December Wrasslin |OT| Shaking Hands, Jerking Knees, Eating Mistletoe, Feeling Energy

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The trend of the 2nd hour being lower than the first has been going on for a few months now. That is the TNA pattern, but it's weird for Raw as the top of the hour and overrun segments should boost the 2nd hour way above the first. Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez were trying to figure out what was causing this pattern on a recent Observer radio and Dave couldn't think of anything and Bryan said Cole, but Cole has been doing his annoying shit for over 3 months although it has been much worse these last few months than before. The only other thing that happened is they screwed up the Punk angle back then, but people are still tuning in to the first quarter and then leaving the show.

Last week i turned off RAW when booker T said "In a rap off"

I'm rarely one to switch the channel on something I'm watching (outside of commercials), but this was it. I didn't turn RAW on again.
 
Originally Posted by GaimeGuy: View Post
Last week i turned off RAW when booker T said "In a rap off"

I'm rarely one to switch the channel on something I'm watching (outside of commercials), but this was it. I didn't turn RAW on again.
Racist.


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I just wanted to avatar quote you for the longest time.
 
Another thing I noticed from watching these omg moments vids is how good Shelton Benjamin was. I've never seen someone jump as high and far out of the ring like that guy, so damn athletic. Why did they FE him last year (I read his wiki)?

Kurt angle and shelton were both like that. Probably the most athletic guys in WWE history.


I remember kurt angle doing a top rope angle slam to the big show once, but i can't find the video.

Shelton was future endeavored because he had no mic skills. :/
 
Pretty interesting video from Vin Gerard that's really klicking up his outsider angle just in time for season 11 of CHIKARA. I can't wait for the the Gerard vs Kingston fued for the Grand Championship that will result from this.

http://youtu.be/Fl0mwgb4VTU

Hah, nice - I saw the videos of Gerard talking shit to fans about CHIKARA & Kingston outside of various ECW Arena shows a few weeks ago, but was unsure whether it was a work or not, as he seemed pretty strung out/high.
 
Hah, nice - I saw the videos of Gerard talking shit to fans about CHIKARA & Kingston outside of various ECW Arena shows a few weeks ago, but was unsure whether it was a work or not, as he seemed pretty strung out/high.

Those videos were pretty awesome. He did a really good job with that stuff. Vin has always been a pretty good promo. Here they are for those who missed them.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
 
Definitely. I mean, looking at the matches on the card you've got a main event rivalry between tag partners that has been brewing for well over a year, a tag team feud that's been building since February, the Steen/Corino thing which is in it's second year and the TV title feud that has been going for the past six months. It's refreshing to see a company take such a long term approach to booking, and the fact that everything in the company has been focused over the past 3 months towards this one PPV really helps sell it as an event, rather than just another show.

Agreed. Really nice to be going into a PPV and have 4 different long term feuds I care about and can't predict move for move what's going to happen. On top of that, the other 4 matches on the card have the potential to range from good, to REALLY good as well. Dis gun be good.
 
Another Wrestlegaffer has has been suspended. Rumor is he and kyoufu posted about spice in the Spike Video Game awards thread but only Kyoufu was suspended right away because Ubertag was already booked to be in the main event of TLC and creative didn't want to change it.
 
Haha, man. Universe Mode in WWE '12 is so weird. So I win the Rumble, win the WWE Title at Mania, then for some reason get thrown into a feud with Christian. Who just happens to be WHC. So both shows champs are feuding for seemingly no reason. Then Elimination Chamber comes around, Christian loses his title to Kane, and I lose mine to Cena (just like a real Cena match, too. I go for my SSP finisher, Cena gets the knees up, hits me with an AA, wins). Then at the next Raw, Christian and I have ANOTHER match. Despite the fact that we both just lost our titles and shit. So yeah, I don't know. Shit's crazy. :lol
 
Another Wrestlegaffer has has been suspended. Rumor is he and kyoufu posted about spice in the Spike Video Game awards thread but only Kyoufu was suspended right away because Ubertag was already booked to be in the main event of TLC and creative didn't want to change it.
Noooooooooooooooooooo
 
So, how long before Truth returns? Think they'll hold off until the Rumble and have him eliminate Miz or just bring him right back and set up a match between the two at the Rumble?
 
Another Wrestlegaffer has has been suspended. Rumor is he and kyoufu posted about spice in the Spike Video Game awards thread but only Kyoufu was suspended right away because Ubertag was already booked to be in the main event of TLC and creative didn't want to change it.

How long is Ubertag's ban? I think it might be a long one
 
Haha, man. Universe Mode in WWE '12 is so weird. So I win the Rumble, win the WWE Title at Mania, then for some reason get thrown into a feud with Christian. Who just happens to be WHC. So both shows champs are feuding for seemingly no reason. Then Elimination Chamber comes around, Christian loses his title to Kane, and I lose mine to Cena (just like a real Cena match, too. I go for my SSP finisher, Cena gets the knees up, hits me with an AA, wins). Then at the next Raw, Christian and I have ANOTHER match. Despite the fact that we both just lost our titles and shit. So yeah, I don't know. Shit's crazy. :lol

Lmao, yeah it is pretty weird. Brock Lesnar keeps showing up on RAW for me even though he's on Smackdown. I changed RAW to Nitro, though! Love the customization. Still waiting for my CAW to be consistently on SmackDown, I'm jobbing on Superstars :(
 
Another Wrestlegaffer has has been suspended. Rumor is he and kyoufu posted about spice in the Spike Video Game awards thread but only Kyoufu was suspended right away because Ubertag was already booked to be in the main event of TLC and creative didn't want to change it.

Awww fucking weak. Gaming side claims another one. Got Damn gaming side.


Aw Uber why'd you have to spoil some stupid game?
 
Another Wrestlegaffer has has been suspended. Rumor is he and kyoufu posted about spice in the Spike Video Game awards thread but only Kyoufu was suspended right away because Ubertag was already booked to be in the main event of TLC and creative didn't want to change it.

Spoiling a game? smh @ Uber, he should know better. Hope it's not a long ban.
 
Raw segment-by-segment ratings from the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:


The show opened at a strong 3.36 rating so there was the bump at the top that you would expect for the show after a PPV. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett fell 721,000 viewers. Beth Phoenix vs. Alicia Fox 277,000 viewers so it was a rare women’s match that did well. Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal lost 247,000 viewers. The John Cena promo which also included Mark Henry and Kane gained 428,000 viewers and did a 3.18 quarter. The gain is about normal for that time slot. Primo & Epico vs. Usos and Santino Marella vs. Cody Rhodes lost 719,000 viewers. Backstage segments with the Bella Twins and John Laurinaitis, Hornswoggle kissing Vickie Guerrero and a Show interview lost 56,000 viewers.

The big story here was the main event. The overrun for the C.M. Punk & Zack Ryder & Daniel Bryan vs. Alberto Del Rio & The Miz & Dolph Ziggler match gained 59,000 viewers. That’s almost impossible given people tune in to see the following show, which basically meant wrestling fans must have been tuning out in droves (they were during the first half of the match but then started gaining at 11 p.m., but hardly gained anything). The main event did a 2.67 rating (2.55 for the first half of the match) which had to be, probably by far, the lowest rated main event on Raw of this year and maybe the lowest since 1997 for a non-holiday show in the regular time slot.


:(
 
that's so Stupid.

Lowest rated main event..more than The Miz vs. John Cena...more than John Cena versus some other shmuck..
 
Much like Leno leading into Conan, most of the bleedout happened even before the main event.

I noticed that Cena couldn't even recover the viewers Orton lost. But I'm not sure how useful viewer loss by match is when Alicia Fox vs Beth lost 277,000 and the match lasted like 10 seconds. It looks like (overall) they just had a constant gaping bleed rate going on.
 
NoRéN;33668344 said:
People wanted change. They got it but forgot to tune in.


Or maybe, just maybe, Cena does draw in the fans.

That or they wanted champions that look like they could actually beat somebody up and got the indy trio of small guys.
 
Raw segment-by-segment ratings from the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:


Promotions having this sort of information really hurts wrestling, Mike Foley was on the LAW and talk about how TNA did market research that should their viewers wanted Entrances and Brawls.
 
Not long until SD rates higher than Raw. And it will be glorious.

It's kind of hard to remember at one point that SD was doing so much better than Raw that Vince was actually going to replace Raw.

Then Smackdown became taped and put into the Friday night deathslot and it was turned into the B show. I have no idea why they won't move it back out of that slot, you'd think SyFy wouldn't care.
 
The annoying thing is Vince will probably jump the gun as usual and declare this as "definitive proof" that Bryan, Punk or Ryder can't draw and that they need to get the belt on Cena as quickly as possible.
 
I honestly think people enjoy watching the stars from the Attitude Era on TV more than even CM Punk (especially more than Bryan and the Woo Woo Woo guy). I have to admit I enjoy watching Kane and Triple H more than most or all the new stars, though I am a casual fan (or at least I think so), even someone like Randy Orton is too new school for me (much prefer Punk over him though).
I still do not like Punk as much now since they neutered him. He will become just another Cena if things continue like this, like a bratty Cena.

EDIT: The main problem is the toned down nature of the program, there is no room for the wrestlers to let their natural charisma flow. Things often appears forced, especially in what they say (usually the faces). Probably Ziggler is the best currently in terms of how things sound natural coming out of him, even Punk I must say is cheesy at times.
 
Not surprising at all, I probably would have watched RAW this week if I knew what was going on, however I stopped watching the WWE since HHH attempted to steal Punk's thunder. I wouldn't be shocked if it's a matter of them trying to appeal to a market that they've already lost. If they made a push for better wrestlers when Punk had (mainstream) channels to speak through outside of the WWE then I'm sure that it would have yielded better results. As it is they can't expect people to be aware of what happened at a PPV they didn't give a shit about and tune in the following night to a show they no longer watch because of those results.
 
NoRéN;33668344 said:
People wanted change. They got it but forgot to tune in.


Or maybe, just maybe, Cena does draw in the fans.

Change isn't booking new people strong for a week. If they gave new people Orton, Cena or HHH levels of push maybe they will get somewhere.
 
The annoying thing is Vince will probably jump the gun as usual and declare this as "definitive proof" that Bryan, Punk or Ryder can't draw and that they need to get the belt on Cena as quickly as possible.

Yeah, probably. :| That annoys the piss out of me.

Smackdown Spoiler:
Though D.Brine is in the main event, so if Smackdown ratings aren't shit... it might be a good sign


Is there going to be a Raw next week??
 
NoRéN;33668344 said:
People wanted change. They got it but forgot to tune in.


Or maybe, just maybe, Cena does draw in the fans.


It's not even that. It's more of the product being such poor quality be it through shit booking, illogical continuity, or poor commentary (they don't give a shit about the talent to put them over as legit guys) for SO LONG, it will take a lot of consistently good shows for people to invest their time into it again. I want to say that they have to re-train their audience, but given that they have week to week booking instead of letting things ride out for months or over the course of a year, that won't happen.
 
Apparently Shaq is talking to WWE to wrestle Big Show at Wrestlemania 28. I actually wouldn't mind seeing this. Shaq is retired so the NBA won't limit what he can do and he could probably work a full match with someone like Big Show. It at least has a chance to be the best celebrity involvement since Floyd Mayweather.
 
From the latest issue of the Observer:


Regarding Chris Hero, this is an update from last week. No matter what may happen over the next few weeks regarding indie shows he may appear in the interim and what has been reported, Hero is still on the WWE’s radar. He has a medical testing issue that has to be cleared up. WWE has not passed on him and he’s going to have more tests done in January and if things go as expected, he will be signed. The last round of tests were in September.
 
On Friday, 23rd of December at 7:30PM EST, 12:30AM GMT, Ring of Honor presents 'Final Battle 2011' live worldwide via iPPV;

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Inside ROH: FINAL BATTLE COUNTDOWN
ROH Video Wire - 12/16/11

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Tommaso Ciampa has had a hell of a year as 'The Crown Jewel' of Prince Nana's Embassy. Since joining ROH his 'Project Ciampa' finisher, where he delivers a powerbomb to his opponent across his own knees, has led him to an undefeated streak against some of ROH's best competitors. But now, at Final Battle 2011, he will face his toughest test yet, and the one man who knows all of The Embassy's tricks and tactics; Jimmy Rave, the former 'Crown Jewel' of Nana's Embassy. Rave is a long time ROH veteran, starting out with the company way back in 2003, but his ROH career ended in 2009 after a bloody dog-collar match against The Necro Butcher. Now, more mature and more focussed than ever, Rave seeks redemption in the company where he made his name, but Ciampa's aggression and Nana's manipulations will not be easy obstacles to overcome.

Jimmy Rave on his return to ROH

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Another man who has had a fantastic 2011 is 'The House of Truth' member 'Unbreakable' Michael Elgin, who made an immediate impact in late 2010 by joining with Truth Martini and his House of Truth faction. Elgin's impressive size and unmatchable strength make him one of the toughest competitors in ROH, and with Truth Martini at his side he's gone on to defeat some of ROH's best wrestlers and in turn win the annual 'Survival of the Fittest' tournament, earning himself a future title shot. But while Elgin looks to keep his momentum going, he faces a tough test in TJ Perkins, a versatile and exciting young wrestler who has wrestled the world over against some of wrestling's very best and is now looking to make a name for himself in ROH.

An Interview With TJ Perkins

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Ring of Honor prides itself on having one of the, if not the most, varied tag team division in wrestling, and the Tag Team Gauntlet match is sure to provide all the innovative, fast-paced, high-flying tag team action that has been a staple of ROH since the very first show back in 2002. The winner's of the Gauntlet will earn a future title shot at the World Tag Champs, so everything is on the line in this match. But timing is everything, if drawn first a tag team would have to defeat four others to earn that title shot, and the competition is no push-over.

First, we have Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander, The C&C Wrestle Factory, a young and energetic tag team looking to make their mark in ROH.

Next, The Bravado Brothers. These two graduates of the ROH Wrestling School have made a name for themselves with their insufferable attitudes, but while rather inexperienced they have proven themselves against some of ROH's very best teams.

Thirdly, Future Shock of Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly are two rising stars of ROH. O'Reilly is a student and training partner of Davey Richards and as such employs an MMA influenced, hard-hitting technical wrestling style, while Adam Cole is a gifted high flyer from the ranks of CZW's training academy. Together they form one of the most impressive young tag teams in ROH competition.

Meanwhile, The Young Bucks need little introduction. Already one of the premier young tag teams in wrestling, The Bucks have a cocky, over-confidant attitude backed up by their impressive and innovative wrestling style and a host of titles to their name.

And finally, The All-Night Express, Kenny King & Rhett Titus, a definite fan favourite in ROH, The ANX learned from one of the very best in wrestling, A Double Austin Aries, and have put his lessons to good use as they spent 2011 embroiled in a bitter and bloody war with the Briscoe Brothers. All five teams will be looking to pull out the win in this match, but in a match where anything could happen it all comes down to the skill and team-work of the competitors and the luck of the draw.

An Interview with The Young Bucks

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Roderick Strong, former ROH World Heavyweight Champion, has a big chip on his shoulder. While the Final Battle spotlight remains firmly on Richards vs Edwards III, Strong feels that he should always be the focus and was upset and being denied a title shot on ROH's biggest show of the year. So Roderick looks to steal the spotlight from the World Heavyweight Title match with his 'Roderick Strong Invitational Challenge'. So far Strong has had a number of applicants, but claims that none of them are worthy of wrestling him at Final Battle, so it seems we'll have to wait until the night to discover who Strong's opponent may be, but whoever shows up will face a tough test against the self-proclaimed 'Messiah of the Backbreaker' and former ROH World Champ.

Inside ROH: The Roderick Strong Invitational Challenge

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Just over two years ago, Kevin Steen turned on his former friend and tag team partner, El Generico, and wrapped a steel chair around his head. What followed during 2010 was one of the most bloody and hate-fuelled feuds Ring of Honor has ever seen, culminating in an insane Fight Without Honor at Final Battle 2010 that saw Generico defeat his former tag team partner and Steen banished from ROH for good. The man behind the monster, however, was Steve Corino, who throughout the feud urged Steen into new realms of sadistic madness that made ROH Management want rid of Steen for good. Fast forward to 2011 and Steve Corino, feeling guilty at ruining the career of a young wrestler through his manipulations, sought redemption. With Jimmy Jacobs as his sponsor, he aimed to prove to ROH that he had changed and was once again ready to compete. However, at Best in the World 2011 Steve Corino looked to bring Kevin Steen that same redemption and repair his damaged career with ROH. Things couldn't have gone more awry, as Steen turned on Corino & Jacobs, beat up ring officials, tried to Package Piledriver ROH Founder Cary Silken and loudly proclaimed "FUCK ROH!" before being dragged from the building. But that wasn't the last we'd see of Kevin Steen, who repeatedly returned to ROH events, provoking wrestlers and officials until he got what he wanted; a match with Steve Corino at Final Battle. If Steen loses, he loses any chance of returning to ROH, but if he wins ROH has no choice but to accept him back into the fold and if that should happen, Steen has promised to turn the company upside down and make life a living hell for Ring of Honor.

Steen vs Corino: An interview with Kevin Steen

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Jay Lethal made a triumphant return to ROH, the promotion where he first started his career, at Best in the World 2011 and soon after had captured the ROH World TV Title from El Generico. And while he has since made a number of successful defences, most have been via time limit draws against one of two men; former champion El Generico, and rising star 'The Prodigy' Mike Bennett who has made it his mission to become the face of ROH TV. At Final Battle, Bennett, with girlfried Maria Kanellis at ringside, will attempt to do just that, but will have his work cut out for him against the likes of El Generico, one of the most gifted high-flyers in wrestling today, and the current ROH World TV champion Jay Lethal who will be out to prove that, with the stakes raised, he can get the job done once and for all in this 3-way match.

Inside ROH: A look at the 3-Way feud for the ROH World TV Title
Prodigy Service Announcement: Mike Bennett on the TV Title match at Final Battle

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Former WWE Superstars Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin, collectively known as 'Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team', made an immediate impact upon joing Ring of Honor by dethroning The King's of Wrestling back in April at 'Honor takes Center Stage: Chapter 1'. Since then they've built up an impressive run of defences as ROH World Tag Team Champions, but out of all the teams they have faced there is just one that has managed to provoke the wrath of Charlie & Shelton, 'Dem Boys' Mark & Jay, The Briscoe Brothers. After assaulting Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team following a gruelling Tag Title Elimination match at 'Best in the World 2011', The Briscoes have done everything in their power to gain a Tag Title shot and reclaim the belts they see as their property. But Mark & Jay may have bitten off more than can chew, as after a vicious attack on Shelton Benjamin a few weeks ago on ROH TV, which left Shelton with a cracked rib, Haas & Benjamin are fired up like never before and at Final Battle 2011 are out for revenge against The Briscoe Brothers.

Final words from Haas & Benjamin before Final Battle
10 Questions with 'Dem Boys' The Briscoe Brothers

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Back in March at 'Manhattan Mayhem IV' Eddie Edwards shocked the wrestling world by defeating Roderick Strong to win the ROH World Heavyweight Title. No longer was Edwards in the shadow of his American Wolf tag team partner Davey Richards, who just three months before had failed to beat Strong for the title at 'Final Battle 2010', but no one was more pleased for Eddie than Richards himself, who was the first to congratulate the young champion on his historic victory. However, while Davey was content to let Eddie have his time in the spotlight, Edwards himself felt that he needed to prove himself against Richards to be considered a true champion, and at 'Best in the World 2011' Edwards lost the title to Richards in a brutal bout and definite match of the year contender. Inevitably, tensions began to rise between the two former tag partners. Miscommunication and misunderstandings led to bruised egos and betrayed trust when Edwards went behind Davey's back to train with MMA legend Dan 'The Beast' Severn, who will be in Edward's corner at Final Battle. While Davey and Eddie each hold a victory over each other (Edwards previously beat Richards in 2010 in the final of the ROH TV Title Tournament which crowned Edwards as the first ROH TV Champion), both encounters saw them leave and enter the ring as friends and training partners who knew the in's and out's of each other's styles, but at Final Battle 2011 the ROH World Heavyweight Champion Davey Richards will face an Eddie Edwards he's not at all familiar with, one under the tutelage of UFC Legend Dan Severn and with an arsenal of new moves and counters added to his repertoire and one who will do all it takes to reclaim his title. Richards vs Edwards II was a definite match of the year contender, so Richards vs Edwards III will have a lot to live up to, but chances are it'll be THE one main event you don't want to miss this year.

Richards vs Edwards III: An Interview with Eddie Edwards
Inside ROH: Edwards & Severn with words for Davey Richards
Inside ROH: Richards on his Final Battle match

 
Personally, I flipped to Raw on Monday around the time of the main event, heard Michael Cole burying the champs and changed the channel. Who knows what effect his commentary has on a large scale, but that's one of the things that makes the program unwatchable for me.
 
WWE QUIETLY HAS TV TAPING IN FLORIDA: WHY AND WHO WAS INVOLVED
by Mike Johnson @ 8:44 AM on 12/21/2011

This flew under the radar, but on Wednesday 12/7 WWE held a TV Taping at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida utilizing mostly developmental talents. I was told that the company utilized the talent to film different pilot ideas that could be used for the Network. One was a traditional one hour show about the developmental program (they filmed two episodes) and one was a shorter 30 minute show that would focus on one specific match or rivalry.

Triple H and John Laurinaitis were both in attendance at the taping, which was free to students of the University. They utilized the FCW ring and set, as well as a screen to play video packages. I was told that one reason the University was used was as a test for running additional tapings there to give a grander look to the FCW product on screen, but also as a test run for doing a more potentially "intimate" WWE show for the Network. The footage shot was for internal use and likely won't make the light of day, even if the series concepts are picked up for the network.
*Sheamus & Daniel Bryan defeated Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre when Sheamus nailed McIntyre with the Brogue Kick.
Had to opportunity to call a fantastic match Wednesday at Full Sail University between Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre vs Sheamus/Daniel Bryan. Not sure if it ever airs on TV, unlikely actually, but those four tore it up in a very unique and intriging environment. They wrestled approximately 20 minutes and rocked the place. Better than many TV main events and PPV bouts that I've seen.
http://www.jrsbarbq.com/blog/jr-flo...l-slammies-order-jrs-products-today-wweshopco



Put McIntyre back on TV!
 
Personally, I flipped to Raw on Monday around the time of the main event, heard Michael Cole burying the champs and changed the channel. Who knows what effect his commentary has on a large scale, but that's one of the things that makes the program unwatchable for me.

How I wish that WWE decides to have a random focus group and finds out the reason people are tuning out in droves is because of Cole's commentary.
 
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