Wrestling WWE IX: A Solid B+

[BeastieRunner]

No, i just don't like lucha.

B-But......they specialize in Monster Hunting!

And espouse the virtues of non-violence!

[titanfan]

Btw, I hear people talking about more talent cuts. Any further thoughts about who else should be concerned at the moment?

Possible they are done with talent cuts. I would guess the high salaries in the company folks are higher ups and mid roster talent who have been there awhile but not up on the card. But their roster is fairly young now, there just aren't that many wrestlers who have been with the company for 7 years and are still jobbers.
Koji Kingston maybe?

Maybe Ricardo is it...instead of firing 5 people, why not just cut Rey Mysterio, who likely has a really high salary, wants to leave and is not being used?

Perhaps it's finally time to move Christian to a backstage role too. They can have him wrestle now and then, just like they bring out Booker T and others. He's getting injured a lot. Then there's Mark Henry, Big Show, Great Khali, etc. (The latter of which can barely move nowadays)

[alex]

They need more Cena because I already debunked the attendance figures being up where you claimed that they haven't been pushing Cena often. I'm not advocating for more Cena but it just goes to show the man is a draw.

You did, however John Cena has nothing to do with positive business indicators that came out today that you can't debunk.
So, if you want to have a John Cena debate, go ahead, but i don't find it particularly interesting as a topic.

[marvell2k]

You did, however John Cena has nothing to do with positive business indicators that came out today that you can't debunk.
So, if you want to have a John Cena debate, go ahead, but i don't find it particularly interesting as a topic.

But you like to blame him for negative ratings even though Cena on top had the third most profitable year for WWE in history a few years back.

[BeastieRunner]

Alex vs. Marvell2k with special guest referee ... LBO!

WM 31 ... book it!

[alex]

Btw, I hear people talking about more talent cuts. Any further thoughts about who else should be concerned at the moment?

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.

[alex]

But you like to blame him for negative ratings even though Cena on top had the third most profitable year for WWE in history a few years back.

But i was talking about the network.
And don't use the Rock's return match to prove Cena still draws, you know i can poke holes all through that ****.

[marvell2k]

But i was talking about the network.
And don't use the Rock's return match to prove Cena still draws, you know i can poke holes all through that ****.

Most profitable year for Cena was 2011 which was before Rock which was also the 3rd most profitable year in WWE history. Also Cena has the #1 and #2 biggest Wrestlemania buyrates. Cena vs Michaels and Cena vs Rock. You really seem to believe Cena has been bad for business despite the fact that they make a lot of money off of him.

[marvell2k]

Also why do you hate lucha?

[marvell2k]

Alex vs. Marvell2k with special guest referee ... LBO!

WM 31 ... book it!

Alex is actually my homie I just like to mess with him is all.

[Vibranium]

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

[marvell2k]

Heath Slater and Zack Ryder are endangered species and neither being cut would shock me.

[BeastieRunner]

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.

Some thoughts I have on your list:

• Otunga actually works on other non-wrestling WWE projects (Be A Star for starters) and is expected to be moved over to that front soon;
• Gabriel and Tyson are a tag team and involved in the major NXT storyline ATM;
• Young is injured and is sadly, a token employee. I don't think they'll cut him;
• Graves retired;
• Sin Cara II and Kalisto are a tag team and Sin Cara is Kalisto's rocket pack to the main roster (he's still just as good, btw).

Layla, Henry, Show, and del Rio all said they are done when their current deals are over. Christian and Gabriel have been offered training/NXT/agent deals. Anyone with more than 1.5 years left (i.e. Show's got less than 3 years left) will cost them more to release than to just keep and not use.

I agree on most of the rest. I'd swap Slater for one of your picks I bolded.

[alex]

Also why do you hate lucha?

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.

[lancerman]

Most profitable year for Cena was 2011 which was before Rock which was also the 3rd most profitable year in WWE history. Also Cena has the #1 and #2 biggest Wrestlemania buyrates. Cena vs Michaels and Cena vs Rock. You really seem to believe Cena has been bad for business despite the fact that they make a lot of money off of him.

As a hardcore John Cena fan, Trump vs McMahon was the main reason for WM 23's success. It wasn't the only reason and people underrate Cena vs Michaels importance (it was the main feature on the core product for the build up to the ppv), but the Trump match was what was pushed to the mainstream media, and that's what Mania lives and dies by. Rock coming back had more to do with it being Rock's first big singles match back. Granted in the Rock match, I can make a great argument that they would never hit that number if you replaced Cena with anybody else. Cena vs Rock was the draw there, so I am more apt to give Cena some credit for that one.

Cena isn't bad for business though. If anybody believes that they should look at where the company was before and after Cena. The company nosedived in 2002-2003. This nosedive occurred at a time when the following wrestler were active in the company Austin, Rock, Hogan Lesnar, HHH, Jericho, Michaels (made his returns around this time), and Undertaker. They went down during that period. It didn't go back up, until Cena got his push. Also business steadly rose with Cena and didn't decline until about his 3rd year on top which also coincided with his first major injury.