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A Controversial Idea for the WWE Network.

What do you think would happen in the WWE moved RAW and Smackdown to the Network and just got rid of tv altogether?  Or maybe just producing tv recap shows like they used to showcasing Raw and Smackdown among other stuff on the Network (Think Prime Wrestling, WWE Mania, All-American Wrestling, etc.?)  Would they go out of business? Increase viewership to the site and therefore could increase their subscription fees? Nothing at all?

Given the ridiculous TV rights fees are what has been keeping the Network afloat while they find their way with it, I'd say "Go out of business" would be the optimal choice here.  

Comments

  1. ....

    (Shakes head)

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  2. For Flair, I'd say it was Starrcade '83. Getting the NWA World title for the second time, over a legend like Race, cemented Flair as the top man.

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  3. I realize people are trying to think "outside the box" on this to increase Network subscriptions, but if you've been paying attention even remotely to the discussions, you'd know that TV money is critical.


    I still think the best way to sell the Network is not to keep offering free months, but to have mini-ads during Raw and Smackdown. When Brock comes back, either have the announcers briefly mention or a pop-up window on the screen remind viewers that they can relive Brock's thrashing of Cena at SummerSlam 2014 or Reigns at WM 31 on the Network. Same goes for any time a legend shows up on screen. Pop a mention of a famous match that people can see of them.


    I know it might be too soon and morbid, but if they don't have a series of specials on Dusty Rhodes ready to go by Raw that they can advertise (tastefully), then they really have no business running the Network. That is exactly the sort of thing that it's for with original content.

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  4. I like all the guys in The Shield, but including them on this list is absurd.

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  5. If you're willing to project a bit- because I agree, none of the Shield guys are there yet but I'm going to go out on a limb and say they all will be- I'd say the Shield v. Authority showdown at the end of the post-Mania Raw. That was a goddamn electric moment.

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  6. Bret Hart winning the WWF title at Wrestlemania X was a great moment for me as a fan.


    One year ago he lost the WWF title due to the chicanery of The Devious One Mr. Fuji and to top if off you had the Hulk Hogan debacle right after that.


    He wins King of the Ring only to have Jerry Lawler beat him senseless during the coronation than Lawler actually WON their revenge match at SummerSlam (that was a great feud).


    His brother Owen turns on him, they reconcile and got the tag belts, lose and Owen turns on him again afterwards.


    He wins Royal Rumble 1994 but has to share it with Lex Luger but before he can face the Champion at Wrestlemania he has to face his brother Owen ... who defeats clean right in the middle of the ring.


    FINALLY after all that Bret wins back a title that maybe he should have never lost in the first place. It was great way to put over his perseverance and show his style could defeat Yokozuna where guys who relied on power and brawling couldn't.

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  7. Gene kiniski is going to come on the blog and relentless object to your post now

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  8. "Think outside the box" is being kind.

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  9. His brother Owen turns on him, they reconcile and got the tag belts, lose and Owen turns on him again afterwards.

    This didn't happen.

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  10. The worst refereeing job in the history of pro wrestling.

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  11. He made Bennett Salvatore in the 06 finals look competent

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  12. How is this "controversial?" Everyone can universally agree this is stupid.

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  13. Corrected they never got the belts. My bad.

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  14. Yeah I'd say undertaker was a tippy top guy right after his SurSer debut.

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  15. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJune 12, 2015 at 9:08 AM

    I don't have any strong disagreement with any of these. Totally agree with Bret being the guy you go to when you don't have the Guy. Shawn pretty much ended up that way too.

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  16. Was about to post this myself. Flair has said that his first reign was kind of a bomb and being a one-time only champ back then was seen as being kind of a flop and a sign that the NWA didn't have any confidence in you. Once he got the second feud and reign against Race, he knew that they thought of him as a top guy.

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  17. Going from TV to internet only is moving the opposite direction any sport or entertainment system wants to move.


    Think about it this way--ROH is available online all the time. Anybody can watch it. Inspite of that, moving onto a nothing TV station that hardly anybody watches is a step forwards for them.

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  18. Exactly; JBL's constant references to World Class and whatever else would be perfect for mini-ads for the Network, but no.

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  19. I have fallen for the Network 'trap' hook line and sinker. It looks like they'll be putting out these special events every 2 weeks now so every time I just think eh, I'll keep my sub for now and see how it goes


    In the unlikely event RAW was shown on the Network I would keep my subscription no problem

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  20. Sierra, hotel, india, echo, lima, delta....Shield

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  21. Extant1979 - Extreme SuperstarJune 12, 2015 at 9:28 AM

    "Sting: The Flair match. Made him a star for life, no fuss no muss."


    The one on the final Nitro?

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  22. Has worked out for porn

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  23. I think having a Network Match of the Week type thing would be fun. Have a 30 minute review/highlight show with a Network exclusive match at the end.

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  24. Or perhaps a FAQ.

    "Should the WWE move Raw and Smackdown to the Network? I mean..."

    "No."

    "Will Austin wrestle at WM32?"

    "No."

    "When is Bryan coming back?"

    "When they find a cure for late-onset avian bone syndrome."

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  25. Worst_in_the_WorldJune 12, 2015 at 10:02 AM

    This is always the dumbest wrestling idea anyone consistently proposes

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  26. Controversial means nothing now. Thanks, Bischoff!

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  27. And that's just it, this has been discussed since the network was even an idea. Still dumb.

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  28. Exclusive content that people want to see if the key. Raw and Smackdown thigh make way too much money to be moved to the Network. Elimination Chamber , KOTR, and NXT Takeovers are the kinds of things that will sell the Network. Maybe try to hype an exclusive first time matchup each network special to push them.

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  29. WWE Network is also your friend.

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  30. They should go the opposite route: keep Raw and Smackdown and Main Event on USA/Sci-Fi/wherever Main Event currently airs, but put together a longer package show like Prime Time Wrestling and air it on the Network. Use Renee Young and Corey Graves as the hosts, have them sit in a studio and kick it to the matches from the week.

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  31. I always try to be polite, at least on first pass. If the person making the suggestion wanted to insist that his/her idea was smart, then we'd have reason to smack them with WWE's ledger.

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  32. I think it would be actually better to bring the PPVs on free tv than the other way round.

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  33. ............

    No words. This is stupid.

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  34. It's going to be Owens vs Undertaker at WM isnt it? Besides cena and sting who else is there?

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  35. "We could get more subscriptions if we put Raw and Smackdown on the network!"
    "You'd have to raise the subscription price to about $1000 a week"
    "Well then that's what we'll do, smart guy!"

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  36. All you need here is five words, the first three of which are "My name is."

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  37. It's not weird, it's just FUCKING DUMB.

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  38. But it DOES create cash.


    At least that's what the title of his book said.


    You know, the book he wrote for the company that bought out the one he drove out of business...

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  39. More use of Renee Young.

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  40. Virgil's Gimmick TableJune 12, 2015 at 11:57 AM

    Because many of the one timers actually sucked and couldn't wrestle well enough to look strong and still be a great heel.

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  41. Virgil's Gimmick TableJune 12, 2015 at 12:02 PM

    Maybe they could just stick to their booking and keep them heel instead of turning people face just because they're getting cheers. It's called character development. Which wrestling doesn't seem to have. Cersei Lannister on GoT is a total bitch but she has her share of fans. So they keep her evil. Cause people like her.

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  42. Virgil's Gimmick TableJune 12, 2015 at 12:05 PM

    Because he's retarded now. When people say he's out of touch, it's things like this. This isn't the 80's anymore. It's funny how he calls Stone Cold his biggest star and doesn't understand why.

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  43. Virgil's Gimmick TableJune 12, 2015 at 12:07 PM

    I really wish now that he told the Authority "I can do this ladder match on my own" that's what would happen. He would win through athleticism and toughness and not rely on interference because he proved he didn't need it. But I have a feeling what's gonna happen is that he'll lose and then the story will be AUTHORITY AUTHORITY AUTHORITY. Just like always.

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  44. Or...make ppvs everyone wants to see?

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  45. I can think of more uses for Renee Young.

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  46. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJune 12, 2015 at 12:34 PM

    I had not thought about that. I would only like it if Owens is like Brock at last year Summerslam against Cena

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  47. I wanted to see Reigns win :(

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  48. That haircut is messing with your brain!

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  49. Cena killed controversial. The only thing controversial about him was half the crowd hated him, nothing he actually did.

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  50. Serious answer, only answer, as always:

    If the current product is consistently engaging and not intimidatingly nonsensical or complex to new viewers, network subs go up.

    If it stays the way it is, so do network subs.

    If it becomes less engaging, network subs go down.

    The network lives and dies on the quality of the current product alone. Anything else the company could do with the network is going to be a niche production with a limited fanbase.

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  51. Let's get to the REAL controversial questions: y TNA fire bob cat

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  52. Hindsight being 20/20, Bryan should have won the Rumble, gone on to face Lesnar at Mania... and Lesnar just kills him. It would have ripped the hearts out of that crowd, but in a good way. The stage would then be set for Roman Reigns to rise up more organically as the conquering hero at Summerslam.

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  53. His matches have been solid, yes. But the guy still has no personality and just reeks of Poochie. "Like him because we tell you to like him, even though we're not giving you any reason to connect with his character."

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  54. If Reigns had half of the personality that Miz displayed in 2010, he'd be a surefire hit.

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  55. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJune 12, 2015 at 1:23 PM

    They dont have any issues with demand though

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  56. Not here in Canada... at least for a guy that doesn't have cable, or even a TV for that matter, and doesn't want to jump through all the hoops like Scott did to get it.

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  57. I'm sure someone will have a "Best of Dusty on commentary" up at some point

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  58. Eh. I disagree on no personality. I think he oozes natural charisma and is being given much more of a chance to show it. I also don't think he's in a position where he's being shoved down our throats as much where they're begging us to like him. They're just presenting him as is, letting him do his own thing a little bit more and it's working. As tired as (insert babyface) v. Authority may be, feuding with them and giving him something to fight for- especially in service of having Ambrose's back- has done wonders for him.

    But, to each their own.

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  59. And for that matter, I think the buildup to the Lesnar match was terrific for him. They didn't make it about how we should like Reigns. They (and when I say "they," I mostly mean Heyman's awesome promos) made the story very simple: how in the fuck are you going to beat Brock Lesnar? Made him look like a badass for hanging in there and fucking Brock up near the end and didn't definitively answer that no, he couldn't beat Brock.
    I'm not accusing anyone specifically of this, but yeah, a lot of people made up their mind on Reigns and are levying him with criticisms that I don't think have been true for a long time. I think he's improved tremendously across the board and is still going to get a lot better.

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  60. What about superstars???

    I'd watch a hour and a half version of this week in wwe.

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  61. I was kidding. Something something piracy is bad.

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  62. http://i.imgur.com/Xomqeky.jpg

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  63. AnInternetToughGuyJune 12, 2015 at 2:41 PM

    I just want you to know, I'm not reading all that. :)

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  64. Nothing at all!

    Nothing at all!

    Nothing at all!

    http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view2/1178116/stupid-sexy-flanders-o.gif

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  65. I'm honestly surprised WWE hasn't jacked the price of the Network up to like $15 by now.

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  66. Superstars could be the lead in. Air it on Fridays:
    8 Superstars
    9-11 New Prime Time wrestling.

    Also, tape a house show somewhere once a month and throw those matches as exclusives on "Prime Time."

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  67. Joey Jo-Jo Junior ShabbadooJune 12, 2015 at 3:45 PM

    Wasn't there a theory that WWE might use the Network as leverage to get a better deal from USA/SyFy when the times comes?

    Vince had better hope that they don't call his bluff.

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  68. Anyone using quote marks is automatically awesome. Ask George Carlin. He LOVED those people.

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  69. Joey Jo-Jo Junior ShabbadooJune 12, 2015 at 4:05 PM

    I think he has natural charisma...as a heel.

    What was that line Nash had about Orton? Don't put this cocky bastard out there in a yellow suit and think I'm gonna cheer for him, he should be driving a sports car into the arena with two chicks on his arms? That's how I feel about Reigns.

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  70. Inbreeding! What a great idea! Worked for the Hapsburgs!

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  71. The WWE title is the tertiary title now, behind Being John Cena and Being Brock Lesnar.

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  72. Sex sells much better than wrestling; always has, always will.

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  73. If there isn't free content such as raw and smackdown outside the network it will be impossible to create New fans. Terrible idea

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  74. They already did. That's why things are such a mess now.

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  75. Yeah, piracy has practically crippled the porn industry. One mega company basically controls the majority of content now (including, interestingly many of the Tube sites).

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  76. Yeah, I think he was most-politr with me, and he was STILL being an ass, with "the joke's on you" when I pointed out that Dusty wasn't as well known as some of the other top guys.

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  77. Hey now, that's some dangerous thinking you got going on there.

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  78. He should have started a new life... under the sea.

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  79. It still brings in 5 billion dollars. It's far from crippled, but as in wrestling, more places to work the better.

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  80. It'd be interesting to see how they do the july 4th show. Will they do a "lower" production value show, and will it be popular? More house shows could be coming. I just want fucking Saturday night, but whatever.

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  81. What they needed to do was to have the Undertaker end his undefeated Wrestlemania streak to another wrestler who was undefeated at Wrestlemania (such as Cesaro or someone in the Shield) so that THAT wrestler's streak at Wrestlemania meant something. Being undefeated at Wrestlemania and having ended Taker's streak would make the quest to beat that wrestler at Wrestlemania something interesting, and it would be fun to watch that streak build.

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  82. Agreed. And I still think that's what should happen. But I'm surprised by how much he's improving as a face without first turning.

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  83. I subscribed the night they announced Owens vs Cena.

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  84. He F5ed Cole, that makes him a face for life.

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  85. It's wild that of all the wrestlers in the company, Cesaro and Paige are the only ones with unbeaten WM records, and they're just 1-0. (And even Cesaro's "streak" is tainted by his losses in the preshow.) I totally agree that WWE is missing an opportunity in not building anyone else with a Streak, and perhaps an even bigger opportunity in not having that person be the one to knock off Undertaker.

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  86. Yeah, actually RVD has the record right now, doesn't he? I think he's 4-0.

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  87. Hmmm...'The Dusty Position' (much like 'The Gorilla Position'). Sounds good to me!

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