WWE's mentioning of guys' indy backgrounds is a little perplexing. Surely the only reason they signed guys like Danielson and Kaval was because of the buzz they generated in the indies. Then they seem to go out of their way to discount every part of that background. I know it's the whole "if we didn't create it, it doesn't count" mentality, but from a business standpoint why hire someone and lay out the money you're paying them just to prove the obvious (WWE>Indies).

WWE's mentioning of guys' indy backgrounds is a little perplexing. Surely the only reason they signed guys like Danielson and Kaval was because of the buzz they generated in the indies. Then they seem to go out of their way to discount every part of that background. I know it's the whole "if we didn't create it, it doesn't count" mentality, but from a business standpoint why hire someone and lay out the money you're paying them just to prove the obvious (WWE>Indies).

And it can only serve to confuse casual/WWE-only fans while upsetting hardcore fans.

It's not like they're paying Danielson and Kaval a ton. And even that wouldn't stop Vince and his petty inner circle. Goldberg wearing Goldust's wig ring a bell?

Goldberg wearing Goldust's wig ring a bell?

Why does that keep getting mentioned as a major example of derailing a character and destroying his heat? It was just a joke in a backstage segment. Lasted all of a minute. But I've seen several people claim it as one of the main reasons why Goldberg failed in the WWE, just because he wore that wig that one time. That's ridiculous, every single top guy ever has done plenty of stupid comedy bullshit at some point or another.

I wasn't arguing that the skit killed his character dead (being pinned by an immobile Triple H at SummerSlam was a much more egregious error). But it's a clear example where WWE scripted a segment merely to screw with a character they didn't create.

Anyone else notice WWE is doing a lot more of the "set a match, undo it, and then put it back with a slight difference" thing? They did it again with the 6 pack match, taking Jericho out for no reason only to put him back in and make the match an elimination. It was kind of funny to hear how puzzled Dave and Bryan were on WOL trying to figure that out.

I wasn't arguing that the skit killed his character dead (being pinned by an immobile Triple H at SummerSlam was a much more egregious error). But it's a clear example where WWE scripted a segment merely to screw with a character they didn't create.

Or, silly comedy writers said "Goldust amd Goldberg! It'll be funny!" with absolutely no ultra weird sinister ulterior motives.

 

I was watching that Elimination Chamber match recently and Goldberg is booked like the world's biggest badass ever in it, and the crowd is super hot for him. It took HHH, Flair, and the sledgehammer to put him down. It was great.

I suspect Jericho was put back in the match because he signed a new deal.

Speaking of Jericho on Monday, why is every steel cage match "contested"?

I wasn't arguing that the skit killed his character dead (being pinned by an immobile Triple H at SummerSlam was a much more egregious error). But it's a clear example where WWE scripted a segment merely to screw with a character they didn't create.

Or, silly comedy writers said "Goldust amd Goldberg! It'll be funny!" with absolutely no ultra weird sinister ulterior motives.

 

I was watching that Elimination Chamber match recently and Goldberg is booked like the world's biggest badass ever in it, and the crowd is super hot for him. It took HHH, Flair, and the sledgehammer to put him down. It was great.

It's wrestling, there's usually ultra weird sinister ulterior motives. IIRC, Meltzer said Gerwirtz was bragging afterward about what he got Goldberg to do. It was an egofuck for Gerwirtz. Regarding the Elimination Chamber match, even though it was a clever finish, it was the wrong time for Goldberg to lose. He never got as hot again.

I think the one that annoys me the most is that no one in WWE gets beaten up. The person doing the beating is "taking his frustrations out" on the victim of the beating.

Beating up someone is too rasslin' for Vince.

The Daniel Bryan/Sheamus match last night made me wonder which WWE quirk was taking place: beating up a guy who's more over than the company was anticipating, or jobbing a guy in his hometown?

 

I never understood the enjoyment the company gets out of making point of mentioning that a guy is wrestling in front of his hometown crowd, and then have him lose almost every time.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm really annoyed that Cena is still using his own music and wearing CENATION merchandise, aside from the Nexus wristband.

The Daniel Bryan/Sheamus match last night made me wonder which WWE quirk was taking place: beating up a guy who's more over than the company was anticipating, or jobbing a guy in his hometown?

 

I never understood the enjoyment the company gets out of making point of mentioning that a guy is wrestling in front of his hometown crowd, and then have him lose almost every time.

I thought the difference last night was that Bryan looked really good in his match. Usually they're more of a fan of humiliating guys in their hometown.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm really annoyed that Cena is still using his own music and wearing CENATION merchandise, aside from the Nexus wristband.

If Cena turns heel and chooses to put the shirt on, imagine the heat that will get.

I was hoping instead of the basic torturing of cena they'd try to welcome him and win him over and give him gifts and he opens it and it's the cenanation merch with all the N's as Nexus symbols.

The Daniel Bryan/Sheamus match last night made me wonder which WWE quirk was taking place: beating up a guy who's more over than the company was anticipating, or jobbing a guy in his hometown?

 

I never understood the enjoyment the company gets out of making point of mentioning that a guy is wrestling in front of his hometown crowd, and then have him lose almost every time.

It seems to be that they think the hometown guy getting a pop, when he "isn't supposed to" somehow drastically throws off the continuity of the show from week to week. So they try to globalize the show/product/brand as much as possible so that nobody's hometown matters unless they tell us specifically that it does.

On the latest free WOL, Meltzer did a pretty thorough explanation of why they keep beating people in their hometowns. And an even more thorough explanation of why that's a goddamn stupid idea and contrary to all established booking practices. It reminds me of what a local said about the last time Misterio got destroyed in San Diego: it wasn't so much "that evil dastardly heel!" as it was "aw hell, not this shit again?!" They run individual towns so infrequently, and there are so few guys who are considered to be important in their hometowns, you'd think it would be obvious that they'd want to protect those guys on those once-a-year dates. But no, this is the modern WWE, where nobody gets over unless the office planned it that way.

I think they just see it as a good way to get heavy heat on a heel, but they play the card too frequently. I don't think WWE is as bad about is as they are accused of, though. CM Punk never lost here in Chicago until he turned heel. Bret got the feel-good moment making Miz tap out in Toronto. For all of JR's bad Oklahoma moments, they did have the RAW where he and King main evented against Storm and Regal, and got the win while the OU band played Boomer Sooner. Benoit made HBK tap out to the sharpshooter in Edmonton, with Hebner as ref. Flair beat Orton in Charlotte, which puts them above WCW. Foley got that tribute segment to him at MSG. Lawler usually lays people out in Memphis, including Edge selling a piledriver until all of the fans left the building the last time they were there.

I think they just see it as a good way to get heavy heat on a heel, but they play the card too frequently. I don't think WWE is as bad about is as they are accused of, though. CM Punk never lost here in Chicago until he turned heel.

CM Punk (while face) got destroyed by Umaga in Chicago at Judgement Day. Totally killed the crowd

In the '80s:

 

- Time limit draws ending with the heel getting a visual fall.

- The standard SNME opener layout with the chase spot.

 

Nowadays:

 

- Babyface getting sent to the floor signals a commercial break.

Nowadays:

 

- Babyface getting sent to the floor signals a commercial break.

I pretty much watch all WWE programming on DVR. It's become almost Pavlovian in that I'll reach for the remote to fast-forward through the commercials when a guy is thrown to the floor.

I think they just see it as a good way to get heavy heat on a heel, but they play the card too frequently. I don't think WWE is as bad about is as they are accused of, though. CM Punk never lost here in Chicago until he turned heel.

CM Punk (while face) got destroyed by Umaga in Chicago at Judgement Day. Totally killed the crowd

 

You got me, totally forgot about that. He did get to beat Regal to win the IC title, beat JBL in a dark match when world champ, and won a few times when on ECW.

Nowadays:

 

- Babyface getting sent to the floor signals a commercial break.

I pretty much watch all WWE programming on DVR. It's become almost Pavlovian in that I'll reach for the remote to fast-forward through the commercials when a guy is thrown to the floor.

 

This.