Last thread has well over 10,000 replies. Its body is breaking down like The Undertaker's. Seeing as we might have crossed the threshold into a new era in the business, here's a fresh new thread.
I'd cancel the network in a heartbeat but the catch 22 is that WWE's best product with the most stacked talent, NXT, is only on the Network. It's the only place to see talent before Vince ruins it.
I am enjoying every second of Velveteen Dream before he gets called up to the main roster and turns into a jobber. But on NXT he looks like a superstar in the making. But you just know Vince will ruin it. Also EC3, Ricochet, and War Machine all coming in [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy:
I canceled my subscription after that match only to reup to watch the shitty Royal Rumble
Take that money and spend it on NJPW World instead (like $8.50 per month). The New Japan shows are incredible and more and more of them are getting English commentary. Wrestle Kingdom (their WM) is worth a few months fees alone. There was not one boring match on the entire Wrestle Kingdom card and it was a 5 hour show. Not to mention the amazing Jericho/Omega match.
Also, I was seeing that ROH may enter the streaming service game. If they included the entire back catalog of shows, that would be a great service as well. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Swanman:
Take that money and spend it on NJPW World instead (like $8.50 per month). The New Japan shows are incredible and more and more of them are getting English commentary. Wrestle Kingdom (their WM) is worth a few months fees alone. There was not one boring match on the entire Wrestle Kingdom card and it was a 5 hour show. Not to mention the amazing Jericho/Omega match.
Also, I was seeing that ROH may enter the streaming service game. If they included the entire back catalog of shows, that would be a great service as well.
I'm gonna be honest with you NJPW is only going to appeal to hardcore fans. If you were into wrestling because Austin and Rock were awesome and that kinda thing NJPW isn't gonna do it for you.
That is a hardcore workrate promotion and while I like that, lots of American fans don;t. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I'm gonna be honest with you NJPW is only going to appeal to hardcore fans. If you were into wrestling because Austin and Rock were awesome and that kinda thing NJPW isn't gonna do it for you.
That is a hardcore workrate promotion and while I like that, lots of American fans don;t.
That is pretty much true, however they do a pretty good with angles as well. The angles are just a lot simpler. It's usually about a championship belt. The stuff they are doing with Minoru Suzuki and his faction is simple great stuff. He is just an old dude that likes hurting people.
I think a large number of people would be at least partially converted if they watched one Wrestle Kingdom show. I am obviously biased but it's just good stuff. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Swanman:
That is pretty much true, however they do a pretty good with angles as well. The angles are just a lot simpler. It's usually about a championship belt. The stuff they are doing with Minoru Suzuki and his faction is simple great stuff. He is just an old dude that likes hurting people.
I think a large number of people would be at least partially converted if they watched one Wrestle Kingdom show. I am obviously biased but it's just good stuff.
I literally just read an article that said the WWE's business is being hurt because they have to many foreign wrestlers. Not sure I buy it or not so I wonder how a promotion like NJPW would do here with frequent tours and such. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I literally just read an article that said the WWE's business is being hurt because they have to many foreign wrestlers. Not sure I buy it or not so I wonder how a promotion like NJPW would do here with frequent tours and such.
NJPW is being smart and just slowing wading into the US market with a few shows in California and seeing how they do. They also run frequent shows with ROH in the states. I know they got a lot of new subscribers in December because of Jericho vs Omega at Wrestle Kingdom.
Part of the issue with foreigners in WWE is they usually book them like crap. If you let Nakamura do what he did in Japan, I am sure he would be fine. He is a guy that beat the shit out of people. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I'm gonna be honest with you NJPW is only going to appeal to hardcore fans. If you were into wrestling because Austin and Rock were awesome and that kinda thing NJPW isn't gonna do it for you.
That is a hardcore workrate promotion and while I like that, lots of American fans don;t.
I like NJPW, but I also like ROH, and the local promotion ROW (Reality of Wrestling that is run by Booker T and Stevie Ray). I like work rate because of the era I grew up in, watching All Star Wrestling on Sunday mornings on Ch. 41...Harley Race was THE MAN. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Swanman:
NJPW is being smart and just slowing wading into the US market with a few shows in California and seeing how they do. They also run frequent shows with ROH in the states. I know they got a lot of new subscribers in December because of Jericho vs Omega at Wrestle Kingdom.
Part of the issue with foreigners in WWE is they usually book them like crap. If you let Nakamura do what he did in Japan, I am sure he would be fine. He is a guy that beat the shit out of people.
You have no idea how many comments I've seen from casual fans or WWE fans who aren't like hardcore everything wrestling fans that hate Nakamura because they can't understand what he says or he looks stupid. etc etc
As fucking dumb as Vince Russo is there are a lot of fans that completely agree with his bullshit that american fans don't like foreign wrestlers and the wwe signing bad body guys hurts too.
I was at smackdown last week tons of people around me kept making comments about how they looked like regular guys and that stupid shit. Dude made fun of owens and zayn all day for looking like they just got off their 9-5 and these guys would never make it when wrestling was good. Then he ripped on Styles for being little and looking like a DJ.
Originally Posted by Mecca:
You have no idea how many comments I've seen from casual fans or WWE fans who aren't like hardcore everything wrestling fans that hate Nakamura because they can't understand what he says or he looks stupid. etc etc
As ****ing dumb as Vince Russo is there are a lot of fans that completely agree with his bullshit that american fans don't like foreign wrestlers and the wwe signing bad body guys hurts too.
I was at smackdown last week tons of people around me kept making comments about how they looked like regular guys and that stupid shit. Dude made fun of owens and zayn all day for looking like they just got off their 9-5 and these guys would never make it when wrestling was good. Then he ripped on Styles for being little and looking like a DJ.
lots of fans believe this shit.
Wow...those same folks wouldn't have been fans 30+ years ago with that kind of attitude. When I started watching wrestling, ripped wrestlers were rare. Local KC favorite/hated wrestler Bulldog Bob Brown is a case in point.
Bulldog didn't have a body to speak of, and his work rate was so-so...YET he could get a crowd to hate him quicker than anybody I've ever seen (before or since). Yet, because of Bulldog's ability to work a crowd, he held the Central States NWA Title 19 times -- which is still the record. Harley Race didn't have a great body either, but he was gold on the mic and a tremendous worker. Guys like them would be hated by today's fans.
EDIT: fact of the matter is, guys like Owens, Zayn, Styles, Zayn, are Bray Wyatt actually more in the mold of old-school wrestlers than most on the roster these days. [Reply]
