Am I the only one who wants to see training montages with HHH/Steph a la Vince/Shane back in '99? Complete with chicken chasing, chugging raw egg yolks & Steph screaming "I HATE BRIE!! I HATE HER!! SHE'S GONNA BE MY BITCH!!"
Sadly, the chickens and Steph's implants were sold off as part of the cost-cutting, so I don't know how well those montages would work now. But I look forward to them trying! Of course, that would also imply that they have a sense of humor about how terribly acted this whole storyline really is thanks to Brie, but given that it was positioned in the main event slot of RAW, I don't think that's the case.
I'm watching the Vince vs Stephanie match right. Brie vs Stephanie would be lucky to reach 10% of the brutality of this match.
ReplyDeleteVince is getting NUCLEAR heat!
Featuring the frumpiest Stephanie of all time.
ReplyDeleteIf DBry was up to it physically I would have liked to have seen video of him working with B-Cup Bella and teaching her submission holds (specifically the Yes lock)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see someone agrees with my take on this whole angle. I give them a lot of credit for positioning the angle the way they have, and Stephanie has been flat-out terrific, but Jesus Christ, Brie Bella is just an AWFUL actress and I think it's accentuated even more when she's put up against Stephanie, whose skills trump her tenfold.
ReplyDeleteShe was fine until they put the mic in front of her.
ReplyDeleteShe's just terrible. There's no way around it. She seems like a nice girl and I particularly thought she came off that way in that Daniel Bryan WM documentary they have on the Network, but she is amateurish. It's almost embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteYou don't really wear makeup to a no-holds barred match.
ReplyDeleteOh don't get it twisted, I think she is terrible. But I feel that if they limited her exposure you wouldn't know HOW terrible she was.
ReplyDeleteIf RAW was any indication the crowd is turning on her and they will boo her unmercifully at the PPV.
Which is why they will have Daniel Bryan in her corner to prevent that from happening.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking...Cena Vs. Brock II is a really important main event because it's the first hyped-up top babyface (arguably) vs. heel monster in a long time. If it doesn't pop a good buyrate, I'd say Cena, a good merch and house show draw but not really a ratings or PPV dynamo (the big money), has to take some blame.
ReplyDeleteThe funny part is I think that whole deal was like a week before her wedding and everyone was threatening Vince not to actually bruise her up by accident in that match, considering Vince is a klutz in the ring most of the time.
ReplyDeleteVince could get nuclear heat visit one of those Make-A-Wish kids.
ReplyDeleteCena vs Brock III.
ReplyDeleteThat would be the smart thing to do, but I get a feeling they're not putting DB on TV until he's ready to come back. Which I also understand.
ReplyDeleteMan, if Summerslam was in a mark city, Steph might get cheered over her.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, The WWE can have a sense of humor about itself and it works wonders. Team Hell No was meant to be a midcard joke and it created a main eventer the crowd loved.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he'll be there at the beginning or if he comes out mid-squash?
ReplyDeleteThat's best for the long-term, but they can't afford to play for the long term at the expense of Summerslam. They need as many hooks for Summerslam as possible.
ReplyDeleteI still think she will.
ReplyDeleteI think Brock-Cena is enough of a hook for Summerslam. Bryan showing up in the corner of his wife isn't going to put more eyeballs on the show.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid you've got some bad views.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention you're blowing your Bryan-welcome-back pop just to save his wife some boos? No thanks. They've done everything within reason to get Brie over in this stupid angle, and she hasn't taken advantage of it because she's terrible.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she's a nice girl, but she's awful in this role.
I don't really see it.
ReplyDeleteFunny how it kinda happened by accident. Their biggest star in years!
ReplyDeleteThis is a rare instance. Not to mention that they didn't want him to be a main eventer coming out of that team.
ReplyDeleteThis role was tailor-made for AJ Lee.
ReplyDeleteIf I wasn't a Network subscriber, and I wasn't interested in Summerslam (I am and I am), advertising Bryan in Brie's corner isn't making me feel any different.
ReplyDeleteBacklash 2003 got forgotten about. Funny how different the dynamic was for that match.
ReplyDeleteWasn't there a teased Stephanie/AJ feud that got aborted about 2 days after it started?
ReplyDeleteI believe the WWE should take the blame entirely for how well their PPVs go, not the stars. They are so restrictive on stories and the way the talent gets over, that they should be fully blamed when things go wrong. Usually when things go right, they loosen the reigns.
ReplyDeleteYou know that Brie putting Steph in the Yes Lock is for sure happening.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I don't know why.
ReplyDeleteI think it's time to retire the "pop a good buyrate" phrase as a means of gauging the effectiveness of a show's draw.
ReplyDeleteShe certainly had a different look. I'd take 03 Steph over today's Steph though.
ReplyDeleteThat will be when C-Cup Bella interferes.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I have the feeling they do the "Barry Windham dressed like Sting" switch here?
I hadn't thought of that, but I could see it since Steph hasn't been in a match in forever.
ReplyDeleteThat would be even worse than Windham dressed like Sting.
ReplyDeleteBrie and Nikki don't resemble each other at all anymore.
There's the obvious reason and even in the face there's a pretty distinct difference.
Don't be a lemon Scott!
ReplyDeleteI'm a bigger fan of Brie but she looks anemic in that Seahawks pic.
ReplyDeleteRusev winning the title is the logical choice.. That's why they won't do it of course.. idiots
ReplyDeleteProbably because she's picked up DBry's eating habits.
ReplyDeleteYup so I was wondering what they rounded up to 700k from. I absolutely believe Dave. So it's officially at 690k which means that theyve gained 23,000 people since mania. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteAlso there seems to be some thinking around here that the international release will put it over the top. 1)no matter what it does internationally it still needs 1.4 million domestic subs to make up for its costs and here and the loss of domestic ppv income which is on its way to zero 2)if the Canada example is anything like the rest of the world they are getting a watered down shitty version and not many people are going to buy that
Didnt everyone and their mother hate bad news backstage. I know in Brets book he devotes about 40 pgs to his hatred of this man.
ReplyDeleteBut if Rusev becomes U.S. Champion, it means he'll have to lose non-title matches every week to Cena, Orton, and Sheamus.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if it'll carry the same heat as when Nikita Koloff won the US title from Magnum TA. I mean it needs to be done, but not sure if it'll be more than "ok".
ReplyDeleteAnd Nikki's picked up Cena's. I could legit see Nikki's weight exploding once Cena leaves her for a 22 year old in a few years.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they thought the #s would be this bad from jump. I assume the planned on a slow start, but man.
ReplyDeleteWwe sure is spending a lot of time building up a piss break match. I'll be there live and I can guarantee you I wont be in my seat to see watch old Stephanie fucking have a wrestling match agaisnt a diva...even a dbry run in won't make this worth it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand my dream scenario is that either this match or reigns vs orton goes on last so I can leave before the traffic.
They cut costs to the point that they only need 500,000 subscribers to break even.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how old the Bellas are but in about 10 years they will look more like mother and daughter than sisters.
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when you only allow employees who are yes men to talk to you. They never ever saw this coming. No one wants the damn thing
ReplyDeleteI think they just hit the big 3-0. And absolutely. Already looks a few years apart in age.
ReplyDeleteBrice's awful at acting, but she's likeable, and her actual relationship with Bryan helps her on TV, as the fans are aware they care about each other. Unlike Nikki, who always comes off as the sarcastic high school queen who is a babyface because they make her, complete with sighing and eye-rolling. "Ugh, I have to be NICE to people? I hate this job."
ReplyDeletePeople do want the Network, but they've done a terribawful job of promoting it. Competing with stuff like Hulu, Netflix, and other pay channels, plus free stuff like DM and YT isn't easy.
ReplyDeleteNikki just embraces being a bitch.
ReplyDeleteFor real? If so, that's pretty cool (well, not for the future endeavored people, but you know what I mean)
ReplyDeleteYour loss. It's a McMahon match, so I guarantee that they pull out all the stops to make it an entertaining spectacle.
ReplyDeleteThey way overestimated and combine that with the fact they are putting out a weak product, that is why the numbers are where they are at.
ReplyDeleteDid people really think adding SNME was going to add a ton of subscribers?
So you are calling them idiots before even seeing if they're gonna do it? That is a peculiar attitude.
ReplyDeleteOuch. How many people did they fire?
ReplyDeleteYes, that helps, but what will really be telling is Q3, when the first batch of 6-month subs runs out. Growth right now is terrible unless it's Wrestlemania, and gaining only 23k subs since then isn't good at all.
ReplyDeleteWhat if he rechristens it as the Russian title? Then he's in unchartered waters.
ReplyDeleteHe's allowed to have an opinion.
ReplyDeleteMy interest in Rusev has already decreased dramatically.
ReplyDeleteThe tough thing is that it's logical to give Rusev the US title and give him heat, but they backed down a couple of weeks ago when Russia was blamed for that plane crash, so it's a tough spot.
ReplyDeleteThey can't go for giving him heat for being Russian when they're going to get heat for him being, you know, Russian.
Due to my own fear of new technology, I still truly believe that lots of fans are simply intimidated by the Network, and are embarrassed to ask questions about it and stuff, so they are resisting it. I really don't think it's about a good or bad product. (At least for the older demographic that I just mentioned). I really don't think they'd go "Hey, Dolph Ziggler is getting pushed, so NOW I'm getting the network.
ReplyDeleteRusev is currently feuding with a pro-American wrestler. It's perfect. Give America an evil foreigner to chase. They could run this until Mania with Rusev blustering and ducking Swagger until taking the ankle lock in San Francisco or a suburb thereof.
ReplyDeleteBest of seven series of GTFO.
ReplyDeleteso am I. And I think his comment was ridiculous. (lulz, used your own logic against you!)
ReplyDeleteThe network is one of the easiest things in the world to sign up for and access.
ReplyDelete"Bad News came up to me, with tears in his eyes, and he said...no, wait, actually he just beat the shit out of me."
ReplyDeleteIt's awful growth, really.
ReplyDeleteAnd the international Numbers aren't going to jump it up that much as they are down across the board too.
Tell that to someone who only uses the internet for e-mails, and for stock updates, which their kids gave them an easy link to access. Not everyone is like us.
ReplyDeleteOne of which must be a flag match.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I say the network doing poorly is due to poor promotion. Is it a good idea to watch the current product at a discounted price? Sure, so promote it as such. Is it a good product to watch old WCW matches? Sure, again, promote it as such.
ReplyDeleteYou can't say "it's like Netflix" because (as we've seen before) the fed thinks its fanbase is made up of idiots. So, you have to train them on how to obtain the Network, what it does and what you can get from it.
More than anything, their lack of promotion on this, to me, is the most glaring fact that they're out of touch with their fanbase.
The only thing that bothers me about the network is how they won't put up more content to the archives to the point where it feels like a very aggressive attack on those of us who purchased the network for it. Why have Joey Styles promise every episode of ECW and then only put up a few and then stop putting any up? Why not provide stuff from any of the different territories they own? Or even put up pre raw WWF shows?
ReplyDeleteAnd it's one thing to abandon the archive because you don't give a shit about it or the people that paid to see it, but then why have such an attitude about making the ppvs suck since they are free. It seems like the wwe is unwilling to put out good b show ppvs because they are free so who cares, and also unwilling to utilize the archives because they don't like old time fans. I'm confused as to what the goal of the network is or who its aimed too? Do they really think people want wwe original programming like total divas or legends house? I dunno but they need to pull their heads out of Vince's ass and improve the network if they want it to be huge.
Meh, those things are overrated and predictable. Just wake me up for the obvious 7th match.
ReplyDeleteWho on the roster is even popular to run a best of 7 series with that would make people care? At least when Nikita won, people LOVED Magnum.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be just like watching an NBA series!
ReplyDeleteWhat stops? Run ins? A table spot? Dude I'd rather go get some beers or take a piss, or hopefully even leave early.
ReplyDeleteIf my 55 year old parents can figure out this whole "Cutting the cord" thing, than anyone can.
ReplyDeleteHave Rusev sweep.
ReplyDeleteSo, you paid money to see a live event, and then fantasize about leaving early?
ReplyDeleteThis. A lot of wrestling fans are over 40 or do jobs that don't require internet access. The 800 number and the advertising really needed to drive home that they'd walk people through exactly how to do it.
ReplyDeleteI think even someone like that could figure it out. It is literally that easy.
ReplyDeleteIt really couldn't be easier, sign up, download, watch. But I agree people are dumb and the wwe fanbase is probably the dumbest of the dumb.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you'd think that most people who wanted it badly enough have already obtained it, so the international numbers shouldn't make a substantial difference.
ReplyDeleteWith the NFL around the corner, I have a feeling the Q3 report is going to be very, very bad. And I know the fed can cut more people, but how much more can you cut?
I think Dodger fans are notorious for arriving in the 3rd inning, and leaving in the 7th. That's what they do!
ReplyDeletea best of 7 sweep, and a 30 second ladder match are 2 things I would mark out for, just for the sheer balls it would require.
ReplyDeleteIt would suck if that match on went last and the crowd leaves en masse to beat traffic.
ReplyDeleteThe visual alone would be crazy and next to impossible for the announcers to cover for.
Supposedly they cut 60 people (based on a CNNMoney report). WWE Magazine is toast.
ReplyDeleteThey could still cut live talent, but wondering where do you go from there.
I'd love to get out early if the matches I wanted to see are over. Absolutely. Its moot point because Cena vs Brock is going on last but if they could somehow put steph vs brie on last (like piper vs Lawler at the kotr or something) then I'd be thrilled to beat the traffic.
ReplyDeleteLesnar/Cena is going on last, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteI think he'd have been great in JCP. Shit, they had Kendall Windham.. BNB would have killed his promos and probably feuded with Ronnie Garvin. A feud with Dusty would have been great too.. a lot of jive talking and bloody matches..
ReplyDeleteBut they don't KNOW it's "that easy". People are often afraid of change, that's all I'm saying. Hell, WWE could hire techs to come to fans houses and install it for them, step by step. I bet that would actually get them extra suscribers.
ReplyDeleteWell that happened to me a concert out here, I went to go before the encore and about half the crowd had the same idea
ReplyDeleteHave the 4th match be a 30 second ladder match, and there's your dream.
ReplyDeleteJust doing a little fantasy booking
ReplyDeleteThey make it a point to have commercials during every RAW that give instructions.
ReplyDeleteThis. People act like "it's so easy" to do X or Y, but there's other factors involved as well.
ReplyDeleteWhich people complain about and say why are they beating me over the head with this!?!? Like with the app.
ReplyDeletePeople act like things are so hard when they really aren't.
ReplyDeleteI laughed....and I'm the one who sent the e-mail.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's the one.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the original programming.
ReplyDeleteNo one is buying it to watch reality shows or the developmental program
I've never stayed for a chargers game past the 3rs quarter. I will watch padres games to the very end but only because I can walk home from the stadium.
ReplyDeleteAlso FYI, dodgers fans rape, rob, steal, kill, and maim. That's what those animals are notorious for.
Not saying it's not easy. Human factors are something no one can really account for.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, Amazon wouldn't promote face-to-face chatting for their Kindle tech support.
I have an update for you all: they're bringing an Ebola patient to Atlanta. That's right, the Ebola virus has reached American soil. I've seen Outbreak, and I've seen Contagion. It was nice knowing you all. I will be in my basement with the Network until this rolls over.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to see someone just run up the ladder and grab the briefcase.
ReplyDeleteWWE thinks people want what they tell them they want, because they're awesome and wouldn't they know what people really want anyway?
ReplyDeleteMiami Heat fans do that too.
ReplyDeleteExpect a shoot interview a day. Just let me seal myself in my apartment first
ReplyDeleteNot for people that still wonder why their WebTV doesn't work anymore..
ReplyDeleteI don't think Bad News needed to be in his prime for it to work. He was a capable brawler and the stark contrast would have been great. Flair, Sting, Steamboat, Luger, even Dusty could have worked some great stuff with him. If he was ever to go babyface, have him destroy the Freebirds (and Hayes' confederate flag robe).
ReplyDeleteOk, people are morons, I understand that, but them being moronic doesn't mean something is hard.
ReplyDeleteDo you have enough aluminum foil?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a perfect reason to burn Atlanta again. That city is a nightmare to drive. We're going to keep burning it until they get it right.
ReplyDeletelol yep. "I'm a tech savvy, so I know all of this? why are they bothering ME with this?"
ReplyDeleteThat is part of their own problem.
ReplyDeleteWhoever does their market research needs to be canned
Threadjack: Cracked Article:
ReplyDelete"3 Fan Communities That Hate Their Own Members"
- Nerd culture topics covered: Comic fans, Gamers, and Indy Music fans. Glaring ommission: wrestling fans!
http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-fan-communities-that-hate-their-own-members/
Hard is relative..
ReplyDeleteTHAT"S WHAT SHE SAID
Be right back.......
ReplyDelete...'cause my hat is foil lined...
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't help that a majority of the streets have the word "Peach" in it.
ReplyDeleteThis is how it starts huh?
ReplyDeleteBrie's acting has been pretty terrible, but I'll admit I've been enjoying this feud and the crowd seems to be eating it up. Stephanie has been one of the best heels in wrestling over the past year and it'll be fun to see her get her comeuppance. I think that if done right, this match could actually be a lot of fun. It needs to be overbooked with a ton of run ins, ref bumps, etc... to cover up their lack of in ring ability. Stephanie is so in the zone as a heel right now that I think the crowd heat will be great. Put all that together and I think it might be decent.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare that job would be.
ReplyDeleteStupid Laurence Fishburne saving his only family and leaving us to die!!
ReplyDeleteYou'd probably have to just lie and tell Vince everything is projected to do great in order to keep the job.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Rusev go over Sheamus at SummerSlam.
ReplyDeleteThe Network is not sustainable. Eventually people will watch (and re-watch) everything they are interested in and find something else to do with the monthly expense. Without a perpetual flow of new content, it will dry up. That's the difference between the WWE Network and Netflix. There is no shortage of new stuff Netflix can keep adding to keep people paying $8/mo. It won't be right away (maybe a couple years?), but eventually I expect a large number of fans to cancel their subscriptions. The "free" special event/PPV thing is nice, but I don't know if it will keep people around.
ReplyDeleteWell you're right.. especially since he's beating an Irishman..
ReplyDeleteRusev vs. Jack Swagger with the US Title on the line is exactly the sort of simple, sensible booking they used to be decent at. I don't even know who the US champ IS at this point
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone here ever read those mark madden articles on wz? They're very short and usually entertaining if completely crap. However he made a great point about Matt hardy and TNA/ROH. There is no reason that those guys should hold dudes under exclusive contracts. Its beneficial to both companies to share talent.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that the current product is not what is going to sell the Network. It is all about the Archives and, unless they just start pulling blow-away classic PPV/special events out of their asses now, the current stuff is not what is going to drive subscriptions
ReplyDeleteI think I watched 4 hours of the Network last month as opposed to 30+ the first month. I'm at the point where I have to justify keeping this charge on my credit card.. If they don't add more territory shows, I may not re-up.
ReplyDeleteThey don't even have a good enough product to keep people paying.
ReplyDeleteAnd unless they go all out with their archives, I do to see how people who are disinterested in the current product will keep paying
Is it possible the reason only 150,000 people were buying ppvs isn't because they were tpp expensive but because no one gives a shit?
ReplyDeleteAt least you had some at some point
ReplyDeleteYeah, at this point they should be sharing talent back and forth again, but TNA always decides it would rather piss off their partners than contribute anything of note.
ReplyDeleteCan it be "all of the above"?
ReplyDeleteMy interest in Lana is constantly rising.
ReplyDeleteAgree.
ReplyDeleteWrestling is in a poor state overall that talent sharing would help out all non-WWE companies
Maybe because they'd be insulted at the fact that someone would rather NOT work at TNA.
ReplyDeleteI think the PPV/Specials have been pretty strong, and for example, just Cena/Brock II could be worth the price of a regular PPV for a 6 month subscription. (But if i'm not mistaking, SummerSlam is still part of the original 6 months from day 1, right? I would have totally scheduled it to make it over 6 months after the launch date)
ReplyDeleteWhich, if true, would show how far up their own ass their self-awareness is.
ReplyDeleteYes, SummerSlam is part of the 6 month commitment.
ReplyDeleteBut Battleground was a nothing show.
Personally, I think all PPV's for $9.99 monthly along with the library is a steal but not everyone will think that way.
The need a consistently good product for people to stay subscribers.
We're the 1% biggest wrestling fans. For a casual fan I wonder if they would even care about seeing every monthly ppv especially when they kind of suck?
ReplyDeleteI'd say a little of both. Take a show like battleground, which even though I have the network, I haven't watched yet mainly because I didn't give a shit.
ReplyDeleteThat's the thing. They either need to stack the Archives or produce blow-away events (and promote them as "included" in the Network subscription). Or both, ideally
ReplyDeleteIt was a cute bit when HHH was asking for "Jerry" when Steph was arrested. But if he REALLY wanted her out of jail, shouldn't he have asked for Otunga?
ReplyDeleteMaybe not, but they're hoping fans are like Scott, eating up the archives. At that price, it's really good.
ReplyDeleteAgree 100%
ReplyDeleteTo keep casual fans subscribed, they need to put out a really strong product and not reality shows
Or you could half ass both and fire half your employees and cut all expenses
ReplyDeleteThat shows a disconnect with their target demo, IMO.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's more important than ever to have really great PPV/Specials and build new, sustainable stars. Because the appeal of the Archives will not last forever. You can only watch the great shows so many times before that money is better spent on something else.
ReplyDeleteSee, that's exactly what I think will happen on a mass scale. Having ALL that material at your fingertips is a great novelty....for a while. Then you watch Wrestlemania 17, Bash '89, etc a few times and realize that the In Your Houses, ECW ppvs, and most WCW shows pretty much sucked and the novelty wears off.
ReplyDeleteThe porn star daughter?
ReplyDeleteAgain, have the PPV/Specials since the Network launch been *THAT* bad? Some new guys are being elevated, and good matches are being had, even with Daniel's unfortunate injury.
ReplyDeleteHe comes off like a jackass, but I rarely disagree with Madden when it comes to wrestling. He's a big Matt Hardy fan.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with him that Cornette is a jackass. He rips into him more than he ripes into Russo nowadays.
I didn't say they were bad. I said "it's more important than ever to have really great PPV/specials and build new, sustainable stars." They are working on building stars right now and the PPVs this year have not been bad at all.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this story this morning it just struck me as incredibly stupid. Not that we have no interest in our nationals that go abroad, but the risk of bringing a deadly disease to the U.S. is not worth it. It's also hypocritical of the government to tell U.S. citizens not to fly to West Africa due to Ebola and then bring it right back home on the taxpayer dime.
ReplyDeleteIt's a weird dynamic. For the casual modern fan, is the appeal of the Network really having all the Clashes or having Bash '89 at your fingertips? For the older fan, is the current product really enough to keep you subscribing, once you've watched and re-watched all the SNMEs and the relative handful of great PPVs? Marketing to both types of fans is fine, but they have to make sure they deliver for BOTH, or else it's not going to work over the long-term
ReplyDeleteWhy? Neither lawyer knows how to take a bump.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame how bad the current WWE product is. There's pretty much a zero percent chance that they will get any more subscribers (at least in a large spike).
ReplyDeleteI can't think of a time since I've been a fan where the product has been this born and unexciting.
Which of these if any would drum up more network interest?
ReplyDelete1. An r rated type weekly wrestling show in the vein of the old ECW shows with real music, thong cat fights and f bomb promos
2. Buying out all the current ongoing indy promotion footage and letting people see like all ROH or dgusa etc on the network
3.Hiring real filmmakers to make 30 for 30 type documentaries (that Vince isn't allowed anywhere near) that win actual awards are very good
4. Having that weeks raw available to watch on Tuesday
5. Making a deal with NBC universal to show archives of a bunch of their TV shows on the network
Both. Even in 2000,when most of their product was awesome, I only bought the shows that seemed *really* great. Even when they were $30/mo that was kind of a lot of money to me and I had to be selective.
ReplyDeleteYes because they've only netted 23k since mania. No one wants to see what they are selling right now.
ReplyDeleteThe CDC should be on some uninhabited island somewhere with a nuke or two wired up and ready. Not in a huge city like Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually surprised they got 23k more. That means 23k people chose not to watch WM, and THEN ordered it? Unless they were one of the PPV buys for WM?
ReplyDeleteHaving Raw available on Tuesday would do it for me, but it would have to be good and watchable, or after the first billing period i'm out.
ReplyDeleteUsing indy footage would be neat, but would never happen. Same with documentaries that aren't spun in a correct way. An "R-rated" show would probably encounter the same problems a regular Raw or Smackdown does. As for the NBC deal, meh.
In reality I have a good chuck of the archive on VHS sitting in boxes in my basement. I keep a working VHS player and standard definition TV down there as well. If I really have the itch to watch that stuff, it is there. I don't *need* the network. I'm not sure why creating a better product and creating a sense of urgency to Raw and the "special events" is such a foreign concept to a company that was once the best in the world at it.
ReplyDeleteFor real. Base this off South Carolina or something, not in one of the major metropolitan cities in the country. I think Obama is going to take a political hit for this.
ReplyDeleteThat's another good point. I'm in the same boat. I haven't subscribed and have no plan to. It's not even monetary either. I could afford it and would enjoy it, but I don't need it. The great matches, promos, angle, etc are all attainable either through YouTube or shit I already own. It's not like this WWE vault of material has been completely inaccessible.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there are plenty of locations for it. I never understood having a place like that in a major city, or even in the continental U.S.
ReplyDeleteYes, they REALLY think people are going to dig Legends House and such. That's why they sent out that survey a few months back with all those awful reality show ideas (the only good one was Steve Blackman's bounty business).
ReplyDeleteNo.
ReplyDeleteI want that Steve Blackman bounty hunter show.
How hasn't she taken advantage of it? The crowd is popping for her. The segments are hot. Shitty actress or not (and who teh fuck cares? This is wrestling, not American Hustle) her and the angle have worked.
ReplyDeleteThey should have brought him to Pittsburgh, America's Enema.
ReplyDeleteFrom the time Nitro started up until about Summer of 2005, Raw and WWE in general was must see TV. I felt a sense of urgency to watch it or I might miss something. I rarely finish a full Raw and fall asleep during special events. I haven't watched Smackdown in years.
ReplyDeleteThey indeed could "future endeavour" the entire Legends House concept, yep. Probably costs a ton of money to produce.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I don't have a good archive of is Nitro and they haven't put one episode up.
ReplyDeleteIf Vince pulled an ole Anderson and just told all the talent they were getting their pay completely slashed to the lowest possible amount and anyone who didn't like it could fuck off would that exodus of talent/flood of new cheap talent make any difference to the ratings or buyrate? I kind of think the wwe has bottomed out to just about as low it as it could go so why not replace expensive names with cheap nobodies to save cash? Also if Cena, Bryan, Orton etc all left and went elsewhere would it make any ripples at all?
ReplyDelete#3 would be interesting. I think WWE should embrace the whole "shoot interview" market and let their guys, especially the retired ones, do honest interviews on the Network. It would bury the shoot interview guys, but maybe WWE should just hire them anyway. It would be hard since they would probably never let it get beyond WWE PR fluff, but I think that's an "original content" avenue worth exploring.
ReplyDeleteBringing back Saturday Nights Main Event exclusively for the network.
ReplyDeleteMore cities should have streets that describe their city like that. St. Louis can have Beer St, Beer Ave, Shithole Dr, Beer Blvd, etc.
ReplyDelete1: Nah, not for a while. And who do you use, anyway? Because trying to crossover from PG WWE to this new show would be bad for all involved, IMO.
ReplyDelete2: Interesting, but is the crowd there? Also see: lack of 80's stuff (other than PPVs) on the Network. There's already a large library to add, but more never hurts.
3: No way in hell does this happen under the WWE umbrella. Unlike ESPN, WWE does have "blood on its hands", although not in the literal sense.
4: If RAW was "must-see-live", this could work. But RAW in its current state would cannibalize its ratings, as people would just wait to see the "good parts".
5: Nah, then you might as well call it the Universal Network.
I'm not sure where they would go anyway. Some billionaire would have to want a wrestling promotion and sign everyone
ReplyDeleteI don't recall him saying anything particularly negative about BNB. Just said that BNB was stiff but other than that he just told stories about how much of a badass (BNB) was. The rib that they played on Karl Moffatt was pretty funny.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think each episode costs like hundreds of thousands for production.
ReplyDeleteHard to say - a lot of WWE guys now are marks and would take the pay cut.
ReplyDeleteAgree, although I lost interest by 2002. It used to be must-see and now I find even the Hulu version to be a chore.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I haven't subscribed yet because they don't have a lot of ECW, AWA, or even Prime Time Wrestling up. If they add that, I'll subscribe out of a curiosity to watch it. There's no one in the current product I'm really dying to see to want "free" pay-per-views.
ReplyDeleteThanks Obama?
ReplyDeleteI'd say there is a pretty good shot that happened this week.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can't even sit through the whole Hulu version of Raw, let alone pay money to see the PPVs. I'm perfectly OK seeing the random blow-away classic match on YouTube a month later or something. I saw Wrestlemania 30 a few weeks after the fact just by googling it (not even any nefarious downloading or anything). It's just not "can't miss" TV anymore and I'm OK with waiting
ReplyDeleteFor #1 you just use the current talent and keep it only on the network. I think this was the original idea behind shotgun Saturday night so its not like they haven't thought about it before
ReplyDeleteFor #2 I do think theres probably a few thousand fans who like dgusa or ROH etc that don't watch wwe so depending on the price (and if those fans would pay wwe, but they might for easy access to big quality versions of the shows) it could be worth it
Depends - how has morale been in the locker room?
ReplyDeleteI figure stuff picked up a bit after the WM payouts, but them complaining about dress code doesn't help.
They quasi had that with Legends Roundtable. They were willing to make that show for 24/7/Classics on Demand, but not the Network? Whatever.
ReplyDeleteRusev being the US champion is so perfect and logical that it will never, ever happen.
ReplyDelete