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

CastorTroy

Yeah, Truth has been doing the same clueless character for years now, just with different subjects but is still entertaining. Probably helps he doesn't come out and do long promos every week and usually has someone to play off.
Trying to think, when was the last time he got to meet his hero?

Agent Coulson

It was probably in Sioux Falls City when Brock brought him there

leggo

Monokne wrote: »

Disagree strongly here. This is very much a WWE ingrained thing. The idea that you have to have someone as a mid level star for a long period before pushing them is a fallacy. In fact, it is much more effective just to bring someone in with a huge push from the very beginning, if - as is the case with Riddle - they have the talent. That way you are not trying to wash the midcard stink off them. Put it this way, would Brock himself have benefited by spending 18 months in the middle of the card rather than winning the title 4 months after his debut in 2002? Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Warrior, Bray Wyatt, Kane, Undertaker, The Shield...go through any of the guys who got super pushes right out of the gate and ask yourself would they have been bigger stars had they been pushed like Andrade or Gable or Zayn for a year or two first.

That exact push is why they do things differently today. By 2004, just two years later, Brock had done everything he could in WWE and left the company. It was an absolute disaster after they’d entrusted the future in him, with Austin and Rock gone and the likes of Kurt Angle and Triple H ageing. They got lucky that Cena happened to hit big at the same time, but it changed the landscape of wrestling as Brock being the top guy felt more of a natural continuance of the success that came before him, whereas Cena heralded the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era’ that disillusioned a lot of people on the product (hence seeing the rise in the likes of AEW today and creating a need for an alternative).

Now they’ll push someone hard at first to get them over, then ease up and let them settle in the mid-card and see if they rise back to the top by themselves (ala Becky). It’s a frustrating process for fans sometimes, who can fail to see the big picture and somehow continuously forget about how one promo or character adjustment changed everything for Becky, Bryan, Punk and now Bray Wyatt, but it’s a way smarter way to protect the investment they have in these people.

B.A._Baracus

Well leggo it should be noted that lensar was burned out back in the day. According to the man himself "constant hotels and travelling"

One could argue that the mega push added to the work load - which it did - but lensar always sounded like a guy who never wanted a full time role. Heck let's be honest did he even want wrestling back then? He tried to be a football player. MMA fighter then when it was open to him (as he was a mega star) then a part timer in WWE.

They backed the wrong horse back in the day. But were right to give him that insane Goldberg push.

leggo

Think about what you’re saying though: Lesnar didn’t want to be a wrestler, but they should’ve still pushed him. If you’re going to try assess what WWE should do, you have to judge it from their perspective. So as cool and enjoyable as it was to you or me or anyone else is irrelevant. From a business perspective, it’s a disastrous move to invest your future in someone before you even know if they want to do the thing you’re giving them. It makes much more sense to make them a strong commodity at first, but then ease up and let them prove themselves to get back to the top, even if that process is annoying for us sometimes.

B.A._Baracus

Risk vs reward tho.
Many times in WWE they've backed the wrong horse. They weren't to know. They saw somebody, saw a million bucks stamped on them (rightly or wrongly) and they went with it. They took a risk.
You wouldn't have had Goldberg, the mega huge success, if he was slowly built up. Golderg to his own credit says how he cant go 20 minutes.

There is also pulling the trigger at the right time and each wrestlers case is different. Some you build up. Some you can immediately push to the moon. It's like a balance. You can't say only do one, but not the other.

Through out WWE/F many wrestlers have been built up and also pushed to the moon instantly.
Shawn Michaels can be seen as a guy who had to go the long way. Hulk Hogan, the man himself, was strapped to a rocket and sent to the moon instantly. It's called the "mega push" and sometimes you have to do it.

leggo

They don’t though. They’ve done it successfully the other way for 16 years, nearly two decades, now. Cena, Orton, Punk, Bryan, Becky and now Bray are their big stars since then and they all did just fine this way. It didn’t affect them one bit when they took off. Just because something worked two decades ago, in a different century sure with Goldberg, doesn’t mean it has to be done in 2020.

B.A._Baracus

It's apart of the booking playbook. Just like the slow build is.
Just like how WWE love to build a guy up, go for the title, he doesn't win then drop him down the IC level (etc) They are all plays.

If you cannot realise that then you really are set in your own ways.

Sirsok

I'd argue that their initial investment has paid off to be fair.

He with the company the last 7 years which included multiple ppv main events, and it probably their only star that transcends the sport currently

leggo

It has now because he came back, they didn’t make the plan or change their approach with a view to him returning in 10 years. In 2004, he was going to NFL and when he was UFC Heavyweight Champion it seemed impossible he’d come back. If he hadn’t have gotten seriously ill while in UFC, he probably never would’ve but then WWE started to become appealing because he could manage his health and success while still making big money. You can’t plan to push someone on the off-chance that if they leave because they’ve achieved as much as possible and are still in their prime, they’ll later catch a rare degenerative illness that leaves you as their best option for financial gain.

2ndcoming

Sirsok wrote: »

I'd argue that their initial investment has paid off to be fair.

He with the company the last 7 years which included multiple ppv main events, and it probably their only star that transcends the sport currently

In Brock? Yeah for sure it worked out in the end. I don't blame him in the slightest for not wanting to live out of a suitcase when he doesn't need to either. Cena is the only current star that transcends the sport though. Wrestlers known to UFC fans isn't what I'd call transcending the sport. Going on Ellen and Graham Norton and stuff is. Rousey is a bigger name than Brock too and she gets to make her own rules as well.

Lord TSC

Both of the Bella Twins are pregnant.

B.A._Baracus

Lord TSC wrote: »

Both of the Bella Twins are pregnant.

She certainly moved on quickly from John :pac:

Agent Coulson

Isn't Nikki part of the Strictly curse where the dancer dumps their partner for the celeb.

Davy05

Lord TSC wrote: »

Both of the Bella Twins are pregnant.

Sorry lads, i blame myself... I've thought about doing them often enough i think i may have gotten through telepathically!!

Easterly Beasterly

jface187 wrote: »

Was taker not suppose to do one of these "an audience" with shows last year and got it pulled at the last minute because WWE decided it wasn't a good idea.
I know his done a few photo op's at a few conventions. Hopefully, it is a Q&A show.

From what I heard, The Undertaker is confirmed for Dublin later this year and An Audience with Ric Flair is May / June with both being announced soon. Would Flair have as big a draw now?

Monokne

Next step in the Riddle-Lesnar thing put out by WWE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4EiZxkA5F8&feature=youtu.be

Monokne

George Barrios and Michelle Wilson both out at WWE. 2 of the 5 most powerful people, gone, at the same time, with no replacements, a week before the XFL takes Vince's attention away. WOW.

For those who don't know, they are the CFO and CRO - one responsible for the finances of the company, the other responsible for the revenue, both in the company 10 years+ and apparently have done terrific jobs given the company is in its best financial health ever while its creative, ratings, live gates etc are all spiralling downward.

Sounds like one of Vince's neurotic freakouts.

https://corporate.wwe.com/investors/news/press-releases/2020/01-30-2020-213333313

Lord TSC

Stock has dipped badly. 20% knocked off the share price already.

Martin Tyler AgueroooOO

Monokne wrote: »

George Barrios and Michelle Wilson both out at WWE. 2 of the 5 most powerful people, gone, at the same time, with no replacements, a week before the XFL takes Vince's attention away. WOW.

For those who don't know, they are the CFO and CRO - one responsible for the finances of the company, the other responsible for the revenue, both in the company 10 years+ and apparently have done terrific jobs given the company is in its best financial health ever while its creative, ratings, live gates etc are all spiralling downward.

Sounds like one of Vince's neurotic freakouts.

https://corporate.wwe.com/investors/news/press-releases/2020/01-30-2020-213333313

Seems very similar to what is happening at Manchester Utd. Ed Woodward growing the revenue of the club to record highs over the last decade despite the on field, attendances etc dropping.


I wonder what kind of hit the Utd stock price would take if they got rid of Ed Woodward the man responsible for growing that wealth.

Monokne

The strong belief is that they are paying the price for the company not hitting year end projections. As discussed previously, every single metric by which you measure popularity and success is down for WWE - live attendance, TV viewers, youtube numbers, merchandise sales, network subscribers.

The Man United analogy is absolutely perfect. TV rights continue to increase and these carry WWE much the same as PL TV rights and commercial partnerships carry United. Meanwhile United are the worst they've been in decades and WWE's popularity is not far off an all time low.

sky88

i think the united analogy is so true more money than ever but honestly everything is looking down

i really think wrestling in general is at its lowest in popularity ever right now which i don't think itll recover from in the near future

Loughc

sky88 wrote: »

i think the united analogy is so true more money than ever but honestly everything is looking down

i really think wrestling in general is at its lowest in popularity ever right now which i don't think itll recover from in the near future

Wrestling in general is more popular than before. Indies are thriving and selling out. AEW and NXT offer alternatives to the WWE product.

It’s WWE’s popularity is at its lowest since 1995.

sky88

Loughc wrote: »

Wrestling in general is more popular than before. Indies are thriving and selling out. AEW and NXT offer alternatives to the WWE product.

It’s WWE’s popularity is at its lowest since 1995.

sorry meant mainstream theres always going the pocket of fans but lets face it miz reality show gets more viewers than NXT and AEW.

AEW has had plenty of shows not full and NXT would be the same if it was on the road

Loughc

sky88 wrote: »

sorry meant mainstream theres always going the pocket of fans but lets face it miz reality show gets more viewers than NXT and AEW

Miz and Mrs does approx 500k viewers a week. Nxt and AEW consistently do more than that.

sky88

Loughc wrote: »

Miz and Mrs does approx 500k viewers a week. Nxt and AEW consistently do more than that.

ignore that comment im hungover and read the article wrong ha total viewers got me

https://411mania.com/wrestling/wwe-news-miz-mrs-ratings-down-heavily-for-season-two-premiere-latest-upupdowndown/

Still doesnt change my mind on wrestling popularity is way down

outside of the wrestling circle how many people do you know that even keep a general interest in wrestling

Lithium93_

Monokne wrote: »

George Barrios and Michelle Wilson both out at WWE. 2 of the 5 most powerful people, gone, at the same time, with no replacements, a week before the XFL takes Vince's attention away. WOW.

For those who don't know, they are the CFO and CRO - one responsible for the finances of the company, the other responsible for the revenue, both in the company 10 years+ and apparently have done terrific jobs given the company is in its best financial health ever while its creative, ratings, live gates etc are all spiralling downward.

Sounds like one of Vince's neurotic freakouts.

https://corporate.wwe.com/investors/news/press-releases/2020/01-30-2020-213333313

Could something devastating be coming down the track with the next quarter meeting that might've caused Vince to freak like this?

OneEightSeven

More health issues for Bret: https://www.facebook.com/hitmanbrethart/photos/pb.251123314442.-2207520000../10158109484604443/?type=3&theater

Monokne

sky88 wrote: »

sorry meant mainstream theres always going the pocket of fans but lets face it miz reality show gets more viewers than NXT and AEW.

AEW has had plenty of shows not full and NXT would be the same if it was on the road

All of the traditional metrics are near records lows in terms of TV viewership, live event ticket sales, merch, and network number is dropping consistently.

Of course, newer generations likely interact with WWE through other means - youtube etc - so I don't think it is at an all time low. For example, 1992 - 1995 when ratings were similar, Raw was often shot in high school gyms and opera ballrooms, 1 - 2 thousand seat places. I don't think we are there or approaching it.

But that would be the only period in my lifetime that it was less popular than now.

brick tamland

OneEightSeven wrote: »

More health issues for Bret: https://www.facebook.com/hitmanbrethart/photos/pb.251123314442.-2207520000../10158109484604443/?type=3&theater

What he has is about as dangerous as a cold sore.