March 4, 201510 yr comment_5657019 I think this Mania is a "burn the house to save it" maneuver in their eyes. They'll stick to their booking and have everyone shit on the show so they can recondition the audience rather than appease everyone a second year in the row. Maybe they think they can take bigger risks like this because of the network and not relying on buys. I'm fascinated with this stuff. There's no other mainstream medium/art where there's an ideological passive aggressive war that plays out weekly between creator and audience. Like, it's terrible pro wrestling booking, but as an art installation, kudos.
March 4, 201510 yr comment_5657020 Funny/weird that Wrestlemania 26 was not really a big success. Maybe it was the lack of an overarching main event appealing well beyond the typical fanbase, perhaps a bit like WM19; WM23 without Trump/Vince or WM27 without The Rock (both with weaker cards overall) probably don't do as well.
March 4, 201510 yr comment_5657021 Funny/weird that Wrestlemania 26 was not really a big success. I chalk that up to UFC 111 (St. Pierre-Hardy, Carwin-Mir) being the night before. While this wouldn't be the case for everyone, it was probably the first time since Starrcade 1987/Survivor Series 1987 that the PPV market was split just due to personal expenses and such.
March 4, 201510 yr comment_5657039 Funny/weird that Wrestlemania 26 was not really a big success. Not really. As said above, this was when running shows the day after UFC shows was really hurting the buyrates.
March 5, 201510 yr comment_5657132 I think this Mania is a "burn the house to save it" maneuver in their eyes. They'll stick to their booking and have everyone shit on the show so they can recondition the audience rather than appease everyone a second year in the row. Maybe they think they can take bigger risks like this because of the network and not relying on buys. I'm fascinated with this stuff. There's no other mainstream medium/art where there's an ideological passive aggressive war that plays out weekly between creator and audience. Like, it's terrible pro wrestling booking, but as an art installation, kudos. That's an interesting take and I tend to agree with it I find myself far more interested in the crowd responses to RAW and the 'special events' and the 'meta heat' and trolling of their audience than the actual product. This is not really a good thing business wise, but I'm morbidly fascinated watching them crash and burn spectacularly
March 6, 201510 yr comment_5657141 I think this Mania is a "burn the house to save it" maneuver in their eyes. This is an interesting take & thought. I can't really disagree with it either.
March 6, 201510 yr comment_5657246 I'm visualizing the Reigns/Lesnar match getting all sorts of anti-booking heat (Randy Savage chants, Daniel Bryan chants, CM Punk chants, etc). followed by Rollins music hitting and getting the biggest babyface pop of the night, making the whole thing rather strange.
March 7, 201510 yr comment_5657367 I'm in the camp that Rollins should be a babyface (and Reigns heel) anyway, so I wouldn't complain about that.
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657568 After WrestleMania, where we assume Reigns is being crowned champion, who do they have lined up to feud with him (and carry him to a watchable match)? Will Rollins feud with Triple H in yet another angle where the authority figure wants the champ to bow down or suffer the consequences? Or is Seth Rollins first in line to bump his ass off to make Reigns look like a main eventer? Or, in keeping with recent tradition, will he next feud with Kane or Big Show?
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657578 After WrestleMania, where we assume Reigns is being crowned champion, who do they have lined up to feud with him (and carry him to a watchable match)? Will Rollins feud with Triple H in yet another angle where the authority figure wants the champ to bow down or suffer the consequences? Or is Seth Rollins first in line to bump his ass off to make Reigns look like a main eventer? Or, in keeping with recent tradition, will he next feud with Kane or Big Show? He definitely works with Big Show IMO. It'll be HHH sending his guy after the title and they'll think that Show can help Reigns along when it comes to main event matches. I imagine, around summer, Rollins cashes in after a KO punch or some shit.
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657588 Yeah, it's not doing him any favors right out of the gate. More like strapping an albatross to his back than the proverbial rocket.
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657686 The obvious money programs with Reigns are a 3 way feud with Rollins and Ambrose, a Bryan rematch, Rusev, Cena and HHH himself But obviously they are going to put him with Show and Kane early on, because that's what they do
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657689 If things were REALLY bad and things tank we might see them panic, bring Rock back, turn him heel and put him against Reigns in the next 18-24 months. That or it will be Reigns vs. Show / Kane until the end of time.
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657692 If Reigns was tanking, I don't see how you could make Rock be a heel. He's a permanent babyface, considering he is the fucking Rock.
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657693 If Reigns was tanking, I don't see how you could make Rock be a heel. He's a permanent babyface, considering he is the fucking Rock. I didn't say it's what I would do. It would be a panic reaction if it occurred. All what if's. Obviously not the best idea admittedly.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5657899 ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz…... Oh fuck, this is the build to Mania ? No shit ? I was more excited about WM 12...
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5657919 The obvious money programs with Reigns are a 3 way feud with Rollins and Ambrose, a Bryan rematch, Rusev, Cena and HHH himself I think you use obvious money programs very loosely.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5657934 WWE is really set up now where there are no money programs, and more important is the overall hotness of the brand as a whole. But even with weak WresleMania build and cold audiences, WWE knows that this year they will still be able to tout a record number of subs for their Network come the end of the month, which leads to a degree of arrogance and complacency in the company. So WWE will do whatever they damn well please, until they get to a quarter where it looks like they have to report a drop in WWE Network subscribers and panic sets in again. I strongly believe we'll have to sit through a Roman Reigns vs. Big Show feud purely for the sins of the fans in Philly, because Vince needs to show them all who's boss.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5657942 House show business would have to tank hard, merch would have to tank hard, and subs drop at an alarming rate for anything to change.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5657980 WWE doesn't even need a money program. Not sure there's been one in ten years, and they've done just fine. Wrestlers don't necessarily need one either.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5658001 WWE doesn't even need a money program. Not sure there's been one in ten years, and they've done just fine. Wrestlers don't necessarily need one either. To get bye they don't.. to get the Network to the point where they are making good money they sure do.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5658002 How does the pay even work for the wrestlers now based on the WWE Network? I remember that was one of the things Punk mentioned for taking off. Did they ever figure that out, or we having a second Wrestlemania where no one knows what they're getting paid?
March 11, 201510 yr comment_5658012 The going theory is that everyone is being paid based on how the shows did the year before.
March 11, 201510 yr comment_5658023 How much of the WWE pay structure for wrestlers is still tied to how they draw? I know downside guarantees are part of the language now. The days of hand shake deals being way gone and all.. but I don't really understand how it's tried to how WWE draws.
March 12, 201510 yr comment_5658102 What the hell was this week's "Raw"? Cena and Orton beat the shit out of their opponents already and they're just now trying to establish Roman Reigns as a character and he's two weeks away from headlining Wrestle-goddamn-Mania. The guys in the I-C title match will likely kill themselves in a spot-fest and wind up on "Superstars" two weeks later. If (when?) Reigns doesn't work out who will they have to fall back on? Cena? Bryan? Rowan?
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