Will the number 2.5 "wake up" the WWE?

[James Steele]

Will the 2.5 RAW rating wake up WWE or will it take NBC Universal and The CW to stop airing WWE programming to get Vince to do what he did back in 1997 and change the direction of the company? If the phrase "Complacency Kills" ever ringed true...it is in the WWE currently. Yes the injuries to their "marquee names" isn't helping, nor is the Benoit tragedy, but in the end WWE is responsible for bringing in the ratings to their networks and they are failing miserably. I think the direction is to go back to the 70s and 80s NWA style of "realistic wrestling". Vince has never liked this style and if Vince isn't willing to change with the times...WWE might not die but it sure as hell won't be thriving.

[Innovator]

They'll just come up with more excuses

[Jordan]

Every decade WWE changes their product it seems. Look at the change from 80 - 86, which was more of the "attitude" era of the golden age, then the revert to the pussy stage until 97 and then now that is getting old. I think we will go back towards an era like the 70's somewhat. They will treat it like a legit sport, at least a whole lot more than they have in the past. Just take a look at the matches this summer, so many "different" endings. Punk/Nitro from GAB and Kennedy/Lashley from Raw just as examples off the top of my head.

[Jordan]

I need to start reading the whole main post more often.

[mrslackalack]

I say its because of 3 things.

1. Bad Booking
2. Many injuries to veteran popular stars
3. A young roster that fans really havent warmed up to or not familar with yet

[mrslackalack]

One day (I dont know when) Wrestling will hit another boom like it did in the mid 80s and the late 90s.

[gatoconbotas]

The 2.5 won't wake Vince up...it's the USA Network Heads that will attempt to wake him.

I read somewhere (God, it could've been here) that USA has been unhappy with the 3.4's that RAW has been getting, and that Vince has just made excuse after excuse to cover up the shitty booking that's happened the past 6 years. This 2.5 is beyond terrible, and tbh, USA has got to be pissed. If this doesn't tell Vince change is needed, nothing will.

[Splaya]

Funny how a lot of people thought the rating was gonna be stronger this week. OR at least that's what I read

[Dorkchop]

Wow... what a horrible rating. I doubt that the WWE and Vince will smarten up anytime soon. For 6 years, they've pretty much told us what we like, and, for the most part, ignore what was working. I know they've had problems trying to tell us what to like, but now it's really blatant.

[James Steele]

The show was actually really good this week, but this is just proof of the snowball effect WWE is about to experience. Ratings have been going down and now they are falling faster and faster.

[Dorkchop]

I actually found Raw pretty terrible this week. I liked a couple of small things, but overall I didn't like it.

[Kane Knight]

Vince is already awake. That's the problem. He has no clue how to deal with the problem, though.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Funny how a lot of people thought the rating was gonna be stronger this week. OR at least that's what I read

I think most people agree that the show was better, but I don't think the low rating surprises anyone. It was just good to see the supermen actually lose for a change.

I have no doubt that there are two names that Vince believes will lead him through this dark patch: John Cena and Triple H. This is just bullshit, as Cena is more the cause of the problem, and can't do much to help, and Triple H always sucked as a babyface since he started banging Steph. In fact, I don't think Vince is actually capable of creating good babyface characters these days, always betting his cash on the generic, roided-up horse.

I can just imagine Vince telling USA executives to wait until Triple H returns, and that ratings will be back where they are, but they won't be. This is a quality issue, and unless Vince starts allowing his shows to be crafted with quality and substance, I doubt we're going to see much in way of positive change.

What I think Vince should do, as much as it hurts his ego, and will no doubt infuriate Steph, is let Paul Heyman have the book for a while. If there is one thing that man could do, it is craft amazing storylines using talent to its maximum potential. It won't happen, but if there is one mind the WWE has that can start improving shows from the get-go, it is Paul Heyman.

[FourFifty]

All Vince needs are two people to turn the WWE around.

In a distant second place is Chris Jerciho.....
But WWE REALLY needs The Messiah.

[Sepholio]

Some buzz going around the net now about the low rating possibly being due to a Nielsen glitch. Apparently their ratings system has been glitching quite a bit as of late.

[darkpower]

Some buzz going around the net now about the low rating possibly being due to a Nielsen glitch. Apparently their ratings system has been glitching quite a bit as of late.

Why'd you have to go and post THAT? You DO know that we're pretty sure that Vince reads at least SOME of these posts, do you? :p

[James Steele]

*waits for Kane Knight to kall this a bullshit konspiracy by WWE marks*

[Sepholio]

Why'd you have to go and post THAT? You DO know that we're pretty sure that Vince reads at least SOME of these posts, do you? :p

I'm hoping he uses it as an excuse so I can take credit. It will make me feel important to have influenced Vinnie Mac.

[darkpower]

But seriously, I think the WWE does need the smelling salts and quickly, and there are a TON of problems that need addressing right now.

First of all, I'm not going to say that Cena is an awful wrestler. Anyone that can be told to carry the workload he is expected to carry without any known complaining or politicing in the back or any backstage heat needs to be given SOME respect. I think that's a given that he is willing and able to go though that (and no immediate signs of burnout right now). It's just that the title reign is making HIM unberable, and this is not his fault at all. This is the fault of the WWE not being able to (or not caring to) make a good challenger for him or have another face that is up there besides Triple H (who may be a heel before the year is up). Fact is, RAW has WAY too many heels that are not ready for a title run yet (not sure of Booker's status and people sour on Kennedy for WHATEVER reason), and no desire to build any faces OR heels up. I don't mind Cena being on my TV, the guy needs to be cut a break, but the title needs to change hands NOW!

The writers DEFINITLY needs a switch. Michael Hayes continues to draw heat as the SmackDown writer. We had yet ANOTHER writer let go because he couldn't work with him (forgot his name), and he continues to think he's the second fucking coming of Christ and we should all suck his dick. I think I mentioned it before, but Hayes needs to be fired ASAP! This backstage heat, along with the HORRID decisions he's been making lately (HONSWAGGLE as the CW Champ? CMON!!), should be MORE than enough to give him the heave ho (oh, and he had the NERVE to critizise Bishoff for his Arn Anderson impersonation in WCW on a 24/7 show recently when he's doing this bullshit on SD). Only thing is, you can make a valid excuse for SD's rating, as that has been pretty much consistant with what they've been doing and how The CW has been doing as a network. You can't make that excuse on RAW, which has some good lead ins (people ALWAYS seem to flock for those Law & Order repeats and some of USA's original series which are pretty good) and with EVERYONE getting USA (it's one of cable TV's oldest networks). Brian Gerwitz, I think, just needs to retire. He had some good ideas, but they are not clicking anymore.

Then there are the wrestlers. Instead of giving SD and ECW the "no one needs to care about this guy right now" people or the leftovers that no one will care about ever again, they have to, assuming they keep the exension going, to let those that get HIGHLY popular on SD to STAY on SD. Take the tag of "flagship show" off of RAW and go from there. That's another problem. Make people HAVE to tune to SD or ECW to see a star, and then use THOSE shows to promote RAW, as well (they do, anyway). And then you don't have the RAW overload you have now. Flair was sent to SD for no good reason, Kennedy was sent to RAW to be buried for better or for worse, Benoit went to ECW, and then a week later got roid rage (this may be an awful joke, but maybe the logic of the WWE lately drove him that crazy), and then we have Johnny Nitro...oh, I'm sorry, John MORRISON, nearly get driven out of the ECW building by boring chants with a title that we have no reason to CARE about.

So basically, need a WWE Title Change (Cena can stay), Gerwitz needs to retire (and Hayes needs to die), need more competition on RAW but to stop on this overload of "everyone that gets major popularity HAS to be on RAW or else".

[darkpower]

I'm hoping he uses it as an excuse so I can take credit. It will make me feel important to have influenced Vinnie Mac.

More like, Vince will plagerize you while Steph takes some of the credit before taking you up on that offer that your user title suggests.

[Sepholio]

More like, Vince will plagerize you while Steph takes some of the credit before taking you up on that offer that your user title suggests.

That would not be a problem, good sir. Unless Trips walked in, in which case I'll have to run away from him for approximately 50 feet until he tears his quad and I can stop.

[Impeccable]

Who's to say that the change wasn't coming, until the Benoit tragedy? The Vince death storyline may have been the catalyst, instead, storylines finished, matches were thrown together, etc. I would give it a year while Vince and the writers look for something that can be the catalyst to change.

Undoubtedly, the previous catalyst was Montreal...getting Vince as an owner on TV. Maybe the thing that was needed was to write Vince out with an "explosive" storyline.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Some buzz going around the net now about the low rating possibly being due to a Nielsen glitch. Apparently their ratings system has been glitching quite a bit as of late.

Apparently it has been increasing ratings .6 of a point.

[Mr. Nerfect]

:shifty:

No one contest that, we want the product to improve, don't we?

[James Steele]

:lol:

There is no way RAW did a 1.9

[Kane Knight]

Some buzz going around the net now about the low rating possibly being due to a Nielsen glitch. Apparently their ratings system has been glitching quite a bit as of late.It would have to be quite a glitch, seeing as how WWE's been in a steady decline for months now.

[IC Champion]

I think the direction is to go back to the 70s and 80s NWA style of "realistic wrestling". Vince has never liked this style and if Vince isn't willing to change with the times...WWE might not die but it sure as hell won't be thriving.
LOL, that would be really successful.

[Kane Knight]

OH, and to fulfill ames' prediction...

A little bit of research allowed me to debunk things fast. Why, you ask, can I be certain that the ratings glitch was not at fault?

The "glitch" was in the data for WOMEN 55-64.

So unless it dipped into the negatives....

[St. Jimmy]

Triple H will carry the ratings, just like before.

[IC Champion]

Triple H will carry the ratings, just like before.
Because he's proven he's a draw and brings in the ratings and then he doesn't bore them away with a 20 minute promo....

[Kane Knight]

Triple H will carry the ratings, just like before.

I know you're a Triple H mark, but that's a new level of retardation right there.

[IC Champion]

I thought he was joking.....

[St. Jimmy]

It's not retardation so much as it is Marxism :shifty:

[Stickman]

There should be another legit screwjob for ratings to take off.

[Kane Knight]

I thought he was joking.....

Dunno. With Jimmy's rabid hardon for Trips, I just assume the worst. :D

[Kane Knight]

There should be another legit screwjob for ratings to take off.

What's sad is, they had one.

It probably wasn't Montreal level, but it could have been a main event feud. Everyone but internet smarks were sympathetic to Matt Hardy. Matt/Edge could have easily been an explosive feud.

[Stickman]

What's sad is, they had one.

It probably wasn't Montreal level, but it could have been a main event feud. Everyone but internet smarks were sympathetic to Matt Hardy. Matt/Edge could have easily been an explosive feud.

But it's matt hardy and edge so nobody care.

[Innovator]

People were chanting for Matt and booing the hell out of Edge....people did care

[Stickman]

The smarks yes,

[Innovator]

Smarks never make up over 50% of the crowd, even in New York

[Innovator]

Besides for the first One Night Stand

[Kane Knight]

The smarks yes,

Sorry, you're wrong there.

You had crowds that gave borderline Austin pops for Matt and this was the first time Edge was getting real heat. If that was just the smarks, then the smarks make up like 90% of the audience regularly.

[Outsider]

Interestingly, the rating news caused the stock price to drop.

That will do more to start any changes than a fall in ratings will.

[Kane Knight]

Interestingly, the rating news caused the stock price to drop.

That will do more to start any changes than a fall in ratings will.

You have to keep in mind the stocks didn't just drop out of the blue, and I doubt it was entirely spurred on by ratings. Stock prices had gone down similarly a couple of days ago, and not exactly in a less major sense.

[IC Champion]

Canadian Crowds tend to be smarkish.

[Outsider]

You have to keep in mind the stocks didn't just drop out of the blue, and I doubt it was entirely spurred on by ratings. Stock prices had gone down similarly a couple of days ago, and not exactly in a less major sense.

I haven't followed the stock price to be honest. We probably should because it will be a far more important to Vince than ratings.

I do know however that when I checked a few months ago, the price was very similar to when it was originally floated.

[Kane Knight]

It'd definitely worse than before. But to be honest, there have been several sharp dips.

[Innovator]

To those who care, from PWInsider

For those who have emailed (and there sure have been a lot of you since I got home from being out today), yes, Vince McMahon's appearance on Raw this Monday and the announcement of it is definitely being done in an effort to boost the ratings after the disastrous numbers that they possibly delivered this week came to light. The creative team is feeling the heat for the ratings freefall up in Titan Towers but, to his credit, sources have told me that Vince realizes many of his people have been writing to "please him" and now that the numbers have dropped to alarming levels, he is finally said to be ready to listen to ideas that don't conform to his cookie cutter way of presenting WWE. We can only hope that leads to much-needed change in the programs.

With that said, I should also tell you that I have heard from two sources that Nielsen has contacted a number of programmers and said that there was a problem (glitch) in Monday's ratings, as I suspected may be the case. I am not sure what the extent of it is, but as I said yesterday, I wouldn't be shocked to find out that there was a problem since the drop was so huge. I have heard that Nielsen has contacted WWE about it but with the three straight weeks of 3.4s for Raw prior to this week, WWE does realize that there is a real problem with the make up of their shows and are working on doing what they can to fix them, regardless of whether there was a big drop on Monday or not.

[Dorkchop]

The creative team is feeling the heat for the ratings freefall up in Titan Towers but, to his credit, sources have told me that Vince realizes many of his people have been writing to "please him" and now that the numbers have dropped to alarming levels, he is finally said to be ready to listen to ideas that don't conform to his cookie cutter way of presenting WWE. We can only hope that leads to much-needed change in the programs.

Let's just hope that rumor is actually true.

[Kane Knight]

And if true, it lasts.


Scherer needs to do a little research, though. Anyone who thinks that 55 year old women can affect Raw that much is insane or lazy.