KawadaSmile Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 Disney Death Park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 https://twitter.com/AlexM_talkSPORT/status/1282711193673781250?s=09 Kevin Owens is the one who talked Vince into making masks mandatory for WWE. KO was going to leave and Vince asked him what he could do to make KO stay. There are several on the roster who are still reporting to shows who have this pull. KO was the only one who actually did something about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirEdger Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 And KO seems to be the only one who realizes that and acts to make things better for his co-workers. Most of his co-workers don't deserve somebody like Kevin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 Between this and Roman Reigns doing a recent interview where he directly said he couldn't rely on his co-workers to social distance/wear masks away from work, you'd think more would consider the consequences of their actions. But they really don't care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 WWE is like a little microcosm of the U.S. Maybe this Owens thing shows that one person, or a small group of people, can make a difference even when all of the others are either apathetic or willfully harmful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted July 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 17 minutes ago, Burgundy LaRue said: Between this and Roman Reigns doing a recent interview where he directly said he couldn't rely on his co-workers to social distance/wear masks away from work, you'd think more would consider the consequences of their actions. But they really don't care. Shit, can you give me a link to that interview? Considering Roman's status as a locker room leader based on all accounts, those are some words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/wwes-roman-reigns-talks-fatherhood-family-and-making-a-comeback-into-the-ring/article31932956.ece Here's the paragraph in question: The decision was taken mainly because each performer travels so much, and we are all such a diverse group and from all over the place. I’m not convinced, and I can’t trust the fact that everybody is taking it as seriously and locking themselves down at home like I am. I trust my life with my co-workers every time I step foot in the ring, but I just can’t put the same trust when it has my children, my wife and my family involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted July 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 Truth be told, he's 100% right. Even more so with people like Zack Ryder (who's not in the company, but still), Peyton Royce, and many others living their lives like nothing's going on, and others probably thinking it's a work. Zayn, Roman and now KO are possibly the smartest dudes around regarding all this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 Note what he said right before that paragraph: The company (WWE) has done everything that they can to make it the safest work environment possible. It is not the workplace that I was necessarily concerned about. Kind of hard for the workers to stick together when the guys on top are such blatant corporate shills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 I don't agree with it, but Roman saying it doesn't keep anyone for looking out for their personal health/well-being. WWE should have been testing long before they did, but that doesn't stop half the roster from going to Vegas or the beach. Lana may well be a major carrier and infected several family members. And guys like Angel Garza have flat-out said they think it's a hoax. That was before the outbreak backstage, though. And think about why Roman left: supposedly because Miz showed up sick. Miz has been in the company for over a decade, but he didn't care enough about anyone else when it came to staying home. Roman's POV makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 1 hour ago, NintendoLogic said: The company (WWE) has done everything that they can to make it the safest work environment possible. That disqualifies pretty much everything he has to say after that point. Being such a corporate drone especially when you're in a position of power where *you* can pretty much choose to not come (while others don't have that same pull) is so pathetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 A number of talent can choose not to go. They still show up. You think Roman bailing on the day of WM tapings went over swimmingly? Him being a top guy will protect him from payback, I'd wager. But I doubt Vince was pleased with him in the moment. There are rumors that Riddick Moss opted not to wrestle because of the pandemic. Don't know if that's true. But if it is, he clearly has no leverage. If anyone is showing up, it's because they've made the choice to do so. WWE deserves no praise in the situation. But stop acting like these grown people who make hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions every year don't have options. They're not actually essential workers, as we all know. At the very least, stop going out to bars and thumbing their noses at the situation. Their out-of-work behavior is on no one but them. It's all moot, anyway. Until Florida shuts down completely for at least 3 months, this is what we'll see. And DeSantis ain't shutting down for anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 5 minutes ago, Burgundy LaRue said: WWE deserves no praise in the situation. But stop acting like these grown people who make hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions every year don't have options. They're not actually essential workers, as we all know. At the very least, stop going out to bars and thumbing their noses at the situation. Their out-of-work behavior is on no one but them. I mean, a lot of the roster doesn't have the option not to go to work to be honest. Most of the people at the PC and in NXT get paid peanuts and probably can't afford to not go to work. It its absolutely on them to not be going out and not taking proper precautions though, no argument there. I do wonder though, considering the horrible takes (not COVID related ones, but more general right-wingery 'have you tried not being poor" ones) we've seen from homegrown folks like Braun and Corbin, if there's not some kind of indoctrination going on with the company that is going on that is leading to this attitude so many have Sure, there's likely some of the usual "young people think they are indestructible' going on, but it makes me wonder if there's something else at play. Also it could be proof for my theory that spending excess time in Florida causes brain damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 So Charlotte, prompted by the need to take her mind off a broken AC, went on Twitter to talk about her issues with having silicon poisoning from a leaking implant and how her current time off is due to having a procedure done to correct a cosmetic issue related to that. In an ideal world that should lead to a discussion of the industry leader setting expectations for women that lead them to believe their only option is to get tons of (usually unnecessary) plastic surgery, but that has become a third rail that everyone is afraid to touch, since any mention of it gets twisted into attacking the person who mentions it as someone bashing women based on looks. It kind of ties in to the previous discussion on how there is a real issue with groupthink in that company, which one might be tempted to call cult-like in many ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 26 minutes ago, sek69 said: So Charlotte, prompted by the need to take her mind off a broken AC, went on Twitter to talk about her issues with having silicon poisoning from a leaking implant and how her current time off is due to having a procedure done to correct a cosmetic issue related to that. In an ideal world that should lead to a discussion of the industry leader setting expectations for women that lead them to believe their only option is to get tons of (usually unnecessary) plastic surgery, but that has become a third rail that everyone is afraid to touch, since any mention of it gets twisted into attacking the person who mentions it as someone bashing women based on looks. It kind of ties in to the previous discussion on how there is a real issue with groupthink in that company, which one might be tempted to call cult-like in many ways. Also immediately reminds me of when everyone when in on Dave Meltzer over his Peyton Royce comments again. It would be just like that all over again whenever anyone tries to bring it up. See also: Paige. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 @sek69 I was thinking more about main roster talent, but I agree about NXT/PC talent. They're in a tough spot. As for WWE corporate speak: there is going to be some of that always coming from talent, for better or worse. You have those like Roman who walk the line with praising them while not going overboard. Then you have guys like Miz who never go against anything and work to constantly stay in their good graces. And then there's Braun, who is dense by most standards and says stuff that makes no sense, either in context or practical application. Braun would have made the 'stop being poor' remark no matter what, because that's who he is. It just so happens his belief system lines up with WWE bigwigs. A lot of it comes down to general corporate structure, it's like that in many places. But combine that with the carny side of pro wrestling, and it's a mess. You can only hope that most recognize it as such and come out at least semi-functional. With Charlotte, she has talked about how she's been called manly because of her athletic build and how it bothers her. So I don't know if her getting implants is solely based on her being in WWE. I doubt they discouraged her, to the overall point. There is a discussion to be had about the pressures of being physically perfect for all big-time wrestlers. From constantly working out, taking 'supplements' or cosmetic surgery--it runs the gamut. But I don't think there's any wrestling journalist I trust to approach the topic properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 I think it's hard to have the conversation in the wrestling community because so many of the commenters are dudes. Look at the way Cornette went after Dana Brooke, as opposed to saying "ya know, I don't think this is working for her." Any internet discussion of this is going to be filled with misogny that would drive off a lot of people who could actually contribute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 1 hour ago, sek69 said: I do wonder though, considering the horrible takes (not COVID related ones, but more general right-wingery 'have you tried not being poor" ones) we've seen from homegrown folks like Braun and Corbin, if there's not some kind of indoctrination going on with the company that is going on that is leading to this attitude so many have Sure, there's likely some of the usual "young people think they are indestructible' going on, but it makes me wonder if there's something else at play. There's a cultish aspect in WWE corporate culture, for sure. Brainwashing is in effect. "Our chairman, our CEO, our leader".... 50 minutes ago, Coffey said: Also immediately reminds me of when everyone when in on Dave Meltzer over his Peyton Royce comments again. It would be just like that all over again whenever anyone tries to bring it up. See also: Paige. Totally agree with this and what @sek69 is saying here. Try to say anything and you'll get shit from virtue signalers with agendas (they have showed up during #speakingout also, and pretty quickly) because complex issues aren't to be discussed. Complexity is banned from social medias. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 With all this talk about Roman, Zayn, and KO "sitting out," I was curious if anyone has any thoughts/predictions regarding whether this time off can be added to their contracts? I'm guessing the answer is Definitely Yes, which might also be why Daniel Bryan was hesitant to leave in April when he was likely already planning to take paternity leave and didn't want that time tacked on too. Considering that Vince routinely adds time to contracts when workers get injured, there's just no way I could see him not saying to someone like Reigns or Owens, "Sure, you can take off 3 months, pal, no problem" without making them make up that time down the stretch. I know Owens has his detractors here, but I really wish he'd just find a way to up and quit or get out like Moxley did. He seems like a good enough dude that realizes how toxic the WWE is but just hasn't figured out his exit strategy even though he knows he'd do just fine back on the indies or AEW. Again, I know he's not super popular with everyone here and I'm far from a stan for the guy, but there was a point when he had aura and was interesting - he hasn't been a "must see" character in years, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, DMJ said: he hasn't been a "must see" character in years, though. That's beyond his control. Everyone who had great potential before WWE has been swallowed by the machine. Think of when Ricochet was in Lucha Underground, people thought of him as the next big thing in a Rey Mysterio way. He's a complete nobody today. FTR have to rebuild themselves in AEW because although everyone knows how good they actually are, they have been hurt by years of nothingness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 I'm actually shocked that KO was the one who was able to get WWE to put in a mandatory mask policy, since he's generally a guy with no fucks to give when it comes to possibly rubbing people the wrong way and those types tend to not succeed in the company. Imagine though how Roman must feel. Dude endured years of creative bungling and still happily plays the role of company man while at the same time having to keep his distance from said company, only to have Kevin fucking Owens come in and get WWE to start taking this shit seriously. Like you have to think he's having a 'why don't he want me, man?' moment wondering why the top guy not trusting his co workers to act responsibly wasn't motivation enough for the company to act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert S Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 12 minutes ago, sek69 said: I'm actually shocked that KO was the one who was able to get WWE to put in a mandatory mask policy, since he's generally a guy with no fucks to give when it comes to possibly rubbing people the wrong way and those types tend to not succeed in the company. The strange dichotomy always has been that while Vince likes to surround himself with yes-man, he always seems to heavily respect people who just are out-front with what they think, are confrontational. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy LaRue Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 I don't think Roman wants to be there right now. Goldberg did a podcast right after WM where he said there was some talk of doing his match with Roman still, even after he filmed with Braun. They had a week in between the original filming and WM weekend, so it could have been done. Roman knew being champ required him to be there and he doesn't want it right now. And with how poorly Braun is being received as Universal champ, it makes most fans miss Roman that much more. I can almost guarantee most filed Roman's leaving as "he has leukemia, he's immunocompromised, he has to go." They didn't stop to think about anything else. I think Roman is quietly separating himself from WWE, anyway. Between the corporate rat race and a section of fans still at his throat about any little thing, he's making the slow but steady transition to a life post-wrestling. It seems his cancer relapse has changed a lot of things for him, understandably so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 It's also weird watching the company congratulate the Horsewomen for the 5 year anniversary of their main roster debut and shattering the expectations the company themselves set for women's wrestling. I guess that's what happens when you awkwardly co-op what was a legit pushback from fans on how poorly women were being treated. It's still hell of a thing for a company to pat themselves on the back over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted July 13, 2020 Report Share Posted July 13, 2020 And it's funny (and typical revisionist history WWE) that the main roster debut of Becky, Charlotte and Sasha is being celebrated as a milestone because I recall it being pretty underwhelming and the first few months being bungled with forced stables with stupid sounding names Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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