NOV 2020 WRESTLING DISCUSSION

[Phantom Lord 1,642]

2 hours ago, kafkonia said:

So... where did Matt Cardona go? He showed up over the summer, wrestled a bit, got a shirt that said "I'm Here"... and now he isn't.

I see on wikipedia he was on a limited appearance deal and that expired, but... What now? Is he doing something outside of wrestling? I mean, Bryan Myers and Heath are in Impact, at least.

He's got all this stuff with his wrestling figures podcast. They're putting out a line of retro toys and they are supposed to be in the Retromania video game. If he can afford to buy rare toys and spend time at home with his hot fiancé, i'd say he's living the life.

Also it's pretty scary how easy it is to look up info on someone on one of those background check websites. Addresses, phone numbers, everything.

[Casey 7,935]

I think Cardona is mainly waiting on the indies to open back up fully instead of just a handful. Major WF Pod makes decent to good money from merch, Patreon, their live podcast shows and sponsors too I'd imagine. Plus, Chelsea just had COVID not too long ago apparently, so there's that.

[AxB 11,479]

Chris Jericho turns 50 today. The Demo God has officially exited the demo.

[cwoy2j 3,780]

18 hours ago, mattdangerously said:

I've been watching a lot of 2001/2002 OVW lately. Towards the end of 2001, Brock Lesnar gets written out after the Disciples of Synn throw a fireball in his face. His tag partner, Shelton Benjamin, goes after the Disciples for revenge by dressing in all black, putting on a leather trench coat, and attacking them with a pool cue.

You guys... he's doing Hardbody Harrison's "Stang" idea. 

All that's missing was for him to take a magic crystal that belonged to Synn, get into a helicopter and throw it into a vat of piranhas on ppv.

[Eoae 555]

I mean, Shelton Benjamin doing Hardbody Harrison's "Stang" gimmick is a much better option that Hardbody Harrison doing Hardbody Harrison's "Stang" gimmick, so....

I wonder how many gimmicks that wrestlers pitch for themselves get given to other wrestlers.  Brodus Clay claims he pitched Mark Henry's Hall of Pain gimmick for himself (Vince had Henry use it instead, obviously).

Edited November 9, 2020 by Eoae

[The Natural 33,047]

What gimmicks. What a pairing. What a name. Paul. Bearer.

[Zakk_Sabbath 3,097]

8 hours ago, Casey said:

I think Cardona is mainly waiting on the indies to open back up fully instead of just a handful. Major WF Pod makes decent to good money from merch, Patreon, their live podcast shows and sponsors too I'd imagine. Plus, Chelsea just had COVID not too long ago apparently, so there's that.

Also let's not forget that the pandemic forced AEW to wait on the development of the second TV show, they've only got so much airtime as it stands. I'm sure Cardona's price is too high to warrant  them paying him to work Dark or sit in the crowd every time he's not booked on Dynamite.

[AxB 11,479]

WWE released Tony Chimel, and ten to fifteen others. Apparently all the furloughed people who were involved in producing untelevised house shows are now gone.

In other news, today Brandon Thurston released a Wrestlenomics article about how WWE's Saudi deal means that one Saudi show generates as much revenue as 3 Wrestlemanias and so on. 

[D.Z 9,990]

They let go staff who did all the logistics and Derek Casselman...the director of Venue Merchandise, Remote Operations for WWE, who had been there since 1993. Looking like there won't be any Raw/SD houses shows at all for America in the foreseeable future instead of just doing few. So even more money will be saved.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by D.Z

[PetrolCB 9,178]

Tony Chimel!? Fuck this company.

[nofuture 4,207]

Seems like US wrestling is a bit at a crossroads where financially, they really don't need to tour as much anymore to make money.  TV money makes them profitable and touring costs somewhat bite into that.

[JonnyLaw 3,126]

20 minutes ago, nofuture said:

Seems like US wrestling is a bit at a crossroads where financially, they really don't need to tour as much anymore to make money.  TV money makes them profitable and touring costs somewhat bite into that.

I had wondered if the loss of house show merch would hurt them/prevent them from ever really moving away from house shows, but it seems that online orders picked up the slack in the last quarter.

[Technico Support 9,618]

1 hour ago, AxB said:

WWE released Tony Chimel, and ten to fifteen others. Apparently all the furloughed people who were involved in producing untelevised house shows are now gone.

In other news, today Brandon Thurston released a Wrestlenomics article about how WWE's Saudi deal means that one Saudi show generates as much revenue as 3 Wrestlemanias and so on. 

It seems like every few days something comes out that reinforces my decision to stop supporting this garbage-ass company back in January of 2017.
 

Andrew Yang gunning for them next year would be a welcome and amazing reversal of fortune.

Edited November 9, 2020 by Technico Support

[Eivion 3,773]

So you're angry about them deciding to release people whose jobs were specifically house show based, the things they aren't doing right now and may not do again? 

[zendragon 260]

8 hours ago, Eoae said:

I mean, Shelton Benjamin doing Hardbody Harrison's "Stang" gimmick is a much better option that Hardbody Harrison doing Hardbody Harrison's "Stang" gimmick, so....

I wonder how many gimmicks that wrestlers pitch for themselves get given to other wrestlers.  Brodus Clay claims he pitched Mark Henry's Hall of Pain gimmick for himself (Vince had Henry use it instead, obviously).

Apparently Scott Diamore (of Impact/TNA) approached the WWF with the idea of The Goon, and they used his idea with another wrestler

[AxB 11,479]

https://wrestlenomics.com/2020/11/09/how-we-know-wwe-gets-paid-about-50-million-by-the-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-for-each-event/

The article I was referencing earlier. WWE has made more from the five Saudi shows so far, than they have from every Mania combined. It almost excuses them doing that deal. Almost, but nowhere near.

[mattdangerously 6,902]

41 minutes ago, Eivion said:

So you're angry about them deciding to release people whose jobs were specifically house show based, the things they aren't doing right now and may not do again? 

Yes, because they're making enough money that they can afford to at least try to find other roles for them.

[Eivion 3,773]

Just now, mattdangerously said:

Yes, because they're making enough money that they can afford to at least try to find other roles for them.

And if there were none?

[mattdangerously 6,902]

1 minute ago, Eivion said:

And if there were none?

They can't find things for a dozen or so people to do? Really?

[Eivion 3,773]

4 minutes ago, mattdangerously said:

They can't find things for a dozen or so people to do? Really?

During a pandemic when the amount of people they are trying to use onsite is probably limited? What roles are they suitable for that aren't likely already occupied?

[PetrolCB 9,178]

Its shitty to can somebody who busted their ass for you for 30+ years, because you have nothing for them to do. Same with Chioda, the best ref WWF/E ever had.

Edited November 10, 2020 by PetrolCB

[Technico Support 9,618]

They fired people at the height of the pandemic just to boost their stock numbers.  They made enough money in one quarter to pay every single person they fired for years.  Have some empathy. If your company treated you like that, you’d be fine with it?

[tbarrie 831]

17 minutes ago, Eivion said:

And if there were none?

Then you have to wonder why they hired such useless people in the first place.

[nofuture 4,207]

Their whole traveling infrastructure has been rendered useless now that they've set up residency in Orlando for the foreseeable future.

[Eivion 3,773]

17 minutes ago, PetrolCB said:

Its shitty to can somebody who busted their ass for you for 30+ years, because you have nothing for them to do. Same with Chioda, the best ref WWF/E ever had.

Its business. When you no longer have a role you tend to be let go. Its a shitty situation, but I don't necessarily think its shitty of a company for releasing you.

16 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

They fired people at the height of the pandemic just to boost their stock numbers.  They made enough money in one quarter to pay every single person they fired for years.  Have some empathy. If your company treated you like that, you’d be fine with it?

Empathy is fine, but I also realistically have no expectation of a company to continue paying people who aren't actively working. That no matter how much money they make is a ridiculous ask outside of sickness, injury, retirement funds, etc. They are a business. Its not their job to support people for life. Its a give and take relationship. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Eivion