WWE.com RAW Preview
http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2015-05-11/five-point-preview-27359670
Reason For Lack of Classic Wrestling Footage on the WWE Network
The reason for less classic footage being put out on the network is that "almost nobody watches it." The most popular shows are the PPV's and NXT. The most popular shows this week were the Chris Jericho Podcast with Stephanie McMahon, Jerry Springer Show and the 2011 Season of Tough Enough.
http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/42476-sun-update-records-set-last-night-at-ufc-weekend-buzz-who-watches-what-on-wwe-network-wwe-legends-card-set-
TNA Impact Running a Three-Hour Show
The 5/22 episode of Impact is currently advertised as three-hour long show.
http://wrestlechat.net/tna-to-run-a-3-hour-edition-of-impact-wrestling-this-month/
Kevin Owens Interview
Philly.com has an interview with Owens that you can view by clicking on the link below.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/the-squared-circle/WWE-NXTs-Kevin-Owens-returning-to-familiar-territory-in-Philadelphia.html
Also, head on over to Place to be Nation and vote in the Finals of the "Greatest Wrestling Theme Song" tournament. You can do so by clicking on the link below:
http://placetobenation.com/ptbns-greatest-wrestling-theme-song-tournament-finals/
http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2015-05-11/five-point-preview-27359670
Reason For Lack of Classic Wrestling Footage on the WWE Network
The reason for less classic footage being put out on the network is that "almost nobody watches it." The most popular shows are the PPV's and NXT. The most popular shows this week were the Chris Jericho Podcast with Stephanie McMahon, Jerry Springer Show and the 2011 Season of Tough Enough.
http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/42476-sun-update-records-set-last-night-at-ufc-weekend-buzz-who-watches-what-on-wwe-network-wwe-legends-card-set-
TNA Impact Running a Three-Hour Show
The 5/22 episode of Impact is currently advertised as three-hour long show.
http://wrestlechat.net/tna-to-run-a-3-hour-edition-of-impact-wrestling-this-month/
Kevin Owens Interview
Philly.com has an interview with Owens that you can view by clicking on the link below.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/the-squared-circle/WWE-NXTs-Kevin-Owens-returning-to-familiar-territory-in-Philadelphia.html
Also, head on over to Place to be Nation and vote in the Finals of the "Greatest Wrestling Theme Song" tournament. You can do so by clicking on the link below:
http://placetobenation.com/ptbns-greatest-wrestling-theme-song-tournament-finals/
The reason for less classic footage being put out on the network is that "almost nobody watches it."
ReplyDeleteThis makes me perversely happy.
Considering we had our first live watch in months last night, I can totally believe that nobody out of casual fans are watching.
ReplyDeleteThey haven't added enough over the past year so if you had the network from day one, you've seen it all.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. You upload shit at a snail's pace, eventually the viewing lags behind ad people stop caring.
ReplyDeleteI really doubt that there is anyone that has seen everything on the network since the network came out.
ReplyDeleteAnd that was awesome! Awesome-Tanaka spots still have me marking out when I think about it. Great show.
ReplyDeleteEverything you want to see. No one is interested in every single show
ReplyDeleteExcept Stranger
ReplyDeleteAlso couldn't it just be that no one gives a shit about AWA TV from 1983?
ReplyDeleteI was interested in World Class but don't think they have added anything in a year to those shows
ReplyDeleteMark!
ReplyDeleteOlder WWF programs people would be interested in I bet, especially the Hogan era stuff.
ReplyDeleteWell, there's probably two or three posters that care about it, so that means that the WWE is fucking everyone over!
ReplyDeleteCult of all people asked people to watch with him.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't. I literally only got the Network for PPV. That NXT ended up being the most awesome thing ever was one of the better surprises in wrestling I've had in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have Network ratings figures?
ReplyDeleteNo one is asking for AWA TV either.
ReplyDeleteSame here. I spend $10 a month to save the effort of finding a legal TV channel for the PPV's. That and because they have given me 30+ years of entertainment that I have hardly paid a dime for.
ReplyDeleteBecause I clearly meant that literally
ReplyDeleteYou've never legally bought a PPV, or gone to a show?
ReplyDelete"hardly" being the active word. I've been to 3 wrestlemanias, 1 raw, 1 smackdown, and probably bought 10 PPV... but until the network I hadn't spent any money with them since like 2006 or so.
ReplyDeletePeople want either WWF or WCW/NWA. I doubt AWA, Smoky Mountain or anything else sees the light of day on the network. More of the WWF MSG shows would be cool. Those were pretty fun.
ReplyDeleteThat is the main reason. PPV's. Its a steal. I barely watch the archives but they could update the older stuff they put out.
ReplyDeleteDid Smoky Mountain ever do TV? I actually would be interested in seeing Foley if there's any footage of him down there.
ReplyDeleteYes. They had some fun stuff but it got pretty bad at the end. Wrestling also was in the toilet when they went under.
ReplyDeleteWhen it was around Smoky Mountain was actually a much bigger draw, and had a much-more watched show than ECW ever did. It's just that SMW's last few months were financially disastrous, and they had to shut down.
ReplyDeleteI imagine when people get the network they play with it for a few weeks and binge on a ton of older stuff then like any other toy, they cast it aside and do something else.
ReplyDeleteWhat % of subscribers would you guys say would enjoy or want the old WWF/NWA/AWA/Mid-South etc. type of stuff? I'd say it is 10% or less. That's why they aren't jumping to dump stuff that they already have digitalized onto the Network. It would just take up server space and cost them money.
ReplyDeleteI loved the World Class stuff and haven't even bothered to check to see if anything has been uploaded in a long time. I guess checking a few times a month for 8 straight months with nothing new will do that to you.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the logic behind ''we dumped Rock 'n' Roll wrestling because it drew record low post-Raw numbers''. It's a Network, the idea is you can watch it whenever!
ReplyDeleteJudging a show (even a crappy cartoon) for not being watched after THREE HOURS of Raw is confusing to me.
A lot of people negatively interpreting Scott's Ziggler comment (or maybe I'm way off). It just read to me like Scott meant more for Ziggler's own sake and happiness because he's just going to keep getting screwed around in the WWE. Of course there are dozens of less talented wrestlers than Ziggler on the roster, but to get to that next level Ziggler needs experience outside of the formula.
ReplyDeleteI guess but why would anyone expect anything else from that? Its why I didn't bother watching.
ReplyDeleteI've watched every Clash and every SNME. This is very disappointing, as the old stuff was my primary reason for subscribing.
ReplyDeleteThey removed Rock N Wrestling?
ReplyDeleteExactly. They're creating the outcome they desire.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that whatever Zack Ryder is getting paid by the WWE is more than he could make on the Indy circuit. He's not Christopher Daniels.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Cass and Enzo are not even close to ready for the main roster. Enzo doesn't even have a finish and Cass has all the pieces, but hasn't put the puzzle together yet.
I think Big Show should exclusively work house shows. 1. It would take him off tv, which benefits us all. 2. They can still pull the "You gotta see him in person to appreciate his size" line. 3. People might actually be excited to see him at a house show if they haven't been watching him on tv for a few months. Just an idea.
ReplyDelete"Get rid of Zack Ryder because they never use him anyway and he could make a better living on his own."
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem though -- WWE knows that with his self-marketing skills Zack Ryder could've been a semi-big name, and WWE would rather keep him around and not do anything with him than let him have success on his own. It's like they're keeping him away from other opportunities.
If Ryder had jumped to TNA in 2012 and did the indies, he probably would've made a nice chunk of change considering how popular he was. That ship has sailed though.
In a cost cutting mode environment, why they don't just can him and save the $1m per year or whatever they're paying him is beyond me
ReplyDeleteIronclad contract.
ReplyDeleteFantastic!
ReplyDeleteWWE has dozens of wrestlers on the roster, but on the average RAW the company uses, what, 15 or 20 at the most? And most of the same guys show up on Smackdown too.
ReplyDeleteIt's insane. Either use these guys to justify their paycheck or cut these guys so you don't have to pay them.
He gets his own personal tour bus as well doesn't he?
ReplyDeleteAt this moment I would cut: Adam Rose, Alex Riley, Alicia Fox, Darren Young, Dave Otunga, Emma, Fandango, Heath Slater, Hornswoggle, Rosa Mendes, Zack Ryder, and probably the Ascension.
ReplyDeleteI would also phase out Kane and Big Show.
It's sort of on Ryder though. I'm sure if he had requested his release in 2012 the WWE would have given it to him. He somewhat foolishly stuck around thinking if he was a good boy he would get another chance down the road.
ReplyDeleteEnzo doesn't need a finish. They can work the Outlaws formula. Enzo (Road Dogg) gets the piss beat out of him all match, hot tag to Cass (Billy Gunn) who hits his 3-4 big moves and go to the finish. Their real strength, much like the Outlaws, is their pre-match schtick.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, it's on Ryder too. But if he did request his release, he'd probably have a No-Compete clause to keep him on the sidelines anyway.
ReplyDeleteYou can't get rid of Adam Rose after that ESPN special.
ReplyDeleteSlater fills a niche role and does it damn well. I also think Fandango *could* be salvaged if they just completely re-tooled his character (i.e. take him off TV for a year and redebut him in a completely different persona ala Husky Harris/Bray Wyatt) or found a tag team role for him (Fandango and Slater could be money as a wacky mismatched partner comedy deal). He's a good worker, young, has charisma, and looks like a million bucks. I would cut Rowan and for the love of God Cameron ASAP instead.
ReplyDeleteDidn't get a chance to catch it. Was it worthwhile? Did anybody recap it?
ReplyDeleteWith Ziggler, I think he needs to sit down with management and have a long talk about his future. He may be better off taking an hiatus and letting the company realize what they have in him rather than sticking around and being taken for granted. Absence makes the heart grown fonder, but familiarity breeds contempt.
ReplyDeleteR-Truth, Ryder, Cody and Henry would be a good start. Barrett and Sheamus are on the bubble. Kane and Show can have a retirement tour on the house show circuit and once-a-year Wrestlemania spots. Dead weight like Otunga would be thrown out like yesterday's garbage.
90 days at most. He probably would have done some clever social media campaign i.e. Countdown to Freedom or something to keep himself hot for the indies/TNA.
ReplyDeleteYep. I mean they can't find someone to fill the big show role that makes 150k per year?
ReplyDeleteDepends on his financial situation. Is he set enough such that he can quit? If so then it gives him leverage but in today's homogeneousized wwe where everyone is a plug and play they'reist likely to wish him the best in his future endeavors
ReplyDeleteHe showed personality and that he wrestles for his family. They should capitalize on it and use it to their advantage. Most likely though he'll turn into a comedy heel with the miz or something and job relentlessly
ReplyDeleteAgreed, but their wrestling ability is never going to be their attraction anyway. Their act may or may not translate to the main roster- never easy to tell with the NXT guys- but it's as ready as it's going to be.
ReplyDeleteUh, Road Dogg had a finish, employed it often in tag matches and was a singles champion.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, we can argue a few of them (Slater I was on the fence about), but there's at least a dozen folks on the main roster that can go tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about Cameron. Yikes.
Lol. Enzo and cass need more time learning to wrassle or y'all gonna turn on them when they start showing they aren't ready for Monday night.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's the point Scott was making. I think it was more that he's 35 years old and has been around for nearly a decade, and has been in his current gimmick for six years now. If they were going to do anything with him beyond what they have, they'd have done it by now. Could they do more with him? Sure, but they aren't going to.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter if their ringwork isn't gonna be the attraction. Right now, all Enzo is is a few catchphrases. That's fine for a manager, but not a wrestler. Cass is good, but he's not TV ready.
ReplyDeleteThis is insane. That anyone (especially here!) would advocate putting guys who aren't TV-ready on Raw because their character work is tight is insane.
I'm not advocating anything.
ReplyDeletesvsdv
ReplyDeleteI get that, I'm just pointing out that Enzo/Cass aren't selling tickets based on their in-ring work. Not now, probably not ever. They could be a hot act though if they book them correctly (i.e. stick to the Outlaws formula)
ReplyDeleteRAW needs fresh marketable/watchable characters right now more than they need good workers. Teach them how to work later, the need now is for new stars.
ReplyDeleteHe also comes across as somebody who THINKS he did something that he didn't really. Admittedly it's incredibly tough with the lack of screen time he gets, but I remember him talking about how he decided to change up his look. By that he meant, not wearing the sunglasses and headband anymore. Or briefly switching to long tights instead of trunks. Or briefly growing his hair out a bit instead of spiking it. Those weren't really changes.....they were minor cosmetic things. But he came across like he was making a Jericho level character transformation and didn't understand why he wasn't getting a shot.
ReplyDeleteand your first Global Force Wrestling Champion ... NICK NEMETH!
ReplyDeleteI like Ziggler, but part of me wants to see him fired just to see how many people he can seriously piss off in the space of a handful of Twitter posts the same day.
ReplyDeleteHe'd make CM Punk look like Jericho.
I never understood why they didn't just put Fandango and Rose in a tag-team together. Call them The Entertainment.
ReplyDeleteJob
Cass should do what he's clearly born to do.
ReplyDeleteDebut as FrankenEdge. Edge's scaled-up brother.
I'm here to show the gym!
ReplyDeleteFour guys in the gym!
Come onnnnnnnnnnn!!!!
Dolph Ziggler would probably do quite well in Lucha Underground if he were let go.
ReplyDeleteThey could dump Ryder, he's garbage. Miz....because he's still a hack. They could basically bring in all the NXT women and have them run out every Diva on the roster.
What about Thwagger?
ReplyDeleteThereth thurely nothing more they can do with him thince he lotht the Real Americanth team?
How much do former WWE guys usually make for an indy appearance?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see him go away for a year and come back playing an "experienced veteran" heel in a fashion somewhat reminiscent of Jericho's repackaging of himself as a bitter, calculating vet rather than just an aging goofball rocker. Wear long tights, get a Luger ponytail and work a slower-paced more manipulative type of match but hit a few big spots and make them look good. Basically, feature his Mr. Perfect side more than his Billy Gunn side.
ReplyDeleteNobody will turn on any team with that many catchphrases and chances to chant along.
ReplyDeleteSee: New Age Outlaws.
Firing Darren Young would be considered a hate crime at this point.
ReplyDeleteI think Scott makes a lot of sense here but I'd take Ziggler off the list and keep him in the company . I don't think he'd make a lot of money on the indy circuit. Japan might be a better option for him, now that I think of it.
ReplyDeleteJapan to ROH, back to Raw all in 3 years. He'll have 3 further years left in him.
ReplyDeleteI think Nash clears $4k a pop, but he's obviously on the higher end of the pay scale in terms of name value.
ReplyDeleteThey HAVE someone. He's younger and a better worker to boot. Luke Harper.
ReplyDeleteHate to say it, but yeah Swagger is beyond the point of salvaging. The last chance they had was this past summer with Rusev. The crowds were going apeshit for Swagger. They should have called an audible and let Swagger be the conquering hero. Rusev got nothing from the Cena program anyway.
ReplyDeleteExactly - there are tons of guys they can use that are cheaper. In a bear market, not sure why they keep dead weight around that's so expensive. Might even say that's bad for business...
ReplyDeleteAccording to that site someone floated a while back, Swagger makes 75K per year and has to pay is own expenses. I cannot fathom why he still does this or how it's worth his time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I see the issue there, but fuck it.
ReplyDeleteThat makes a lot of sense. It would be awesome if he does that.
ReplyDeleteI find that figure highly dubious. No way a guy who has been around as long as Swagger, a former World Champion no less, is making $75k a year.
ReplyDeleteZiggler's been around for years already and is never--NEVER--going to be anything more than he already is if he never leaves. Same with Kofi and even Ryback. I'd get rid of those three, Big Show, Kane, Mark Henry, Ryder, Slater, Adam Rose, the Ascension, the Prime Time Players, R-Truth & Fandango. There's 14 guys you could fire tomorrow and fans would never miss them. I'd also announce John Cena's retirement match at next year's WrestleMania. Then you bring up half the NXT roster. Just fire half that list above and things would feel so much fresher. It's just silly to keep reusing guys who've been on the roster 5, 7, 10 years and haven't amounted to anything while you have an entire second roster of guys & girls ready & waiting to be called up.
ReplyDeletePlus if you actually let's guys like Ziggler & Ryback go, maybe they can come back in a few years and actually mean something. There's an entire generation of wresterls for which there can be no nostalgia for because they're still with the company!
See, this is where you need a viable number two promotion.
ReplyDeleteRyder, Ziggler (and Punk) all could've gone there as 'big acquisitions' and if they became superstars then Vince would hurl money at them to come back. Just look at how Nash returned again and again in big WWE angles after WCW died... coasting off his NWO fame for years.
Ryder is a WWE mark.
ReplyDeleteHence why no-one there respects him. Vince hates people who leave, but part of him respects that they have integrity.
Goldust is the right sort of vet. He work with younger guys but he's clearly not meant to be a "star".
ReplyDeleteI'd put him in NXT if nothing else.
I wouldn't fire Ziggler but actually send him to NXT to refine his moveset and work on his interviews. His matches have been incredibly stale.
ReplyDeleteBecause firing old vets that can still "work" is bad for morale.
ReplyDeleteVince and Co. are weirdly loyal to some people.
Free weed?
ReplyDelete1. Bellas. Good bye succubi. Nikki will poke enough holes in enough condoms to get her MRS and Brie will clean out D-Bry soon enough. Replaced by Bayley and Sasha
ReplyDelete2. Los Matadores. LAME. Replaced by Enzo and Big Cass
3. Show. GO. AWAY. DINOSAUR. Replaced by Sami
4. Kane. See #4 Replaced by Kevin Owens
5. Ryback. Yuck. Replaced by Aiden English
Ziggler and Ryder, if only because they need to.
ReplyDeleteRyder's the living, breathing contradiction to Vince's "brass ring" myth that if you just want it badly enough and work harder than everyone else to get over, then by God, it'll happen for you.
Though to be fair, I guess he's been stuck in purgatory for about 3 years now, so I doubt much of the locker room remembers how over he was. It's just depressing all around.
Ziggler, because, as a lot of people have mentioned, where else can he go with this character? He's been the sneering heel with an entourage, he's been the cocky good guy, and for one reason or another, he hasn't been able to stick at the top.
He's fun to watch in the ring, but where else can he go beyond what he already is?
On a semi-related note, one of the biggest issues I've had with Ziggler's character is the fact that he continuously paints himself through promos and backstage segments as somebody who's held down by the powers that be. While this is true in reality, his character hasn't been booked that way on screen. He goes on and on about being held down, but to the casual viewer who knows nothing of backstage politics, all they see is a guy who tapped clean multiple weeks in a row to Alberto Del Rio. Or lost clean in competitive matches to Seth Rollins. Or whoever. Aside from his Survivor Series mini-feud with the Authority, he's never really been written as somebody that's held down. He just loses.
ReplyDeletethey're also for use on house shows though, plus natural attrition through injuries etc.
ReplyDeleteREALITY ERA~!
ReplyDeleteJohn Morrison was asking 5k per appearance
ReplyDeleteThat's $60,000 a year if he works one day a month.
Big Show and Kane. The end
ReplyDeleteThat's not a bad living. Beats traveling 6 days a week for probably the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI took a peak at his match history.
ReplyDeleteHe appears to be working once or twice a month--PLUS whatever he gets from Lucha Underground.
Morrison is doing quite well for himself.
Yeah, "I'm being held down!" angles always fall flat to me for this reason. You can't really (held back in a real sport unless you're just not even being put in matches. Daniel Bryan could at least blame the on-screen conspiracy against him.
ReplyDeleteAlicia Fox is a good choice. Sloppy as hell in the ring.
ReplyDeleteLow cost of living in Oklahoma.
ReplyDeleteThat's almost true, actually.
Agree! Wonder if that could be a sort of Mick Foley with JR type launching pad for the guy.
ReplyDeleteMiz, Kane, Ryder, both Rhodes brothers, Sheamus, and the entire divas division can all fuck off. I don't care who they get replaced with, they all need to just go away.
ReplyDeleteOne of the few guy where the real name is much better than the gimmick name. :-)
ReplyDeleteGive him a robe and let him be "The Natural Nick Nemeth". ;-)