Wrestling Thread: the New Generation

[ToneLa]

I don't think their TV deals will be this high forever. Suppose it might if the hardcores stay and TV shows keep falling flat.

But disgusting deals like that Saudi one have already given them way too much cash!

[hummingofevil]

I don't think their TV deals will be this high forever. Suppose it might if the hardcores stay and TV shows keep falling flat.

But disgusting deals like that Saudi one have already given them way too much cash!

Jericho on WOL had a great quote though. When pressed by Meltzer that Vince "had infinite money" he said basically "but the Khan's have more". Put that in context of all the AEW lot saying they would love to work with WWE in future but they know that they "are already in a war" despite them not wanting to be it makes for some interesting times.

[Timothy]

My imagination is running a bit wild here, but imagine another Monday Night Wars situation where WWE desperately tries to beat AEW and loses. That would be weird, wouldn't it.

[Moribunderast]

I may be totally in a bubble, listening to Wrestling Observer Radios and visiting the F4O board but WWE really does have an awful stench to it at the moment. Even many dyed-in-the-wool fans on various boards I visit have been worn down over the last year. There's just zero excitement. I think we're finally reaching the burn-out stage everyone with a brain predicted when WWE started pumping out so much content. Nobody's got time to keep up and none of it matters anyway, given storylines are dropped on a dime and continuity barely exists. WWE themselves are projecting a real image of boredom and "we're over it". How many characters have "turned" this year without actually turning? They have 30 writers and it's like nobody has a single idea. I know that's down to the old codger in charge but it's really weird. I've seen WWE and WWE fans during what seemed like bad phases but I don't remember it being like this, where everyone is just bored and even gimmick WWE fanboy trolls online can barely be bothered defending the show. AEW really couldn't be coming in at a better time. The door is wide open for someone to get a good TV deal and offer a genuine alternative. Not saying they'll steal a bunch of WWE fans and "win" or anything but WWE is killing their own fanbase so steadily that AEW coming in with a smallish but loyal fanbase may already be in a better position than any company would be attempting this at any other time in the past twenty years.

[hummingofevil]

Agree with all that. The clever thing WWE have done is with NXT where you can watch them like I watch other wrestling. Ignore it for a few weeks, dabble in stuff to catch up with storylines then get exited to watch a Takeover that delivers. Easy. Same with NXT UK. I've not watched a single second of the weekly show (is it weekly?) but thought the Takeover was great because it was 3 hours of my life once every few months.

WWE has done a good job of developing its own rival with NXT. Only two problems are they are the one bit of the business that loses money and as we've seen with DIY this week they are literally one Raw away from Vince shitting all over storylines that have been developed over years.

I genuinely think the best thing that WWE could do is take a break. Have an off season. NFL playoff time in January would be ideal but that would mean radically shifting Rumble and Mania.Give everyone a chance to rest up and fans chance to get excited to watch again. Can also reboot characters and freshen everything up if needed. TV companies wouldn't have it and they'd lose that "longest running weekly episodic TV show" or whatever it is they bullshit us with.

[Deanjam]

Unfortunately one of the reasons WWE has such a great TV deal is that they have no off season. Live programming 52 weeks a year. So I don't see that changing.

[Utter Shit]

Agree with all that. The clever thing WWE have done is with NXT where you can watch them like I watch other wrestling. Ignore it for a few weeks, dabble in stuff to catch up with storylines then get exited to watch a Takeover that delivers. Easy. Same with NXT UK. I've not watched a single second of the weekly show (is it weekly?) but thought the Takeover was great because it was 3 hours of my life once every few months.

WWE has done a good job of developing its own rival with NXT. Only two problems are they are the one bit of the business that loses money and as we've seen with DIY this week they are literally one Raw away from Vince shitting all over storylines that have been developed over years.

I genuinely think the best thing that WWE could do is take a break. Have an off season. NFL playoff time in January would be ideal but that would mean radically shifting Rumble and Mania.Give everyone a chance to rest up and fans chance to get excited to watch again. Can also reboot characters and freshen everything up if needed. TV companies wouldn't have it and they'd lose that "longest running weekly episodic TV show" or whatever it is they bullshit us with.

Mania as the end of season surely makes most sense. The following Raw is already a massive event, if they pushed it back a month it would build anticipation on top of the NXT promotions etc and could be great. Waste of time talking about it though as it will literally never happen. I'd love to think AEW might do it though.

[Moribunderast]

It was one thing I LOVED about Lucha Underground. Unfortunately the breaks became too long and they lost all momentum but actually ending with a big finale was great - they always had awesome montages at the end, finishing stories and setting up cliffhangers and it created genuine excitement for the season opener after the break. As ye say, will never happen in WWE but it's definitely something to look at. I'm intrigued by the AEW TV model. We all assume it will be weekly TV but I could see them going a monthly route and trying a more UFC-like schedule. I'd be fine with that. NJPW has shown me, much as I love good American-style angles, I'm also happy with "Champion wins match - someone attacks or just challenges after match - next defence is set." A monthly schedule would allow for something like that while also not over-exposing the product and guys early.

[Timothy]

Mania as the end of season surely makes most sense. The following Raw is already a massive event, if they pushed it back a month it would build anticipation on top of the NXT promotions etc and could be great. Waste of time talking about it though as it will literally never happen. I'd love to think AEW might do it though.

The reason the RAW after Mania is an awesome event is mostly due to the huge international crowd of wrestling fans. They wil lose that if they do it a month later with a typical American crowd unless its in Chicago or so but even then it wont be the same.

Giving RAW and SD an off season wouldnt change much. I rather would see them dump a few PPVS. Four in a year plus NXT is enough.

[hummingofevil]

It was one thing I LOVED about Lucha Underground. Unfortunately the breaks became too long and they lost all momentum but actually ending with a big finale was great - they always had awesome montages at the end, finishing stories and setting up cliffhangers and it created genuine excitement for the season opener after the break. As ye say, will never happen in WWE but it's definitely something to look at. I'm intrigued by the AEW TV model. We all assume it will be weekly TV but I could see them going a monthly route and trying a more UFC-like schedule. I'd be fine with that. NJPW has shown me, much as I love good American-style angles, I'm also happy with "Champion wins match - someone attacks or just challenges after match - next defence is set." A monthly schedule would allow for something like that while also not over-exposing the product and guys early.

Agree with this a lot. Also think that the idea that they really go for Main Event style shows like boxing or UFC. Push the Main Event of a show over everything else. So you know you watching say Omega vs Jericho but everyone else plays mid carders. Next time round Kenny drops into pack and the MAIN EVENT must see match might be Bucks vs Lucha Brothers.

They wont.

[BeardFaceMan]

Is there any indication as to whether AEW will be traveling a lot doing shows all over the country for TV or will they have a home base more like Impact? And are they doing house shows? Because for the amount of people WWE have contracted to them, the way they work their wrestlers is fucking appalling, far too much wrestling and traveling, its easy to see how guys burn out quick living on the road like that, having a home base will be very attractive to a lot of guys instead of the constant traveling and performing.

[confettiinmyhair]

Faction wars would be a way of utilising a big roster but they don't seem keen to have a group with any more than three members. Even WCW clubbed together a few lesser known names by having Raven and his flock.

[Deanjam]

[up_the_hampipe]

He's coming back to take Rollins' spot! Can't have a Wrestlemania main event without The Big Dog!

[Z]

In fairness to Vince et al, I think they're probaby gonna drain every penny they can and don't give a shite about anything beyond 5-10 years. If the TV deals in five years aren't good enough, odds are they'll be able to cash out for a pretty huge sum to a network that thinks they'll be able to make it work permanently.

[hummingofevil]

Okada, Tanahashi and Naito confirmed for the Copper Box. It's going to be fucking awesome.

[Timothy]

Itami, Perkins and Dillinger asked for release. Today WWE granted them. More release can follow.

[Ja'moke]

Arn Anderson too.

[ToneLa]

I don't want AEW to be fuckin WWE Lite/ TNA 2 / WCW: The 2010s Reboot

[Ja'moke]

I don't think they'll all be AEW bound. KENTA is apparently back off to Japan.

[ToneLa]

Good. KENTA, now there's a name that's been sullied by the E

[Ja'moke]

To be fair, he suffered unfortunate injuries during his two pushes in NXT, one of which took him out for well over a year. Kind of killed all his momentum and he lost a lot of his luster.

[Z]

he signed around the same time as Devitt, didn't he? possibly even before

[hummingofevil]

I don't want AEW to be fuckin WWE Lite/ TNA 2 / WCW: The 2010s Reboot

It won't be. They not stupid enough to fall into that trap. The really fun thing they should do is bring in The Revival etc and bury the fuck out of them. They won't and what they do do will be smarter than that but keep the faith.

Why is noone interested in the NJPW Copper Box news. Tanahashi Okada and Naito in London!!! Dream show.

[Deanjam]

he signed around the same time as Devitt, didn't he? possibly even before

More or less. Debuted in NXT within a few weeks of each other.

Why is noone interested in the NJPW Copper Box news. Tanahashi Okada and Naito in London!!! Dream show.

It's great news. Be interesting to see who they're wrestling on the show.

[Moribunderast]

he signed around the same time as Devitt, didn't he? possibly even before

He signed so long ago that his debut was an angle with The Ascension who were still a near-unbeatable tag team in NXT at the time. That feels like ten years ago. I remember his debut totally hyping me as he kicked their arses while dressed in a suit and by the end he looked like a crazed, suited hitman from a revenge film. I thought he was gonna be the shit. Injuries totally crueled him and 205 Purgatory does nobody any good.

Re: releases. If I were AEW I wouldn't touch any of those people. Tye is old and not very good. Bring him in as enhancement jobber at best. TJP is a twerp and they can find guys who are just as good and not twerps. KENTA should go back to Japan and live happily with his beautiful family (remember that great doco about him on the WWE Network, that all built to him being unceremoniously dumped from the Andre Battle Royal?)

Meltzer reporting that Undertaker going to Starrcast has put the shitters right up Vince. He considers Starrcast = AEW and so basically in his head it's like Undertaker just went to WCW and he's angry and hurt. So expect the chequebook to come out and Undertaker to squash a bitch at 'Mania.

[Ja'moke]

Some comments from Cody on recent WWE releases and his recruiting process for AEW:

"I have a lot of respect for Tye because that poor dude...when I got to OVW I had about three months of wrestling experience and was given a WWE contract solely because I was Dusty's son," said Cody. "They paired me with him as a tag partner and he was so technically sound and ahead of me. He never once looked at me as a nuisance as he hid my weaknesses and accentuated my strengths."

"We're friends and I have a lot of love and respect for him and how he put his statement out. He thanked them for their time, but he's an artist and you can't put a dollar figure on how you play your music," stated Cody. "If that's true, then I'm happy for him and I'll loan him whatever resources I have to help him on his way because he loves the industry."

"I'm looking for hard workers that have not been oversaturated. We can't just say, 'Hey ex-WWE. Bam! Here's a contract.' It's more about the fresh and the individual that hasn't gotten the call yet. They can grow up in our company and in front of people's eyes," said Cody. "That's a huge responsibility and we have a big responsibility to these guys. I always thought it was ridiculous when a part-time guy in WWE came in and worked with another part-timer. No! You're supposed to bring them up. Reach your hand down there and grab them.

"A big responsibility is to build characters that engage with the audience. That is the No. 1 thing that I am most excited about is these young guys and girls that we can build."

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/02/cody-rhodes-comments-on-tye-dillinger-wwe-release-651247/

[Enzo]

Bruce Prichard is returning to WWE full-time to work in a top position with the creative team, according to PWInsider. Prichard will begin at this Monday's RAW in Atlanta, Georgia and will be working directly with Vince McMahon, much like he did during his previous run with the company.

The report stated his position was described "as important as possible" and he'll be one of the top people on the creative team going forward.

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/02/wwe-bringing-back-big-name-to-head-up-creative-team-651281/

worked himself into a shoot

[Ja'moke]

I think that's a positive? There definitely needs to be more wrestling minds on the creative team than just ex-soap writers. And Prichard was well known for producing lots of backstage/remote segments, right? That's something WWE needs to utilise again. More variety than monotonous 20-minute promos.

[ToneLa]

The RUMOUR AND INNUENDO about Pritchard was right!!

I dunno, I dislike the guy from his bloody podcast and he's a McMahon stooge... but he's a decent ideas man, and maaaaybe he could get around Vince's total control of the writers