Strummer

again with all the different revenue streams and the dissonance with the fanbase it's no wonder the company is so confused on who to push. It's not just ticket sales anymore

I saw at Scooter's blog that Reigns is selling much more merchandise than Ambrose and Bryan. There is a strange dynamic in WWE where the live crowds reactions are not being reflected in the hard numbers. It's probably why the company seems confused on who to push and when to push them

the Cena/Ambrose match will be a contract on a pole match. IE Cena doesn't have to job so so lame

it's almost as if they made that show so boring to make Rock's return even better. The Kathie Lee and Hoda segment was just unbearable and this is from someone who really doesn't mind celeb involvement in wrestling. Lunden seemed much more comfortable out there.

Nikki Bella being honest about the Bella feud and wanting to work with Seth Rollins. Recap from Cageside: (Wrestlign with Rosenberg) On her feud with Brie not really progressing much over a number of weeks: "Yeah, no, I agree. I think it should have been different ways but at the end of the day I don't write the show. I try to pitch but I don't write it, so." On wanting to work with Seth Rollins: "But I really want to work with Seth (Rollins) too. He and I are kind of the Prince and Princess, so I think it would be fun to kind of throw him in the mix. It does (get complicated with having Total Divas to account for) but I think I have a lot to go off on John (Cena) about, so." I would actually like a pairing with Rollins although it messes with the internal "logic" of TD so I doubt the company goes that route

being forced to take flat back bumps probably killed Page's career. That and obviously the booking. Interesting he had friends with Austin in power at the time but guess it didn't do anything for him

Gorilla Monsoon mentioned him by name in an early 1995 episode of RAW. Something to do with Jarrett's singing debut if I'm not mistaken

Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford (!) and Joan Lunden will be on RAW Monday for the Breast Cancer cause. Kathie Lee has always bad mouthed wrestling something fierce (vilifying Rick Rude after his death for his appearance in character on R & KL)

I don't remember Punk's reign being analyzed show by show. Mostly people were complaining his matches weren't going on last. Bryan was initially after being beat down numerous times after Summerslam. Hell in a Cell was when people seemed resigned to the fact he wasn't going to get pushed ( this is when I went "retarded" I guess). Overreaction yes but nothing compared to the Rumble and the build up to mania. And most people seemed more pissed over the finishes last fall. See the point though

cageside with an article on a former writer calling into Meltz and basically confirming what we all knew: Creative team is writing for an audience of one. http://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2014/9/29/6868673/vince-mcmahon-criticised-for-micromanaging-the-wwe-product-to-death

might also have something to due with the time of the year. Fall is usually a pattern holding period for the company. Mania season is where people get all analytical and stuff

I got a big kick out of Ambrose's "Here's the cruiserweight division" directed at Noble and Mercury. and they implied that Rollins carries around vibrators in his MITB briefcase. What the hell is wrong with this company?

With Austin set to return I wonder if they will go back to the storyline they were set to do last year with him fighting for control of the company with Hunter? Doubt it but I could see him agreeing to come back for that. Plus over a year later it would be tough to explain why Vince was all of a sudden mad at Hunter and Steph

btw, Nikki Bella trying to get the rights to the Bella name? Copying an angle from 2000 WCW?

certainly feels like they are all in on Ambrose after tonight. They played his music at the end over Cena's. Whether they give him the big push going into Mania is another story. No mention of Heyman or Brock but still plenty of time till HIAC

Thankfully just one PPV this year in October. We would have had another round of crappy finishes before HIAC

what happened with Madusa between Spring 97 and when she came back in early 99? Was it that she had fulfilled her dates and WCW didn't need to use her anymore or was she just given time off? Never heard the reason. Of course as soon as Nash got the book she was almost immediately brought back

Dave and Bryan noted that Austin and WWE may have reached a deal. There is speculation that it's for a match at Mania. It seems plans might have switched and it might be Austin v Brock and Reigns v Cena. Cena goes over tomorrow, Rollins cashes in, Cena regains. Reigns being injured probably helps in the long run as I doubt he gets booed now during Mania season. WWE might as well keep him out till January now to ensure that although with Bryan returning around the same time things could get chaotic

Just re-watched Shawn/Cena from WM 23 for the first time in awhile and man what an oddly booked match to have for your company ace. Shawn out wrestles Cena at every turn and is the aggressor while Cena wrestles pensively and comes across as nothing short of a weakling for the majority of the match. This seems to be the narrative as Ross and Lawler mentioned this throughout . The ending was decisive enough with Shawn tapping but that match did Cena no favors. Maybe it was politics from Shawn and Hunter for how that match was put together but i'm not entirely convinced of that. Cena winning gets only a slightly better than average pop. I know the crowds had already turned on him at this point but still strange to hear that at a Mania

it shows how much wrestling has changed that Hayes was considered behind the times and passe before he even reached 30 years old. He always looked much older than he was but even when he briefly came back in 94 he was still only 35. Younger than Cena is today. Part of it is that society has changed as now people in their early 20s today are still considered "kids" while 30 years ago they were not

Shane was just awesome here. Probably the best moment of his on air career

I don't remember liking the product that much in the fall of 98. I mean I didn't hate it but it didn't seem as good as 97 and the first half of 98. But I was so sick of Undertaker and Kane at this point that it might have clouded my judgment. Kane had been on TV for a little over a year at this point and was already overexposed and chronically stale. 16 years later... At least Undertaker had the sense to agree to turn heel. Although he didn't really act that much different until the ministry stuff started

Brodus Clay debuted at the tapings tonight. I actually think that is a decent signing.

if Reigns is going to be the next top guy they've got a shit ton of work to do between now and Mania