The Wrestling Thread...Has Set Me Free!- - Part 41

[Slushy]

 

[Wheels]

I don't know if Vince hates the Southen states per say, but I do know he loathes the association with "Southern wrasslin'" characters/booking of the old NWA and indies in the 70s & 80s. I've also read that quote about his stepdad.

It's hilarious that Vince's daughter married an NWA mark.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I love the box for the TLC DVD/Blu Ray.

 

[DBryan]

Sheesh, the box information is a little misleading.

Why is Cena missing from TLC?

Well... you won't find out, by buying TLC ??????????

Also Kane wasn't in the PPV. Why reference wrestlers who never appeared at TLC??????

 

[Wheels]

Where is our WWE Ice Cream Bars?

Get to work Vince and Good Humor.

 

[Benstamania]

So very epic. Avatar maybe!

 

[bullets]

Vince will like it so much that he'll have JR get in the ring for a segment that includes getting attacked followed by someone shaving half of it off his face. Yes only half, just to mock JR in any other fashion possible.

And they'll do it in JR's hometown.

This is so true it's not even funny.

I don't know if Vince hates the Southen states per say, but I do know he loathes the association with "Southern wrasslin'" characters/booking of the old NWA and indies in the 70s & 80s. I've also read that quote about his stepdad.

that reminds of the story about Ted Turner, when he bought WCW saying to Vince " I'm in the wrasslin business" to which Vince replies "I'm in the entertainment business". He's always tried to get away from traditional views of the business so it makes sense I guess.

I love the box for the TLC DVD/Blu Ray.

It's classic. I got excited about the blu ray but then read it's a UK/Europe exclusive. The blu rays are well worth it but don't sell enough in the U.S. apparently.

 

[Wheels]

Several top WWE developmental talents recently worked tours for the main WWE roster.

I was told that FCW champion Leo Kruger was given solid marks for his pre-match mic work, putting himself over as the top African athlete while working heel. The feeling was that he needs to project more in the ring to connect with the audience but his look was very good

. Seth Rollins was given high marks for his work inside the ring. Rollins was praised a lot for matches he had with Tyson Kidd on the road and for his selling as a babyface.

Dean Ambrose was viewed quite highly by management, both in how he worked, how he conducted himself backstage and with his pre-match mic work. The talk was that if the company could find the right role for him, his gravely voice and delivery could translate well.

http://www.pwinsider.com/article/64...with-their-recent-main-roster-visits.html?p=1

 

[NDX]

I like reading about prospects being looked upon favorably, looks good for 2012.

 

[Metallo]

I'd say lack of intelligence is rule #1 to being a hick. A hick is someone who is anti-intellectual, has a few isolationist, rudimentary ideas about how the world works, and takes very few pains with his/her appearance.
You've seen the type: wearing faded, dirty camo, hat with a beer logo on it, driving a beat up truck with the slogan "Ain't Skeerd" on it, drunk most of the time, always willing to start a fight.

Vince might have a crude sense of entertainment, but he's still a creative, eloquent, well-scrubbed person. There is more than enough evidence to say he's sexist, callous, and egomaniacal. I'd also agree with you that he's lost his touch for the wrestling biz. But a hick? I just don't see him as the redneck type.

hick

A derogatory slang term for lower class whites raised in rural areas, usually within trailer parks or hog farms. Generally used more for Midwesterners than Southerners (see: redneck)
General defining characteristics of a hick: Protestant upbringing, usually Baptist; racist and sexist opinions; does not attend collage ; dumber than a post.

Vince has been accused of meeting most of those criteria over the years. The only one thats indisputably untrue is about attending college. And he's not from midwest. But a lot of the ideas about hicks and rednecks are interchangeable. With a name like McMahon I'd assume he was catholic but since he wasn't raised by his father but his mother and "a string of stepfathers" in North Carolina he's probably protestant.

Vince was a guy raised in a a trailer park and his dad wasn't around during a racist segregated era. If you know who Strom Thurmond is Vince is from the heart of Thurmond country. I can't say he's a racist nor do I think he is but he was raised in a racist time in a racist place. And he does have a stereotypical view of the world. He fired Finlay for a scripted segment that had an anti patriotic element and offended US soldiers but he DIDN'T fire Michael Hayes when he was legitimately accused of using racist remarks against Mark Henry and Bobby Lashley. Which one is more offensive? Scripted segment or actual incident?

He had an abusive drunk stepdad by his own admission. His own brother wants nothing to do with him or his business. He went to a military school to straighten him out when he was younger.

At various times Vince McMahon and his company have been accused of presenting racist and sexist views. Its one reason his wife lost her Senate bid as the former CEO of said company. Vince has been accused of sexual harassment at least twice.

He runs a company thats still got some outdated policies in place. A legitimate business in any other area that tried to do what he does would be put over the fire. Even Bret Hart has said in the past that farm animals have been treated better. It took a slew of deaths before WWE did anything and initiated their wellness policy when other sports leagues began taking action years before.

Even a hick can be educated. Vince McMahon has never claimed to be an intellectual. In fact he's gone after the so called intellectuals in the media to cover his own a** various times.

His clashes with Costas and another journalist from HBO over things anyone with even an average intelligence could see was a serious problem. shows a guy who refuses to think rationally. He seriously hurt his PR with that stunt. When you've got wrestlers dropping like flies you don't go full a**hole and be selfish or threaten to beat the hell out of someone. Sounds like something a hick would do when he gets mad.

The doctors who brought up Benoits brain damage and mental capacity. McMahon dismissed all that when any intelligent person who looked at the cold hard facts would at least acknowledge the possibility. Vince is a guy who goes more with his gut than any well thought out ideas. Shoot from the hip kind of guy. If HE thinks its right or wrong then it must be. He's presented a more stereotypical product than most wrestling promoters over the years. Wrestling's always had stereotypes but he took it to a new level. Thats a simple minded world view. The fact that he he thinks he can actually break into the mainstream in a non wrestling capacity shows a limited understanding of a LOT of things. People. Taste. etc.

His audience is sophisticated enough that they don't need to be fooled by big steroided out bodies smashing against the mat but Vince still thinks thats what they want to buy most. He thinks people are that simple minded when they aren't.

This is the guy who thought it was smart to let his daughter go out and compare the governments prosecution of him over steroids to the 9/11 attacks. Not a smart move.

Look at what Vince thinks is funny. A guy f***ing a corpse. Even the so called fans who ARE called blue collar, low brow, and rednecks found that offensive. That shows me a serious lack of sophistication. Same thing with the incest angles he's tried to push. If he really thinks thats what his audience wants to see then he's more classless than we ever could be.

Fascination with incest sounds like something a hick would be into.

I never said he hadn't cleaned himself up or put on a glossy facade and become a learned businessman but in his heart Vince McMahon is still a hick. His wife is smart enough to distance herself from him this time around. If anything he only hurt her political ambitions.

We know a BIG reason JR has been treated like such crap over the years is because Kevin Dunn does not like him. Vince values Dunns advice. He didn't understand Cornette at all. Even though Corny is a Southerner he's also very liberal. A southern conservative like Vince couldn't stand that. Whose idea was it to put a cowboy hat on JR? Vinces. JR never wore it before WWE. Maybe the reason Vince hates these on air southern characters so much is a little bit of self loathing. Where he came from and the upbringing he came from...but he still carries a lot of that around.

THATS why he's so desperately yearning for this mainstream acceptance in the business and entertainment world.

 

[Metallo]

Backstage News on Jericho's Return, Why Cena-Kane-Ryder Ended RAW and More

By Marc Middleton
Jan 4, 2012 - 8:57:55 AM

- Chris Jericho's WWE return was not penciled in anywhere on the booking sheets that were handed out before Monday's RAW from Memphis. However, when Jericho did show up before coming out for TV, they made no attempt to hide him backstage.

- The script for this Monday's RAW Supershow from Memphis was not finalized until around 7pm local time.

The angle with Kane coming from under the ring was written about a week ago but officials didn't know how they would get to it until the day of the show. The six-man elimination match was put together at the last minute.

Officials wanted John Cena in the closing segment so there would be an "Indiana Jones-like" cliffhanger to end the show. The feeling was that the CM Punk segment wouldn't be exciting enough and Chris Jericho's return wouldn't be a good way to end the show.

Source: PWInsider



News on Chris Jericho & Next Week's RAW, High Praise for Road Dogg, More

By Marc Middleton
Jan 4, 2012 - 8:46:18 AM

- WWE producer "Road Dogg" Jesse James has been getting high marks within WWE since returning in late 2011. James has been very helpful with a lot of the younger WWE talents as far as putting matches and other angles together go.

- Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal will take place on the January 13th episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

- There was talk at RAW of having Chris Jericho do something similar to what he did this week on next week's RAW Supershow where he didn't speak. The idea is to get fans to keep watching to see what Jericho will do next. WWE officials are worried that RAW will get killed in the ratings on Monday, January 9th with the big Alabama vs. LSU football game.

Partial source: PWInsider



Plans for Brodus Clay from Monday's RAW, News on The Rock vs. John Cena

By Marc Middleton
Jan 4, 2012 - 8:55:15 AM

- Brodus Clay was backstage at Monday's RAW Supershow from Memphis and was scheduled to debut on TV, squashing a local wrestler. As plans changed through the day, once again Clay was bumped from the script.

WWE will be going with the storyline of Brodus being pissed at being pushed back so many times that he's even angrier than before. Officials do want to get Clay on TV as soon as possible to establish him as a monster. They wanted him to go into the Royal Rumble as one of the top big guys but it remains to be seen if he will debut before then.

- WWE officials reportedly have two finishes decided on for John Cena and The Rock's match at WrestleMania 28.

Partial source: PWInsider



Backstage News on Mark Henry, Warrior Takes a Shot at Kevin Nash and More

By Marc Middleton
Jan 4, 2012 - 8:37:57 AM

- Former WWE Divas Jillian Hall and Melina will be wrestling each other for the World Wrestling Fan Xperience promotion in the Philippines this February. Other stars advertised for WWFX's Champions Showcase Tour 2012 include MVP, Carlito, Rhino, Chris Masters, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky and John Morrison.

- The Ultimate Warrior took a shot at Kevin Nash this week on his Twitter. A fan asked Warrior why doesn't he dye his hair and "pull a Kevin Nash return." Warrior replied:

"I'm not a ******** who thrives on stealing the limelight from young guys."

- Mark Henry has been getting high praise backstage for working injured through the WWE live event tours and TV tapings. Henry has been in pain for some time and while WWE has offered him some time off, The World's Strongest Man has turned it down.

Partial source: PWInsider



Update on the Jericho-WWE '12 Reports, New TV Shows for Roddy Piper, More

Posted by Marc Middleton on 01/04/2012

- WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper wrote the following on Twitter yesterday. It sounds like Piper could be referring to tapings WWE Legends House for the Network but we don't know for sure.

"How can you put 8 seasoned guys living together...lets hear the name of the guy that's going to control them week 2.5. Not Vince! No Man! Telling you...things are going to get Very Real. Straight fact,I don't like it..don't tease me... don't play with me...I bite, then bury!!!"

Piper wrote earlier that in 2012 he will be appearing on the World of Hurt wrestling reality show, a special Piper's Pit with Eli Roth and a few other shows he couldn't mention yet.

- Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton is being advertised for the March 6th SmackDown tapings at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

- One WWE source says there was never a problem between WWE and Chris Jericho for Jericho not being included in the WWE '12 video game. Jericho played it up online but the whole thing was part of trying to hide his return. From the start, WWE had planned for Jericho to be the one behind the cryptic videos from the beginning.

Partial source: PWInsider

 

[Pink Ranger]

- The Ultimate Warrior took a shot at Kevin Nash this week on his Twitter. A fan asked Warrior why doesn't he dye his hair and "pull a Kevin Nash return." Warrior replied:

"I'm not a ******** who thrives on stealing the limelight from young guys."

Wow. That's the most sense Warrior has made in years. Unless the eight letter word crossed out is "rhomboid," in that case it's business as usual for him.

 

[SuperBatman]

LOL Go go Milky White Ranger

 

[Dr. Evil]

Leo Kruger has size. He could be the guy that the WWE markets South Africa to instead of Justin Gabriel.

I hear that Kobe Bryant has been channeling his "inner Batista."

 

[Hunter Rider]

n response to several fan questions asking him to elaborate on the extent of his injury, WWE star Randy Orton posted the following on Twitter:

I'm getting alot of q's bout my back. What happened is I herniated a disc (leaked disc fluid) between my L4-L5 in my lower back. Had some strength loss in my left lower leg. Time off is to let the inflammation go down, and try and strengthen the muscles int lower back. The [Wade] Barrett barrage should have picked a steeper flight of stairs.
​

Officials wanted John Cena in the closing segment so there would be an "Indiana Jones-like" cliffhanger to end the show. The feeling was that the CM Punk segment wouldn't be exciting enough and Chris Jericho's return wouldn't be a good way to end the show.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Orton can use this time off to spend time with his daughter.

 

[Metallo]

Wow. That's the most sense Warrior has made in years. Unless the eight letter word crossed out is "rhomboid," in that case it's business as usual for him.

Hard to believe but I agree with him. What was the point of that HHH vs Nash feud again?

 

[NDX]

Hard to believe but I agree with him. What was the point of that HHH vs Nash feud again?

Too boost their own egos.

And wallets.

 

[Wheels]

Well at least WWE didn't focus on Nash vs Triple H too much. I mean it was essentially a mid-card feud after NOC.

 

[Metallo]

2011 Smackdown Average Rating

» Reported by Steve Gerweck of Wrestleview.com

» On January 4, 2012 at 1:09 pm

In 2011, Smackdown finished with a 1.95 cable rating average.

Looking back:

2010 - 1.81
2009 - 1.94
2008 - 2.33
2007 - 2.64
2006 - 2.46

click here for all 2011 wrestling TV ratings.


2011 TNA Impact Average Rating

» Reported by Steve Gerweck of Wrestleview.com

» On January 4, 2012 at 1:09 pm

In 2011, TNA Impact Wrestling finished with a 1.17 cable rating average.

Looking back:

2010 - 1.06
2009 - 1.14
2008 - 1.06
2007 - 1.04
2006 - 0.89

click here for all 2011 wrestling TV ratings.

Interesting. Smackdowns been up and down a few times but begin on Friday doesn't help them. Considering that they've done pretty well. The move from MNTV to SYFY really helped.

Impacts slowly but steadily gone up. Good news for them. But you can see blip in 2010 after Hogan joined. Not so good for him.

 

[DBryan]

TNA had a lot of momentum before they brought in Hogan and a lot of other changes that hurt the show. Like moving it to Mondays to directly compete with Raw.

It's like TNA took 2 steps back and is still trying to recover.

Who knows where TNA would be today if they didn't do that stuff.

 

[Dr. Evil]

So, if the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl again, will Aaron Rodgers drape a replica of the World Championship on his shoulder again?

 

[Benstamania]

...Indiana Jones like cliff hanger? Indiana Jones has balls... John Cena does not.

 

[Team Andino]

...Indiana Jones like cliff hanger? Indiana Jones has balls... John Cena does not.

The writing staff probably only ever saw Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls and never knew there were other better Indy flicks. Hence them setting the bar low for their awfully lame skit.

 

[Team Andino]

- One WWE source says there was never a problem between WWE and Chris Jericho for Jericho not being included in the WWE '12 video game. Jericho played it up online but the whole thing was part of trying to hide his return. From the start, WWE had planned for Jericho to be the one behind the cryptic videos from the beginning.

Partial source: PWInsider

Then why the hell is he not in the game as even DLC? Batista is in the freaking game for christ sake but Jericho isn't!