#CancelWWENetwork
 

DISCLAIMER: Rumble spoilers within

I didn't really outline this post prior to writing so it kinda jumps around a bit, hopefully the overall message and focus is not lost.


Let's talk about the SOCIAL MEDIA PHENOMENON that is #CancelWWENetwork. I am not necessarily interested in discussing the events that lead to what is happening, though they will obviously be touched upon.

Let's make the assumption that the folks tweeting this are genuine with their message and are in fact cancelling their WWE Network subscription. I feel this is a terrible blow to the WWE. FIRST and most obviously for the lack of subs in a service that is already performing well below expectations. The financial loss and trickle-down effect (stock value, etc) is going to hurt. There's really not much to discuss on that front. Losing subs = bad.

However, I'm more interested in discussing the more nefarious repercussions of such a "movement". The basis of this is that the fans are pissed that "their guy" did not win. Not even so much that Reigns won, and people feel he isn't ready/worthy (though that certainly plays a part in it), but mostly that "someone who isn't Daniel Bryan won". As consumers, their biggest weapon against the corporation is their wallet. Hit them where it hurts by costing them money and bad PR by trending that you're intentionally and deliberately voicing your discontent and cancelling your service. "That'll show 'em!", and all that.

Which is fine. It is the right of every consumer to choose what they decide to spend their money on. WWE is, after all, a luxury for us. It is entertainment, not terribly important in the grand scheme of our lives, and if we choose not to watch, that is our prerogative.

However, what kind of precedent does this send? Where do we go from here? Does the WWE "cave in" to the demands of the vocal minority and shoehorn Bryan into Wrestlemania like what the smark community wants? Do they address it head-on and tell them to shove off?

I think that if they give in to what the people are saying it sets a bad bad bad precedent. What happens next time? What if Bryan loses at WM? Do the WWE ram Bryan down our throats until he becomes the next Batista or Reigns, because "that's what the people want" ?

Let me go on record by stating that yes I do feel that Bryan winning the Rumble would have been the best move, and what I was hoping would happen. I'm not saying he shouldn't win because the WWE are letting the Twitterverse have candy past their bedtime.

I guess the point I'm eventually trying to make is that, do the fans really know what's best for them? Are they going to revolt any time they don't get their way, like some petulant children? Are they going to threaten to financially cripple the WWE any time a decision they don't like goes down?

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Vince really is out of touch. Maybe this is a wake-up call that he needs. Maybe they (the writers/bookers/whoever) need to let wrestlers' pushes happen more organically. Imagine if Austin was never given the push he was, despite his popularity? I feel like right now with Bryan they have "lightning in a bottle" and should capitalize on it. Sometimes it's okay to admit you're wrong and call an audible. For whatever reason (health concerns possibly) they do not feel Bryan is going to be THEIR GUY, but he is so clearly over that it's hard to ignore.

On the other hand, now that people are trying to force their hand, maybe they will refuse to put him over now, for fear of giving the people too much power. It's one thing to listen to your fanbase and react accordingly, but it is dangerous to give them all the booking power.

With a less tangible effect fans forced Bryan into the main event last year.

That was never the plan. They caved.

This has the chance to tank stock, and even more hurt the company.

I don't know if I like fans being upset being able to effect stock price, but I think this is good. They want to be an interactive medium and it's time they start interacting, it's time they listen to the fans and give them what they want.

This isn't scripted drama. This isn't just TV. This is fans who are expected to plop down money and go to live events wanting to see what they want.

It's not childish or unrational. I think it could be harnessed into a way to create a generally great product for fans.

That said no way Vince allows two years in a row a multi way main event with someone getting shoehorned in

<font color=goldenrod>The thing about Bryan is that he is no longer just an internet darling. His popularity has come full circle to the point where everybody likes him and he's getting the largest face pop of anybody. When was the last time there was a guy that the kids and smarks agreed upon? He's getting the reactions WWE wishes Cena would have gotten in the mid-2000s - unified cheers instead of 50/50.

Yet despite this they are just willingly ignoring what most of the fans would have wanted to see. In Vince's eyes (and I say Vince instead of WWE at this point, because at the end of the day Vince is making all of the calls), he caved to the fans once, gave Bryan him moment in the sun, and Bryan then got injured. Add that to the fact that Bryan decidedly looks nothing like Vince's vision of a top star and you get where you are now.

I said this in the Rumble thread but at this point I hope they don't cave like they did last year. The Rumble will eventually be pointless if the winner gets taken out of the WM title match or has to fight in multi-man matches every year. I'd rather they just go with Reigns vs. Lesnar. When it bombs with 60,000 people in attendance maybe only then Vince will realize he is out of touch with the modern fan. He probably won't though.

In closing:</font>

http://i.imgur.com/LJPdan6.jpg

tide Still rising

This isn't trying to tank WWE stock its trying to torpedo it

This is really the backlash that has been building for a loooong time WWE thinks they can force feed and fans have had enough that 1990s carny shit of just shoveling a shit wrestler down fans throats is over.

I want to have a business where if anyone decides to stop giving me money, then their peers will ridicule them and tell them they should keep giving me money. Sounds great.

Good point. WWE prides/markets itself on being interactive and present on social media. These claims ring hollow if they don't ever intend on actually listening to the "Universe".

At the end of the day, WWE is entertainment, and if the people aren't being entertained then what purpose is being served?

There are passionate fans on both sides of the argument here. There will always be detractors and there will always be fanboys

glad i did not renew the network when my 6 months were over in october. rr sounds like a crappy ppv, since i did not see it what hapened to axel.

Also 'stock price' isn't some sacred figure, it's a reflection of the worth of the company - ie how much money they can make. If it looks like customers are leaving, hey, you might be worth less. Same applies if you're displaying incompetence, losing touch, repeating mistakes.

While I'm not interested in canceling my subscription, I get why people are doing it. To paraphrase something I saw on Twitter:

Why does it have to be sour grapes as the reason I'm canceling when it's really as simple as WWE is selling something I'm not currently interested in buying?

It's nice to hear that Reigns isn't getting booed cause he sucks on the mic etc. The guy can improve. I agree they are pushing him hard, but let's see where the movement gets noticed at.

http://watchwrestling.ch/

NOW JOIN US AND CANCEL

Crap, already seeing people use the "White Knight" terminology now when talking about this on Twitter. Here we go.

They think this is racial? good god

Nah nothing like that, just the usual "anti-SJW" crap that plagues any online discussion

My only problem is the anti-climax of the past two years. The guy that we absolutely knew was going to win won.

And why have Bryan in the match if he isn't going to win? You're purposely aggitating your audience and then are getting salty when they get aggitated. It's just odd.

I'm laughing so hard at people who are saying Roman deserved to win and that people are being childish by canceling yet they live in a culture of supply and demand and can't grasp the fact that people who are unhappy with a product will abandon it

Guys. Let's face it though. That was a bad rumble. Completely sub-par. Even if Bryan had one, it was fairly shit-tastic. I'm trying to figure out what they were thinking with some of those eliminations.

Daniel Bryan getting jobbed out fast was stupid as piss. Bubba Ray would have been greater towards the end. The Rumble was poorly booked, maybe I was wrong about the title match going on last.

I didn't intend this thread to be another Rumble discussion thread, I was more interested in discussing the greater ramifications of the reactions online and how going forward it will affect the product. JUST SAYIN'

You bring in Bully and he gets treated like that? That's what I've never understood about WWE. They get a somewhat high profile dude from another company just so they can shit on the guy. Use him.

WWE Network has ads like Hulu now, that could be a dealbreaker

This is the only thread in which I will discuss the Rumble. In fact, Narcissus is now an RDD-thread exclusive poster.

....I still enjoy the Network.

I think you are wrong on the part where anyone but Daniel would have had this reaction. If Rusev would have came in at the end and tossed Reigns over the top rope the crowd would have went ape shit. There would have been no #CancelWWENetwork or whatever is being passed around. It was the classic push someone that is not ready and no one wants because the WWE wants too. Sadly, with the WWE Network, the fans have more power than before.

Wyatt, Dean, Dolph, or Ryback could have won and it would have been fine. It is mainly that Reigns won and not that Daniel lost.

I do hate advertising, but they also layered it through their PPVs. No Mtn Dew rubbish last night at least.

Lol people booed that he WASN'T in last year. How can you take him out of the match? What have him just do notinhg on the card?
He wasn't mistreated he was eliminated by two uppercard guys. Maybe his appearance was a one off? Even if it wasn't he wasn't buried at all and can still go in to any program easily.

I also cancelled, after ordering the network 16 hours prior, because I have no desire to see Reigns and Brock go toe to toe at Mania. The rest of the card may be solid (No idea yet but even if it is) I am not going to want to watch something where I turn it off for the main event because I have no desire to watch it.

Now, WWE may change their plans and have Reigns get the belt of Brock and I will be back to maybe ordering Mania. Or something else may change, but as of right now there is no desire in paying to see Brock vs. Reigns.

Last night was the first time I watched a WWE event in 5 years, product is almost as out of touch as it was in the mid 90's. I wonder how much Vince actually had to do with the success of the Attitude Era. I found wrestlers like Rusev to be terribly out dated, but again I dont watch so I could be wrong.

still trending.....IWC is scary when they are mad

I'm not going to cancel, I would pay 9.99 for the library they have up. However, that was without a doubt the worst Rumble match I've ever seen. And if people are unsubscribing in droves, I'm very excited to see the result on WWE's end.

Also, they do this in Philadelphia. Any average fan that somewhat pays attention to wrestling could have told you that Reigns winning the Rumble in Philadelphia was a bad idea. I mean, has WWE not watched wrestling in the past 20 years?

And Savior, the reason I said that about Bryan winning is that this was his huge return. Why get everybody excited and then rip it away without getting somebody over as a heel?

I like how the Reigns "fan girls" are mad about this.

You can have Bryan in the rumble without winning easily, they should have set up a better elimination for him instead of the lackluster one they did but by no means he doesn't HAVE to win the rumble.

They want Brock to put over a young guy to carry WWE into the future, Bryan is not young. Unfortunately they picked Reigns to be that guy when he is not ready yet.

Lol the IWC are such bitchy faggots

Stock has taken a hit

Com'on Gertner you know I love you man you gotta know why this is awesome and necessary

10.51 Down 0.01 (0.09%)

0.01 doesn't really seem like much of a "hit" at all.

Didn't say big or even significant