settle on if you think Tony Khan isn't all in (awful pun) on this company, and isn't someone with real passion for pro wrestling that probably goes way beyond you and I and if you don't think they're gonna get a bigger TV deal next time round then you're wrong.

beakerjoe

LineOfBeauty wrote: »

So many things to say to this but right now I'll settle on if you think Tony Khan isn't all in (awful pun) on this company, and isn't someone with real passion for pro wrestling that probably goes way beyond you and I and if you don't think they're gonna get a bigger TV deal next time round then you're wrong.

Ive also seen very little evidence that egos are at play in AEW. Everyone seems to be pulling in the same direction.

LineOfBeauty

savemejebus wrote: »

WWE as a company are in a boom, they're making money hand over fist. Wasn't this one of their most profitable years ever?

With regard to stars, just gonna paste what i've already said in this thread before.

If they could make stars they'd make one. And if they had one star maybe they'd have gotten a deal as good as UFC's with ESPN+ or wouldn't have to sell the Network at all because they'd have hit their target for Network launch. The "Vince doesn't want stars" is pure galaxy brain stuff.

Lithium93_

Sean Ross Sapp covering the WWE Investors meeting, someone please explain to me, what exactly the flying monkey's that Nick Khan is trying to say/get across.

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1357461239375552515

beakerjoe

LineOfBeauty wrote: »

If they could make stars they'd make one. And if they had one star maybe they'd have gotten a deal as good as UFC's with ESPN+ or wouldn't have to sell the Network at all because they'd have hit their target for Network launch. The "Vince doesn't want stars" is pure galaxy brain stuff.

Do people really believe Vince doesnt want to make stars?

He has spent the best partof a decade trying to make Reigns a star at everyone elses expense. They want stars, they need stars.... they are just woefully unsuccessful at it.

J. Marston

Tyler Reks, remember them? She has transitioned to a woman and is now named Gabbi Tuft.

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/02/former-wwe-superstar-tyler-reks-transitions-into-a-woman-named-gabbi/

Good luck to her.

LineOfBeauty

beakerjoe wrote: »

Do people really believe Vince doesnt want to make stars?

He has spent the best part if a year trying to make Reigns a star at everyone elses expense. They want stars, they need stars.... they are just woefully unsuccessful at it.

Beakerjoe, he's spent the best part of a DECADE trying to make Reigns a star. I'm back here watching some 2014 content and, now with the benefit of hindsight, all of the worst tendancies they leaned into for the Reigns megapush are all present even in 2014! "he doesn't want to make stars" is Stockholm Syndrome level stuff.

beakerjoe

LineOfBeauty wrote: »

Beakerjoe, he's spent the best part of a DECADE trying to make Reigns a star. I'm back here watching some 2014 content and, now with the benefit of hindsight, all of the worst tendancies they leaned into for the Reigns megapush are all present even in 2014! "he doesn't want to make stars" is Stockholm Syndrome level stuff.

I mistyped a year. Was in two minds about writing a decade or six years.

TimesArrow

https://itrwrestling.com/news/smackdown-superstar-steve-cutler-released/

I have never heard tell of him.

Agent Coulson

beakerjoe wrote: »

Do people really believe Vince doesnt want to make stars?

He has spent the best partof a decade trying to make Reigns a star at everyone elses expense. They want stars, they need stars.... they are just woefully unsuccessful at it.

This goes back to the rapper selling more merch on WWE Shop than any wrestler.

Do you think Bad Bunny would out sell Cena, Austin, Hogan?

There is no major single star attraction in the WWE now.

The WWE is the product with some top talent but not must see talent.


Brock is the closed they have to a major crossover star and he is very very very part time.

weareallmarks

In fairness Reigns has been a star for decades. It was the smarts who turned on him. The last show i was at was in dublin and Reigns walked in through the crowd and noone has that much charisma. Work is good. It is only because he turned that people accept him, but he was a star years ago.

Smart fans can ruin this thing for everyone....

beakerjoe wrote: »

I mistyped a year. Was in two minds about writing a decade or six years.

LineOfBeauty

weareallmarks wrote: »

In fairness Reigns has been a star for decades. It was the smarts who turned on him. The last show i was at was in dublin and Reigns walked in through the crowd and noone has that much charisma. Work is good. It is only because he turned that people accept him, but he was a star years ago.

Smart fans can ruin this thing for everyone....

Assuming typo on "decades"

He got over by design in The Shield, but WWE did what they always do when it comes to a face push. They gave him silly comedy material, the constantly put him in "impossible situations" which he always overcame, they shoved him down your throat for the majority of a decade. The best way to illustrate the change in attitude is compare the reaction to Reigns at the Royal Rumble 2014,where the crowd turn on the match in the final stretch but the crowd are behind him. We get a year of a heavy push and by 2015 Rumble the crowd are firmly against him. If McMahon had any notion of how to make a popular face anymore then the momentum he had coming out of 2014 would've carried.

beakerjoe

weareallmarks wrote: »

In fairness Reigns has been a star for decades. It was the smarts who turned on him. The last show i was at was in dublin and Reigns walked in through the crowd and noone has that much charisma. Work is good. It is only because he turned that people accept him, but he was a star years ago.

Smart fans can ruin this thing for everyone....

Id argue he was presented like a star in spite of how people viewed him. He wasnt a star at the time in my eyes.

Id also argue he has only recently made as a star by showing a bigger range in his recent heel turn. He never seemed comfortable in the role of white meat baby face.

LineOfBeauty

beakerjoe wrote: »

Id argue he was presented like a star in spite of how people viewed him. He wasnt a star at the time in my eyes.

Id also argue he has only recently made as a star by showing a bigger range in his recent heel turn. He never seemed comfortable in the role of white meat baby face.

I'd go as far as to say when you hear the reactions Reigns was getting (Rumble 2014,Elimimation Chamber 2014 in trios vs Wyatts) that he should've been a slam dunk, can't miss, money making star. Instead we've gotten the worst version of Reigns career, years of WWE basically waging war on it's own audience with Reigns the battering ram. The guy has so many things going for him, given where he was in 2014, 95 times out of 100 he'd have gotten to the level of a John Cena. Instead we basically got a really extended Deisel run on top.

beakerjoe

LineOfBeauty wrote: »

I'd go as far as to say when you hear the reactions Reigns was getting (Rumble 2014,Elimimation Chamber 2014 in trios vs Wyatts) that he should've been a slam dunk, can't miss, money making star. Instead we've gotten the worst version of Reigns career, years of WWE basically waging war on it's own audience with Reigns the battering ram. The guy has so many things going for him, given where he was in 2014, 95 times out of 100 he'd have gotten to the level of a John Cena. Instead we basically got a really extended Deisel run on top.

I lot of parallels between Cena push and Reigns, arguably similar wrestlers, both got naturally over before their mega push, both mega pushes OTT odds to overcome and insufferable shoehorned comedy.

The circumstances were different though which enabled Cena to eventually be accepted as a star and win over most fans. Cena has a bigger personality IMO which helped him deliver the comedy schtick easier and his on screen personality developed before his push giving him an advantage.

Reigns had zero personality for most part before his push. Giving him the comedy bollox didnt work, very much a square peg for round holes situation.

The era didnt help Reigns either. After unrelenting Cena push, fans didnt want another one and resented him more for it. His 2014 Rumble performance was aided by the fact he was the alternative to the McMahons Batista in the end. By 2015 he was the McMahon pick and the fans rejected him. He wasnt ready to be the man the McMahons wanted him to be (the next Cena).

Hi current personality is much more natural and suited, and hes seemingly enjoying it. He seems much more comfortable in this main event run.

LineOfBeauty

beakerjoe wrote: »

I lot of parallels between Cena push and Reigns, arguably similar wrestlers, both got naturally over before their mega push, both mega pushes OTT odds to overcome and insufferable shoehorned comedy.

The circumstances were different though which enabled Cena to eventually be accepted as a star and win over most fans. Cena has a bigger personality IMO which helped him deliver the comedy schtick easier and his on screen personality developed before his push giving him an advantage.

Reigns had zero personality for most part before his push. Giving him the comedy bollox didnt work, very much a square peg for round holes situation.

The era didnt help Reigns either. After unrelenting Cena push, fans didnt want another one and resented him more for it. His 2014 Rumble performance was aided by the fact he was the alternative to the McMahons Batista in the end. By 2015 he was the McMahon pick and the fans rejected him. He wasnt ready to be the man the McMahons wanted him to be (the next Cena).

Hi current personality is much more natural and suited, and hes seemingly enjoying it. He seems much more comfortable in this main event run.

Completely agree that the circumstances hurt Reigns. Coming right after Cena, a guy WWE fought with their fans on for like 10 years, to have Reigns come right after it, it was too much. And I think a lot of those people, rather than it leading to strong pro/anti reactions for Reigns, were just lethargic with the product at large and have gradually tuned out.

kksaints

LineOfBeauty wrote: »

Completely agree that the circumstances hurt Reigns. Coming right after Cena, a guy WWE fought with their fans on for like 10 years, to have Reigns come right after it, it was too much. And I think a lot of those people, rather than it leading to strong pro/anti reactions for Reigns, were just lethargic with the product at large and have gradually tuned out.

It will be interesting to see the crowd reactions to Regins when they are allowed back in in considerable numbers. His recent work has been excellent and is really the main thing that WWE has going for it atm.

beakerjoe

His current heel turn should have happened after 2015 Mania. 2020 is way too late.

But Vince is a stubborn guy, he knows whats best.

beakerjoe

kksaints wrote: »

It will be interesting to see the crowd reactions to Regins when they are allowed back in in considerable numbers. His recent work has been excellent and is really the main thing that WWE has going for it atm.

I really enjoyed his Jey Uso feud. It got Reigns over ss an evil bastard and elevated Jey Uso. Id love Apollo Crews to turn and side with Heyman and Reigns too. It would instantly elevate him and allow him to show some more personality.

LineOfBeauty

kksaints wrote: »

It will be interesting to see the crowd reactions to Regins when they are allowed back in in considerable numbers. His recent work has been excellent and is really the main thing that WWE has going for it atm.

Honestly I'd imagine they'll be largely positive. The funny thing is the intention really has never changed, Reigns is still presented on a different level to anybody else and they feed guys to him to their own detriment. It's just the method, you can't rally behind "suckering suckatash" but it's much easier to get behind this guy just being a cool heel. I can't say I love all the Reigns stuff, but he is the best thing on Smackdown or Raw right now.

beakerjoe

LineOfBeauty wrote: »

Honestly I'd imagine they'll be largely positive. The funny thing is the intention really has never changed, Reigns is still presented on a different level to anybody else and they feed guys to him to their own detriment. It's just the method, you can't rally behind "suckering suckatash" but it's much easier to get behind this guy just being a cool heel. I can't say I love all the Reigns stuff, but he is the best thing on Smackdown or Raw right now.

The marketing presenation around Reigns (a WWE problem not a Reigns issue) is a big problem. The constant reminders about the "Head of the table" and "Tribal Chief" monkiers drive me nuts. How McMahon and WWE want these unnatural catchphrases repeated every six seconds is counter productive.

LineOfBeauty

beakerjoe wrote: »

The marketing presenation around Reigns (a WWE problem not a Reigns issue) is a big problem. The constant reminders about the "Head of the table" and "Tribal Chief" monkiers drive me nuts. How McMahon and WWE want these unnatural catchphrases repeated every six seconds is counter productive.

I'm watching NXT right now and the commentary keep referring to Scarlett as "The Angel of Death" that's not a pro wrestling nickname, that's the title of a Dan Brown book.

It's dumb WWE speak that, if you haven't watched the product for years so as to numb the senses, contributes so much in making the product non-accessible and feel entirely unnatural to the point where you feel uncomfortable watching it.