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Post by Feargus McReddit on Jan 1, 2023 15:32:08 GMT -5
I mean, you say that but the fastest selling show AEW did was off of minimally implying in the tiniest ways possible that CM Punk was showing up and considering a lot of people know at this point, it honestly wouldn’t make a difference if they announce it Wednesday or have her show up next week. Part of the intrigue that makes you want to tune in (in theory) is that small doubt you have about who it might be. Oh, believe me, the fact that people saw everything placed and went “What if it’s not CM Punk?!” was both excellent marketing and made me scratch my head at the same time. EDIT: Like, who else was it going to be, Scottie Pippin?!
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XIII
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Post by XIII on Jan 1, 2023 16:08:20 GMT -5
I think that it would be more productive to actually announce Sasha this week instead of doing the vague clue nonsense. If she's free and clear and going to be there then announce her and drive up the hype and hopefully ratings. I mean, you say that but the fastest selling show AEW did was off of minimally implying in the tiniest ways possible that CM Punk was showing up and considering a lot of people know at this point, it honestly wouldn’t make a difference if they announce it Wednesday or have her show up next week. I guess, but in this case I’d just announce it. No real wrong move here(as long as it isn’t Nia Jax or something) LMAO
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Post by darbus alan on Jan 1, 2023 16:10:17 GMT -5
God, can you imagine if everyone's hyping themselves up for Sasha Mercedes Vorbankso and Nia Jax comes out instead? There would be riots.
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Post by Jindrak Mark on Jan 1, 2023 17:15:23 GMT -5
I think that it would be more productive to actually announce Sasha this week instead of doing the vague clue nonsense. If she's free and clear and going to be there then announce her and drive up the hype and hopefully ratings. I mean, you say that but the fastest selling show AEW did was off of minimally implying in the tiniest ways possible that CM Punk was showing up and considering a lot of people know at this point, it honestly wouldn’t make a difference if they announce it Wednesday or have her show up next week. I don't think this is on the same level of Punk in terms of obviousness. I would say 99% of people were expecting Punk. It really should've been 100% but for some reason there will still the odd person not fully convinced somehow despite randomly booking an arena in Chicago and calling it First Dance, people suddenly saying stuff like best in the world in promos, quoting pipebomb lines, wearing cookie monster shirts, etc. With Sasha I'd say people "only" seem to be like 80-90% sure it's her. People were so sure it was Punk the building immediately sold out with over 15,000 tickets sold. The Forum has only sold around half the tickets they did in June with the show a week away. If people were 99% certain it's Sasha they'd have sold way more tickets by now. It might be very obvious but something as simple as someone dropping a prominent boss/mercedes line this week will probably be enough to convert more people and sell a couple thousand extra tickets before next week.
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Post by Mid-Carder on Jan 1, 2023 17:24:10 GMT -5
I mean, you say that but the fastest selling show AEW did was off of minimally implying in the tiniest ways possible that CM Punk was showing up and considering a lot of people know at this point, it honestly wouldn’t make a difference if they announce it Wednesday or have her show up next week. I don't think this is on the same level of Punk in terms of obviousness. I would say 99% of people were expecting Punk. It really should've been 100% but for some reason there will still the odd person not fully convinced somehow despite randomly booking an arena in Chicago and calling it First Dance, people suddenly saying stuff like best in the world in promos, quoting pipebomb lines, wearing cookie monster shirts, etc. With Sasha I'd say people "only" seem to be like 80-90% sure it's her. People were so sure it was Punk the building immediately sold out with over 15,000 tickets sold. The Forum has only sold around half the tickets they did in June with the show a week away. If people were 99% certain it's Sasha they'd have sold way more tickets by now. It might be very obvious but something as simple as someone dropping a prominent boss/mercedes line this week will probably be enough to convert more people and sell a couple thousand extra tickets before next week. Well that and also Sasha/Mercedes return after less than a year isn't anywhere near as big as Punk's return after 7 years. Nobody's would be.
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Jan 1, 2023 17:25:10 GMT -5
I'm always surprised to see Christian's debut used as an example of overhyping something. Christian was a big star in TNA and WWE and had literally just returned from a career ending retirement at the Royal Rumble. The fact that WWE would bring him back and then the dude would just dip to join AEW a few weeks later seemed like a big deal to me. Plus any overhyping was done by the internet. AEW literally only said "we've signed a big-ish name". Big Show said Hall of Fame talent also And if you don't think Christian is a Hall of Famer I don't know what to tell you, you're wrong lol
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Post by Jindrak Mark on Jan 1, 2023 17:59:23 GMT -5
I don't think this is on the same level of Punk in terms of obviousness. I would say 99% of people were expecting Punk. It really should've been 100% but for some reason there will still the odd person not fully convinced somehow despite randomly booking an arena in Chicago and calling it First Dance, people suddenly saying stuff like best in the world in promos, quoting pipebomb lines, wearing cookie monster shirts, etc. With Sasha I'd say people "only" seem to be like 80-90% sure it's her. People were so sure it was Punk the building immediately sold out with over 15,000 tickets sold. The Forum has only sold around half the tickets they did in June with the show a week away. If people were 99% certain it's Sasha they'd have sold way more tickets by now. It might be very obvious but something as simple as someone dropping a prominent boss/mercedes line this week will probably be enough to convert more people and sell a couple thousand extra tickets before next week. Well that and also Sasha/Mercedes return after less than a year isn't anywhere near as big as Punk's return after 7 years. Nobody's would be. I don't think Punk being gone for 7 years was the main driving force behind that arena selling out though. He would have sold out the arena if it happened in 2015 and it had only been a year. It was him being a big star with a lot of controversy around him and showing up in a new place. Like John Cena just wrestled on TV 2 days ago. If in a few weeks AEW said they had a surprise debut coming up and they dropped a bunch of Cena-related hints they would sell out any arena in the country. He wouldn't have to have been gone for years to do it. Sasha has a completely rabid fanbase but I think a lot of them just aren't sure enough that it's her compared to how sure we all were about Punk last year. It might have been a legal thing though and they weren't allowed to even tease her before Jan 1. This week though they really need to all but say it's her like they did with Punk and they'll sell a lot of extra tickets. If they make no Sasha-specific teases I think they'll be leaving a lot of money on the table. Like if the building was already sold out it wouldn't be as big of a deal but even ratings wise it should be be a boost if you spell it out that's it her. As of now it's all internet talk about her. Absolutely nothing on TV has suggested it's her compared to Punk when they were doing stuff every week to let you know.
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Dub H
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Post by Dub H on Jan 1, 2023 18:01:16 GMT -5
Well that and also Sasha/Mercedes return after less than a year isn't anywhere near as big as Punk's return after 7 years. Nobody's would be. I don't think Punk being gone for 7 years was the main driving force behind that arena selling out though. He would have sold out the arena if it happened in 2015 and it had only been a year. It was him being a big star with a lot of controversy around him and showing up in a new place. Like John Cena just wrestled on TV 2 days ago. If in a few weeks AEW said they had a surprise debut coming up and they dropped a bunch of Cena-related hints they would sell out any arena in the country. He wouldn't have to have been gone for years to do it. Sasha has a completely rabid fanbase but I think a lot of them just aren't sure enough that it's her compared to how sure we all were about Punk last year. It might have been a legal thing though and they weren't allowed to even tease her before Jan 1. This week though they really need to all but say it's her like they did with Punk and they'll sell a lot of extra tickets. If they make no Sasha-specific teases I think they'll be leaving a lot of money on the table. Like if the building was already sold out it wouldn't be as big of a deal but even ratings wise it should be be a boost if you spell it out that's it her. As of now it's all internet talk about her. Absolutely nothing on TV has suggested it's her compared to Punk when they were doing stuff every week to let you know. The 7 years Gao definitely boosted sale and ratings, it created mystique and fondness and a holy f***ing shit moment. It was the return of the decade. Cena would be holy shit too but that is ostly due to how Cena always portrayed himself as THE wwe corporate soldier
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J is Justice
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Post by J is Justice on Jan 1, 2023 18:28:49 GMT -5
Plus any overhyping was done by the internet. AEW literally only said "we've signed a big-ish name". Big Show said Hall of Fame talent also And if you don't think Christian is a Hall of Famer I don't know what to tell you, you're wrong lol So people were just disappointed it wasn't Koko.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2023 18:35:46 GMT -5
Plus any overhyping was done by the internet. AEW literally only said "we've signed a big-ish name". Big Show said Hall of Fame talent also And if you don't think Christian is a Hall of Famer I don't know what to tell you, you're wrong lol Wasn't it reported that Khan stated he had signed one of his favorite wrestlers of all time too?
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asuka007
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Post by asuka007 on Jan 1, 2023 18:55:49 GMT -5
I don't think this is on the same level of Punk in terms of obviousness. I would say 99% of people were expecting Punk. It really should've been 100% but for some reason there will still the odd person not fully convinced somehow despite randomly booking an arena in Chicago and calling it First Dance, people suddenly saying stuff like best in the world in promos, quoting pipebomb lines, wearing cookie monster shirts, etc. With Sasha I'd say people "only" seem to be like 80-90% sure it's her. People were so sure it was Punk the building immediately sold out with over 15,000 tickets sold. The Forum has only sold around half the tickets they did in June with the show a week away. If people were 99% certain it's Sasha they'd have sold way more tickets by now. It might be very obvious but something as simple as someone dropping a prominent boss/mercedes line this week will probably be enough to convert more people and sell a couple thousand extra tickets before next week. Well that and also Sasha/Mercedes return after less than a year isn't anywhere near as big as Punk's return after 7 years. Nobody's would be. True. But on the other hand her return after the controversial way she left WWE, along with probably appearing at Wrestle Kingdom, could still feel like a pretty big deal regardless.
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Jan 1, 2023 19:34:12 GMT -5
Big Show said Hall of Fame talent also And if you don't think Christian is a Hall of Famer I don't know what to tell you, you're wrong lol Wasn't it reported that Khan stated he had signed one of his favorite wrestlers of all time too? Yeah, and I guess that's Christian Good pick tbh, Idk how anyone can hate Christian, dude's been solid his whole career everywhere to me.
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Post by Andy Martin on Jan 1, 2023 21:53:28 GMT -5
Part of the intrigue that makes you want to tune in (in theory) is that small doubt you have about who it might be. Oh, believe me, the fact that people saw everything placed and went “What if it’s not CM Punk?!” was both excellent marketing and made me scratch my head at the same time. EDIT: Like, who else was it going to be, Scottie Pippin?! Dennis. Rodman.
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Post by Feargus McReddit on Jan 2, 2023 3:59:44 GMT -5
Oh, believe me, the fact that people saw everything placed and went “What if it’s not CM Punk?!” was both excellent marketing and made me scratch my head at the same time. EDIT: Like, who else was it going to be, Scottie Pippin?! Dennis. Rodman. Rodman was too obvious a name to put there so I very much avoided it. 😋
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ghost
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Post by ghost on Jan 2, 2023 5:09:09 GMT -5
I assume you’re referring to my comment, since I think I was the first to bring up Christian in the thread. So apparently, further explanation/defense of my position is warranted. I don’t disagree with any point you raised. But from what I gathered, the collective response of the fandom when Christian came out seemed to largely be a collective “meh.” Rightly or wrongly, the fandom sees him as a lifelong upper-midcarder/occasional main eventer, albeit a legendary one. So when certain elements of the fandom had talked themselves into it possibly being Brock or Cena or who knows who, it was going to seem like something of a disappointment. In fairness to Tony, he never hyped it to be Brock/Cena/etc., and I don’t believe it was a bait & switch on his part. But I can understand where some fans read too much into the secrecy & were a bit underwhelmed. The broader point being, I do think Tony is determined to deliver big on this and not let there be any feeling of disappointment. Coincidentally I have said almost the same thing you did in regards to Christian's debut i do remember in interviews he did before the PPV that Tony was saying how excited he was for the debut and really hyping it as a huge get. So while AEW didn't really hype up who it was I do think Tony fanboyed a bit and it skewed some expectations. I do think Tony has learned a bit from that though just because the reaction from the fanbase was so mixed I think there was a bit of hype done by the company, which likely increased expectations, rightly or wrongly. Paul Wight debuted with AEW and in his first promo said: "I have the biggest scoop ever. This Sunday AEW is going to hire, put in contract, a Hall of Fame worthy talent that is a huge surprise and a huge asset to AEW. Listen, it's not who you think, but this Sunday you are going to find out who it is...." So between that and anything Khan did to hype it up, it likely was an unfair way to bring Christian in because the minute you allow the fans to dream a little bit, it's going to lead to expectations.
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Post by Dave the Dave on Jan 2, 2023 17:10:52 GMT -5
Can’t wait for AJ Lee to debut
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Post by kingoftheindies on Jan 2, 2023 17:50:43 GMT -5
Coincidentally I have said almost the same thing you did in regards to Christian's debut i do remember in interviews he did before the PPV that Tony was saying how excited he was for the debut and really hyping it as a huge get. So while AEW didn't really hype up who it was I do think Tony fanboyed a bit and it skewed some expectations. I do think Tony has learned a bit from that though just because the reaction from the fanbase was so mixed I think there was a bit of hype done by the company, which likely increased expectations, rightly or wrongly. Paul Wight debuted with AEW and in his first promo said: "I have the biggest scoop ever. This Sunday AEW is going to hire, put in contract, a Hall of Fame worthy talent that is a huge surprise and a huge asset to AEW. Listen, it's not who you think, but this Sunday you are going to find out who it is...." So between that and anything Khan did to hype it up, it likely was an unfair way to bring Christian in because the minute you allow the fans to dream a little bit, it's going to lead to expectations. Yeah like it wasn't super hyped up but it was hyped up. No disrespect to Christian, and I get that he had just done the Royal Rumble 2 months earlier, but in 2021 with Christian really being out for as long as he was... I can see why so many people were underwhelmed with the reveal. Hell... I was too... and again that's not meant as a slight to Christian. He just happened to return with fairly little fanfare at the Rumble after being quietly retired for years. Like IMO the only names with the mystery that make sense are Sasha, AJ Lee (highly unlikely), maybe Naomi or Kairi... but last two may also be met with some deflation... unless it somehow comes out that a top female star from WWE shows up and nobody realized they were a free agent.
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Post by Mid-Carder on Jan 2, 2023 18:15:02 GMT -5
If it's not Sasha/Mercedes, they may be best making that clear, otherwise some poor woman is getting booed through no fault of her own. As popular as Thunder Rosa is, if they're expecting Sasha and it's just someone who's already with the company, she's getting the 'Rey Mysterio Is Not Daniel Bryan' treatment
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Post by "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik on Jan 3, 2023 19:36:49 GMT -5
Sasha just tweeted a bunch of thank you's to folks and fans in WWE including the character that is Sasha Banks. She's definitely gone. Now it's just a matter of if she's the mystery partner.
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champchumpchange
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Post by champchumpchange on Jan 3, 2023 20:18:59 GMT -5
If it is indeed Sasha, has anyone considered how it will completely overshadow Saraya's return to a pro wrestling ring?
This wouldn't be TK's fault, but I mean, if Sasha shows up, Saraya's just another girl in the division under a booker than gives women one match a show.
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