The Wrestling Thread is a team player - - - Part 186

[JabarR]

I've been watching the Monday Night War series on the Network, and it's funny hearing about how they had to listen to the fans when WCW were beating them every week during their streak. You could tell how desperate they were when they were losing money every week to their big rival. Their backs were against the wall, so they delivered their best content ever. Flash forward to them after winning the war, and they've become as complacent as WCW did when they were on top. Maybe they are being pushed to that corner now by the fans who have been leaving the product, and we might see some of these guys like Ambrose and Bray Wyatt become huge stars after the WWE creatively rallies around them. As much as a product cynic I am I really like to think that's true, but they're more like WCW than they care to admit.

Next week on the Monday Night War..................................DIVAS GONE WILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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[Hunter Rider]

 

[Hunter Rider]

 

[PyroChamber]

Well, one thing's for sure; those are some hot pics.

Also, I find it interesting they talked about how WCW took some of WWE's top stars at the time yet it's never mentioned much when WWE did the same thing. Like when they got Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. They were some of WCW's top stars, but why was this not a big deal at that time?

 

[S. Grundy]

Well, one thing's for sure; those are some hot pics.

Also, I find it interesting they talked about how WCW took some of WWE's top stars at the time yet it's never mentioned much when WWE did the same thing. Like when they got Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. They were some of WCW's top stars, but why was this not a big deal at that time?

I think it's because those guys were genuinely frustrated with how they were being handled at WCW and left more for creative purposes than money.

 

[DarkSentinel]

I know who Malenko and Saturn, and who doesn't know Guerrero, but who's this Benoit character?

 

[PyroChamber]

I think it's because those guys were genuinely frustrated with how they were being handled at WCW and left more for creative purposes than money.

Makes sense, especially when the damn near everything in WCW involved the NWO in some capacity.

 

[Donnie Darko]

I remember it being a huge deal that guys like Jericho, Benoit, Guerrero, etc went over to WWF. The difference is that WCW took WWF's main eventers/"old guys" and used them as their main eventers instead of allowing the younger talent to move into those roles. WWF took these younger guys and allowed them, for the most part, to break through the glass ceiling and be the true stars of the show.

 

[the dmg]

All the money I was going to spend on Mania tickets this year all went to WK9.

If Roman Reigns is really gonna be the main event of Mania 31......#NOBUYS

You've already been to a WM before, when are you really ever going to get a chance to go to Japan to view a spectacle like that again?

 

[TheNextNolan22]

You've already been to a WM before, when are you really ever going to get a chance to go to Japan to view a spectacle like that again?

Good point. Plus, it's Jim Ross commentating and Okada/Tanahashi is main eventing...

 

[sweetre15]

With Harper, they need to be smart...Build up his rapport with audiences before giving him a belt. I'm really afraid they'll try to hinder his growth by slapping the IC belt on him immediately and expect it to legitimize him while it all falls flat.

This is what Vince did with Big E Langston and it didn't work alongside many others. Not to mention, Vince might let his love for size cloud his judgement.

 

[Pink Ranger]

With Harper, they need to be smart...Build up his rapport with audiences before giving him a belt. I'm really afraid they'll try to hinder his growth by slapping the IC belt on him immediately and expect it to legitimize him while it all falls flat.

I have a feeling they are going to do just that, not because of the well-thought-out reasons you mentioned, but because Harper is still kind of a gimmicky monster character, and the career pattern for those kind of wrestlers tend to follow a certain predictable pattern of not getting to hold belts right away.

 

[the dmg]

Good point. Plus, it's Jim Ross commentating and Okada/Tanahashi is main eventing...

Let me steal your skin for a few days so I can attend the event.

 

[NDX]

Harper does have the luxury of going one on one with SuperCena multiple times and holding his own. That is something they can use to build off of as well. Did better than his "savior" Wyatt did at times.

 

[sweetre15]

NWA champs that probably wouldn't have come off as prestigious in WWE due to different presentation types:

These guys no doubt had promo skills and charisma but if they would have started in WWF/E they probably would have been stuck in gimmicks and looks that would have made them seem "vanilla".

I somewhat wonder if Ziggler and Cody Rhodes should be presented in similar ways to break their glass ceilings. They have a lot of untapped potential on the mic and can get themselves over along with being great in the ring but need to be presented somewhat differently.

 

[chamber-music]

Alberto Del Rio gave an interview to Wrestling Talk Tv (which you can see on youtube) about his time in the WWE.

I can't post it hear because of the swearing but basically Working For WWE "Was Not Fun Anymore"

Del Rio also talked about the incident in which he was fired. Del Rio said he slapped Cody Barbierri who made the racist joke about him and the WWE management said they would suspend Del Rio without pay for three week s and then he would come back. Cody Barbierri threatened to sue the WWE so the WWE said went to Del rio and said they had to fire him.

 

[Slushy]

My favorite ADR matches:

Vs. Bryan - RAW November 2010

Vs. Edge - Wrestlemania XXVII

Vs. Mysterio - RAW after SummerSlam 2011

Vs. Punk - Survivor Series 2011

Vs. Sheamus - Money In The Bank 2012

Vs. Jericho - Smackdown August 2012

Vs. Orton - Hell In The Cell 2012

Vs. Show - Smackdown January 2013 (Last Man Standing)

Vs. Zigger - Payback 2013

Vs. Cage - SummerSlam 2013 (I really enjoyed their Ladder Match at Extreme Rules 2011 also)

Honorable mention: Vs. Cena - Survivor Series 2013 (John sold the arm like a champ)

I'm proud of the fact I'm one of those fans who stuck with a guy since day one and didn't turn on him or become a bandwagoner sometime later. Despite not being entertaining, he was a great worker and enjoyed what he produced in the ring. Shame WWE didn't run with him as a babyface longer instead of creative dropping the ball again with the double turn that winded up fu**ing over both guys.

If Roman Reigns is really gonna be the main event of Mania 31......#NOBUYS

You could always watch the show then skip out on the main event. Usually, the undercard's better anyway, lol.

These guys no doubt had promo skills and charisma but if they would have started in WWF/E they probably would have been stuck in gimmicks and looks that would have made them seem "vanilla".

Bockwinkel's one of those guys I missed out on and had to go back in video time and watch his work. He was a magnificent bastard and in a league of his own as the best damn AWA Champion there ever was!

 

[sweetre15]

Alberto Del Rio should have been brought in as a masked wrestler...plain and simple...

Mask = Merchandise sales

And he was already a top draw in CMLL as Dos Caras jr. So why not?

I was never his fan and I hated that WWE tried to TELL US he's a main eventer instead of letting the fans get behind him or not and decide it for ourselves. It also didn't help that he was used in the burial attempts of Punk and Ziggler.

 

[sweetre15]

WRESTLEMANIA 30 GENERATES RECORD $142 MILLION FOR NEW ORLEANS REGION

STAMFORD, Conn. — WWE and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced today that WrestleMania 30 generated a record-breaking $142.2 million in economic impact for the New Orleans region this past April, according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation. This marks the third consecutive year that WrestleMania generated more than $100 million in economic impact for its host city.

Over the past seven years, WrestleMania has generated more than a half-billion dollars in cumulative economic impact for the cities that have hosted the event. WrestleMania 30 also generated approximately $24.3 million in federal, state and local taxes.

“On behalf of New Orleans, we thank all WWE fans that came from around the world to experience all that our beautiful city has to offer,” Landrieu said. “The week-long series of events helped generate a record-breaking boost to our economy, and we look forward to the possibility of New Orleans hosting a future WrestleMania.”

“We are thrilled that our historic milestone celebration delivered a record economic windfall for New Orleans,” said John P. Saboor, executive vice president of special events for WWE. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to Mayor Landrieu, the New Orleans Saints, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and so many other public and private sector partners from throughout the community that created an enormous welcome and experience for WWE’s worldwide fan base. We now turn our attention to the journey ahead in Silicon Valley and the entire Bay Area for WrestleMania 31.”

A capacity crowd of 75,167 fans from all 50 states and 36 countries attended WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza this past April, making it the highest-grossing entertainment event at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Key highlights from the study include:

* $142.2 million in direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by visitors to New Orleans for WrestleMania 30.
* 79 percent of fans that attended WrestleMania were from outside the greater New Orleans region and stayed an average of 3.7 nights.
* $22.5 million was spent on hotels and accommodations within the New Orleans region.
* The economic impact derived from WrestleMania Week was equal to the creation of 1,662 full-time jobs for the area.

* $10.7 million was spent by visitors to New Orleans at area restaurants.
Next year, WrestleMania 31 will take place Sunday, March 29 at Levi’s® Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, Nov. 15, at 12 noon ET/9 a.m. PT. The event will be broadcast on WWE Network and pay-per-view in more than 170 countries.


http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/wrestlemania-30-generates-record-sales-press-release

 

[TheNextNolan22]

Let me steal your skin for a few days so I can attend the event.

I'm seating at Gate 21, 18 A. So I'm pretty close to the action.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

AJ Styles on Jim Ross commentating WK9.
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They're really putting over the importance of having Jim Ross getting the NJPW product over to American audiences.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Seriously, in this zillion channel universe, I hope GFW can get a decent broadcast deal somehow. If anything else, to put TNA out of its misery and maybe plant the seeds of a legit competitor to WWE.

 

[sweetre15]

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter


While Hulk Hogan may be training for an in-ring return at WrestleMania 31, the decision will largely depend on whether or not Hogan can pass a physical. This applies to everyone over the age of around 45 that is under consideration for the big event, including Sting.

WWE has had strict physicals for older talents ever since Jerry Lawler's heart attack on RAW, which is why Hogan's physical activity has been very limited so far.


Regarding Rey Mysterio's backstage meeting with Triple H and Vince McMahon at the November 3rd RAW in Buffalo, nothing definitive came out of it other than Vince wanting Rey back in a WWE ring.

While it appears Triple H may be running things within WWE these days, it was apparently made clear at the meeting that this was a Vince meeting and that Vince is running the show.

There's a belief within WWE that a compromise will be reached and Rey will be back soon, working regularly between now and WrestleMania 31. Rey's current contract is scheduled to expire in late April.

WWE officials reportedly have asked Rey to work more dates than most think he should. We've noted how Rey is not interested in a return.

 

[E-Man]

Seriously, in this zillion channel universe, I hope GFW can get a decent broadcast deal somehow. If anything else, to put TNA out of its misery and maybe plant the seeds of a legit competitor to WWE.

The fact that they are going to have working relationships with global companies may be what a WWE competitor needs. Sure TNA had the money and talent to be a good alternative, but LOLTNA is basically the story there. Maybe they can have sort of a new territory type thing where they "borrow" talent from other countries, have them in feuds with the mainstays, then let them go back to New Japan or wherever while some GFW talent that went abroad comes back. If they get a decent tv deal they could really become a solid enough competitor that gives a lot of frustrated WWE fans something else to watch if they want to satiate their wrestling desire.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

Road to the Tokyo Dome - #WK9 Sunday Jan 4: Alex Shelley 'Jim Ross is bringing a sense of history.'
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