Do you remember when Big Show and Randy Orton wrestled at Extreme Rules six months ago? No? And Cena-Del Rio was one of the lowest buyrates in the history of the company (Vengeance '11) but they're wrestling on multiple PPVs two years later?
Are they just trying to not sell PPVs at this point?
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy with them. They get the bulk of their money from TV rights fees now, so they ignore PPV revenues and then blame declining PPV revenues on the PPV market dying. This conveniently ignores UFC doubling their average buyrate on a monthly basis and boxing still making hundreds of millions off PPV even with the sport in the state that it's in today. But that's the thinking they have, which is why it's REALLY important to get the Network up and running so they can jettison that PPV anchor that's been weighing them down, ya know.
I was reading an old Observer and Wrestle War '91 did more buys than this year's Summerslam (At least in the US). The WWE just doesn't put out a product that is worth the money.
ReplyDeleteBetter not be the Sin Cara T-shirt Scott has...
ReplyDeleteWWE: we'll do whatever we want and you'll like it.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually really insulting. It's as if they resent the loyal fans who fork out hundreds of dollars on ppvs a year even though the product has vastly declined. I can't think of another business model where they would get away with treating loyal customers so badly.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that as much as what you get on PPV isn't different/special enough from what you get on Raw to warrant spending $40 or $50.
ReplyDeleteAll good news I guess. I still think Sin Cara is redeemable, just need to let him wrestle his lucha style and match him up with the guys on the roster who can wrestle that style. Bring up Kalisto to feud with him or something, they could steal the show. I look back at the awesome Mistico matches and just can't believe he doesn't have any of that left in him still.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya on Mistico. I was so excited to see him come in, but what a let down. At least he's been useful to laugh at?
ReplyDeleteOn my cable survivor series is $65!
ReplyDeleteI think Vince actually thinks Big Show is still a viable main eventer. He wants people to buy the the "spectacle".
ReplyDeleteYou mean by being the 3rd person on the roster to get injured the most, yeah it can be funny.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing Calisto. He'll be everything Sin Cara wasn't. The WWE's big mistake with Sin Cara was bringing him up to the main roster without spending time in developmental to learning to adapt his lucha style to the WWE style.
ReplyDeleteIf I was an active www guy, I'd be gun shy about doing any kind of non wwe media stuff...Bryans smart and seems good at toeing the company line but it only takes one fuck up to get "Zigglered" apparently.
ReplyDeleteSteve Austin's a pretty friendly interview, though, outside of asking Samoa Joe why they don't just give him the damn belt and run with it, which Joe wisely shrugged off.
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated note if any of you think that I'm overdoing any word or gimmick, feel free to say that I'm Fandangoing or something.
ReplyDeleteless injury, more "lol, botch cara"
ReplyDeleteYea, I've never really heard most of Austins pods and he doesnt really push someone on an issue they aernt comfortable with...just more of a general statement I guess.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that one.
ReplyDeleteI may have heard about that on Wrestlecrap before.
ReplyDeleteWWE stands for "What We Enjoy". And they go out of their way to make sure their audience knows that "we" means Vince.
ReplyDeleteI think the point Wade Keller made on Steve Austin's podcast can't be emphasized enough: On raw 2 weeks ago the WWE CHAMPION was in a match, and out of sheer boredom, the fans decided to start random chants.
ReplyDeleteSteve Austin's got a damn good interview talent for allowing you to step away from personal things you don't wanna discuss (but going with you Howard Stern style if you chose to speak), yet still getting some really cool stories out of people.
ReplyDeleteJust in case this hasn't been posted yet... http://www.wwe.com/videos/the-fabulous-3birds-vs-the-prime-time-players-wwecom-exclusive-nov-22-2013-26165900
ReplyDeleteThats what the wrestling medium has become
ReplyDeleteIf they are going to use free PPVs as incentive for people the get the network, seems like they should start putting more effort in putting on PPVs that people want to watch.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the Austin/Bryan podcast. I think I remember Austin saying the WWE/Bryan called him for advice on the authority angle this summer/fall (or I'm making it up). Either way, Bryan was one of the best on AOW and was also good when doing local media before one of the semi-recent Philly Raw's.
ReplyDeleteJLB: "Michael lost a lot of weight.....like 300lbs"
ReplyDeleteIts us old timers that don't want to let the "ppv=prestige show" idea die. I don't really understand the logic with the people that bitch about getting a big match on Raw for free instead of on a ppv they were probably not going to order anyway. And with all the pirating of ppvs? I don't blame them for letting the idea dwindle. The only people to blame for lackluster ppvs still being cranked out monthly are the dweebs who buy them dutifully every month. If the non-essential ppvs get low sold enough they'll go away. But if they can make a handful of bucks selling a bunch of rematches from Raw on ppv every month? Who can blame them for phoning it in? Take away the demand, not the supply.
ReplyDeleteFuck that!!
ReplyDeleteMost entertaining match/commentary I've seen in a while.. of course it only aired on the website..
ReplyDeleteI'm still pissed that at the last second a house show card was changed last year in my hometown from a CM Punk-Daniel Bryan submission match to a John Cena-Big Show cage match. I walked out before that atrocity of a main event took place.
ReplyDeleteBecause matches with no build for free on Raw <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< matches with four weeks of build and you have to pay for on PPV.
ReplyDeleteWhen PPV's were the focus, it allowed for more long term planning, better storylines and better payoffs. But with everything being given away for free on Raw with no buildup, the matches and overall product suffer. They have no meaning and lead to the crowd just chanting random crap until the finishing sequence kicks in.
I LOVE the idea of calling up some people from the past to help out with the newer generation of wrestlers. DDP doing some yoga, and inspirational work, Mickie James get to bump around for a while, just great stuff.
ReplyDeleteMine too. WTF... I wouldn't pay $65 for front tow seats with that shit card.
ReplyDeleteThe Austin - Keller podcast was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI've mentioned this multiple times, people have found ways to get around paying for PPV's for years. I saw Royal Rumble 92 a day or 2 after the event. My parents friends had a gigantic dish (younger posters won't remember those) and taped the show on VHS for me. During the entire Attitude Era I went to a horse track that charged exactly $1 for admission and they screened the wrestling PPV's. Although Dougie denies that they existed, I still think just as many if not more people watched PPV's on black cable boxes. If the product sucks people aren't ordering the shows. Someone below mentioned Austin's podcast with Wade Keller. Keller breaks down exactly what is wrong with WWE towards the end of the podcast, I highly suggest a listen.
ReplyDeleteLove Bryan, but I don't expect it to be a great interview. Neither wants to burn their bridge with WWE, so don't expect anything earth shattering.
ReplyDeleteThey've established that wins and loses don't matter. They've devalued the title to the point where they pretty openly acknowledge that simply being John Cena is a bigger deal that being a champion. The pay per views are built around straight up wrestling and they've conditioned the audience to not think of the results or the championships being defended as important. So why would you pay to see it?
ReplyDeleteThe wrestling on a Vince Russo pay per view was usually terrible but at least there were so many twists and turns, and stipulations, that there was an incentive to spend money to see what happens next.
Austin's advice: keep HHH a heel so cool and so powerful that no one can even be in his league.
ReplyDeleteBig Show COULD be a viable main eventer. The Bryan/Show/Mark Henry deal was pretty damn good.
ReplyDeleteI saw D-Bry do a panel at the Philly Comic-Con with Ricky Steamboat & he was pretty openly critical of a lot of the shit WWE does... then again, that was in a room full of 50 people (no clue how many people listen to Austin's podcast, probably more than 50), so it's probably quite different.
ReplyDeleteI go to a bar to watch PPVs. But I do that with lots and lots of sports. Entertainments or not. Admittedly I think it's easier in NYC than somewhere way out.
ReplyDelete"The wrestling on a Vince Russo pay per view was usually terrible but at least there were so many twists and turns, and stipulations, that there was an incentive to spend money to see what happens next."
ReplyDeleteNot in WCW or TNA. Ain't nobody dropping money to watch one of those PPV's.
Russo is a bit like Courtney Love. There's some genuine talent there. Truly there is, but without a lens to focus it, it's useless. When she had Kurt sort of producing, she did Live through This, which was great. Then when she had Corgan helping her out, she put out Celebrity Skin. The very moment she decided she didn't need anyone, she can't release anything remotely good.
ReplyDeleteRusso when he had to go through McMahon was at least entertaining as you said. But alone with no lens or filter he's fucking terrible.
Does anyone even know what the plan for the TLC PPV main event is? I honestly don't even see a marketable one they could come up with.at this point. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they have Big Show win by DQ at Survivor series to continue the "awesome" feud.
ReplyDeleteThere was a box in my general vicinity during the Monday Night Wars. We watched every PPV, WWF/WCW/ECW. Sunday nights were crazy.
ReplyDeleteHow right you probably are.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Randy friggin' Orton is the WWE Champion is one of the biggest problems right now. People chanting randomly is not uncommon when he's wrestling.
ReplyDeleteBased on the repeated use of tables the past couple of weeks, I'm betting we're in store for a tables match.
ReplyDeleteYeah that would make since for it to go to Big Show, because his ass isn't going a TLC match. If I were to guess what the TLC match will be, it will be a three way for the tag titles. The Rhoades Bros vs The Shield vs Bryan and Punk. And it will be promoted as the main event. Or maybe thats just wishful thinking.
ReplyDeleteOr as mentioned on the blog a few weeks ago, why not just put Hunico back in the mask, because he's literally NOT DOING ANYTHING right now.
ReplyDelete