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

[Jaysin]

If I remember correctly Wade Barrett's contract was running out. It may be he didn't resign and this is him being written off. Sad that he never got used correctly. Dude was driving straight into being a main eventer during Nexus only to be kicked right back down when Nexus was booked against Cena. Dude can wrestle, talk, has the height, and is a good looking Brit. Perfect as a heel champion and as someone who could do publicity.

 

One of the Young Bucks invited him to join the Bullet Club already.

 

I think he'd do really well in New Japan. Showing up in TNA is a possibility as well since his good friend Drew is doing so well there.

 

Wherever he ends up, he'll shine above most other workers.

[kingjames]

One of the Young Bucks invited him to join the Bullet Club already.

 

I think he'd do really well in New Japan. Showing up in TNA is a possibility as well since his good friend Drew is doing so well there.

 

Wherever he ends up, he'll shine above most other workers.

 

Hasn't Barrett been injured for long stretches of time? I mean, WWE creative has been terrible in pushing guys, but I can remember him having a decent amount of heat in midcard runs, only to get put back on the shelf. I can understand, given his health history, why you wouldn't pull the trigger on Barrett doing anything of importance, given he seems to get injured inordinately often, even by pro wrestling standards.

 

It's a damn shame, because he has all the upsides you mentioned. But I can understand feeling like his health is too big a liability to push him. Happens all the time in unscripted athletics, where you see teams passing over a guy because you want consistency and reliability you can make plans around instead of a brilliant talent who you build on that goes down and leaves you without a viable Plan B. Maybe he's just been extraordinarily unlucky, who knows? But from a risk/reward standpoint, if I'm the biggest company in the world in my business and have my pick of whatever workers I want, why take the risk when you have other talented people available?

 

Wherever he winds up, I hope he succeeds and his body holds up.

[Mootinie]

At the end of the day, he main evented a PPV for the WWE title with John Cena and Randy Orton. He led a highly successful stable, often talked about as one of the best in WWE history. He also won 5 IC titles and was crowned the King Of The Ring. Considering the wrestling business owed him absolutely nothing when he got into it I would say he's done pretty darn well.

[lazorbeak]

I think he'd do really well in New Japan. Showing up in TNA is a possibility as well since his good friend Drew is doing so well there.

 

I think he'd shatter like fine china. Dude can't stay healthy.

[Jaysin]

I think he'd shatter like fine china. Dude can't stay healthy.

 

I should have added "If he can stay healthy, he'd do well in New Japan."

 

I think the strongest possibility is he works the UK indies before signing with TNA as a surprise opponent for Drew.

[Mootinie]

I heard he's been offered a Legends deal and WWE will sell products bearing his likeness after he's left (Well, this was reported by cagesideseats I think). There's little chance he wrestles elsewhere outside of one shot deals perhaps.

 

I imagine he'll either pursue combat sports or get full time into acting. After all, if you go on his Twitter, his website link is his imdb page.

 

Edit: Just got told he recently signed up with the Screen Actors Guild, hence why his Twitter name is Stu Bennett.

[The Final Countdown]

Silver lining: if Wade's gone, JBL can't call the LoN the modern day Horsemen anymore!

[Russelrules44]

At the end of the day, he main evented a PPV for the WWE title with John Cena and Randy Orton. He led a highly successful stable, often talked about as one of the best in WWE history. He also won 5 IC titles and was crowned the King Of The Ring. Considering the wrestling business owed him absolutely nothing when he got into it I would say he's done pretty darn well.

 

I think at the end of the day people will remember him as a poor man's William Regal, He was never the best wrestler, but was always a great hand; and could definitely rile up a crowd when given the chance.

 

The fact that he won the I.C title five times is an impressive feat in itself, and while his run as KOTR will probably go down as one of the worst in history, he did infact continue a tradition that started at the peak of the wrestling boom.

 

Maybe if he had a better jaw, he would have won the world title; but regardless, this was a really good career for him the WWE and I wouldn't be surprirsed if one day he ends up in the WWE Hall of Fame.

 

Good luck in the future Barrett, wherever it takes you. (Of course if you want to give out one last bullhammer before you leave the WWE to a certain League of Nations before you go, that would be fine. *wink wink*)

[Basmat01]

Wade should be best known as Cody Rhodes best friend on The JBL and Cole show. Its both Wade and Codys best work.

[kingjames]

Hot take - Wade Barrett's best comparison is an English version of Mr. Perfect, if you switch out "technical wizardry" for "brawler with some power moves" and remove the drug abuse, but keep the promo ability and inability to remain uninjured.

[crownsy]

I think at the end of the day people will remember him as a poor man's William Regal, He was never the best wrestler, but was always a great hand; and could definitely rile up a crowd when given the chance.

 

The fact that he won the I.C title five times is an impressive feat in itself, and while his run as KOTR will probably go down as one of the worst in history, he did infact continue a tradition that started at the peak of the wrestling boom.

 

Maybe if he had a better jaw, he would have won the world title; but regardless, this was a really good career for him the WWE and I wouldn't be surprirsed if one day he ends up in the WWE Hall of Fame.

 

Good luck in the future Barrett, wherever it takes you. (Of course if you want to give out one last bullhammer before you leave the WWE to a certain League of Nations before you go, that would be fine. *wink wink*)

 

I'll remember him as a talented guy, who always seemed to get injured at the worst possible time.

 

Good luck to him, I enjoyed him as a performer. I wasn't as high on him as others here, but i think he's a good hand when healthy.

[crownsy]

random question for those of us who just got our first true taste of strong style:

 

Is Nakamara on tonight's NXT? or was this set taped before Dallas?

 

Hoping he's on the show, and not just a highlight rundown of the event.

[Moe Hunter]

I don't know which show it's for, but he faced Tye Dillinger on a taping done the night after TakeOver Dallas.

[guyver3]

random question for those of us who just got our first true taste of strong style:

 

Is Nakamara on tonight's NXT? or was this set taped before Dallas?

 

Hoping he's on the show, and not just a highlight rundown of the event.

 

I just saw a report that Nakamura faces Elias Sampson for the show taped for tonight

[Mammoth]

I just saw a report that Nakamura faces Elias Sampson for the show taped for tonight

WWE.com is reporting that Apollo Crews will face Elias Samson in their NXT preview, so I don't think that'll happen tonight. Didn't they record a whole load of taping's on WrestleMania weekend so the guys in NXT could take a few weeks off? They probably did a whole load of different matches and will just cut and edit them to different shows as they please, with much of the commentary done in the editing so it's cohesive. I imagine tonight's NXT will mostly be highlights and such like of TakeOver: Dallas.

[guyver3]

That's odd since there wasn't any mention of that match at the taping maybe something occurs during the show and it changes.

[djthefunkchris]

WrestleMania is pretty invincible, but WWE's net income is actually down quite dramatically in the last few years. From '98-'11, the WWE made around $50 million per year on average (though the XFL flop and a couple big movie flops dropped their net income in a couple years). From 2012-2015, though, yearly net income has averaged just $7 million. And that's not the WWE Network costs dragging things down. $4 million in network start-up costs were actually counted in the 2011 financials.

 

The WWE is still making money, but they're making considerably less money than in the past even without adjusting for inflation.

 

Why would you compare it like that? I'm just curious, because that's not saying much of anything. Your comparing Net Revenue Profit/Loss margins, and not what they actually made. That's more for shareholders and investors, and done quarterly, letting them know if the company (and therefore themselves) is/are gaining or losing. I originally had a longer winded statement on this, but I think I can simplify things to what matters to a fan.

 

Gross Profit is what I would be comparing. Here you go.

 

1999=104.90 Million

2000=158.33 Million

2001=197.94 Million

2002=163.54 Million

2003=135.65 Million

2004=166.74 Million

2005=152.72 Million

2006=105.51 Million

2007=215.46 Million

2008=230.95 Million

2009=224.18 Million

2010=218.18 Million

2011=171.52 Million

2012=211.24 Million

2013=213.51 Million

2014=200.63 Million

2015=301.94 Million

 

This should help people make better sense of what is actually going on.

 

Now average out your pick of years 1999-2011=172.74 Million average, 2012-2015=231.83 Million average. Meaning, in the last four years they've had a gross increase of 59.09 Million dollars as compared (I wouldn't have never done this normally, 13 years?) with 99-11.

[OldStingberg]

Why would you compare it like that? I'm just curious, because that's not saying much of anything. Your comparing Net Revenue Profit/Loss margins, and not what they actually made. That's more for shareholders and investors, and done quarterly, letting them know if the company (and therefore themselves) is/are gaining or losing. I originally had a longer winded statement on this, but I think I can simplify things to what matters to a fan.

 

Because gross profit can vary wildly depending on what a company considers its costs of revenue. Looking solely at gross profit means disregarding total operating expenses, which means disregarding salaries, marketing, etc.

 

Net income is literally the bottom line. It's the final, complete measure of whether a company made or lost money over a given time frame. I'm not sure why you wouldn't measure their success by that.

[K-Nection]

Who cares how much they are grossing if they aren't actually clearing it after expenses. Just because you are bringing in a lot of money does not mean you are keeping that money. It appears you attended the Enron school of finance if you think Gross Profit and bottom line is the same thing.

[moon_lit_tears]

You do realize that their gross profit can increase without their over all profit going up.

 

Prices of tickets are about 5 times more than they were in 1999 along with mercy prices, yet they have a lot more expenses to pay out.

 

They are not as good as they were 15 years ago. Those numbers really mean little to nothing.

[kingjames]

Also, don't forget to adjust for inflation when looking at financials over a long period of time…the effect of inflation means $104.9 mil in 1999 was worth more than $104.9 mil in 2015.

[crownsy]

so NXT was a recap show, Nakamara was advertised as "in action" next week.

 

They did show two post match promo's, which were very good. Sami looked like he had been in an actual fight, covered in ice and bruises while he talked. For the King of Strong style, they had an interpreter, but they played it off as Nakamara eventually getting frustrated with the interpreter not getting what he was saying across and ending the promo by saying "The King of Strong Style, is here...." and then fading off. Don't know if he'll have the interpreter full time as part of his act, or not.

[Mootinie]

Don't know if he'll have the interpreter full time as part of his act, or not.

 

"We've got this really charismatic Japanese guy that understands and speaks passable English... let's give him an interpreter!"

 

Itami and Asuka didn't get one. Then again, those twice weren't twice as charismatic as everybody else on the roster not named Enzo Amore.

[The Final Countdown]

"We've got this really charismatic Japanese guy that understands and speaks passable English... let's give him an interpreter!"

[crownsy]

"We've got this really charismatic Japanese guy that understands and speaks passable English... let's give him an interpreter!"

 

Itami and Asuka didn't get one. Then again, those twice weren't twice as charismatic as everybody else on the roster not named Enzo Amore.

 

IT might be a one time thing. Like I said, it started off like a "locker room" interview, but Nakamara got frustrated with the interpreter and essentially just took the interview over and closed the promo in English.

 

I'll hope it was just a one off to show his charisma and that he doesn't in fact need the interpreter, but hope often isn't rewarded in WWE as we all know ha.