Swagger talks angle he pitched before leaving WWE

[héad.casé]

"From '08 to '18, so 10 years. It flew by. I don't know if it was a gift or a curse. I never really got injured, so I never went away, so I never got to have that big comeback type of deal and all fresh again. I was always kind of there. I feel like that kind of changed the dynamic a little bit. I feel like pro wrestling definitely needs a season, like, at least have it nine months a year, so you can go away for three months and be fresh with it and be fresh with storylines and make it easier again."

"Before I left, Vince had caught me in the hallway and he told me that they were wasting me and I said, 'Man, that's awesome to hear. Thank you for saying that. I'll be in your office next week with ideas," and I pitched him an idea about leaving and having me go fight in MMA and come back and for there to kind of be a little controversy between us or something and then a comeback type of deal. And he didn't really want to do anything about it. And after that, not with him, but with everyone else, the communication really broke down, so I was like, 'okay, it's time to go.', and so MMA was on my mind. I wanted to do MMA then."

Source: E & C Podcast

[Dub H]

the ryback special.

at least doesn't sound like he wanted wwe to pay him for the mma training

[Deleted]

I miss Swagger. Probably in the minority but I loved him being the weasly lisping World Champ.

[Deleted]

I like his point about the offseason. I doubt they'd even consider taking a 3 month break every year, but they could at least rotate some talent in and out for a couple months. A guy like AJ, who's super stale (still popular, but stale) would benefit from being off. One of the things they've done really well with Becky since SummerSlam (even with the recent hiccups in the Ronda/Charlotte feud) is limit her appearances and keep her fresh. She's had maybe 4 matches on TV since then and when she shows up on TV, it's usually for only one segment before she peaces out. It leaves me wanting more of THE MAN.

[BorneAgain]

I'm amused by Vince telling Swagger that he was being wasted, as if somehow the former is in no position to do anything about it, but felt the need to express his sympathies.

[Allie Kitsune]

Mar 4, 2019 17:50:50 GMT -5 @dax said:

I like his point about the offseason. I doubt they'd even consider taking a 3 month break every year, but they could at least rotate some talent in and out for a couple months. A guy like AJ, who's super stale (still popular, but stale) would benefit from being off. One of the things they've done really well with Becky since SummerSlam (even with the recent hiccups in the Ronda/Charlotte feud) is limit her appearances and keep her fresh. She's had maybe 4 matches on TV since then and when she shows up on TV, it's usually for only one segment before she peaces out.

If nothing else, off from House Shows, so they don't stay off TV for too long.

[JCBaggee]

Mar 4, 2019 17:57:04 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

I'm amused by Vince telling Swagger that he was being wasted, as if somehow the former is in no position to do anything about it, but felt the need to express his sympathies.

He misheard him, what Vince actually said was "Are you wasted?" Vince was very concerned following the DUI.

[Deleted]

Mar 4, 2019 17:59:19 GMT -5 JCBaggee said:

Mar 4, 2019 17:57:04 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

I'm amused by Vince telling Swagger that he was being wasted, as if somehow the former is in no position to do anything about it, but felt the need to express his sympathies.

He misheard him, what Vince actually said was "Are you wasted?" Vince was very concerned following the DUI.

"Goddammit, Arn."

[DASH 243✅]

He should have asked for the soaring eagle back

[Chiral]

Mar 4, 2019 17:50:50 GMT -5 @dax said:

I like his point about the offseason. I doubt they'd even consider taking a 3 month break every year, but they could at least rotate some talent in and out for a couple months. A guy like AJ, who's super stale (still popular, but stale) would benefit from being off. One of the things they've done really well with Becky since SummerSlam (even with the recent hiccups in the Ronda/Charlotte feud) is limit her appearances and keep her fresh. She's had maybe 4 matches on TV since then and when she shows up on TV, it's usually for only one segment before she peaces out. It leaves me wanting more of THE MAN.

The idea I keep wanting to see is for them to do a brand from like May-August, a brand that goes from September-December, then both run from January to April for Wrestlemania season. Then TV is ongoing but chunks of the roster would get breaks. I dunno how it'd work financially but I think it'd help the roster as well as make things fresher when the brands are together.

[salz4life]

Mar 4, 2019 17:50:50 GMT -5 @dax said:

I like his point about the offseason. I doubt they'd even consider taking a 3 month break every year, but they could at least rotate some talent in and out for a couple months. A guy like AJ, who's super stale (still popular, but stale) would benefit from being off. One of the things they've done really well with Becky since SummerSlam (even with the recent hiccups in the Ronda/Charlotte feud) is limit her appearances and keep her fresh. She's had maybe 4 matches on TV since then and when she shows up on TV, it's usually for only one segment before she peaces out. It leaves me wanting more of THE MAN.

With the amount of talent they have, you would think something like this.... even if it was a month or two, would be possible.

[Deleted]

Mar 4, 2019 18:09:44 GMT -5 salz4life said:

Mar 4, 2019 17:50:50 GMT -5 @dax said:

I like his point about the offseason. I doubt they'd even consider taking a 3 month break every year, but they could at least rotate some talent in and out for a couple months. A guy like AJ, who's super stale (still popular, but stale) would benefit from being off. One of the things they've done really well with Becky since SummerSlam (even with the recent hiccups in the Ronda/Charlotte feud) is limit her appearances and keep her fresh. She's had maybe 4 matches on TV since then and when she shows up on TV, it's usually for only one segment before she peaces out. It leaves me wanting more of THE MAN.

With the amount of talent they have, you would think something like this.... even if it was a month or two, would be possible.

I do it in my Universe anyway.

[Deleted]

Fair dues, it's not a terrible suggestion. As bland as everything he did after We the People ran it's course but not dreadful.

I was hoping he'd pitched Max Moon 2k18.

[Dub H]

Assuming what I know from Vince(Which is not a lot) he probably saw it as someone taking "time off" and lost interest because of that.

[Final Countdown Jones]

What is it with dudes having the big great idea of "I'll go do MMA for a while then come back and get a big storyline off of it". Vince isn't Inoki, he doesn't want his wrestlers to become mixed martial artists, he wants mixed martial artists to come be REAL STARS. Has WWE even mentioned Lashley's MMA fights once since he returned? It doesn't mean shit to them.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I've felt for a long time - even when the product was better - that there being just too much content is an enormous problem. I feel that a switch to biweekly shows, or even alternating Raw and SD week to week would make a world of difference. At the very least, the repetitive matches wouldn't feel quite as insufferable.

[Deleted]

Mar 4, 2019 18:17:46 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

What is it with dudes having the big great idea of "I'll go do MMA for a while then come back and get a big storyline off of it". Vince isn't Inoki, he doesn't want his wrestlers to become mixed martial artists, he wants mixed martial artists to come be REAL STARS. Has WWE even mentioned Lashley's MMA fights once since he returned? It doesn't mean shit to them.

I'm still trying to get the mods here to let me go train MMA for a few months.

[héad.casé]

Mar 4, 2019 18:17:46 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

What is it with dudes having the big great idea of "I'll go do MMA for a while then come back and get a big storyline off of it". Vince isn't Inoki, he doesn't want his wrestlers to become mixed martial artists, he wants mixed martial artists to come be REAL STARS. Has WWE even mentioned Lashley's MMA fights once since he returned? It doesn't mean shit to them.

I mean you'd have thought that with Swagger being in the company when Ryback pitched the same idea he'd have known it was a no go.

[rnrk supports BLM]

That's madness. Even if he wasn't expecting to be paid while he was off WWE, he's still effectively requesting his release so that he can pursue a career with the competition, with the vague promise that he'll come back a bigger star.

That's almost as stupid as booking Jack Swagger to win a handicap nunchaku match over Drago and Aerostar. Almost.

[Feargus McReddit]

Mar 4, 2019 18:25:45 GMT -5 @dax said:

Mar 4, 2019 18:17:46 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

What is it with dudes having the big great idea of "I'll go do MMA for a while then come back and get a big storyline off of it". Vince isn't Inoki, he doesn't want his wrestlers to become mixed martial artists, he wants mixed martial artists to come be REAL STARS. Has WWE even mentioned Lashley's MMA fights once since he returned? It doesn't mean shit to them.

I'm still trying to get the mods here to let me go train MMA for a few months.

Look, we keep telling you that you can go and do that. We’re just not going to promote you to Mod just because you won some MMA fights.