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WWE TV 09/16 - 09/22 Stop pushing Seth down our throats!


KawadaSmile

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I really don't believe we're ahead of the curve as far as hating Mauro is concerned, cuz he is legit unbearable. I refuse to see how you can listen to him every week and not start hating him and his stupid pop-culture references. Imagine him doing commentary during the time Razor Ramon was debuting. He would have referenced every shitty knock-off and tribute to Scarface there has ever been made. 

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10 minutes ago, Mad Dog said:

The three man booth is death and I think it's awful that it seems to be the standard now with WWE and AEW.

Agreed. You only need two. It worked well in WCW during the Nitro eras because you had super strong characters with heavily defined roles : Tony the announcer, Heenan & Larry the color guys and Tenay throwing knowledge to help get the luchadors and cruiserweights over. AEW going for a three men booth is a mistake, it's not needed. IMPACT is perfectly fine with Callis carrying Matthews. LU was quite fun with Striker & Vampiro having their own fucked up chemistry. 

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For all of this talk about a wrestling war, the possibility of both promotions just falling on their face and failing on TV never seems to come up a lot.

NXT is just too niche I think. It gets a lot of buzz online but I don't think a huge chunk of the audience was watching the show. We also saw over the summer they had trouble drawing for a Takeover without a main roster PPV attached. I just don't see how they last long term because fans never support things seen as a B show or a side project for WWE. The ratings for the debut, I honestly see that as a complete disaster for something they promoted as happening.

AEW has a lot of warts and things they need to figure out. I don't think they were ready for Cody to kind of become their best guy and I think they are going to not adjust to that. I think they have a slightly better chance of success because they have to succeed. But they have a higher learning curve and people don't seem patient to let them learn. I think they have a small window here where they should put the belt on Cody and I think they aren't going to do it.

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19 minutes ago, El-P said:

IMPACT is perfectly fine with Callis carrying Matthews.

I started following IMPACT more closely since I realized you can watch the most recent episode of their TV without having to sign up for their streaming service, and it really is amazing how much better Matthews is now. He still comes off kind of like a douche at times, but Callis out there to needle him  tends to keep his worse tendencies in check. 

It helps that Callis is my favorite kind of announcer, the ex wrestler who's kinda heelish but also calls things more or less down the middle. It's like the wrestling equivalent to having someone like Tony Romo calling an NFL game. 

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1.179 million viewers is more than anyone predicted, so that number is seen as a major success. The question becomes how much of that viewership can they hold after the newness wears off, along with AEW coming on air.

NXT isn't being presented as a side project, but rather a true third brand for WWE. They do have the cushion of returning to the WWE Network if the USA deal isn't renewed in a couple of years. AEW has no such luxury right now.

If anything, it shows the divide between diehard wrestling fans and the more mainstream/casual crowd. It's close to a 50/50 split. So the quest becomes how to bring in more of the RAW/SDL crowd while keeping the NXT supporters happy and also competing with another wrestling show who shares that core fanbase.

I think both NXT and AEW have hurdles to overcome. AEW will need to establish a female star ASAP. NXT clearly sees their women's division as a strength and will use it to their advantage. That they barely used Cole or Baszler and didn't even show Gargano for the first show means they're holding on to some of their heavy hitters for a bit. AEW has the edge when it comes to tag teams; pushing Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy, who are the most family friendly, seems the way to go.

Is it possible for both to fail? Sure, that has to be on the table. But I think WWE has or will have safety valves in place to prevent NXT from hitting the skids. AEW probably will have fail safes, too. We just don't have enough information on them yet to gauge what those may be. 

It'll be interesting to see where it all goes over the next 6-12 months.

 

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1 hour ago, Mad Dog said:

The ratings for the debut, I honestly see that as a complete disaster for something they promoted as happening.

Disagree.

ECW on SyFy, 12 years ago, when RAW and SD were routinely getting higher ratings than they are today (and, I'd argue, the business was "hotter"), never really maxed out too far beyond 1.5-1.6 million viewers - and that was with an objectively strong brand (ECW) and "name" talent like RVD, Sabu, Kurt Angle, as well as emerging young talent like CM Punk on the show plus the odd "guest star" like Batista. By the end of ECW's run, in 09', it was getting the same the 1.1 rating that NXT got last night. I haven't checked the numbers, but I believe this means that NXT actually brought in a higher percentage of viewers from RAW and SD than ECW was doing in 09' and with no "name" talent and a much weaker brand than "ECW."

As Burgundy LaRue said, the real question is, in 6 months, if this 1.1 is going to be the high watermark or if they can build on it (or at least sustain it). There was never a chance that the debut of NXT was going to get more viewers than RAW or SD, so the fact that they actually scored a rating that's close to half (and not a third or a quarter, which is what many were expecting), is a definite success. Plus, from what I read, NXT was a loss leader on the Network and is now a $30 million enterprise. 

I do think that oddly bodes well for AEW too. Its now proof-of-concept that there are at least million wrestling fans who will watch wrestling on Wednesday, even after a Sunday PPV, Monday RAW, and Tuesday SmackDown. AEW can certainly fight for 500k of those fans and, if they keep their costs and overhead low, and rake it in at live shows with some big gates (which I don't think TNA/Impact ever did - even for their biggest events), I think the business could be sustainable - though, I'm no economist and know close to nothing about what AEW's costs are vs. their profits. 

 

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3 hours ago, sek69 said:

I love how that person in the tweet was all "one show in and they're turning on Mauro" when people have been down on him for a while. Or is PWO just ahead of the curve?

Nice to see that he's taking a page from Seth's playbook and play the "check the bank account" card though.

The funny thing is, in reality Mauro Ranallo is notoriously thin-skinned.  You only have to watch his documentary for evidence of that fact.  Also, an MMA writer wrote a scathing expose about him a few years back - before he even signed with WWE, which paints him as temperamental and abusive to his co-workers, and totally incapable of handling criticism.  I know many people will chalk that up to his being Bi-Polar and un-medicated, but I don't necessarily agree.

Also, while many of us have been complaining about Mauro for quite some time now, I think there is actual evidence that his work is getting worse.  Or it may just be that he isn't really being produced in NXT and they let him say whatever he wants.  If you back and listen to him when he was on Smackdown, he really wasn't anywhere near as bad.  In PRIDE he was fucking annoying, but he wasn't totally unlistenable like he is now.  I have no evidence of this theory of course, but I think he's actually buying into his own hype and thinks he's really good.  That's why he even hates letting other people talk and is constantly interrupting.

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22 minutes ago, TheDuke said:

From what I can see, there is no way to watch the new NXT in Canada? It's not on Sportsnet, and I am guessing since it is on USA now it is no longer on the Network.

There is not.  They claimed they are going to be announcing a TV outlet for NXT in Canada when the announcement was made, but as of yet they have not.  I would have assumed it would be Sportsnet 360, since that is the home of Raw and SD (for now.)  I am guessing when SD starts on Fox, they won't be on SN360 in Canada anymore, so maybe Sportsnet will want to take NXT to make up for it.

I'm not all that fussed about it either way, since they actually are replaying the complete 2 hour block of NXT from Wednesday on USA on the WWE Network TV feed on Thursday nights, so I only miss the show by 24 hours and realistically I wasn't going to watch it live anyhow.

On a similar note, Cody also claimed AEW will be available in Canada, and it's two weeks before they debut and so far we haven't heard squat.  So that's pretty lame too.  If they don't manage to secure a TV deal up here, that will be a bigger problem than some people are going to think.

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NXT going over 1 million is an INCREDIBLE rating. They might be able to sustain that, and I think having a 2 hour show can be very helpful in order to give the viewer a reason to keep on watching, as they'd have more time to develop characters, storylines, and longer matches, as well as shorter ones to showcase talent.

 

16 minutes ago, The Thread Killer said:

The funny thing is, in reality Mauro Ranallo is notoriously thin-skinned.  You only have to watch his documentary for evidence of that fact.  Also, an MMA writer wrote a scathing expose about him a few years back - before he even signed with WWE, which paints him as temperamental and abusive to his co-workers, and totally incapable of handling criticism.  I know many people will chalk that up to his being Bi-Polar and un-medicated, but I don't necessarily agree.

Can you give us the link to him being exposed, my dude? Sound like an interesting read.

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14 minutes ago, Alucard said:

I just find Mauro hilarious with the references.

"These women are lighting up the ring like LIZZO LIGHTING UP THE MUSIC SCENE!"

"Just like HIP HOP ICON MISSY ELLIOT, Bianca Belair CAN'T STAND THE REIGN of Shayna Baszler!"

"In a match that lasted about as long as a TIK TOK VIDEO!"

its the best.

I have no idea if any of those are real, but I love them all. :D 

In a company so devoid of distinctive personalities at the commentary table, Mauro Ranallo stands head and shoulders above the rest of the industry as a true original. 

The fact that he's so easily parodied is proof that he has a memorable style. 

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21 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

The funny thing is, in reality Mauro Ranallo is notoriously thin-skinned.  You only have to watch his documentary for evidence of that fact.  Also, an MMA writer wrote a scathing expose about him a few years back - before he even signed with WWE, which paints him as temperamental and abusive to his co-workers, and totally incapable of handling criticism.  I know many people will chalk that up to his being Bi-Polar and un-medicated, but I don't necessarily agree.

I will say there probably is something to that, being bipolar is a bitch and I don't doubt he was a bear to work with especially before he got his meds situated.

Having said that,  it would be kind of weaksauce to blame mental illness for asshole behavior.  I can understand giving someone a little wider berth in that situation but at the end of the day a jerk is a jerk.

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On 9/19/2019 at 8:09 PM, KawadaSmile said:

Can you give us the link to him being exposed, my dude? Sound like an interesting read.

It was way back during the whole Mauro/JBL debacle that I first saw the article, and I don't know if I'll even be able to find it now...but because it's you asking, I'll hunt around and see if I can find it.

On 9/19/2019 at 8:41 PM, sek69 said:

I will say there probably is something to that, being bipolar is a bitch and I don't doubt he was a bear to work with especially before he got his meds situated.

Having said that,  it would be kind of weaksauce to blame mental illness for asshole behavior.  I can understand giving someone a little wider berth in that situation but at the end of the day a jerk is a jerk.

When it comes to Mauro Ranallo and his mental condition, here's my issue.  I've seen Ranallo admit in more than one interview that yes, he has been diagnosed as bi-polar but no, he doesn't take his medication because he doesn't like the way it makes him feel.  Specifically, he has claimed Lithium made him groggy and lethargic and incapable of working.  Which may be true, I am in no position to judge him.  That's his right, and as long he is not a risk to himself or others he has the right to refuse to undergo pharmacological treatment.  Lord knows he would hardly be the first person with a mental illness who didn't want to take their medication due to the side effects.

However, Mauro Ranallo has gone on to advocate for the use of cannabis as an alternative treatment for bi-polar disorder.  In my opinion that is incredibly irresponsible.  It is a well known, well documented, proven scientific fact that when people with a diagnosed chemical imbalance/mental illness use cannabis their conditions can be exacerbated, in some cases severely, and irreparably.  If you don't believe me, google the phrase "Cannabis Induced Psychosis." During my career I personally saw people who had manageable mental illness end up having full blown psychotic episodes after cannabis use.  Not always, but it happens enough to be statistically noteworthy. In one severe case, we had a kid who had previously only been diagnosed with a mood disorder graduate to full on schizophrenia after using cannabis, and he never came back from it.  After he came down, from that point on he was schizophrenic.  That was actually how I found out about Cannabis Induced Psychosis, the Psychiatrist treating the kid told me about it and gave me the research to read. 

I am not anti-cannabis.  I am simply saying that THC does not react the same way with people with a chemical imbalance of the brain as it would with a person without.  Hell, there have even been documented cases of cannabis actually causing bi-polar disorder, not just exacerbating it.

When I saw his documentary I was disgusted that he was presenting cannabis as a treatment for bi-polar disorder.  That's always been one of my main issues with him.  If he is bi-polar and wants to refuse treatment and go through life in an unmedicated state, that is his choice and his call.  However to produce a documentary that suggests that his condition can be managed by a substance that can actually cause the condition it's supposed to be treating - and then give publicity interviews reinforcing that theory?  Not cool at all. Other people are watching that, and I cringe to think how many people were encouraged to stop taking their meds or start using cannabis because of him.  In the documentary he blithely passes off his use of marijuana by casually mentioning that people may not agree with him or it's not for everybody or something to that effect...but the actual results of his words could be much more serious.

You only have to watch an interview with this guy to see that he is a manic state a lot of the time, and I've even seen him say things in interviews which indicate delusions of grandeur. For example, not long after his documentary came out, I actually saw him claim that he was surprised that his film hadn't had a greater impact yet on the mental health profession yet.  Yeah. Keep cashing those checks, Mauro.

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6 minutes ago, The Thread Killer said:

You're golden, bubba.

Plus your previous post shed a different light on the dude and it's a great insight not just about him, but about mental health & mental health treatment. 
What was really telling to me is that when you mention his delusions of grandeur, you can even see hints of it spilling into his commentary. At the last Takeover, during the main event, the crowd was chanting "Mamma Mia" and he went out of his way to say "truly this is a moment deserving of my catchphrase" and it just felt so odd. It's almost like he's needing to be catered to, instead of selling the action for the viewer.

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2 hours ago, The Thread Killer said:

There is not.  They claimed they are going to be announcing a TV outlet for NXT in Canada when the announcement was made, but as of yet they have not.  I would have assumed it would be Sportsnet 360, since that is the home of Raw and SD (for now.)  I am guessing when SD starts on Fox, they won't be on SN360 in Canada anymore, so maybe Sportsnet will want to take NXT to make up for it.

I'm not all that fussed about it either way, since they actually are replaying the complete 2 hour block of NXT from Wednesday on USA on the WWE Network TV feed on Thursday nights, so I only miss the show by 24 hours and realistically I wasn't going to watch it live anyhow.

On a similar note, Cody also claimed AEW will be available in Canada, and it's two weeks before they debut and so far we haven't heard squat.  So that's pretty lame too.  If they don't manage to secure a TV deal up here, that will be a bigger problem than some people are going to think.

That's not changing for Smackdown on Sportsnet 360. It's gonna air live on Friday nights. From what I understand, Sportsnet wasn't interested in NXT, which is surprising.

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38 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

Plus your previous post shed a different light on the dude and it's a great insight not just about him, but about mental health & mental health treatment.

The whole issue of mental health and the treatment of mental health issues is always tricky.  We discussed a similar issue way back here when we debated ranking Chris Benoit in the Greatest Wrestler Ever poll.  We got into discussing his mental health issues and debated if he was truly responsible for the murders or not.  There are arguments that can be made on both sides.

For some, Chris Benoit is not responsible for the murders because he was mentally ill.  The whole "diminshed capacity" or "not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect" argument. For others, Chris Benoit knew he had mental health issues and was aware enough to get medical treatment, but he still insisted on taking a steroid (Testosterone) which he knew would make him more aggressive.

You can apply the same argument to Mauro Ranallo on a much, much smaller scale.

Some people might write off Mauro's alleged behavior behind the scenes because he's bi-polar.  Others might make the argument that because he knows he is bi-polar and refuses to take the clinically accepted medication for his condition and instead is using cannabis as treatment, then he is therefore responsible for his actions.

I honestly don't know the answer, but it's an interesting discussion/debate.  All I do know, and it's something we can all agree on - is that he's terrible and should never call another Pro Wrestling match again as long as he lives.

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No one's ever going to go broke betting on the scumminess of rasslin' personalities, so anything's possible. With that said,  I am bit skeptical about an unsourced (and now defunct) gossip blog called "Cage Potato." If there was anything to this, wouldn't someone - anyone - more credible have picked up on it? Again, doesn't mean it's not true, but I am not going to believe it blindly.

Then again, rasslin' fans will believe TMZ types who post unverified crap about wrestlers throwing tantrums on floors, so no one's ever going to go broke either betting on the general naivety and stupidity of the so-called "smart" rasslin' audience - especially those on Twitter and website comment sections.

As for the Mauro doc, while I certainly liked it a lot, found it eye-opening, and reviewed it positively, I'm sure I was one of many who took his cannabis claims at face value because he said it helped him (and while I have no reason to disbelieve him on that, it's clearly not a one size fits all solution). The fact is, most people watching the doc - thankfully - will never truly be able to comprehend the full extent of his mental illness. I do think he was a lot more open and raw than most people would be, so I give him and the doc a lot of credit for that.

14 minutes ago, The Thread Killer said:

All I do know, and it's something we can all agree on - is that he's terrible and should never call another Pro Wrestling match again as long as he lives.

He's the best in the business, bar none. No one brings the excitement, creativity, and "big game feel" to wrestling the way he does. No one!

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