WWE Discussion thread- Raw/SD/PPV

[CharlieHustle]

I usually gauge whether or not I should go back and watch Raw, based on the comments here. 2 months ago, there would be 3 pages of comments for every Raw.
I know I'm not missing anything, except the Rollins/Ambrose story, but I also know that WWE will replay the dickens out of it before their PPV match at HIAC and I'll be all caught up.
I hope there's a shakeup of some kind coming up soon. There's nothing that grabs my attention right now and as it stands, this may be the worst year of wrestling since 1995.

[mnvikingstwins]

So apparently Cena will face Lesnar at RR, because that really needs to happen again. Orton/Rollins should feud with Orton turning face. Rusev needs someone bigger like Cena to face, and Ambrose and Wyatt both need heels to face.

[GoldStandard000]

Originally Posted by CharlieHustle

I usually gauge whether or not I should go back and watch Raw, based on the comments here. 2 months ago, there would be 3 pages of comments for every Raw.
I know I'm not missing anything, except the Rollins/Ambrose story, but I also know that WWE will replay the dickens out of it before their PPV match at HIAC and I'll be all caught up.
I hope there's a shakeup of some kind coming up soon. There's nothing that grabs my attention right now and as it stands, this may be the worst year of wrestling since 1995.

I still prefer this year over 2013, 2011 and 2009. All those years had so so or bad Road to Wrestlemania's coincidentally. 2011 is a pretty dull year outside of the Summer of Punk. 2009 is one of the worst years ever! I'll take this years RAWs over the Guest Host RAWs in 2009. 2013 just wasn't that interesting outside of the Rock/Punk matches, Bryan's rise and Ziggler's rise/fall.

[Srt42004n]

Pretty sad when the best part of the show was when Orton took the table leg to the rib cage and cursed...then flipped out on the table.

[AceGambit3]

I feel like when Heyman was out there telling Cena & Orton that his client is the Reigning Defending Champion blah blah blah that one of them should have cut him off with an "Oh yeah..Defending? Then Where is he????"


Absolutely ridiculous, it's already bad enough they combined both Main Championships limiting the amount of main event type guys to challenge for it but then to not even have the Champ defend or bother showing up for 2 months is down right pathetic.
As mentioned before they made this huge spectacle of Daniel Bryan not being able to defend....Brock can but instead is just chillin'. Honestly though considering one of the last images we saw of Brock was him getting Curb Stomped by Rollins, you'd figure the WWE Champ would be gunnin' for the Authority and Rollins just as much as Cena & Ambrose...instead he hasn't been seen. Makes Brock look like a punk *****.

[celtics]

Originally Posted by GoldStandard000

I still prefer this year over 2013, 2011 and 2009. All those years had so so or bad Road to Wrestlemania's coincidentally. 2011 is a pretty dull year outside of the Summer of Punk. 2009 is one of the worst years ever! I'll take this years RAWs over the Guest Host RAWs in 2009. 2013 just wasn't that interesting outside of the Rock/Punk matches, Bryan's rise and Ziggler's rise/fall.

A year with CM Punk is better than a year without CM Punk. This year sucks!

[mikecamp99]

WWE has really screwed up with their "Superstars" and now it's starting to show. Focusing more on bringing back part time guys and having them become Champs or main-eventing PPVs and not focusing on their full-time talent, we're going to see the trainwreck results at this PPV.

This PPV offers nothing that would warrant people to pay to watch this on TV even if some of the matches will be in a cell. Orton v. Cena, we've seen this soooooooooo many times, and along with Rollins/Ambose we've seen them face off every week on Raw for the past month in the stupid 3 on 2 handicap matches.

And the rest of the matches? Yuck, what a bore those are: Miz v. Shemus? Gold/Stardust v. The Usos? Ziggler v. Cesaro? Big Show v. Rusev? Paige v. AJ Lee? Yawn. We've seen these matches for the past couple months, these matches present nothing new and build nobody at all.

[Namttip]

Originally Posted by mikecamp99

WWE has really screwed up with their "Superstars" and now it's starting to show. Focusing more on bringing back part time guys and having them become Champs or main-eventing PPVs and not focusing on their full-time talent, we're going to see the trainwreck results at this PPV.

This PPV offers nothing that would warrant people to pay to watch this on TV even if some of the matches will be in a cell. Orton v. Cena, we've seen this soooooooooo many times, and along with Rollins/Ambose we've seen them face off every week on Raw for the past month in the stupid 3 on 2 handicap matches.

And the rest of the matches? Yuck, what a bore those are: Miz v. Shemus? Gold/Stardust v. The Usos? Ziggler v. Cesaro? Big Show v. Rusev? Paige v. AJ Lee? Yawn. We've seen these matches for the past couple months, these matches present nothing new and build nobody at all.

Do you have the network? If so - then there is no reason for them to change what they do on the PPV with what they do on TV, since you have already bought it...

While at first I was stoked to have the WWE Network, I haven't missed it except a couple of times I was wanting to watch Legends of Wrestling. They say that it's the injury issue - but there's enough young and established talent out there to "fill" the gaps of they would allow someone to take a 3 month push. This probably won't happen...

The other sad thing - is there is no competitor at their level - they are 1A, everyone else is at a 3C level in terms of revenue and we all know revenue is king. WWE will always live off of their brand and keep it with crappy 3HR Raws and the 14 other TV shows they have on. Continually trying to branch out of their entertainment form factor with movies, reality TV, etc. There is so much content out there to be filled that C level content from the 1A company will always have a spot.

[BoxBreaker72]

Very good conversations going on here..

It really is shocking to go back and watch the product from 97-07 and compare it to 09-now. It's amazing how much the quality and product itself are down.

I know people say it's all about the ratings.. However the ratings are WAY down off the levels it had from 8-10 years ago. Why aren't they trying a new direction? Vince has always said he listens to the audience.. The audience has been saying for years we hate the PG corporate garbage. For the love of god, they have a guy in a bunny suit on the active roster.

The network is a failure, I have it and like it. However the edited PPV's and content are a huge turn off and a major reason I will not renew after WM. I am paying for the ORIGINAL broadcast, not some watered down trash.. There is also a TON of edited entrance music that sounds horrible and pathetic.

I keep on thinking it will get better, but we are going on 8 years of pretty bad wrestling in WWE.

Don't even get me started on the announce team.

[CharlieHustle]

Originally Posted by BoxBreaker72

Don't even get me started on the announce team.

Couldn't agree more. Even an average show gets dropped a peg or two because the announcing is dragging everything down. I can't even turn something on and play it in the background while I work on something else, because the constant bickering, giggling and cornball jokes are just too much. My ears are fatigued, whenever I watch something for more than 45 minutes and if I try to watch a 3 hr event...forget it. I feel like I'm physically drained and exhausted.
WWE has no idea how much their announce team is hurting the product right now. I know people will criticize the writing team first, but IMO, Jim Ross could sell the bunny. Jim Ross could sell the mini-gator, because he would mock it in the same way that he knows the fans are at home. Michael Cole trys to sell crappy angles like their hip and cool and about to go viral.

[GoldStandard000]

Originally Posted by BoxBreaker72

Very good conversations going on here..

It really is shocking to go back and watch the product from 97-07 and compare it to 09-now. It's amazing how much the quality and product itself are down.

I know people say it's all about the ratings.. However the ratings are WAY down off the levels it had from 8-10 years ago. Why aren't they trying a new direction? Vince has always said he listens to the audience.. The audience has been saying for years we hate the PG corporate garbage. For the love of god, they have a guy in a bunny suit on the active roster.

The network is a failure, I have it and like it. However the edited PPV's and content are a huge turn off and a major reason I will not renew after WM. I am paying for the ORIGINAL broadcast, not some watered down trash.. There is also a TON of edited entrance music that sounds horrible and pathetic.

I keep on thinking it will get better, but we are going on 8 years of pretty bad wrestling in WWE.

Don't even get me started on the announce team.

That stuff doesn't really bother me. $10 a month to watch NXT and get the PPV each month is worth it alone. I'll watch the old RAW's and Nitro's every now and then.

[mredsox89]

From what I read, a lot of the announce team crap is due to Vince/higher ups in their ear all show long.

That being said, it still doesn't excuse the crap that is spewed night in and night out

[CharlieHustle]

Originally Posted by mredsox89

From what I read, a lot of the announce team crap is due to Vince/higher ups in their ear all show long.

That being said, it still doesn't excuse the crap that is spewed night in and night out

From what I understand of the situation, the announce team isn't fed lines word for word. They're given direction and can say what they want as long as they hit all the key points. For example, when mini-gator comes out, the announce crew will get the direction of "really sell this gator, we want to get some laughs here". You can take that direction anyway you want. A good announcer could take that and make it tolerable. JBL takes that direction and says "It's just like Crocodile Dundee, except it's an alligator...it's alligator Dundee. Then you take that and make it smaller and it's like...mini-alligator Dundee. It's Puff The Magic Gator." The he and Cole go on for another minute arguing about why JBL is comparing a gator to a dragon, all the while JBL is (((shouting))) all of his commentary. Then Jerry Lawler chimes in and say, "I think I saw a show like this last week, it's called 'When Animals Go Wild'". [chuckle chuckle chuckle]. That 1:45 of commentary perfectly encapsulates EVERYTHING that is wrong with the WWE announce team.
Non-sense from JBL >>> bickering retort from Michael Cole >>> corny joke from Jerry Lawler.
Start over and repeat, for 3 hours.

The corny jokes from Lawler and the "aggressive cruelty" from JBL are done for Vince, they make him laugh.

[mikecamp99]

Originally Posted by Namttip

Do you have the network? If so - then there is no reason for them to change what they do on the PPV with what they do on TV, since you have already bought it...

While at first I was stoked to have the WWE Network, I haven't missed it except a couple of times I was wanting to watch Legends of Wrestling. They say that it's the injury issue - but there's enough young and established talent out there to "fill" the gaps of they would allow someone to take a 3 month push. This probably won't happen...

The other sad thing - is there is no competitor at their level - they are 1A, everyone else is at a 3C level in terms of revenue and we all know revenue is king. WWE will always live off of their brand and keep it with crappy 3HR Raws and the 14 other TV shows they have on. Continually trying to branch out of their entertainment form factor with movies, reality TV, etc. There is so much content out there to be filled that C level content from the 1A company will always have a spot.

I don't have the network, and everything WWE has done since they first launched the network hasn't made me want to buy it. I don't watch NXT, though from everything I ever read about it I think I would really enjoy it. Outside of that none of the WWE original shows or whatever they want to call them intrigue my. And if I want to watch old Raws or Nitros or PPV's, Youtube still has a ton of them that I go back and watch for free. I know $10.00 a month, oops I mean $9.99, isn't much but even for that amount what WWE is doing hasn't gotten me motivated to buy in.

Let me ask this, what happens when John Cena is gone? Cena is 37, I get he's still in great shape but we're really starting to see wrestling taking a toll on his body as he's been missing time more and more lately due to injuries. You know he will go The Rock route and most likely start making movie, so he will take even more time off to start filming. He maybe has another 3-5 good years at best, but once he's gone the WWE is going to lose a huge part of their demographic they're currently catering to. Sure the kids probably get a small laugh out of stupid crap like bunnies and gators, but the main reason their parents pay for tickets is to see Cena.

Let's be honest, these kids see Cena as Superman, Batman or any other superhero while his opponents are the villians. They are there to watch their superhero overcome and conquer. Roman Reigns maybe the next to take over as we've started seeing that huge babyface push, but there is no one right now I see in 5 years having that much influence on the company as John Cena has had, and I think it's really going to hurt the WWE that they didn't develope a lot of these other midcard type guys more to become top, Main Event types once Cena is gone.

[kl4life2]

It all went down when HBK retired... no link to the past and only part-time links coming back... so no character development outside of Cena being shoved down our throats. I think CM Punk saw this coming and was like... I'm out..

[ericarizona51]

Originally Posted by CharlieHustle

Jim Ross could sell the mini-gator, because he would mock it in the same way that he knows the fans are at home.

I do think you are correct, the best recent announce team they had are both out of the company now, Matt Striker and Josh Matthews, those guys were actually interesting and talked about the wrestling

[Namttip]

Originally Posted by mikecamp99

I don't have the network, and everything WWE has done since they first launched the network hasn't made me want to buy it. I don't watch NXT, though from everything I ever read about it I think I would really enjoy it. Outside of that none of the WWE original shows or whatever they want to call them intrigue my. And if I want to watch old Raws or Nitros or PPV's, Youtube still has a ton of them that I go back and watch for free. I know $10.00 a month, oops I mean $9.99, isn't much but even for that amount what WWE is doing hasn't gotten me motivated to buy in.

Let me ask this, what happens when John Cena is gone? Cena is 37, I get he's still in great shape but we're really starting to see wrestling taking a toll on his body as he's been missing time more and more lately due to injuries. You know he will go The Rock route and most likely start making movie, so he will take even more time off to start filming. He maybe has another 3-5 good years at best, but once he's gone the WWE is going to lose a huge part of their demographic they're currently catering to. Sure the kids probably get a small laugh out of stupid crap like bunnies and gators, but the main reason their parents pay for tickets is to see Cena.

Let's be honest, these kids see Cena as Superman, Batman or any other superhero while his opponents are the villians. They are there to watch their superhero overcome and conquer. Roman Reigns maybe the next to take over as we've started seeing that huge babyface push, but there is no one right now I see in 5 years having that much influence on the company as John Cena has had, and I think it's really going to hurt the WWE that they didn't develope a lot of these other midcard type guys more to become top, Main Event types once Cena is gone.

I didn't mean you specifically - but in general about the Network. It'll be interesting to see how everything plays out - because in 5 years the PPV model in general will obsolete and I thought the WWE was ahead of it's time for the network.

My opinion is if WWE had regions that people could get behind like "their" champion to have the "super bowl" or Wrestlemania once a year where it meant something to see Cena vs Orton. Trouble is they are making so much money with their model that all of that side stuff is making them money - plus their brand is so entrenched, when something thinks wrestling they think WWE.

Supposedly Cena has some deal with the producers or Pawn Stars - so he's already thinking about that. I think Meltzer or the boys up north were saying that. This will also be the first time in Cena's career that someone is being groomed for his position.

NXT will start to lose it's luster if they keep squashing or dropping the guys that are on there when they get moved up. Part of the allure is watching them when they were "new" - but if they keep repeating that they are going to move them up to squash them, people will quit caring.

[mnvikingstwins]

Bought lower bowl tickets to the Christmas Raw.

[BoxBreaker72]

Originally Posted by mnvikingstwins

Bought lower bowl tickets to the Christmas Raw.

Funny, just bought the same for the 12/15 raw.

[Ty Hope]

Found these in Japan for $1 apiece. 1998 Bandai set.

[Ty Hope]

And got this for $9

[mnvikingstwins]

Elimination chamber scratched. I'd build it around beat the clock for title stipulations or 1 contender matches and tournaments

[natbornkiller]

in the past 2 years or so ... since punks title run
how many ppv have the had without a title match ?
3 i can think of , or was it more ?

[spookytwinkie]

Originally Posted by Ty Hope

Found these in Japan for $1 apiece. 1998 Bandai set.

cool. i have a sting one. duno if its from the same set or not.

you can see it in my sting collection page.
www.facebook.com/StingCards

[mnvikingstwins]

What happened to Bellas changing last name if they lose?