Official WWE/ECW/WCW/TNA talk, or whatever v2

[trackercowe]

Collision also tanked on Saturday with less than 200k viewers. Yeah they can blame the Olympics, Summer Slam, etc but there is always something up against it. The television rights renewal is not looking good either. I think Dynamite is salvaged, perhaps moving to a three hour show. There is a good chance Rampage and Collision goes the way of the dodo, as ratings are too low to keep either show.

Also rumors of Garcia, Lucha Bros, and Starks all heading to the WWE. It's honestly for the best that AEW trims their roster anyway. Unfortunately for Khan it comes a year too late, as then maybe the Bucks would have headed to Stanford.

[rubecube]

I mean every wrestling show has been down during the Olympics.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I mean every wrestling show has been down during the Olympics.

Except that Raw wasn't on their main network, and actually drew impressive ratings coming out of Summerslam.

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/w...rslam-fallout/

The Smackdown ratings were also up for the go home show.

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown episode averaged 2.179 million viewers on Fox, up 5.9 percent from the previous week. It’s still the second-lowest audience total for the show since June 14th.

NXT ratings are down during the Olympics, but they still recovered from last week.

According to Wrestlenomics, the August 6 "NXT" averaged a total of 534,000 viewers, marking a 14% increase from the 468,000 viewers who saw week one of The Great American Bash on July 30

Dynamite had improved ratings for MJF/Ospreay and Blood and Guts. Yet they're not drawing match outside of Friedman and those massive gimmick matches. Although ratings mean squadoosh right now. AEW needs find that agreement with Warner Bros. Tony said yesterday the deal is "imminent", so let's see what pans out.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Dynamite had improved ratings for MJF/Ospreay and Blood and Guts. Yet they're not drawing match outside of Friedman and those massive gimmick matches. Although ratings mean squadoosh right now. AEW needs find that agreement with Warner Bros. Tony said yesterday the deal is "imminent", so let's see what pans out.

They need a good streaming deal is what it comes down to, whether that's HBO Max or whoever else can host them.

Between the two companies, AEW would benefit more from a streaming deal than WWE will. I know my Dynamite viewing lapsed much more once I couldn't access the on-demand episodes via Fite TV. Yeah, the quality is down, but I can't commit to being home every Wednesday night and then I kind of lose interest when most of the stuff gets spoiled online.

[Paulie Walnuts]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/entertainm...80831e2a&ei=76

[SuperMatt18]

I wouldn't be surprised if one thing CW is really pushing for is a bit more consistency on who is at the shows.

For past WWE contract deals that was a really big deal, and even though you can never guarantee that a star will be there both Fox and USA really wanted some type of structure on who appears on what show.

We know CW seemed to have a similar agreement with Punk being the lead of Collision before that whole thing went up in Flames.

One problem with AEW TV up until recently was that due to injury and just booking you never really knew if the biggest stars would actually be on TV. Over the last 2 months they've really tried to make it a point for them to be on TV more consistently...wouldn't be surprised at all if that's part of the discussion.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/entertainm...80831e2a&ei=76

I remember that Kevin Sullivan was the absolute darling of the Kayfabe wrestling publications like PWI Insider.



They always had those articles about Kevin Sullivan doing animal sacrificing, and how he was influencing young wrestling fans into his satanic ways.


At the end of the day he created this brilliant gimmick, that made him one of the great villians, he even beat up his mentally challenged "Brother" Evad (Its Dave backwards, get it get it?) Except that backfired because the fans absolutely hated Evad and cheered him getting beaten up.


He was also a huge figure behind the scenes and always seemed to be used as an emergency booker when things started falling apart. I'm not saying he was great at it.



He was caught in the middle of one of the greatest kayfabe backfires of all time during his feud with Chris Benoit, and his wife Woman (Nancy Sullivan).

[SuperMatt18]

https://x.com/DrainBamager/status/18...5Es1_&ref_url=

Take####a is so good.

Okada, Take####a, Callis...that should have been Okada's debut faction in AEW.

[Blaster86]

I'm gonna miss you, booker-man

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

I'm gonna miss you, booker-man

Pillman should be forever remembered for the loose Cannon gimmick, and using Kayfabe to fool Eric Bishoff into a for real release and big money with WWE.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

https://x.com/DrainBamager/status/18...5Es1_&ref_url=

Take####a is so good.

Okada, Take####a, Callis...that should have been Okada's debut faction in AEW.

I'd love to see Phantasmo in AEW at some point, too. Dude has that "it" factor.

[trackercowe]

Take has been criminally underused on AEW. Considering the injuries they've had I'd say he's their second or third best worker behind Ospreay and MJF. I don't understand why he hasn't been given the proper push. He's had chances here or there, but they have been fleeting.

Although he's good friends with Shinsuke, so maybe Tony is worried he'll head to WWE at some point? Take has the look, ability, and mannerisms of a breakout star. I actually like how WWE used Shinsuke (and Iyo Sky) with his stylised Japanese promos. It's far more effective than how Vince promoted talent from Japan.

Shinsuke should have won the Championship off of Styles years ago, but I think overall he's had a good run. I actually met Nakamura once at a convention in Seattle. He's a very good speaker, and is great at telling stories. I would put him up against LA Knight for the US Championship, that could be a nifty little feud. I enjoyed his program with Rhodes... with someone like Nakamura you can invent any reason for him going after Knight.

[rubecube]

I think Nak has been used worse in WWE than Okada has in AEW. That cringe program with Jinder Mahal basically ruined any main event hope he ever had.

[SuperMatt18]

Nakamura was great in NXT, and then had a decent first year where he debuted at Raw after Mania, got a couple title shots (that he should have won against Jinder), still won the next Royal Rumble, and they screwed it all up by having Styles retain and then the foolish fued that ended in a bunch of DQs and No contest that made him look bad.

Never regained much momentum after that and now he's just happy to surf and hang out lol.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I think Nak has been used worse in WWE than Okada has in AEW. That cringe program with Jinder Mahal basically ruined any main event hope he ever had.

Main roster WWE. NXT Nakamura was great. The issue is that Nakamura had the NXT run to hang his hat on when it came to North American booking. Okada has gone straight to main roster Nakamura status. Nakamura has been used poorly for longer, but the style of booking they have both endured is not good. They also both don't seem to give a hoot and are happy in their roles so god bless em.

The big difference is WWE is so hot, they don't need Nakamura to be more than he is now. AEW really need something not related to MJF to get big, which Okada should easily be.

[trackercowe]

Roman Reigns on Smackdown tonight... Must watch television. I wonder how many beatdowns he'll take before he reforms The Original Bloodline. Also what's next in store for Rhodes with Orton moving to Raw to face Gunther?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

AEW really need something not related to MJF to get big, which Okada should easily be.

Honestly the booking has acted as a heat check for way too many guys over the last 2 years, and injury has hurt others.

Swerve was there...but then they turned him face (kind of) and now have him kind of heel again which has hurt his momentum.

Ospreay had pretty good momentum...but I actually think putting him into the title match with Swerve and then now a fued with MJF has actually hurt him too.

Okada hasn't been presented as the absolute super star he is since joining and his momentum was killed before it even got going.

Jay White as a singles wrestler has been booked to oblivion even before his injury (although I find Bang Bang gang entertaining still).

Hangman is being built back up now but he had booking issues for a bit in combination with injury / time off.

Is Blackpool Combat Club still a thing...still the most unnecessary faction ever IMO

And the home grown talent that was such a big part of AEW's early success really seems to have plateaued (outside of MJF).

MJF clearly a star...Darby, Perry, and OC are still around but honestly have lost momentum compared to a couple years ago...and then other pieces that used to be standouts that made AEW feel different are just gone. Wardlow, Guevara, Hobbs, Starks, Garcia, Yuta, Kris Statlander, Shida, the entire tag team division (somebody could probably write a whole article on how the ROH titles and trios titles seemed to kill AEW's tag division), Take####a (good push until it was just over) and others I'm sure I'm missing.

The most talented roster in all of wrestling...but Khan clearly needs some booking help at this point. And for the love of god get rid of ROH and trim the roster already.

Edit: To not be completely negative...I've loved the booking of Toni Storm and Mariah as that has been perfect. Hangman and MJF both bring so much to the show now that they are back. Ospreay is a star even if they've put him in weird spots by hotshot ting the feuds with MJF and Swerve. Swerve vs Hangman is a top fued...they need to give Hangman his revenge at some point.

[trackercowe]

What's kinda sad is the booking with Punk was actually really good. Some of the best feuds in AEW's brief history involved Punk. I think MJF/Punk is still the best feud they've had. He put their B show on the map, and was doing yeoman's work in putting over young talent.

Now obviously Punk is in large part to blame for his firing, I'm just speaking in more of an objective viewpoint. The only other ex-WWE superstars that I think maintained (or increased) their popularity coming have been Christian, Swerve, and maybe Joe. Danielson has been booked fine, I just feel his popularity is not the same today than it was back in 2021.

I expected more out of someone like Cesaro. He was often overlooked in WWE, yet all us marks loved him. He should have had a run with a title. Instead he had the RoH title and otherwise is #3 in his stable... generally just putting talent over.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Now obviously Punk is in large part to blame for his firing

Really? You feel the man who punched one of his bosses and choked a co-worker may have played a role in his own termination?


You're like the John Madden of HR decisions.

[trackercowe]

Pretty crazy that with great booking even inanimate objects are getting over in the WWE right now (Punk's bracelet and the Bloodlines ulaphala). There's a bigger connection to them than much of the roster.