The WWE Thread

[supersonic]

Observer:

James Gibson (Jamie Noble) recovered from the stab wounds enough to return to work on 11/14 and is back on the road full-time now.

A WWE 24 network special on the return of Goldberg is now in production.

WWE is attempting to block the former Ryback from using the trademark “The Big Guy” for a nutritional supplement line.

There has been legit talk of doing A.J. Styles vs. Undertaker at Royal Rumble. We haven’t heard that it’s a done deal, but it is something talked about. If Undertaker was to win, they could have Cena go for No. 16 against Undertaker at Mania, since Cena vs. Undertaker is a match never done before at Mania. There may be a timing issue since Undertaker had recent hip surgery and is going through rehab right now.

[Brada]

Swann winning the cruiserweight title on 205 Live last night was pretty cool. I never really understood the thought of Spanky having the title for any other reason than leaning on name recognition to begin with.

Now that Swann has the title, there is quite a few matchups to be excited about. Would like to see him against Dar, Dorado, Perkins, Metalik, Cedric just to name a few.

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https://twitter.com/tsrarena/status/803750055622496258

[supersonic]

Observer:

Elimination Chamber, which will be a Raw only PPV, takes place on 2/12 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. There will be a Smackdown only Fast Lane PPV on 3/5 at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Milwaukee. We got a listing of 18 PPV dates in 2017. The last number WWE publicized was 19. Because of WWE Network numbers falling even with two PPVs in recent months, meaning they are spending more money and still falling in paid subscriptions, there was very serious talk of cutting back to 16 shows in 2017, which would mean some changes in the planned schedule. The original scheduled plan was Extreme rules as a Smackdown only show and Money in the Bank (6/18) as a Smackdown only show, but the schedule and plans have changed and that may or may not affect those shows and dates. The shows and dates listed above are all confirmed as being accurate at this point with tickets going on sale this week for Phoenix and next week for Milwaukee.

The company is in the process of purchasing the television tape library of the old Heartland Wrestling Association out of Cincinnati. The HWA was Les Thatcher’s promotion that at one point was a WWE developmental territory that did local television. When WCW was purchased, a lot of the WCW talent that they didn’t want for the main roster, mostly younger guys, were sent to Cincinnati. The Hardys, Nigel McGuinness, Charlie Haas, Bill DeMott, and a number of ex-WCW stars are featured on the shows from 2001 to 2003.

WWE quietly dropped the Superstars show, which had been exclusive to the network. Superstars and Main Event didn’t have many viewers on the network to begin with and were never even in the top 20 watched shows, while the Cruiserweight Classic during its run was the most-watched show on the network other than the PPVs most weeks.

[supersonic]

Observer:

What could be a major promotional war is brewing behind the scenes, and the battleground looks to be the U.K.

The recent television pilot that was taped for a revival of ITV’s World of Sport is scheduled to air at the end of the month. While ITV has not officially announced a pick-up of the series, there have been moves made behind-the-scenes which indicate such a thing is strongly being considered, with the idea of a massive taping in a few months where they may do as many as ten weeks worth of shows at once, somewhat similar to how TNA has been doing.

The difference between this project and TNA ends there. ITV is the No. 2 network in the U.K., and the World of Sport pilot will likely be viewed by millions of people. Keep in mind that Raw on Sky may do 150,000 viewers.

While WWE has nearly three decades as the dominant pro wrestling organization in that country, and even with television being limited to a subscription channel as opposed to a major free station, they are far more popular than in the U.S. and in general, draw bigger crowds at far higher ticket prices. The idea that ratings in and of themselves are a predictor of a level of business success has always been a fallacy in pro wrestling, and even if the ITV show does 20 times the number of viewers, that doesn’t mean the wrestlers pushed on those shows will have the marketability to pull numbers at house shows or sell merchandise.

However, WWE is hardly going to sit back as the business changes in 2017, whether it’s an ITV-led promotion, or a FloSlam streaming service, or even a rise in underground promotions in the U.S. that are garnering cult followings. It’s not a secret that WWE is going to be more aggressive in signing talent, whether it be it sees things in that talent, or, as some have said in the U.K. scene based on recent deals offered, just to keep talent away from potential competitors and building up smaller companies.

WWE vs. ITV is already brewing behind-the-scenes. ITV has recently sent all their talent amendment to their contracts that wouldn’t allow anyone appearing on those shows to do television on major stations. Those contracts would not prevent the ITV talent from appearing for other companies, nor from appearing on iPPV or streaming services for other companies. However, the contracts would give ITV first dibs on the talent, similar to TNA. There is already talk of doing house shows if the first season is a success. If that’s the case, they would have the right to book the talent on their shows, and if the talent would have made other bookings on those dates, they would have to cancel.

WWE at the same time is starting to offer unique contracts to the key U.K. wrestlers who are marketable or have some name value that don’t already have deals. The deals were described as different from anything they’ve done in the past. These are not main roster deals, nor developmental deals. Those in the U.K., and for that matter even some in WWE who are friends with talent that have been offered the deals, have termed then “competition-killer” deals. They are low dollar guarantees, the talent would stay in the U.K. and be allowed to continue to work indies, but now would have a small cushion. The key would be in locking the talent down to where they can’t go to the ITV promotion, but would also not be allowed to appear for promotions like WCPW (a group that spends big money for foreign talent and does its own Internet weekly television show and iPPV shows), or with promotions that have streaming services. The contracts would give WWE the right to approve or not approve of their indie dates.

Some of the names offered deals are fairly well known in the U.K. hardcore community, while others really have no name value at all. Many had prior tryouts with WWE and they weren’t at the time interested in picking them up. A major percentage of those who tried out a few weeks ago at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow were offered these type of deals. It would enable the talent involved that is struggling to make a living in wrestling, most having other jobs, to have a little big of a cushion to pursue their wrestling, and since the dream of most is WWE since that is what they grew up on, there is that emotional leverage of a WWE offer as opposed to going with a small company with no stability or a newer company that may or may not have longevity.

The WWE has already asked for everyone’s names and started to do background checks, and have told people to clean up their social media accounts, but haven’t offered the actual physical contracts yet.

There are ideas hinted around, perhaps another television show featuring the contracted U.K. talent for that market only. The idea is that just being associated with a WWE product would increase the marketability of such talent on the U.K. scene.

At the same time, several of the key U.K. promotions have had contact from both FloSlam and WWE regarding being part of their streaming services. The key promotions, Revolution Pro, Progress, ICW and WCPW have their own streaming service. WCPW is backed by the What Culture site and thus has strong financial backing and thus would be unlikely to sign up with either side. Revolution Pro, which has some of the hottest and best action at its big shows, and uses top American indie wrestlers as well as stars from New Japan, would have at least some international appeal as a streaming show given both the names and in time, potential due to show quality. The thing working against anyone new getting past a certain level of exposure is that with the amount of product that WWE puts out, and it being the major league group, unless it’s someone who has no interest in WWE or lives and dies with pro wrestling, there aren’t enough hours in the day for even following another strong product.

At this point, neither the WWE Network nor FloSlam have reached a deal with any of the key U.K. groups. WWE did work with both Progress and Revolution Pro in qualifying matches for the Cruiserweight Classic.

At the ICW show in Glasgow, the WWE contracts were major talk, and the peer group pressure was to not sign with people calling them “mark deals,” with the idea that “They don’t want you, they just don’t want anyone else to have you.”

[yomadcool]

Did Alex Riley and Wade Barrett retire after being released?

[supersonic]

Past and present WWE Network subscribers, check your registered email for a recent survey.

[Big Red Machine]

ALEXA F*CKING BLISS finally gets her rightful due.

[DXvsNWO1994]

That Baron Corbin/Kalisto Chairs Match was really, really good.

ALEXA F*CKING BLISS finally gets her rightful due.

Awesome to see! She was great on Talking Smack as well.

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

ALEXA F*CKING BLISS finally gets her rightful due.

I totally agree. I think she has improved so much all around it is well deserved.

[DXvsNWO1994]

So Kimber Lee, Heidi Lovelace, Evie, & Nixon Newell have all been signed, or will be signed very shortly, with WWE.

[supersonic]

Observer:

Vince McMahon had given the okay in trying to make deals with at least some independent wrestling for the WWE Network, and days later, changed his mind. Still, there are talks going on behind the scenes with the idea he may changes his mind again. The company has done a ton of surveys of late, including another one last week. The results would be very interesting but evidently with the results of a recent one, McMahon felt that adding live independent shows would add cost without any significant increases in subscribers. Then again, they are competitive and even with owning a small percentage of Flo Slam, and having a relationship with them, it’s not like they want anyone else to get a foothold in that market in a significant way. The thing also is that when it comes to iPPVs of indie shows, while costs are low, when it comes to people actually paying for shows, the numbers right now are in most cases very low. And even for streaming services, even New Japan World, the second biggest, which is a major league group and which does have television in the U.S., has less than 10,000 subscribers outside of Japan and they’re doing multiple shows most weeks.

[supersonic]

WWE crowning the first ever United Kingdom Champion during a 16-man tournament on January 14 and 15 in Blackpool.

[monster mafia]

wwe monopoly...boring boring.

[DXvsNWO1994]

wwe monopoly...boring boring.

To be fair, William Regal did confirm that there are zero restrictions on these UK talents when it comes to working for UK promotions (that are WWE friendly, of course, though pretty much all of them are except ITV and I guess WCPW, though I'm not sure where RevPro stands because of their relationship with New Japan). That means people like British Strong Style (Pete Dunne & Mustache Mountain of Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) can still work PROGRESS (where they hold the World Title & Tag Team Titles) and any other promotions in the UK or US that are "WWE friendly" (i.e. not on TV).













http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe-united-kin ... tournament

LONDON — At a historic press conference at the O2 Arena in London, Triple H revealed that WWE’s first-ever United Kingdom Champion will be crowned this January.

The WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament is a 16-competitor, two-day throwdown at Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom, airing live and exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network, featuring some of the best talent the U.K. has to offer. The last man standing at the end of the tournament will be crowned champion and awarded a title, which was also revealed at the conference.

Joining Triple H in London were former WWE Universal Champion Finn Bálor, General Manager of NXT William Regal and British wrestling icon Nigel McGuinness, who will be calling the tournament action on WWE Network alongside the voice of Monday Night Raw, Michael Cole.

Tournament participants include:

- Pete Dunne
- Treven Seven
- Tyler Bate
- Wolfgang
- Sam Gradwell (known as Ricky J. McKenzie on the UK scene)
- James Drake
- T-Bone
- Tucker
- Jordan Devlin
- Joseph Conners
- HC Dyer
- Chris Tyler
- Roy Johnson
- Dan Moloney
- Jack Starz
- Tiger Ali
- Ringo Ryan
- Saxon Huxley

Those are the confirms names, which makes eighteen total (it's a sixteen man tournament so two of those guys are probably alternates).

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http://www.f4wonline.com/ufc-news/brock ... ces-226556

http://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/zack- ... ury-226571

[Brada]

i didn't watch Roadblock, but by looking at the results, seems as if everything was predictable with zero surprises. Typical throw away show.

[Mike0284]

i didn't watch Roadblock, but by looking at the results, seems as if everything was predictable with zero surprises. Typical throw away show.

Typical RAW ppv.

[supersonic]

https://twitter.com/wwethebigshow/statu ... 7369809924

[Mike0284]

http://www.givemesport.com/944128-vince ... -charlotte