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Post by corndog on Feb 9, 2019 12:59:25 GMT -5
Seiki Yoshioka is currently working the Jr. Battle of Glory tournament in All Japan, so it looks like there is a good chance Wrestle-1 is on board. Kotaro Suzuki is in the tournament as well and was very recently GHC Jr. Heavyweight champion, but he is still a freelancer.
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Post by corndog on Feb 9, 2019 12:52:25 GMT -5
A motivated Orton who only wrestle s one or two matches a month for AEW would be dope. Say what you will, the guy can go under the right circumstances. The Usos would fit right in as well. Good look and persona that's different than all the other tags. Time for the, to learn a new hold. I would love to see Orton outside of the WWE, I think he would do well. He gets psychology and storytelling, which is something that just doesn't exist in WWE anymore and he would probably do some sick things that WWE wouldn't allow.
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Post by corndog on Feb 9, 2019 11:36:52 GMT -5
Seeing how AEW can probably outspend WWE on talent _and_ offer non-exclusivity, I fail to see how WWE's global expansion plans via NXT are continuing unabated, _especially_ since the m.o. with NXT:UK has been revealed (cooperation with local promotions, then increasing exclusivity until the talents previously working with local promotions are no longer available to them.) Sure, WWE appears to have money to burn, but given its record these days with its main rosters' creative teams and the increasing dissatisfaction among the talent, is NXT really the way to expand now? AEW would need a source of income, which they don't have to outspend WWE. Just because Daddy Khan has money doesn't mean it's all liquid and spendable especially on his kid's hobby. In total, I can't see them outspending WWE, but they are spending that is for sure. They outbid New Japan for Kenny and Kenny was making $1 million a year in Japan.
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Post by corndog on Feb 8, 2019 13:43:21 GMT -5
First off, they didn't miss the boat. The couldn't give Kenny everything or he would have no incentive to resign. But I imagine they will continue the story in AEW, as Kota Ibushi seems to have left New Japan as well.
As far as a working deal, it would be nice, but it has to be done in the right way. I don't want the Elite holding all of the belts again and not working 99% of the shows. But I would be fine with them coming back occasionally for a dream match on big shows.
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Post by corndog on Feb 8, 2019 13:30:04 GMT -5
WWE's done partnerships with Japanese promotions before, including New Japan. So this isn't exactly new territory for them. But the Japanese wrestling market is already really well-established so I can't see them being that big a threat with an upstart NXT promotion against New Japan or this alliance between All Japan, Wrestle-1, and NOAH. It'd have to be a smaller promotion that'd get some benefits from a talent exchange with WWE like DDT or even Dragon Gate. That and I don't think Triple H is dumb enough to try and challenge NJPW. Just because WWE is a bigger fish on paper doesn't mean it'd be possible for them to win that fight. If NXT Japan tried to go head to head with New Japan in Japan, New Japan would destroy them. The initial plan is most likely not for NXT Japan to compete with New Japan, but to build WWE's following in Japan. Right now they just want a piece of the market that they don't really have. Even several of the independent feds are more popular in Japan than WWE. However, seeing how the UK companies are getting treated in their NXT deal, any organization that is even having moderate success would be foolish to align themselves with WWE, as they are likely to get stripmined. Although it will be interesting to see if NXT Japan runs against New Japan shows in the future, just to try and hurt them. I am curious to see who draws first blood between the two, because I feel it is inevitable.
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 13:31:09 GMT -5
I am guessing if they would just have to suffer for a few months, Fox would just put Smackdown in a weak timeslot to limit damage. But the real question is when are the opt outs and what does WWE have to maintain to avoid them. I just keep hearing 3.0 for ratings, which is something I can't see Smackdown getting at this moment. We’re not likely to know that information. And I’d be surprised if there was a complete opt out at a reasonable cost. Worst I can see is something where after a couple of years Fox has the option to move it to FS1. From my understand, the $1 billion number is with upside incentives, not the guarantee. It already sounds like Fox is temporary and the show will eventually end up on FS1. Probably starting on Fox to get exposure and build a bigger audience. I always the original deal was FS1 with specials on Fox.
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 13:28:01 GMT -5
Real question...what Japan promotions would they want to work with, or being real what ones would be interested in working with them? Judging from the Tokyo Sports article about a coalition between All Japan, NOAH and Wrestle-1, there does seem to be some jealousy and concern with New Japan's success, although it could be a work. Hopefully none of those organizations are foolish enough to become HHH's farm league, as the deal will be one sided. But if they are naive enough and he can play to their fears, there are organizations in Japan that would work with him to keep New Japan from getting their top talent(even though they would just end up in NXT/WWE) and moving further ahead.
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 13:13:59 GMT -5
Reminds me of the end of the Roman empire. But who is Odoacer?
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 13:07:04 GMT -5
Everything I keep hearing makes me think WWE has to hit certain numbers or Fox can opt out. So if there is a buyout, is it even that expensive? I'm sure they don't have to pay the full $1 billion to get out of it if WWE fails to hold their side of the bargain. There would definitely be thresholds were Fox could punt it regardless, but there could also be clauses in there to the tune of severing the contract in exchange for a few months' worth of the contract. Nowhere near the full billion. If Fox didn't have easy outs to make sure this could go smoothly they would not have committed to five straight years of big money deal with WWE. They just wouldn't have. Networks have all the leverage with things like this, and the contract is locked down to make sure WWE stays on their network if they want them, not to make sure they can't drop WWE no matter what. That's just not how the TV industry works with these things I am guessing if they would just have to suffer for a few months, Fox would just put Smackdown in a weak timeslot to limit damage. But the real question is when are the opt outs and what does WWE have to maintain to avoid them. I just keep hearing 3.0 for ratings, which is something I can't see Smackdown getting at this moment.
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 12:59:47 GMT -5
Man I haven't signed up for Honor Club but these cards are tempting. Didn't think about it before, but with the new signings I am considering it as well. It's good to see ROH step up their game since the Elite left. AEW might be a blessing in disguise for them, as they became too complacent and relied too heavily on them to draw. Also, curious who comes in for Honor Rising in Japan.
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 12:46:29 GMT -5
And even if there was someone to "move the needle", don't forget that can take time; Steve Austin was a rising star through almost all of 1997, but during that year Raw got some God awful ratings and got trashed by Nitro. It took time and care to tell his story completely and bring fans around. Today they're caught between being super complacent and boring, and yet also being impatient and too quick to change things that could work over the long haul (breaking up teams, random heel/face turns, etc.) This is the biggest issue, actually see things through and be patient. Obviously the shows need an overhaul, as they have the same look and format for over a decade. But pick someone to build the show around, then build up all of the divisions underneath to make them meaningful for at least a year. Don't just decide, we are going to make the tag division strong this month and then abandon it next week. Building a wrestling program takes patience and it's clear Vince has no patience anymore, time for him to move on.
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 12:40:21 GMT -5
The “buyout” for FOX is likely extremely cost-prohibitive. It wouldn't be. The buyout would not be anything close to the remainder of the contract, and would likely be cheaper than airing this expensive program not getting enough ad money to justify the cost where they could instead stick something else with a much easier margin of gain. Nobody in television would put themselves into a situation where their way out is excessively expensive, they want that security blanket in paying top dollar for other peoples' content, and networks have all the leverage in these deals to make terms favourable to themselves Everything I keep hearing makes me think WWE has to hit certain numbers or Fox can opt out. So if there is a buyout, is it even that expensive? I'm sure they don't have to pay the full $1 billion to get out of it if WWE fails to hold their side of the bargain.
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Post by corndog on Feb 7, 2019 12:38:16 GMT -5
Look, I turned on Raw and caught Jeff Jarrett and Road Dogg singing a song for 2 minutes straight. I was like "okay, I don't know what's going on here, but maybe the rest of the show is better" and immediately saw that the main event was another permutation of a Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin match. Every time I TRY to watch this show I see THIS SAME f***ING FEUD. WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM PROMISING TO STOP GIVING CORBIN SO MUCH PLAY?! I like a number of wrestlers in WWE, but I'm at the point where I want to see them leave just so I can enjoy the wrestling show around them again.Yeah when someone goes off to WWE that I like, it truly is a farewell from me, because I am not watching them over there. I just can't enjoy WWE anymore, because of the booking, presentation and format of the programs. In a way, it might be a good thing if this Fox deal falls apart, because Vince won't have anyone enabling their dated and stubborn style.
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Post by corndog on Feb 6, 2019 23:20:46 GMT -5
I have a really bad cold and want to get over it quickly. Any advice?
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Post by corndog on Feb 6, 2019 22:41:01 GMT -5
Pro Wrestling LAND'S END is Japanese. Ryouji Sai of ZERO1's fame operates it out of Tokyo. Yes, they've made a couple of shows in South Korea and have a Korean champion, but it is a Japanese fed. My bad, from what I read on the fed, thought it was Korean.
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Post by corndog on Feb 6, 2019 11:31:47 GMT -5
All Japan already is working with Big Japan and seems to have something going on with Korean fed LAND'S END as well. So it is obviously, they are willing to work with other promotions. Still not sure about NOAH, Marufuji worked last year's Champion Carnival, but the new owners have a "seclusion policy". Mutoh doesn't sound too confident either. This is an article with interviews from all the parties here, while the translation is rough, I think you can get an idea from it. www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/prores/mens_prores/1269532/
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Post by corndog on Feb 4, 2019 13:21:00 GMT -5
Right. And given Sr.'s misgivings for Jr., there's a good chance his inheritance would not have included the position anyway; Sr. could very well have willed his stakes to his other partners instead, or even another outside party. And had he simply retired, that also doesn't automatically put Jr. on the throne. I've never knew there was any friction between Sr and Jr. Did Sr just see the writing on the wall as to what Jr was going to do, or was it something else? Sr. knew what Jr. was going to do, he even warned the other promoters. I wonder if part of the reason for the buyout was to sort of absolve himself of the guilt, he was well respected by the other promoters. Also Sr. seemed like the type that didn't want to hand his son anything, but make him earn it, so he appreciated it more.
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Post by corndog on Feb 4, 2019 12:16:32 GMT -5
Good fourth quarter... and Ill defend the first three quarters. The offenses didn't play like crap, both defenses were NAILS. That's Pats defense beat the living shit out of Jarred Goff all night... Look at the numbers for how bad he got beaten tonight against what was just voted the best offensive line in football. This was a legendary level performance. Goff dropped back and had a guy in his face, he never stood a chance. The Rams defense played ridiculously well and the Patriot's offense were still themselves, sticking with their gameplan. As always, they like to play for the long game and slowly wear down defenses to score late in the game, that is exactly what happened here. But holding the Patriots offense to 13 points in the Super Bowl is something to be truly proud of. Now, while I am taking nothing away from the Patriots defense, they played incredibly as well, the Rams offense was not the same offense we watched this season. Granted the Bears shut them down as well, but they were the best defense in the league. Goff looked nervous before the game even started. While the Pats defense put massive pressure on him, he made a lot of foolish plays, often holding onto the ball way too long and not knowing when to throw the damn ball away. He had no composure whatsoever. Then, the biggest head scratcher, why wasn't Gurley used a lot more? Ten touches, WTF!? He was the best running back in the league this year. I thought he was injured, but nope, he claimed he was perfectly healthy after the game. He even started to show signs of life in the second half, but they just stopped using him in a 3-3 game. I said this time and time again in the time leading up to this game, to have a chance at beating the Patriots, the Rams have to do what got them there. They need to stay true to themselves and not try to overthink this game. Usually the Patriots will focus on taking a team's strengths away, but the Rams just did it themselves. So while both teams had great defensive performances, the Rams weren't at their best at offense and did themselves no favors.
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Post by corndog on Feb 4, 2019 11:01:43 GMT -5
That one's David excusing his dad for bad business decisions. Crockett bought up too many places in too short of a time span, without the infrastructure McMahon could rely on. That's also not counting the second jet and other ridiculous expenses. I'm sure Dusty talked him into some of it, but the buck is going to always stop on the guy with the purse strings. David was his brother. You’re right, Jim Crockett got worked and ultimately was responsible for the failure of the company. I believe Jim Ross calles Crockett a deer in the headlights. He reminds me of how Dixie Carter bought stupid expensive gifts for the guys when the company was struggling. That being said, I give Dusty about twenty five percent of the blame for JCP going under. He did everything in his power to diminish Flair and also that all the storylines revolved around Rhodes. David hated Dusty so much that he sabotaged the Shockmaster’s entrance by nailing a board on the ground so Shockmaster would trip and fall. Shockmaster was Dusty’s brother in law. I think mostly due to his bumbling commentary, David always comes off as the incompetent little brother. But the more I hear about him, I don't think that is the case. Eric Bischoff always speaks well of him and says he was an asset to WCW.
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Post by corndog on Feb 4, 2019 10:19:33 GMT -5
It also helped that they were in Taichi's hometown; the way they booked the opening of the match ensured that the already popular Naito would be even more over, and not risk any possibility of a split crowd given they were in Sapporo. Crowd was hot as hell for the ending, and combined with the tag title matches it made for a really nice second half of the card. More than anything, though, I'm thrilled that the more tweener-style Naito has come back over the past few months. Dude's at his best when he's willing to get down and dirty to win and being a disrespectful jerk, and that took a back seat for a little while as he leaned more babyface. Clearly he's still more of a face than he was when LIJ first formed, but things like the mic stand spot and going back to using low blows? Hell yes, that's our ungovernable boi. It is interesting, because Naito has never been booked more like a face than now, but he went back to using more dirty methods and back to being disrespectful, which got him to the IWGP world championship in the first place. The change was really obvious during the Jericho match, when he spit on Red Shoes and used the belt for the win. The table spot was brutal and using the mic stand was much more like the old Naito, at the same time it was cheered because Taichi deserved it. Also, it seems like Naito has embraced the IC title and formed a different relationship with the belt. Instead of being bitter and feeling burdened by the belt, he sees the belt as something that can help him get to the world championship and has finally accepted that the IC title is part of his "destino" on his path to the promised land.
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