New Plans for Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the plan for Bryan at WrestleMania is to face Dolph Ziggler and that the stuff on Twitter was done by design to helpset up the match.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
WWE Officials Very Pleased With Kevin Owens
Word from the WWE is that the merchandise sales for Owens t-shirt is done extremely well and that they are also very happy that he has brought his fanbase over to NXT.
http://wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2015/0128/588975/backstage-news-on-why-wwe-officials-are-very-happy-with-a-nxt/
WWE Enforces New Dating Policy
WWE has made a rule that talent and office people and talent and production people are not allowed to date. They do not want staff and talent interaction past the professional level.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Possible Reasons for Justin Gabriel Quitting the WWE?
Gabriel quit the WWE this weekend and sources close to the situation said that he had been "fed up" with the system and knew the company was not going to do anything with him so he decided to rebuild his value as a wrestler away from the WWE. There is a feeling that he will make more money away from the WWE at first because he was not on a full-time schedule with the company. There is also a belief that an opportunity came up outside of wrestling that could make him more money. Gabriel had done some acting and modeling before signing with the WWE
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
TNA Knockout Done with the Company?
Havok looks to be done with TNA as she did a run-in during the Shine iPPV on 1/23. TNA talent are not allowed to appear on iPPV's for other companies.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Also, head on over to Place to be Nation and listen to the Kevin Kelly Show Podcast with guest Mark Briscoe. Click on the link below and give that a listen
http://placetobenation.com/the-kevin-kelly-show-episode-27-mark-briscoe/
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the plan for Bryan at WrestleMania is to face Dolph Ziggler and that the stuff on Twitter was done by design to helpset up the match.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
WWE Officials Very Pleased With Kevin Owens
Word from the WWE is that the merchandise sales for Owens t-shirt is done extremely well and that they are also very happy that he has brought his fanbase over to NXT.
http://wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2015/0128/588975/backstage-news-on-why-wwe-officials-are-very-happy-with-a-nxt/
WWE Enforces New Dating Policy
WWE has made a rule that talent and office people and talent and production people are not allowed to date. They do not want staff and talent interaction past the professional level.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Possible Reasons for Justin Gabriel Quitting the WWE?
Gabriel quit the WWE this weekend and sources close to the situation said that he had been "fed up" with the system and knew the company was not going to do anything with him so he decided to rebuild his value as a wrestler away from the WWE. There is a feeling that he will make more money away from the WWE at first because he was not on a full-time schedule with the company. There is also a belief that an opportunity came up outside of wrestling that could make him more money. Gabriel had done some acting and modeling before signing with the WWE
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
TNA Knockout Done with the Company?
Havok looks to be done with TNA as she did a run-in during the Shine iPPV on 1/23. TNA talent are not allowed to appear on iPPV's for other companies.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Also, head on over to Place to be Nation and listen to the Kevin Kelly Show Podcast with guest Mark Briscoe. Click on the link below and give that a listen
http://placetobenation.com/the-kevin-kelly-show-episode-27-mark-briscoe/
That match is SO getting cut for time if they run even a second over. I like that it exists though, as two months of shitting on Reigns and maybe a campaign of Winner Joins The Main Event can get going.
ReplyDeleteThey need to turn one of Bryan/Ziggler heel. Have them bond over being Authority whipping boys and then have one throw the other under the bus because he's reaching for the brass ring. Simple story. Would be cooler if this match had a title involved.
ReplyDeleteI'm okay with Bryan and Ziggler as long as they get 18-20 minutes. They're not very talented at booking 2/3 fall matches so I'd prefer it's just a standard pin.
ReplyDeleteThey should pull a Michaels and go over their time limit.
ReplyDeleteI'd be okay with the Shawn-Razor idea at Summerslam of these guys are going to go out and have an awesome match.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when Kevin Owens' fan base starts cheering him too loudly though?
ReplyDeleteThey totally should.
ReplyDeleteFire us? We’re already fired! Fire us?! We’re already fired!
Is the show of Syfy or USA tonight?
ReplyDeleteTHAT'LL show'm.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that it serves much of a purpose, other than being a great match though. Reigns & Cena are the two top faces for now (subject to change), maybe there's room for a 3rd, but if you're the 4th guy, I mean, that's kind of just purgatory.
ReplyDeleteI'm fine with the idea starting as Bryan and Ziggler are buddies, they challenged each other on Twitter, they want to steal the show at Wrestlemania, but then give it a little punch to where it ends up with the heel (who should probably be Ziggler) saying on the go home show that he's going to step over Bryan's limp body on the path to stardom at Wrestlemania.
I'm actually thinking more Jericho/Christian from Wrestlemania XX. They used Trish as their mechanism for friction. I don't think you can do a girl angle with these two, but you just find the thing that drives the wedge, and then they have the amazing match, and then both are better served.
Syfy
ReplyDeletePam I they only one who finds that dating policy a tad HHHypocritical
ReplyDeleteSo does the new dating policy apply to old pervs like Michael Hayes and Kevin Dunn exchanging favors with Divas? Of course it won't.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Dolph/Bryan will be great, but Dolph asking 'hey, let's have a match' on twitter is the worst way to start a feud.
ReplyDeleteJustin Gabriel is no big loss. There are a seemingly infinite number of otherwise useless 150 pounders on the indies who can perform a 450 splash with ease.
ReplyDeleteWhat time?
ReplyDeleteIt's Wrestlemania there doesn't need to be a purpose beyond having a great match. HBK-Angle didn't really change the spectrum of life or factor into a title conversation but it didn't stop me from enjoy two ***** matches.
ReplyDelete8e/7c
ReplyDeleteOh but 2/3 COULD be so sweet, if given time. But I agree with your statement nonetheless. Sadly.
ReplyDeleteThey should go two hours over their time limit.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a #1 contenders match. Maybe that's the thing that drives the wedge. They're set to have a good clean fight and then halfway through the build, a meddling Stephanie tells them that the winner will be in line for a title shot in a blatant attempt to turn them against each other, and Ziggler eventually takes the bait.
ReplyDeleteMy Roman Reigns parody of the Monorail song from the Simpsons last night proved to be pretty popular. http://www.rspwfaq.net/2015/01/new-wwe-geographic-strategy.html#comment-1822528736
ReplyDeleteFor posterity's sake, I posted an expanded version on the BOD forum:
http://rspwfaq.boards.net/thread/224/roman-reigns-monorail-song
For those who wondered why I used Samoa Joe to deliver the pudding can line, it's because HE'S FAT!
You're right, I'm just thinking of where you go with these guys afterwards, because if they don't have a plan then you're right back on Bryan vs. Kane/Sheamus and Ziggler IC Title purgatory.
ReplyDeleteThere's a chance to actually do something with these two if they want.
I'd love to see Havok in WWE, but I'm a dumb fan of stupid wrestling. She couldn't be a bozo on some dumb reality TV show, so she's clearly no good.
ReplyDeleteThat's why it's silly that Del Rio is saying that guys can make more money on the indies. Sure, Del Rio is one of Mexico's biggest stars and a former WWE champion so he can do well, especially in AAA.
ReplyDeleteFor a guy like Gabriel? He's a dime a dozen on the indies.
Gabriel was pretty good when allowed to wrestle. He could have been a solid contributor to the tag scene in a pretty boy team.
ReplyDeleteGood on Owens. I bought his shirt the day it went on sale. It helped that it's not completely stupid looking like Zayn's shirt. I was prepared to buy any Zayn merch they made but what the hell is InZayn?
ReplyDeleteNo if he had done a Tout message it would have been worse.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I do like Ziggler, I still feel this is a bit of a waste of Bryan at Mania, not to mention ignoring the fact that since he never lost the title, it was only stripped due to injury, not giving him a title shot in any form at all just looks really dumb. Honestly, they could expand this match to make it more important by adding Orton, Rollins, or Ambrose to it, and actually make it a #1 contender's match (or add those guys to the storyline leading up to the match). This would still be a hell of a match, and ensure it doesn't get cut for time, which is the biggest potential problem looming for it.
ReplyDeleteA what message? Never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteIt looks good but that little nub at the bottom of the O make it look like it says "KQ"...and I already HAVE a K-Kwick t-shirt!
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't the Zayn shirt just the SZ logo on the front? How do you botch that?
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty crazy they thought that was a good shirt.
ReplyDeleteSo there are murmurs that the "1 million" Network number actually means that WWE had 1 million signups. That means that a million people have signed up for the Network since inception, but that doesn't mean that a million people have it at this moment. It's not necessarily a lie, but it's certainly misleading.
ReplyDeleteWWE's stock opened down 3%. I wonder if that news will drop it further.
Again good for Justin Gabriel. When there's something like 40 plus spots available for the Rumble PPV and you're not even Considered to be one of them, the writings on the wall.
ReplyDeleteLOL at the no Talent/Office relationships rule when the people running the company match that scenario to a tee.
Daniel Bryan Vs Dolph Ziggler for the # 1 Contendership and 20 minutes at Mania? Yeah i'll watch that.
Seems really iffy. They had 731K actual signups at the last quarterly conference and that did not include the staggering amount of people who had cancelled previously and that was with the 6 month commitment.
ReplyDeleteIf they're trying to carny Wall Street on this... i have no words.
2/3 just means the first 2 falls would be in the first 5 minutes of the match. They book that match horribly nowadays. Mostly bc they book EVERYTHING horribly nowadays.
ReplyDeleteGuess Triple H and Stephanie are splitting up now.
ReplyDeleteThose murmurs have been discredited.
ReplyDeleteI'm with the guy who said the other day that Bryan's Mania match will be the "hot opener". WWE-logic dictates that they use Bryan in the first segment so it "gets the Yes! chants out of their system" so they can get behind Reigns.
ReplyDeleteWWE doesn't quite realize it's not a Bryan vs. Reigns issue. Reigns will likely still get booed when he's facing Lesnar.
All of this bullshit could've been avoided if they just put the title on Hulk Hogan as some point in the last 12 months to turn things around.
If Hogan had come in at 30 and won the Rumble, it would have been better than what we got.
ReplyDeleteGabriel is a pretty good-looking guy as well. He'd be a great Ricky Morton.
ReplyDeleteThe Torch broke it down a couple days ago and basically hinted that they wanted to report 1,000,000 now while they could because it's not going to stay there. A certain number were free months, a certain number were likely one & dones who just signed up for the Rumble, and then who knows what the cancellation hashtag actually did. Plus when they report their quarterlies that will be below one million because those are numbers from before the Rumble subscriber bump even happened.
ReplyDeleteI imagine it's going to fluctuate. People signed up for the Rumble, will cancel because they don't care about Fast Lane, will sign up again for Wrestlemania, will cancel again until Summerslam.
They can't be comfortable right now. What they're hoping is to establish a baseline around 1 million as their floor. So if they get a 500,000 bump for Mania, but then that goes away, there's at least a minimum of 1 million who keep it all year.
And then they hope that grows, but good luck with that in this current climate.
It's a BoD classic.
ReplyDeleteWWE Enforces New Dating Policy
ReplyDeleteWWE has made a rule that talent and office people and talent and production people are not allowed to date. They do not want staff and talent interaction past the professional level.
Did Bill Watts take over when I wasn't looking?
Glad you're okay!
ReplyDelete...you're not posting while driving are you?
Hopefully they do that and it bumps whatever awful diva's match off of the card as a result.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear nothing too bad happened, Biff. Try to take it easy today.
ReplyDeleteYes. Unfortunately I remember Angle-Benoit having a 2/3 and they even messed THAT up.
ReplyDeleteNo i agree they could have legit hit 1,000,000 subs, i'm more iffy on them playing the phony numbers game.
ReplyDeleteThey're stupid but not that stupid.
Hogan/Big Show Main Event for Wrestlemania 32. Keep the dream alive!
ReplyDeleteI live in Georgia and this is the first time I've seen more than 3 or 4 people give a shit about the Hawks. They're on fire right now.
ReplyDeleteGreat. The writing has gotten so lazy that they're resorting to Twitter as feud starters.
ReplyDeleteSomething, something, brass ring.
ReplyDeleteHe said it in one of his shoots. GCW Ole was a good booker. Dealing with corporate politics/older WCW Ole was a BAD booker.
ReplyDeleteWatching Clash 11, WCW is so cheap that instead of bringing in the mardi gras band to play JYD down to the ring, they just show the footage of his entrance at Clash in the Superdome from the year before.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap! Glad you're okay, man.
ReplyDeleteI wonder who screwed things up to make that a rule.
ReplyDeleteThat seems unlikely. They had over 971,000 unique paying signups (731,000 active) as of the last conference call in the end of September. With the expanded international rollout (i.e. the UK, maybe elsewhere) and Canada (was that fully set up in terms of non Rogers customers being able to sign up at that time?), I'd be stunned if they only had 29,000 total additions in four months (and considering the Torch suggested they were at 1,001,700 or so based on the "37% increase" number, IF they only had 30,000 new subscribers sign up for the Rumble, that's terrible). Especially after the free month of November; I'm sure some of the people who tried that forgot to cancel in time, if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteThis has to be Dolph's fault, right? Since Punk is gone...
ReplyDeleteWasn't that the plan for Perfect/Michaels as well and promoted as such?
ReplyDeleteSo they are only 50% on delivering in these kind of deals although I'm sure these two will have a good match given time.
I could actually accept this as long as Ambrose is also given something significant to do.
No dating each other. Lol. Ah, look, the travelling circus is pretending to be a real corporation again. Vince does remember that his fucking daughter dated a guy who subsequently stayed on top of the company forevermore? How about Cena and Bryan? This company...
ReplyDeleteAnyone know the story behind Lex squashing Sid like a bug on this show in 30 seconds?
ReplyDelete4 months later Sid's challenging Sting for the strap so it make zero sense.
No dating PAs is slightly different. Not from HHH/Steph, but Cena and Bryan are fine.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a rule between talent.
ReplyDeleteTaking all that easy access pussy away from the boys would be enough to make even the weak kneed wimps of the WWE Locker room revolt.
"Wait a second... no health insurance, no push, and I can't fuck the hot girl in marketing? Fuck this company!" - The entire midcard.
ReplyDeleteYeah... that hot girl in marketing gets around.
It was played off like a fluke so it doesn't really damage Sid. I guess they were running long.
ReplyDeleteTalent and office people can't interact beyond a professional level?
ReplyDeleteTwo scenarios:
1. HHH has his eye on somebody and Stephanie's putting a stop to that, look for a release on the Diva side.
2. Stephanie has her eye on somebody and HHH's putting a stop to that, look for a release on the "Superstar" side.
I'm sure if Punk was around and wasn't with A.J., he'd look at the dating policy and would say to himself "Fucking isn't the same as dating"
ReplyDeleteI pulled over into a grocery store parking lot to chill out for a second.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, they should have done something decent with The Bunny angle. Revealing Gabriel as The Bunny and playing off his real life past with Adam Rose would have provided a workable midcard feud.
ReplyDeleteBut there was purpose behind HBK/Angle. HBK eliminated Angle from Royal Rumble, Angle was mad and wanted to prove he was better than HBK. That's real motivation that allows me to suspend my disbelief.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't HBK and Angle saying "I got no beef with you, but how about we go out and have the most exciting fake fight on the card. That'll show the writers of this pretend sport!"
Eh, at least it's not over a Japanese shampoo commercial.
ReplyDeleteParagraph 1: Yeah, that sounds like them. I still think Mania is not the card or the crowd to try that sleight of hand.
ReplyDeleteParagraph 2: Absolutely. They've built Brock as a killing machine and Reigns as a lucky doofus. Ole Anderson's old line of when in doubt fans will cheer for the tougher guy is applicable here.
Paragraph 3: ....
Court Bauer was on Austin's podcast this morning and suggested coaxing Shawn Michaels out of retirement and running Bryan/Shawn at WM. I doubt it happens, but that would be one of the only uses of Bryan that I think people would not shit all all over.
ReplyDeleteFrom a match standpoint, Bryan/Ziggler would be just fine. I'd honestly make a strong argument for Ziggler going over, though.
Man, does it get any hotter than the hot girl in marketing?
ReplyDeleteThat’s very dodgy. And to be honest, when you have no monthly commitment, the term “subscribers” is quite loose anyway.
ReplyDeleteWe can never have too many Bryan/Kane matches https://31.media.tumblr.com/e7a2ed4de53a5d43920fc51b95f4f291/tumblr_n52ybgZSwu1rnjfjfo1_r1_400.gif
ReplyDeleteI really gotta look up his shoots. And pegging Reigns as a "lucky doofus" is exactly right. I'm still dying that he only got to eliminate Show & Kane because they were fighting each other, the ultimate Sneaky Heel battle royal win. Maybe they'll parlay this into that long-awaited Show/Kane showdown at Mania!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't put it past them in the slightest. They're the #1 recurring episodic original sports-related variety show on American cable every 3rd Tuesday you know!
ReplyDeleteWith no monthly commitment, how can they ever be comfortable with their number? If they have to *average* 1,000,000 over the course of the year then that's one thing, but since I imagine they've already dipped back down, that doesn't bode well.
ReplyDelete>Pay-per-view buys were down 63% in the third quarter and average per-buy revenue declined 34% to just $12.83. WWE attributes the decline to an increase in international pay-per-view buyers who pay less than domestic viewers.
ReplyDeletePPV dying is a given with the network obviously but WWE averages just $12.83 per dwindling PPV buy?
Maybe now we know why they have JBL all but beg people not to buy a PPV show the old way.
Here's how it goes.
ReplyDeleteZig Zag blocked, Yes Lock blocked, Superkick ducked, Running Knee ducked.
Big Show KO's everyone, Kane locks them in a casket.
Kane and Big Show stand tall.
So much of the merch is lame. I have the Ambrose hoodie - as a consequence I keep well away from appliances now - and there's actually some shirts that AJ and Paige have that my emo-lovin' heart (it's still real to me, dammit) would totally wear. The K.O. shirt's pretty rad, I was thinking of picking that up. I wish they had a good Sami shirt, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks brother!
ReplyDeleteOh, man, that was scary as fuck. My vision went blurry going down a narrow, winding 2-lane highway and I couldn't see anything hardly. I managed not to hit anything head on, but it was frightening nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteSo anyways, morning all.
I've never heard that Ole line, but that should be posted on a wall in every booker and writer's office in wrestling.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's the same thing. The Rockets were a mediocre team both before and after the streak. It was about as random as you can get. Atlanta's playing at a historic pace right now, and have done for most of the season after a couple of tough losses at the beginning (Lance Stepehenson banked in game winner and such)
ReplyDeleteA million guys could probably do that too.
ReplyDeleteIt's like they either don't get, or don't care that they can't do that anymore.
ReplyDeleteMark Carrano!
ReplyDeleteHe gives off date rapist vibes during his 30 seconds of Total Divas airtime.
I would support a Kane-Show match...only if they attempt the mythical double chokeslam.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. We'll find out when the quarterly report comes out.
ReplyDeleteEh, you could be right. Teams playing better than the sum of their parts rarely go deep into the playoffs, though.
ReplyDeleteCould they have conceivably gotten 269k subs from UK and Canadian subscribers and/or those who stayed on for the "free" month in November? Sure.
ReplyDeleteBut it does seem very, very iffy.
My money's on Rowan. He has "player" written all over him.
ReplyDeleteThe key number though is 731k active. If WWE has 1 million active subscribers right now, that means they had to increase their subscribers by more than a third in the last 3 months.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's impossible, but it is a huge jump and I understand why some are skeptical.
I am. I don't like the Hawks, I'm just saying.
ReplyDelete3. Triple H plans on rehiring Christy Hemme and wants to cover his bases.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the press release. Categorizing that number incorrectly is the type of thing that could really put some unwanted regulatory light on them so I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteI do think that when they give free months away, they're counting those people as subscribers if they have an active account when they tally the subscriptions even though those people haven't actually paid a dime yet.
The stock opening down is a market correction. Remember, 1-1.25 million was their projected break even point, and I thought that was a domestic number. Their one million was combined domestic/international.
The stock wasn't going to continue to plow ahead, especially the run of bad press they've gotten over this Rumble and the cancellation trend.
I thought you were a Heat fan.
ReplyDeleteThat was already shot down. The number is legit.
ReplyDeleteTout message. You aint heard bro, its the brand new social media video sharing site that is taking over the globe!!
ReplyDeleteDidn't that happen a couple years back?
ReplyDeleteAh, okay. It's a great story. I don't see them making the conference finals when things dramatically slow down in the playoffs, but it's fun to see for now. Like when the Rockets won 22 in a row some years ago.
ReplyDeleteI thought he and Tyson Kidd had sort of a poor-man Rockers look to them.
ReplyDeleteShawn's not coming back and good for him.
ReplyDeleteCan't we have one actual real wrestling retirement?
The world has changed, social media is huge thing now. Just look at the buzz those tweets created.
ReplyDelete4. HHH has been getting all touchy flirty with Justin Gabriel, which also explains the next item on the news update.
ReplyDeleteI'd actually rather see Bryan vs Sheamus than Bryan vs Ziggler to be honest. I think Sheamus is actually a better worker than Ziggler and I'd much much rather see a Bryan match with a face/heel dynamic than some "two babyfaces looking to split the crowd and steal the show with flippy movez!" BS.
ReplyDeleteEither way, at the least I think either Bryan match should involve the IC belt. Wade having it means zilch, so if you're not gonna give Bryan the world title why not at least let him run with the IC belt as his personal Smackdown WHC-type belt? I'd have Bryan squash Wade on TV or at fast Lane, and then he defends the IC belt at Mania against Corporate Sheamus. (Or against Dolph if you have to, but at least then the babyface match would have some stakes.)
WWE just announced February is free on the network.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing is, there's a long way to go before WrestleMania, so they have time. I wouldn't be surprised if there was something on the line, be it the Intercontinental Title (what I'd assume) or perhaps the #1 Contendership (less likely, but awesome nonetheless). There's also a rumor that it's 2/3 Falls, so you could see an Angle/Benoit deal where they try to prove who the 'best wrestler in the world' really is.
ReplyDeleteConsidering they are the two most popular people on the roster, I like keeping it face vs face because it will be interesting to see what the fans do and how the match unfolds.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I mean either one is what it is for me, but I hate face/face especially in a meaningless opener type match. Daniel Bryan is a million times more fun when you have that heel dynamic against him. Bryan/Ziggler would just be like watching two guys go through a sparring session, especially if there's nothing on the line. But like I said, maybe if Bryan takes the IC belt off Barrett and then Dolph is all "Hey, you're wearing MY belt" that could be something to build off.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the Intercontinental Title; Bryan could bring that thing a boatload of credibility and respectability as a Randy Savage/Mr. Perfect type prominent-level champ. I disagree with Sheamus, as a rule, because that match is far lower in stature than a Bryan/Ziggler match would be. Now if Sheamus returns soon and catches fire as a heel and regains some of what he lost over the last three years, then I'll reassess. He's a good worker, but the character has just been off for so long that it's soured me on the poor guy.
ReplyDeleteWell if it's Sheamus as a heel I think it changes the stature of him immensely. The dude is DOA as a face but people have been itching to boo him forever, so as a heel he'd be way over. Plus he IS a guy who's been super protected as far as Win/Loss record and he's a big dude who can work, so he'd immediately be believable as a main event monster heel.
ReplyDeleteI've already seen the definitive Sheamus/Bryan match at Extreme Rules. I want the definitive Bryan/Ziggler match.
ReplyDeleteIf they do have 1 million subs or relatively close to it, don't they know that these free months cost them about $10 Million dollars a pop?
ReplyDeleteVince is literally throwing millions of dollars down the drain even though they've supposedly hit their 1 million magic number. Has dropping the 6 month commitment been worth it? Or has the lions share of the new subscribers come from the international roll-out?
Putting the IC belt on Bryan and letting Bryan and Ziggler have an intense program heading into Mania over the IC title---- does that soften the blow of Bryan not being in the WWE title picture? Because the more I think about it personally, the more I'd be down with that. Especially if the IC belt becomes sort of the Smackdown WHC and something that announcers acknowledge as a clear #2 title.
ReplyDeleteKa-KAW!
ReplyDeletePerhaps, but something tells me that after #LOLCENAWINS at Mania, Rusev falls down the ladder quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteSheamus was always hugely protected even as a super cold nothing midcard face, so I assume they'd be all in with him after his big heel turn.
I don't know that this actually counts as the start of the feud per se, more or less just a foreshadowing type deal. We'll see moving forward how they introduce this angle on TV, but considering how far out the show still is, we may not get much for awhile.
ReplyDeleteand he would absolutely have a point!
ReplyDeleteIt's the millennial version of spilling coffee to start an instafeud.
ReplyDeleteSo the plan is to sign up all these free people for Fast Lane -- probably a shitty PPV if Reigns vs. Big Show is the main event -- and keep their fingers crossed that they forget to cancel the Network for March so WWE can announce a bigger Network subscriber number around Mania.
ReplyDeleteAlso, is there any reason why they give away PPVs that Sting is on?
The thing that worries me about Sheamus is where he'd fit into the booking plans. If I'm the WWE, I have three heels that need to be super protected at all costs right now: Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and Rusev. Sheamus, turning heel, would slot in at the #4 spot behind those guys. He's worse off as a face, but I worry that Creative, being lazy as fuck, would just turn the guy into a toady instead of the ass kicking badass that he needs to be.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, there's far more money for the WWE in putting Rusev over Cena at WrestleMania, and making him Roman Reigns's first big challenger for the title. Let Reigns be the guy to end Rusev's run, to at least build Reigns up instead of Cena. If there's one guy who really doesn't need extra honors on his resume, it's John Cena.
ReplyDeleteRusev putting Cena in the Accolade would be a great makeup for we neckbeards.
ReplyDeleteРоссия!
Rusev in a year is where Big E is now.
ReplyDeleteNot knocking the guy that's just the Vince way nowadays. Unless he turns babyface and USA # 1 gets him over BIG for some reason.
I really like Rusev; he's okay for a big man, and he sells like a champ. I don't like how they've taken mic time away from Lana, but she's too fucking good not to be involved with them moving forward.
ReplyDeleteIf they made the Intercontinental Champion the #2 guy in the promo, like they used to, them I'm all in on this. Having Bryan be the kingpin on SmackDown doesn't bother me so much if they intend on bringing a modicum of parity back to the shows. Use the World Champion to float between the shows, and have the Intercontinental and U.S. Champions hold down the fort on SmackDown and Raw, respectively.
ReplyDeleteOh agree 100%, but I'm sure beating Rusev is Cena's present for losing to Lesnar. The same way that beating Bray last year was his present for losing to Orton.
ReplyDelete"then you're right back on Bryan vs. Kane/Sheamus and Ziggler IC Title purgatory afterwards."
ReplyDeleteas they might probably anyway. so why not at least have this great match that - if the proverbial "stars are aligned right" - could turn out to be THE match of this WrestleMania.
Keep the ic title away from that feud. That title is completely unsalvageable and would ruin that feud.
ReplyDeleteI'd 100% be down for that. Maybe even do some kind of rule where if the IC or US champ defends their title successfully for say 90 days or on 3 straight PPVs, they get a world title shot. How much more intense would that make US and IC title defenses? Christ, you could actually main event TV shows with IC/US title matches!
ReplyDeleteKurt Angle doing Shawn Michaels' entrance with Sensational Sherri maybe my favorite Kurt Angle moment.
ReplyDeleteif it's a "meaningless opener type match", I would agree. but if they give them enough time etc. to try and produce a showstealer, I would definitely want to see Bryan and Ziggler.
ReplyDeleteAgreed (though I don't think it's unsalvageable, but that's besides the point). Even if it was still a valuable property, Bryan is eons above it and Ziggler, even though he just held it, should be too.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler having a respect match to steal the show and shove it in the face of the Authority is story enough. Just do that, and let the 9-star match ensue.
Or he's trying to prevent Dean Ambrose from taking his daughter's virginity and getting blackballed because of it.
ReplyDeleteThe only way I'm down with that is if they're getting 20-25 minutes. My biggest fear is that, since they're so pressed for time on a FOUR HOUR SHOW as is, that Ziggler/Bryan would only get 10-15 minutes. If you make it a Triple Threat, but don't add to the match time, then it's going to be weaksauce.
ReplyDeleteNo. No it really doesn't.
ReplyDeleteGotta make room for New Day to have a Black People dance-along with Big E's Mama's bridge club.
ReplyDeleteWhen they put the effort in, the title actually still has value. Cody Rhodes did a lot of good stuff with the title during his last run. Hell, Dolph Ziggler elevated the title after Survivor Series when he and Luke Harper beat the piss out of each other for it. Some things have enough tradition behind them to never fully die, and the Intercontinental Championship is one of them.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the U.S. Championship, as far as I'm concerned, is that it's never really been treated as a big deal. It needs history and prestige added.
Nothing is unsalvageable, it's all in the booking. If for instance Bryan wins the belt from Wade, people would go crazy for it. Then Bryan keeps winning matches and defends the IC belt 2nd or 3rd from the top on PPVs in great matches? That shit would be way over immediately. The belt itself has no negative properties, it's all how they book the champ.
ReplyDeleteLike that famous wrestling genius Vince Russo once said, the belts are a prop. If they use the prop correctly it could help the program. I personally would have much more interest in Ziggler vs Bryan if they fought over something rather than just some "Hey man, wanna get in the ring and do some cool movez?" nothing "feud."
If they only give them 15 minutes it will be weak sauce either way. They gave Benoit and Angle 20 minutes plus so its not that wild too imagine they will give Bryan some time. Obviously the wwe could give them 5 minutes to shit on the paying customers that is equally as likely.
ReplyDeleteI know a bunch of writers, pal. And let me tell you something: they ain't writers.
ReplyDeletePromoting something solely as "here's a NINE STAR match for you internet nerds" is so underwhelming and not what fun wrestling storylines usually are.
ReplyDeleteHah! So do I, and if any of them watched this stuff, they'd be horrified. I don't know if it's just the giant committee writing/constant rewriting process they have, or if they just hire the absolute worst, but they're fixated on stories and can't seem to write a single one.
ReplyDeletethey are crazy good this year. as a basketball fan, separate from team allegiance, they're just playing basketball that is both visually appealing/exciting and at a really high level. If I were choosing an NBA team in the east to win it all based on performance level so far, instead of amount of Lebron's on the team, I'm going Hawks.
ReplyDeleteThat's actually a good point. His best matches by far came after his face turn, because he could hit his big spots and let better workers control the rest of the pace.
ReplyDeleteBecause that was his gimmick?
ReplyDeleteEven if they give them time, unless they're fighting over something tangible (IC title, a world title #1 contendership) it all feels so underwhelming and so far below what Bryan should be doing. He shouldn't be doing meaningless RESPECT matches against midcard babyfaces at Wrestlemania. The program going into that match, unless they have something tangible at stake, would be garbage.
ReplyDeleteWell, I disagree to somewhat of a degree, because the fans right now wont let Bryan be devalued. If anything, Bryan brings the title up to his level, not the other way around. Having said that, treating Bryan like every other recent IC Champion is death to the idea, so it would require them to get their heads out of their asses in Creative.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm an eternal optimist.
Because Kane vs Fake Kane did such great business.
ReplyDeleteWeren't they leading to a feud between the two that Flair and Dusty killed? What time period was this?
ReplyDelete1990.
ReplyDeleteAgreed 100% on Sheamus being a better worker than Ziggler. I'd be down for Ziggler vs Heel Sheamus vs Bryan... for the IC TITLE.
ReplyDeleteZiggler-Bryan does have the potential to run into the Michaels-Henning problem
ReplyDeleteYeah but Sheamus was green as fuck as a heel, that was his first year in WWE. I think his face turn just coincided with him gaining more match experience and generally getting better. I don't see any reason why Sheamus' work would suddenly drop off with a heel turn, ya know?
ReplyDeleteToo many cooks in the kitchen, combined with an absolute senile, shit editor (Vince) that takes the lukewarm product and fucks it up completely.
ReplyDeleteI can think of worse hypothetical WM matches than face Dolph against heel Sheamus.
ReplyDeleteKeller just brought up a great point, non subscribers get Survivor Series, Rumble and Fast Lane for free.
ReplyDelete