The XFL has folded (again)
 

lol Vince

RIP

XFL 2001-2001

RIP

XFL 2020-2020

HaHa!

Yeah, but much different reasons.

Still tho.....


fuuuuuuck.

Vince stewing in his own juices

Yeah this sucks more than last time because the games were actually good this time.

I still don't think Spring Football will ever be huge, but it was certainly watchable.

How much money did Vince lose this time?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Breaking: The XFL suspended operations Friday morning and laid off nearly all of its staff, multiple sources told <a href="https://twitter.com/SeifertESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SeifertESPN</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FieldYates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FieldYates</a>.<br><br>The league currently has no plans to return in 2021. <a href="https://t.co/NxZbHAKRsM">pic.twitter.com/NxZbHAKRsM</a></p>&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1248653937844129795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I feel bad for Vince.

I am not a football person but I gathered from people who watched the XFL they enjoyed it this time around.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">XFL done. I'd blame drop in WWE stock and uncertain future economy as the culprits. Far more uncertainty about the ability to garner a paying TV deal. One of the biggest stories in hindsight was TNT giving AEW that deal in January.</p>&mdash; Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) <a href="https://twitter.com/davemeltzerWON/status/1248653229778296832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

lol Dave

I don't.

He is such a shill.

LET'S PARTY!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pB0Uiq4NTs0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Not an embarrassment for Vince this time. He got it started again and things actually looked to be pretty sturdy with the shock and awe tactics. Vince could have been stubborn and kept this going, but I think he kind of proved his point, in a weird sort of way.

Lol wtf with Dave linking this to AEW? You’re over 60, Dave. Watch those knees when you get down on them.

Somewhere around $100-$200 million I'd guess. He was prepared to lose around $125 million per year running the league and likely spent millions more just to set it up.

Sucks for the people who just got jobs with them. XFL was kinda entertaining this time around.

Yeah definitely better than the first incarnation by a country mile. This was basically a last chance for a lot of these players too. Now their dreams of making it to the big time are probably gone for good. Hate it for em.

Yes, it was pretty good, and didn't lean into all the goofy shit the first iteration did trying to make it "WWF, but with football though". It was awesome how St. Louis was getting behind the Battlehawks and how the team my brother and I dubbed the "Not Oilers" seemed pretty legit.

The saddest part will be the detractors talking about how there's no room for spring football and LOL it failed again and allusions to AAF, but this actually was done in by factors that are well and truly out of anyone's hands. Even moreso that it was launching a year AFTER the AAF to make sure all the operations shit was going to be correct. Kinda wish it was planned for NEXT year because of this, even though, again, nobody saw this coming and with this worldwide reaction.

Kind of a sign that you can actually do everything right, and still have something fall apart. Makes me personally think of "Wild West World" - a would-be amusement/theme park in Kansas that fell apart because of the sheer number of record rainfall days that entire summer. I think it was somehing along the lines of 3/4ths of the season, and a lot of it was frontloaded, so they had no chance to recoup their losses or keep promises to pay people with zero income.

In this case, Vince did everything right, and still took it in the ass major.

Apparently XFL shutting down also meant players are getting kicked off of league provided health insurance after the end of this month.

In terms of pay, base pay for the rest of the regular season was covered but players still lost out on all the extra money that would have been earned from game bonuses and playoff games.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The players will stay on league provided health insurance through the end of this month and then can apply for a COBRA insurance plan.</p>&mdash; Konnor Fulk (@KonnorFulk_XFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/KonnorFulk_XFL/status/1248667605487030272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Even with the declining ratings for games this season, XFL would have still been a lock to have a second season air on tv since networks have been way more forgiving when it comes to sports ratings and splurging on deals than when the XFL first launched in the early 2000s.

This happening right now must mean Vince knows about the state of sports economy heading into the future. He was involved in a meeting with Trump and other sporting heads not that long ago. That meeting probably provided enough proof that sporting events are not going to rebound going forward. Pulling the plug at this time when we are talking about something that will get going again a year from now, pretty much guarantees that. I'm guessing, whatever major sporting event you last attended, is going to be your last for a long, long, long time. Maybe not ever again.

If by "going forward" you mean for the duration of the outbreak, then I totally agree. However, if you mean after it's all in the rear-view mirror and life has returned to normal, then I'd respectfully disagree. There will always be a demand for crowds at sporting events. It brings teams and leagues much needed money as well as crowds also bring reactions to games, which if any sporting events were held during this time (wrestling notwithstanding), it'd probably be not only jarring but very difficult for players and others associated with the events themselves to be properly motivated to play.

I honestly believe that crowds will pack stadiums just as much once sports returns, as they did before. Sports are a great means of escapism for the fans, and I can't see many if any giving up the opportunity to go to sporting events.

Nothing will be "normal"ever again. Until a vaccine is ready for everyone (12-18 months) there will be no more crowds for atleast a year or two

The XFL has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer.

Also, despite Vince saying the two companies had nothing to do with one another - filings revealed WWE owns nearly 1/4th of the XFL


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: XFL files for bankruptcy. N bankruptcy filing reveals that WWE actually does own part of league (23.5% of Class B stock). Among the creditors — Bob Stoops ($1M), Marc Trestman ($777K), Ticketmaster ($655K), other coaches ($583K) and MetLife Stadium lease ($368K). <a href="https://t.co/PRj3CXAnkv">pic.twitter.com/PRj3CXAnkv</a></p>&mdash; Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) <a href="https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/1249766388035616771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How does he keep getting away with this shit?? Didn't he JUST win a lawsuit by a pension company by saying WWE had no financial interest in the XFL like 2 weeks ago???

IDK

Vinny Mac has made some odd choices lately (I still find tossing Barrios/Wilson out very odd with all the $$$ they brought into the company).

I’m not so baffled by Barrios and Wilson. Execs get swapped over all the time. If they were dead-set on the WWE Network and not opening up new performance centers, it was probably just time. That was spun into a way bigger story than it was.

WWE owning XFL stock is pretty lol, but hey, he gets away with it. It’s money coming back into the company if they get it bought up.

Vince is extremely lucky that lawsuit regarding claims of WWE improperly funding the XFL got dismissed before this filing was revealed since it ended up being the truth.

McDevitt is a wizard. Technically, doesn't Vince McMahon's contract say he shouldn't be running a sports league while he's on the board in WWE? He got away with that. They'd find a way to twist the use of the word "improper" (or whatever was used) and file it under than philanthropic work or something.

There's no luck when it comes to Vince McMahon in a courtroom lol. I think the only people they ever lost to were the panda people, yeah?

Vince's WWE contract got updated during the lead up to XFL's launch to include the ability of him running a sports league on the side. The new terms did have several restrictions that didn't allow him to use WWE funds to finance the league nor could WWE itself be involved with the league.

Turns out both were actually happening despite WWE claiming it wouldn't every time the question was brought up by investors.

And Brock Lesnar.

Also the lawsuit they funded against CM Punk over a podcast lol

This is pretty much what I am saying. Just to further add to my point, I know that people would WANT to go to sporting events if they could, but I don't see that actually happening for a VERY long time. Jam packed stadiums are going to be a thing of the past, especially if there is a change come November. New York & New Jersey (where I am) are fucked big time when it comes to sports/recreation/entertainment because of the yayhoos we have in charge. I do not see any sports or events happening in this state again until at least 2021 and even that will not look pretty. If there is a change in November, this country as a whole will be fucked, not just my state.

I think there is still hope that the level of infections is much higher than being reported, meaning the percentage of bad outcomes is far far lower than they are able to prove currently and that once you have it you develop the antibodies and become immune.

Of course, that remains to be seen. It certainly can go the other way though, if people can catch it over and over again, and the quarantine is the only thing keeping cases down.

I think the NFL Season is going to be the benchmark. It starts when summer is ending and the flu season starts back up. If things don't play out like the first scenario and they end up cancelling the NFL season, I think that is when the forever change reality will sink in. At that point I don't think anybody would be eager or willing to be in large gathering until there is a fully proven vaccine.

Even with a vaccine, at that point I think it would still take a long time to fully remove that caution/fear, much like many people are still weary of flying on airplanes after 9/11.

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read.

He's not a wizard and Vince isn't "lucky" in a courtroom, outside of being wealthier than most of his opponents.

They didn't even "win" the lawsuit in this particular case. The plaintiffs chose to dismiss with prejudice, probably because they settled. As part of the settlement, the plaintiffs agreed to file a motion to dismiss with prejudice, so that the suit is permanently over, which they would have to do anyway once a settlement was reached.

That's not legal wizardry, if that was even a thing. That's essentially having enough money to buy/pay people off. Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, but it's not a result of some legal (or always moral or ethical) skill, brilliance, or decision(s).

:roll:

Buahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!

Apparently a bunch of people and companies who were owed money by Vince McMahon and the XFL likely won't see a dime back due to XFL rejecting their contracts as part of their bankruptcy filing.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If I’m reading this XFL bankruptcy filing correctly, it sounds like <a href="https://twitter.com/VinceMcMahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VinceMcMahon</a>, who’s worth about $2B, apparently needs the money more than I do. I’m listed as one of 98 vendors whose contracts are being rejected. Sadly, I’ll probably never see that $1000 I’m owed now. Sigh. <a href="https://t.co/eUQEAR4Ib7">pic.twitter.com/eUQEAR4Ib7</a></p>&mdash; ǝlʇʇʎl ɐssılǝɯ (@melissalyttle) <a href="https://twitter.com/melissalyttle/status/1250113802483437568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">17 of the 98 (or almost 20%) listed are freelance photographers.</p>&mdash; ǝlʇʇʎl ɐssılǝɯ (@melissalyttle) <a href="https://twitter.com/melissalyttle/status/1250115587835072525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

dunno why anyone is surprised. vince is a piece of shit and so is his company. not that they're the only ones but noid needs to join in on the boycott!

Not at all surprising, Vince is carney through and through. If he has to lose money, why shouldn't everybody else.

This is the same dude who fired CM Punk on his wedding day, fought off tears on Austin's podcast saying it was a bad coincidence, then turned around and funded a lawsuit against Punk.

This is the same dude that let 90% of his wrestlers be held hostage in Saudi Arabia because he didn't get his $40 million dollars fast enough.

Of course he would stiff a photographer out of $1100.

Apparently Vince didn't bother to inform XFL officials of his decision to fold the league until the day it happened according to the Observer Newsletter.

Vince went to WWE officials first to discuss what to do and then told XFL officials afterwards he was closing the league. Not even the #2 guy in the XFL was aware of what Vince was doing until it happened.

Also more details regarding WWE's potential involvement in the league despite previously claiming they had no role in its daily activities were revealed.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck sues Vince McMahon <a href="https://t.co/MFgB8N601p">https://t.co/MFgB8N601p</a></p>&mdash; Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) <a href="https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/1252635673649176577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And so it begins... terminating him "for cause" one day prior to filing for bankruptcy seems highly suspicious and coincidental at best that he actually did something to justify his "for cause" termination. What's going to be really tough for him though is that he's suing Vince personally but his employment contract was with the XFL LLC. Will be curious to see how this plays out.

When people try to sue Vince McMahon

https://frinkiac.com/video/S04E07/Wb...ZtVUpm1r4=.gif

Vince is going to die broke when this is all over. I'm sure Fox is looking for all the " outs " on that tv deal as we speak.

Luck needs to call the Panda organization and hook up with their lawyers considering Vince losing the iconic WWF name to a bunch of animal lovers is arguably his biggest defeat ever in wrestling.

Who cares about the lawsuit.

Oliver Luck should just write a book or get an interview with someone and just to a tell-all of the whole thing.

Wait...did you actually take the term “wizard” literally? You basically went on to describe exactly what I meant. The chip on your shoulder because someone dare doesn’t like AEW is way too big.

I’m sure he will if he doesn’t get paid to keep quiet. Either way, he’ll get some money out of this for himself.

No, I took the term wizard the way you implied it... as if it required from McDevitt some kind of luck, special skill, or legal knowledge to settle that case, in addition to the many others they've settled over the years. Having the $ to settle does not make one a legal wizard, it's just a beneficial option to have, albeit theoretically the more $ you have the more likely it will be to occur, however it requires no luck, skill, or special legal knowledge to do so.

My response had nothing to do with whether anyone likes or dislikes anything.

Only if that's worth around the $20 million or so Vince allegedly pocketed from having Luck's contract terminated.

If anything, the lawsuit managed to reveal the real reason why he wasn't listed among those owed money by the XFL. It wasn't due to him being paid in full but instead Vince pulling a fast one over him.

Seems WWE is the only notable one currently known to have all their money owed paid back and quickly by the league.

This must be one of those Mandela Effect deals because I’m 100% it was a “strike of marketing genius” on the part for Vinny Mac.

Seems more bad news is going to start getting revealed soon regarding Vince's handling of the league's revival.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you think the treatment of WWE personnel has been made in recent weeks, the XFL stuff will make you head spin. And I'm not talking about the decision to fold, because I get that, but the story leading up to it.</p>&mdash; Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) <a href="https://twitter.com/davemeltzerWON/status/1252666107938275333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That's crazy if that is how much Luck's contract was. 40 times higher than the top paid QBs.

A few people have said that the likelihood of the NFL season being delayed was the major factor in Vince closing up shop. He either didn't want to commit to a 2021 season without having a concrete start date, or he could not risk setting a date and have the NFL season still be going. He sure as hell didn't want to start the season competing with the NFL.

Good read:

https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/...20/04/XFL.aspx

It wasn't per year though but just the guaranteed total amount over several years.

Something around $4-$5 million per year which is low end regular QB starter money but way more than starters on rookie deals.

His contract did include the ability to make over $30 million in guaranteed money based on incentives if the league did well over the years.

Part of the dude's job is to make things go away. He's done a fantastic job over the years. It's why he's been Vince's guy for the longest time. And it's a large part of the reason Vince has managed to survive so many of the legal issues thrown his way.

Nah, you've definitely become warped through the whole anti-WWE/pro-AEW stuff. Calling people cocksuckers for daring to suggest that the WWE has a better long-term strategy than AEW and the like. Now you just can't help picking a fight because I won't kowtow to a pretty shitty product just because it isn't WWE.

I don't give a shit that you don't like AEW. I just think it's funny and pathetic that now that AEW is around and some people are actually enjoying it more, Vince/WWE is the greatest thing ever to you, and you're now willing to essentially fellate those involved whenever the opportunity presents, after doing nothing but shit on them for so many years prior.

As for McDevitt, of course it's his job. The issue isn't whether he's effective or how long he's been doing it, it's whether what he's actually doing requires any real legal or other expertise or skill, or if he's a "wizard" as you put it.

He's not exactly litigating a ton of complex or first impression cases. The reason most of Vince's cases settle or get dismissed early on has little to nothing to do with McDevitt or his skill. It's because most of the opposing party's can't really afford to litigate, have a weak case to begin with, and/or they're simply looking for a check. That necessitates settlement on the plaintiff's side, and increases the likelihood of settlement for both parties, and even more so when the defendant is wealthy. The ability to get cases dismissed and/or settled quickly does not really take much legal skill or expertise though, especially when you have the advantages that he and his client have compared to most of their usual opponents.

That makes more sense, maybe got a 5 year deal with the first 2 years being before the league had games. That would fit in with the initial 3 season timeline.

Still can't see how Vince is going to prove he was fired for cause. By all accounts the league was successful and on pace to make double their budget year one (or at least the St Louis franchise was according to their team president).

Still bad business practice by Vince. Not that he will ever get another chance, but if he did nobody would be willing to work for him after this.

Lol, but you've just made that up. I don't watch Raw or SmackDown regularly. It just fits your narrative of everyone who doesn't like AEW being on Vince's cock for some reason. It's fucking 15-year-old boy syndrome to the extreme. It's like you're an actual mark.

Oh okay. I guess instead of addressing the actual issue about your claim of McDevvit's "wizardry" while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge your praise of McDevitt in this thread alone, let alone your other recent comments on HHH & Vince's plans for NXT, etc., all that's left to do is change the subject to me.

More details from the Observer Newsletter on the lead up to the XFL's shut down and Vince being a scumbag in how it was handled.

Stopped reading the Meltzer take on this story when he compared the losses of this season to the first season in 2001.

I haven't refused anything lol. God, try harder. You're being deliberately obtuse and antagonistic. All I implied was that McDevitt does his job well. That's keep Vince bulletproof, which he's done so far. You're the one who is seriously trying to make an issue out of the word "wizard" and debate what his legal knowledge must be like when things are settled. Fuck's sake, get that rod out of your ass and lighten up. Just because AEW sucks it doesn't mean you have to.

Its basically the same stuff others have reported regarding the lead up to the XFL shutting down again.

The losses from the first XFL was enough to tank WWE's profits for the year due to Vince making the big mistake of just using WWE funds for it. Even if the XFL's revival had played a full season, they were still on track to post a lower loss than the original league did for its first season.

Except McDevitt hasn't actually kept Vince bulletproof outside of being lucky in having a wealthy client.

You could replace McDevitt with almost any remotely competent attorney and the results would (or should) be incredibly similar. That's due to, 1. Vince's wealth, 2. the law and facts of the cases, and, in particular, 3. Vince's opponent's, need, desire for, and/or lack of money have instead actually kept Vince bulletproof. It was not due to any particular skills, luck, or abillties of McDevitt.

The fact that you can't see or at least acknowledge that reality when it's clearly pointed out to you speaks volumes. Whatever... you do you. I'm done with you and this topic.

Except there's a reason McDevitt has the job and other people don't.

Noid. I like you. And if you’re doing a gimmick and I’m being that dipshit who is missing the point, then let me remind you that Poe’s law is a thing. But you definitely have been coming off as CyNick-like lately. And it’s not just because I’m an AEW mark. I’m pretty on the fence about AEW. At their best, I think they are far superior to WWE (from a storytelling standpoint at least. Which is the only standpoint anyone can compete with WWE on because of money and legacy.)

At their worst, they are TNA. The worst years of TNA. It’s not good.

But I think you’ve let peoples need to love AEW because it’s not WWE push you too far in the opposite direction. All wrestling is still shit. Maybe you don’t need to pick a side so firmly.

Oh, are we doing the intervention now?

Noid, I love your booking. Give us a long format rundown of one thing you’d do to make whatever company you’d like just a little bit better.

Not really doing a gimmick, although I do love taking jabs at AEW because people get so upset about it. BigCrippyZ, for example, went from basically taking my side in anything to calling me a cocksucker that can't take Vince and Triple H's dick out of my mouth. All I've said that is "pro-WWE" is that their long-range vision seems better, Meltzer's biased reporting is designed to make them look like the put-upon underdogs and should be taken skeptically, and that the main roster WWE I've seen in the past year has been better than AEW.

I completely agree that all wrestling is still shit. I honestly don't think I've chosen a side. I'll disagree that they are better at telling stories than the WWE. Cody vs. Dustin was good, Jericho vs. Cody was good. I like MJF, but Cody vs. MJF was spotty. Mox pretending to be a pirate only to reveal he was "lol faking" the whole time did not tick that box for me. He's Zany Dean Ambrose except he's traded a pot-plant for a car.

Like everyone, I've been waiting 20 years for an alternative. Something good. There's the money in TV rights fees that a billionaire can come along, pick the best wrestlers not in WWE, and put on something different and make a killing out of it. AEW is not that something different, and I won't bow to it just because they're trying their hardest. Fuck them. They insult my intelligence as much in little ways and far more in bigger ways than WWE. I don't have the patience to wait another 20 years for wrestling to get good. These fuckers are pissing on me and telling me it's raining.

I'm not going to do a long format rundown. I don't have the passion for that anymore. But I did have this pipe-dream that The Rock's production company would start their own federation and get a billionaire like Mark Cuban to help prop them up. And I don't like to disappoint, so here we go:

They'd poach JR and MJF from AEW and have JR and Barnett do commentary. I think I called them the Ultimate Pro-Wrestling Federation or something. They were promoted as more authentic, raw-boned pro-wrestling. Rock would do promotion leading up to it identifying that people are sick of the cartoons on the right and are insulted by the clowns on the left. He's bringing wrestling back, yadda, yadda.

They were largely the best of ROH, the NWA and MLW. Rock opened the show and MJF interrupted him to talk about how Rock's off back to Hollywood as soon as he gets these people's money and MJF is the star that is actually going to carry this thing on his back. Rock dares him to get in the ring with him right now and MJF points out he has a match later on tonight. I think I had it against Ricky Starks, but you can basically make it any babyface you want.

Jim Cornette appears with FTR and cuts a promo about how tag team wrestling is sweeter than the sweet science and the ego is in the team. He's created the best tag teams in wrestling and now he's found the heirs to that throne. The current best team? The Briscoes. So in order to be the best, FTR need to take them apart and send them back to Papa Briscoe piece-by-piece.

Tessa Blanchard kills some bitch dead. If you can get her out of her WWE contract (doubtful), Ronda Rousey is shown in the crowd and asked about what she thinks of Tessa, and she says she's got a long way to go.

There's a hype promo for Tom Lawlor coming in. They do the MLW thing Cornette did when he pointed out he was an achievement fighter. As they interview legends about him, someone slips in the line that he's the sort of guy that you think you've got the answers to, but then he changes the questions. Just to place that seed of connection in people's minds.

In the main event angle, MJF can't put the babyface away, so he gets himself disqualified instead of getting pinned himself. Suddenly, Alexander Hammerstone and Richard Holliday hit the ring and beat the piss out of the babyface too. The Dynasty is back together in the UPWF. The Rock hits the ring and starts firing up on the heels, and tosses them out of the ring. MJF slides out on his own instead of fighting The Rock and the heels look to regroup and charge again when Jacob Fatu hits Rock from behind. The Dynasty back off immediately letting the audience know they are not in on this.

Fatu gets a steel chair and blasts Rock over the head with it. Ideally, Rock would be able to get a bit of color here. Fatu beats the piss out of his relative and the babyface The Dynasty was beating up tries to protect Rock a bit, but gets beat down himself. Show goes off the air with security coming out to try and stop Fatu without actually wanting to get anywhere near him.

What these segments establish:

* Rock is the biggest star in Hollywood and gives this promotion his blessing. He's not above getting physical.

* MJF is a cocky prick that thinks he's going to be the next mega-star of wrestling. But he's also a bit of a chickenshit.

* There's tag team wrestling in this promotion, it's actually going to tell stories and you've got a heel manager on a mission to destroy a top babyface team. You've also fleshed out the world of The Briscoes a tiny bit and have introduced a potential FTR & Cornette vs. Briscoes & Papa Briscoe gimmick down the line.

* There's women's wrestling in this promotion. It has a clear star who knows what the fuck she is doing, she's a bad-ass and kind of like this wrestling's analogue to Ronda Rousey. You've also potentially sown the seeds for a Tessa Blanchard vs. Ronda Rousey match down the line.

* There's this unpredictable guy with an MMA background coming.

* MJF and a babyface get a chance to work. MJF looks good, but slimy and dangerous. The babyface looks resilient and has issues with them going forward. You've introduced new heel lackeys going forward, but they're lackeys that look good and are probably going to mean something.

* Rock gets physical, which is always something special. He's also gotten laid out by a monster heel, completely separate from the rat pack, who has a personal mission and has made enemies with both Rock and the full-time babyface.

* End in chaos with a hook for the next episode.

Does that build to Rock vs Fatu, or a babyface representing/brought in by Rock vs Fatu?

In a perfect world, if Rock got into this thing he could conceivably take time off from his impossible schedule (since this would be part of it), and he could actually do a big PPV match with Fatu. I mean, the reason Rock can't do wrestling is because if he gets hurt it fucks up a production schedule and costs millions of dollars with the delays.

Now, would he want to clear his schedule? If he did his own wrestling promotion, spiritually to give back to wrestling, but financially to have a project that could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each year from TV that could fuel later projects, then he might -- since we're talking pipe-dreams here. He's not going to sacrifice doing Jumanji 3 for a WrestleMania match. But he might sacrifice Jumanji 3 for $60 million for Seven Bucks Productions over three years, and the prestige of not only being the biggest Hollywood star but the biggest TV star and the guy credited for saving cable television in some form (or taking it to streaming services in a big way).

That being said, he just announced that he's doing that backyard wrestling show, so that seems to be his spiritual connection to wrestling now. Do a little show about it instead of doing it. Ah, cool, whatever. Do your thing Rock, but in dreamworld, he's doing wrestling proper and shit everywhere gets good because of it, lol.

But it could also just be that babyface vs. Fatu with Rock endorsing the guy and making throwing him a chair at some point to try to whack Fatu as a bit of payback. That's why you've got the other babyface in there to try and help Rock. He gets the rub from being Rock's buddy and all-round stand-up brave human being in the first place, but is potentially linked to the story too. I do have it in my head that it's Ricky Starks, but it could be Jay Lethal (although he's older and never really struck me as a permanent top guy). I'm trying to think of more young babyfaces that I think you could really put in that position where they're not there yet, but are hopefully going to be in a few years. If they found a John Cena-type guy somewhere, perfect. I'd try and work with Tom Prichard and Kane's school as an unofficial developmental facility, and maybe Dr. Tom's got some elite protoge coming along he could plug you into that I have no idea about now. If Chad Gable ever got out of his WWE deal, he'd be perfect for the spot too. A fucking Olympian with charm and underdog fire fighting against guys like Jacob Fatu and The Dynasty? Sign me up to that shit.

Do you think even The Rock has enough mainstream draw to get major eyes back on wrestling?

the first time Vince created the XFL 9/11 happened 5 months afterwards
This time coronavirus happend a month into the season

Someone's trying to tell Vince something

I honestly do, yes.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In a filing today, Vince McMahon's lawyers claim he fired Oliver Luck for 3 reasons: <br><br>*&quot;Gross neglect&quot; of his job during the early days of the pandemic<br>*Signing Antonio Callaway despite XFL policy against hiring talent with legal troubles<br>*Personal use of a XFL-issued iPhone</p>&mdash; Ben Fischer (@BenFischerSBJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenFischerSBJ/status/1260621169042100225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Personal use of a league phone lmao

LOL

The Callaway reason might stick if that is in fact in the official policy. It probably depends on how legal troubles is defined. Does that mean current legal troubles? Past legal troubles? Does he have current legal troubles?

Standard tech policy in any organization, honestly. Easy to turn to if people want to be shitbags about firing someone else.

Nope, it wasn't anything criminal.

He got caught driving with a suspended license and paid a $900 fine.

Vince saying anyone else has gross neglect during 'rona while having WWE listed as an essential business is hilarious and so Vince.

That was not the only issue with Calloway.

Clevelander here, so at least locally he was basically viewed as Josh Gordon 2.0, but nowhere near as talented.

Dude got suspended in College for Sexual Assault.
The suspended license thing, he was also in possession of marijuana, which was dropped, but he still had it.
The next year he was suspended 4 games for violating the drug policy.
Then he was cut when he was suspended again, officially a 10 game suspension, including the first 3 games of 2020, for drugs again.

McMahon may have an argument that signing a player with an active NFL suspension was certainly against their policy.

The other 2 complaints, working from home during the shut down and using a company issued cell phone for personal use, there is no way those are getting him an out on the contract though.

I know. The lol isn't so much for the company policy as much as its obvs a deep reach to try to justify a firing. They know he used it for personal use and its only now a problem cuz he's suing.

Edit: damn it wrong thread

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JUST IN: Oliver Luck asks a federal judge to award him an immediate “prejudgment remedy” of $23.8 million against Vince McMahon, as well as an attachment or garnishment of McMahon’s assets plus an order requiring McMahon to disclose his assets sufficient to satisfy the remedy. <a href="https://t.co/at1nWv4f1u">pic.twitter.com/at1nWv4f1u</a></p>&mdash; Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) <a href="https://twitter.com/WALLACHLEGAL/status/1260699086673641472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Oliver Luck might be the rare opponent Vinny Mac can not defeat.

F

I hope Vince McMahon goes broke and then dies.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">His lawyers also misspelled Antonio Callaway’s name in the termination letter ��█♂️</p>&mdash; Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenHeitner/status/1260910667864911872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cue the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is the guaranty that Vince McMahon signed, attached to Oliver Luck's contract to become commish of XFL.<br><br>McMahon &quot;irrevocably and unconditionally&quot; guaranteed the due &amp; punctual payment &amp; performance by XFL's parent company. 1 page that could be worth $23.8 million. <a href="https://t.co/348ps3yyRD">pic.twitter.com/348ps3yyRD</a></p>&mdash; Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenHeitner/status/1260902478901645312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

No way Vince is getting out of it.

Even with the Calloway situation, that was in January. If it was a fireable offense he should have been fired in January, not 3 months later.

Apparently, some unsecured creditors are arguing that Vince is trying to buy the XFL at a discount and restart the league, by among other things, offering to repay other unsecured creditors (season ticket buyers) for their "missing" season tickets.

This argument is based on, (1) that as fellow unsecured creditors, the season ticket holders are not likely to ever receive anywhere close to the value owed, if anything, (2) repaying the season ticket holders doesn't actually properly benefit the XFL as a bankrupt entity or its majority creditors but instead benefits Vince, and, (3) is actually an unnecessary expense being offered or used to justify or support the quick bankruptcy in an effort to allow Vince to purchase the XFL at a cheaper price (due to the XFL owing less overall by negating $ owed to season ticket holders) while simultaneously showing goodwill to the season ticket holders despite their lack of priority as unsecured creditors, (4) the XFL offices remaining open with the unnecessary expense that is, and (5) the current XFL president apparently acknowledging the league's attempt to renew their venue leases in some of the XFL's most successful/profitable markets.

I hope Oliver fucks Vince the fuck out of sports entertainment.

Even in IT, I've always kept my personal cell phone but 90% of people I'd say don't. It's not even discouraged. I'd say it's more encouraged because you're more likely to have it on you and charged.

I've kept two cell phones on me for the last 15 years or so tho. don't want my bitches and my other bitches confused.

It was working great. Too bad. Maybe next year

Wait, how would Vince buy the XFL if he already owns it?

That has to be some kind of illegal lol

The company he founded, Alpha Entertainment owned it.

He's looking to buy it personally

Droford's correct. Essentially, anyone can come in after the bankruptcy and try to buy the company and/or its assets (the IP, remaining contracts, etc.), by offering to pay off the company's creditors (particularly unsecured creditors) for less than what's actually owed, but typically the court must approve. He could even setup another company to purchase.