In The End, Was The Wrestling Thread Worth It?

[Calavera]

Oh and CM Punk is gone from the company. And yeah, I am not excited for Mania this year. And I'm going.

STILL NOT GIVING AWAY MY TICKETS MMMMM.....Pancakes!

i went to wrestlemania 28 and i loved it. go and **** on the batista/orton match.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

i went to wrestlemania 28 and i loved it. go and **** on the batista/orton match.

I've been planning on that since Batista was announced to be in the Rumble Match and when he eventually won it. Yeah, I had a great time at WM28. I've been going to every single Mania since 26 and....the novelty wears off after seeing Shawn Michaels' last match ever.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Which raises an interesting question: If Rock Vs. Brock II (biggest rematch since Undertaker Vs. Michaels) takes place at Wrestlemania 31? What main events: Rock's last match or Sting Vs. Undertaker?

Neither, Cena vs Bryan for the World title should headline WrestleMania 31 with the 4 guys that will probably work just one match all year as the support main events.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis, who has had long standing issues with WWE Divas The Bella Twins for quite sometime now, posted the following on Twitter:

 

[TheNextNolan22]

Brock vs Rock II DOES NOT interest me. They had a very good match back in 2002, but it just doesn't interest me and Rock would more than likely get his win back. Plus, they work two completely different styles and I have a feeling it would turn out similar to the Brock/HHH matches.

 

[Calavera]

my net died on me as i spoke to the next nolan

im getting back into comics and reading alot of guardians of the galaxy atm. so im super hyped for the movie and i hope batista does drax justice.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis, who has had long standing issues with WWE Divas The Bella Twins for quite sometime now, posted the following on Twitter:

and from everything we know she's was in the right, so she ends up apologising

If you told me 5 years ago the bellas( only just seen it's not they're real names) would be the most powerful divas in the company I'd have told you to cut back on what you were smoking.

 

[Slushy]

lol, Maria wants her job back.

 

[Darkness Falls]

maria would be a welcome addition cause the divas division is sorely lacking

 

[H.U.S.T.L.E.]

So I've recently watched about half of 'The Wrestling Road Diaries' produced by Colt Cabana - for those who aren't familiar, it follows Cabana, Sal Rinauro & Bryan Danielson on a 10 day road trip on the independent scene. It takes place in 2009, right as Bryan was going through the process of being signed by WWE and awaiting medical clearance from doctors. It's a really fascinating look into the life of independent pro wrestlers and I highly recommend it.

A couple things really stood out to me that are especially relevant to Daniel Bryan right now:
1) There's a point where Sal talks about Bryan's potential in WWE & he made the comment that while Bryan isn't an over-the-top type of personality, he just has a charisma that draws people to him. It's proving to be a prophetic statement, considering how everything has played out over the last couple years for Bryan.

2) Bryan himself talks about how wrestling is an ego-driven business and that while he appreciates the fact that lesser known indy wrestlers show respect to him in the locker room, he's not a guy that needs to be validated & be THE GUY, the alpha male. He says he's much more comfortable being buddies with everyone & content to be one of the guys... which oddly, seems to be the antithesis of what you always hear about "the face of the company" stuff and maybe why Vince & Co. have been slow to hand the ball to Bryan. Obviously, it's entirely speculation on my part, but with Bryan being wired a little differently than other top guys before him and not necessarily being one for the politics, that hasn't helped his case in the back.

Interesting to think about nonetheless, but regardless, the documentary is a great insight into the lives of these guys and it's fun to see Bryan's journey knowing where he is today. And really, it's one of the most remarkable stories in pro wrestling history, IMO.

 

[DX]

I've been planning on that since Batista was announced to be in the Rumble Match and when he eventually won it. Yeah, I had a great time at WM28. I've been going to every single Mania since 26 and....the novelty wears off after seeing Shawn Michaels' last match ever.

What was WM27 like live? Because it SUCKED on TV lol

 

[SpideyFan866]

- In regards to Darren Young vs. Titus O’Neil being added to the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, there people rolling their eyes at RAW with some suggesting that it’s going to be five minutes of fans doing nothing but chanting for CM Punk and showing they have no interest.

- Vince McMahon is said to be unhappy with Batista not being over with fans. There’s a continued frustration within WWE that Batista isn’t being perceived as a bigger star when he’s scheduled for the WrestleMania XXX main event after a lengthy absence from the company.

- It’s been expected that we will see the demise of The Shield at WrestleMania XXX but that’s not confirmed yet. While one idea pitched internally had Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose in a singles match, another idea pitched that was discussed a bit more is Reigns vs. Sheamus.

- It was noted backstage at RAW this week that the directives on commentary regarding Daniel Bryan have changed. Certain negative words to describe Bryan such as short, goat, ugly and small have been dropped. Word is that the push for Bryan is on.

http://dailywrestlingnews.com/vince-happy-top-wwe-star-titus-vs-darren-talk/
http://dailywrestlingnews.com/sheamus-vs-reigns-wrestlemania-wwe-lightening-daniel-bryan/

What do you expect to happen when you have someone come in after a 4 year absence, and screw your Top 3 stars (Punk, Bryan, Cena), in both talent and fan support, out of their much deserved main event spot, basically alienating your audience completely?

Vince, Hunter, Steph.... reality misses you.

 

[sweetre15]

The report reveals one of the worst pay-per-view buy numbers in WWE history for the Battleground pay-per-view at 114,000 buys. The first Battleground pay-per-view featured Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton.

The results then show a strong 228,000 buys for the October Hell In a Cell pay-per-view, which featured Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton with Shawn Michaels as referee. That is up from the 199,000 in 2012.

The Survivor Series pay-per-view, with Big Show vs. Randy Orton, in November drew 177,000 buys, down from the 208,000 buys in 2012.

December's TLC pay-per-view, with John Cena vs. Randy Orton, drew 181,000 pay-per-view buys, up just a bit from the 175,000 buys in 2012.

Read more at http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news...evealed-for-battleground/#Qbx4lrffQJp3zeDV.99

So Orton and Cena (whom they want us to believe is the Stone Cold and Rock of this generation) barely did more buys than Cena's match with an unproven main eventer in Dolph Ziggler in 2012. Hmm....That should tell WWE something about how people are barely interested in this Cena/Orton stuff. Maybe they should think twice before pulling the rug from under rising talent.

 

[Mr.?]

Random but does anyone else think Daniel Bryan's theme song should start with him screaming "YES!"? It would be like the glass breaking in the beginning of Stone Cold's theme.

 

[Lobo]

I see Maria wants her job back

 

[sweetre15]

Also notice that Orton and Bryan's numbers(save for Battleground), either outdrew or wasnt far behind the overhyped Title Unification match at TLC and we were lead to believe Cena and Orton would be the highest drawing pairing!?

 

[H.U.S.T.L.E.]

Let's not forget, Battleground came THREE WEEKS after a previous PPV and it was pretty much a one-match show in Orton vs. Bryan (which we'd already seen half a dozen times on free TV in the summer before). The only other match on the card that had any decent build to it was The Shield vs. The Brotherhood, and I guess you could make a flimsy case for Punk vs. Ryback but it was mainly an excuse to further the Heyman vs. Punk storyline.

Nobody was clamoring for RVD vs. Del Rio for the WHC and everything else on the card was filler. It had everything going against it, so I'm not sure why people were surprised at how poorly it did.

 

[sweetre15]

Let's not forget, Battleground came THREE WEEKS after a previous PPV and it was pretty much a one-match show in Orton vs. Bryan (which we'd already seen half a dozen times on free TV in the summer before). The only other match on the card that had any decent build to it was The Shield vs. The Brotherhood, and I guess you could make a flimsy case for Punk vs. Ryback but it was mainly an excuse to further the Heyman vs. Punk storyline.

Nobody was clamoring for RVD vs. Del Rio for the WHC and everything else on the card was filler. It had everything going against it, so I'm not sure why people were surprised at how poorly it did.

Yeah, the booking going down the drain was a big reason why Battleground flopped and WWE was already starting to downplay Bryan's importance in the story by throwing in unnecessary HHH/Big Show by this point too.

Ultimately though, it shows that using Bryan as a scapegoat was a terrible mistake.

 

[The Batman]

lol, Maria wants her job back.

Its hilarious how blatantly obvious her ploy is.

I feel bad that she has to kiss backside to get her job back, but it is what it is, lol.

 

[Warhammer]

Ugh, here is what reeks about this whole Bellas/Maria situation. How can any self-respecting woman be proud of how they got where they got like the Bellas did? They literally haven't done s*** other than being a top guy's (mainly Cena) f*** buddy. No playboy deals, no fan support (for either their wrestling ability or for how good they look), no mainstream buzz, nothing. They literally had nothing to offer except a piece of that ***** for the face of the company. Then they have the nerve to feel hurt and entitled when AJ Lee cuts a promo. Then they end the only interesting thing Divas-related in years.

And they're jealous of Maria. Snooty ass women.

 

[Kaleb]

Highlights from WWE's Investors Conference Call with Vince McMahon and George Barrios

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, Chief Strategy & Financial Officer George Barrios and SVP of Financial Planning & Investor Relations Michael Weitz hosted a conference call this morning to discuss the 2013 financial results. Here are highlights:

* Vince said everything in the results were in line with expectations. Vince called WWE's social media growth extraordinary. He talked about a lot of WWE's new projects and said they are moving forward.

* Vince said they are out in the marketplace for the first time in a long time as far as TV rights fees goes. They're looking to finish negotiations in late April or soon after.

* They are really excited about the WWE Network going live on Monday. Regarding pay-per-views, Vince says most standard providers have agreed to carry WrestleMania XXX and after that it will be on an event-by-event basis.

* Barrios talked about how they've been testing the Network on different platforms in preparation of the launch.

* Barrios said they are indeed in negotiations with other networks for TV rights fees. They're also having similar discussions in India.

* As of today, WWE says they reach more than 260 million followers across social media - a 90% increase from the year before.

* They are really happy with the success of Total Divas.

* Despite a 4th quarter drop, WWE's overall toy sales were up for the year. WWE has the #2 best selling action figure property in the US.

* They believe that a fully distributed WWE Network can attract between 2 and 3 million subscribers.

* WWE expects a $12-$15 million first quarter loss this year due to everything that comes with the launch of the Network.

* WWE's first report on the number of Network subscribers will come the Monday after WrestleMania XXX.

* Barrios admitted they monitor social media chatter very closely, at least when it comes to feedback on the Network.

* They spent around $12 million in 2013 preparing for the Network.

* WWE is confident about the value their TV product brings and are optimistic about the TV rights fees negotiations.

* An investor asked about CM Punk. Vince said: "He's taking a sabbatical, let's just put it that way."

* Most providers have agreed to carry WWE pay-per-views through WrestleMania XXX but Barrios wouldn't elaborate. He said they have about 85% coverage of US households.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Oh and CM Punk is gone from the company. And yeah, I am not excited for Mania this year. And I'm going.

STILL NOT GIVING AWAY MY TICKETS MMMMM.....Pancakes!

Come on Nolan, I already booked my flight, hotel & rental car. Be a pal. Be a STAR.

 

[sweetre15]

So guys, do y'all think it's fair to say that the whole "Daniel Bryan cant draw" rhetoric should be put to rest now?

 

[The Apocalypse]

So guys, do y'all think it's fair to say that the whole "Daniel Bryan cant draw" rhetoric should be put to rest now?

I'd hope so. I think besides him and the Cena supporters, they are the only two drawing in a crowd. There is really nothing else even going on in WWE worth caring about. They haven't even teased an Undertaker WM match yet. They usually do by now. And don't even get me started on how the man holding the title gets boring chants over and over.

 

[sweetre15]

I'd hope so. I think besides him and the Cena supporters, they are the only two drawing in a crowd. There is really nothing else even going on in WWE worth caring about. They haven't even teased an Undertaker WM match yet. They usually do by now. And don't even get me started on how the man holding the title gets boring chants over and over.

What's also funny is that I have yet to hear about Orton or Batista being a top merch seller since Batista's return OR during Orton's run YET we know Cena, Punk, and Bryan are respectively numbers 1 2, and 4 on the Merchandise sales totem pole...Why are ORton and Batista being presented as bigger draws when they are moving the needle in merchandise like the other 3?