Hey Scott!!!
Writing to you once again! I stumbled with an interview of Zack Ryder, where he said that the Kane-Cena-Eve killed his late 2011 momentum and career for good. Among some things, he also mentions he is looking in the future to tweak his character to try regaining that momentum he had once.
I think the damage to the Ryder's character is deeper. Not only did he end up looking like a joke after the whole Kane fiasco, but he's been used pretty much like a jobber ever since, draining the remaining heat he had. Hell, not even the recent "Zackdown" was as well received as some of the stuff he was involved in November-December 2011.
At the same time, since the get-go, things didn't look as bright for him I think. Remember that Raw match where Ryder faced Cena, and if he won, he could go on to face Ziggler at TLC for the US title? Cena wasn't even going to be part of TLC '11, and WWE didn't bother to put over the guy!
Incidentally, as time goes on, I question whether Cena is a backstage manipulator or not, given the alleged Cena/Riley incident, among other issues.
Here's the link to the full interview I was mentioning: http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/2012/07/ 17/wwes-zack-ryder-kane-and- eve-basically-killed-my- career/
Take care and keep up the great work!!!
The Ryder stuff is pretty much beating a dead horse at this point, but that was a really interesting interview with him and much more candid than WWE guys are usually allowed to be. I'm guessing this one wasn't cleared by the PR department. But yeah, he's pretty much done as a major character. They should move him to NXT in the Jinder Mahal role as the quasi-star to make the show seem like a bigger deal.
Can't wait until Raw 2000 when they have Ryder go over Kane to finally pay it off.
ReplyDeleteRyder's so genuine, can't help but want to root for him. A true to life natural babyface.
ReplyDeleteSweet! That's my interview.
ReplyDeleteWon't happen. At RAW 2000, they'll job Zack Ryder to Heath Slater Jr., only to have Kane come out and chokeslam him to hell as he's celebrating.
ReplyDeleteWhat kills me is that the WWE didn't at least take a FLYER on the guy when he was over. For a company that's notorious for trying to do anything to draw money, you'd think they'd at least milk that sucker for all it was worth instead of just... kinda killing it.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I always come back to. I am not a fan of the Zack Ryder character and I think he's sub-par in the ring, but who cares about any of that, young fans were behind this guy and buying his stuff. His US title win was really well received by the live crowd, what harm was there in getting behind the guy and see where it goes? It's simply baffling. Similarly, Santino had that amazing underdog moment at the Chamber ppv/match and was also really well received winning the US title only to immediately go right back to comedy/jobber status except this time he's walking around with a "title/belt". It's not like most folks would seriously want these guys fighting for the World Titles; but to just drop them off a cliff makes me question the thinking behind this company.
ReplyDeleteRyder got his revenge beating Kane in the battle royale on Smackdown.
ReplyDeleteAnd really, put Ryder over Cena as this email suggest? Laughable.
And in the Main Event, 16 time WE (they'll have dropped the "Wrestling" part of the name) Champ Mae Young's Son submits to Aurora Rose's pre-match handshake.
ReplyDelete"Incidentally, as time goes on, I question whether Cena is a backstage manipulator or not, given the alleged Cena/Riley incident, among other issues."
ReplyDeleteI believe he is, especially after the whole Mickie James thing.
Agreed. He's such a likeable guy who obviously has a huge passion for wrestling. It still bums me out that they basically neutered him and crushed him under their boot for the unthinkable crime of getting himself over.
ReplyDeleteTrue, he comes off as such an endearing person. Notice that Zack's big idea for himself didn't involve a big world title push or a main event role --- it was just to be a fun-loving midcarder who often poked fun at himself for his midcard role. I can see why WWE might punish a guy for only coming up with eye-rolling ideas for himself (i.e. Brodus Clay suggesting "Hey, how about I come in as the biggest bad-ass ever and just beat everyone?") but really, punishing Ryder for only wanting to be on TV as a midcarder?
ReplyDeleteI'll be the latest to mention Vince Russo's only good quality as a writer: he comes up with something for everyone, be it main eventer down to jobber. Ryder comes along in 1998 and he's pushed to the absolute moon. Heck, even if Ryder has been doing his gimmick in 2006 when WWE was looking for anything to restart a new attitude era, he would've gotten a big push. Sadly, he came along in the micromanagement writer's room "WWE Universe" era.
You know, personally I think Ryder sucks, but he's a hard guy to root against. Miz is another one like that for me.
ReplyDeleteSomething I hear a lot about with Ryder is "ok, even if you think he sucks you have to admit he was over and why would you not milk that?". I'm wondering if any of *those* people are also begging for AJ to get off their screen and head back to the Divas division (aka Superstars and Raw once a month). The chick is OVER, and why would you not try and make money off that?
Well, so if it did kill his career... why even continue?
ReplyDeletethere is one guy badmouthing him and tons of other guys singing his praises. to me it's obvious the second one is a lot nearer to the truth.
ReplyDeleteWell here's the thing about being a backstage demon, if he's really that good...who would talk shit about him?
ReplyDeleteBut WWE used Brodus' idea...
ReplyDeleteIm ashamed you didnt go for 5 time WE Champ.
ReplyDeleteHow do you make money off of AJ?
ReplyDeleteDoes she run roughshod over the women en route to the title and hold it longer than Bruno!? For what? She would actually be on TV less, so thats a No.
Does she lie on her back and let her get run over with lawnmowers?
Does she get a tshirt and shill the fuck out off that? Maybe, and that would be the real litmus test to she if can make money. Im sure they could make some kind of "Imma crazy chick" shirt and appeal to some emo broad.
The point in all this is that with AJ, there is no real payoff. So how do you really effectively make money off of her?
Ryder is one of the worst 'actors' in wrestling. He looks goofy, his promos/interactions with others are cringeworthy and to me he's one of those guys who makes you embarrassed to be a wrestling fan.
ReplyDeleteHe needs a radical change. They should turn him into a heel Buff Bagwell-type character I think.
People talk shit about Triple H ALL THE TIME. You don't hear about Cena's backstage skeletons NEARLY as much as his.
ReplyDeleteI'm not the most educated person on this subject, but it seems to me that when people talk about "making money" they really mean increasing ppv buys, but that isn't the only way to bring in revenue.
ReplyDeleteJust the other day Scott made a comment about how WWE's ppv revenue used to "destroy" everything else as recently as a few years ago, but then someone posted that in even in 2001, ppv revenue barely edged out TV revenue ($128M to $125M). I'm not sure who's right, but I do know that we're not as knowledgeable on the subject as we like to think.
I think we underestimate how much of their audience is female, and having a popular female act can't hurt. Trish/Lita didn't make Vince as much money as Austin/Rock, but they still "made money" with shirts, calendars, increased female (and male in their case) attention, etc.
I can't prove to you that she'll "make money" and you can't prove to me that she can't. All we can do is look at what we're seeing, and I see a girl who is young, over, and *different*.
Anyway, my point was more aimed at people who dislike Ryder (and there are many) but who still feel that Vince dropped the ball by not running with him. I'm questioning why those people don't use the same logic with AJ.
No matter what I see nothing good in Ryder's future with the E. They had a guy that was completely over and they decided to punish the fans and Ryder because they weren't the ones to tell us to cheer for him. For me he used to be an endearing guy to root for but when he is basically taking part in squash matches now it's hard to care about him. Like someone mentioned with Santino, you had a guy that was being cheered(and was trending worldwide -_-), so the obvious solution would build him up as an underdog and work his way up. Next time he fought? He was jobbed out in about a minute and he wins a title and STILL loses.
ReplyDeleteRyder also made a title interesting! We had an honest to go storyline for the US title going into TLC and he won giving us the payoff. Before then and now it has just been a placeholder. Remember when titles like the IC title could actually headline RAW and become the main event that night? Now belts get hot potatoed around to jobbers now or mid-carders with nothing to do. Ryder is probably the biggest rags to riches to rags character but he is not the only causality right now.
I would like to think the one theory that is floating around would be for him to go to TNA and work his character. I think TNA would at least make him an upper mid-carder with a X Division reign and maybe World Heavyweight run(doubt it). Still though it is pretty much proven that no matter what you accomplish outside of the E, it doesn't mean a thing there. You got a guy like Christian who was in the main event constantly with TNA but now he is pretty much doing the same thing he did in 2005/2006. So even if Ryder did win the big title there, the best he would get in his return to the E is probably one main event on a B PPV and then a US or IC reign again.
Main point I just want to make: He is really determined and I want him to succeed but I don't see it happening.
Females dont draw real money and everything Lita/Trish did that drew money wasnt PG. and plus they were voluptuous/hot.
ReplyDeleteAj has the body/face of a 14 year old. When she was next to Layla on RAW it was sickening how striking bush league she looked next to a real woman.
I wanna see AJ in a big market. I just wanna see the reaction she gets in MSG or Chi now.
He was a heel for the longest time. Nobody bit.
ReplyDeleteThats why he did the video series and it got over. It really turned from jersey shore clueless heel to goofball loveable goof babyface.
He doesnt need to act. He just needs to play an 80s babyface who is in on the joke.
You make money off of AJ by her being the attraction to 9 year old girls that John Cena is to 9 year old boys.
ReplyDeleteThere is nobody else on the roster with the potential to open up this new source of revenue. She is being pushed down everybody's throats so that girls will go on to buy AJ merchandise in bulk.
If WWE remains true to form, I expect to see Heath Slater get a decent push in the months to come. By all accounts, he has really endeared himself to the legends during the last two months of these matches and skits, selling for them like a champ, and has likely earned himself a lot of respect from the management as a result.
ReplyDeleteRyder, on the other hand, has done nothing but undercut management; starting his own PR vehicle, creating a title belt for himself, and basically dictating the way he would be presented. Worse still, he was right.
He will be kept around because he moves merchandise, but his only hope for getting a push is to allow himself to be completely torn down, and then rebuilt in WWE's image.
Then how did Rey Mysterio ever get over?
ReplyDeleteIf AJ starts getting a boo/cheer mix like John Cena, both sides will just feed off the other, and her reaction will get stronger still.
Only problem is, now that's she's booked as management, she isn't the underdog anymore. It will be interesting to see how, or if, she is able to overcome this.
Yeah, which is why Cena>Triple H. I mean, if Triple H was the evil genius people portray him as...why are his critics employed?
ReplyDeleteCena is a once in a lifetime figure. they can try and duplicate that, but Cena is it.
ReplyDeleteAJ is no Cena. And plus SHE HARDLY WRESTLES! So how does she get a boo/yay reaction if all she does is skip and tilt her head to the side?
AJ is not this transcending polarizing figure. She is flavor of the month and once they get tired of writing for her, look out below.
You honestly think AJ is gonna get merch? They dont even get action figures.
ReplyDeleteIf she gets one piece, ill be shocked anymore than that she is fucking vince.
Oh, you didn't know!?
ReplyDeletehttp://april-jeanette.org/2012/07/12/aj-receives-first-ever-wwe-action-figure/
"Females dont draw real money"
ReplyDeleteWhat does that mean? "Real money"? As in the amount? Or that she won't lead to increased ppv buys?
I made the point in my other comment, we act like we understand how this company makes money, but we don't really have the whole picture. We focus on buyrates and ratings cause those are the easiest numbers to digest.
Let's see what matches she's wrestled in the past month or so:
ReplyDeleteWon a battle royale.
Lost a non-title match to Layla
Teamed with CM Punk to beat Daniel Bryan and Kane
Team with Sheamus to beat Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler
Teamed with CM Punk to beat Daniel Bryan and Eve
Teamed with Daniel Bryan to beat Eve and The Miz
That's a lot of not wrestling!
I just hope this doesn't send Zack off the deep end like Matt Hardy.
ReplyDeleteFair enough but I made my point and Im gonna make another one.
ReplyDeleteZack Ryder has a clear defined character. He wanted to be featured on RAW and ultimately get a title shot and did everything outside the box to get noticed and mgmt catipulated.
They buried him afterwards but by then, Zack Ryder was defined as a character.
What is AJs character? She is scorned by Daniel Bryan and now plays mind games with him... and Punk... and Kane for a couple of weeks.
Is she a heel?
Is she a face?
Why should I boo or cheer her? This doesnt make me wanna go buy a AJ shirt. She is an active wrestler, does she book herself in a billion divas titles matches or does she even care anymore now that she is mgmt.
Now she is the GM of RAW, does she go into business for herself? Does she make zany matches for the sake of her being crazy? Why should any male on the roster listen to anything she says?
Is this just a big waste of time? YES!
Ryder was over cuz he had a goal. What is AJs goal? What has been her goal since being dumped by Bryan? She hasn't had one. If she has, it was never made clear.
Women in wrestling are side dishes. Something that tops off the main course. A salad if you weel. Vince just took the salad and made it a main course. Along with Cena Main course and the HHH main course... im gonna throw up.
Whoa whoa whoa.... whoa. Body/face of a 14 year old? So you've never met a woman with an A or B cup bra size? Good lord. I married a gorgeous woman clearly out of my league who only has a B cup. This is the first time I've been disgusted by a The Fuj comment.
ReplyDeleteAnything more than a handful and you're risking a sprain, I sez.
And that face of AJ's is one of a Puerto Rican goddess.
I can't be the only one that thought "actual pics" referred to her fucking Vince, not her action-figure, right?
ReplyDeleteIf AJ is an integral and entertaining part of a show that people continue to watch, she is helping them draw money. She definitely has a lot of fans and "social media followers," so she is clearly contributing to the overall health of the product. That's the way I see things.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's the lack of silicone in her breasts, the fact that she's of Puerto Rican descent, the fact that she's a good wrestler who rarely wrestles, the fact that she is a real-life gamer/comic geek... but there's this almost unnatural dissent about AJ from several critics.
It's just me, but I'm all for prominent female characters, and giving more opportunities for wives/girlfriends to enjoy the show with husbands/boyfriends.
Zach should go to TNA as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteHe is the PERFECT guy for TNA to get. Lots of potential, over with the crowds, never given an opportunity with the WWE. He's not a WWE reject....he's a guy that never got a chance.
It still boggles my mind what they did w/ Ryder. The US Title match between Ryder & Ziggler at the Dec. PPV was one of the best matches of the year and had one of the hottest crowds of the year. A shame really.
By herself she's fine. Compared to other wwe divas she's not as hot.
ReplyDeleteI think vince is trying to win that first emmy for raw. Hey so what if she drags the show to a firey death every time she appears and so what that she can't wrestle, vince and steph tell stories damnit. If vinces favorite movie is hog wild I wouldn't doubt he thinks aj can act. But he also thought the xfl was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteRey mysterio, compared to aj...ouch. rey got over because he's one of the best wrestlers ever plus the mask.
ReplyDeleteOh, okay. I tuned back in around Wrestlemania time, hadn't watched for a number of years.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget though he is super over as a face, so this time a heel turn would be more effective; people actually care who he is now.
They will never have a female fan base. Its professional fucking wrestling. Someone on this blog tried to quote a # from the wwe website that claimed a 45% women audience. I almost died from laughing. Its probably 5% at best. And rolling out aj to stink up the joint is only going to drive new viewers away.
ReplyDeleteUh yeah but don't forget they're telling stories.
ReplyDeleteThere's a few "butter faces" on the roster. And AJ clearly has a very pretty face. I think she's the prettiest looking woman on the active roster.
ReplyDeleteSo, I'm guessing that by your account, hotness is only determined by bra size and NOT by a pretty face, tone body, an ass you could bounce a quarter off of, etc... all of which AJ has.
I disagree. I know women (as in plural) who like or love WWE, so I'm going on my own experiences.
ReplyDeleteNope I said she was fine, but compared to say eve or the other ones ( don't know the names) she's not holding up. Also its time to take big poochie from Nash and stick it on aj.
ReplyDeleteThat is some bizarre logic right there.
ReplyDeleteI have never once met or heard of a female wrestling fan. My own gf tells me its embarassing a watch wrestling and once mockingly asked me in a 7-11 if I was going to buy all the slurpee cups with wrestlers faces on it. (I was about to)
ReplyDeletePro wrestling is probably like heavy metal (I'm not a fan so I could be wrong) just doesn't appeal to women.
It's time for an aj wellness violation.
ReplyDeleteWhich goes to show that people's experiences vary and that maybe you should consider other people's viewpoints and experiences. Or go to Diva-Dirt, a site run by women about WWE divas
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry about that. Ryder seems to have a good head on his shoulders and a healthy amount of humility. Matt really seemed to believe his own hype and that he truly should be the top star in wrestling.
ReplyDelete45% is too high, but 5% is laughably low. Take a look on Twitter, there are a lot of young female fans of WWE (don't ask me how I know...). Sure, the more hardcore fans (the ones that will purchase front row seats for themselves and their kids) are male, but it's ludicrous to ignore how many women/girls (mostly girls) are into the product.
ReplyDeleteAnd everyone personal experience varies. I only know 1 other legit wrestling fan PERIOD, though I've probably got a few closet cases in my life.
See whenever Cena gets bashed on these boards someone will always say, "yeah, but the crowd loves him. Who cares if he's not the best technician & his promos are lame."
ReplyDeleteWell, same goes for Zach Ryder. Maybe his promos & acting aren't great, but the crowd makes lots & lots of noise b/c of him.
I don't like Zack Ryder that much but I have to say, one of his earlier YouTube shows still sticks in my mind and makes me laugh. It's the one when he's struggling to climb over a fence and someone's screaming, "Oh my god! He's getting over!"
ReplyDeleteNever given an opportunity? Really? Tyler Reks has never been given an opportunity, Zack Ryder has main evented RAW and held a title.
ReplyDeleteI was in MSG for Survivor Series last November when "We Want Ryder!" chants dominated the whole opening match AND even started up during Rock's post-show promo. (Which, even at the time, I thought was a bit much.) The dude was OVER.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, if a PPV was held at the Garden next month and Zack somehow made an appearance, I wonder what the reaction from the NYC smarks would be. I personally bet he'd get booed out of the building.
Oh, and AJ is awesome. Beautiful Puerto Rican chick with a distinctive personality who is fully invested in what she does (her being an actual wrestling fan rather than a wannabe model comes through on screen) and is over with the live crowds--- works for me. Though I do agree with those who argue it's not going to be easy to capitalize on her since women's wrestling is a non-starter. Pairing her with Bryan or Dean Ambrose as a heel super-couple (ala Edge/Lita) would have been money. This GM thing though, I dunno.
Ryder was never given the opportunity to continue his success. It wasn't like he got a chance and royally bombed; he was succeeding far above anyone's expectations. And then he was unceremoniously squashed for his trouble. That's not much of an opportunity.
ReplyDeleteWhy does everyone think Ryder to TNA is a good move? He would get paid a third of what he makes now, and there's a logjam at the top right now for stars...he wouldn't be ahead of anyone in the BFG series (except Robbie E) and he doesn't really strike me as an X-Division guy.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone really cares what he's being paid. We're not his accountants.
ReplyDeleteI agree it was cut off, I don't agree he never got a chance or an opportunity though.
ReplyDelete"I think we underestimate how much of their audience is female [...]
ReplyDeletethis.
allegedly more than 1/3 of their audience are girls and women.
you are aware that people have different tastes in who they find attractive?
ReplyDeleteI mean, they are literally thousands of comments online drooling over AJ's looks and how hot the persons commenting think she is.
that was me. and yes, I still think that number is pretty accurate.
ReplyDeletePretty much, but just being more condescending.
ReplyDeleteHe was actually a lot more successful as a heel, those 3 weeks as US Champion aside. Retired Dreamer, retired Helms, got an ECW Title shot, won the Tag Titles as an Edgehead, it's kinda strange.
that's because the WWE wanted him as a heel.
ReplyDeleteuhm... FORMER workers?
ReplyDeletebut even almost all of those go on how he is a great guy etc.
Because he's an evil genius, but Cena is an even eviler genius. I mean, who the fuck is Ken Doane?
ReplyDeleteThis downright angers me. Ryder is everything you should want from your wrestlers, if you're a promotion--hungry, doing whatever he can to get over, and working at improving his character. So what do they do? They punish him. It's bullshit.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't just drop down the card because he wasn't catching on. He didn't lose a feud. He got demolished. He's a classic case of the WWE saying, "Hey fans, fuck you."
Like Scott said, it's hard to think of another business that prides itself on antagonizing it's most loyal fans.
With the recent discussion of how WWE's top babyfaces come across as bullies, it's interesting to note that on the mid & undercard are some REALLY likeable faces who just aren't given the chance to truly catch on and "grab the brass ring"
ReplyDeleteRyder, Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne (if he ever comes back), Christian, and probably a few others who I've long forgotten about all have a real likeability to them, know how to work face and pump the crowd, and DO NOT come off as humongous dickheads. And rather than really utilize them in meaningful ways, they're left to squander in irrelevant shit, and NEVER get ample time for their matches if they ever make ppv.
I'm not saying these guys should be headliners, but fucking MAYBE if they were built up as being important parts of the show they can be used to better build heels who actually do things that are heelish, so when said heels are finally standing across the ring from John Cena or Triple H the top faces won't look like their picking on people who never did anything that bad to anyone.
WWE baffles me
Since you went through the effort of listing the matches. List the match times. more specifically, list the time she was in the ring.
ReplyDeleteDid she score the pinfall?
Was she put over?
Was she featured?
Was she made to look strong in these matches?
Or was each and every match totally and utterly forgettable in the grand scheme of things?
I know women that like wrestling.
ReplyDeleteWould you say 45% of the people you know that like wrestling are female though?
http://i.imgur.com/ru3Yv.gif
ReplyDeletehttp://i.imgur.com/Fm3Z5.gif
AJ is cute.
Layla is hot. MODO.
But those two gifs are either very sad or somebody had lifts/ dug trenches. AJ looks like a baby.
Im dunn. Im over her though.
ReplyDeleteI loved when he got so excited that John Cena was on his show for like 5 seconds.
ReplyDeleteAJ looks much better than Layla.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to look up the match times. But...
ReplyDeleteShe won the battle royale, which may have let to her getting the non-title match with the Divas champ.
She was pinned by Layla, but as a result of a Daniel Bryan distraction, which segued into the announcement that AJ was the referee for Punk/Bryan.
She did the "damage" to Kane that allowed Punk to pin Bryan.
Sheamus Brogue Kicked Ziggler for the pin
AJ pinned Eve, leading to the final confrontation with the MitB WWE title match participants before the PPV.
AJ pinned Eve, leading to the Daniel Bryan proposal, and the wedding that popped a big number on RAW1000.
So, I'd say not forgettable. But, if you want to forget her, as you seem determined to do, you can.
On Mark Henry. And then when Henry got injured they finished out his storyline with Big Show. I can see why they'd laugh it off when that was Brodus' idea for himself.
ReplyDeleteWhat bugs me is that, prior to this Santino run, he was basically written off the main shows and mostly working on Superstars. It should have been RYDER in the goddamn Elimination Chamber. I'm not saying push the guy to the moon, but it's obvious that role was made for him and they just wanted to put Santino in there because in their eyes, Santino should be that guy and not Ryder.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a dog in this fight but, seriously? You have very well heard of a female wrestling fan. A female wrestling fan posts the live threads you comment in every Monday. Duh.
ReplyDeleteI think 20-25 percent is a more generous, REALISTIC number.
ReplyDeleteWell Tyler Reks was in that one Bragging Rights match, that's something!
ReplyDeleteIt comes down to the fact that Vince & Co.'s personalities are much closer to the smug dickheads than the nice guy babyfaces. It says everything that the three biggest babyfaces in his company's history all attacked people who weren't expecting it, trashed their opponents and often their partners, and acted all butt hurt and entitled if they ever lost. Nice guys have no chance in something created in Vince McMahon's image.
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't they? It pays off dividends for them. How antagonized do you feel by them? Still gonna tune in on Monday?
ReplyDeleteSo why would they ever change?
Nope. I watch about half a Raw a month.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, their TV ratings and PPV buys since, say, 2000 seem to disagree.
I'd take AJ over Layla any day.
ReplyDeleteIt's depressing when you put it that way.
ReplyDeleteWhich three are you referring to? Hogan, Rock, Cena? Or did you throw Austin in?
I mean all were/are smug, it's just the context. Austin was up against Vince who it was impossible to have remorse for b/c he was such a villain. So Austin was justified doing whatever to him. Ditto for The Rock against a lot of his bigger foes. Even Cena when up against someone truly despicable (like Edge) would usually have the full crowds support. Now we have impotent heels, and bully faces. Weird dynamic.
Why should any company antagonize their fans/customers? That's not acceptable under any circumstances.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole talk of building stars thing. On WWE's website, they have a "Top 20 Superstars to Never Hold a World Title", and it's such a depressing list as you see guys like Jake Roberts, Ted DiBiase, Davey Boy Smith, Scott Hall, and Roddy Piper on there.
ReplyDeleteSomehow these guys, who are regarded as legends, couldn't do what a doofus like Jack Swagger could? Seriously, they need to retire that World Title, it's embarrassing for someone to be holding that belt and that later in the show hear that Jack Swagger was a former world champ when he's getting squashed by Ryback or Clay in 20 seconds.
That is actually a really astute observation, I've never really thought of it that way -- I think there is quite a bit of truth to it too.
ReplyDeleteI was going for Hogan, Rock, and Austin. And Austin, you'll remember, spent many a year Stunning everyone he encountered, even ones who were supposed to be his friends like Foley or Jim Ross.
ReplyDeleteWhy not? It works well for them. You're still loyal fans. I really don't think there is anything WWE could do to turn you away, so why not? I'd have a laugh at it too.
ReplyDelete1/2 a Raw a month? Wait, so after being insulted, you still tune in for that much? Who wins in that exchange, you or Vince?
ReplyDeleteAnd the ratings and PPVs aren't in a vacuum. People still watch...but with TV, it's not the same method of watching as it used to be (DVR, Streaming) and with PPV...look just because people aren't paying doesn't mean they're not watching.
To be honest, I'm not sure if you're a troll or just a weirdo.
ReplyDeleteWho wins? Aside from CM Punk, who I try to follow, who cares? I don't believe I'm in a showdown with "Vince."
I'm far too committed to be a troll. And harder to define, I like to tell myself.
ReplyDeleteWeirdo? Yeah, that's about right.
I don't know about dramatic words like "showdown" but there's certainly a conflict. You feel antagonized by a product that is pretty much controlled by three people. One of whom is Vince. Antagonizing is a form of conflict...so yeah, why wouldn't Vince continually spit in your face, for shits and giggles, when he knows you're gonna tune in anyway. He has a product that you apparently cannot do without. He wins.
Now we know what would have happened if Ryder's push hadn't been cut off.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7fdJZqXfms
Don't feed the trolls. He's "complain about people complaining guy" and somehow doesn't see the irony/sadness in it.
ReplyDeleteI notice you don't have an excuse for Hogan.
ReplyDeletePushing a young, gifted wrestler who can work the mic and hasn't worn out his welcome with the audience...ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteThe Kane stuff all but killed Ryder... but what finished him off for good was looking like the ultimate geek at WrestleMania, where he got distracted by Eve coming into the ring to cheer him on, got pinned by Miz to lose the match for his team... and then not even figuring out by then that Eve was using him, she kicked him in the BALLZ while the rest of his team just stood there watching. He didn't even exact any sort of revenge against her when he was GM of SmackDown... he's just made out to be a total loser, probably a portrayal of what Vince believes everyone on the Internets is like.
ReplyDeleteWow, totally agreed with Greg. I don't know how you can think Layla is better looking, particularly when you use these pics as evidence! But each to their own.
ReplyDelete(Please tell me you didn't think Lita was hot when she returned last week either...)
Known *TONS* of women who like or liked professional wrestling. When I was in college I had Wrestlemania/Summerslam/Royal Rumble parties every year and the turnout was 50% women. Considering we were having parties of like 50 people or so I think that's pretty good evidence of some female fandom.
ReplyDeleteJust my 2 cents.
I know this is going to sound controversial, but this situation makes me wonder if there is something about Ryder we're just not aware of. I remember when everyone was all verklempt on the net about the WWE not pushing Matt Hardy enough. "Why are they holding him down?" Because he was an immature, delusional douchebag. But we didn't see that.
ReplyDeleteTo be clear I *totally* don't think that's the case with Ryder but I do think the situation isn't quite as simple as "he got over so we'll punish him." Are there a lot of other instances of people getting over who got punished? I'm just trying to think of who there is in WWE that has had a similar experience and I am blanking on names.
litas bewbs. but no.
ReplyDeletestill done.
I wouldn't say 45%. To me it'd range from 20-30% for WWE fans. The reason for that large range is because of women who don't mind exploring their husband's/boyfriend's interest and become fans. I swear--you take a woman to a wrestling event and the atmosphere is just infectious and she digs it. It just depends on how many wrestling geeks (I am one, myself) have a wife/girlfriend at a certain time. With WWE, though, the female percentage is exponentially higher than it is with indies and Impact Wrestling. They appreciated the polished production and more drama provided by WWE.
ReplyDeleteThose parties sound like a little slice of heaven. Honestly, there's nothing better than a hot, young woman who digs wrestling. Most women wrestling fans I know are creative and open-minded on top of things.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if that's the case (to be fair, I am arguing that because I agree with him). WWE's "most loyal" fans, as Dan points out, will watch the product even if they are angered or insulted, as this thread (and well, *every* thread on this blog ;) ) points out.
ReplyDeleteAh, you're back again. No one has yet to explain why they watch a product that they feel insults them on a regular basis. It's a fairly important question. But, we've established that you have a problem with ideas that require more thought than 2 options. You're a binary thinker. That's pretty sad.
ReplyDeleteWait...didn't you also not know what editing means? Maybe that answers the "Why" question for you...because you're a dolt and you'll accept anything fed to you.
Bingo.
ReplyDeleteMeh, Hogan had it easiest, all you needed was a foreigner, or a giant, or a giant foreigner. Also Piper was a huge dick--he hated rock'n'roll!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a Jew, Santa had it coming.
ReplyDeleteAt least Austin's actions fit the character. A big part of his character was his paranoia, especially after Owen broke his neck (which is when he attacked JR), and there were doubts he'd wrestle again. Plus he never rallied the fans in the way Hogan/Cena/Rock did/do. He had the Charles Barkley "I am not a role model" approach.
Compared to The Rock who spouts that Team Bring It/inspirational mantras on his facebook crap, then goes and Rock Bottoms a man left at the alter who never did anything to him.
Regardless of their justification, I just mean my point in a more macro sense: Vince isn't a nice guy, and the characters he gets behind are not nice guys, as judged partially by the fact that even his biggest babyfaces all defined themselves by being assholes.
ReplyDeleteWhereas, look at his characters who have been considered "nice guys":
-Ricky Steamboat. Got a feel good moment once and a brief title run, and then when he came back was given a stupid dragon suit.
-Bret Hart. Got pushed, for sure, but never ran with the top spot for long and was always being pushed aside for someone else. Then when he turned heel he was presented as a whiner who wanted everyone to be uncool like him. Then Montreal.
-Mick Foley. Been treated with the most respect of all the "nice guys" but has been presented as someone who loses a lot and is worthy of getting beat up by everyone.
And I'm sure there's more. So basically, Vince will get behind a "nice guy" at least a little bit, but not nearly as much as he will an asshole. So "nice guys" like Ryder, Kofi, etc. are going to have a hard time overcoming that.
Ok, I see your point more clearly now. When you put it like that, yup, you're absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteTroll on kiddo!
ReplyDeleteThere is no better definition of "troll" than someone that goes, every single day, to a fan site (for a show he does not watch) to tell fans how dumb they are for being fans.
ReplyDeleteAs usual...don't think you know what the word means.
ReplyDeleteTroll on!
ReplyDeleteCue the nonsensical replies in 3...2...1...
ReplyDeleteHey, want me to send you a copy of Oxford's? It would help tremendously. Hey, I'll throw in a thesaurus as a bonus!
Troll on!
ReplyDeletePutz
ReplyDeleteSeriously? Layla a real woman? Seriously? AJ is ten times hotter then Layla. Layla looks like a welfare drag queen.
ReplyDeleteTroll on!
ReplyDeleteCan't read your nonsense.
ReplyDeleteReplying to yourself again.
ReplyDeleteYou can do better. Try harder.
Nah. Putz.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a Putz to me...
ReplyDelete