...the return of Brock Lesnar doesn't work out like the company had planned? Hear me out...
1.) When Brock came back the night after WM, on the stage he seemed a little uncoordinated just on bouncing before he walked to the ring. You and I both know that when it goes for MMA fighters, it goes in a hurry. My point is what if Brock is shot from his time in MMA and really can't bring it in the ring like he used to. While I'm not gonna say he's in Scott Steiner territory, worst case scenario - what if he just can't even work a decent scripted match over the next year...
2.) I'm not buying the legitimacy angle or talking point. Hardcore MMA fans couldn't stand Brock when he came to UFC b/c of the stigma of his time as a WWE wrestler. They aren't gonna follow him back to the very outlet that they loathe. The very week after WM, the Raw rating was DOWN w/ no competition from the NCAA National Championship and kids weren't out of school on Spring Break. My point - the people that hate Brock aren't gonna tune in to watch him in the WWE and that doesn't help w/ casual fans either b/c there's no real sizzle.
These are just my thoughts and I hope it all made sense. Anyhoos, we'll see where things go from here. And another thing, w/ all the shit that Cena spouted off about the Rock for leaving the WWE high and dry, what the hell is he gonna say about Lesnar? If he says anything at all?
I think it's a very real possibility that this deal is going to go south for both parties, especially if they book him in a long match right off the bat where he has to do more than throw Cena around like a ragdoll. Personally I think that the value in Brock was always in a long-term build where you build him into a super-monster like Mark Henry and don't beat him until WM, but I think WWE (and Brock) were thinking that the UFC name value would supercharge ratings and buyrates right away. If that's their mentality, then might be a much more short-term deal than either side intended going in.
Do we know how long Brock has been training/prepping for a pro wrestling return? Throwing him into a huge match with Cena in his first month back seems a bit much given that Lesnar hasn't had a pro wrestling match in five years.
ReplyDeleteReally, it's more about the PPV buys than the ratings at this point. Not saying the ratings don't mean anything, but for the money, it's about the buys now. If Extreme Rules does 40 thousand more buys than last year, there's a million dollars (after the PPV carriers take their cut), which goes a ways to paying Brock's contract. Ratings tend to take a while to change.
ReplyDeleteDid he really seem that uncoordinated doing his old bouncing routine before coming down the ramp? He mimicked the same entrance in WWE '12 - to a tee.
ReplyDeleteReally? We're going to make a correlation between his bouncing routine and whether he can work a match? How 'bout we just wait and see if he can work a match before we start reaching for things to talk about.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't think they're banking on UFC fans coming to WWE to watch Brock, they're banking more on bringing in fans from the early 00's. Ratings and buy rates have been on a decline (with some small ups on the road) for the better part of 10 years. If they can get even a small percentage of the fans that left back, this will be successful.
Even if the match sucks, don't we give him a pass for being a little rusty? Rocky looked great, but he's also been training in rings for the last couple years to prepare.
ReplyDeleteYou would think he'd get a pass, but there are more than a few people waiting to pounce on him if he underperforms. They will eat him alive, here and in every other smark board. Now, if he comes out, and looks like Scott Steiner circa '03 rumble...well that's a different story. However, I just don't see that happening. Although Brock has had some serious injuries, none of them are the variety that Steiner went through, at least I hope. I just want to be entertained and I think Cena-Lesnar could be quite good.
ReplyDeleteLesnar always had an incredible physique, but it's obvious that since his retirement from MMA he's lost some of the muscle mass and definition (and who can blame him?). I figured they'd give him a while to get back to 100% physically before throwing him out there. Surely not even Brock can get back into shape in four weeks?
ReplyDeleteI agree that Brock would appeal most to wrestling fans who are also UFC fans. I have one friend who gave up on wrestling around and became a huge UFC fan - he didn't like Brock. He didn't like the "push" he got so early and didn't think he was a great fighter. When he lost his last fight he laughed at how Brock would have to go back to fake fighting. His brother is both a huge UFC and wrestling fan - he loved Brock, watched all his fights, and now he's pumped to see him back in wrestling. So most UFC fans didn't like Brock to start with and aren't going to follow him to wrestling.
ReplyDeleteAs for Brock, I can see it not working out. The Rock left 8 years ago because he did everything he could in wrestling and stumbled into a legitimate second career. He spent years focused on that and established himself as a successful actor. He doesn't need wrestling anymore, but he's at a point now where he's established enough in his acting career that he can mix wrestling in there if he chooses, and it seems that's what he's chosen. Brock left because he didn't like wrestling. He did football for awhile but didn't succeed at that. Then he went into MMA, and he went as far as he could go in that. What's he have left BUT wrestling? I think he's back because it's something he can do and earn a lot of money doing it, not because it's something he really cares about. He only signed for one year, and he negotiated to work as few dates as possible. It seems like something he's just doing because it's available and he doesn't have anything else he can do right now. Knowing his personality, I'd be surprised if he puts a lot of effort into getting into shape or putting on a show in the ring. I don't think we'll see performances like we did from him during his first run - what does he really have to work for here? He doesn't love wrestling and he's getting paid a huge amount to work as little as possible.
You know business is at risk when they're trying to recapture fans from a "down" period 10 years ago. I don't think there's anyone else they can go to for a real decent ratings pop after Lesnar, so I'd hope that Lesnar makes people look good for the next year.
ReplyDeleteI bet he uses a more MMA based style. It plays into his success in that sport and it's slower paced.
ReplyDeleteHe started to lose it in UFC, which makes sense. As long as he has his strength and weight it doesn't matter how it looks. It'll be interesting to see what kind of shape he gets into for wrestling, where there's more emphasis on look.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the intestinal surgery, he will NEVER look like he did before. That's an unrealistic expectation. But is his physique any "worse" than Mark Henry's or Kane's? Plus Brock's never failed a steroid test (though I don't doubt he probably used in WWE), so he's got legitimate, functional strength.
ReplyDeleteI think he'll be fine, if not as agile as he once was.
Let's not forget what a freak of nature Brock was and how quickly he learned the business. I think he'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteKnowing his personality, I'd be surprised if he puts a lot of effort
ReplyDeleteinto getting into shape or putting on a show in the ring. I don't think
we'll see performances like we did from him during his first run - what
does he really have to work for here? He doesn't love wrestling and he's
getting paid a huge amount to work as little as possible.
You're a good poster and I'm not a Lesnar fanboy; but I feel the need to defend him here.
One, you don't know his personality. All you know is things you've read about and we don't know if any of is true. Could it be true? Sure, but who really knows? Lots of people talk shit of others when they're butt hurt. And when Brock left the WWE the way he did, there were a lot of butt hurt people. Not saying they weren't in their right to feel slighted, but we must take those things with a grain of salt.
Second, why wouldn't he put on good performances, because he's getting paid. It's not like he doesn't have bonuses and the such to work for. Remember, he is a professional and is being paid for a job. Have there been some athletes that have underperformed after getting a big contract? Sure, Chris Johnson (rb-TEN) last year comes to mind, but believe it or not, that is in the minority.
I don't know if you like your job or not, but if you don't, do you underperform even if they made you a top executive and paid you big bucks? I, and I think most people, would still do the best they can. If it got so unbearable that money didn't matter, I would quit - as did Brock. If he's back, he's back for the money and maybe he has an ich with wrestling still.
Lets stop putting our heads in athletes heads, we don't know anything about their motivations and their level of competitiveness.
Everytime someone comments on a wrestler's personal life, it reminds me of all those dirt sheet stories about what a great guy and family man Benoit was. Then we find out after the fact that he had abused his wife and had incidents for years, all the while perversely hazing young wrestlers.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's one of my pet peeves in all of sports and wrestling and it's not just fans falling victims to it, there are professional journalists that have built their careers on making assumptions about guys personalities and how they are "off court" (looking at you Skip Bayless). How anyone can make a judgement on anyone else based on 3 blurbs they read on some website is idiotic imo. Not only that, 99% of the time, what's reported is going to be negative. Would anyone want to be viewed strictly on their flaws? Because, lets not kid ourselves, we all have tons of flaws. Would you want your magnified? Drives me nutz.
ReplyDeleteBrock was/is a physical freak and Brock was/is absurdly competitive. I can't see him coming back and being Steiner-level bad. I could see him being on the same level the Rock was at Wrestlemania, and while I wan't impressed with his performance I seemed to be in the minority.
ReplyDeleteQuick aside: did Brock ever have a universally terrible match? Even with an inferior opponent I always got the sense his matches were ** or higher.
I enjoy Brock matches but he's not someone i'd desperately tune in to see every week or order a PPV specifically to see him fight. I could be wrong but i don't think he's someone wrestling fans ever emotionally invested in. We can appreciate his qualities but unlike a Rock, Austin or HBK, he's not a guy that can carry a show.
ReplyDelete"And another thing, w/ all the shit that Cena spouted off about the Rock for leaving the WWE high and dry, what the hell is he gonna say about Lesnar? If he says anything at all?"
ReplyDeleteThat could actually turn into a gimmick. There are enough people that have left to do other things that could come back and wrestle Cena in 1 - 2 matches.
As for what he would say, he'd just say, " Oh, look. Yet another wrestler that left to do other things that came back to get a quick payday by wrestling me."