PTBN Reaction Show: Battleground 2015

[Johnny P]

Brock is really entertaining, and I'm not so jaded that I don't get excited for his matches. Economically, Dylan is correct, but THEY paid him what he demanded. They aren't poor. If I was an accountant for WWE, no, I would not be happy. As someone who sees these guys kill themselves without a union, good for him. Seriously. Hope he gets double.

 

Here's the thing though, especially now that he's "all-in" now and not using the MMA card to hold over their head: His presentation is on them. If they don't put him into a position to be a draw, he won't be (or at least won't have the chance to maximize it). I believe Rich from Voicesofwrestling.com, and maybe Chris Harrington somewhere did a break down of his business numbers the first 2 years he was back. He was, I believe, deemed a draw for most of that period above there usual business, but not enough to justify the contract.

 

The thing is (and he just re-signed, so this isn't an issue for at least 2 years), someone like me really only wants to watch their Network specials (former PPVs). If I can help it I don't even want to bother much with RAW past a notable segment I'll watch on Youtube or via DVR a day or two later. I don't want to watch Smackdown, or almost anything else they do. Lesnar is a draw for me personally, but I'm 34, and by virtuue of even posting here I'm a hardcore and incredibly niche-y in any estimation. I'm very interested in what part-time fans, casual fans, and more invested fans (hardcores by some sort of definition) from the generation just below me (so-called Millenials, but really anyone 6 yrs old to 25 years old) think of Lesnar, and if they see him as a part of why they pay for WWE. I'd love to know if they do third party research where they ask specific things past YES or NO on Lesnar, and ask things like "if yes, is he ever the only reason you subscribe to WWE Network, and/or watch RAW?" "Is he partially the reason you watch..." "Rank Lesnar within your top 5 to 10 reasons for buying..." and so on. You'd need to be very specific because I'm sure a percentage of "hardcore fanbase" are the types who might tell you they hate him and not even understand that they buy to see someone beat him AKA the Mayweather Effect.

[ZThomas]

Listening to the begining which that talk about R-Truth and New Day as black stereotypical charactors and I was thinking about how Sasha Banks has come in with a ready made charactor and how lucky she is that she didnt have to worry about being stuck with a stupid gimmick. Its reminds me of The Rock during his run in the Nation because he developed a persona that was his and he took control of it. As long as she is able to take control of how her image is portraid then shes good because we know she is excellent in the ring. She has that presence like she owns it when comes out to ring talking shit to the camera and even to her oppenents during the match like Mark Henry or Owens.

[Strummer]

Bryan was as big of a ratings and buyrates draw as anybody else in 2013-14. Summerslam 2013 and WM30 did really good numbers, and his Raw segments were often the highest rated during this time period. It's just unfortunate that he got injured early in his WWE champion run.

Summerslam 2013 was considered a disappointing number by the company and a big reason Bryan was shifted down the card after HIAC that year. His segments started drawing in early 2014 and his merch started selling big time after they ditched the goat stuff and went with the Che Guevera type stuff

[The Chief]

 

Bryan was as big of a ratings and buyrates draw as anybody else in 2013-14. Summerslam 2013 and WM30 did really good numbers, and his Raw segments were often the highest rated during this time period. It's just unfortunate that he got injured early in his WWE champion run.

Summerslam 2013 was considered a disappointing number by the company and a big reason Bryan was shifted down the card after HIAC that year. His segments started drawing in early 2014 and his merch started selling big time after they ditched the goat stuff and went with the Che Guevera type stuff

I could have sworn this was shot down after the final numbers came in...

[ZThomas]

Don't mean to derail this (awesome show BTW!), but as much a question for the guys on the show as anything: it was said here by Dylan (and I think others agreed) that Brock has not been a draw, and has in fact been a waste of money. Has a contract so steep it's actually offensive to your roster, has not improved ratings (they've in fact gone down), arguably hasn't helped the Network, doesn't work house shows, etc. He gets people talking on Facebook, but has that in his case translated into revenue? Which got me thinking: aside from Cena, is there anyone else who's been a true draw in American wrestling in the last 10-12 years? (There's undoubtedly been a thread for this, but I could not find it in searching.)

 

Im not saying he couldve lived upto his worth but That havint booked him like he's worth 5 mil, likey Dylan said, He lost his firsr match for Cena's sake because They didnt want Cena to lose 2 PPVs in a row loses to HHH at the next big PPV only because they wanted to set up a rematch at Mania so its like he wasnt the biggest priority in terms of investing.

 

I agree that Bray Wyatts biggest herdle has been the booking same with Reigns.

I've had to explain to people during Mania season why he was getting rejected by the fans, they dont really follow at all but they liked Reigns I get the feeling that alot of the boos is just a trend in the Smark towns because he has won me over and I never really rejected I was just waiting to see how he develope as a performer and he has

[Strummer]

 

 

Bryan was as big of a ratings and buyrates draw as anybody else in 2013-14. Summerslam 2013 and WM30 did really good numbers, and his Raw segments were often the highest rated during this time period. It's just unfortunate that he got injured early in his WWE champion run.

Summerslam 2013 was considered a disappointing number by the company and a big reason Bryan was shifted down the card after HIAC that year. His segments started drawing in early 2014 and his merch started selling big time after they ditched the goat stuff and went with the Che Guevera type stuff

I could have sworn this was shot down after the final numbers came in...

 

We weren't factoring in 2012's adjusted numbers at the time

[Johnny Sorrow]

#willpissdrinkingparties

[Timbo Slice]

Footage of Will after the show ended:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9lg6HqJeY0

[Matt D]

I skipped some stuff and made it most of the way through, and you know, I just can't bring myself to be nearly as angry or annoyed as you guys are. I could when Bryan was being horribly mismanaged. This, though? Eh. We're all paying next to nothing for these shows now. It all just seems really low salience to get yourself so worked up over. I like the Bruiser/Crusher thing. That's kind of what some of these guys are now.

 

I think we're just sort of in a cruising cycle until there's a changing of the guard. Everything interesting in WWE right now is centered around Dunn vs HHH, and then a couple of wrestlers (Cesaro, maybe Owens, maybe not, Rusev, maybe the New Day).

 

I just don't see how you guys can raise the vitriol after years and years of the same. Nothing about Taker coming back and the match being a no contest was a huge surprise. Whenever WWE's entered into a situation with no good booking option over the last few years, they just find a way to book no finish at all, it seems.

 

It'd be one thing if they were coming up with new and surprising ways to do stupid things, but this is just more and more of the same. If anything, Will's doing it to himself by not reading the news/following the shows, because it lets him come in with too open a mind when he should have already set his expectations more realistically from keeping an ear open.

 

Why the fuck would you ever give WWE the benefit of the doubt? What has Vince and co. done to deserve that?