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

[masterded]

NXT yesterday was just bad (it is usually my favorite wrestling show). The opening segment went on way to long and wasn’t funny at all (even though that was clearly what they where going for). Also it doesn’t help that before anyone even spoke you knew who would win based off the whole home country pop. It took half the show to even get to a match (I liked the match though). Also how do you only give Bryan vs. Regal 2 minuets in front of an audience that actually likes Regal?

[fatallylost]

In some ways it is though, in alot of ways no.

 

The one thing most people realise is that the "E" can give people more name value then they currently carry. A "Popular" indie darling like CM Punk, after working for the "E" will now have more name value then he did previously.

 

This is the most used reason why people support wrestler's getting into the "E". They hope they will make more in the "E", but the biggest reason is that they will be more popular if used in any special type of way... Jobbing isn't one of them, lol.

 

While that does make sense, I may be able to speak to it.

 

I am a huge fan of PWG, now. I've been into them for a little over a year now, since I first saw them.

 

I had seen fliers here and there, never really gave it much thought.

 

I saw Joey Ryan wrestle at my friends promotion, and was impressed. From there I moved onto EWF (which runs shows about 10 minutes from me, if even that far)

 

From there, I looked at PWG, not thinking much.

 

What made me get out there the first time?

 

Paul London.

 

From there, added pluses have been Brian Kendrick, and Colt Cabana's returns. Both of whom I knew more of from WWE than the indies, at that time.

[The Shape]

Anyone think a Taker move to Raw is out of the question? Doubt he's got long left and it'd provide a big boost whenever they do use him...

[lazorbeak]

Anyone think a Taker move to Raw is out of the question? Doubt he's got long left and it'd provide a big boost whenever they do use him...

 

I doubt it, as the live nature of Raw doesn't really gel with Undertaker's entrance, and I don't think he'd spike ratings if he showed up on Raw every week. Besides, isn't he due for another 3 month vacation coming up here? It just doesn't make much sense to move him, since he's in a great position where he's at.

[Self]

As much as I usually love NXT, I really didn't like this episode. I've come to terms with that fact it's not how I'd do it (so tempted to do a diary with NXT 'done right') but they're constantly exposing these guys and making them look like fools and losers. There's a purpose to that, sure, grace under pressure and all that jazz, but this last episode wasn't a fun watch for me.

 

I hated the interview questions. If the topics had been, for example, "Tag Teams" or "Randy Orton" or "The WWE Diva's" or even asking one Rookie about another... It would have been more interesting, more informative, more captivating for the audience and the rookies would have been dealing with a subject they'd have some opinion on.

 

Regal vs Danielson going 2 minutes bummed me out. The reaction was mixed, but at least there was a reaction. Gallows vs Young got nothing. The Miz stole the show though. Utterly fantastic, but I'd put money on the fact that he was rehearsing that for a while.

 

For the first time, Wade Barrett actually impressed me. The "winds of change" line was great, and he made perfect use of his heritage, while not betraying his heel roots. Top marks. No marks for Matt Striker though, especially for asking Justin Gabriel about beating Otunga last week... which never happened. Gabriel beat Tarver. Silly teacher.

[alden]

wwe is what a majority of wrestlers want to get to. But not all......I would say more then 75 percent of people want to make it to the e. But there are alot of reasons people would not want to go to the e. Schedual is the big one. You are literly on the road 300 days a year. For a young guy with no wife or kid that is ok. But for a guy who is married it is hard. Quality of product also has a bearing on some people. Some guys will be happy to be "week end warriors" because they are doing what they want to do. Some people can actuly make more working multiple indy shows then they could in the wwe.

 

Indys are not bush league....some are but i would not say that an indy wrestler is not on the same level as a wwe worker just because they are on tv. Some of the best workers in the world are never going to be seen by a majority of wrestling fans. Chuck Taylor for instance.....he will NEVER!!!!!! make it to the wwe......but that guy can work.....is funny as hell......and great on the mic.

[Stennick]

This argument has come up before about if someone can be the best and yet not be with the WWE or maybe even TNA.

 

I hear all the time that this guy in ROH is charasmatic, entertaining, he can work any style he's just great. Thats usually just smark talk for "my favorite wrestler is so and so"

 

If the Masked Mauler is the that great that he's got buckets of charisma, he's entertaining and he can work any match known to man then why is he in a bingo hall with a 100 guys? Why isn't this one man wrestling show pulling that promotion up by its bootstraps? Even if he's not on t.v why isn't this guy selling out everywhere he goes? You go see the Masked Mauler and he's the greatest enbodyment of a wrestler going today thats kinda how things work.

 

In every type of company in the world there have been small struggling promotions that have an employee or an idea that strikes at the right time and it rises them above everybody else seemingly coming from nowhere. Wrestling is the same way it doesn't matter how big or small you are. If you have a great worker and entertaining product people WILL tune in. WCW was a joke in 1993 giving us things like the White Castle of Fear and the Evil Midget, Robocop, the Shockmaster etc. Less than two years later Eric Bischoff got the idea of Monday Nitro and from there the nWo and they went on to have monsterious success. Vince was nearly bankrupt and ratings were at less than a third of what they get today and then he hit on a storyline with a guy by the name of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and that storyline single handedly tuned people in. When they tuned in for the Austin/McMahon stuff they saw the likes of Triple H, Foley, etc and stayed tuned in.

 

My point is that if I'm a football player I want to make it to the NFL, if I'm a wrestler I want to make it to the WWE. There is a reason that even guys in TNA who get t.v exposure, have the lightest schedules of any national promotion in history and can pretty much do whatever they want. We've seen it countless times that they will leave that place in a heartbeat to get back into the WWE.

 

Some guys out there aren't cut out for the WWE sure, I've been around the indy scene in about seven different states in the last 12 years or so and I've not met one worker who wouldn't give his kidnney to work with Vince. Being a pro wrestler is about the spotlight, you're in that ring and whether its 20 or 20,000 people their all watching literally every move you're doing. You can't say you dont' crave the spotlight and call yourself a pro wrestler. Who wouldn't want that biggest, brightest spotlight in the world on them.

 

Its nice to think that there are guys out there that the WWE couldn't get if they wanted or that there are guys out there right now working PWG, ROH, IWA, FIP, NWA, TNA that we all see as great potentials but they don't. I think thats mostly a fantasy a way of saying "who cares if you're the biggest and the baddest the best guys are right here" when in reality thats not the case 99 percent of the time. Everybody from music artists, to athletes to pro wrestlers slip through the cracks and have real talent and never get to display it just like some people with no talent make a boat load of money. At the end of the day though if you're a talented guy, especially in a place like ROH the WWE has proven they pay attention. Daniel Bryan, Matt Sydal, CM Punk, Nigel McGuinnes, Joe, Claudio, Kendrick, London, they clearly have a guy out there paying attention and if someone was the end all be all like some people want to believe he'd have a contract offer.

 

I don't care how good of a QB I am in Hight School or in the Arena league until I step foot on the NFL field and throw a pass against an NFL defense I cannot be considered the best. Same goes for pro wrestling, doesn't matter how well you do in front of the local bingo halls until you get there with a camera focused on you while millions are hanging on your every move and word you can't call yourself the best. Until you have passed that test you can't be mentioned with Hogan, Flare, Andre, Rock, Austin, Sting, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart etc. Until you reach that level you can't call yourself the best. You can say your the best "indy" guy or "the best unsigned talent" but the best in the world? Not a chance.

[The Masked Orange]

It's official, Smackdown moves to Syfy. That means that the deal with MyNetwork went badly (as we all already knew).

 

I'm surprised it ended up on Syfy though, maybe Syfy were keen to bring in some more wrestling after the absolute success of ECW (deceased) and NXT (won't last more than 3 years if lucky).

[Moe Hunter]

I doubt it, as the live nature of Raw doesn't really gel with Undertaker's entrance.

Huh? I don't get that at all. Last time I checked, Undertaker has appeared on hundreds of Live events and Raws (before split), and been fine with his entrance. I'm really not sure what you're getting at.

[Undertaker666]

Anyone think a Taker move to Raw is out of the question? Doubt he's got long left and it'd provide a big boost whenever they do use him...

 

Can't see it happening. Raw is the Triple H show and Smackdown is the Undertaker show, even though he doesn't appear all that often. Last time I saw Smackdown (can't remember when that was ), the opening video featured 'Taker at the beginning and the end (is that still the case?) of the montage. That's no coincidence in my book.

[fatallylost]

It's official, Smackdown moves to Syfy. That means that the deal with MyNetwork went badly (as we all already knew).

 

I'm surprised it ended up on Syfy though, maybe Syfy were keen to bring in some more wrestling after the absolute success of ECW (deceased) and NXT (won't last more than 3 years if lucky).

 

I wonder how they're going to work that. Syfy has a pretty packed Friday night as is. So, would Smackdown go to another night, or, will Caprica, SGU, and all that get moved.

[Hive]

The Undertaker is getting really old though, and can't work as much as he used to... RAW, being the talkshow of WWE, would suit him excellent. Both him and Batista should be moved there, perhaps moving Randy Orton to dominate smackdown.

[Undertaker666]

I wonder how they're going to work that. Syfy has a pretty packed Friday night as is. So, would Smackdown go to another night, or, will Caprica, SGU, and all that get moved.

 

Whilst I don't know the Sci-Fi (I refuse to spell it any other way) schedule, it would be interesting to see if they moved Smackdown to compete with the repeat of Impact! on Thursdays. (which generally gets higher ratings)

 

The Undertaker is getting really old though, and can't work as much as he used to... RAW, being the talkshow of WWE, would suit him excellent. Both him and Batista should be moved there, perhaps moving Randy Orton to dominate smackdown.

 

As over as Orton is, he's still nowhere near the levels of 'Taker. Smackdown needs someone of his status even if he is on a "he may appear" schedule.

 

And as old as he is, he's still had the two best Wrestlemania matches of the past two years. Obviously some credit has to go to HBK, but it takes two to Tango.

[fatallylost]

Whilst I don't know the Sci-Fi (I refuse to spell it any other way) schedule, it would be interesting to see if they moved Smackdown to compete with the repeat of Impact! on Thursdays. (which generally gets higher ratings)

 

I wouldn't be against that, but, then they have to deal with Superstars as well.

 

I just spell if Syfy cause that's the name. I don't get how it changes their science fiction image, by renaming it the exact same thing. That baffled me.

[Undertaker666]

I wouldn't be against that, but, then they have to deal with Superstars as well.

 

If memory serves, ECW was getting equal/better regular ratings than Impact! was. If they can pull the plug on that, who's to say they wont do the same on Superstars?

 

I don't get how it changes their science fiction image, by renaming it the exact same thing. That baffled me.

 

Exactly.

[lazorbeak]

Huh? I don't get that at all. Last time I checked, Undertaker has appeared on hundreds of Live events and Raws (before split), and been fine with his entrance. I'm really not sure what you're getting at.

 

I'm "getting at" the fact that Undertaker's entrance requires a huge production headache and the taped aspect of Smackdown helps protect the gimmick when and if things go wrong. It wasn't for no reason that Undertaker hasn't been on the Raw roster in what, 7 years? And the last time he was a regular on the Raw roster he didn't have an entrance that required fake lightning, smoke machines, pyros, etc.

 

 

The Undertaker is getting really old though, and can't work as much as he used to... RAW, being the talkshow of WWE, would suit him excellent. Both him and Batista should be moved there, perhaps moving Randy Orton to dominate smackdown.

 

Didn't Batista just get traded off Raw a few months back? Doesn't he appear on the show on a weekly basis anyway?

[atomzero]

If memory serves, ECW was getting equal/better regular ratings than Impact! was. If they can pull the plug on that, who's to say they wont do the same on Superstars?

 

That would be disappointing. I can honestly say that Superstars may be my favorite of their shows. It tends to have good matches with solid workers while filling me in on what's gone on, saving me from watching all of RAW and Smackdown and their endless angles.

 

I can definitely say that I watch it more than any of the other shows.

[d_w_w]

I wonder how they're going to work that. Syfy has a pretty packed Friday night as is. So, would Smackdown go to another night, or, will Caprica, SGU, and all that get moved.

 

Heard a rumor on a Caprica fan board that Caprica might make the move to Tuesday night for the upcoming season. Didn't bother to check the source, so take it for what is worth.

[fatallylost]

If memory serves, ECW was getting equal/better regular ratings than Impact! was. If they can pull the plug on that, who's to say they wont do the same on Superstars?

 

 

 

Exactly.

 

Point, set, match my friend.

 

Heard a rumor on a Caprica fan board that Caprica might make the move to Tuesday night for the upcoming season. Didn't bother to check the source, so take it for what is worth.

 

I wouldn't mind that, I'm also a fan of Eureka. But, we'll see, hell, they probably don't even know yet.

[Hive]

Didn't Batista just get traded off Raw a few months back? Doesn't he appear on the show on a weekly basis anyway?

 

True that.

[LucianCarter]

wwe is what a majority of wrestlers want to get to. But not all......I would say more then 75 percent of people want to make it to the e. But there are alot of reasons people would not want to go to the e. Schedual is the big one. You are literly on the road 300 days a year. For a young guy with no wife or kid that is ok. But for a guy who is married it is hard.

 

This 300 days a year figure is YEARS out of date. Guys like Cena who do tons of promotional work and Make-A-Wish appearances might be on the road 300 days a year but the average worker has a 4-day a week schedule. With some time off at Christmas it's closer to 200 days a year, not 300. International tours add maybe an extra 10 shows a year.

[Linsolv]

Didn't Batista just get traded off Raw a few months back? Doesn't he appear on the show on a weekly basis anyway?

 

He's the RAW champ. I got the impression that the concept of each brand having its own champion was sorta established, and if you had a brand's championship but weren't on that brand for real, then you can go on the other brand... Or something.

[crownsy]

He's the RAW champ. I got the impression that the concept of each brand having its own champion was sorta established, and if you had a brand's championship but weren't on that brand for real, then you can go on the other brand... Or something.

 

He's not champ...Cena is.

 

I get what your saying, that he's in a fued with the Raw champ, and that's why he's there...but it would be nice if they at least, you know, would think up some excuse as to why he's a smackdown superstar on raw.

 

Not that i'm really complaining though. Can't stand his gimmick or work, and I'm glad he never shows up on smackdown since thats the show i get to watch.

[Stennick]

I think this is the best work Batista has done, character, mic and in ring wise in his career so I gotta disagree there.

[Tag01]

I think this is the best work Batista has done, character, mic and in ring wise in his career so I gotta disagree there.

 

Not a huge Batista fan but I agree this is as good as he's ever been.