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FEBRUARY 2021 Discussion of Wrestling


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I know it's their own fault on so many levels, but WWE has been snakebit for the last many years when you think about it.

2014: Punk quits
2014: Bryan injury #1
2015: Bryan injury #2
2015: Rollins injury (which led to the goofy Wretlemania 32 where everyone seemed injured)
2016: Balor wins the new Universal title and has to immediately give it up
2016: Sting injured and forced to retire in his second major match for the company.
2018: Cena retires from a full schedule
2018: Reigns cancer diagnosis
2019: Rousey leaves after basically one year
2020: COVID completely remixing Wrestlemania
2020: Edge injury
2020: Becky Lynch relinquishes title due to pregnancy

There are a thousand smaller things too (A Charlotte injury here, a Reigns wellness violation there) but in almost every case above, it was a main eventer, a major cog, going down or leaving in the midst of a major push. It adds up.

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3 hours ago, Spontaneous said:

Hasn't Meltzer himself said he rates matches based upon his likes/preferences? If you like what he likes, use his ratings to see what you'd like?

Although, I can't think of any awards show that isn't always just kindling for endless arguments.

He's actually said the exact opposite. He says he's given high ratings to matches he personally hated, the Taker/Foley HIAC and the Omega/Moxley lights out match being perhaps the most prominent examples.

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Ignoring everything else everyone else has already covered for a moment, most disgusting promotional tactic basically ignoring the whole widespread "speaking out" movement is the one that is the biggest "what in the hell were any of you thinking?" thing in this entire thing. It kinda shed a light on how many awful people were getting away with awful activity for ages, including at times by people who ran promotions and used that to their advantage which seems like a more disgusting thing than a round of layoffs (which don't get me wrong, sucked). 

 

In lighter objections I don't believe WWE had anyone in the top 10 of most charismatic and that is one of the more damning statements on the make-up of the voting body. AEW winning most of the awards, sure that's fine, but going "no one in a company that employs Sasha Banks and Big E among others deserves even a top 10 spot in terms of charisma" is basically removed from reality.

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2 minutes ago, username said:

Ignoring everything else everyone else has already covered for a moment, most disgusting promotional tactic basically ignoring the whole widespread "speaking out" movement is the one that is the biggest "what in the hell were any of you thinking?" thing in this entire thing. It kinda shed a light on how many awful people were getting away with awful activity for ages, including at times by people who ran promotions and used that to their advantage which seems like a more disgusting thing than a round of layoffs (which don't get me wrong, sucked). 

Is that just on one promotion though? Also, wouldn't that be like the biggest new story of the year and not most disgusting promotional tactic?

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A big news story can be about a rather disgusting thing (also is there a biggest news story category, I honestly have no idea). I don't think anything says a disgusting promotional tactic has to be about just one promotion, but I wouldn't object to breaking it down and giving it several spots.

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Just now, odessasteps said:

With respect to Speaking Out, don't know if anything can be a bigger news story than the pandemic and how it effects the industry (by which i mean the business) ?

Also, again, Speaking Out is not really a promotional tactic. Now if someone was like, "__________ kept his/her job in ___________ despite multiple allegations" followed by said promotion, than yes, that would qualify.

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1 hour ago, username said:

Ignoring everything else everyone else has already covered for a moment, most disgusting promotional tactic basically ignoring the whole widespread "speaking out" movement is the one that is the biggest "what in the hell were any of you thinking?" thing in this entire thing. It kinda shed a light on how many awful people were getting away with awful activity for ages, including at times by people who ran promotions and used that to their advantage which seems like a more disgusting thing than a round of layoffs (which don't get me wrong, sucked). 

 

 

WWE continuing to employ wrestlers with sexual misconduct allegations finished tied for 8th, along with how Bushiroad mishandled the death of Hana Kimura.

I'd imagine many voters simply didn't think of it as a "promotional tactic."

Good Lord it's depressing to read the full list (per reddit):

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

WWE firing everyone during a pandemic

WWE operating without COVID testing

WWE banning talent from third party opportunities

WWE running in Saudi Arabia

AEW continuing Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara

Rey Mysterio losing his eye angle

Dana White attempting to run a show on a Native American reservation

(Tied) WWE continuing to employ wrestlers with sexual misconduct allegations, Bushiroad handling the death of Hana Kimura

WWE turning Drake Maverick firing into storyline

 

On the upside: There really were a lot of very good matches and wrestlers and tag teams and shows this year, at least.

Edited by El Gran Gordi
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Just now, Elsalvajeloco said:

Dana White attempting to run a show on a Native American reservation was a goddamn year ago. 

That feels like it happened three months ago. Also compared to other stories, it's rather nothing.

At least it's an actual promotional tactic. (As were the Mysterio and Maverick angles).

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15 hours ago, El Gran Gordi said:

At least it's an actual promotional tactic. (As were the Mysterio and Maverick angles).

Yep, I agree. However, I felt this was going to be one of those stories that's big at the moment and then fade into nothing. And that's what ending up happening and UFC ended up profiting more because they ended up canceling that one show for the sake of running a bunch of other shows when they came up with their own covid protocols. It's funny cause the initial story basically made out ESPN/Disney as heroes for telling Dana to stand down when in actuality they ended up putting more money into their pockets.

That was back when the coronavirus story was just a month old here in the U.S., and everyone was very anti-running ANY sporting events. Now a year later, due to fatigue of the story, no one gives a damn anymore. And if you follow UFC like I do, you would know that people (whether it be fighters or their cornermen) are still getting covid-19. It happens with every show now. It seems like their restrictions are as lax as ever, which would explain why there are more positives. Yet, very few if any are outraged. So to me, the initial story became a story because (1) just to LOL @ Dana White and (2) to create mostly false outrage (although I do agree Dana and the UFC were completely too overzealous to continue running). 

To me, what has became a more disgusting promotional tactic is Dana bragging about being the first one back. It was clear he was going to get the last laugh and that all came cause of the initial story and ESPN/Disney being only concerned about their bottom line. Yet, folks were hailing them as heroes. 

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BareRespectfulBarasinga-small.gif

This is me whenever ratings start getting discussed, parsed, analyzed, dissected and/or compared...

The Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic used to be more "most embarrassing/repulsive angle or gimmick that a promotion did to draw heat, get publicity and/or make money" but it occasionally devolved to "thing that I don't like that this promotion did", but now I guess it can be "bad thing that happened to wrestling". I mean the Speaking Out movement shouldn't be what is voted on, but rather how a particular promotion dealt with the effects of it. "Fritz Von Erich's fake heart attack" ('88) or "José González's babyface push one year after Bruiser Brody stabbing case" ('89) were the classic ones to me. On the other hand, "Bob Backlund as WWF Champion" won in '82, so it has always been a bit ambiguous.  

- RAF

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1 hour ago, odessasteps said:

IIRC, the first year it was someone billed as a monster build in a lab. 

Yep, in 1981 (at that time there was no voting yet, I think public voting started in 1982):

"Gene LeBelle Promotion claiming the “The Monster” was built in a laboratory"

mookieghana (or should I say AEW's Chris Harrington?) has the full history of the awards:

https://sites.google.com/site/chrisharrington/mookieghana-prowrestlingstatistics/wo_awards_history

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7 hours ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

knowing what we know now (we knew all along but now confirmed) about khashoggi..  what was to stop the reported hostage situation with WWE talent from going completely left and turning deadly? 

The Saudi’s were just F’ing with them, there’s no way in hell they’d hold anyone from the WWE hostage. The Saudi’s do TONS of business with western companies and they’re not going to jeopardize that by holding employees of a western company hostage. Sure they’ll do dickish things to make a point and scare low level people but it’s not going to escalate to an international incident  

 

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11 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

I think it's worth remembering Reigns also missed almost half the year.

My counter argument is Dynamite was awarded Weekly Show of the Year in 2019, despite being on air for only three months.

Observer readers lean a certain way, and that's fine. The voting reflects their base. People read and listen to the Observer and largely agree with Meltzer's opinions. It's the same way most of Cornette's listeners agree with him.

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16 minutes ago, Mister TV said:

The Saudi’s were just F’ing with them, there’s no way in hell they’d hold anyone from the WWE hostage. The Saudi’s do TONS of business with western companies and they’re not going to jeopardize that by holding employees of a western company hostage. Sure they’ll do dickish things to make a point and scare low level people but it’s not going to escalate to an international incident  

The biggest indicator of that is about 20 wrestlers/WWE personnel getting on a private plane a few hours into the situation. If it was a hostage take, I don't see how that happens. I don't doubt the Saudis making them uncomfortable for a sick thrill, though.

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