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

[Metallo]

And yet, when someone from the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball is involved in the WWE (like Shaq probably will be), none of those fans complain that much. However, if the WWE is involved in UFC or vice versa, UFC fans get upset.

If any UFC fighter shows up in the WWE, even if only sitting in the audience, UFC fans get upset. And yet I don't hear any anger from NFL fans when 20 players from their favorite NFL team are in attendance at WWE events.

Did any NFL fans get upset that Aaron Rodgers wore a replica of the WWE World Championship around his shoulder as he hoisted up the Lombardi Trophy last year? Probably not many. And yet if Chael Sonnen does it, UFC Fans will go in a freaking rage. Doesn't really make sense to me that UFC Fans get all upset that the UFC would even associate themselves with the WWE and yet when the NFL, Baseball or NBA does it, the fans in those sports (of which I happen to be a fan of all three, NFL most notably) could care less.

And I happen to be a UFC fan.

I think its the combat sport vs "fake" combat aspect of it that the hardcore MMA don't like when it comes to wrestling. The relationship between wrestling and boxing would be a more accurate comparison. I don't remember boxing fans taking huge offense when Ali, Tyson, or Mayweather got involved with WWE. I can't think of many instances where a wrestler went into boxing in some capacity and got criticized nearly as much as a wrestler getting involved with MMA.

I think it might have something to do with Wrestling and MMA having more in common on the surface than boxing and wrestling so more comparisons can be drawn.

 

[Microchip]

Speaking of MMA...

[YT]-x4VsWm_pwY[/YT]

Main part's right at the start. "Will you let Brock Lesnar go to the WWE?" "Yes, he can go."

 

[Dr. Evil]

Speaking of MMA...

[YT]-x4VsWm_pwY[/YT]

Main part's right at the start. "Will you let Brock Lesnar go to the WWE?" "Yes, he can go."

Dana was drunk.

 

[bullets]

Yeah but he could understand the interviewer's flubbed questions.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

And yet, when someone from the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball is involved in the WWE (like Shaq probably will be), none of those fans complain that much. However, if the WWE is involved in UFC or vice versa, UFC fans get upset.

If any UFC fighter shows up in the WWE, even if only sitting in the audience, UFC fans get upset. And yet I don't hear any anger from NFL fans when 20 players from their favorite NFL team are in attendance at WWE events.

Did any NFL fans get upset that Aaron Rodgers wore a replica of the WWE World Championship around his shoulder as he hoisted up the Lombardi Trophy last year? Probably not many. And yet if Chael Sonnen does it, UFC Fans will go in a freaking rage. Doesn't really make sense to me that UFC Fans get all upset that the UFC would even associate themselves with the WWE and yet when the NFL, Baseball or NBA does it, the fans in those sports (of which I happen to be a fan of all three, NFL most notably) could care less.

And I happen to be a UFC fan.

could be with the concepts of he sports ufc is a lot closer to wwe than the nfl or nba

so maybe the fans are worried about the stigma

 

[Pink Ranger]

I think its the combat sport vs "fake" combat aspect of it that the hardcore MMA don't like when it comes to wrestling. The relationship between wrestling and boxing would be a more accurate comparison. I don't remember boxing fans taking huge offense when Ali, Tyson, or Mayweather got involved with WWE. I can't think of many instances where a wrestler went into boxing in some capacity and got criticized nearly as much as a wrestler getting involved with MMA.

I think it might have something to do with Wrestling and MMA having more in common on the surface than boxing and wrestling so more comparisons can be drawn.

Also, boxing is more established than MMA, as are football, basketball, etc. MMA is a fairly young as an organized sport, and MMA fans still (usually unfairly) have to defend their patronage of the product, so when MMA gets unfavourably compared to WWE even now, I guess that's why MMA fans are particularly sensitive about the wrestling association.

I was at a dinner party a year ago, and I still had to convince about half the people at the table that MMA was a legit sport and wasn't pre-scripted like pro-wrestling is.

 

[Benstamania]

It's because MMA fans are closet "wrasslin'" fans. They'd never admit it but I'd bet you that they watch every Monday night.

 

[Benstamania]

Ratings are in...

- Last night's edition of WWE Monday Night Raw scored a 3.10 rating, which is up from the previous week, which scored a 2.93 rating. This was the first Raw that has broken a 3.0 since the end of November. While the ratings were up, the viewership was down from 4.46 million last week to 4.44 million this week. The first hour averaged 4.53 million viewers and the second hour declined to an average of 4.34 million viewers. This is 250,000 fewer viewers than the second hour did last week.

Raw was against the Fiesta Bowl game with Stanford vs. Oklahoma State, which did 13.86 million viewers. Also the History Channel did 6.5 million viewers f in the 10PM hour. Next week they will be head to head with the Alabama vs. LSU National Championship game. Raw ranked #4 in overall viewers in primetime, and #6 overall behind mid-day college football.

The program saw week-to-week increases in every demographic except males 12-17. The 12-17 demographic was the second lowest it has been in the last four months. Among males 18-49 & males 18-34, Raw scored its highest rating in six weeks.

Last year's Raw, which aired on January 3rd averaged 4.49 million viewers against the bowl game on ESPN, but last year the second hour improved from the first hour. Last year's first hour averaged 4.34 million viewers and the second hour averaged 4.66 million viewers.

Up from last week but the main event wasn't a draw... Shocker. Maybe if Vince pulls his head out of his ass and realizes that the show should be about the WWE Champion picture and NOT "What's John Cena doing this week" things would be a bit better.

But no matter WHO has the belt... Be it Punk, Miz, Del Rio, Ryder, Rhodes, Ziggler... The show is ALWAYS going to be about John Cena.

 

[Darkness Falls]

just saw the jr pic, jr looks so strange with a beard

 

[Metallo]

Ratings are in...



Up from last week but the main event wasn't a draw... Shocker. Maybe if Vince pulls his head out of his ass and realizes that the show should be about the WWE Champion picture and NOT "What's John Cena doing this week" things would be a bit better.

But no matter WHO has the belt... Be it Punk, Miz, Del Rio, Ryder, Rhodes, Ziggler... The show is ALWAYS going to be about John Cena.

Cena being front and center so much certainly doesn't help the prestige of the WWE title. And like someone else said earlier I've never cared for it when the champion comes out first. I know WHY its done (they let the most anticipated person come out last) but it does no favors to the importance of the title or the title holder either.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Ratings are in...



Up from last week but the main event wasn't a draw... Shocker. Maybe if Vince pulls his head out of his ass and realizes that the show should be about the WWE Champion picture and NOT "What's John Cena doing this week" things would be a bit better.

But no matter WHO has the belt... Be it Punk, Miz, Del Rio, Ryder, Rhodes, Ziggler... The show is ALWAYS going to be about John Cena.

It helps that there wasn't a Monday Night Football game on.

 

[Benstamania]

Cena being front and center so much certainly doesn't help the prestige of the WWE title. And like someone else said earlier I've never cared for it when the champion comes out first. I know WHY its done (they let the most anticipated person come out last) but it does no favors to the importance of the title or the title holder either.

Yup, I said that Monday night. I legit get angry when the champion comes out first... That's NOT how it's done!

 

[bullets]

I'm surprised how inconsistent they've been with that. WWE likes to get someone over by handing them a title but that method would be much more affective if they focused on making the championship more prestigious.

Also expect Cena to hog the spotlight all the way into Wrestlemania and even past that if Rock agrees to more matches.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

People need to watch in HD , it looks stunning. So much that it hurts my eyes after a while.

Sheamus in HD hurts my eyes. The dude is glowing.

 

[Darkness Falls]

I'm surprised how inconsistent they've been with that. WWE likes to get someone over by handing them a title but that method would be much more affective if they focused on making the championship more prestigious.

Also expect Cena to hog the spotlight all the way into Wrestlemania and even past that if Rock agrees to more matches.

biggest problem with the product atm
nothing against cena but NOTHING should be more important than the wwe championship, especially at the biggest ppv of the year

the only exception i can think of is wm 26 where hbk/taker II was the main event

 

[Specter313]

Ratings are in...



Up from last week but the main event wasn't a draw... Shocker. Maybe if Vince pulls his head out of his ass and realizes that the show should be about the WWE Champion picture and NOT "What's John Cena doing this week" things would be a bit better.

But no matter WHO has the belt... Be it Punk, Miz, Del Rio, Ryder, Rhodes, Ziggler... The show is ALWAYS going to be about John Cena.

At least they can't blame it on Punk now, since they had his stuff over and done with mid way.

 

[Dr. Evil]

just saw the jr pic, jr looks so strange with a beard

Michael Cole will blame it on anal bleeding.

 

[Slushy]

Main part's right at the start. "Will you let Brock Lesnar go to the WWE?" "Yes, he can go."

　

That's what I love about Dana White. A lot of MMA purists blame him for ruining the sport among other things, but the guy is so damn cool. It's hard sometimes to believe he's the President of UFC.

Now that Brock's retired, he doesn't have much to offer to White so its best to let him out of his contract.

Cena being front and center so much certainly doesn't help the prestige of the WWE title. And like someone else said earlier I've never cared for it when the champion comes out first. I know WHY its done (they let the most anticipated person come out last) but it does no favors to the importance of the title or the title holder either.

　
All the more reason to give the belt back to Cena especially now that we're getting closer to Wrestlemania. I don't expect him to be champion again until The Elimination Chamber though.

Sheamus in HD hurts my eyes. The dude is glowing.

That's nothing compared to Triple H with a fake tan. He was radiating the color orange!

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Watching the DVD version of Triple H vs. Undertaker at Mania 27. I kind of like the generic music they used to cover Metallica's "From Whom the Bell Tolls" during HHH's entrance.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I think Cena going on last was WWE testing things out to see if the ratings pattern would change, it didn't. Right now they are simply fishing around to see what works, personally I think they got a brief spike in the Cena/Kane angle and misread the level of interest, it would have worked much better if Kane has a mouthpiece and was simply the implement of destruction as Kane is too much of a b movie villain when he talks, this whole angle would work so much better with a Ministry of Darkness Taker.

As for giving Cena the belt, what a complete waste that would be going into Mania, making a match that doesn't need the belt a title match and screwing guys who need to be in a title match out of a chance to add some cred.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Watching Punk vs. Cena at Money In the Bank. Still get goosebumps watching this.

 

[Slushy]

As for giving Cena the belt, what a complete waste that would be going into Mania, making a match that doesn't need the belt a title match and screwing guys who need to be in a title match out of a chance to add some cred.

If Punk and Jericho aren't going on last, there's no point in them fighting for the belt. Bragging rights for who the best wrestler in the world is good enough and they don't need the title to put on a 5 star match.

 

[Metallo]

Watching the DVD version of Triple H vs. Undertaker at Mania 27. I kind of like the generic music they used to cover Metallica's "From Whom the Bell Tolls" during HHH's entrance.

They changed it? Damn. It was a great entrance.

Sheamus in HD hurts my eyes. The dude is glowing.

I'm surprised how inconsistent they've been with that. WWE likes to get someone over by handing them a title but that method would be much more affective if they focused on making the championship more prestigious.

Also expect Cena to hog the spotlight all the way into Wrestlemania and even past that if Rock agrees to more matches.

Guess all wrestling has fallen even deeper into that "the belt is a PROP" mentality. They don't think it needs to be important which is a shame. Its the simplest way to drive a great storyline. Saves time on coming up with some complex reasoning for a feud and its believable.

I think Cena going on last was WWE testing things out to see if the ratings pattern would change, it didn't. Right now they are simply fishing around to see what works, personally I think they got a brief spike in the Cena/Kane angle and misread the level of interest, it would have worked much better if Kane has a mouthpiece and was simply the implement of destruction as Kane is too much of a b movie villain when he talks, this whole angle would work so much better with a Ministry of Darkness Taker.

As for giving Cena the belt, what a complete waste that would be going into Mania, making a match that doesn't need the belt a title match and screwing guys who need to be in a title match out of a chance to add some cred.

Now that they see its not talent thats the problem maybe they'll give Punk and whoever he's working with more opportunities. Anybody with any common sense could have told them that its booking. Cenas the top guy and he's lead a steady ratings decline for half a decade. They need to make new stars to carry the load and focus on telling better stories inside and outside the ring.

Agreed on Cena as champ. If they put the belt on him that only makes him look inferior in my eyes. Like they don't have enough faith in the match as is. Rock vs Hogan didn't need a belt. If Cenas supposedly on these guys level he shouldn't need one either. Its a personal feud for respect and bragging rights. the WWE title would be an afterthought anyway and thats a terrible thing because the belt needs to be important after Rock vs Cena is long over.

Putting the title in another match will help the overall card draw better. two big drawing main event matches is better than one.

 

[Metallo]

If Punk and Jericho aren't going on last, there's no point in them fighting for the belt. Bragging rights for who the best wrestler in the world is good enough and they don't need the title to put on a 5 star match.

The WWE title DOES represent who is the best in the world. The champion is "the best." WWE has made that statement for decades. Various champions have said that holding the belt proves they are top dog. Makes perfect sense for them to fight for the title to prove who is number 1.

 

[E-Man]

It's because MMA fans are closet "wrasslin'" fans. They'd never admit it but I'd bet you that they watch every Monday night.

This is more true than people realize. A lot of MMA fans in America grew up as wrestling fans, got embarrassed by it, then moved on to MMA when it got big. A lot of them are idiots who so desperately want to be disassociated with wrestling, so Brock got tons of hate. Of course the Japanese MMA scene was basically founded by pro wrestling businesses, so it's only a case of elitists looking stupid yet again.

I'm surprised how inconsistent they've been with that. WWE likes to get someone over by handing them a title but that method would be much more affective if they focused on making the championship more prestigious.

Also expect Cena to hog the spotlight all the way into Wrestlemania and even past that if Rock agrees to more matches.

Yeah, they are putting the cart before the horse with some recent Money in the Bank winners. They put the belt on Swagger or Bryan and expect them to magically get over because of it, but they haven't built them nor the belt up in a long time. It also didn't help that both guys were booked like jobbers for a few months before winning the title.

It's one reason why I miss the King of the Ring pay per view so bad. That was perfect for highlighting up and coming guys and giving them something prestigious to shoot for. Even if they didn't win it could open up the door for some feuds between contestants.