Saturday Morning Slam

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>Did anybody else tune in to this? Figured I'd check it out during my morning breakfast out of pure curiosity. It's hilariously awkward. The Kofi/Slater match as been filled with armdrags and rest holds because they're trying to find a way to adapt to the "no neck moves" initiative. Kofi didn't even use Trouble in Paradise and won with a regular cross body instead.

Plus the WWE.com logo and random shirts in the crowd are blurred out due to laws against advertising on children's programming.

I recommend checking it out once just because it's so.....weird.</font>

[Gass]

Tried to DVR it; apparently I don't get CW.

[Cool King]

<font color=goldenrod>Did anybody else tune in to this? Figured I'd check it out during my morning breakfast out of pure curiosity. It's hilariously awkward. The Kofi/Slater match as been filled with armdrags and rest holds because they're trying to find a way to adapt to the "no neck moves" initiative. Kofi didn't even use Trouble in Paradise and won with a regular cross body instead.

Plus the WWE.com logo and random shirts in the crowd are blurred out due to laws against advertising on children's programming.

I recommend checking it out once just because it's so.....weird.</font>

I was planning on just checking out the intro for it, but what you said has me intrigued. I'll just catch it on YouTube once someone uploads it. It'll most likely be on YouTube by the end of today.

Do any fellow Brits know if the show will be making it's way over here? I'm curious because if it does, then I'm expecting it to be shown on Sky One, but hopefully it doesn't take the place of Superstars. I always watch Superstars as I eat my breakfast.

[Gertner]

<font color=goldenrod>Did anybody else tune in to this? Figured I'd check it out during my morning breakfast out of pure curiosity. It's hilariously awkward. The Kofi/Slater match as been filled with armdrags and rest holds because they're trying to find a way to adapt to the "no neck moves" initiative. Kofi didn't even use Trouble in Paradise and won with a regular cross body instead.

Plus the WWE.com logo and random shirts in the crowd are blurred out due to laws against advertising on children's programming.

I recommend checking it out once just because it's so.....weird.</font>

No Neck Moves initiative? When did this happen?

[#1-norm-fan]

Just for Saturday Morning Slam. Neck moves are not "kid friendly" apparently.

[Gertner]

Do you have a link for that? I'd love to read that nonsense lol

[#1-norm-fan]

http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/wwe-saturday-morning-slam-matches-bar-moves-or-holds-aimed-at-the-neck/

WWE Saturday Morning Slam premiered Saturday morning on the CW Network. Matches taped for the show feature a no-contact rule to the head/neck region, making bouts appropriate for children. WWE highlighted the rule in information sent out to cable and satellite provides:

“Tag-team champion Kofi Kingston is in action in the premiere of this pro-wrestling series intended for children. WWE stars are profiled and community initiatives are highlighted, while featured matches bar any moves or holds aimed at the neck.”

[#1-norm-fan]

So apparently it may be neck AND head. Which is gonna make matches seem that much more awkward and probably lead to a lot of edits down the road when people constantly forget and hit punches and such out of habit.

[Gertner]

This shows seems perfect for someone like Brodus Clay

[Lock Jaw]

I guess they figure that if kids copy the moves they see, they are "ok" with them breaking an arm or leg.... but if something happens to a kid's neck/head then they are "in trouble".

[Gertner]

Clox is in his 20's and thinks it's perfectly reasonable to get dropped on your head.

[Razzamajazz]

for some reason whenever i read "saturday morning slam" i think of the first 30 seconds of this

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J9FImc2LOr8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Emperor Smeat]

So what would a Ryback match look like on tv, just him entering then a second later his victory theme and chants?

Almost every move he has would break those rules.

[#1-norm-fan]

This shows seems perfect for someone like Brodus Clay

Future WWE Saturday Morning Slam-pion?

They should have feuds that appeal to children. Have a vignette where Damien Sandow walks onto a playground and ends recess early so the kids can get back to their education. He could be the greatest heel Saturday mornings have ever seen.

[Gertner]

Heath Slater should have cut a promo telling kids not to brush their teeth

[Cool King]

I've just watched it and it did seem a bit weird.

The beginning with Brodus Clay felt like I was watching something that my five year old nephew would watch. It was just the way Brodus was talking to the camera and assuming that the audience at home were telling Brodus that The Funkadactyls weren't around.

The match was also pretty weird. I don't think I've ever seen a match with so many arm drags before. Though I did see that they've found a way to avoid "violent" moves. They just cut to the commentators.

Speaking of which, I was bit surprised that Santino was introduced as the US Champion. I know it was recorded before he lost the title, but I was thinking that it could possibly confuse the kids watching, if they watched the SumerSlam pre-show and saw Santino lose, but then come out a week later with the title again.

Also, the blurring was pretty mad. I also noticed that they re-used footage for when Santino was making his way to the ring. They showed a kid doing the whole Cobra routine, even though I saw that kid doing the same thing at No Way Out.

This kid.

http://i.imgur.com/2DfvE.gif

Anyway, it was something new and different and I think the WWE have done a good job at aiming it towards kids. I get the feeling kids will like the show. The only downside to the show is the lack of wrestling that the guys are allowed to do. :-\

[#1-norm-fan]

Speaking of which, I was bit surprised that Santino was introduced as the US Champion. I know it was recorded before he lost the title, but I was thinking that it could possibly confuse the kids watching, if they watched the SumerSlam pre-show and saw Santino lose, but then come out a week later with the title again.

Kids shouldn't have been watching that match. On account of the neck moves.

[#1-norm-fan]

Watching this right now. First thought: It's bizarre to see a "TV-G" rating on a wrestling show.

[#1-norm-fan]

lol. Brodus talking to the camera. He almost sounds sarcastic like he's talking to adults like they're children as opposed to actually talking to children.

[#1-norm-fan]

ECW clip on TV-G television. lol

[Rammsteinmad]

Lol at that kid.

[#1-norm-fan]

HAH! There was a clip coming back from commercial of CM Punk coming off the top rope for a clothesline on Daniel Bryan and it cut off right before it hit. I've been looking for some sort of neck move in the video packages showing wrestling.

[#1-norm-fan]

Lol at that kid.

For some reason, right after he turns to the camera, I expect sad music to play and a "2002-2012" to appear at the bottom.

[#1-norm-fan]

What an odd match so far.

There's been one move in the first few minutes that wasn't an armbar, armdrag or monkey flip and they cut away to the commentators during it.

[#1-norm-fan]

Hmm. Daniel Bryan doing the public service announcement. Weird.

[#1-norm-fan]

Suddenly Heath Slater can have a competitive match with someone like Kofi. Apparently a neck move ban is right up his alley.

[#1-norm-fan]

I'm loving these old school good guy/bad guy spots like the criss cross with Kofi standing back eventually and just watching and Slater's holding the ropes and letting go before the ref can see during the abdominal stretch before finally getting caught the third time.

[Destor]

Loved the match. Guys were actually working holds. reminded me of wrestling of yester year. im going to DVDr this show weekly if the matches are like that every week. Awesome throwback. And gfreat intro to wrestling for younger fans.

[CSL]

just watched the match. Lots of fun.

[#1-norm-fan]

Yeah. Did not see that coming at all. Good pace, a lot of wearing down and in the end the big move actually hits this time and that's the end of it. I wouldn't be upset if more TV matches were like that.

[XCaliber]

This show feels like from the late 80's early 90's i'll give it a chance but it's very apparent that it's geared towards kids the match was just okay imho.

[Keith]

WWE seems to be overdoing it with this catering to kids.

Back in the early to mid 90's WWE was PG and it wasn't this cheesy. I'm a product of that era and kids back then, we weren't especially catered to. We were given plain ol' wrestling, and liked it.

Between this and all the Twitter talk, it's getting ridiculous.

[#1-norm-fan]

WWE seems to be overdoing it with this catering to kids.

Back in the early to mid 90's WWE was PG and it wasn't this cheesy. I'm a product of that era and kids back then, we weren't especially catered to. We were given plain ol' wrestling, and liked it.

There were a shitload of cartoonish gimmicks though.

He may have morphed into his own identity to where it doesn't seem as corny now but remember one of the top guys of that era was a guy named "The Undertaker" with his manager Paul Bearer.

[Keith]

Yeah but it was all as part of the regular product.

There was no WWE Magazine for Kids, there were no WWE programs geared towards kids.

[CSL]

it's 21 minutes

[#1-norm-fan]

Yeah but it was all as part of the regular product.

There was no WWE Magazine for Kids, there were no WWE programs geared towards kids.

Maybe there should have been. There was a "Raw Magazine" in the mid-late 90s that was specifically geared toward adults. They got the opportunity to have a show on a Saturday morning block of TV geared toward a very young crowd and possibly draw in a new crowd to the product. I can't imagine why they'd turn it down just for the sake of not having a show that's VERY geared toward kids.

[Keith]

Because kids have always been into wrestling. There's no reason to belabor the point.

But whatever.

[James Steele]

Yeah but it was all as part of the regular product.

There was no WWE Magazine for Kids, there were no WWE programs geared towards kids.

Because kids have always been into wrestling. There's no reason to belabor the point.

But whatever.

And WWE is trying to make money off of the market, you twat. Parents will buy their kids a subscription to WWE Kids Magazine, buy the toys, and now they have a wrestling show every week they can watch without their parents worrying about something inappropriate happening. it is brilliant and doesn't really have any impact on the main product on RAW/SmackDown. Why would WWE not capitalize on a demographic they already have good business with? Because it offends a handful of fans? WWE's whole idea is that they want to be "family entertainment" and maximize their potential audience by having every member of a household from kiddo to grandpa watching their product and buying their shit. WWE's tag line for house shows is "The Best Value in Family Entertainment". WWE came to my town and you could get tix for $15 each. For that much, why wouldn't you take your whole family to a WWE house show? Hell, I was sitting between a father and his two little boys and a group of old people (60+). There were people from all ages and backgrounds there. My buddy and I are in our 20s and went together. WWE has always been willing to sacrifice the eyeballs of a handful of self-righteous elitist fans (who probably haven't paid for a PPV other than WM since 2005) for the potential eyeballs of the majority of society. They'd be dumb not to.

[James Steele]

Saying "Because kids have always been into wrestling. Why cater to them?" would be like saying McDonald's needs to quit catering to children with Happy Meals and Ronald McDonald. Kids have always been into chicken nuggets, burgers, and fries. They can just get a small fry and drink. Fuck, how much more money has McDonald's made because they put a fucking toy in with the food in a colorful box?

[#1-norm-fan]

Because kids have always been into wrestling. There's no reason to belabor the point.

But whatever.

So they should have said "Nah, we don't want the money or exposure. Go ahead and keep your half hour block of Saturday morning kid friendly TV." because kids already like them?

[Keith]

Saying "Because kids have always been into wrestling. Why cater to them?" would be like saying McDonald's needs to quit catering to children with Happy Meals and Ronald McDonald. Kids have always been into chicken nuggets, burgers, and fries. They can just get a small fry and drink. Fuck, how much more money has McDonald's made because they put a fucking toy in with the food in a colorful box?

That is true, but I won't even get into it.

[James Steele]

Wonderful.