Migs

Another solid episode. Really hit me how the fact that they didn't run Cody-Spears into the ground after they did the PPV match allowed them to go back to it six months later and make it feel like a bigger deal and a viable main event (despite Spears being pretty low on the card since then). Using the wrestlers as the audience continues to really distinguish them from WWE. It's such an easy point, that I noticed when I watched one of the few college basketball games without fans - if you have cheerleaders and a few folks in the stands and crank up the mics on them, you get a good approximation of the normal sound of the crowd and it really helps overcome the weird vibe of doing this for no one. Tony and Jericho was such a spectacular pairing. Hope we get that at last once more in this run.

My theory - Sonya wants Mandy, so she set her up with Ziggler, because Ziggler is the kind of guy who makes women go "I think I'm done with men." That's the only logical way to explain it.

Belair is fascinating to me, in that I just don't find her compelling, but plenty of people I know and respect LOVE her, and I sort of get why they do. She's gotten better in the last year, and perhaps she'll keep improving on the main roster since she'll get to work with better workers.

It's hard to even remember a lot of the Orton WM matches for me. I remember the finish of the Rollins match... the Punk match was pretty good... and everything else that springs to mind ranges from boring to disaster.

The brackets would have them meet in the semis. I'm surprised they put Archer in the tournament - not sure he'd be my choice for first champ and I can't see them beating him (unless he gets himself DQed for being too violent).

A really good show tonight, better than last week I thought. Pretty much all the videos and vignettes clicked, the pacing of the matches was really good, and we found out they had secured the rights to Everybody Dies. A delightful two hours.

Cody -> Archer -> Darby could be a good sequence of initial champions (over a few months, of course).

I'd actually assume Goldberg wins and Roman beats him at the first PPV with people. If Braun takes the title, Roman beats him there.

Has Orton officially accepted yet on the show?

Does that mean the Collective would be in Jersey? In for that.

On the flip side - these guys need the money and indies can't pay them if they're not running shows. WWE can easily eat the talent costs for two months when they have a guaranteed TV contract.

I think the safety net would be the way contract law applies in a state of emergency - if the government says the event CAN'T happen, then there'd be no cancellation fee / forfeit of deposit, because the contract would be unenforceable. EDIT: for WWE, I'd assume it's much more complicated, because they may be getting paid by Tampa to do the event, which would mean cancellation fees and maybe forfeiting the amount they were supposed to get paid. What I said above would apply for the indy companies that probably have pretty generic contracts ("I pay you X to rent a place, no cancellations more than X days before").

It seems like they're waiting on Tampa or the state to cancel to avoid cancellation fees on the contract. (This is almost certainly the case for the other events over the weekend as well, perhaps even moreso.)

My guess is that right now they're discussing what the plan is. There's no way it happens as scheduled but I'm sure they'd like to be able to announce the new date with the postponement if possible.

I do wonder about that. Doing shows without fans could work for a week or two, but it would be so genuinely strange that I can't see them doing it for two months. Maybe the option is the equivalent of studio shows? Only allowing 50-100 people in?

I'm more worried about the indy promotions and performers who make a lot of their yearly income on the Mania weekend shows. If it has to be cancelled for public health, it is what it is, but it'd be really unfortunate.

They're $50 on BR Live. I have not blinked at the price for any of the three shows I've ordered (I was at Double or Nothing), although I do generally host a few people who kindly provide some booze and order the takeout.

I think they're trying to limit the number of times they're asking people to pay $50. Also, as a PPV main event, it would really drain the undercard of star power, which is why they might be leery to use it there. As the main event of a two hours show, that's less of an issue. (I'm sure popping a big rating helps too, considering that the TV deal does seem to be the big driver for wrestling companies now.)

I don't think they lost anything in the move. They have: The full archive back to about 2012 All (or most?) of the 2002 shows up Some of their comp DVDs (Steen, Joe, Dragon, etc. and also one that has a mix of matches) Whatever matches they've thrown up on Youtube Some shoot interviews they apparently own the rights to Pretty sure that's the extent of it. Not having the whole thing is really dumb in 2020.

I dunno, there's enough teams floating around between the NWA and ROH that volume shouldn't be an issue, but what exactly is the hook for the tournament? 8 pretty solid teams have a few 10 minute tag matches?

Supercard of Honor has always been on the $10 tier for Honor Club with no extra fee, and the way it's labeled I think it'll be the same this year. I'm assuming the high price on FITE is, like with NJ shows on there, meant as a way to get people unaware of Honor Club to overpay. (I guess you could say you get forever access to it, as opposed to losing access if you quit Honor Club, but eh.) The lack of the back catalogue 2+ years into Honor Club's existence is inexcusable.

You'd have to presume the Bouncers, along with PCO/Brody since they won last year.

The SNMEs are usually the best bet in terms of a time investment. Prime Time has the build but also a lot of filler.