WWE TV 10/07 - 10/13 Mamma Mia Nigel! The crowd is turning on Seth much like [REDACTED COMPARISON]

[hammerva]

Also imagine if the NFL Free Agency was only based on guys 3rd on the depth chart like the WWE apparently is doing. 

 

[sek69]

Also lets not forget that Charlotte had another short title run. At this rate she'll end up with 30 reigns with little over 2 months of total time as champ.

[Slasher]

But that's the draft. The NFL draft runs for three days, and by the third it's mostly scrubs. Listen, I understand what you are saying, but that's the draft. Best players go off the board first and then you work your way down. Drafting Heavy Machinery instead of Daniel Bryan or Seth Rollins makes zero sense in kayfabe. If they were concerned about running a show with drafting randos that no one cares about, then don't make it 5 hours long total. Do one show like a Network special where they reveal picks and stuff without it bleeding into the tv product. 

[Tetsujin]

Man this stupid company sucks so much. Kofi was world champion a week ago and now he doesn't even care about it. Draft picks in the fucking same order they posted before. No world title for the Fiend when he's over. Charlotte with another meaningless title run. The new videogame sucks. NXT has become an Ode to HHH and Meltzer. The Saudi stuff. SHORTY Gable. Destroying the UK indie scene.

 

Nothing new, but that doesn't change how bullshit it all is. There could be good stuff, but nothing that makes me feel like I should be a "WWE fan". I HATE their product.

[FMKK]

Can't wait til Charlotte Flair breaks Ric's 16 titles record in about two months and they wheel him out on TV to cry

[Zoo Enthusiast]

7 hours ago, Tetsujin said:

Man this stupid company sucks so much. Kofi was world champion a week ago and now he doesn't even care about it. Draft picks in the fucking same order they posted before. No world title for the Fiend when he's over. Charlotte with another meaningless title run. The new videogame sucks. NXT has become an Ode to HHH and Meltzer. The Saudi stuff. SHORTY Gable. Destroying the UK indie scene.

 

Nothing new, but that doesn't change how bullshit it all is. There could be good stuff, but nothing that makes me feel like I should be a "WWE fan". I HATE their product.

It's only two weeks into AEW and I already can't see why on earth I would watch a second of WWE-produced programming.  A year ago I would have been thrilled that Cain Velasquez is coming in.  Now I just wish he hadn't signed there.

[Mad Dog]

They lost a million viewers. They are going to have to figure something out or they will be on FS1 quickly.

[sek69]

Unless they start getting like Impact numbers they aren't being moved to FS1 anytime soon.

[FMKK]

What an opportunity to appeal to people who haven't watched in a while or haven't even seen wrestling but caught all the Fox hype and thought they'd check it out. And they just did the same old shit that's been driving off viewers for years. 

[Strummer]

21 minutes ago, FMKK said:

What an opportunity to appeal to people who haven't watched in a while or haven't even seen wrestling but caught all the Fox hype and thought they'd check it out. And they just did the same old shit that's been driving off viewers for years. 

My thoughts as well. Last night was just your typical, run of the mill average wwe show with horrible comedy and terrible finishes. There was nothing different about it

[Mad Dog]

39 minutes ago, sek69 said:

Unless they start getting like Impact numbers they aren't being moved to FS1 anytime soon.

I think if we're 6 months in the future and they are getting the same numbers they were getting on USA that they are going to be in trouble. 

[FMKK]

6 minutes ago, Strummer said:

My thoughts as well. Last night was just your typical, run of the mill average wwe show with horrible comedy and terrible finishes. There was nothing different about it

Bryan Alvarez made a good point on Observer Radio earlier (even with Dave talking over him and not really taking on board what he was saying). If you were a new viewer watching the advertised Reigns vs Rollins match, how the fuck would you respond to the ending being a weird fat guy in a clown mask pulling one of the wrestlers under the ring? You'd turn the channel and never look back because it's embarrassing shit and makes absolutely no sense.

[C.S.]

I'm shocked kids still care about Bayley this much. It just reinforces how badly WWE botched her face run, as they do for all of their babyfaces.

 

[sek69]

The worst part of the SD rating is the 50+ stayed the same as last week but the 18-49 demo dropped.  So the same old folks who've been watching stayed but the young folks who checked out last week didn't. Pretty much confirms that WWE is the brand equivalent to the "How do you do, fellow kids" meme at this point. 

[El-P]

11 minutes ago, C.S. said:

I'm shocked kids still care about Bayley this much. It just reinforces how badly WWE botched her face run, as they do for all of their babyfaces.

I remember when Bayley was über-over in NXT, the talk was that she could become a female John Cena on the main roster, the ultimate babyface and someone who would draw the kids and sell shitloads of merchandise. 6 months in, she was dead in the water.

[C.S.]

Just now, El-P said:

I remember when Bayley was über-over in NXT, the talk was that she could become a female John Cena on the main roster, the ultimate babyface and someone who would draw the kids and sell shitloads of merchandise. 6 months in, she was dead in the water.

The absolute mismanagement of super hot over babyfaces is one of the reasons WWE is as unbearable as it is.

Even a geek like Seth is being sabotaged by being forced to cry in the corner. 

[FMKK]

10 minutes ago, sek69 said:

The worst part of the SD rating is the 50+ stayed the same as last week but the 18-49 demo dropped.  So the same old folks who've been watching stayed but the young folks who checked out last week didn't. Pretty much confirms that WWE is the brand equivalent to the "How do you do, fellow kids" meme at this point. 

I would love someone to do a survey into those 50+ year olds who are watching WWE because the company thinks it's catering to young people and so much of the in-ring style has shifted in the wake of what indies were doing in the last 15 years or so, which you'd expect to cater to your 20-35 year old smark. So I'd love to know who these 50+ year old fans are, who they see as stars, what they like about WWE etc. 

[El-P]

3 minutes ago, FMKK said:

So I'd love to know who these 50+ year old fans are, who they see as stars, what they like about WWE etc. 

Atavism.

[NintendoLogic]

44 minutes ago, FMKK said:

Bryan Alvarez made a good point on Observer Radio earlier (even with Dave talking over him and not really taking on board what he was saying). If you were a new viewer watching the advertised Reigns vs Rollins match, how the fuck would you respond to the ending being a weird fat guy in a clown mask pulling one of the wrestlers under the ring? You'd turn the channel and never look back because it's embarrassing shit and makes absolutely no sense.

It reminds me of the story of why Giant Baba stopped working with WCW. At Clash 5, Tenryu and the Road Warriors were scheduled to defend the NWA six-man titles against a team led by Sting in a match that was going to be taped for Japanese TV. TBS executives were afraid of Sting being booed on live TV, so they booked an angle where Kevin Sullivan locked his team in the dressing room so the Varsity Club could take their place. Baba had always tried to maintain a veneer of serious sports credibility, and there was no way he could explain a title match not taking place because a door was locked. A major stipulation match ending in a no-contest because one of the competitors was dragged under the ring is like that times a hundred. With all the money Fox is giving WWE, you'd think they'd have a degree of veto power.

[El-P]

BTW, does anyone really knows what Bischoff is actually doing ? Meltz mentioned the other day when asked that very question that people backstage had no idea yet, but that Uncle Eric was seen at catering... (I don't even want to picture what the Bischoff podcast sounds like these days ! )

[Mad Dog]

WWE reminds me a lot of the current day comic book market. They think they are marketing themselves to a younger market but the only people that actually watch/buy their products are the old people that grew up on it. Both have a high barrier to entry with time for WWE and money for comics. And both have certain problems with how they execute storylines that unless they got you hooked young, you aren't going to stick with it.

[FMKK]

12 minutes ago, Mad Dog said:

WWE reminds me a lot of the current day comic book market. They think they are marketing themselves to a younger market but the only people that actually watch/buy their products are the old people that grew up on it. Both have a high barrier to entry with time for WWE and money for comics. And both have certain problems with how they execute storylines that unless they got you hooked young, you aren't going to stick with it.

That's a good comparison actually. I've never been a comic person. I had a few when I was like 8-10 years old but it was never a serious hobby. Sometimes I've thought it would be a cool thing to get into but it just seems like there are so many timeline and dimensions and versions of the same character and spin-off series etc. that it's completely impenetrable for a newcomer to get their head around. WWE is similar in that way. So many titles, hours of TV, WWE jargon language quirks and unexplained characters etc. that I don't know how anyone could start following it from scratch.

[SirEdger]

So, is this partially why there are so many of us that are really into AEW right now? Because we have a chance to start basically from scratch with them and watch the stories and characters grow and evolve with time?

[FMKK]

10 minutes ago, SirEdger said:

So, is this partially why there are so many of us that are really into AEW right now? Because we have a chance to start basically from scratch with them and watch the stories and characters grow and evolve with time?

It helps that so far finishes and booking has actually mattered

[sek69]

9 minutes ago, SirEdger said:

So, is this partially why there are so many of us that are really into AEW right now? Because we have a chance to start basically from scratch with them and watch the stories and characters grow and evolve with time?

I would say at least partly, yes. It's a chance to get in on the ground floor on a new set of characters that most people haven't seen before. Plus as stated the finishes and booking have all mattered and none of it makes you feel like an idiot for investing your time.