The Official WWE / NXT Discussion Thread *May Contain Spoilers*

[AfRoMaN36]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="CQI13" data-cite="CQI13" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Because I'm sure the workers would be glad to take less money - the company wouldn't keep the same compensation if there was less revenue coming in.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Who said anything about less revenue? You can run the same number of shows but rotate months where certain workers appear. I don't think house show attendances will be impacted significantly if Cesaro or Heath Slater aren't scheduled. As for the main eventers, you can divide them up evenly. Cena can run roster A, Reigns can run roster B. It's not like having them both on the same card is doing big house show business as it is.</p><p> </p><p> And as a side note, I've left jobs for lower pay because I was worn out and demoralized and the other job was offering something more manageable for my mental stability. I doubt CM Punk is the only person who doesn't think life revolves around money.</p>

[The Final Countdown]

Who said anything about less revenue? You can run the same number of shows but rotate months where certain workers appear. I don't think house show attendances will be impacted significantly if Cesaro or Heath Slater aren't scheduled. As for the main eventers, you can divide them up evenly. Cena can run roster A, Reigns can run roster B. It's not like having them both on the same card is doing big house show business as it is.

Another alternative could be having everyone on the road, but limiting how many days a week they actually wrestle. So if they run say 5 days a week, maybe Dean Ambrose wrestles on three of those shows and strictly cuts a promo or does a Highlight Reel with Jericho or something like that on the other two.

[milamber]

Oh I know why they are doing some of the decisions that they are doing. Doesn't make them good decisions...The fact that I'm a die hard wrestling fan and they are killing my enthusiasm is crazy! Catering to everyone is making it digestable for nobody. They are killing my passion for it. I'm dying for a real contender to compete with them so I can get my passion back for it.

 

Well, there's always NXT, Lucha Underground, ROH, Evolve and New Japan to watch. And Smackdown is usually better than Raw most weeks. There's plenty of good wrestling to be watched, in and out of WWE. I don't have a way to watch WWE live which is good because I just skip the boring matches and segments. Makes it easier to watch.

[OldStingberg]

WWE are making more money now than they ever have before.

 

Depends on how you look at it. Yes their revenue is at an all-time high, but their profit in 2015 was at a relatively modest $22 million (following a $30 million loss in 2014).

 

Compare that to 2000, where their profit not even adjusted for inflation was nearly $85 million according to the numbers I've found. Adjusting that for inflation brings that up to around $117 million. And while that was certainly their high, nearly each year since 1998 has shown a profit of considerably more than $22 million without even accounting for inflation.

 

The WWE has grown revenue, but they've shrunk their consumer base and have had to spend and invest much more to raise that revenue than they've had to in the past.

[bigtplaystew]

Who now? Cause the only BK i can remember is Burger King and that has nothing to do with this thread.

 

Exactly. I was wondering why I had to endure 4 live angles promoting the crap. That... would be the joke...

[Mootinie]

Who said anything about less revenue? You can run the same number of shows but rotate months where certain workers appear. I don't think house show attendances will be impacted significantly if Cesaro or Heath Slater aren't scheduled. As for the main eventers, you can divide them up evenly. Cena can run roster A, Reigns can run roster B. It's not like having them both on the same card is doing big house show business as it is.

 

In that case, you'd have to plan house shows meticulously. You'd have to divide your roster into 12 and give every person on the roster at least one month off. And WWE's policy now is to run two shows in one day. They ran a house show in Atlantic City (Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles, 30 Minute Ironman) on the same day they were running RoadBlock live on the Network. So, you're already spreading your roster super thin as is and you're now going to give guys time off as well? There's a lot of other factors too which I won't go into, but this kind of policy just doesn't work IMHO.

[OldStingberg]

In that case, you'd have to plan house shows meticulously. You'd have to divide your roster into 12 and give every person on the roster at least one month off. And WWE's policy now is to run two shows in one day. They ran a house show in Atlantic City (Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles, 30 Minute Ironman) on the same day they were running RoadBlock live on the Network. So, you're already spreading your roster super thin as is and you're now going to give guys time off as well? There's a lot of other factors too which I won't go into, but this kind of policy just doesn't work IMHO.

 

You realize that practically every company in the world has to make paid time off work, right?

 

I have four weeks of paid time off per year. It's not like my company has someone chilling in a conference room somewhere waiting for someone to take some PTO in order to fill in for them.

 

You make it work. Can it be an inconvenience for a business owner? Sure. But it's a bigger inconvenience having your guys retire early or leave your company or become unmotivated or get injured.

[AfRoMaN36]

In that case, you'd have to plan house shows meticulously. You'd have to divide your roster into 12 and give every person on the roster at least one month off. And WWE's policy now is to run two shows in one day. They ran a house show in Atlantic City (Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles, 30 Minute Ironman) on the same day they were running RoadBlock live on the Network. So, you're already spreading your roster super thin as is and you're now going to give guys time off as well? There's a lot of other factors too which I won't go into, but this kind of policy just doesn't work IMHO.

 

Split them into three groups then. Have AJ Styles or Dean Ambrose run the third group. Have two groups running together each month with a third brand off the road. Rotate them out.

 

I'm sure there will be small intricacies that need to be worked out. And maybe you might have to hire a couple more guys or bring in local talent for a night, but this short term "run them into the ground to make as much money as possible" mentality is clearly backfiring on them. We're long past the carny days, we need to treat the workers like human beings.

 

Any job that can afford to take those extra steps for their employees should absolutely take the investment. Paid time off in any profession, not just wrestling, sees a benefit of higher retention. Workers are rested, more motivated and perform better cause they're not burned out. That means a better product for the fans, at least from an in ring stand point.

[Kitarzu]

You realize that practically every company in the world has to make paid time off work, right?

 

I have four weeks of paid time off per year. It's not like my company has someone chilling in a conference room somewhere waiting for someone to take some PTO in order to fill in for them.

 

You make it work. Can it be an inconvenience for a business owner? Sure. But it's a bigger inconvenience having your guys retire early or leave your company or become unmotivated or get injured.

 

The main difference is WWE wrestlers, not only them, also TNA, WCW, ECW and the list could continue, are not corporate employees but independent contractors. Unless a union is created the problem would not be solved.

[AfRoMaN36]

The main difference is WWE wrestlers, not only them, also TNA, WCW, ECW and the list could continue, are not corporate employees but independent contractors. Unless a union is created the problem would not be solved.

 

Not being corporate employees does not remove the incentive for the company to act on their own and implement something like this. Many companies that do not have unions still make an effort to care for their employees.

 

And it's neither here nor there, but most legal analysts say that their classification of their wrestlers as "independent contractors" would not hold up in court.

[Jaysin]

And it's neither here nor there, but most legal analysts say that their classification of their wrestlers as "independent contractors" would not hold up in court.

 

Except it does hold up in court time and time again. They're almost constantly being sued by former employees for injuries sustained while working for the company and WWE wins everytime. This also means they don't have to give the workers paid time off either. If the worker isn't on the road, they're generally not making much money unless they're someone like Orton or Cena who get huge chunks of royalties.

[Dave_Scott]

Bray's injury just adds to the list. Seriously what the hell is going on?! I can't ever recall a time period where there have been this many top guys out. Seth, Cena, Orton, Bray, Cesaro, Kidd, Sting, Nikki. If either Roman or Dean gets injured, WWE is screwed.

[The_CoC]

Bray's injury just adds to the list. Seriously what the hell is going on?! I can't ever recall a time period where there have been this many top guys out. Seth, Cena, Orton, Bray, Cesaro, Kidd, Sting, Nikki. If either Roman or Dean gets injured, WWE is screwed.

 

Honestly its probably because injuries are just more accepted, back in the day a concussion wouldn't mean a thing or a pain in the leg? Just walk it off or take some pills. That and the work rate has increased immensely.

[milamber]

Bray's injury just adds to the list. Seriously what the hell is going on?! I can't ever recall a time period where there have been this many top guys out. Seth, Cena, Orton, Bray, Cesaro, Kidd, Sting, Nikki. If either Roman or Dean gets injured, WWE is screwed.

 

Add Neville to that list for a few months if it's as bad as reported. Shame for him as he was a lock for the mulit-man IC title match at WM. On the upside maybe they throw Breeze a bone and add him to the match.

[Warhawk8492]

Add Neville to that list for a few months if it's as bad as reported. Shame for him as he was a lock for the mulit-man IC title match at WM. On the upside maybe they throw Breeze a bone and add him to the match.

 

That sucks, Neville is awesome.

[guyver3]

Apparently TMZ is reporting that Sting is officially retiring from active wrestling, and he's expected to make a formal announcement at the HOF. Really sucks to see sting go out like that but after the match with Rollins it's not surprising.

[The Final Countdown]

LOL at a Hirooki Goto shoutout on Smackdown.

 

This was the first time I've tuned in to Smackdown since Mauro's first show (though it was largely on in the background as I worked on a show writeup for my diary.) It's amazing how much better Lawler's commentary is now that he's a heel again, especially since I didn't really even like his commentary during the Attitude Era.

[BHK1978]

I wonder why the WWE doesn't do something similar to what they did in the 1980's. Have two (Or maybe even three, I cannot recall if it was just two or three) touring rosters. Have the A company work the bigger cities and the B company tour the smaller cities. They could alternate them so that each touring roster would work every other week.

[crownsy]

I wonder why the WWE doesn't do something similar to what they did in the 1980's. Have two (Or maybe even three, I cannot recall if it was just two or three) touring rosters. Have the A company work the bigger cities and the B company tour the smaller cities. They could alternate them so that each touring roster would work every other week.

 

There kinda doing this though. They split the roster for house shows all the time. They also have NXT touring now. They come up to my neck of the woods in Massachusetts in a few months I think, to Lowell.

[OldStingberg]

Not being corporate employees does not remove the incentive for the company to act on their own and implement something like this. Many companies that do not have unions still make an effort to care for their employees.

 

Exactly. I'm not saying the WWE is legally required to, I'm saying they should choose to do so. It would keep wrestlers happier and healthier and give creative easy opportunities to work guys in or out of storylines depending on a wrestler's time off.

[iruleall15]

Unions ruins companies. It ends up with those who run the union stealing more from the workers than it helps the workers. Unions are an outdated corrupt system. Look at the NFL PA. They can hold the NFL at borderline gun point to get whatever they want during the negotiation deals.

 

Keep unions away from all jobs. Ive been in 2 unions for 2 jobs. Both times I was robbed of hundreds of dollars for them to do nothing.

[iruleall15]

Except it does hold up in court time and time again. They're almost constantly being sued by former employees for injuries sustained while working for the company and WWE wins everytime. This also means they don't have to give the workers paid time off either. If the worker isn't on the road, they're generally not making much money unless they're someone like Orton or Cena who get huge chunks of royalties.

 

That lawsuit cannot be linked to WWE. Anyone who says they got "hurt" in WWE cannot prove it. Unless they can actually prove the specific match or time their injuries started they will never win. Thats more of a money grab from a lawyer.

[Teh_Showtime]

Unions ruins companies. It ends up with those who run the union stealing more from the workers than it helps the workers. Unions are an outdated corrupt system. Look at the NFL PA. They can hold the NFL at borderline gun point to get whatever they want during the negotiation deals.

 

Keep unions away from all jobs. Ive been in 2 unions for 2 jobs. Both times I was robbed of hundreds of dollars for them to do nothing.

 

The difference between player unions and unions at normal jobs (I absolutely hated union dues) is that you can easily quit your job and work elsewhere without a union.

 

Where will NFL players go to ply their trade without losing millions of dollars? The union is there so that the players aren't at the mercy of the owners who make billions of dollars and can't just suddenly decrease revenue drastically overnight like when WWE switched to the network which essentially made PPV bonuses all but irrelevant based on how the PPV numbers have diminished. In WWE the only about 15% of the revenue generated actually goes to the workers as opposed to the NBA and NFL where it's much closer to 50%

[OldStingberg]

Unions ruins companies. It ends up with those who run the union stealing more from the workers than it helps the workers. Unions are an outdated corrupt system. Look at the NFL PA. They can hold the NFL at borderline gun point to get whatever they want during the negotiation deals.

 

In the last CBA extension, the players' cut of league revenue was reduced by about 4%. In exchange they got some minor safety increases, some benefits for retired players, and the length of the season staying at 16 games.

 

I'm not sure I'd consider that "whatever they want."

[lazorbeak]

Except it does hold up in court time and time again. They're almost constantly being sued by former employees for injuries sustained while working for the company and WWE wins everytime. This also means they don't have to give the workers paid time off either. If the worker isn't on the road, they're generally not making much money unless they're someone like Orton or Cena who get huge chunks of royalties.

 

This is not true. The independent contractor/employee designation has never been won on the merits by the WWE, ever. The Raven lawsuit was dismissed for being beyond the statute of limitations. I have no idea where you're getting the idea that ex employees are "constantly" suing WWE. I think the only guy who's ever won an injury claim was a jobber who took a Rocker Dropper incorrectly and was paralyzed. And he won! Then there was Jesse suing re: home video payments, and he won that, too.

 

I wonder why the WWE doesn't do something similar to what they did in the 1980's. Have two (Or maybe even three, I cannot recall if it was just two or three) touring rosters. Have the A company work the bigger cities and the B company tour the smaller cities. They could alternate them so that each touring roster would work every other week.

 

They did have two touring rosters for over a decade starting in 02, the problem is they're so bad at creating new stars that they were unable to sustain a Smackdown/ECW/Whatever brand independent of their flagship. At this point, with injuries, they'd have to really talent raid to fill two healthy rosters.