"BUT THIS RAW HAD ROMAN REIGNS, GODDAMNIT."
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WWE Raw drops to lowest TV rating in 18 years
- Thread starter RBH
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"BUT THIS RAW HAD ROMAN REIGNS, GODDAMNIT."
TheXfactor
Member
2.16? jesus they could get below a 2, these are smackdown ratings circa 2011 
and this raw had roman reigns after being ROBBED of his rightful WWE world heavyweight championship
I was expecting huge viewership, honestly. I wanted to see the biggest star in the company, roman reigns, give sheamus his comeuppance.
funkystudent
Member
How bad is Smackdown doing these days?
They need to just sink or swim with these new guys. They won't, but they need to. They'll keep trotting out Undertaker, Triple H, and push more cash to Brock. Make more attempts at The Rock, Sting, etc. These guys are not going to be around forever. When will they stop? Get your new guys over, get their characters developed better - the writing is awful and has no business being 20+ on the staff.
They hover between 2.1 and 2.2 million viewers.
Sibersk Esto
Banned
At about a 1.6 rating
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
It's so weird how Smackdown will have matches that they repeat on the next Raw after it. Like half the card is booked again for Raw most weeks.
Half of Smackdown repeats on Raw, half of Raw recaps what happened on the other half, and half of any given month's Raw episodes repeat the same matches as each other. All wrapped up in the most lazily written show on television.
I can't imagine why ratings are declining.
Because you have something like NXT, which is just development, that is growing more popular. It's gotten to the point where people don't want wrestlers to leave NXT because they know WWE is so fucking terrible right now.
bloodyroarxx
Member
He cant, apparently Rock has a big movie coming up and him stepping in the ring is a no go.
It's been dead since March 2001.
Rock is too busy with Baywatch
Batista is too busy being in movies
Cena is too busy doing movies and TV and wanting to take a break
Bryan is injured
Seth is injured
Orton is injured
Basically almost all the fallbacks are out. And Vince is paying the price.
strikeselect
You like me, you really really like me!
It's the big elephant in the room no one wants to talk about. The internet smark era + the rise of MMA has been a huge hit to pro wrestling in the U.S.
so weird. put guys out there that people are interested in seeing and the ratings go up
huh. who'd have thought.
Hire back Russo, seriously.
Listen to him talk about the problems of Survivor Series.
http://youtu.be/57vrW83Dc70
Listen to him talk about the problems of Survivor Series.
http://youtu.be/57vrW83Dc70
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Foley seems sick of raw too:
I'm going to quote an article from July, 2014, called "The Sad Case Of Zack Ryder" in which I wrote: "Eventually, people get tired of finding out that the WWE Superstars they have supported with their cheers, their signs, their purchases, their follows, and their likes aren't real Superstars - and, little by little, those fans lose interest in WWE, find other interests, and become former WWE fans."
I am one of those people on the verge of becoming a former WWE fan. I'm tired of being told through Raw, Smackdown and PPV's that WWE superstars I have rooted for - from Ziggler to Cesaro to Kevin Owens aren't top stars - no matter how strongly crowd reaction seems to disagree. I'm tired of NXT stars getting their big "break" in WWE, just to be treated like jokes.
More on his fb page: https://www.facebook.com/RealMickFoley/?fref=ts
I think he's ok when he's just throwing thousands of ideas out but isn't in charge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ax-eiYcJ60
I'm going to quote an article from July, 2014, called "The Sad Case Of Zack Ryder" in which I wrote: "Eventually, people get tired of finding out that the WWE Superstars they have supported with their cheers, their signs, their purchases, their follows, and their likes aren't real Superstars - and, little by little, those fans lose interest in WWE, find other interests, and become former WWE fans."
I am one of those people on the verge of becoming a former WWE fan. I'm tired of being told through Raw, Smackdown and PPV's that WWE superstars I have rooted for - from Ziggler to Cesaro to Kevin Owens aren't top stars - no matter how strongly crowd reaction seems to disagree. I'm tired of NXT stars getting their big "break" in WWE, just to be treated like jokes.
More on his fb page: https://www.facebook.com/RealMickFoley/?fref=ts
I think he's ok when he's just throwing thousands of ideas out but isn't in charge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ax-eiYcJ60
It really does not matter who the champion is, there is no guy on that roster who has mainstream appeal (right now). There is no conceivable feud they can do now that anyone can argue would make any difference.
This is the price they are paying because they spent most of the last few Wrestlemanias on part timers vs part timers. Which helps the Mania's but does nothing for the guys wrestling the other 300+ days.
WM 25: Hunter beats Orton in one of the worst main events in Mania history. HBK vs Taker steals the show
WM 26: Taker beats HBK. Cena beats Batista. What is achieved here?
WM 27: The Miz beats Cena. Today Miz is a superstar ofcourse! Taker beats Hunter, nothing is achieved with this match
WM 28: Rock beats Cena. Nothing is achieved. Taker beats Hunter again, nothing is achieved but burial of the roster. Punk fights part timer Chris Jericho.
WM 29: Cena beats Rock. Nothing is achieved. Hunter beats Brock (remember that?) in a stinker, nothing is achieved. Taker beats CM Punk in a great match.
WM 30: Bryan beats Hunter and Orton+Batista. A new guy has been put over!. Brock beats Taker, nothing is achieved.
WM 31: Rollins "beats" Brock and Reigns. Nobody in the world believes that Reigns and Rollins combined are half the stars that Brock is. Hunter beats Sting, because fuck WCW. Nothing is achieved.
They made money, sure. But to what cost? They have no stars today, none. Hunter is the biggest star on that show and he playing the character of a suit.
There were great matches especially with Taker vs Punk, HBK and even Hunter. But again to what cost? Did anyone become a bigger star out any of this? Is Cena a bigger star cause he beat Rock? Is Rock a bigger star because he beat Cena? Is Hunter a bigger star because he beat Sting and Brock? No to all.
Bryan is the only instance where a younger guy got to go over in the main event at Wrestlemania since WM 24, where Cena beat Orton for the belt. The Miz "beating" Cena is laughable. We are all surprised that The Miz even has a job today, he has fallen that much.
This is the price they are paying because they spent most of the last few Wrestlemanias on part timers vs part timers. Which helps the Mania's but does nothing for the guys wrestling the other 300+ days.
WM 25: Hunter beats Orton in one of the worst main events in Mania history. HBK vs Taker steals the show
WM 26: Taker beats HBK. Cena beats Batista. What is achieved here?
WM 27: The Miz beats Cena. Today Miz is a superstar ofcourse! Taker beats Hunter, nothing is achieved with this match
WM 28: Rock beats Cena. Nothing is achieved. Taker beats Hunter again, nothing is achieved but burial of the roster. Punk fights part timer Chris Jericho.
WM 29: Cena beats Rock. Nothing is achieved. Hunter beats Brock (remember that?) in a stinker, nothing is achieved. Taker beats CM Punk in a great match.
WM 30: Bryan beats Hunter and Orton+Batista. A new guy has been put over!. Brock beats Taker, nothing is achieved.
WM 31: Rollins "beats" Brock and Reigns. Nobody in the world believes that Reigns and Rollins combined are half the stars that Brock is. Hunter beats Sting, because fuck WCW. Nothing is achieved.
They made money, sure. But to what cost? They have no stars today, none. Hunter is the biggest star on that show and he playing the character of a suit.
There were great matches especially with Taker vs Punk, HBK and even Hunter. But again to what cost? Did anyone become a bigger star out any of this? Is Cena a bigger star cause he beat Rock? Is Rock a bigger star because he beat Cena? Is Hunter a bigger star because he beat Sting and Brock? No to all.
Bryan is the only instance where a younger guy got to go over in the main event at Wrestlemania since WM 24, where Cena beat Orton for the belt. The Miz "beating" Cena is laughable. We are all surprised that The Miz even has a job today, he has fallen that much.
iceblade997
Member
Honestly same. It feels like it drags on, more often than not, and the show is getting so predictable. Three hours is too long, and as has been said before, they need to give other people a chance rather than push people the crowd doesn't seem to care for (Roman Reigns) and older wrestlers (Undertaker, John Cena, Randy Orton). There are quite a lot of talented people that could otherwise be given a chance but they seem to be left by the wayside.
ElRenoRaven
Member
Yup those ratings didn't shock me one bit. I figured they'd be in that range because the PPV was beyond awful minus maybe 2 matches. Combine that with everyone's lack of caring anymore and well yea you have a recipe for disaster.
Also yea I agree with Foley. People have reached the point we just don't care anymore because the WWE has made us not care. Hence people are starting to tune out in droves.
Also yea I agree with Foley. People have reached the point we just don't care anymore because the WWE has made us not care. Hence people are starting to tune out in droves.
UberTag
Member
Savage in his prime would be booked by today's Creative staff like Macho Mandow.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Wrestlemania isn't always about putting younger guys over. Sometimes it's about having the biggest match possible. Hogan and Andre were already over when WM 3 happened, they just had the match because they would have been dumb not to. Same with the WM 17 main event.
I agree though that it should be used to promote younger guys sometimes. I can't really fault them for doing something like Rock vs Cena though. Also the biggest match possible should never have HHH in it lol
Liquidsnake
Banned
And they would cut to a commercial break after the first tie up. Brilliant.
Well after having someone send me a link of how some wrestler is deciding about what food to eat and some cheesy dream sequence is played to the audience I'm not surprised. Product placement, yeah whatever, that's not the problem. A pathetic script about burgers? It was like a bad parody.
Yah Vince and Crew have made it clear they make the stars. Fans can root and cheer for whoever they want as loud as they want but if they aren't on the chosen one list it means fuck all.
Fans are supposed to be the ones who make or break stars
UberTag
Member
Fans can now be the ones who make or break the WWE. By not giving them their money for ANY REASON until they right the ship.
So people didn't bother tuning in after Sheamus won the title, and the only main event prospect in the near future is a Reigns/Sheamus rematch?
I am shocked.
Everything about Raw was terrible, apart from two things: New Day and Rusev. It was nice to see Swagger and Slater, but both segments were nothing. Lame, lame, lame.
I swear, if Paige does the PTO on a table one more time, I'm going to punch my television.
I am shocked.
Everything about Raw was terrible, apart from two things: New Day and Rusev. It was nice to see Swagger and Slater, but both segments were nothing. Lame, lame, lame.
I swear, if Paige does the PTO on a table one more time, I'm going to punch my television.
ShadowsFell
Member
Yup. They jobbed him to Rock (twice), Undertaker, and Brock within what? A seven month or so span?
It's not necessarily about promotion, but about... consistency?
Like after WrestleMania 3, Hogan and Andre were still staples of the in-ring product.
After WrestleMania 17, Austin was still a part of the product. Taker and HHH were too.
With some of these matches, once Mania is over, you didn't see them for months or another year!
Liquidsnake
Banned
I really only pay attention to NXT, I feel very sorry for those who get called up. Its like a punishment, and a one way ticket to no where.
Frustrated_Grunt
Member
We could be headed for that. WWE shows will slowly decline in ratings until it goes out of business. TNA will only be left still picking up 250,000 viewers until time stops.
Russo knows what he's talking about. It's just clear that when he doesn't have a filter shit gets all fucked up, which is how he got his infamous reputation. Filtered Russo gets you Survivor Series 1998, probably the best SS ever. Unfiltered Russo gets you WCW 2000.
Good Russo idea: More characters and more storylines on the show.
Good. Stop him there and run with that. Because, if he goes too far, it can become:
Bad Russo idea: Sister Abigail on a pole match
Good Russo idea: More characters and more storylines on the show.
Good. Stop him there and run with that. Because, if he goes too far, it can become:
Bad Russo idea: Sister Abigail on a pole match
UberTag
Member
The WWE is preparing for this by conditioning their fans to want to see their "superstars" on Jimmy Fallon, on ESPN SportsCenter, acting in movies, going through romantic crises on Total Divas, shoot the shit about the good 'ole days at a dinner table, hosting trashy reality TV series on FOX... essentially doing anything BUT what they did to get fans in the first place.
Wrestling. In matches that have meaning and consequence. With competent commentary. That aren't interrupted two or three times by commercial breaks. That actually develop their characters in meaningful feuds that elevate talent. Ideally in a quest to hold a title belt of some kind.
ShadowsFell
Member
Yup. It was mind-boggling how soon after losing to the Undertaker at mania, that Bray was still pronouncing himself as "The New Face of Fear". At not for anything that was Brays fault. A win like that would have meant so much for elevating him. Instead they gave him a half-assed push prior to his mania match with Undertaker, only to make him look halfway decent, to thus job him out TO the Undertaker.
Things like that just don't seem to make much sense, from a variety of angles.
i really hope they aren't surprised by the ratings too, what did they think a Reigns/Sheamus focus would do exactly? But then they still did it anyways.
Talonz
Member
Reminds me of when RVD finally came to the WWE and was very over. The WWE just looked the other way almost the entire time and ignored it. Vince doesn't like being told by the fans what to do.
Which is crazy. Why even hire these wrestlers if you don't want to push them when they are incredibly over.
UberTag
Member
Well, they only want to push them when they're over because of something Vince did. And only when they're SUPPOSED to be over. Certainly not at the expense of Vince's guys. Or relying on a gimmick they brought over from somewhere that Vince wasn't running the show. This is purely about Vince's ego.
they're just there to fill out the card
"the guy" is a position that vince decides on, fan demand be damned. he chooses his guy and that's it. like him or not, boo him or cheer him, the show revolves around him now and you're going to have to deal with it.
Yeah, he's the Peter Principle incarnate.
BadAss2961
Member
Lost me there. If there was one person they buried responsibly, it's Zack Ryder. He sucked.
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