nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 20, 2021 20:03:00 GMT -5
At this stage, it's going to take far more than John Cena returning, or Finn Balor returning to the main roster, or any face winning any title, to get my attention back to the point at which I can suspend disbelief and begin to trust WWE again with entertaining me.
What might it take? It might take another babyface-held, Hoganesque long reign with one of the major titles, with heels set up to challenge and be fed to that champion, and that champion gaining status until he becomes the solid, steady champion who can hold down the fort while the undercard does the work and makes themselves stars. It might take someone reminding Vince and HHH that promotions have done better financially with a babyface as its top champion, and that historically WWE was a babyface-favouring promotion. It might take either removing or re-educating the current booking team to establish more babyface winners and, perhaps most importantly, to establish some old-school rules enforcement as part of the booking so that the whole thing looks more like a sport. It wouldn't hurt at all if the public Person in Charge was either a babyface or some official-looking neutral character who can at least add some gravitas to everything that's going on - overseeing contract signings, presenting trophies and/or title belts (and ffs call them belts, straps or whatever else you can think of and just call it wrestling, please). It almost certainly will take removing Kevin Dunn from any role in which he has any say in how the creative is handled. Stick to working on the camerawork, Mr. Dunn, and keep your opinions about pro wrestling to yourself, please.
Subverting expectations reduced to ashes an eight-year television franchise such that it has no rebroadcast value. Nobody wants to see someone "work" or who has an "interesting character" - not enough people to grow the business through engagement, anyway. They want to see the good guys win and the bad guys get their comeuppance. There was a time in WWE when that happened far more frequently - enough to give audiences some semblance of hope that it would always happen. People want to be good, and to see good prevail, so that they can see that it can be worth the struggles. Sports in general are taking a beating largely because there are so few heroes left. I would suggest that WWE really, _really_ needs to restore that sense of heroism in its booking.
But, we as fans don't matter. WWE has grifted a billion from NBC/Universal and from Fox to churn out the bare minimum. If we can't get through to Vince on these ideas, the networks might; and Vince goes back to Saturday noontime in syndication, or to what's left of the Network.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 18, 2021 22:22:11 GMT -5
Looks as though WWE has chosen death with that ending.
Note: the above comment was made before Cena showed up. I retract it; I retract everything.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 18, 2021 22:13:20 GMT -5
Now all we need are Zombie Eddie and the golem made of Chris Benoit's ashes.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 18, 2021 21:59:20 GMT -5
Gross. There's no other way to really go about it. It's gross. Dude needs to get away from TV and get help so they give him a title and continue to glorify him on screen. Just... gross. What might be even worse about this is the distinct possibility that those around him are going to take the heat booking-wise for his blunders in order to "protect his spot."
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 18, 2021 11:00:51 GMT -5
I sometimes think, if Seth didn't hurt Balor, things would've been so different. The butterfly effect would be: Balor has a healthy and lengthy title run Goldberg doesn't show up Shane vs. Brock at Wrestlemania Owens and Jericho feud without the universal title Jericho doesn't get angry their feud didn't include the title Jericho doesn't leave WWE Jericho doesn't go to NJPW Jericho doesn't meet Omega Jericho doesn't start up AEW with Omega and company Crazy. One injury changed the course of the business. Why would Balor haveing a healthy reign in any way affect Goldberg showing up? Simple. Balor not getting injured would have altered at least the six months or so that followed. Without the injury, KO doesn't get his run with the title; Lesnar and Goldberg either aren't brought in at all or are brought in to feed them to Balor, who would have been built up as the next Cena (yes, I think that was the direction they were going with him). Without Lesnar there, Jericho doesn't get into a snit with Lesnar over what happened to Orton, doesn't end up leaving WWE and doesn't necessarily join AEW. We do not know how Balor would have been booked after Summerslam; I suspect that Rollins would have remained a heel, never having been denied the title when HHH put his thumb on the scale and gave the title to KO. So, that's the September and October PPVs looked after. Survivor Series might have been an open question, but Balor would have been spoiled for choice. If he wasn't going to hold the title for a whole year, we'd be looking at the title changing hands at Royal Rumble with either a rematch at Wrestlemania or possibly Finn moving to SDL and going for the WWE title. Long story short - Balor was likely earmarked for a fairly lengthy title run (at least, relative to modern terms) meant to build him as the next Face of the Company(tm). While AEW was inevitable, the push by many fans for AEW to grab disaffected WWE talent would not have been so loud or so numerous; everyone AEW has signed from WWE would have given Balor all kinds of opponents and all kinds of opportunities to show them to best effect. Balor as champion would have been possibly the easiest foundation Vince had to work with.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 17, 2021 17:31:57 GMT -5
There are some unknown quantities in play, either right now or imminently, that can potentially make the MITB matches next-level.
There is no way in hell that they didn't bring Finn back last night without him figuring on the PPV on Sunday (if they're smart, anyway.) Likewise, with rumours of a possible Becky return, there are multiple avenues on Sunday for her to make an appearance and an impact.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 17, 2021 12:29:57 GMT -5
And that shitty feud with Corbin that also went on forever. At least we were spared Sister Abigail vs Pumpkin Spice Demon.
Some of us wanted to see that, thankyouverymuch. That whole feud should have been a license to print money.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 17, 2021 10:16:11 GMT -5
Among the anti-vaxxers and Flat Earth conspiracy theorists on the roster, a 'roided-up third-gen wrestler is refreshingly normal.
As long as he keeps his more troubling opinions to himself, he should be fine. He's old enough now that he should know better.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 17, 2021 9:51:50 GMT -5
Cautiously optimistic about Finn's upcoming run on the main roster. There was talk since his rematch loss to Kross that he would returning to the main roster, but I'm not sure he would have returned at all had he not received some _major_ concessions from WWE - including at least one guaranteed run with either of the big titles (I would hope it's the WWE title, actually, as that one has the longer history).
But he is definitely the canary in the coalmine for WWE's return to live events and their TV ratings. They need to use him well to stay in the networks' good graces - and that means making him a _star_ and keeping him in the firmament. They can't shove him into the undercard and hope that ratings will improve anyway. If they do that, the fans will turn on WWE in droves and will clamor for him to jump ship for the sake of his legacy.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 16, 2021 17:09:58 GMT -5
Surprised Nick Khan hasn't seen Goldberg as an unnecessary expense yet. Goldberg had the perfect end in his 2016-2017 run. Feeding Goldberg to much younger talent than him makes no-one look good. I may be mistaken but Goldberg has lost 3/4 of his last matches - that kills Goldberg's mystique and doesn't do the other party any favours if Goldberg wins His record in this return WWE run is 4-5-0, and it is highly likely to go 4-6-0. It is literally the first time in any part of Goldberg's wrestling career that he has a losing record in a single unbroken televised run in a promotion (divided into WCW, first WWE run, brief All Japan run and second WWE run). I suppose it's what some would call "giving back to the business" but, really, it's a case of diminishing returns at this point. Meanwhile, there are far more marketable talents MIA from WWE from whom we've not heard a peep in at least a couple months and who could easily slip right back into the swing of things by challenging Lashley. But this is Vince we're talking about, so of course Goldberg's the go-to.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 16, 2021 10:51:28 GMT -5
Is there a more updated version of that scale for comparing the amount of blood during matches, or are we still working with Muta-Hase as the 1.000?
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 16, 2021 10:23:23 GMT -5
No. And I don't even think it's about McMahon being a control freak or them grooming particular people to get over, I think it's because they don't want to. The WWE brand is the selling point now and not the wrestlers, and they're reluctant to allow individual talents to become bigger than the brand lest they disappear and leave the company without their marketable star. And to be honest, even when the company changes hands I can't really see that changing, so I think it's pretty likely we will never again see another top face around whom the company is built. And this attitude of "WWE uber Alles" will be the company's downfall. It's being reduced to _American Gladiators_ with guest stars at this point.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 14, 2021 20:55:53 GMT -5
The pandemic has really been a killer for MMA, pro wrestling and a lot of other events that rely on a crowd's energy to succeed on an emotional level. While most in North America are champing at the bit to get back to the stadiums and arenas, it's not the same everywhere around the world and, for better or for worse, the North American market is on the vanguard of recovery. It will be at least another year, I think, before anything happens in front of a capacity crowd, by design or default.
If Dana White wants the crowds back and in a big way right out the gate, he's going to need help. He'll need something like a Parade of Champions to generate buzz - but then, is he on good terms with any of the old guard? GSP seems to be happy up here and everywhere doing his own thing; Lesnar's got no time for anything he isn't being paid millions for; Couture, Liddell and the rest - who knows? They're not beating down Dana's door to help him regain traction, that's for sure.
Vince, at least, could manage to get decent paydays and stroke egos to get his legends back for a night or two. Dana doesn't have Vince's touch, and has instead banked more on the controversy and hijinks than on the in-cage stuff for a while now. He needs a likeable, steady chap at the top in order to anchor the UFC and put asses in seats through good PR, and allow the contenders and smaller classes to show their stuff to keep the fans on the edge of those seats.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 14, 2021 16:20:35 GMT -5
If anyone who's seen _Downton Abbey_ can attest (more wrestling fans that anyone might be willing to admit), Grimes can very easily be ennobled by the service he renders to what is clearly a buffoon with money.
Watch our mixed-fortune NXT general manager find some actual noble blood in our eager butler and push a Prince-and-the-Pauper narrative.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 14, 2021 7:58:35 GMT -5
We'll see how she does where in-ring quality does still kinda matter. If she's coming in as a valet/manager, then she'll really need to prove her worth with promos that sell her clients rather than herself.
Come to think of it, that's my issue with Scarlett. She's too much of a distraction to really sell the world on Karrion Kross.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 14, 2021 7:54:09 GMT -5
I like others am really curious what they are really trying to save budget on after a RECORD BREAKING PROFIT YEAR. Like the moves and cuts WWE is doing would lead you to believe that they are in financial trouble and need to severely cut back but the numbers that come out about them do not add up to that. The sudden rise of Nick Khan to power and the downright ruthless cutting of the finances leads me to believe something is truly up here. Every other day we're hearing about cuts to some division of them. I have a feeling WWE's Saudi friends have cancelled their deal and WWE want to recoup the lost revenue in cost savings before announcing anything. The Saudi deal, if memory serves, wasn't for nearly as much as the network deals got them; the cancellation of that deal can easily be explained as a shift in Saudi policy now that MBS is not, for now at least, the one in charge. (#46 had announced earlier this year that the US government would be making its top-level communications with the King directly.) Despite this, the cancellation will be seen by some shareholders as a blow to the profit margin. But who's really being impacted by this? The McMahons still own the majority of voting stock. So, at best, any winding down or cancellation of the Saudi deal might be considered bad for PR, an "easily avoidable" thing by simply not mentioning it ever again. The more I think about it, though, the more I think that the McMahons might actually be looking to buy back the common stock and take the company private again. The network deals make public trading less necessary to WWE's cashflow, but the effort needs to be carefully balanced against the demands of the networks to continue providing at least some value for their money. A public announcement of a stock buyback program would likely invite outside interests (STONKS!) to compete for that stock and send prices skyward.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 13, 2021 22:17:45 GMT -5
This match has been really fun. For all the complaints about Kross' in ring work, he's shown he can at least be carried. Oh he definitely can, look at the Finn match too. Finn carried Kross like Bret Hart carried Tom Magee. Kross is going to go over on the main roster like a lead balloon, with or without Scarlett.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 13, 2021 22:11:53 GMT -5
The damage is done. Matt Riddle is a Very Problematic Person for the wrestling fandom. That's not likely to change; the mere fact that the lawsuit was dropped will not help him in the court of public opinion. I can't see him making too many visits for the Make-A-Wish Foundation once this pandemic's over.
IANAL, but it'll take more than a dropped lawsuit to make it all go away.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 12, 2021 18:50:07 GMT -5
If Cena returns, he can beat Lashley for the WWE title; or, at minimum, beat Lashley via DQ or countout Luger-style.
It won't feel like he's beating a youngster because Lashley's been around WWE for some time; it can push a Hurt Business angle forward (maybe MVP starts losing confidence in Lashley, or vice versa); it needn't end with the title changing hands. Finally, if Cena does come back for another run, it will help Raw's flagging ratings numbers _especially_ if he can throw some weight around booking-wise.
Let Roman take on some up-and-comer at Summerslam - let a face win MITB and challenge him with the briefcase.
|
|
nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,725
|
Post by nisidhe on Jul 12, 2021 18:37:03 GMT -5
Gallows and Anderson appeared to have value only when WWE wanted to tease a Bullet Club reunion.
Once that played out, both with AJ and with Finn, their best WWE work was with Southpaw. Comedic roughneck types can be highly entertaining as satire, but really they lacked the booking as truly dangerous, sadistic, menacing, opportunistic monsters to really put a dent into either the midcard or the tag scene. Perhaps they'll get that chance in Impact _if_ they want to play it that way.
But I think they're done as serious contenders for anything, without that sudden spark of aggression or brillance or both.
|
|