I have heard him on his podcast reference "Zangief from Mortal Kombat" so he is aware that Victor Zangiev inspired a video game character, even if he is mistaken as to which game it is.

Meltzer has spent the evening on Twitter intermittently arguing that a video game character was real. So that's been fun.

A couple of days ago he was arguing that Conor McGregor was more popular than John Cena because he made more money... Sigh.

There's no questioning who means bigger box office, but I'm fairly certain I don't know anyone in real life who could name Conor McGregor or Ronda Rousey if shown a picture. John Cena I don't have to guess because I've heard his name mentioned already because of the Today Show, Trainwreck, Total Divas, Kids Choice Awards, and American Grit.

Cena to me is a more known figure exactly as Loss said, because of the movie and TV stuff. McGregor is a bigger star to his particular audience but how much does a 45 year old mum in Idaho know about him compared to Cena who she's seen on awards shows, interviewed about proposing to his girlfriend on morning shows, staring in mainstream comedies etc.?

 

Dave also seemed sceptical that Big Daddy was a bigger star than McGregor, but in terms of the UK he 100% was.

I don't think Dave understands the Big Bang Theory phenomenon, which applies to lots of things oddly enough, and I have an (unproven) theory that it's relevant in wrestling sometimes too. The idea that no one watches a show except 14 million people. The idea that something can do big business and have very little buzz or talk surrounding it.

I actually know a ton of people who probably couldn't name John Cena if shown a picture either.

True. I just think the number is higher for him than Conor or Ronda.

Unless that's what you meant with the Big Bang Theory.

I don't think Dave understands the Big Bang Theory phenomenon, which applies to lots of things oddly enough, and I have an (unproven) theory that it's relevant in wrestling sometimes too. The idea that no one watches a show except 14 million people. The idea that something can do big business and have very little buzz or talk surrounding it.

 

I'd like to see this theory fleshed out. Big Bang to me used to be a hot show but now it's pretty unfashionable. Is it still that popular in the US?

 

 

I don't think Dave understands the Big Bang Theory phenomenon, which applies to lots of things oddly enough, and I have an (unproven) theory that it's relevant in wrestling sometimes too. The idea that no one watches a show except 14 million people. The idea that something can do big business and have very little buzz or talk surrounding it.

I'd like to see this theory fleshed out. Big Bang to me used to be a hot show but now it's pretty unfashionable. Is it still that popular in the US?

It hit its series low in April...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...of 12.1 million viewers: http://variety.com/2017/tv/ratings/big-bang-theory-ratings-series-low-key-demo-1202402682/

Not sure why Bix is feuding with Daniel Bryan or Bryan Clark or Bryan Alvarez, whichever Bryan it is, but there's a Black Friday deal today to get the first month of WO/F4 for $3.99.

Ah, I usually do that every year so I can dl the newsletters in year I missed (and the archive ones). Thanks for the reminder.

 

 

 

So did Bryan stuff Bix in the lockers when he worked on the newsletter? His constant subtweets and out and out pissy mean girl tweets are getting hilarious.

I just finally figured out he's kind of a shitty human being.

Oh do tell...

Because he's kind of a liar who values the few hundred dollars a month from his obsessive stalker message board trolls over supporting his writers against said trolls.

Dave's point on the Conor/Cena stuff is while more people probably recognize Cena, Conor makes more money and that's the only stat that really matters in business.

I think there was a pretty big market for Ronda at one point, as she made a lot of talk show rounds and starred in a few movies. I remember seeing somebody at work wearing a "DO NOTHING BITCH" t-shirt on the night of her comeback fight with Amanda Nunes, so I think she crossed over a lot, particularly with women. But I think the buzz around her is completely gone after the second loss, and the film work has seemingly dried up, which is probably why she's looking at a WWE career at this point.

 

 

I don't think Dave understands the Big Bang Theory phenomenon, which applies to lots of things oddly enough, and I have an (unproven) theory that it's relevant in wrestling sometimes too. The idea that no one watches a show except 14 million people. The idea that something can do big business and have very little buzz or talk surrounding it.

I'd like to see this theory fleshed out. Big Bang to me used to be a hot show but now it's pretty unfashionable. Is it still that popular in the US?

It hit its series low in April...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...of 12.1 million viewers: http://variety.com/2017/tv/ratings/big-bang-theory-ratings-series-low-key-demo-1202402682/

 

 

Jesus. I didn't realise it was still that big. It's mainly on a secondary channel in the UK

Dave's point on the Conor/Cena stuff is while more people probably recognize Cena, Conor makes more money and that's the only stat that really matters in business.

 

I think it does mean that Cena's potential future earnings are higher, whether that be from a continuing movie career or even getting a better quality of commercial/endorsement work

Dave's point on the Conor/Cena stuff is while more people probably recognize Cena, Conor makes more money and that's the only stat that really matters in business.

 

He harped on the money quite a but also wrote things like: "The bigger star is who gets the most talk, most media, who would be offered the most for appearances." "Most talk" and "most media attention" is where he starts to get into Loss' Big Bang Theory idea of buzz/talk/attention not necessarily equaling success. Dave kept mentioning Google Trends as concrete support that McGregor is more popular. If you compare Westworld with Big Bang theory on google trends for the period they were on the air last fall, Westworld consistently outperforms Big Bang Theory in that metric. Yet Westworld peaked at 3.6 million total viewers for its season finale while Big Bang Theory rarely dips below 4x that viewership number and makes CBS a lot more money than Westworld makes HBO. Point being, by the buzz/talk or even media metric, Westworld is above Big Bang Theory but by viewership and business metrics its the exact opposite (and not particularly close).

 

Dave might be right about McGregor being a bigger star than Cena. I don't know. I don't think pointing to things like Google Trends or something as vague as "who gets the most talk and media inquiries" is as concrete of evidence of stardom/popularity as he thinks it is. Sometimes it matches up, sometimes it doesn't.

Especially considering the nature of McGregor's business, whether that be boxing or MMA. There are infrequent fights that are hyped up with media activity crescendoing as the date reaches. So obviously he's going to have more 'buzz' in those peak moments than a celebrity who is consistently going about their business, be that Cena or anyone else.

In no galaxy is Conor McGregor a bigger star than John Cena - I don't care how much money they make.

 

McGregor will be a footnote, a mere blip, in five years. (Don't believe me? Look how fast Ronda cooled off.) Meanwhile, Cena will continue to be Big Match John and appear in blockbuster Hollywood movies.

In no galaxy is Conor McGregor a bigger star than John Cena - I don't care how much money they make.

 

McGregor will be a footnote, a mere blip, in five years. (Don't believe me? Look how fast Ronda cooled off.) Meanwhile, Cena will continue to be Big Match John and appear in blockbuster Hollywood movies.

 

Hahaha get real, Cena is not in McGregor's league. Conor is not Ronda as he never turns down press or hides in isolation win or lose. He always hypes his projects and promotions and is damn good as it. Conor will go down as one of the greatest stars UFC and the MMA world has ever produced.

Cena does have the potential to take that Rock leap and become a megastar off the back of enjoyable popcorn movies and/or animated voice over roles.

 

He'll never be at that level as just the pro wrestler guy who shows up on the Today show occasionally.

 

In no galaxy is Conor McGregor a bigger star than John Cena - I don't care how much money they make.

 

McGregor will be a footnote, a mere blip, in five years. (Don't believe me? Look how fast Ronda cooled off.) Meanwhile, Cena will continue to be Big Match John and appear in blockbuster Hollywood movies.

 

Hahaha get real, Cena is not in McGregor's league. Conor is not Ronda as he never turns down press or hides in isolation win or lose. He always hypes his projects and promotions and is damn good as it. Conor will go down as one of the greatest stars UFC and the MMA world has ever produced.

 

And the greatest star that UFC and the MMA world has ever produced is still going to pale to the guy who's billed near the top in the Bumblebee movie next year. You have to be in a pretty opaque bubble not to get that.

I love that Dave Meltzer in all his talks about the monster buyrate that Conor McGregor drew in August, he conveniently leaves out Floyd Mayweather Jr., the best PPV draw of the past decade. By Dave Meltzer's own logic, Conor McGregor ain't shit compared to Mayweather, Canelo Alvarez, Oscar de la Hoya, and Manny Pacquiao. I don't care for Mayweather Jr., but I also don't care how Meltzer is trying to act like McGregor's buyrate against Mayweather Jr. is the norm rather that the once in a lifetime exception.

 

Anyways, in my own personal experience in the South Texas area, John Cena is overwhelmingly more well known than McGregor. That's just anecdotal and my own bubble, but people I know from everywhere, from non-profit and grassroots organizations of all kinds to people and families newly arriving to America, know who Cena is, either from the WWE, from movies, or memes.

The real question is are either more popular than Molly Ringwald? 😉