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February Wrasslin' |OT| WrassleGAF. In 2016.

jmdajr

Member
Any news today?

also.

You'll love this new show.

Cena-American Grit

CUiddbWXIAEMYNU.jpg
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Does a face authority figure actually work though? The dynamic seems off: if the person or group in charge are good guys, then the faces have the greatest power in the company on their side, and it turns the heels into underdogs. A face authority figure putting the heel in a match to give them comeuppance just seems like a heel thing to do.

The few times I remember seeing it on WWE TV, I remember thinking it was an awful idea -- regardless of execution.

How could this be made to work? Honest question, not rhetorical.

They work just fine as long as they're super eccentric, aka bring back Jolly Kane as Director of Operations
 

cdViking

Member
I got bored at work yesterday and scoured SEC filings/analyst reports re: the WWE. Interesting to see the transition from PPV revenue to network subscription revenue, and how after a rough year-long transition, the operating model change (PPV to Network) has been a resounding success.

This is a huge win for hardcore wrestling fans. The more revenue the WWE can pull in from hardcore fans who subscribe to the Network, the more the product (whether it be main brand, NXT, or this new "lightweight" show that's been discussed) will look like what those subscribers want it to look like. It won't fix overscripting and terrible writing, but at least we can get some good matches in.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
The only thing an authority figure, face and heel, really needs, is an actual motivation that's consistent.
William Regal has the motivation of wanting a clean wrestling show that runs smoothly and fairly. Thus he gives fair opportunities to faces and heels both, if they've earned them, and people who haven't earned anything get the chance to do so. So he's a face because he's upstanding and honest.
Dario Cueto wants to make money, and he does this by promoting matches and shows that fans will pay for. So he gives faces and heels alike the opportunities in order to make big matchups to make him more money, and gives no shits about the welfare of his wrestlers in the process. So he's a heel because he only cares about his greed and has no morals.

Stephanie and HHH want...something. What is it has never been defined, now is how they plan to achieve this undefined thing even more so. They are just there, making random matches and never having any consistent motivation or logic behind them. They shit on faces then give the faces free opportunities. They support heels then shit on said heels in the next segment. They constantly talk about being best for business but never actually talk about making money and constantly do things that accomplish the opposite.

Vince used to have this, it's what made Vince vs Stone Cold so great, but eventually he just devolved into a cartoon villain who does shit because they need shit to happen.

They want to in theory make money, but apparently faces never actually make them money so they don't like them.
 

Fox318

Member
Stephanie and HHH want the same thing they have always wanted.

To be over and to stay over because they always were over.

Like HHH teaching people how to work the main event.

Guess what moves are over? Moves HHH can do.

Guess what moves are not over? Moves HHH can't do.
 

Ithil

Member
They want to in theory make money, but apparently faces never actually make them money so they don't like them.

Then why won't they stop giving faces all these constant title shots? They go through the trouble of putting HHH in the Rumble to get the title off Reigns, then the very next night give Reigns another title shot for free?

What is stopping them just firing Reigns if they supposedly hate him?
 

Zach

Member
No one will agree with this, but I think Shane Douglas and Triple H are on the same tier. In the big leagues, neither should've made it past the midcard.

Random thought as I watch ECW Wrasslepalooza.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Then why won't they stop giving faces all these constant title shots? They go through the trouble of putting HHH in the Rumble to get the title off Reigns, then the very next night give Reigns another title shot for free?

What is stopping them just firing Reigns if they supposedly hate him?

In theory they have contracts, but sometimes they just get fired anyways (e.g. Rowan and Ziggler last year at Survivor Series). Daniel Bryan's run to the main event of WrestleMania involved the same gimmick - Daniel Bryan got a bunch of actors to shout YES! in the middle of the ring so for completely nonsensical reasons HHH gave him both a match against himself and a main event slot at WrestleMania but if he really wanted to make him suffer he'd have booked him a slot on the pre-show fighting Jey Uso or something.

I think its a disconnect between the stated goal: "What's best for business" and what they actually want (if you're diving deep into kayfabe and coming up with rational motivations for the characters) - which is for everyone to do what they're told and if they don't, to punish them by making them suffer by thinking they were gonna get what they wanted and then not. I don't actually think the FastLane thing is nearly as stupid as the "giving Roman a title shot on RAW" thing was because you can hand-wave it as HHH/Steph being supremely confident that HHH is going to just win the same way he did at Royal Rumble.
 
A face authority figure?

How about a tag team match playa, with the UNDATAKAH!

teddy-long.jpg


Hey, get outta my way.
I'm coming, the thunder and lightning is striking.
I'm fighting you on the storm.
Feel the pain that I'm trying to contain.
My heart is as black as the blood in my veins.
And I'm comin' to get it on.
 
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted Roman Reigns has been in the main event segment of WWE RAW 14 out of the last 16 weeks. Reigns had been featured in the segment 11 weeks in a row at one point; the last RAW without him main eventing was on October 12th.

Those are Cena numbers.
 
I have never once said that everyone hates WWE.
I've said that the WWE is putting out a shitty main brand product.

Lots of people love Michael Bay and Adam Sandler movies, too. Doesn't mean they're any good and above criticism.

And, you didn't refute my main argument... that there are a bunch of hypocritical people out there who actively hate the current product and still paying money for it.
They simply rationalize or justify their way around doing so... and then have the audacity to expect the WWE to change what they're doing. Why would they? They have your money that you continue to give them.
It would be like decrying microtransactions or Amiibo while still forking out tons of money on them.

You can criticize Bay and Sandler for putting out a crappy product - the issue is lots of people have connected a crappy product with the WWE putting out a product that isn't financially successful.

Pro wrestling has never been about putting out a quality product. Pro wrestling has always been separating marks from their money, in any way possible. Sooner you learn and become at peace with that, the happier you'll be.

So, yes, complain Cesaro and Ambrose aren't have five star classics every month because you'd prefer watching that. But, don't complain that not doing so has meant the WWE isn't successful.
 
maybe she should, like... stop playing a bad guy on tv

I know this would probably cause her to spontaneously combust... but maybe get the heel authority figures off TV for a little while. like, right after mania. Maybe they can mix it up by introducing a *shock* face authority figure?

only problem is choosing that face. unfortunately, no one comes to mind. I can't think of anyone lovable, off the top of my head, that could fill in such a role. Like, someone with nothing else to do at the moment that is still signed with the company. it would have to be someone the fans love. damn.

anyone?
I reading this saying, there is you fuck. Then I said Bryan. Bryan. Bryan.


That was the whole point of your post lol!
 
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted Roman Reigns has been in the main event segment of WWE RAW 14 out of the last 16 weeks. Reigns had been featured in the segment 11 weeks in a row at one point; the last RAW without him main eventing was on October 12th.

May not be 100%, Nov 9th?

Wyatt's and 'Taker/Kane closed the show.
 

Heroman

Banned
You can criticize Bay and Sandler for putting out a crappy product - the issue is lots of people have connected a crappy product with the WWE putting out a product that isn't financially successful.

Pro wrestling has never been about putting out a quality product. Pro wrestling has always been separating marks from their money, in any way possible. Sooner you learn and become at peace with that, the happier you'll be.

So, yes, complain Cesaro and Ambrose aren't have five star classics every month because you'd prefer watching that. But, don't complain that not doing so has meant the WWE isn't successful.

This is a flawed statement as you can say that about pretty everything, the thing is that a good product will usually produce more money then a bad product, the same can be said about wrestling.
 

Zach

Member
The Wolfpac has debuted the red and black nWo shirt (May 4 1998 Nitro). Now I await the debut of their AH-WOOOOOOOO!! theme. And then I'm-a kill myself.
 
He was trying to pretend he was someone successful

Actually, Goto's won about the same number of titles as Shinzaki, if not more, including a singles championship.

All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Hayabusa
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Tohoku Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Último Dragón (1), Gaina (2), and Kesen Numajiro (1)

Yes, I know, let's all laugh at Goto the loser.
 

Nekofrog

Banned
Sometimes I feel like Scott hall was the only one who "got"why the nwo worked and everyone else just got lucky to latch on to it. It was apparent that hogan had 0 idea why it was a success as he was still hulk hogan but evil now
 

Sephzilla

Member
Sometimes I feel like Scott hall was the only one who "got"why the nwo worked and everyone else just got lucky to latch on to it. It was apparent that hogan had 0 idea why it was a success as he was still hulk hogan but evil now

Big picture, I think only Hall and Nash really got it. Yeah, Hogan didn't seem to really understand it. I don't entirely think Bischoff did either.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Actually, Goto's won about the same number of titles as Shinzaki, if not more, including a singles championship.

All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Hayabusa
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Tohoku Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Último Dragón (1), Gaina (2), and Kesen Numajiro (1)

Yes, I know, let's all laugh at Goto the loser.

not hard to win a bunch of titles in the modern njpw hot shotting era

like saying jeff jarrett is a bigger deal than harley race because he's got more world titles
 
This is a flawed statement as you can say that about pretty everything, the thing is that a good product will usually produce more money then a bad product, the same can be said about wrestling.

The WWF was not the best wrestling product during the 80's. WCW was still making money hands over fist for nearly a year while they put out total crap that's worse than any RAW these days. The WWE actually got less popular despite getting better workers and generally having better TV during 2000-01 than during the AE peak of crappy three minute matches and non sensical angles during 1999.

You can expand this out to all kinds of entertainment. There are dozens of shows that got more popular the worse they got.
 

Nekofrog

Banned
Big picture, I think only Hall and Nash really got it. Yeah, Hogan didn't seem to really understand it. I don't entirely think Bischoff did either.

What's weird is sometimes, not very often, you would get Hogan doing what Hall and Nash were doing, just acting cool and talking in a promo in a normal "idgaf" voice. But 99% of the time it was "WELL YOU KNOW BROTHER IM A BAD GUY NOW YOU CAN STICK IT" schtick. Perhaps if they didn't turn the nWo into a cartoon it would've had longer legs.

It also helped that Hall, even when winning the match, still made mid carders look fantastic and always sold like a beast. Sucks he had to have so many personal issues.

on Nash, I think he understood but didn't care past a certain point. Hall just exuded the cool that the nWo thrived on. He harnessed that shit and ran with
 

Sephzilla

Member
What's weird is sometimes, not very often, you would get Hogan doing what Hall and Nash were doing, just acting cool and talking in a promo in a normal "idgaf" voice. But 99% of the time it was "WELL YOU KNOW BROTHER IM A BAD GUY NOW YOU CAN STICK IT" schtick. Perhaps if they didn't turn the nWo into a cartoon it would've had longer legs.

It also helped that Hall, even when winning the match, still made mid carders look fantastic and always sold like a beast. Sucks he had to have so many personal issues.

on Nash, I think he understood but didn't care past a certain point. Hall just exuded the cool that the nWo thrived on. He harnessed that shit and ran with

Scott Hall is a wrestler who I really have grown to appreciate over time. I got into wrestling with the New Generation era so I was a little too young to appreciate Razor's awesomeness then, and I didn't watch WCW much at the time so I didn't see much of him over there. Now I wish he didn't have his personal problems, dude could have had a fucking great second run with WWE.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
on Nash, I think he understood but didn't care past a certain point. Hall just exuded the cool that the nWo thrived on. He harnessed that shit and ran with

He said he stopped trying to not step on toes when they got X-Pac fired because they couldn't touch him so they got his friend fired.
 
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