Wrestling WWE IX: A Solid B+

[Royal]

The office purge is rolling out as we speak (type) ...

Personally, I'm hoping for Kevin Dunn ... but that ain't gonna happen.

"Tathz not funny. Cathe of tat, I'll add exthra thaky cam tho every promo. Bithethz!"

[Scavenger]

I think the new monthly price for the network is the best of the ideas. I'm not sure if a $19.99 price point is the one (I think $14.99 would encourage more impulse buys) but as someone who tried the free week but just found I'm not going to watch enough to make it worth a sub, I think being able to jump in and out for the big matches is a good thing. Of course, this requieres Creative to up their game to make every month something that drives purchases.

Without knowing the economics involved, and basing on other net subscription models, if asked, I'd likely do something like:

Monthly $14.99
6 Month (upfront purchase) $59.99
1 Year (upfront purchase) $99.99

That fits well with consumer mindset of impulse buys and commitment vs bargain arguments.

[clayholio]

Someone on another message board mentioned they shouldn't cut anyone because they have 8 hours of tv a week, i found people you can cut that have no impact on the tv shows.
First, extend the top 3 matches on each show by 4 minutes each.
Now, fire Adam Rose and Fandango, neither are on tv for more than 4 minutes total. Fire Layla, she isn't in the divas division wrestling and is just there to mess with fandango, with him gone you don't need her. You have to keep everyone on Total Divas.
Fire Big show, isn't a draw and hasn't been wrestling. Fire Del Rio, isn't a draw and isn't over and if you need a heel to lose bring up a guy from developmental who makes a quarter as much.
Let Rey go, he's leaving anyway and you aren't using him. Fire Otunga, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young, Mojo Rawley, Corey Graves, Zack Ryder, one of the matadors,Christian(getting near retirement anyway, isn't going to be pushed, isn't used now), Sin hunico(Have Kallisto who hasn't been buried and is better...or was better before he went to nxt) Rybaxel(replace the disposable tag team that isn't over with The Acension, a cheaper disposable tag team) they aren't on tv, or are replaceable and therefor have no value.
There, i cut 17 people and you wouldn't notice a difference.

Keep in mind this isn't a statement on talent, i think Justin Gabriel can have great matches, but he isn't going to be allowed too. I think Layla is a piece of ass, but she's only on tv for 2 minutes a week and loses viewers. I actually think Ryback and Axel are good in their role, but it doesn't change that they aren't pushing either guy and you can replace them with cheaper guys who don't have the tag of being guys who were buried. I have always liked Christian, etc etc.

I figure that it would be a waste to fire anyone who's got less than a year on their contract. They'll pay out three months anyways on the non-compete.

I'd get rid of Axel, but not Ryback. The crowd still reacts to him, and they can work with that. Axel had his shot and never delivered anything approaching a main-event quality match.

They're not going to fire their first openly gay wrestler while he's injured. Young will at least get a post-injury chance, but that might be it.

Big Show's been making a movie, and he's a utility guy for main events when other people get injured. They ought to just start using him Andre-style, as a special attraction. Let Khali go instead, because Show can still wrestle matches.

I suspect NXT is going to get cleared out.

I think Layla is on the way out anyway, might be gone when her current deal is up

She's headed to Carrousel.

upe4374.jpg

Brother, i know we've talked about this before.
Not enough selling and too many spots.
It's like watching shitty indie workers with masks.

It's a different psychology. There is a psychology to it, but it takes a while to get used to.

But you also have to love dives and wacky submission holds.

[Legato]

Lucha is an acquired taste. I personally prefer the Japanese style.

Same here.

[BeastieRunner]

But you also have to love dives and wacky submission holds.

[BeastieRunner]

Proposed new Cena merch to combat the Lesnar/Heyman marks:

[Scavenger]

From the leaked news, sounds like it was office types let go.

[Guest_1001]

On the lucha debate, I've only seen a few matches but I remember telling my brother, "I didn't believe either of them were trying to win". Just going from one spot to the next. My brother thought that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

and they don't react much to Sin Cara, Mojo Rawley, few others.
Not everyone is over there, it seems like a smarky crowd but not like a ppv taping. More a "We read stuff on the internet but don't actually care that much" crowd. So not everything is over.

I think Mojo's pretty over, in spite of being buried for the last month.

NXT was pretty good today, for those interested in seeing it. It was the first show for about three weeks that felt like it developed some storylines.

[clayholio]

On the lucha debate, I've only seen a few matches but I remember telling my brother, "I didn't believe either of them were trying to win". Just going from one spot to the next. My brother thought that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

I think Mojo's pretty over, in spite of being buried for the last month.

NXT was pretty good today, for those interested in seeing it. It was the first show for about three weeks that felt like it developed some storylines.

The thing about lucha is that, especially in the six man tags, no one can realistically win until the other guys are out of the way, and it comes down to a one-on-one match-up. So no one is really trying to "win" for most of the match, they're just trying to clear the path for their partner by getting rid of people. So the first battles are a matter of trying to get people out of the ring so that you can dive on them (which explains the insane efforts to get an arm drag that might throw someone to the outside), and keep them out of the action for a while. Once it's down to a one-on-one situation, then things pick up, because it's a small window of time that you have before people recover and can interfere again.

It takes a little while to understand why luchadors do what they do. Until then, it's just fun to watch flips and mascots and CMLL's ring girls.

[alex]

People always talk about how lucha has different psychology, then i ask people to explain it, and they never do.
Edit: And to make it clear again, i wasn't starting a debate on lucha. I don't like lucha, i don't understand lucha, i understand that other people like it and that's fine. But i don't understand it and don't like it as a result. I have tried to watch it and still don't like it.
I understand american wrestling and japanese wrestling. I can watch a match and understand what they are trying to do, and i can see if they failed at doing it.
With lucha i often can't understand why they put the matches together the way they do and it makes me not enjoy it, because i often just see them doing stuff. Like i said, it reminds me of indy stuff where guys just want to do a bunch of spots. But due to what i grew up with, you do stuff for a reason in the match. You work on the arm so you can apply an armbar, you hurt a guys back and then rack him, etc etc.
I followed links people gave me to lucha stuff, and while i can say it was exciting, i didn't see how they were putting a match together. Everyone would do flips and dives and then maybe a wacky submission, but the submission wasn't related to the **** they were doing earlier, which they often didn't sell anyway.

[alex]

From the leaked news, sounds like it was office types let go.

For now.
They are doing 10 million in cuts this year. 30 million next year.

[X-Force]

when brock takes the tittle i hope they give roman reigns the push he deserves to defeat him .

[Legato]

when brock takes the tittle i hope they give roman reigns the push he deserves to defeat him .

If Danielson don't return then bank on him winning the Rumble then defeating Lesnar at mania.

I actually want that to happen to see Alex lose his **** over it.

[alex]

If Danielson don't return then bank on him winning the Rumble then defeating Lesnar at mania.

I actually want that to happen to see Alex lose his **** over it.

If bryan returns Reigns is still going to win rumble and beat lesnar at mania, didn't i say that like 3 months ago?
Bryan had nothing to do with it, he would be losing it at summerslam if he wasn't hurt.

[Legato]

If bryan returns Reigns is still going to win rumble and beat lesnar at mania, didn't i say that like 3 months ago?
Bryan had nothing to do with it, he would be losing it at summerslam if he wasn't hurt.

Yep. But this is Reigns beating Lesnar and being WWE champ.