WWE TV 6/22 - 6/28

[Parties]

Incredible how bad the Authority angle has gotten. Toxic stuff that’s killing the whole vibe of the show. Worse now that it was when they were sabotaging Bryan. Unfortunately, they should now re-do what they already did last year: book a Survivor Series 5-on-5 main event that disbands the Authority and ends the year on an uplifting babyface win. (I know you still have TLC in Dec, but that show is poorly mistimed every year, and needs to be rebranded into something that feels like a year-ender to build toward the Rumble. December doesn’t have to be Starrcade. Doesn’t need to be the biggest show of the year. But an arbitrary pile of shitty weapons matches that never get over is a bizarre use of that space on the calendar.)

The setup last year to Ziggler being the surprise hero to pull it out was good, and would have worked if Steph and Hunter had gone away for even just three months until it was time to build the Sting match. At this point I don’t even get why they want to be on TV for anything besides the annual WM build, aside from this ridiculous self-fulfilling prophecy of “ratings go up when the only two recognizable people left from the casual fan Attitude Era are onscreen, therefore these two old buffoons should be booked as 10x bigger stars than anyone on the roster.” But imagine if Survivor Series ended with Ambrose finally pinning Rollins and getting his big anti-establishment win, while the world title becomes Lesnar-Reigns II at either SS or TLC.

[sek69]

The Authority is veering into nWo territory where they never take any significant losses and anyone they face ends up looking like an emasculated chump. It's getting harder to be invested in any storylines since even if the babyface does manage to get a win, the Authority always gets the last laugh.

[goc]

I know that the finish sucked by why didn't anyone post about how AWESOME that Sheamus/Roman Reigns match was? I knew those two would be a good pairing and they did not disappoint in what I think was their first match together.

[Slasher]

I agree that TLC is a bad gimmick to end the year on but in all fairness, December holds the disadvantage of:

 

1. It is sandwiched between two big time events (or it used to be before Survivor Series was downgraded to just another event but its name still holds some value)

 

2. Not many people are going to invest in the show due to the holidays, whether it is money being spent or attention being paid.

 

So they kinda have to just get through the show to get to the Royal Rumble. Here is the deal though, they essentially have two special events revolving around a ladder as a concept with MITB and TLC. If it were me, I'd merge the two concepts into one show under whatever billing you want and give the other month that would be vacated with the return of the KOTR as a show. In fact you could give the KOTR the same stakes it had in 2002 which was Brock winning a Summerslam title match through the tournament. Could be better than giving the crown to midcarders before being shoved down the card.

[Strummer]

Incredible how bad the Authority angle has gotten. Toxic stuff that’s killing the whole vibe of the show. Worse now that it was when they were sabotaging Bryan. Unfortunately, they should now re-do what they already did last year: book a Survivor Series 5-on-5 main event that disbands the Authority and ends the year on an uplifting babyface win. (I know you still have TLC in Dec, but that show is poorly mistimed every year, and needs to be rebranded into something that feels like a year-ender to build toward the Rumble. December doesn’t have to be Starrcade. Doesn’t need to be the biggest show of the year. But an arbitrary pile of shitty weapons matches that never get over is a bizarre use of that space on the calendar.)

 

The setup last year to Ziggler being the surprise hero to pull it out was good, and would have worked if Steph and Hunter had gone away for even just three months until it was time to build the Sting match. At this point I don’t even get why they want to be on TV for anything besides the annual WM build, aside from this ridiculous self-fulfilling prophecy of “ratings go up when the only two recognizable people left from the casual fan Attitude Era are onscreen, therefore these two old buffoons should be booked as 10x bigger stars than anyone on the roster.” But imagine if Survivor Series ended with Ambrose finally pinning Rollins and getting his big anti-establishment win, while the world title becomes Lesnar-Reigns II at either SS or TLC.

 

Dave has mentioned several times that when Triple H and Steph aren't on TV the ratings plummet. Over the past 2 years they have conditioned their audience that if those two aren't involved the show is not important so you can skip it. I mean their segments are pushed over Cena's. They are presented as the biggest stars in the company for sure. Wondering if Bonnie Hammer and USA don't have something to do with that. I didn't like it back in December when they came back so soon but the fact is they are going nowhere. Especially if they have big matches at mania next year

[Parties]

 

 

 

Dave has mentioned several times that when Triple H and Steph aren't on TV the ratings plummet. Over the past 2 years they have conditioned their audience that if those two aren't involved the show is not important so you can skip it. I mean their segments are pushed over Cena's. They are presented as the biggest stars in the company for sure. Wondering if Bonnie Hammer and USA don't have something to do with that. I didn't like it back in December when they came back so soon but the fact is they are going nowhere. Especially if they have big matches at mania next year

 

 

I've read Meltzer report the same thing, which is what I was referring to in calling it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hammer/USA wanting it that way isn't a bad theory, but that's oblivious corporate self-love at its worst, and a huge issue going forward. Sek’s NWO comparison is apt. The great test of HHH’s executive run at the top will not be whether he can do what Vince did. It’s already been done. His - and Stephanie’s - test will be whether they have the self-awareness to learn from history (Dusty, Nash, Hogan, Verne, Vince at his most indulgent) and concede that booking themselves ahead of their roster isn’t a security measure. It’s a death wish.

 

And while the point about people putting their money elsewhere during December holidays is fair, I still think it's a rationalization of lousy booking. The idea that you simply can't put on a good show in between Survivor Series and Royal Rumble is such lazy, conditioned thinking. Yet you hear it from anonymous WWE writers and producers all the time: this idea that they tank half of their shows and aren't expected to come up with anything good, because Mania is the only show that matters. It's absurd. The roster they have is strong enough to fill out 3-4 distinct divisions (Heavyweight/IC/US/Tag), each of which should be able to headline a PPV on the strengths of new talent.

 

If a team of 20 writers are only capable of producing about one and a half storylines per year - most of which suck - they should be fired. If Vince is stubbornly resistant, he should be Old Yellered. If these failures are apparent to viewers of the show, I can only imagine how frustrated the staff who are trying their best must be. Watch even a mediocre UFC show and you'll see a hundred easy ways in which WWE could improve. None of which are "Dana and Lorenzo cut 20 minute promos, then book Johny Hendricks to job in a handicap match against Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg."

 

(Sorry if this is a derailing of weekly TV conversation. For the sake of topicality and sanity, I should probably just start a thread called "Elevated Blood Pressure from McMahon Family Incompetence" and keep such rants to that location. Or just make use of the "HHH is a Douche" thread.)

[dawho5]

It does have some bearing on the TV for last week, so I'm all for it.

[Blehschmidt]

If a team of 20 writers are only capable of producing about one and a half storylines per year - most of which suck - they should be fired. If Vince is stubbornly resistant, he should be Old Yellered. If these failures are apparent to viewers of the show, I can only imagine how frustrated the staff who are trying their best must be. Watch even a mediocre UFC show and you'll see a hundred easy ways in which WWE could improve. None of which are "Dana and Lorenzo cut 20 minute promos, then book Johny Hendricks to job in a handicap match against Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg."

 

 

This is the best paragraph I've read all day.

 

The closing line is made even better by the fact that the two guys winning the handicap match are former enemies who are now probably inexplicably friends with no explanation from the "writing team"

[Johnny Sorrow]

 

 

If a team of 20 writers are only capable of producing about one and a half storylines per year - most of which suck - they should be fired. If Vince is stubbornly resistant, he should be Old Yellered. If these failures are apparent to viewers of the show, I can only imagine how frustrated the staff who are trying their best must be. Watch even a mediocre UFC show and you'll see a hundred easy ways in which WWE could improve. None of which are "Dana and Lorenzo cut 20 minute promos, then book Johny Hendricks to job in a handicap match against Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg."

 

This is the best paragraph I've read all day.

 

The closing line is made even better by the fact that the two guys winning the handicap match are former enemies who are now probably inexplicably friends with no explanation from the "writing team"

When has that happened? Seriously. Some examples of when that exact scenario has occurred in the WWE recently.

[The Chief]

Is there a reason why Luke Harper and Erick Rowan were put back together only to almost immediately disappear from TV?

[WingedEagle]

Apparently Rowan is on the DL.

[Blehschmidt]

I wasn't saying that it necessarily had happened recently. It just seems that in the history of wrestling in most cases when a guy turns heel, he for no reason forgives or forgets all of the terrible things that had been done to him in the past with no explanation.

 

In the example above he used Serra and Hughes, two guys who hate one another, and whether or not that was intentional on his part, it reminded me of this piece of wrestling storytelling that for years has made no sense.