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Sporting News: Quarterly Network numbers are out, and the news isn't good.


I feel like they need to push John Cena even harder, and perhaps have the announcers wear "$9.99" t-shirts all the time to really emphasize the price point. If people only knew what a great value the Network was and how much John Cena they could get on the Network, they'd hit their million subs in no time!  

Comments

  1. I think we can all agree at this point...we just need another five years of Cena vs. Orton to turn this thing around.

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  2. Free November? Might have to jump on board..

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  3. TJ: reading Jericho's new book, and finally heard that Shawn/Jericho catering story Shane Helms has been ranting about for years. Oddly enough in Jericho's account Helms was the one telling him he was being an asshole.

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  4. I have up on the Network when it was announced as a Rogers channel here in Canada. Has anything changed on that front?

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  5. Oh a FREE month in November? Oh how NICE.


    I'm gonna pull a Guy Fawkes on Titan Towers if this keeps up.


    Remember, remember, the 1st of November
    The Network, bullshit and plot
    I see no excuse why WWE fans in the UK*
    should always be forgot


    * er, pronounce it 'UKs'. Yeah, it's legit. Prove me wrong.

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  6. Ambrose and Rollins couldn't pull off a main event -- even with a ghost! Got to stick with the tried and true. I'm thinking Cena/Orton TLC match in December to freshen things up.

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  7. Why not get real zany and have Kane mixed in somehow too? there are no shortage of possibilities.

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  8. Are you trying to say bring back Teddy Long and make it a tag match, playa? I can feel that.

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  9. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 30, 2014 at 10:31 AM

    What's this story?

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  10. WWE's going to feel pretty stupid when TNA announces that you can have their whole network for $8.99.

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  11. Now that WWE discovered hologram technology, expect to see John Cena vs. John Cena headlining the next Wrestlemania.

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  12. Does anyone know on the call how Vince spinned the number? I'm assuming he didn't straight out say this is a horrible number...

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  13. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 30, 2014 at 10:34 AM

    It says a lot about the current product to me when they're giving away SURVIVOR SERIES for free and I really couldn't give a shit. But I'll stick with the network because the old Nitros and SNMEs still kick ass.

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  14. That would be a waste of money for them. Rest assured though, we're getting a ton of Cena/Orton/Big show/Kane at the top of the card until this all gets squared away. Much like the lousy network numbers, their booking is predictable

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  15. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 30, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    I assume that if an investor pointed out how terrible that number was, he shot back with LIFE SUCKS AND THEN YOU DIE

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  16. Maybe they'll even make it an "I Quit" match so it can go on for eternity.

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  17. Sweet, a repeat of
    "John, do you quit!??"
    ".....no....."

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  18. Stop being ridiculous. There is no need to focus only on Cena. They'll obviously mix Randy Orton into it too in order to keep things really exciting

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  19. Because Cena never quits, you see.

    HUSTLE! LOYALTY! RESPECT! YOLO!

    Seriously, how has Cena not commandeered "YOLO" yet?

    Ok, I'm done replying to myself now.

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  20. So, I gather the new plan is desperately try to collect 6-month subs in November with FREE SURVIVOR SERIES, before they only go monthly by December. Meh, I'm just gonna wait until January and hope the product doesn't totally suck before Rumble.

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  21. The press release trumpets the number of new subscribers gross and net, leaves it up to you to do the math and go "holy shit a third of the Network's subscribers actually cancelled!"

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  22. Meanwhile, the stock has dropped to its lowest value in three months.


    You know, the last time they gave an investor's conference call.

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  23. You could own TNA for that price.

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  24. I honestly wonder if John Cena feels any pressure based on this news. Remember a while back when Eddie was champ and "the pressure of being champion" was getting to him?


    Cena seems to be able to shrug everything off both on camera (boo) and off (yay)... but you have to wonder.

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  25. Jericho was drunk, and he's a noted bad drunk, sitting next to Shawn's family in catering. Mainly just being an obnoxious drunk in front of Shawn's kids. Shawn got annoyed and left, Jericho made what Shawn took as a sarcastic comment and told him off. Jericho tried to apologize but Shawn wasn't having it. It sounded like Jericho really fell into his "best in the world" character and thought he could do what he wanted. Apparently they woked things out and are close now. The funny thing is during the story Helms is the one telling Jericho to settle down and stop swearing in front of Shawns kids but he's since made Shawn out to be the dickhead.

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  26. He's not worried. He can rise above pressure

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  27. And just like with the "Hell In A Cell" PPV, I'll be skipping the Survivor Series also. Don't mean to be too negative, but I'm simply not interested.

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  28. Nah, he's got Apatow, Shumber, and Poehler eating out of his hands...he'll be fine. Cena only cares about sick kids and soldiers, so his co-workers getting released or paycuts has no effect on him.

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  29. That's what they get for not letting Dean pin Seth at HIAC!



    Also, I guess 750k, so I was only 19k off. Yay, I guess.

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  30. John Cena and Randy Orton v. Randy Orton and John Cena.

    BOOK IT!

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  31. The ghost wasn't real, but he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddling kids.

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  32. Take all my monies!!!

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  33. So many times over the last decade you see the company play safe, hype the brand instead of going with what's hot... it's all come home to roost. Punk and Bryan should have driven the business to near-Austin levels of hot, but so often the company pulled back, did 50/50 booking, kept John Cena front and center. It's like the company can't get hot now. Other than the Network this company doesn't--can't really, because they went public--take any risks. You have to risk failure to succeed.

    Imagine the world of fuck WWE'd be in if John Cena got injured, or USA announced they were changing their brand identity and not renewing the current deal in a few years...

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  34. Legit LOL from me (LLFM!).

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  35. I think that's the wrong way to look at it. In 2014 people are paying for options. If they don't see what they want they won't get it. People would pay to know they have mid south or whatever when they want. Not to just binge watch it right away.

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  36. You are like the spokesperson for smarkdom, aren't you? Like it's just repeating the same stuff that's been written on here every day for the past 2 years. yyaawwwnn....

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  37. I still can't believe the Royals, perennial losers since I started watching sports, made it to Game 7 of the World Series.

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  38. Explained below.

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  39. Based on some calculations I'd done, the WWE LOSES money on the Big 4 with the Network (unless they have some ungodly number of subscribers) but could actually make that back with the smaller PPVs.


    By moving to a month-to-month plan, they actually get rid of the revenue that they got for the smaller PPVs.


    Simple fact is, most people (myself included) can only watch the old stuff for so long. They need to improve the current product to keep people signing up.

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  40. By the way... has Dean Ambrose ever had a good singles match on WWE TV aside from the garbage brawls with Seth at Summerslam and the next night?

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  41. Is a WWE Network sustainable long-term? They're the first ones to say that the business is cyclical, even if they launced this during the Attitude Era, eventually they'd lose subscribers.

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  42. Yep, open that mouth wide -- McMahon likes it like that.

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  43. I don't think you get locked into a six-month commitment anymore. I just think you can begin canceling your sub starting December.

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  44. Guys stop making weirdo VJ get upset by saying something mean about WWE! You know that makes him crazy.

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  45. And worse yet, there's no competition to either share the pain or help drive a turnaround.

    If this is to get fixed, the onus is straight on the WWE. That's not gonna cut it.

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  46. EVERYTHING IS FINE!

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  47. Do you have the WWE Network?

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  48. I would *love* to know what their actual paid subscriber count is, MeeThinks I'm not the only person that they haven't charged that are still being used in that calculation.

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  49. Extant1979 Most Must-See BoDerOctober 30, 2014 at 11:44 AM

    12.72

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  50. So what fixes it?

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  51. I've done similar math and that's totally consistent with what I've calculated as well. They have completely tied the company's future to the Network and it's a big money loser.

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  52. Yeah the month to month thing seems crazy to me. You're gonna go back to people paying to watch 3-4 PPVs a year, except now they'll be paying $10 for them instead of $60. Under the subscription plan at least the high numbers for garbage PPVs would subsidize what they lost on something like Summerslam or the Rumble. Now they don't even get to make money off that.

    It really feels like Mania coming off the Network is a given, and probably eventually Summerslam and the Rumble too.

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  53. 1) Improved in-ring product.
    2) Better fan awareness.
    3) Better customer support.
    4) A commitment to more material on the Network.
    5) A better strategy to make the public aware.

    Aside from that, yes, everything is awesome.

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  54. The reason the numbers are so low is because people keep seeing Michael Cole push the Network as something cool and they don't believe him.

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  55. They mean that as in created a brand that almost everybody knows, but doesn't follow.


    Unfortunately for WWE, the people who everybody knows don't wrestle (Hogan, Rock, Austin, Undertaker, Bret, Shawn, Ric Flair, etc).


    If a person or a group of people received a billion dollars funding to create a popular culture company, it probably won't success.


    What this person is saying is that WWE is a recognizable brand that is not easily created, even with a billion in funding.

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  56. Threadjack: I did an NBA preview for Zeitgeeks; the six of you who give a damn about basketball will probably enjoy it:

    http://zeitgeeks.com/articles/2014/10/26/nicks-nba-western-conference-preview-the-one-with-the-actually-good-teams

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  57. They'd have to convince the PPV companies to play nice and take them back. They have little incentive to play nice, have the upper hand. Vince would have to beg just to get the 50/50 split back. Is making $30 off WrestleMania worth the drop in subscribers that month? After all, being monthly, why subscribe WrestleMania month if you have to buy it on PPV? They'd probably have to offer subscribers a discount to order WrestleMania. Do all that math juggling and I'm not sure it adds up pulling Mania off the Network being smart it even doable.

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  58. No more authority storylines! Omg this product needs a huge makeover. It looks and feels like the same shit for years. It's not working anymore!

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  59. Is it too simple to say they are giving away too much of the product for free on cable? Why do I need to pay for this network when some variation of the same matches is on Raw and Smackdown?

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  60. 1. Yes. This is probably the one that would be most effective. A good product trumps everything.
    2. I find it hard to believe any wrestling fan doesn't know about the Network.
    3. Minimal impact. I've heard no significant complaints.
    4. Yes. If they'd bring back Legends Roundtable as a weekly series, I'd be sold on that alone.
    5. Advertising outside their own programming would be a smart move.

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  61. There is no reason for Smackdown to exist, outside of outrageous rights fees. It's a dumping ground for midcard matches and no story advancement. It was never more evident than after Rollins' heel turn, he came out on Smackdown and did the whole 'you don't deserve an explanation' spiel (i.e. saving the reasoning for Raw), and just went over on Ziggler in a pointless match to kill time.

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  62. Well, there isn't much specialness to ppv matches. I mean look at HITC...all of those matches had happened, a large percent on Raw & SD in the weeks leading to the show. The only match with anticipation, Ambrose vs Rollins, had a screwy ending.

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  63. Does anyone think they're going to gain 300,000 more subscribers for WrestleMania season?

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  64. WWE World Heavyweight Champion "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan.

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  65. Stranger in the AlpsOctober 30, 2014 at 11:51 AM

    SNOWPIERCER NOW ON NETFLIX, PLAYAS!
    It's just like the WWE network, only with more subscribers.

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  66. Umm, Roman Reigns is going to win the WWE Championship, they'll get at least that.

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  67. This time next year, there will be cut-out proof of purchases on bags of Doritos for free one month trials for the WWE Network.

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  68. also they miss obvious opportunities. Like during the build for Cena vs Lesnar at SummerSlam they could have shown stills of their AWESOME Extreme Rules match and emphasized how you can watch that too on The Network. They really should be connecting the dots

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  69. They need better pause and restart features. Also if I stay watching on one device I should be able to pick up where I left off on another. And I only ever see chapter breaks on my PS3.

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  70. Gunther the Nasty LoserOctober 30, 2014 at 11:53 AM

    We can troubleshoot all we want, but nothing is gonna change.

    We get what we get and that's it.

    If it's not doing it for you, don't overthink it, just walk away.

    If you're OK with it, then stick around, bat around some ideas here and there, but don't get too personally invested and instead cultivate the relationships you have through watching WWE and expand them to other things where possible.

    Complacency: the other whitebread reaction

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  71. That's why it annoys me so much when "certain people" defend the WWE. The WWE is slowly dying. They need to either reinvent themselves, or strengthen their core product. Nothing in the world works forever. People like different things over time. WWE hasn't really addressed this with many of their consumers.


    IWC complains and bashes. Fine, it's a vocal minority. But that's how these things start. The people who love it and enjoy it the most notice these weaknesses first. A 10 year-old won't until he stops caring. He'll like WWE one day, and then the next day he'll move to football or something else.

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  72. Yes. I think they should take every piece of the show right now and do the opposite or something different.


    -No authority figures more than a "Jack Tunney" role for major decisions.
    -No more back stage segments. Promos return to being in-ring with a Mean Gene style interviewer.
    -Ban any rematch within a 30 day period. No more Usos Vs Dusts 100 times.

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  73. I don't know, all of his posts just seem to scream "I am auditioning to have a column here". Just basically feels copied and pasted from other posts, zero originality.

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  74. Most people here specifically are here for the community, not the WWE anymore.

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  75. This really is the Island of Misfit Fans.

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  76. They absolutely have to take Mania off the Network based on this non-subscription model.
    People signing up to get Mania is what subsidized all the other months. They can't kill off the golden goose by only making $10 a pop from the massive Wrestlemania month and then seeing a massive drop off for the other months, which is what is gonna happen now.



    Dropping Mania from the Network and getting rid of the 6-month commitment are obviously linked.

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  77. Thing is, if they cut their TV deals and went Network exclusive they'd be doomed. The TV shows keep the public aware of the product. Really the ones buying the Network are the hardcore fans.

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  78. Your first 3 sentences are perfect.



    It feels like some get so caught up in their fantasy booking world, that they legit think that THEY are the ones losing money, and desperately need to fix it. Watching rasslin' should be fun. Not a stressful chore. Well done.

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  79. Gunther the Nasty LoserOctober 30, 2014 at 11:57 AM

    Well, that's partly my point. We can't effect any change, so there's no point in trying to give it the "gotta cure cancer!" approach. It is what it is. I like the presence of WWE in my life. Yeah, I've seen better days with it, but it's not in our control.

    So... it's there. It's not perfect, but again, it is what it is. C'est la vie

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  80. I have the feeling that every year they'll get a big boost for Royal Rumble through WrestleMania, then a drop-off. That's when the most casuals jump on, and they'd rather pay $9.99 for those months than staying in for a year.

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  81. Losing a Cell match via interference to a mysterious debuting super-threat who'd been built up and promoted for weeks to be your archenemy AND has extensive reason to want to fuck with you =/= losing a Cell match via a guy who John Cena beats up twice a month, often in handicap matches, who's helping your opponent because of reasons

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  82. Cutting costs desperately always leads businesses to failure. They need as has been said everywhere here to invest in improving the product. You can't expect people to get excited about the same stuff. They've already seen it. Try putting in something new like really pushing the secondary titles. Having a comedy bit like the jbl show as part of raw. Things like that. Try new stuff that can work.

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  83. they need to find a better way to utilize SD other than having it as Raw-Lite

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  84. 2) I know fans are aware that it exists, but how many know how it WORKS? That's where they need to improve awareness. Like how Verizon touts the feature where you start a program in one room and can finish watching it in another room. Not practical, but cool and it SEEMS important.

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  85. Jannetty/Owen sounds like it'd be a pretty good IC feud, actually. I was pretty burned out on Razor Ramon by this point.

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  86. How in the living hell do you only add 28,000 subscribers from 170 different countries?


    That's 165 people per country for fucks sake!

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  87. or some just enjoy talking about the business aspects. It is no different than folks who call in to sports radio or post on team sites trying to play GM. It's a hobby and I honestly don't think anyone is losing sleep over the WWE Network, it is just fun to talk about and to toss out our ideas.

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  88. Might have been a 90 notice kinda thing.

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  89. Oh don't get me started on "hardcore sports fan". They are even worse. :)

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  90. The business talks fine, the temper tantrums and freak outs are not.

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  91. Exactly. We mean when it seems to go too far and they get legit angry. I will never get that.

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  92. Hahaha, what originality is in your posts VJ?


    And what's with your compulsion to pick at someone's posting style? Again, you call other people angry but you're the legit most aggressive and angry person here, in that all you do is try to insult and pick fights. Then you hide behind "What me I'm so nice!" phoniness. Ugh it's so weird.

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  93. "2. I find it hard to believe any wrestling fan doesn't know about the Network"


    Probably true, but what about the mythical lapsed fans who stopped watching after Nitro ended?

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  94. Gunther the Nasty LoserOctober 30, 2014 at 12:01 PM

    That's the thing. I keep going back to the idea that ultimately it's out of our control, consumers though we are.

    Yeah, it can be fun to fantasy book - that's part of the human mind exploring its need to be creative. But really, when things don't pan out like we want them to, it's not like they didn't listen to US in particular. So it's like "Well shit, that's a bummer. Well, here we are with what we've got... let's see what they can do with it."

    Maybe all the boom periods (late 80's, Attitude) are more just dumb luck than anything.

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  95. They should purchase ad-time during whatever UFC programs are on cable

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  96. More like a SPOOKY ending.

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  97. Jem and the Holograms > Misfits.

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  98. Yeah a few back when he was doing singles work with the shield. But not enough to make me care about him outside of his character, which I no longer care about.

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  99. The show features evil foreigners attacking usa figures. They spend an inordinate amount of time talking about irrelevant to the rest of the world usa sports teams and stars. Is it any wonder most countries have very few subscribers? Probably mostly usa ex pats

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  100. Stranger in the AlpsOctober 30, 2014 at 12:02 PM

    BUT THAT ENDING SUCKED!!!
    .
    Actually, I agree with you, Gunther the Nasty Loser. Pick and choose the battles that are truly important, like your career and your family and that pending sexual harassment lawsuit. Wrestling is an escape from all that.
    .
    Except the lawsuit.

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  101. "But really, when things don't pan out like we want them to, it's not like they didn't listen to US in particular."


    THIS.



    Some act like they are personally offended, like it's a personal slap in the face against them.

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  102. WWE should buy Podcast One, and have Austin, Jericho, & JR's podcasts on the network exclusively (the way Stern airs on E!)

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  103. it's the first of several hail marys. Yeah, your math is correct. The game all along was to replace lost WM and RR revenue with increased monthly revenue from ppvs that used to struggle to pull 100k buys. But, and I can attest to this from working retail, people are scared of commitment. Even great deals are passed on because people are commitment phobic. Because the WWE is bereft of ideas to make the current product hot and pull in subscribers that way, their hope is that there are a lot of folks (probably mostly parents of under 18 WWE fans) who are commitment phobic and will now take a shot. There will be hail marys to follow, such as a huge marketing campaign on other TV stations around WM to try and bring in lapsed fans and curious folks.

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  104. Gunther the Nasty LoserOctober 30, 2014 at 12:03 PM

    Zack Attack > all

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  105. That. Also, I don't want to know what'll happen just so I can be right. I like them telling me a story.

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  106. I don't really watch Raw that closely on a weekly basis. I forget when I left the WWE (2008 maybe?), but I was fine with not watching all that time. Summer of Punk happened, and it was exciting. I started watching again, and it started sucking again. I was ready to leave after Rock beat Cena at WM (that was awesome), and then Brock came out. So I stayed again.


    But I don't watch it that closely, I don't complain about it that much. I generally just make fun of Raw, either because it sucks, or if there is something actually fun about it.


    I get much more upset with people who defend the WWE and thinks "everything is fine". Everything is not fine. It's slow death march, but it's gotten bad enough that even WWE and some of their staunchest defenders aren't able to ignore anymore.


    If WWE dies, so be it. I'll find something else to do. I rather it be okay so I can watch it from time to time and be entertained by the product, not by the community that I and others are in by commenting on the product.

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  107. I guess I'm not seeing the meltdown here. Nothing like what you hear on a radio call in show when someone goes off about Geno Smith or the need to shoot Jay Cutler in the leg so he'll never play again.

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  108. You know what... someone's missing from this discussion. Someone who actually has been negative on the Network from the beginning. Someone who's been the target of lots of badmouthing and insults.


    BIGNASTY, COME ON DOWN!

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  109. Its funny to me that he doesn't know who rspw legend John Petrie is. Guy wrote the best raw reviews for years and years. He definitely knows the product.

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  110. Actually, I wonder if Bray Wyatt actually used "Synergy" for his hologram? Did Wyatt have pink star earrings?



    (hey, i have an older sister who used to watch the show. We only had 1 TV. SUE ME. )

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  111. Gunther the Nasty LoserOctober 30, 2014 at 12:05 PM

    *BigNasty's top falls off while he runs down, resulting in "ooooooh" and laughter from the crowd.*

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  112. You're the most angry person on here Vince. Your entire schtick is directly criticizing other posters and picking personal fights, and then pretending that's not what you're doing. That's legit aggression, not writing wrestling opinions ona wrestling blog.

    Other people's posts here are about a wrestling TV show and a wrestling company. You're the one who leads almost everything with something aimed at people on this board. THAT is anger and aggression.

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  113. Alright, well here's this. In Tuesday's evening thread WiffleBat discovered some Caliber workout videos, I decided to do my best Sherlock impression with the evidence. I'm not sure any of this is interesting anymore but, meh:







    "Ok, there aren't any more insightful videos to watch, I think I've seen all the apartment based ones three times each now.


    There is definitely someone changing out the flowers and stuff, the main vase on the counter changes twice over a two week period or so, and sometime in that period someone put sticky decorations on the window facing out into what I assume is a common yard area given that it's super fucking decorative. He has a desktop and laptop, the desktop stays on the coffee table it would appear pretty regularly, do we know if he's a gamer? I'm betting that's more for dual screen action and the laptop is his main "writing" computer. There's a variety of laundry on the sofa against the back wall (I initially thought the entrance to the apt must be on the right but I'm leaning toward hallway on the left side now based on where the couch is) that changes as you'd expect but none of it was clearly feminine, mostly socks and stuff like that. The paint job in the apt in general screams girl to me but that could have just been the way it was when he moved in. The Jenny Craig calendar is particularly disturbing if there isn't a woman there, why would he be eating Jenny Craig and drinking the variety of protein powders that I'm fairly certain he rotates out to show you how badass he is in each video? The whole setup against the back window is extremely feminine, there's like four candles, some flowers, and at various times there appears to be thin pieces of fabric hanging off the side of that table that suggest the shoulder strap of a purse. The artwork on the walls, all of it, screams girl, keep in mind this is a guy that had Halloween posters on his walls not too many years before this. There are at least two cats based on the food bowl size and one of them will from now on be called Boston Lloyd because that's incredible.

    So basically, the final wisdom here is that Caliber is the most effeminate heterosexual in history that also just happens to really enjoy him some twinkish men that try steroids."





    John Edwards insists this all means he lives with his mother but that apartment is both too small and not lived in enough by an actual woman for me to agree with that. No old ladies keep nothing on their refrigerators except meal calendars, nor do they let their live-in 31 year old son keep his dirty laundry on the living room couch.

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  114. Worst has been going pretty bad for about a week. To the point where he was trolling most of my posts to call me "Lil VJ."

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  115. If he wanted to write a column here (or any wrestling site) he could do it in a second.

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  116. Repeating the same stuff? When's the last time you said something new? I mean, seriously?



    And bugger off for talking smack on John Petrie. He was and is a great writer.

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  117. You've done a pretty good job earning the moniker. Nothing close to someone else who I shall not mention, but still enough.

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  118. People laughed in the summer of 2000 about the thought of wcw not existing.

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  119. ehh I debate politics on another board. Nothing here seems too out of line. Guess my thin is thicker for this kind of stuff. I personally admire passion for something.

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  120. If the Worldwide Network is as shitty as the Canadian offering, I can't see many people being bothered.

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  121. Exactly. An amazingly talented writer. I read his columns and recaps for years back in the day.

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  122. Virgil's Gimmick TableOctober 30, 2014 at 12:07 PM

    You're the one that gets angry at people for not agreeing with you. What a hypocrite you are.

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  123. I've seen Vince be a troll for the sake of trolling, but I don't think I've seen him pissed about anything ever.

    If he was, he didn't seem it.

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  124. I DEMAND TO KNOW!!! DARN SECRETS!!!!! *chugs 3 coffees, cause IT DON'T MATTER! I am clearly not sleepin' tonight!!

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  125. Because at this point the only reasonable conclusion is that you're VJ using a second account.

    Also, it's amazing that you say I'm trolling you when you could just read through these threads and see all our interactions start with either you replying to me with a direct personal insult, or you (like you did here) writing about me without it even being a reply to me.

    I've yet to bring you up out of thin air once, meanwhile you're doing that to me over and over.

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  126. Lil VJ sounds like the name of a one hit wonder child rapper from the early 2000s.

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  127. I think the big problem we're all seeing here is if WWE fails (don't get me wrong -- I don't think they're going anywhere -- but things ain't looking good right now), then wrestling is screwed for the foreseeable future. At least from a "mainstream exposure" point of view.


    Sure, there isn't much we can do about it, but it doesn't mean we can't discuss it.

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  128. Yeah, and he's making his defenders look worse and worse with each post today. Usually it's not this bad.

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  129. Touché. In fairness I did hate the Rollins-Ambrose HiaC and think Cena's way overexposed.

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  130. Gunther the Nasty LoserOctober 30, 2014 at 12:09 PM

    My thread about "it is what it is, just let it be" has somehow devolved into a flame war.

    Oh well. It is what it is.

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  131. I think this is a side effect of having a down economy for so long. People actually are used to impulse buys, even with a longer term commitment. It's worked out for tons of semi-scams and that type companies (like infomercials).


    But I think the economy is so bad that people are not committing to anything anymore (which is actually how people should be, cash is king, don't commit it to long-term losses like WWE Network and cable TV). Some loss happens, but a lot of it is avoidable and not necessary. People cutting the cord has discovered this.

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  132. I've been saying this for a while now.
    Only the hardcore fans are going to really want the network since the casuals are fine watching the 5 hours of wrestling that's already on TV every week.

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  133. Or I'm not the only one that sees what I'm seeing. And I'm glad. Again, I hope i'm wrong, and you are in a perfectly calm mood when posting. I sincerely do.

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  134. I thought you'd still be able to root for him given your mutual fear of ghosts.

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  135. The wwe customer service is awful. People complain about it a lot. All you can do it chat online with a automated bot.

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  136. His whole thing is to directly insult or pick fights with other posters. That's actual anger and aggression, whether he cloaks it in phony "What me? I'm so relaxed!" posting style or not.

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  137. And it's not a good "update" to that match, either. It's taking that famous, well-remembered match, and giving it a face lift that the Corpse of Joan Rivers would look at and go "Fuck, that's too much."

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  138. Aah, I miss the days when Stern was on free radio and TV, now it's all subscriber based, probably for an undisclosed monthly figure.

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  139. Tons of people get angry at me, but I certainly don't. In fact, when I do disagree, it's usually in a humorous/sarcastic tone, not an angry tone. Oh well.

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  140. It's funny 10 seconds of Edge and Christian being goofy during their plug for the Network SD special was a more convincing pitch than everything else they've done

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  141. haha, he's probably on his 3rd champagne bottle!

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  142. Yeah but that would mean making an additional 2 hours of weekly programming a priority.

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  143. Amazing.

    I also like that we caught one of the rare times Edwards in trying to be helpful.

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  144. Don't worry, we'll still have TN.... Nope! can't do it!! bwaahahhahaha

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  145. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 30, 2014 at 12:12 PM

    Awwww yeah!

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  146. Believe me, if the passion I have for WRESTLING wasn't there, I'd have left here not too long after Wrestlemania XXX. Probably right after DB's "Zack Ryder" moment with Kane.

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  147. Vince, you're the angriest and weirdest dude here, it's not even close anymore. But keep on surrounding it with lame jokes and Simpsons references to pretend like you're not just angrily picking fights with people, it's totally working bud ;)

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  148. They would be the fans you would reach out to with outside advertising.

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  149. There is no chance I'll watch any ppv until the rumble. Now 3 or 4 years later I might go back and watch 2014 ppvs I've forgotten all about but that's the only way I'm ever seeing battleground, NOC, or the rest of the shows this year. I'm planning on keeping my sub because I don't have any kind of tape collection is the archive is cool for me, but they've completely lost me with the current show.

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  150. I have listened and am disarming. Thanks Loser.

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  151. I worked tech support for Sirius Radio years ago, people would pay anything for Howard Stern. I'd say a good 40% of customers had it only for him.

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  152. Yeah I was shocked to see him on my notifications.

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  153. Meh, I don't think that matters too much. He's perfect for those garbage brawls you just mentioned. (Just like Austin 1988-1999 Austin didn't have that many technical classics).

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  154. Not the worst idea in the world. Hell, I would totally watch Austin sitting at the Broken Skull Ranch messing with his wife while she's trying to cook.

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  155. I was under the impression the worldwide rollout is the same as the US one. So far only Canada has it's own seperate plan although i have a feeling the UK will also join that group when it launches.

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  156. LMAO this is insane and hilarious all at once.

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  157. He was right all along. I can't believe he's not here gloating. He's a bigger man than me.

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  158. Oh, I pissed him off a couple of times. All I have to talk about is facts and evidence in backing up claims.


    And most trolls exhibit signs of sadism, according to recent studies. Between that and the passive aggression... yeah, I'd say he's been pissed plenty. But I'd say most of the people here have been pissed off at one time or another.

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  159. I don't have the answer, but as-is, it's a waste. They throw away matches that could be of relevance, adding to the feeling that, say, Cesaro vs Ziggler, or Usos vs Dusts aren't worth a damn.

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  160. I don't even remember the last time the SummerSlam through New Year's portion of the year was worth watching.

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  161. That's fair. You do come as legit frothing angry, at least to me.

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  162. Not a good idea. People get pissed when stuff is pulled off Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.

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  163. Current WWE creative would make him mortal, my friend.

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  164. Did he even with The Shield? The only US title defense on PPV I remember is a shiity countout finish with Kane on some show. I honestly can't think of any decent Ambrose singles from the Shield run.

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  165. "...pending sexual harassment lawsuit."

    I TOLD YOU THAT IN CONFIDENCE!!!

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  166. Gunther the Nasty LoserOctober 30, 2014 at 12:18 PM

    TIL: Jobber admitted he has a tiny wang

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  167. Finally. I've been waiting for the debriefing/dissertation.

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  168. Half-a-Chan, that's what I call him, and not even any of the entertaining parts, just the same gimmick with less lol's.

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  169. "Sorry!"


    (announcer has a look like "Kill me now.")

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  170. Lol. Jobber said the same thing when I first started. I'm gonna back off though.

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  171. This reminds me...is current Raw even on the WWE Network? Even if it plays a week later? Universal HD replays Raw and Smackdown every Saturday night (I don't have UHD right now, and it's kind of annoying that I can't throw something on the background that I'm familiar with from time to time).


    American who live outside the US MIGHT want to get the Network so they can get Raw, in English, at the times they want.

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  172. Yeah I have literally no idea, I come from the Media Master Race.

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  173. "You're the most angry person on here Vince."

    That's not even kind of true.

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  174. It's the avatar, I'm tellin' ya. The time-traveling D-Bry resembles Ted Kaczynski in some ways.

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  175. Apparently we are wrong.

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  176. I said on Tuesday night if this didn't get 100+ upvotes I'd be disappointed. This is some OUTSTANDING work, people!

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  177. I thought those were routine business for you.

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  178. Cloaking everything in phony calm posting style doesn't cover up that all he does is pick fights and critique other posters. The guy has gotta have some anger and personal issues to feel the need to do that all the time.

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  179. This is what the blog, and going further back, rspw, is all about. This was never meant to be a place for fan boys to mark out. Its supposed to be a place to discuss wrestling business and history. Somewhere this all changed. Probably because most smarks from our era (even if we have an age difference I go back to 95 with the iwc and the rspw boards) are long gone because the product has gone so down hill since the death of wcw and its a new breed of smark.

    I hate all this critiquing of what can and can't be discussed, especially when the thrust of it comes from people with obvious gimmick accounts.

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  180. There are worse, I agree.


    Not many, but more than zero.

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  181. "HAW HAW! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN ON THE BLOG OF DOOM, MAGGLE!"

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  182. I *think* it's like 30 days before they put up Raws and then if I'm not mistaken they're weirdly edited replay shows.


    I'm in a weird world where I get all the PPV's legit but have to steal the broadcast television show online because I refuse to pay for cable. Strange times.

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  183. Nothing the WWE does in the present will get them a million subscribers at one time. Time is their friend with this. While the death of TV providers continues and more people go unplugged, the numbers will increase. Until then, you will only get the hardcore fans because 5 hours of wrestling a week is enough for those with cable subscriptions. This technology is the future, not the present. I am of the opinion that three years from now, all will be well. In the present, the WWE will find a way to stay profitable through cost-cutting, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  184. "urge to kill rising... rising... FADING... RISSIINNGGG!!"

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  185. He's one of best posters here because he actually talks wrestling. I used to disagree with him all the time and still appreciated his posts. Now he's just seen the light, a little later than the rest of us, but I can't blame someone for being fed up with the product.

    ReplyDelete
  186. It really is quite the little manic outburst, lol.

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  187. I guess he's rubber and I'm glue, and everything I say bounces off him and sticks to me. (that doesn't rhyme when it's backwards)

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  188. All the time = 9000 posts in about 10 months, 6000 of which have come in the form of attacks on specific posters, imaginary smark fans, and Scott. He's fine some days. But on a day like today, I'm just thinking, "Give it a rest, VJ."

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  189. And all you've done for days is reply to my posts with personal insults, or bring me up in posts that I'm not even involved in. That's legit weirdo shit and much "angrier" behavior than writing about how bad a wrestling PPV is.

    ReplyDelete
  190. Sadly, to me this is looking a lot like the downfall of TNA and WCW... they just keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

    I have faith that WWE will pull out of it, but the question is how long until they do.

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  191. Stick to Simpsons quotes VJ

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  192. You are not handling this well.



    it would be better if you said "My bad, I'm not really angry, no worries". Instead of being uber defensive every time.

    ReplyDelete

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