Is it possible that Daniel Bryan's good-natured demeanor is a detriment to him? He's far and away the most talented wrestler on the roster, but it almost feels like he's so passive and just "happy to be there making money" that he wouldn't speak up or speak out like CM Punk would. Does anyone else get that vibe too?
I know what you mean. He's definitely got that drive to constantly improve and he's obviously hard working, so that ticks two key boxes for WWE (I imagine management also liked that he actually requested to go to WWE Developmental when he joined WWE to learn their style). But I get the impression that he will go along with whatever WWE and its creative team throw at him, whereas you can imagine someone like Punk (and older guys like Edge, HHH and HBK) pushing back to make sure their characters appear strong and smart.
Though having said that, his good-natured demeanour is probably a key reason why fans are so supportive of him because he just comes across as a nice guy. I'm not sure a lot of fans get that vibe from other wrestlers, even when they're faces.
Punk had years under his belt as a wwe regular before he started to take charge of his character. Bryan is still relatively new. He might still be optimistic, viewed as a "youngster" by management, not financially secure yet, etc. I'm sure EVERYONE outside of Cena and HHH think they could be better utilized orvdeserve s run on top. Look at where Bryan is compared to 1 year ago. He's fine.
One of the first threads I ever read on this blog was a Meltzer report from last December..."Undertaker plans on wrestling WM, unless something changes his mind." So informative Dave
They did a decent slow build with Miz though that year. In hindsight he sucks but I think people bought him at the time. He was pretty over. Brays only wrestled 1 singles match on ppv so far I think. They'd have to start a super super push right now if they want people to buy him as competition for Cena.
In regards to the talk about Meltzer in this thread, I find it funny that Mike Johnson from PWInsider seems to be getting better sources than the Meltz lately.
I know you disagree. However, I would say that Bray is MUCH better on the stick than Miz ever was, and that if they decide to build him up before WM, they won't have any problem doing so. They shoved Orton down our collective throats when no one was clamoring for it; why wouldn't they do the same? They did a good job making Bryan seem like a real threat to Cena prior to SS.
I'm not saying I really think Bray will be in the main event at WM. However, if he's impressed the right people in the "office," it wouldn't surprise me to see him get a mega heel push. And, I would probably dig it.
I'm not even doubting that Meltzer is HEARING some of these rumors, but I think he's reporting things without bothering to check on the validity, because any Mania rumors bring hits and mentions of his name.
He'll be posting/mentioning a new rumor every week between now and the show, because that's what brings in the ad revenue.
The thing with Orton to was he was an established over guy that they had. Smarts tend to bash him but the general public views him as a legit star. Bryan had runs with the US and tag belts, along with previous top level cups of coffee with ppv matches with Punk.
Brays not on that level yet. Sure he can get a push at somepoint but it's laughable to me that they'd waste their biggest draw on a wyatt match.
Shit, Meltzer's been doing this for about 15 years longer than I've been a news pro, and he has a successful brand that allows him to get paid while doing something (I imagine) he really enjoys.
I wouldn't mind having HIM take me under his wing.
Besides, this is the way things are done now. Meltzer adapted to the new internet paradigm brilliantly. He knows what to say and do to bring in his audience.
Honestly, my paper did it this week with a piece we did on the New York City Council speaker race. "Sources say" and rumors, and let me tell you something, that link has been tweeted and retweeted by almost everyone in the Queens political sphere. My website is experiencing a record number of hits with this thing.
The only reason I see HHH-Punk falling through is because they need Punk to face Cena because the brilliant idea of Cena-Wyatt, Cena-Ambrose, Cena-Hogan doesn't work and they refuse to do Cena-Taker.
Jeez I wish my boss at sallie Mae would say that about me. Seriously though he still (Cena) in his wrestling prime and incredibly over (read house show msg results). But I'm with Scott Cena vs taker or gtfo!
Eh, I never promised anyone a rose garden. And to be fair, the item I was talking about up there was on our "Confidential" page, and I'm still shocked at how much play it's getting on social media.
Dude, Brock got the strongest push of anyone I've ever seen and it took him a year to get into a headline WM match (can't believe I used compared Bray to brock), and Bray ain't Brock. 4 months isn't nearly long enough to build a guy up who has 0 other accomplishments under his belt to be taken seriously as a threat to a guy like Cena.
He's much better on the stick than Brock ever was or will be. Is he better in the ring? Of course not. But, Brock was never pushed as a cult leader.
I know you don't buy him and dislike that character; that's fine. As someone who enjoys the gimmick, I'd have no problem with his getting a monster push and wrestling Cena at WM.
Exactly. In fact, he already is fine. I agree that he could've (should've) been booked differently post-SummerSlam, but there's no arguing that he's a top-level WWE guy who will always be taken seriously in the main event from now on. I think if someone told a Bryan Danielson fan in 2010 that, three years after the tie-choke of doom, that's where Daniel Bryan would be in the WWE hierarchy, they'd take it.
In the build up to Mania 28 he wanted to turn the Rock heel and have him be the one that was behind everything... Nash attacking Punk etc... that had happened over the previous year.
No, the publisher doesn't understand how the web works, so he doesn't invest in doing anything to promote visibility outside of "Hey, email that link out to (insert media critics we know here) and see if they post it."
My boss also has a long list of people who dislike him/the paper (cuz he's kind of shady) who take no small pleasure in criticizing when we do ANYTHING.
Main goal/resolution for 2014 is to find a new job, where my professional integrity and future isn't put in jeopardy with each passing issue.
I don't think it's great from WWEs side that WM is so wide open (think there should be a pretty clear cut WM main event around this point...which there is but they seem to be ignoring it) but as a fan it does add intrigue.
There's something offputting about writing a newspaper article in kayfabe in almost 2014. The part about Samoa Joe possibly putting Magnus out was cringeworthy.
In a way I hope that is the main event because I definitely have very strong feelings of schadenfreude about the McMahons at this point but in another way I hope its not true because I still enjoy wrestlemania
There is a very "producers-ish" feeling to the wwe over the last year or two. If that's the main event this show is going to struggle to get 500k buys.
It just dawned on me that Cena/Wyatt could EASILY be the possibility, if Bray attacks Daniel when he's trying to change a tire so that he and Brie could escape, then torment him in his wheel chair week after week while Cena accidentally on purpose sleeps with the wrong Bella, prompting Cena to avenge his friend on the biggest stage of them all while the Dazzler watches from a skybox.
On another note, I really, REALLY hope Triple H/Reigns gets CANNED for a long, long while. As much as I don't want to see Reigns get the rocket push over more deserving (and talented) wrestlers, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen, and I'd rather it happen the right way. The Shield needs to make it to WrestleMania, let Roman have the huge WrestleMania face turn to cement his status as a new alpha face moving forward, give it some teeth.
Or whatever they're calling faces now, since Vince apparently doesn't do "faces and heels" anymore.
I agree. Would I have loved to see D Bry as WWE champ this fall? Definitely... But he's doing pretty well for himself overall and is still mega over. I think he'll be fine.
I'd LOVE to hear Bakers opinions on real life issues. Is it only wrestling that turns him into "JESSE BAKER"? Does he have strong political and religious views? Is this just some high level trolling he does and he's really like 10x smarter then all of us? Has he ever touched a woman? I need these questions answered
Oh god I hate seeing meltzer take a beating like this but its tough to offer any defense to parallax and everyone else saying he's trolling for a little heat. His mania reporting this year has not been a good look for him. I'm a borderline DM apologist but this is 411 type shit
Like even if meltzer was told this by a source, how does he not immediately think bullshit? Or even worse, if he did immediately think bullshit why report it.
Not gonna troll you, not gonna harass you, simply going to say that I disagree with 500,000 buys (even with this Main Event). I think Wrestlemania, at its absolute worst, would still do more than 750k buys. It may not hit 1 Million, but I don't think they would have a dropoff of more than 500k buys from WM 29 to WM 30.
Another thing to consider is that Vince believes that Cena is a draw no matter who he's fighting. Same with Taker and Punk and a few others. His logic might be that since Cena will draw no matter what and since Taker will also draw. Why would you put those two together? I disagree with his logic, but it's Vince.
HHH would do it, but instead of having those WrestleMania training workout montages he likes so much he'll be learning how to break dance and do the Bernie Lean.
The guy is doing his dream job at the highest level, getting paid a lot of money, and is in position to be doing so for several years to come. He's engaged to an attractive woman(even though I'm not a big fan of her as a wrestler/performer) who doesn't seem to mind his ridiculous facial hair.
I'm as disappointed in the way the Orton/HHH played out as anyone, but as others have said he's gone way up the card in the past year and is in a much stronger position than he was coming out of Wrestlemania. Can't we just accept that he's probably happy thinks life is going pretty well for him right now, and be happy for him?
I'm just saying, that was always the standard of "world title status." It was a big deal when they stripped the AWA of world title status, and it was a big deal when they gave it to ECW.
I'm not saying it has any import anymore, and I'm sure it doesn't (I haven't picked up a PWI since before Apter left).
I've been paying for one form of the observer or another since I was a sophmore in highschool (well my parents were paying for it then but still) but I kind of like to act like this stuff is beneath Dave. But I do hope this brings him in some cash.
I like the gimmick myself, but it's going to take more than four months to build him as a credible threat to Cena. And nothing they've done in the past couple years shows they now how to build anything properly.
Fair enough.That might be a bit steep but even if mania dropped to around 700k that would be a pretty epic drop. I never thought I'd see a survivor series do less than a 100k domestically either. If their big game plan is hhh constantly getting the upper hand on punk for 6 weeks and bringing a guy who as of rumble time is a mid carder with a murky gimmick to face cena in the main event, that buy rate won't be pretty. (I don't believe that story anyways but if it was true it will be awful).
It was from his newsletter though, which is something you have to pay for. Unless you have a subscription, you could not click on the link and read the article
But it's in his newsletter, and it gets picked up by other sites, which gets Dave's name out there, which leads them to check out his site, subscribe to the newsletter or download his podcast to see if he's talking about it some more.
It's all connected, and it's all done in the hopes of bringing more eyes to the product, which leads to higher revenue.
I have a subscription to Meltzer and PWInsider. I am starting to become a fan of Mike Johnson. He also seems to be getting better sources and has been breaking some major stories before Meltzer lately
"Hey Scott, love the blog. I'm really glad Daniel Bryan won the rumble but why did he only eliminate 11 guys? Is this a sign of HHH burying him since he eliminated less men then title rights HHH has?"
That is true. He has been doing this for over 30 years too and already has the name recognition. Until he retires, he will be the top dog in wrestling journalism
That's the problem; WM will no doubt do great business on name value alone, but if the event ends up being disappointing then they will struggle to sell the following year's WM.
Ok, so what if it turns out that this is the main event? What from a booking standpoint would they need to do to Wyatt to make this match believable and profitable?
There is literally NOTHING they could do short of having Bray win the Rumble, EC, and beat guys like Punk and Bryan during Raw to build him up as a credible challenger to Cena in 4 months. Bray has wrestled 1 singles ppv match (think it's 1) and has never held a secondary belt. There's just not enough time. None of this is an exaggeration.
He always has done that. He usually has one of his radio show's available for free during the week. That is a better tool to get subscribers than people like myself posting who copy what he writes onto blogs. If myself and others are copying the biggest news items in his newsletter for free and that is your main reason for getting the newsletter, then there is no reason to pay for the subscription to the newsletter
Exactly what I was thinking. He would have to beat punk and Bryan clean, and that would leave Cena to save the day. But that's still not wm worthy IMHO.
This might just be optimism but I'm starting to think they're just floating out bullshit so when they do go Cena/Taker people are caught off guard and get swept up in the build.
Exactly. I've had this debate numerous times recently but it'll sell this year just based on the brand. If they shit the bed tho then it'll damage the brand/name value and hurt in subsequent years
He did it when he was a heel in his dr. Of thugonomics gimmick, but since he's been THE man for the company, no it hasn't but needs to be done and this year makes the most sense.
IF jesse baker was here,he would start a debate of how Cena will use the shield to win and being the new king of universe and parts unknown and somehow he would put some S&M context in the comment.
Either they're trying to out a mole or someone is trolling Meltzer. I don't even think Mike Rotundo would try to get Bray Wyatt in such a huge match. Considering some of the silly garbage coming out of the dirt sheets it's possible they're just working us.
TJ: does anyone know the title of the song Bob Backlund is using for a theme now? I'm pretty sure it's a Sousa march, but cannot for the life of me figure out which one it is.
EXACTLY. Vince could privately tell one guy Cena/Wyatt, another guy Cena/Reigns, another guy Cena/Big E, etc etc etc. That way, if Meltzer reports one of those matches, BOOM.
If I meet Vince McMahon in the next few weeks, I will grab him by the oversized lapels on those sports coats of his, get right into his face and screw, "JUST RUN CENA AND UNDERTAKER ON TOP GODDAMNIT."
So which star guest referees a match this year, gets involved, and HAS to schedule a match for WM 31 the next night?
Austin? Hogan? Michaels? (whose true selling power has never been proven, IMO) Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?
Because Rock at 28 MADE that event. Barring one of the names above, or some other stunning revelation, a bad card this year will NOT have the "Get Out of Jail Free" card that Rocky gave 28.
I remember when Raven was champ he went overseas and defended the ECW title and he defended it against non-ECW wrestlers. That would make it a World title in my eyes. Sadly, the version of the TNA title that AJ had should be considered a World title more than the one Magnus has.
Threadjack: This is the dumbest kid alive. Have fun in jail: http://kollegekidd.com/news/qawmane-young-qc-wilson-murdered-mom-for-insurance-money-to-live-life-of-luxury
They have to be, don't they? In a world where HHH won't go "from matches with the Undertaker to a WM match with Bryan"....they would have Cena go from matches with the ROCK to a Bray Wyatt match?
He did well with those video packages last night, let's see how he does with the "coronation ceremony" next week and the first big challenge that comes up (I really shouldn't have read the spoilers for the shows they taped through JANUARY at the end of November).
I interviewed Nick back in 2007, just before he went to a training camp run by Simon Dean (I think), really proud for him that he's done so well as he seems like a good guy. The girls (and some of the guys) in the office love him.
In all fairness, in the package I put together, I sound like I love him as well.
I remember both of those instances vividly Ferrari. I probably had over 1,000 Apter magazines as a kid (I'm 35 now) and remember freaking out about the AWA losing world title status. Of course it seems pretty silly now but I watched a lot of AWA on ESPN as a kid. I look back on those mark days fondly, the sheer amount of wrestling that was on cable that I ws able to watch: WWF, NWA, AWA, UWF, WCCW, ICW, CWA. Damn!
Needs more Wade Barrett.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that Daniel Bryan's good-natured demeanor is a detriment to him? He's far and away the most talented wrestler on the roster, but it almost feels like he's so passive and just "happy to be there making money" that he wouldn't speak up or speak out like CM Punk would.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else get that vibe too?
Daniel Bryan + Masked man tthread....
ReplyDelete::shows himself out::
I know what you mean. He's definitely got that drive to constantly improve and he's obviously hard working, so that ticks two key boxes for WWE (I imagine management also liked that he actually requested to go to WWE Developmental when he joined WWE to learn their style). But I get the impression that he will go along with whatever WWE and its creative team throw at him, whereas you can imagine someone like Punk (and older guys like Edge, HHH and HBK) pushing back to make sure their characters appear strong and smart.
ReplyDeleteThough having said that, his good-natured demeanour is probably a key reason why fans are so supportive of him because he just comes across as a nice guy. I'm not sure a lot of fans get that vibe from other wrestlers, even when they're faces.
What, being hard on yourself?
ReplyDeleteIs this satire?
ReplyDeletePunk had years under his belt as a wwe regular before he started to take charge of his character. Bryan is still relatively new. He might still be optimistic, viewed as a "youngster" by management, not financially secure yet, etc. I'm sure EVERYONE outside of Cena and HHH think they could be better utilized orvdeserve s run on top. Look at where Bryan is compared to 1 year ago. He's fine.
ReplyDeleteWell....3MB gotta eat too.
ReplyDeleteOne of the first threads I ever read on this blog was a Meltzer report from last December..."Undertaker plans on wrestling WM, unless something changes his mind." So informative Dave
ReplyDeleteFirst, I'd be good with that match, and I think Bray could pull it off.
ReplyDeleteSecond, they gave us Cena vs Miz once. How would Bray vs Cena be surprising?
You know, if he hasn't already started to go senile, it should be really weird if/when it happens.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that Bray could pull it off.
ReplyDeleteThey did a decent slow build with Miz though that year. In hindsight he sucks but I think people bought him at the time. He was pretty over. Brays only wrestled 1 singles match on ppv so far I think. They'd have to start a super super push right now if they want people to buy him as competition for Cena.
So...there are no plans for WM at this point? I'm OK with that. I really don't need to read the end of the book at this point.
ReplyDeleteYep. Even before the MITB win/Cash in, he was a solid US champ/Tag champ for a good year, so he was at least close to main event status.
ReplyDeleteBray Wyatt just seems like a name drawn out of a hat.
Cobra > Tombstone
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the talk about Meltzer in this thread, I find it funny that Mike Johnson from PWInsider seems to be getting better sources than the Meltz lately.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean the Wyatts are gonna gang rape Cena?
ReplyDeleteI'll skip WrestleMania this year then.
They eat pinfalls.
ReplyDeleteI know you disagree. However, I would say that Bray is MUCH better on the stick than Miz ever was, and that if they decide to build him up before WM, they won't have any problem doing so. They shoved Orton down our collective throats when no one was clamoring for it; why wouldn't they do the same? They did a good job making Bryan seem like a real threat to Cena prior to SS.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying I really think Bray will be in the main event at WM. However, if he's impressed the right people in the "office," it wouldn't surprise me to see him get a mega heel push. And, I would probably dig it.
Hm. Wasn't the LOD quote from Wrestlefest "We snack on danger and dine on death!"? Would 3MB's be "We snack on comedy and dine on jobbing!"?
ReplyDeleteI've had that thought. However, one could have said the same about Foley. I think Bryan will be fine.
ReplyDeleteBaker is still trying to reconcile how to combine a Cena heel turn with the gang rape you mentioned. 100% there will be rape or bdsm involved tho
ReplyDeleteI'm not even doubting that Meltzer is HEARING some of these rumors, but I think he's reporting things without bothering to check on the validity, because any Mania rumors bring hits and mentions of his name.
ReplyDeleteHe'll be posting/mentioning a new rumor every week between now and the show, because that's what brings in the ad revenue.
Perhaps you should teach him about journalistic integrity
ReplyDeleteThe thing with Orton to was he was an established over guy that they had. Smarts tend to bash him but the general public views him as a legit star. Bryan had runs with the US and tag belts, along with previous top level cups of coffee with ppv matches with Punk.
ReplyDeleteBrays not on that level yet. Sure he can get a push at somepoint but it's laughable to me that they'd waste their biggest draw on a wyatt match.
I wonder if he's ever been in the shower with jbl?
ReplyDeleteShit, Meltzer's been doing this for about 15 years longer than I've been a news pro, and he has a successful brand that allows him to get paid while doing something (I imagine) he really enjoys.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind having HIM take me under his wing.
Besides, this is the way things are done now. Meltzer adapted to the new internet paradigm brilliantly. He knows what to say and do to bring in his audience.
Honestly, my paper did it this week with a piece we did on the New York City Council speaker race. "Sources say" and rumors, and let me tell you something, that link has been tweeted and retweeted by almost everyone in the Queens political sphere. My website is experiencing a record number of hits with this thing.
And here I was giving you credit for wanting to stay above the fray
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I see HHH-Punk falling through is because they need Punk to face Cena because the brilliant idea of Cena-Wyatt, Cena-Ambrose, Cena-Hogan doesn't work and they refuse to do Cena-Taker.
ReplyDeleteIt is now. It may not be come WM.
ReplyDeleteJeez I wish my boss at sallie Mae would say that about me. Seriously though he still (Cena) in his wrestling prime and incredibly over (read house show msg results). But I'm with Scott Cena vs taker or gtfo!
ReplyDeleteEh, I never promised anyone a rose garden. And to be fair, the item I was talking about up there was on our "Confidential" page, and I'm still shocked at how much play it's getting on social media.
ReplyDeleteDude, Brock got the strongest push of anyone I've ever seen and it took him a year to get into a headline WM match (can't believe I used compared Bray to brock), and Bray ain't Brock. 4 months isn't nearly long enough to build a guy up who has 0 other accomplishments under his belt to be taken seriously as a threat to a guy like Cena.
ReplyDeleteOh that made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteHow does your publication go about marketing the site? Do you have in house SEO people?
ReplyDeleteThey're a 3 MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to include Randy Orton filiming the whole thing and using it as blackmail in some sort of convoluted angle
ReplyDeleteWhat about the gym bag.
ReplyDeleteHe's much better on the stick than Brock ever was or will be. Is he better in the ring? Of course not. But, Brock was never pushed as a cult leader.
ReplyDeleteI know you don't buy him and dislike that character; that's fine. As someone who enjoys the gimmick, I'd have no problem with his getting a monster push and wrestling Cena at WM.
Where the Rock was behind everything that has ever happened... ever. And not just in wrestling.
ReplyDeleteIts were he places the copy of the tape to give to Nikki Bella
ReplyDeleteExactly. In fact, he already is fine. I agree that he could've (should've) been booked differently post-SummerSlam, but there's no arguing that he's a top-level WWE guy who will always be taken seriously in the main event from now on. I think if someone told a Bryan Danielson fan in 2010 that, three years after the tie-choke of doom, that's where Daniel Bryan would be in the WWE hierarchy, they'd take it.
ReplyDeleteCena gets turned out and models his new heel character after Adebesi from Oz.
ReplyDeleteI miss the blog getting bak3d.
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with this particular Baker obsession. He hates Rock? Thinks Rock has the political pull to book everything?
ReplyDeleteThe bright side to all of this, we don't know the end game this time.
ReplyDeleteLulz
ReplyDeleteIn the build up to Mania 28 he wanted to turn the Rock heel and have him be the one that was behind everything... Nash attacking Punk etc... that had happened over the previous year.
ReplyDeleteHe used to rant on Cena something wicked, now he pulls for Cena to undo the injustices.
ReplyDeleteI really thought they had something special with the 3mb alla too cool, instead they have em eat pins from a midget every week.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad when Impact is so boring that no one cares to comment. Tommy, nice write up of a bland show
ReplyDeleteI think there is plenty of evidence showing that HHH thinks that he can always be better utilized. More promos, matches, etc.
ReplyDeleteLol. That seems like perfect Baker
ReplyDeleteGood point
ReplyDeleteNo, the publisher doesn't understand how the web works, so he doesn't invest in doing anything to promote visibility outside of "Hey, email that link out to (insert media critics we know here) and see if they post it."
ReplyDeleteMy boss also has a long list of people who dislike him/the paper (cuz he's kind of shady) who take no small pleasure in criticizing when we do ANYTHING.
Main goal/resolution for 2014 is to find a new job, where my professional integrity and future isn't put in jeopardy with each passing issue.
At best someone brought it up and it was shot down. I really do like Dave so this is a little awkward for me
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's great from WWEs side that WM is so wide open (think there should be a pretty clear cut WM main event around this point...which there is but they seem to be ignoring it) but as a fan it does add intrigue.
ReplyDeleteThere's something offputting about writing a newspaper article in kayfabe in almost 2014. The part about Samoa Joe possibly putting Magnus out was cringeworthy.
ReplyDeleteIn a way I hope that is the main event because I definitely have very strong feelings of schadenfreude about the McMahons at this point but in another way I hope its not true because I still enjoy wrestlemania
ReplyDeleteThe Rock ordered the hit on Tupac Shakur you know
ReplyDeleteThey did it with yokozuna but he got a monster push the first day he walked through the door. And frankly he had a way better gimmick.
ReplyDeleteAnd Biggie. He was the sole cause of the East/West wars!
ReplyDeleteThere is a very "producers-ish" feeling to the wwe over the last year or two. If that's the main event this show is going to struggle to get 500k buys.
ReplyDeleteIt just dawned on me that Cena/Wyatt could EASILY be the possibility, if Bray attacks Daniel when he's trying to change a tire so that he and Brie could escape, then torment him in his wheel chair week after week while Cena accidentally on purpose sleeps with the wrong Bella, prompting Cena to avenge his friend on the biggest stage of them all while the Dazzler watches from a skybox.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I really, REALLY hope Triple H/Reigns gets CANNED for a long, long while. As much as I don't want to see Reigns get the rocket push over more deserving (and talented) wrestlers, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen, and I'd rather it happen the right way. The Shield needs to make it to WrestleMania, let Roman have the huge WrestleMania face turn to cement his status as a new alpha face moving forward, give it some teeth.
Or whatever they're calling faces now, since Vince apparently doesn't do "faces and heels" anymore.
I agree. Would I have loved to see D Bry as WWE champ this fall? Definitely... But he's doing pretty well for himself overall and is still mega over. I think he'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteThat's brilliant
ReplyDeleteI'd LOVE to hear Bakers opinions on real life issues. Is it only wrestling that turns him into "JESSE BAKER"? Does he have strong political and religious views? Is this just some high level trolling he does and he's really like 10x smarter then all of us? Has he ever touched a woman? I need these questions answered
ReplyDeleteOh god I hate seeing meltzer take a beating like this but its tough to offer any defense to parallax and everyone else saying he's trolling for a little heat. His mania reporting this year has not been a good look for him. I'm a borderline DM apologist but this is 411 type shit
ReplyDeleteHow bout Cena v dancing negroes as the main event?
ReplyDeleteLike even if meltzer was told this by a source, how does he not immediately think bullshit? Or even worse, if he did immediately think bullshit why report it.
ReplyDelete"Millions of dollars, millions of dollars, millions of dollars!"
ReplyDeleteIf I had to bet I'd say he got word of a throwaway conversation within wwe and he just ran with it on a slow newsday.
ReplyDeleteAgreed
ReplyDeleteNot gonna troll you, not gonna harass you, simply going to say that I disagree with 500,000 buys (even with this Main Event). I think Wrestlemania, at its absolute worst, would still do more than 750k buys. It may not hit 1 Million, but I don't think they would have a dropoff of more than 500k buys from WM 29 to WM 30.
ReplyDeleteThat'd end up as like a 9-1 match
ReplyDeleteBecause people will click on the link, and the more clicks he gets on his site, the more money he brings in.
ReplyDeleteThe man's trying to make a living here, people. Let's not be too hard on him, huh?
Hey, that's my line! That's gimmick infringement. :)
ReplyDeleteStill better n more entertaining than Wyatt by a country mile.
ReplyDeleteYeah, even for a college newspaper. And giving the TNA title 'world champion' status is um....questionable.
ReplyDeletewho is Scott Cena?
ReplyDeleteHas PWI done it yet?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to consider is that Vince believes that Cena is a draw no matter who he's fighting. Same with Taker and Punk and a few others.
ReplyDeleteHis logic might be that since Cena will draw no matter what and since Taker will also draw. Why would you put those two together?
I disagree with his logic, but it's Vince.
HHH would do it, but instead of having those WrestleMania training workout montages he likes so much he'll be learning how to break dance and do the Bernie Lean.
ReplyDeleteHhh also knows how to build proper heat against them. (See wm x9 build)
ReplyDeleteCena: "Here's you protein shake, Vince."
ReplyDeletePunk: "...and AJ, here's YOUR protein sh-"
***PLEASE STAND BY***
http://youtu.be/R-b329Hzahw
ReplyDeleteThe guy is doing his dream job at the highest level, getting paid a lot of money, and is in position to be doing so for several years to come. He's engaged to an attractive woman(even though I'm not a big fan of her as a wrestler/performer) who doesn't seem to mind his ridiculous facial hair.
ReplyDeleteI'm as disappointed in the way the Orton/HHH played out as anyone, but as others have said he's gone way up the card in the past year and is in a much stronger position than he was coming out of Wrestlemania. Can't we just accept that he's probably happy thinks life is going pretty well for him right now, and be happy for him?
Don't know, don't care. TNA is still a joke of a promotion, regardless of what standing that joke of a magazine gives it.
ReplyDeleteI'm just saying, that was always the standard of "world title status." It was a big deal when they stripped the AWA of world title status, and it was a big deal when they gave it to ECW.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying it has any import anymore, and I'm sure it doesn't (I haven't picked up a PWI since before Apter left).
Haha nice.
ReplyDeleteI've been paying for one form of the observer or another since I was a sophmore in highschool (well my parents were paying for it then but still) but I kind of like to act like this stuff is beneath Dave. But I do hope this brings him in some cash.
ReplyDeleteI like the gimmick myself, but it's going to take more than four months to build him as a credible threat to Cena. And nothing they've done in the past couple years shows they now how to build anything properly.
ReplyDeleteSorry I forgot the comma. Typing on an iPad I'd a bitch at times, especially their auto correct feature.
ReplyDeleteThis might sound REALLY weird but the best traditional build they've done in the past 5 years may have been the Mizs.
ReplyDeleteFair enough.That might be a bit steep but even if mania dropped to around 700k that would be a pretty epic drop. I never thought I'd see a survivor series do less than a 100k domestically either. If their big game plan is hhh constantly getting the upper hand on punk for 6 weeks and bringing a guy who as of rumble time is a mid carder with a murky gimmick to face cena in the main event, that buy rate won't be pretty. (I don't believe that story anyways but if it was true it will be awful).
ReplyDeleteIt was from his newsletter though, which is something you have to pay for. Unless you have a subscription, you could not click on the link and read the article
ReplyDeleteI remember PWI doing an article in the late 90s debating whether or not they should recognize the ECW title as a world title.
ReplyDeleteWrestlemania 30 is not shaping up to be the dream card we envisioned.
ReplyDeleteBut it's in his newsletter, and it gets picked up by other sites, which gets Dave's name out there, which leads them to check out his site, subscribe to the newsletter or download his podcast to see if he's talking about it some more.
ReplyDeleteIt's all connected, and it's all done in the hopes of bringing more eyes to the product, which leads to higher revenue.
Have you seen Anchorman 2? Cause poor Dave might just be living the plot of anchorman 2.
ReplyDeleteI have a subscription to Meltzer and PWInsider. I am starting to become a fan of Mike Johnson. He also seems to be getting better sources and has been breaking some major stories before Meltzer lately
ReplyDeleteI'd say WWE will always get a one year "grace period"... where if this WM card is as bad as Dave is thinking, it'll still threaten 1 million.
ReplyDeleteBut WM 31 would suffer for those sins, because no matter what is booked after, no one will bother to watch for a while.
Abeyance is talking more what the results of such a theoretical card would be... not what the card itself could/should/would be.
ReplyDeleteDated: 2/2/14
ReplyDelete"Hey Scott, love the blog. I'm really glad Daniel Bryan won the rumble but why did he only eliminate 11 guys? Is this a sign of HHH burying him since he eliminated less men then title rights HHH has?"
- the internet
Probably will end with Cena smiling like everything is okay and were gonna complain all year about every fail they make.Normal as usual.
ReplyDeleteThat is true. He has been doing this for over 30 years too and already has the name recognition. Until he retires, he will be the top dog in wrestling journalism
ReplyDeleteJr please save this company!
ReplyDeleteScott Cena would be John's younger, wimpier brother, who gets his neck broken by Jupiter in No Holds Barred II.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't mean he's not always looking for more subscribers, though. It's a constant thing.
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem; WM will no doubt do great business on name value alone, but if the event ends up being disappointing then they will struggle to sell the following year's WM.
ReplyDeleteThing is, we have no idea how it's shaping up. Maybe it will be exactly what we want. We simply do not know yet. I'm taking a "Wait and see" approach.
ReplyDeleteOk, so what if it turns out that this is the main event? What from a booking standpoint would they need to do to Wyatt to make this match believable and profitable?
ReplyDeleteLet it play out and see where it goes.
ReplyDeleteUsually goes wrong.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they're telling stories...
ReplyDeleteThere is literally NOTHING they could do short of having Bray win the Rumble, EC, and beat guys like Punk and Bryan during Raw to build him up as a credible challenger to Cena in 4 months. Bray has wrestled 1 singles ppv match (think it's 1) and has never held a secondary belt. There's just not enough time. None of this is an exaggeration.
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, that's exactly what I'm doing. 1st stop: Royal Rumble, I'm definitely checking it out at the local theatre.
ReplyDeleteHe always has done that. He usually has one of his radio show's available for free during the week. That is a better tool to get subscribers than people like myself posting who copy what he writes onto blogs. If myself and others are copying the biggest news items in his newsletter for free and that is your main reason for getting the newsletter, then there is no reason to pay for the subscription to the newsletter
ReplyDeleteExactly what I was thinking. He would have to beat punk and Bryan clean, and that would leave Cena to save the day. But that's still not wm worthy IMHO.
ReplyDeleteScott Cena may just be what john needs for some character enhancement lol.
ReplyDeleteU even use the 3??? Lol
ReplyDeleteAbout the Mistico thing,I heard they are gonna put Sami zayn as Sin cara.
ReplyDeleteThis might just be optimism but I'm starting to think they're just floating out bullshit so when they do go Cena/Taker people are caught off guard and get swept up in the build.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat make sense, but ppl would be wondering where sin carats new bitching tattoo went.
ReplyDeleteI'm taking my nephew to see it today, was it any good? I wasn't the biggest fan of the original, but it's grown on me.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see him debut as El generico,unfortunately they can't use their own gimmicks.
ReplyDeleteI hope so,it's the only big match Cena hasn't done yet.
ReplyDeleteWait, wasn't that a joke that someone made during a thread on the blog last week?
ReplyDeleteExactly. I've had this debate numerous times recently but it'll sell this year just based on the brand. If they shit the bed tho then it'll damage the brand/name value and hurt in subsequent years
ReplyDeleteit's one those rumors I heard on others sites.
ReplyDeleteHe did it when he was a heel in his dr. Of thugonomics gimmick, but since he's been THE man for the company, no it hasn't but needs to be done and this year makes the most sense.
ReplyDeleteScott said bring it on!!
ReplyDeleteIF jesse baker was here,he would start a debate of how Cena will use the shield to win and being the new king of universe and parts unknown and somehow he would put some S&M context in the comment.
ReplyDeleteI just hope we're not quoting Jim Mora in a year, or two, or few...
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated.
ReplyDeletePlayoffs?
ReplyDeleteI honestly have no idea who this guy is. Is he that ultra jacked steroided out British dude? wait that's Rob Terry or something right?
ReplyDeleteNah... 2017 reference to the UT/Cena match that never was, after UT broke his back carrying one more lug to something watchable:
ReplyDelete"Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda. But they didn't."
Mora could make a book of quotes starting with diddly poo.
ReplyDeleteEither they're trying to out a mole or someone is trolling Meltzer. I don't even think Mike Rotundo would try to get Bray Wyatt in such a huge match. Considering some of the silly garbage coming out of the dirt sheets it's possible they're just working us.
ReplyDeleteTJ: does anyone know the title of the song Bob Backlund is using for a theme now? I'm pretty sure it's a Sousa march, but cannot for the life of me figure out which one it is.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY. Vince could privately tell one guy Cena/Wyatt, another guy Cena/Reigns, another guy Cena/Big E, etc etc etc. That way, if Meltzer reports one of those matches, BOOM.
ReplyDeleteNo, we'll be quoting Dick Vermeil...sobbing uncontrollably.
ReplyDeleteIt is the exact same movie. I laughed pretty much the entire time.
ReplyDeleteThis meta-era is something. WWE have the purest goddamned babyface they've had in years and he's over like Rover. I love it.
ReplyDeleteDid WrestleMania 28 suffer for the sins of WrestleMania 27? I'm legitimately asking, cause WrestleMania 27 was a dogshit card.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered if Vince would try something like that like purposely giving a guy a fake story and see if it gets leaked to the dirt sheets
ReplyDeleteIf I meet Vince McMahon in the next few weeks, I will grab him by the oversized lapels on those sports coats of his, get right into his face and screw, "JUST RUN CENA AND UNDERTAKER ON TOP GODDAMNIT."
ReplyDeleteCool, so now I'm kinda excited. I'd still rather him have a better experience of course.
ReplyDelete"IT'S FOR YOUR OWN DAMN GOOD VINCE!"
ReplyDeleteIf Punk is winning the Rumble then how does he end up facing HHH at WM? The only way that could happen is if...nah couldn't be.
ReplyDeleteSo which star guest referees a match this year, gets involved, and HAS to schedule a match for WM 31 the next night?
ReplyDeleteAustin?
Hogan?
Michaels? (whose true selling power has never been proven, IMO)
Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?
Because Rock at 28 MADE that event. Barring one of the names above, or some other stunning revelation, a bad card this year will NOT have the "Get Out of Jail Free" card that Rocky gave 28.
Rise Above Cholesterol
ReplyDeleteThink you mean 27. Rock/Cena was 28
ReplyDeleteWould he be the Bob Backlund of our generation?
ReplyDelete27 was the bad card. Rock wrestling Cena was 28's "jail free" card.
ReplyDeleteGotcha. Misinterpreted what you were saying
ReplyDeleteI remember when Raven was champ he went overseas and defended the ECW title and he defended it against non-ECW wrestlers. That would make it a World title in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the version of the TNA title that AJ had should be considered a World title more than the one Magnus has.
What about NXT World Women's Champion Paige?
ReplyDeleteAlways crying about Trent green lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm an admitted Backlund fan, but I definitely see it. Bryan is a cooler guy than Bob, but they've got very similar personas.
ReplyDeletePleased for him and all but reminds me of nothing more than Rick Martel - AWA World champion
ReplyDelete'You don't want to see a main event of HHH vs. a returning Scott Steiner with the winner getting ownership of the Funkadactyls?
ReplyDeleteThreadjack: This is the dumbest kid alive. Have fun in jail:
ReplyDeletehttp://kollegekidd.com/news/qawmane-young-qc-wilson-murdered-mom-for-insurance-money-to-live-life-of-luxury
They have to be, don't they? In a world where HHH won't go "from matches with the Undertaker to a WM match with Bryan"....they would have Cena go from matches with the ROCK to a Bray Wyatt match?
ReplyDeleteIt's not just possible, it's been done.
ReplyDeleteZack Ryder?
ReplyDeleteStatute if limitations in the internet is like 17 minutes
ReplyDeleteHe did well with those video packages last night, let's see how he does with the "coronation ceremony" next week and the first big challenge that comes up (I really shouldn't have read the spoilers for the shows they taped through JANUARY at the end of November).
ReplyDeleteJumping in late, but Morley sounds really fucking annoying.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the criteria here? ROH has a world title, and Nigel McGuinness held that.
ReplyDeleteI interviewed Nick back in 2007, just before he went to a training camp run by Simon Dean (I think), really proud for him that he's done so well as he seems like a good guy. The girls (and some of the guys) in the office love him.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness, in the package I put together, I sound like I love him as well.
I remember both of those instances vividly Ferrari. I probably had over 1,000 Apter magazines as a kid (I'm 35 now) and remember freaking out about the AWA losing world title status. Of course it seems pretty silly now but I watched a lot of AWA on ESPN as a kid. I look back on those mark days fondly, the sheer amount of wrestling that was on cable that I ws able to watch: WWF, NWA, AWA, UWF, WCCW, ICW, CWA. Damn!
ReplyDelete