Long profile from Forbes on Vince McMahon but the most interesting part is that MSG & Comcast are rumored to be trying to buy the company. Vince doesn't play it down, but why would he since it's inflating the stock so much.
I'm pretty sure Vince isn't planning to sell. But man, can you imagine the soulless crap that the show would turn into under a corporation like that? At least Vince understands wrestling.
Actually there was a decent amount of wrestling being shown on MSG in the 80's. Maybe they will go back to showing house shows again if this happened.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely in the camp of hoping the wwe always stays with the McMahons. Like Scott said, it will only get worse if some facless corporate entity takes over.
ReplyDeleteIt would be the death knell for major pro wrestling in the US. We saw what corporate did with WCW. Eventually the same would happen with WWE.
ReplyDeleteGod, I hope this doesn't happen, ever. Wrestling + corporate control = bad hoojoo. If we thought things were bad now...
ReplyDeleteYo Dude, any thoughts on this being a thing that exists?:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-02-10/marvel-disk-wars/the-avengers-anime-and-game-1st-promo-streamed
I could see that over the summer at least. They're always really desperate for content once the NBA and NHL playoffs start and their audience disappears.
ReplyDeleteAgain it would be terrible...though with comcast in charge I bet we'd get an evil wrestler named satellite
ReplyDeleteAlso isn't James Dolan the owner of MSG? God, I can imagine the stupid shit he would put out there. JD & The Straight Shot would perform the opening to Raw each week.
ReplyDeleteCould we get Mark Cuban instead?
ReplyDelete'Come on, COME ON....' - Dixie Carter.
ReplyDeleteYou'd rob a new generation of Ding Dongs, Arachnamen, Firebreakers Chip, and Scorpion's magic tricks? For shame!
ReplyDeletePlease, Comcast, start a new organization and throw it all the money. Herman Cain for President! Former pizza franchise executives have a proven track record.
It's Frederick C. Clifford, the Evil Regulator! And his pal Net Neutrality!
ReplyDeleteI know folks say we need change but come on, as bad as Vince can be, he does understand the business and such. WCW is the ultimate example of what happens when you let folks who don't know or understand the business in charge of things. Bret Hart nailed it that WCW never had a single voice or boss who could cut through the crap and be listened to and that's how it turned into a mess. Frankly, I don't see it happening, no way in Hell is Vince McMahon going to let his beloved company fall into the hands of anyone until he's at least six months in the grave.
ReplyDeleteIt's tough to turn down a 10-figure check.
ReplyDeleteGuys! Here's our chance! Let's all pitch in and buy the WWE! Then we can show the world how to properly run a wrestling company!
ReplyDeleteHELL no.
ReplyDeleteDo I have to come out of my mom's basement or can I skype in?
ReplyDeleteIf Comcast had any self-awareness they'd make themselves the heel. Piece of shit company.
ReplyDeleteWell, once we get the money together, Nah you can totally Skype in.
ReplyDeleteWhy not? With the knowledge between all of us, what could go wrong?
ReplyDeleteSweet...I have a lot of fan fic saved up..we might have some problem with the censors but we will get it worked out......how much do you think it will take to get Trish back?
ReplyDeleteThe GM is a busy sugnal.
ReplyDeleteWasn't there also an Onslaught miniseries after this that finished the whole female Bucky arc?
ReplyDeleteFirst thing that comes to mind is how the WWE network would be handled. Purchased a la carte (which I doubt would happen, as cable companies HATE that term), the price would skyrocket to $25.99 a month. Or it would be pushed as part of a sports subscription like NHL Center Ice or MLB Extra Innings. It would be a huge cash grab for them. Realistically, I can't see Vince selling. So even though Daniel Bryan is going to lose at Wrestlemania, let's all be grateful for the Almighty Vince.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Mark Cuban the go-to guy everyone wants when a sports team is for sale?
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem with an owner like Comcast would be that as soon as the stock showed any inkling of decline, they would immediately shut down the product without hesitation. At least Vince and co. would roll with the punches and ride out the bad times.
ReplyDeleteSo if Christian can sit through an entire episode of "Impact" without suffering a headache, he'll be cleared to wrestle? Well that's one way to use your competitor...
ReplyDeleteThen NESN and DirectTV buy TNA and NOTHING'S AS IT SEEMS.
ReplyDeleteWrestling is both Vince's and HHH's life. I don't see the company being sold for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree it likely isn't going anywhere, you never can really say never.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, he's pretty much done everything humanly possible with wrestling, and has failed miserably at every attempt to move into something else. What else does he need to prove?
Though I doubt it, maybe he's just tired of it all and wants to cash out.
Yeah didn't he take like a 50x repeating German?
ReplyDeleteYou do have to realize that TV shows tend to have a "shelf life" and "seasons" and get canceled once the ratings are down too far.
ReplyDeleteWrestling would have been canceled 20 times by now.
Comcast is the Camp Crystal Lake of corporations; everything vibrant and unique becomes a lifeless shell once the machete is swung
ReplyDeleteImagine if Vince sold to Comcast or something then they fired Triple H.
ReplyDeleteRazor being inducted is a bit weird. But we all know the nWo will be inducted as a group, core 3 and Bischoff are a must, probably Syxx, and maybe another.
ReplyDeleteHe and Steph would get a fat check and get to do whatever the fuck they wanted
ReplyDeleteShoot. I think it'll take more than money at this point. But whatever, as experts...or just people with strong opinions...I'm sure we can figure something out.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if we let her hold the hammer we will use to literally crucify HHH in the middle of the ring? (As we know its what's best for business, amiright?
This is probably the entire reason Comcast wants to buy it, just to shut the Network down for going against traditional cable distribution.
ReplyDeleteGood point, doctor.
ReplyDeleteI really do think that Vince sees this company as his life's work and would never sell. I do think the McMahon family will cash out at some point but it will be long after Vince is gone.
ReplyDeleteNo, pretty sure he didn't....
ReplyDeleteYeah, but you know it would seriously bruise hhh's massive ego.
ReplyDeleteI know they have acting classes in NXT that the wrestlers have to go to, but I have no idea who teaches them, professional acting coaches or just retired wrestlers.
ReplyDeleteI noticed watching him in ROH that he seemed a little slimmer. And I'm not surprised that he passed the endurance drills (something I couldn't do and I'm skinny as hell, fuck I gotta quit smoking...), during his title run he always went 25-30 minutes at the PPVs and didn't look too gassed.
ReplyDeleteThere's really only been one example on a national scale (WCW). And it involved ineptitude at every turn. Making a universal rule based on one 20+ year old example is like saying corporations can't run TV networks because UPN failed.
ReplyDeleteAnd some franchises have lasted for many decades with no end in sight. Plus, a TV show is not meant as a 1:1 comparison, but rather as an example that corporations are capable of producing solid entertainment under the correct circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI think it's silly to believe that only one family is capable of properly running a particular type of business..
I see it more like losing his smile.
ReplyDelete"Years ago he owned a cigarette boat called Sexy Bitch"
ReplyDeleteAwesome. I fucking love Vince.
He's hip with the 30-something's.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, it was only 10. If only I had been exaggerating intentionally.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that Vince would seriously consider selling, but if he does then I'm predicting an even more radical shift away from the traditional wrestling show than we already have, or the outright death of the company after Corporate America realizes that it has no idea what it's purchased, or both.
ReplyDeleteI share the skepticism, but I also agree that a sample size of one is not enough to make a blanket assumption. It's interesting to think about.
ReplyDeleteHHH could book one hell of a promotion. I'd be all in favor of him starting one up if anything happened to him in WWE.
ReplyDeleteIt already barely resembles wrestling these days thanks to Vince hiring more and more people outside the industry.
ReplyDeleteAll of those "decades-long" franchises still have better ratings than wrestling.
ReplyDeleteWCW really only lasted for so long because Turner was a fan. Once control was put into the hands of someone else, they were gone.
And, if you think about it, WCW's worst ratings during that time weren't a whole lot worse than the ratings WWE has today.
Keep in mind, I don't think it's going anywhere, and I'm not really disagreeing with you. I just think that if they're bought out, there's theoretically the possibility that WWE will be at some point in the future.
I'm not anywhere near a Comcast area, but from what I hear about them, this may not be too far from the truth.
ReplyDeleteAh, I see what you did there. Sorry, it didn't read well.
ReplyDeleteDidnt Vince's recent comments more or less say that indeed he would be selling and it wouldent be ran by a McMahon?
ReplyDeleteCan we not broach this subject again? It's to depressing to even think about
ReplyDeleteWhere's that?
ReplyDeleteA thread where people are hoping to keep Stephanie McMahon running WWE. Wow.
ReplyDeleteBetter the devil we know and all that.
ReplyDeleteNew TNA champion!
ReplyDeleteI read the other day that McKeever had a run on Teen Titans where Wonder Dog killed Marvin and paralyzed Wendy. He can fuck right off.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Robocop!
ReplyDeleteI figure that if they did sell Vince would stay on for a period as a consultant, and Stephhh would probably be the first VP's in charge of the day to day.
ReplyDeleteWho else are you going to get to run a wrestling company?
No one could pass that test!
ReplyDeleteEric Bischoff and Jim Herd!
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily. He could take that and he and Strph could start up another promotion or do something in fitness or bodybuilding, which is another Passion of HHH
ReplyDeleteTout, please.
ReplyDeletePeople may associate Bryan and HBK because they trained together, but Punk is this generation's Shawn Michaels.
ReplyDeleteWhich of course means he'll find Jesus, come back in 4 years after the Bray Wyatt led boom-period ends, and put on 5 star matches every WrestleMania.
Wyatt is Austin. Reigns is Rock.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of WrestleMania, have we broached this yet?
ReplyDeletehttp://msn.foxsports.com/buzzer/wrestlemania-part-1
Jim Ross writing a three-part series for Fox Sports on WrestleMania, with the first section dealing with 1 through 9.
Their references don't check out.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was fucking Batista too.
ReplyDeleteComcast buys WWE. WWE shows slight ratings decline. Comcast closes WWE. TNA wins?
ReplyDeleteTune in later for a thread where everyone admits that they don't actually see the appeal of Daniel Bryan or CM Punk.
ReplyDeleteHe'll never be cheered if he keeps on splitting his pants. Unless he gets that over like Shawn stasiak running into walls.
ReplyDeleteDoes Austin get over the same way without Bret to play off of?
ReplyDeleteNO! Thank YOU!
ReplyDeleteIf I or Dougie said it at least a million.
ReplyDeleteHaha well, not exactly, I went on my computer and started playing SimCity 2000 about halfway through, then started paying attention again when I realized the match was almost over and there were still no falls.
ReplyDeleteNot in the same way, but Austin was one of the true A+ stars in wrestling history and would've gotten over somehow. He probably doesn't reach the heights he gets to in 1998 without Mr. McMahon existing though.
ReplyDeleteIs TNA even really a thing any more? I've pretty much stopped thinking of them as a fed, and am just expecting they're circling the drain at this point.
ReplyDeleteDoes mr. McMahon exist without Bret getting screwed in Montreal?
ReplyDeleteNo. Montreal created Mr. McMahon. It was a perfect storm.
ReplyDeletePrime Wrestling was also canceled when STO was bought by Fox.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the Comcast tower in Philly for a year. Beautiful view from the top.
ReplyDeleteWBF 2: The Revenge. This time, we get to hear Hunter on commentary drooling over Gary Strydom!
ReplyDeleteCan we all make it a point to stop calling the writing / booking staff 'Creative'?I personally want to pitch "Sodomy" moving forward.
ReplyDelete"Sodomy refuses to get behind Ziggler."
Honestly, WWE being bought out and HHH/Steph going rogue with a new promo is an appealing scenario. Comcast wouldn't let their $2 billion promotion die, and Steph and HHH (probably) wouldn't be willing to give up on their new promotion so it could possibly lead to some really good competition.
ReplyDeleteI recognize there's like a .0001% chance this could happen, but it's kind of fun to imagine.
I wouldn't be surprised if Bryans victory over H is done like a fluke so when he wins the belt his next opponent is the guy he was "lucky" to beat.
ReplyDeleteThey're going to spend $2 billion on a commodity and then shutter it the second ratings decline?
ReplyDeleteBecause workrate.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that commodity is really the right word here..
ReplyDeleteYou know, as much as we all complain about Vince, Stephanie and HHH and the decisions they make, I wouldn't want anybody else running the WWE. I can see an outside source like Comcast just killing the entire spirit of the WWE and making me tune out for good.
ReplyDeleteFollowed by a thread where everybody agrees The Invasion wasn't that bad.
ReplyDeleteComcast can ruin anything. (Disgruntled former employee)
ReplyDeleteLink please? That would be scary to be honest.
ReplyDeleteOf course! And Chucky, Rick Steiner's major nemesis!
ReplyDeleteI wonder who Comcast would get to book? There aren't a lot of bookers left.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this is Jarrett's promotion?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=84546
Interesting comparison especially since I love both Austin and Wyatt.
ReplyDeleteA Bryan-Triple H rematch is a pretty good headliner for Backlash, no?
ReplyDeleteI actually think that the way to go is Bryan gets a fluke or DQ win against HHH at Mania and gets destroyed after, and then pins Orton for the title in the triple threat.
ReplyDeleteThen Bryan retains against Orton on Raw after Mania (from there Orton can return to his rightful place with ADR in the midcard), and it's Bryan defending against HHH at Extreme Rules. Bryan goes over strongly there, and then it's Bryan defending against Batista over the next few months.
Hopefully Bryan retains against Batista, and they go with either Bryan/Brock or Bryan/Bray Wyatt at Summerslam. Would be a hell of a way to solidify Bryan as a legit babyface champ.
Thought for a way of saving the interest in Brock vs Taker...
ReplyDeleteWhat if Brock straight up "breaks" Taker's arm with the kimura on Monday? Do it in the first segment on Raw and talk about it all night, even question whether Taker will forfeit the match ahead of time. Obviously Taker vows to fight, and therefore he'll have to compete at Mania with only his right arm.
I can't imagine any other way that Brock would seem like even the slightest bit of a threat going into that match, or why anyone would even care to see Taker beat him up again.
Lesnar vs One-Armed Taker!
You don't believe any of that do you?
ReplyDeletepreferably pushing big guys?
ReplyDeleteThey both used that name. Koko used it when he feuded with Bobby Eaton. He was called Sweet Brown Sugar first and then wore a mask as Stagger Lee.
ReplyDeleteNash had nothing to do with it.
ReplyDeleteAt least Vince understands wrestling sportz entertainment
ReplyDeleteftfy
WWF was in a down period long before the nWo came in.
ReplyDeletesee the comments section for a discussion of the inheritance tax as somehow factoring in or something
ReplyDeletehttp://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/317552/Vince-McMahon-Doesn%5C%5Ct-Deny-Rumors-Of-WWE-Sale-In-New-Interview.htm
No.
ReplyDeleteA major complaint is that it's not realistic that Taker could really beat Brock. So you want a one armed Taker to do it?
HHH is much bigger/stronger, plus he's more experienced in big matches. It's just plain logical that he'll dominate a big part of the match, I hope people are willing to accept that.
ReplyDeleteI can already hear the "HHH is burying Daniel!!!" complaints if HHH gets lots of offense in.
James Dolan's already destroyed the Knicks for the forseeable future - he better keep his filthy hands away from Wrestling.
ReplyDeleteHow smoking hot was she in person. Kind of figured you'd mention but you didn't
ReplyDeleteSince Comcast and Time Warner are merging... we would essentially get WCW 2000 again it all too many ways.
ReplyDeleteHe'll bring in Isaiah Thomas to be head of creative...
ReplyDeleteMaybe Christian could reinvent himself as an injury prone superhero called Sicknote?
ReplyDeleteTime Warner Cable was spun off from Time Warner the entertainment company years ago.
ReplyDeleteCompany would be bankrupt in a few years. Remember what Isaiah did to that minor pro basketball league?
ReplyDeleteYea. He's been awful in every role he's held in his non playing career.
ReplyDeleteThe craziest shit is for as bad as he's been, Dolan still consults with him. It's mind boggling
Can't imagine this ever happening with Vince still six feet above the ground. But this doesn't have to be an all-in or nothing deal either. What if Comcast buys up a ton of shares and becomes the de-facto second owner of the company?
ReplyDeleteVince has controlling interest until the day he decides he doesn't want it anymore regardless but if Comcast buys up all the outstanding shares they'll have a strong influence in the company, maybe not in the creative sense but an influence nevertheless. Interesting couple of months coming up that's for sure.
I think it's really stupid to induct matches. That'd be like the MLB HOF inducting a World Series game.
ReplyDeleteWho am I, AJ Grey?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, she was in normal street clothes with her hair tied up (IIRC) -- she didn't look any hotter than any other good-looking blonde. Plus, I was with my then-fiance-now-wife (which would make it early-mid-1999), so it wasn't like I was ogling her or anything.
What does Pat Patterson have to do with this conversation?
ReplyDeleteNever heard of him clearing it with Vince, but as he told the story on jericho's podcast was that when he got back from getting stitched up Hayes told him that Jake cut a religious promo on him while he was gone, and that clicked with him and he came up with Austin 3:16 before going out for the match
ReplyDeleteYeah, but still...
ReplyDeleteUnrelated, finally got my copies of All Star Weekend X, DDT4 2014, and DDT4 2011. Just watched the 2011 show and it was AWESOME. Can't wait to watch the recent shows.
ReplyDeleteNext rumor: the YES Network offers to buy WWE, succeeds, and pushes Daniel Bryan for the next 25 years.
ReplyDeleteIt's killing me that I can't remember where he said it. I do remember him saying specifically that he made sure to get the ok from Vince. I'll keep trying to remember where it came from.
ReplyDeleteThat hasn't seemed like the complaint about the build to me. I mean short of Haku in a shoot, what wrestler would anyone realistically buy against Brock? That doesn't seem like an issue.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is that the actual build to this pro wrestling match has made Brock look like a giant pussy whom Taker will beat easily. Brock is the guy who seems like no threat, not Taker. Also Brock has done nothing to make Taker mad at him. Why does Taker wanna pick on this loser? Why should we care? That's the problem here.
No way ACH doesnt get a deal. He is supremely athletic, had "the look", and not to blatantly get into race, but he is black
ReplyDeleteI really think you're short changing HBK here. Wwe revisionist history portrays him as a legend but he's solidly in that 2nd tier of stars/draws imo.
ReplyDelete"I've never seen any Rocky flick, nor any James Bond.I've never seen any Rocky flick, nor any James Bond."
ReplyDeleteMy head wants to explode so bad right now
This times a billion. It's such a lazy cop out to blame Bret and shawn.
ReplyDeleteRocky is the boxing one, right?
ReplyDeleteOtunga took classes at Second City in Chicago. My buddy Barrett had the same instructor he did, and apparently she used to obsess how large he was.
ReplyDeleteSo, this will be another year with a thoroughly forgettable tag match. Bummer after a year that almost rejuvenated the titles.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like No Mercy 2002?
ReplyDeleteThe only way to save interest is if Lesnar threatens to set Undertaker on fire at Mania.
As popular as Bryan is, there's nothing to suggest that he really affects the viewership significantly.
ReplyDeleteAnaheim crowds are notoriously terrible, too. Even the first Triangle ladder Match at 2000 only brought them from pindrop silence to moderately noisy
ReplyDeleteNO! NO MORE HHH IN MAIN EVENT ANGLES! NO MORE AUTHORITY! I WANT NEW STARS DAMMIT! NO MORE OF THAT BIG NOSED EGOMANIAC!
ReplyDeleteScott's just burnt out from years of doing this. Let him go home, bang his wife and take a break before he decides if he wants to keep doing this or retire. After all, he's an independent contractor who's fulfilled his dates and he doesn't owe us anything.
ReplyDeleteWell it depends on how generous you're being with these tiers.
ReplyDeleteFirst tier are the Mt. Rushmore megastars: Bruno, Hogan, Austin, Rock, Cena.
Now for second tier, are we putting in Backlund and Superstar Graham? They carried the Fed in much more successful ways than HBK ever did. Then you also have Flair and Dusty, who also did way better as organization centerpieces and stars than Michaels. Who else is in this second tier of stars? Gotta go Andre, Piper, and Savage. Can you even argue that Michaels is close to the level of those guys in terms of stardom and success? Andre drew huge as an attraction for years, drew huge as Hogan's opponent at the peak of Hulkamania, and was WWF's #1 heel for about 3 years. Savage was a way bigger star than Michaels--- drew as a heel, then drew really well for a year as the face champion, then drew huge again against Hogan for basically another year, and helped turn WCW's entire business around years later. Plus he's just a way more mainstream name than HBK ever became. Same for Piper, who was basically the second most important person in the promotion when WWF went national.
I'd put Bret Hart in that second tier because, unlike Michaels, he carried the company as the champ and #1 face for basically 3 years. PPV buys, house shows, international drawing power, mainstream notoriety--- Bret smoked Shawn as an ace in every category.
So that said, where does Shawn really fit? Snugly in that next level of stars with Foley, Punk, Edge, Angle, Batista, and Jericho. Big stars at the top of the cards who main evented at different points, but never had a super successful run as the company ace. Though honestly, I'd argue that Punk from 2011-2013 had a better run in (helping) carry the promotion and becoming a megastar with the fans than HBK did in the 90s. And Edge carried Smackdown as the frequent champ and #1 heel for years. Same with Batista. Hell, Angle, Foley, and Jericho never were the centerpieces of the WWF, but one could argue that they were major players during a period that was way more popular than anything Shawn was a part of. Plus I'd say that Foley and Jericho definitely have become bigger mainstream names than Shawn Michaels.
FUCK! Forgot Taker and HHH, both of whom are more important and better draws than HBK.
So long story short, that's a lot of guys who one could easily argue were better draws and bigger stars (both mainstream and within the pro wrestling business) than Shawn Michaels, yet the WWE portrays him as a legend among legends. He gets a very inflated portrayal, in my opinion.
Hopefully the new developmental center will boost them along. From what I've heard from previous stories, the prospects had next to nothing to work with down there in terms of feedback and equipment, and apparently they have a practice room with a full HD setup that they can finally get a feel for a WWE camera.
ReplyDeleteYou got it boss. That Orton run gets completely blown out of proportion now, there was about a ten-day period where he seemed like he was about to bust out as the next Austin but that burned out way before Mania.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteBetween the traveling, working out, practicing wrestling (they do that, right?) and trying to have a family life, I'd imagine a lot of them don't have time for acting classes.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't shock me.
ReplyDelete