MAY 2018 WRESTLING DISCUSSION.

[OSJ]

10 hours ago, Matt D said:

We are not having another three page hamper discussion.

Still, that would be preferable to a three page discussion by resident muscleheads about the virtues of eating baby food. 

[Victator]

I guess it makes me no fun. but I hate when wrestling fans use the term "wrasslin".  Not as bad as when they call it "Fake Fighting". But it gets in my crawl. 

[Victator]

2 hours ago, thee Reverend Axl Future said:

Bring this up waaay after the pre-WM hub-bub about the Battle Royale FKA Fabulous Moolah, here is an article wherein some of the actual workers voice their memories, experiences and opinions.

http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2018/05/10/22777921.html

And this clip, very sad:

- The interWeb giveth, the interWeb taketh away...

RAF

This needs more attention. Since March there has been more and more evidence pointing to Moolah being innocent of the nastier (secondhand) charges lacking merit. But it feels like people are a lot slower to reevaluate than they were to grab their torches and pitchforks. 

[Casey]

6 hours ago, gatling said:

How young are you then?  There was a Little Rascals remake movie in the mid 90's that even my 9 year old has seen.

I’ll be 29 in July. I have vague memories of the remake movie. No clue what the TV show is.

[Technico Support]

5 hours ago, Victator said:

Since March there has been more and more evidence pointing to Moolah being innocent of the nastier (secondhand) charges lacking merit.

Link plz

[RIPPA]

1 hour ago, Technico Support said:

Link plz

This one was just post on the WON website yesterday since Moolah was a big topic at this year's CAC

http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2018/05/10/22777921.html

Quote

Greg Oliver wrote a long piece about the Fabulous Moolah from a Moolah panel discussion among women wrestlers who were unhappy WWE removed Moolah's name from the WrestleMania Battle Royal.

It is a companion piece if you will to that Judy Martin video.

[Casey]

Source: WON, but stolen from Wreddit.

Quote

• The UFC deal with ESPN is good news for WWE since they are the higher rated show and their ratings are no longer declining so they could potentially receive a greater offer than UFC have. Both FOX and NBC Universal are in the running

• WWE received just under $1.6 million for Mixed Match Challenge, about $100,000 to $125,000 per episode

• WWE Network is only at 40 - 50% what they expected to reach by now. However, the massive increase in TV rights fees, the company is almost “idiot-proof” as far as many years in the future goes

• The deal is expected to be announced between now and September

• They are expected to set an earnings record this year, and by 2020 will be so far above any year in company history. "It’s no longer about pleasing consumers primarily or creating scenarios for intriguing matches. That is still part of it, but even if they fail at that, they are fine."

• The company is projecting $150 million in OIBDA (Operating Income Before Depreciation And Amortization) in 2018, which also reflects the Saudi deal.

• They are projecting $30 million to $34 million in second quarter OIBDA, up from $24 million during the second quarter last year. Much of that increase will be due to the Saudi Arabia deal.

• There has been talks of a tag team Money in the Bank, which is why tag teams have been doing promos for it

• The Saudi's requested Hogan, and Dave thinks they are currently in talks for a new deal

• Tampa Bay and Orlando are both interested in a Wrestlemania, with Tampa Bay also bidding for a Royal Rumble

• There has been a snag with the Australia show, WWE aren't answering any questions so Dave doesn't know if it's something they can fix or if it's dead

• They've applied for a trademark on "Great American Bash"

• CBS has filmed an episode of Undercover at the Performance Center to see how they create new stars

• Neville's contract has been frozen, so he can't wrestle for anyone

• Rousey is expected back for the London show, she has been off filming Shark week

 

[RIPPA]

Here is the full Neville blurb which is really interesting to me when you consider the WWE tries to claim publicly that either side can terminate the deal at any time

Quote

Regarding Neville, he has moved back to the U.K., which pretty much says at this point he’s not looking at returning. He is under contract and I don’t know whether he’s being paid or not (I’d presume not) but because he’s not performing the contract is frozen, an the WWE deal is worldwide meaning he can’t wrestle for anyone. Basically he has a similar but different issue that Bryan had a few years ago where his contract was frozen (although in his case he was getting paid) until he returned, but they wouldn’t let him return. When they brought him back as General Manager, the contract was unfrozen and only then did he have an end date for it.

 

[mattdangerously]

What's the WWE's end game with Neville?  He doesn't want to come back.  They probably don't want him back.  Why bother freezing his contract?  I get that they can be very petty at times, but it just seems pointless.

[nofuture]

2 minutes ago, mattdangerously said:

What's the WWE's end game with Neville?  He doesn't want to come back.  They probably don't want him back.  Why bother freezing his contract?  I get that they can be very petty at times, but it just seems pointless.

Sends a message to any other wrestling thinking of skipping out before their contract is done.

[RIPPA]

Especially when you specifically leave because you refuse to do a job

[nate]

lol, "independent contractors"

[Jamal]

9 hours ago, Victator said:

This needs more attention. Since March there has been more and more evidence pointing to Moolah being innocent of the nastier (secondhand) charges lacking merit. But it feels like people are a lot slower to reevaluate than they were to grab their torches and pitchforks. 

The pimping thing I had never heard before the initial announcement of the battle royal. But there are still tons of accounts from women like Wendi Richter, Lei Lani Kai, Mad Maxine, and Rockin Robin of behavior that make Moolah problematic enough that the WWE were wise to take her name out of it. 

[The Natural]

Bloody Enzo Amore!

; )

[Spritenaut 32]

Quote

• WWE Network is only at 40 - 50% what they expected to reach by now. However, the massive increase in TV rights fees, the company is almost “idiot-proof” as far as many years in the future goes

• They are expected to set an earnings record this year, and by 2020 will be so far above any year in company history. "It’s no longer about pleasing consumers primarily or creating scenarios for intriguing matches. That is still part of it, but even if they fail at that, they are fine."

Ugh.  I mean, this isn't news to me.  I feel like this was basically the situation anyway.  WWE has grown so large and has so many diversified revenue streams that they can continue to make money even if the core product flounders.  They don't need to rely overmuch on attendance, ppv revenue (or networks subscriptions), merch revenue, whatever because if those areas are unprofitable, they'll make money some other way.  Which is fine.  Impressive, even.  But it also takes away the company's incentive to improve their core product.  In a nutshell, the company is going to make money even if the booking stinks, so why fall over yourself trying to improve the booking?  It's the same situation Marvel Comics is in now that the movie division drives revenue and the comics are a bit irrelevant.

I admire Vince in an odd, perverse way.  He's managed to dominate the business segment, set up barriers to competition so that no company will probably compete with him in a meaningful way any time in the foreseeable future, and become so profitable that he doesn't actually need wrestling revenue to remain profitable.  Yet, at the same time, he's regressed the business so much that the audience for wrestling is a fraction of what it was even 20 years ago and the perception of wrestling among mainstream culture and advertisers is largely negative.  TV ratings continue to decline but the WWE has lucked into a spot where they're more valuable to a tv network now than they were 20 years ago when ratings were at their peak.

I think WWE will be profitable for a long time to come.  I also think that, when the WWE stops being profitable, the demand for wrestling could be so small that no one will be in a position to step into the gap left by WWe.  So Vince could possibly end up being the wunderkind of the wrestling industry and destroying it for whoever comes after him. 

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to applaud him for that or what.

[clintthecrippler]

I am curious though if the fact that the last two weeks has seen ratings crater is making anyone at WWE or their new suitors' nervous. Though I also guess that if someone like FOX took notice of the shift WWE can pull the "this is cyclical and ratings always bounce back" card. 

[RIPPA]

10 minutes ago, clintthecrippler said:

I am curious though if the fact that the last two weeks has seen ratings crater is making anyone at WWE or their new suitors' nervous. Though I also guess that if someone like FOX took notice of the shift WWE can pull the "this is cyclical and ratings always bounce back" card. 

They always have an "excuse" of something they are competing against.

Like the last two weeks have always been up against the NBA Playoffs

[Victator]

1 hour ago, Jamal said:

The pimping thing I had never heard before the initial announcement of the battle royal. But there are still tons of accounts from women like Wendi Richter, Lei Lani Kai, Mad Maxine, and Rockin Robin of behavior that make Moolah problematic enough that the WWE were wise to take her name out of it. 

Moolah is a piece of shit and a crook. But if you think Snickers would care she robbed workers blind, you are living in a dream world. The garbage WWE is pulling on Neville is very shitty and I guarantee they won't care. 

[Spritenaut 32]

Is the new TV deal with USA or is that still a mystery?  I'm guessing USA would be the most likely to "overpay" to keep the the contract.  Their original programming doesn't pull in the ratings the division used to and it doesn't seem like they have a lot else to drive ratings.

 

 

[mattdangerously]

3 hours ago, Keep Calm, Akira Hokuto On said:

Ugh.  I mean, this isn't news to me.  I feel like this was basically the situation anyway.  WWE has grown so large and has so many diversified revenue streams that they can continue to make money even if the core product flounders.  They don't need to rely overmuch on attendance, ppv revenue (or networks subscriptions), merch revenue, whatever because if those areas are unprofitable, they'll make money some other way.  Which is fine.  Impressive, even.  But it also takes away the company's incentive to improve their core product.  In a nutshell, the company is going to make money even if the booking stinks, so why fall over yourself trying to improve the booking?  It's the same situation Marvel Comics is in now that the movie division drives revenue and the comics are a bit irrelevant.

 

Marvel eventually decided that it was time to correct course--hence Axel Alonso being given the heave-ho, and ripping off DC's "back to basics" approach.  Who knows if Vince will ever decide to do that.

[RIPPA]

 

[Raziel]

So something good may finally come from a Impersonating Mini segment in WWE?

[joseph2112]

6 hours ago, Casey said:

CBS has filmed an episode of Undercover at the Performance Center to see how they create new stars

Then they are going to film a follow up piece

an episode of Undercover at the Main Roster to see how they deconstruct new stars

[Technico Support]

35 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

 

How many times have they gone the "let's have a midget impersonate someone as a way to insult them" route?  Vince is such a size queen.  To him, there must be nothing more unimaginably terrible than being under 6'2" 240.  It's funny how his buddy Trump's go-to insult is always "little," as well (Little Marco Rubio, LIttle Katy Tur).  Nice to see two kindred souls find each other.

[ChesterCopperpot]

35 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

 

I didn't see SD this week - Enzo returned?