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WWE COVID-19 RELEASE MEGATHREAD


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3 hours ago, sabremike said:

Mike and Maria would be perfect for ROH because they would likely agree to a reasonable deal the company could afford and there would be tons of storylines available because of their history with the promotion. 

A returning Mike Bennett would make for a good mystery partner for Matt Taven against Vincent & Bateman. 

Edited by Nice Guy Eddie
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2 hours ago, notoriusvig said:

 

BTW, the fantasy booker in me really wants to see AEW try to do a PPV with Moxley/EC3 and draw a decent number with them, especially given how they were treated in Mox's farewell WWE program.

 

 

Bryan Alvarez: "So Dave, let's talk about last night's ratings.  AEW saw the lowest ratings ever with an eight man tag main event of The Elite: Cody, Kenny, and the Young Bucks against the ex-WWE guys: Ryder, Hawkins, Rowan, and Lio Rush.  This is not a good sign."

Dave Meltzer: "Yeah...the thinking was that these guys had been misused by Vince and that they would be massively over with the AEW smart marks, but these guys just did so many jobs in WWE that nobody is buying them as any sort of threat."

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3 hours ago, Southside Jim said:

One thing I haven't seen anybody talk about is the psychological impact all these cuts are having on indy guys who were hoping that they'd get signed by one of the big companies in the near future.

 

I can't remember her name off the top of my head, but about a month ago some female indy worker, who did a few shots for RoH years ago, had a meltdown on social media on how she was 36 and had never gotten a whiff from NXT or IMPACT or a full-time offer from RoH.  

 

For her and a bunch of indy workers, it has to be hitting them that they won't be getting tryout offers anytime soon, especially with all these guys about to flood the indy scene and drive down their pay.

Mis Chief? Allison Wonderland?

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2 hours ago, Web Conn said:

I think Brian Myers indie run from 14-16 I think has him in good graces with the AEW hardcore. Myers would get over with the fans almost as a DDP “peoples champ” type. DDP was a middle age biker in front of an audience of middle aged bikers, AEW is an audience of wrestling super fans.

Brian Myers is a super fan, he’s a big ECW mark, he has talked about going to Long Island ROH shows in 05-06. I think he’d be over with the AEW audience especially back East in the Tristate area. I don’t think he’s gonna be World Champ but he’s a good wrestler and he can get shit over because he’s entertaining.

I don't think Brian Myers run has him in the good graces of indy fans. He had a terrible match with AJ Styles of all people. I think what might get him over with AEW crowds is being the trainer of MJF and Kris Statlander. I wouldn't mind seeing teacher vs. student with Myers & Ryder against MJF & Wardlow.

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2 hours ago, (BP) said:

The thing with Lio isn’t so much about Lio himself but about the inexhaustible patience they’ve had historically for certain guys and their behaviors/baggage, and how it’s weird none of them looked like Lio in a few different ways. 

People would have patience with Lio if he wasn't the size of me when I was in the 3rd grade.  In an era with a lot less hosses he looks fucking tiny and you really got to match him carefully.. As loathe as anyone here is to agree with him I actually agree with Cornettes assessment about him.  Make him the smart ass mouthpiece for a meathead that can be his protection.  And have him work in tag team matches so he can do the work and make the rest look good

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2 minutes ago, Serious Darius Bagfelt said:

People would have patience with Lio if he wasn't the size of me when I was in the 3rd grade.  In an era with a lot less hosses he looks fucking tiny and you really got to match him carefully.. As loathe as anyone here is to agree with him I actually agree with Cornettes assessment about him.  Make him the smart ass mouthpiece for a meathead that can be his protection.  And have him work in tag team matches so he can do the work and make the rest look good

He was fine as the mouthpiece for Bobby Lashley.

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Just now, Nice Guy Eddie said:

He was fine as the mouthpiece for Bobby Lashley.

Should have kept as that but they never have patience if something doesn't pop the quarter hour right away.  Lio is a guy I could see in AEW since he doesn't have the long time WWE employee stink on him.  AEW doesn't need and shouldn't sign too many more talents or else you will just have a glut.  If Ryder is really Cody's bud I could see him.  Maybe Spud because of the video as a feel good.  Everyone else mehhhh.  EC3 maybe since by physique alone he would stand out.  I just have never been a fan

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4 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

He was fine as the mouthpiece for Bobby Lashley.

I thought he was fucking great in that role. His OTT voice cracked me up. Dude can talk and go. LoneWolf's idea of him spending some time on the indies to prove he's-not-Sid (Sid was better in every way tho tbh) may not be a bad idea. 

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4 hours ago, Eivion said:

Most fans have never seen any of Kong's Japan work let alone her reign as WWWA champ. Most probably haven't even seen AJW. Kong is remembered for her run in TNA and her brief stint as Kharma in a what could have been type of way. Keep in mind her WWE stint was a rare case where WWE didn't fuck it up, bad shit just unfortunately occurred for her in real life.

Just throwing this out there, but despite AEW selling them as friends Riho mentioned barely knowing Kenny. They teamed once ten years ago and that was it before AEW. She got picked up more because Kenny paid attention to the joshi scene, saw her talent, and knew she was going freelance. Same way they picked up Shida and various others from the indies. 

https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=2906&page=4&search=riho

Omega worked together or against one another five times before AEW started. I'm thinking things got lost in translation in that Riho interview.

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21 minutes ago, Serious Darius Bagfelt said:

Should have kept as that but they never have patience if something doesn't pop the quarter hour right away.  Lio is a guy I could see in AEW since he doesn't have the long time WWE employee stink on him.  AEW doesn't need and shouldn't sign too many more talents or else you will just have a glut.  If Ryder is really Cody's bud I could see him.  Maybe Spud because of the video as a feel good.  Everyone else mehhhh.  EC3 maybe since by physique alone he would stand out.  I just have never been a fan

AEW has a better EC3 in MJF. I agree with @Curt McGirt that EC3 would be a fine MJF replacement in the Dynasty. 

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16 minutes ago, Dewar said:

https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=2906&page=4&search=riho

Omega worked together or against one another five times before AEW started. I'm thinking things got lost in translation in that Riho interview.

My mistake then. I just recall some random interview a bit back where she gave the impression she actually didn't know him all that well.

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8 hours ago, notoriusvig said:

I like Ryder and I think he's adorable.  I like watching his Youtube channel and he's just a giant, lovable dork, and I think he'd be a good babyface in AEW.  I'm not saying he could be a main guy but a good, solid mid-card act or a tag team with Hawkins.  Plus, he'd fit right in with BTE.  Hell, if they can hire Cutler, Dr. fucking Luther, and Awesome Kong, why not Ryder and Hawkins, who might actually sell merch and be useful.

Santino Marella made a pretty good career of himself of his gimmick being a guy who was supposed to from Italy who could speak Italian. You need guys who can be hot mid-card level acts too.

But yeah, Ryder's story is sort of symbolic of how the grab the brass ring mentality is BS.

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One of the big talking points on "wrestling twitter" today was the fact that Bobby Lashley is (allegedly) making 3.5 million dollars a year. If that's anywhere close to accurate, he should be sending his agent gift baskets every week. There is no possible way WWE is getting any ROI on that. 

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Ryder already has the top selling shirt on ProWrestlingTees (for the day), so I think he's going to be okay. Say what you want about him, but he's obviously one of us and loves wrestling just like all of us here. Maybe I'm bias because I love the YouTube channel and podcast, but he and Hawkins seem like really good dudes and big fans of the business. Whether it's AEW or wherever, I hope they find success outside of WWE. Slater's Instagram post made me tear up a bit. He admitted he lost his passion for wrestling the last few years since he was just a job guy, but he's more hungry now than he's ever been. Like Ryder and Hawkins, I hope he does great outside of WWE.

On the topic of "what would get over with AEW fans" in regards to Hawkins, Ryder, etc. I don't think anyone but asshole smart marks care if he had a "bad" match with AJ Styles in 2014 - which, by the way, is a purely subjective thing and I'm sure there are people out there that don't agree with that statement. I think what matters to most AEW/indie fans is if these ex-WWE guys actually give a fuck, or if they're just obviously cashing in for a payday.

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Lashley is a fascinating story. Had a WWE run where they really got behind him but he fizzled out due to lack of personality, then he goes to TNA and finally a personality breaks through with his heel run and he’s a lot of fun to watch, then he comes back for big money and....they don’t even try with the personality stuff and push him the same way they did before. What the fuck did they think was gonna happen? 

Very similar story to EC3. If there’s two things Vince loves its arrogant rich guy heels who can talk and body guys. EC3 was that dude and they never even tried.

Just weird.

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4 minutes ago, Casey said:

Ryder already has the top selling shirt on ProWrestlingTees (for the day), so I think he's going to be okay. Say what you want about him, but he's obviously one of us and loves wrestling just like all of us here. Maybe I'm bias because I love the YouTube channel and podcast, but he and Hawkins seem like really good dudes and big fans of the business. Whether it's AEW or wherever, I hope they find success outside of WWE. Slater's Instagram post made me tear up a bit. He admitted he lost his passion for wrestling the last few years since he was just a job guy, but he's more hungry now than he's ever been. Like Ryder and Hawkins, I hope he does great outside of WWE.

On the topic of "what would get over with AEW fans" in regards to Hawkins, Ryder, etc. I don't think anyone but asshole smart marks care if he had a "bad" match with AJ Styles in 2014 - which, by the way, is a purely subjective thing and I'm sure there are people out there that don't agree with that statement. I think what matters to most AEW/indie fans is if these ex-WWE guys actually give a fuck, or if they're just obviously cashing in for a payday.

I agree. I mean I think with their podcast and channel, I had to think on some level, they were planning for this eventuality. Frankly, I was sort of surprised that WWE wasn't getting angry they were doing all this merch and collectible stuff that was based on their Major WF pod brand and not WWE branding.

EC3 was taken out of NXT way too early, IMHO.

Edited by TheVileOne
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WWE did have the "Figure It Out" show that was on their YouTube channel and put on the Network for a minute that was basically Ryder and Hawkins doing Figure Hunts, like they do on their own channel, just a lot shorter in length.

Pretty sure they were also the head of the Mattel Elite team that would pimp the action figures every year at ComicCon (and they did it on their own a lot too). Shit, Mattel just surprised them a few weeks ago with the reveal of an Edge, Hawkins and Ryder figure (one body, 3 different heads). And now this.

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Guest Edwin

Am bummed seeing all these folks get released, but I honestly never got the hype around EC3, Deonna or Lio. I've seen them numerous times live in NXT and neither really connected with me.

EC3 seemed pretty average every time I saw him live and I was never blown away by any of his promos or anything he did. He did connect with the crowd and was over, but as @Nice Guy Eddie said, they already have someone who is much better in his role in MJF. Plus he was one of the top guys in IMPACT, so might as well try going back there.

Deonna was also pretty average and never stood out any of the times I saw her. She would get a pop from the fans who knew her, but that was about it.

Lio kind of bored me whenever I saw him. He does have flashy offense and such, so I get why folks like him, but his stuff is much less impressive when you see it on a regular basis (which is kind of how I felt after seeing the Lucha Bros. have a singles match in MLW -- the first time around they stole the show, the second time around it was kind of eh).

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Yeah, I'm thoroughly rejecting that "too much job guy stink" argument as to why Ryder wouldn't work in AEW. I think he and Rusev could show up (not necessarily as a group), cite "shitty ideas from bad creative," like Jericho did for Hager, and the AEW crowd would eat that up. I know I got into AEW originally because I was sick of guys I liked doing nothing/jobbing endlessly on WWE programming. There seems to be a lot of support for Ryder, in particular, on social media. The AEW audience is smarter than people think. They seem to be much more in tune with backstage machinations and the politics involved in wrestling. Nothing that's happened to Ryder, Hawkins, EC3, Rusev, et al. would be held against them, imo.

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The big problem with saying EC3 wasn't tried is that he was the first person post-the "Anthem lets TNA alumni keep their gimmick on the way out" who it blew up in his face for.

Even beyond MJF being a better EC3 than EC3, EC3 was doomed to fail in NXT/WWE simply because WWE is not very indie-inclusive and sees WWE history as the history that matters the most...and even if they didn't, "EC3 is supposed to be the spoiled nephew of TNA owner Dixie Carter" was always going to be a hard sell in WWE kayfabe, where the only time a WWE-only fan would have heard that name is "Dixie Carter is just a random woman who used to work with Kurt Angle before he returned to the company."  Put that in, and EC3 may have made him a TNA main eventer, but he probably would have had more luck in NXT/WWE just going back to Derrick Bateman again.

EDIT: Also @just drew , the big question on that is that the "stupid idea from bad creative" thing would work far worse for Rusev and Zack Ryder, given their reputations, than it worked for Jake Hager. The Real Americans and "We the People!" stuff had a cult following, but it was never THAT huge a deal, and there were as many people who found it stupid as liked it. That can be handwaved away like AEW did.

By contrast, Rusev will have the "uh, everyone loved the Rusev Day stuff, and it made the fans really, really want him to get a fair shake and a big push from WWE" factor. If Rusev handwaves it away like they did in AEW for Hager, that'll take away a big part of how he can get over (especially since Lana stayed with WWE so she can't manage him, but Aiden English is gone from WWE and Rusev can have him as his personal spoony bard again to lean into the Rusev Day stuff.

It'd be even worse for Zack Ryder trying it, since the whole crux of Ryder's aura was "he was untouched by an uncaring creative team that never intended for Ryder to get over. He developed this gimmick himself, used the Internet and social media to get it over, and that led to him managing to get enough of a fanbase without TV time that WWE was eventually forced to push him for a little while." Saying the "Woo Woo Woo" stuff was a stupid idea from bad creative doesn't work because the whole crux of Ryder's aura is that the gimmick was basically all him. 

Edited by SorceressKnight
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