Dear Vince . . . . Put Some Stakes on That Grill!

[thedarkness214]

pyroandballyhoo.com

Dear Vince,

Still trying to stay positive, still trying to help. Glad to see that the ratings went up on Monday from a 2.69 to a 2.83. The average audience also rose 164,000 from the previous week. Those are both good signs, and momentum in the right direction. However, in looking at the numbers, there was one particular negative that was glaring. From the second hour of the show, to the third hour, RAW lost 340,000 viewers. At first glance you would think that there was a barn-burner going on over there between the Chiefs and the Patriots on ESPN so everyone was flipping over to catch the finish of the game. But, unfortunately, that’s wasn’t the case—the Pats lost by 27 points.

So what happened? From what I can tell, for starters from a creative standpoint you basically took both of last week’s main events on the show, and combined them into a tag team match this week. Vince, I think even you could agree, that not much thought was put there. The least knowledgable writer, or even booker, would have been able to come up with that match in less time then it took to toast a Pop-Tart. However, was it possible to turn that nothing match into something with just a bit more thought? The answer is a resounding–YES! YES! YES!

Vince, the one thing that Eric Bischoff would always ask me when we were writing the show and I would pitch a match would be—”What are the Stakes”. In other words what was ON THE LINE in the match. What was the intrigue of the match that would make the viewer stick around to watch? Eric was a stickler for this, and I always appreciated him challenging me because it would always force me to keep thinking in lieu of making the story/match better.

With that being said, even though the emphasis on Monday’s show was put on a beat-up briefcase covered with stickers that really meant absolutely nothing–being that Stephanie explained 5 minutes in that all that mattered was the contract inside that Seth Rollins still held ownership to–compared to the WWE World Heavyweight Title, one little tweak in the story and perhaps you could have held the numbers.

With all the focus on the Money in the Bank case for the better part of three hours, why not make the tag a handicap match by putting Rollins on the bad guy side, and then in an effort to make it look like an even playing field—the Authority puts the Money in the Bank case up in the match? Triple H knows that he’s going to screw Cena/Ambrose any way, so what difference does it make to him? This one, simple “tweak”, would have given you the much-needed “stakes” for the match–without changing one, single thing. The heels got DQ’d any way—didn’t they?

Sometimes it’s just that one, little extra step, Vince—that’s all. But attempting to put stakes on the Main Eventer will always make it look more attractive to the viewer.

I know that Triple H has publicly come out and stated that the WWE is looking for feedback from the internet—so this is mine. Hope it helps.

Peace,

Vince

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

NXT: The Future Is Now.

Many people watch WWE without showing signs that they are fans. WWE can seem to not be cool for one reason or another. Many people now see sports entertainment as a kids show because it is now rated TV-PG. When WWE was most popular it was rated TV-14 and it was deemed to appeal to a broader audience. One of the biggest ways to show that you are a fan is to purchase and wear a WWE shirt in public. Some of the most popular professional wrestling t-shirts seen in public have been Hulk Hogan, The New World Order and Stone Cold Steve Austin. It was considered the height of cool to wear an “Austin 3:16” shirt in the height of the WWE’s attitude era. You were considered passé if you weren’t wearing the Black and white of the New World Order during the Monday Night War. In the 1980s the red and yellow of Hulkamania was running wild. Shirts are one of the biggest voices a fan has before the advent of social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Those however are free outlets and nothing says WWE public loyalty than buying and wearing a WWE shirt. It had been a few years since I had bought a WWE shirt until months ago I bought a WWE shirt: a NXT t-shirt.

NXT is an essential part of the new developmental system of the WWE. It is located in Orlando, Florida. There is a state of the art complex called the WWE Performance Center. It is where rookies are trained in all avenues of what it takes to become a WWE superstar. In years past developmental was usually carried out by independent wrestling companies who the WWE paid service fees to train potential professional wrestlers. This is a similar outfit to the MLB minor league system. Most AAA teams are not owned by the Major league teams they represent. WWE ended this arrangement several years ago and have been floundering to find a good way to train the future of the WWE until now. The future WWE superstars are now fully trained by WWE trainers for the entirety of their wrestling careers. They get talent fresh and are able to fully develop them at the Performance Center. In order to get the most out of their rookies they have opened a full promotion in Orlando Florida on the Campus of Full Sail University. This new WWE brand was named NXT and is a continuation of an older show of the same name.

The new NXT show is currently exclusive to the WWE Network. The original NXT show was on Sy-Fy and debuted in 2010. This show started off well enough but it quickly became a black mark in the WWE. It was supposed to be a show where the next generation of the WWE would get their first big break but it quickly became show where the next generation was subjected to humiliating tasks like carrying kegs around the ring, singing, old game shows and other things that really don’t matter to being a WWE superstar. This humiliation ended up being part of major WWE storyline as the first group of NXT superstars banded together to take over the WWE. This group called the Nexus became one of the strongest in WWE history. It was thought that this group would bring more attention to NXT and give the next group a boost. This did not work out and the Nexus was pretty much crippled by winter. The humiliation continued for the next group but there was no uprising. Most of the people who appeared on NXT had their careers put in a state of arrested development. Syfy had pulled out of the show by the middle of Season 3 but the show continued on WWE.com.

There did not seem to be any major benefit of NXT in its current state. The talent on the show traveled with the rest of the WWE roster but they still weren’t deemed as WWE superstars. The proverbial carrot on the cart was in full effect and there was no sign that they would get the carrot. After the first season the only bright spot on NXT was the development of announcer Michael Cole as a heel announcer. It had been years since WWE had a full heel announcer and it was a good change of pace. The problems of the NXT show were fully realized in the futures of two superstars: Winham Rotundo and Joe Hennig. The two were part of NXT Season 2 and later joined a weakened version of the Nexus led by CM Punk. The way they were treated on NXT almost ruined their chances of becoming stars. They both had to be repackaged. Windham Rotundo’s name in NXT was Husky Harris and Henngi’s name was Michael McGuillacutty. The strange names of NXT superstars became a series of jokes on the internet. When both were repackaged there was a threat that they would be recognized for their failure on NXT instead of the new characters they would be playing Bray Wyatt and Curtis Axel. On Bray Wyatt’s debut there was a smattering crowd chant of “Husky Harris” which could have but ultimately did not derail his career.

It was obvious that if NXT was going to survive it was going to need a total and complete overhaul. Thankfully it got that when everything was moved to Florida with the creation of the WWE Performance Center and the development of NXT as a full-fledged WWE brand. The idea of a new venue was not limited to a geographical change. The NXT television program was made exclusive available to users of Hulu Plus, a premium service of the popular television and movie streaming service. This was a perfect set up. People would only be watching NXT if they really were interesting in seeing the future of the WWE develop their talent. There would be no influx of the random television audience who would pass judgment on talent before they were fully ready to be judged by the masses. The show being on Sy-Fy was a huge mistake that almost completely derailed NXT. With the new system NXT began to get a cult audience.

HuluPlus became the official home of NXT which was filmed on the Campus of Full Sail University, a school that teaches hands on experience in media. The show is co-run by NXT and the University. Not only is NXT the next generation of superstars it is also the next generation of WWE production teams. The state of the art developmental system was quickly changing the industry forever. After a year of becoming a cult hit the WWE decided to take a risk exposing NXT to a larger audience. The first-ever live show featured on the newly developed WWE Network (WWE’s Own Streaming Service) would be a two-hour special called NXT Arrival. In this event NXT showed the best and the brightest that they had to offer. In the opener the uber talented duo of Cesaro and Samy Zayn had a classic traditional sports entertainment contest. Before the match started the crowd started chanting “Match of the Year” and Zayn and Cesaro proved the audience right. In the main event the NXT Championship was defended in a Ladder Match pitting champion Bo Dallas against upstart challenger Adrian Neville. The concept of a championship was foreign to the old NXT. There was no championships no goals and no future. NXT Arrival proved that the old NXT was dead and that the future of WWE was bright.

Soon after the 2nd NXT live event called NXT Take Over. I purchased my first WWE shirt in years: a shirt representing the NXT brand. I am proud to represent the NXT as a fan. NXT has changed the very face of what developmental is in the WWE. For years superstars considered being sent to developmental as some sort of punishment. NXT has changed the game in what developmental means to the superstars. New WWE signees like KENTA, Kevin Steen, Prince Deviit were looking forward to prove themselves at Full Sail University and prove themselves to the NXT Universe. The future of the WWE is being developed in NXT and as my shirt says with NXT: The Future is Now!

[FourFifty]

I hope Vince Russo gets mauled by a horde of blood thirsty marks.

[Droford]

To me its ridiculous how night and day how Raw/SD are compared to NXT. I know its different groups responsible for each but its crazy how the NXT people seem to get it and the main roster people seem clueless.

[#1-norm-fan]

I like the idea as it does actually make the match mean something instead of the usual lazy time-filler. They could even tell the story of Rollins having that internal struggle. He doesn't want to get tagged into the match and have to face off against Cena or Ambrose... but at the same time, he wants to make sure Kane or Orton don't lose the case for him. Eventually he runs in and forces a DQ by hitting Cena with the case mid-STF and it can end the same anyway.

Just gotta find a realistic reason why Triple H would take such a risk.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

There is no reason to put the case on the line. Putting something on the line with nothing to gain is Vintage Russo. It's on the line just because.

[#1-norm-fan]

You could make a reason. Even if it's a bit of a stretch, the endgame is still way better than the usual pointless match that gives you no reason to care about the outcome.

[XL]

1) DON'T have Steph stress that possession of the briefcase is meaningless. If anything stress that even though possession of the case doesn't make you the contract holder, Seth needs the case in order to cash in.

2) Set up the tag match we already got.

3) Have Ambrose (or Cena) challenge Seth to step into the ring tonight, replacing Orton or Kane. Then dangle the carrot that if the faces lose, Seth gets the case back.

4) Have HHH step in, agrees the terms of the match but make it 3-on-2.

5) With the advantage the 3 men win, Rollins gets the case back, beat down happens, but we get a conclusive finish in the Main Event for the first time in 5 or 6 shows.

[Destor]

Originally Posted by Russo Glad to see that the ratings went up on Monday from a 2.69 to a 2.83

Hey guys...Ratings were a big deal 10 or 15 years ago...but they dont mean shit now. Between digital viewing and DRVs they have no reflection on viewership anymore. K thx

[Droford]

I think ratings were important when there were two wrestling shows on at the same time and you could compare. Trying to compare wrestling to football is pointless.

Also if there was an important football game on Monday night (and there is one coming for me, Ravens/Saints) I'd watch the RAW replay on UHD Saturday night if I didn't have a DVR.

[whiteyford]

Originally Posted by Destor Between digital viewing and DRVs they have no reflection on viewership anymore. K thx

This.

[thedarkness214]

Nice excuses for the WWE sucking.

[Damian Rey]

What was WCW's excuse for sucking when he was there?

[#1-norm-fan]

Originally Posted by Destor Hey guys...Ratings were a big deal 10 or 15 years ago...but they dont mean shit now. Between digital viewing and DRVs they have no reflection on viewership anymore. K thx

It doesn't directly reflect how many people are watching but it works as a sample. For example, you can look at the ratings of one show vs another and assume, while the number of people who are gonna watch both shows are much higher, it's a good estimate of where the shows stand in relation to one another.

It would be unfair to judge the exact ratings to what they were in the late 90's. But judging them compared to other shows and judging where they go on a weekly basis is pretty fair, I'd say.

[thedarkness214]

Originally Posted by Damian Rey What was WCW's excuse for sucking when he was there?

He took WCW from a 2.9 to a 3.4... 0WNED FAGGIT

[Damian Rey]

Then he took them to extinction. Yep, what a great man Russo was for that company.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Originally Posted by thedarkness214 He took WCW from a 2.9 to a 3.4... 0WNED FAGGIT

Only gay people can use that word so you are gay. Congrats. Go get Screeched around somewhere and go away.

[Bad News Gertner]

I'm dead serious when I say Russo could do better than what's going on now, especially with Vince kind of keeping him in check. At least the mid card would have actual storylines.

[FourFifty]

I dislike Russo that much more now.

[Damian Rey]

I think there's certainly value in having him on board. However, i doubt he'd take the gig considering he'd be heavily filtered compared to how he was handled in TNA.

[#1-norm-fan]

Originally Posted by Bad News Gertner I'm dead serious when I say Russo could do better than what's going on now, especially with Vince kind of keeping him in check. At least the mid card would have actual storylines.

Even without the filter, I'd rather have a guy with silly ideas than a bunch of guys with no ideas at all. Seriously, 90% of Raw is clearly just an attempt to fill time. And part of that 90% is the main event. Nothing happens. At all. I'd welcome a viagra on a pole match or someone giving birth to a hand at this point.

[Destor]

Originally Posted by #1-wwf-fan Even without the filter, I'd rather have a guy with silly ideas than a bunch of guys with no ideas at all. Seriously, 90% of Raw is clearly just an attempt to fill time. And part of that 90% is the main event. Nothing happens. At all. I'd welcome a viagra on a pole match or someone giving birth to a hand at this point.

Usually I would lynch the writers on this one but right now there is a serious lack of legitimate marketable babies on the roster. Seems like everyone who's had any steam is out right now and what theyre left with is sorely lacking.

[#1-norm-fan]

They might have some guys with steam if they focused at all on building guys up in the midcard over the past 10 years or so.

Coasting for years and now suddenly freaking out and trying to push guys spur of the moment because Cena isn't gonna be around forever might not have been the best plan. No one has momentum.

[#1-norm-fan]

Though I do kinda love Dean Ambrose. He's doing amazing with the stuff they're actually giving him right now. They at least seem to be putting a little effort into writing stuff for him instead of "Go wrestle this random guy for 20 minutes in a match that means absolutely nothing and then somehow magically get over from it". He's not a headliner though. They're still in a shitty spot. I don't know why I would wanna make a point to watch Raw. Even as a hardcore fan. From the top of the card to the bottom, there's no feeling that anything matters.

[Destor]

Originally Posted by #1-wwf-fan They might have some guys with steam if they focused at all on building guys up in the midcard over the past 10 years or so. Coasting for years and now suddenly freaking out and trying to push guys spur of the moment because Cena isn't gonna be around forever might not have been the best plan. No one has momentum.

I honestly dont feel like anyone in the past decade outside of punk or danielson has been even close to over enough to get more than theyve gotten and neither of them have a very main stream look so that holds them back from what kind of company image theyre trying to present (despite how extremely over they both have been.)

This all goes back to the lack of territories and next to no one having any clue how to work.

[#1-norm-fan]

It all comes back to booking though. You seem to be implying that Punk and Bryan strictly got over on their own. They both got over strictly because the booking put them in a position to. I agree that both of them are held back by their look but they both went through years of not being remotely close to headliner level until they were booked into a position where people got behind them. It makes ALL the difference. There a multiple guys on the roster right now that I guarantee could get MASSIVELY over if they were booked right. Punk and Bryan aren't as special as people make them out to be. Punk was given the pipebomb which catapulted him... Bryan won the title as a heel and started saying "Yes!" in a douchey manner and it caught on.

[Destor]

They both were in the opposite of a position to. I mean seriously. They got over in spite of the booking. Talent rises to the top.

[#1-norm-fan]

Ryback was massively over for a bit AND had that mainstream look and for whatever reason they fucked that up. Now they seem to be going all in on Reigns and you could already sense people turning on him before the injury.

[#1-norm-fan]

Originally Posted by Destor They both were in the opposite of a position to. I mean seriously. They got over in spite of the booking. Talent rises to the top.

Punk's pipebomb was intentionally meant to make him a star. Clearly. HE made it work. It COULD have not worked out. But he was definitely put in an insanely good position to succeed.

[Destor]

the error in ryback was giving him slack. the moment he touched a mic he was fucked. had they given him less creative input he'd had fared a lot better.

Reigns is moving toward a die rocky die moment strictly because he's being pushed too hard. he was on the right course until the office noticed and decided lesnar/reigns at mania was money... (and it wont be.)

Both cases of guys being handed the ball and not being able to carry it.

[#1-norm-fan]

I really don't think Ryback was that bad on the mic. That "I don't get mad. I get hungry." promo he did on Punk (I think it was the night after Hell in a Cell) was... really not that bad. But the internet was DYING to shit on it. If nothing else, he's miles better on the mic than Reigns.

[Destor]

I dont think being better than reigns is relevant as its not a compliment.

Go back and watch the baby v baby ryback cena stuff. HOT crowds. Heel turn for Ryback, still HOT. Then he started cutting long winded promos (because he's always thought he was a good promo and finally convinced someone to let him prove it) and he killed himself dead. No ones is to blame but him. It wasnt the booking that killed him. You get one shot to get these things right, and he really really really missed the mark. When he returns he may recover, or he nailed his own coffin shut. To be continued.

[#1-norm-fan]

I don't really care about anything he did as a heel because I stopped caring long before that. He was money as a face. He was getting great reactions. Then they immediately jobbed him out for seemingly no reason. Not "Let's let this wave of overness go and see where it takes us" and then jobbing him out when it died down... but literally "this guy seems to be getting the crowd massively behind him... let's not have him win a meaningful match for 8 months now." They do that same basic thiing with a lot with guys when they're getting over. It's retarded. It serves no purpose.

[Destor]

He could have carried a hot shot run with the belt to see how it stuck but you cant say his opportunity never came. No ones job to get yourself over but your own. Ask the pok-a-dot king dusty rhoads who's responsibility it is. As the ringmaster. The ones who are worth their salt always get over.

[#1-norm-fan]

Austin and Dusty both relied on booking to get over. Sorry, but without being booked in a position to succeed, neither of them would have succeeded. Pok-a-dot Dusty and The Ringmaster kinda speak to that theory.

[#1-norm-fan]

If Austin had gotten hot and then they jobbed him out on PPV for almost a year straight instead of riding his momentum, he would have never made it.

[Destor]

You think Poka dusty wasnt over? You're nuts. they were trying a public burial and he became one of their top acts. c'mon man.

[#1-norm-fan]

You confused me by lumping him in with "The Ringmaster". I thought you were trying to say "getting over" as in making a main eventer out of yourself because neither was able to do so in that gimmick.

My point is, they were both how they were booked at any given moment. Both proved that they were capable of being huge stars. But both required the booking to put them in a position to do so. Same with Punk. Same with Bryan. And unfortunately, same with Ryback and most of the guys you've probably recently had high hopes for when they were getting over only for WWE to forget they exist.

[Destor]

Originally Posted by #1-wwf-fan You confused me by lumping him in with "The Ringmaster". I thought you were trying to say "getting over" as in making a main eventer out of yourself because neither was able to do so in that gimmick.

Dusty became a legitmate draw, they refused to use him properly but there wasno holding him down. He shined through it. Austin was able to get them to let him shine in a something that suited him. Both excellent cases that real talent cant be held down. Thats the rub though, there is very little genuine talent out there, and I cant think of many guys out there right now that have real star power.

The cream always rises to the top.

[#1-norm-fan]

Johnny Curtis is a megastar waiting to be made. Just sayin'.