(Observer) WrestleMania news/ratings notes

[Guest bcu1979]

Some notes from the latest Wrestling Observer:

 

Meltzer says the idea for Mania is to build up Rock v. Goldberg as the big Mania match this year. They are still negotiating but they are closer than ever before. The agreement would be for Goldberg to come in and wrestle two matches and get a huge guarantee. Both against Rock. One at WrestleMania and then a rematch at Backlash.

 

No mention of any other matches besides Angle/Lesnar.

 

The feeling about Triple H within the company is growing more and more consistent with the feelings the audience has about him. The agents feel his influence on RAW is one of the things killing the show but everyone besides Pat Patterson is afraid to speak out against the "son-in law." There is a growing feeling though that someone has to speak out.

 

Meltzer mentions there is talk of Storm and Regal getting the tag titles at a house show early next year and then air the match on RAW the next Monday.

 

The RAW on 12/9 was the first one in a while to show consistent growth throughout the show. But the first hour rating was the lowest for RAW in 5 years.

 

The Triple H/Jeff Hardy match and Flair/Michaels interview(which was put on at the top of the first hour after some combination of Jerichristian and Bookdust had the highest rated segment of the night in that spot for the last couple weeks) only added 147,000 viewers.

 

Meanwhile, the wrestling main event of Jericho/Christian/Victoria v. Dudleys/Trish was the hit of the night, adding almost half a million viewers in what is usually a weak timeslot.

 

The Triple H/Shawn Michaels over-run only added 130,000 viewers.

 

RVD/Batista added 1,000 viewers. Kane v. Samoans lost 41,000 viewers. The Tough Enough tag match added 160,00 viewers.

[Guest buffybeast]

The feeling about Triple H within the company is growing more and more consistent with the feelings the audience has about him. The agents feel his influence on RAW is one of the things killing the show but everyone besides Pat Patterson is afraid to speak out against the "son-in law." There is a growing feeling though that someone has to speak out.

I can't blame anyone for being afraid of mentioning the negative effects HHH is having on RAW. Vince has consistently sided with Trips. If someone were to make negative remarks about Trips to Vince, I'm sure that person would feel his/her job may be in jeopardy.

[Guest Angle-plex]

Meltzer mentions there is talk of Storm and Regal getting the tag titles at a house show early next year and then air the match on RAW the next Monday.

 

So they decided to job them to a couple of announcers before they put the titles on them?

 

RVD/Batista added 1,000 viewers. Kane v. Samoans lost 41,000 viewers. The Tough Enough tag match added 160,00 viewers.

 

Just more proof that Hosses and Fat Samoans don't draw.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Meltzer says the idea for Mania is to build up Rock v. Goldberg as the big Mania match this year. They are still negotiating but they are closer than ever before. The agreement would be for Goldberg to come in and wrestle two matches and get a huge guarantee. Both against Rock. One at WrestleMania and then a rematch at Backlash.

P-O-I-N-T-L-E-S-S

[Guest Mattdotcom]

---Meltzer mentions there is talk of Storm and Regal getting the tag titles at a house show early next year and then air the match on RAW the next Monday. ---

 

Why not just let them win the titles on that RAW? I suppose this is supposed to help house show business.

 

Hey, answered my own question.

[Guest Angle-plex]

Why not just let them win the titles on that RAW? I suppose this is supposed to help house show business.

Yeah, I'm sure Regal & Storm winning the tag titles will be the talk of the town.

[Guest Mattdotcom]

Oh, they'll be so over in about thirty minutes Agnes.

[Guest CanadianChick]

Why not just let them win the titles on that RAW? I suppose this is supposed to help house show business.

Yeah, I'm sure Regal & Storm winning the tag titles will be the talk of the town.

I don't think that it is really the tag team that is suppose to be exciting, but the idea that titles can change hands on a house show.

[Guest Angle-plex]

Why not just let them win the titles on that RAW? I suppose this is supposed to help house show business.

Yeah, I'm sure Regal & Storm winning the tag titles will be the talk of the town.

I don't think that it is really the tag team that is suppose to be exciting, but the idea that titles can change hands on a house show.

I know, but I seriously doubt people will be running to get house show tickets because Regal & Storm won the tag titles.

[Guest teke184]

No... they'll run to the house shows to see the possibility of the ever popular Booker T and Goldust REGAINING the tag titles.

[Guest bcu1979]

Meltzer says the idea for Mania is to build up Rock v. Goldberg as the big Mania match this year. They are still negotiating but they are closer than ever before. The agreement would be for Goldberg to come in and wrestle two matches and get a huge guarantee. Both against Rock. One at WrestleMania and then a rematch at Backlash.

P-O-I-N-T-L-E-S-S

Yeah. It's a way for both guys to get a win. Meltzer points out that it would be smarter to move Goldberg into a match with Austin or Lesnar after having him wrestle Rock. But that would mean he would have to beat Rock and there would be a lot of politics coming into play. Even though Rock has been a team player, he might not be happy about jobbing to Goldberg and never getting anything back especially after he put Lesnar over so clean.

 

And I have to wonder how happy Rock will be to come back anyways with Triple H having more power than ever. If Austin comes back and moves to Smackdown, then it seems obvious that Rock would have to move to RAW to even things out.

[Guest Angle-plex]

No... they'll run to the house shows to see the possibility of the ever popular Booker T and Goldust REGAINING the tag titles.

Hopefully the "ever popular" Booker T and Goldust will have moved out of the tag team division by then.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

If Goldberg is only going to wrestle 2 matches, don't even bother bringing him in. Anything other than a long-term deal is pointless. Wow, the matches pop 2 buy-rates, then you're back to square 1 where nobody got elevated and you just wasted $$$ on a guy who doesn't wrestle another match for you.

[Guest teke184]

No... they'll run to the house shows to see the possibility of the ever popular Booker T and Goldust REGAINING the tag titles.

Hopefully the "ever popular" Booker T and Goldust will have moved out of the tag team division by then.

It depends on how you look at it.

 

If the house show switch is something planned to be used eventually, then Booker could move up to the world title afterwards.

 

If this is going to be used in the immediate future (as in within a month), they are NOT going to be moving out of the the tag ranks because Trips-Steiner looks to be a two month program ending at No Way Out, at which point Trips will begin feuding with his Wrestlemania opponent.

 

The way I see this working out is that Bookerdust will lose the tag titles at the first house show of the new year and it will lead to a program that could end at the Rumble, should there be plans for Booker at Wrestlemania outside the tag division.

[Guest bcu1979]

If you take out the huge buyrate part, you pretty much described the whole Triple H/Shawn Michaels feud and title changes.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

At least w/ HBK, he appears to be sticking around, and could possibly be used to put some newer guys over (Jericho?). Yeah, I know that's a stretch, but it could happen.

[Guest Vyce]

In a related news story about why Vince is trying to sign Goldberg:

 

Reports say that Vince McMahon is getting increasingly desperate about the dropping interest in WWE, and is losing faith in his own ability. He reportedly feels he is running out of ideas and is unsure how to turn things around.

 

Gee, ya think?

 

Bookdust had the highest rated segment of the night in that spot for the last couple weeks

 

Most over group on RAW.

 

So let's job them to Regal / Storm as soon as possible!

 

RVD/Batista added 1,000 viewers.

 

And I wonder which of the two will be given the credit for that.

[Guest EternallyLazy]

If Goldberg is only going to wrestle 2 matches, don't even bother bringing him in. Anything other than a long-term deal is pointless. Wow, the matches pop 2 buy-rates, then you're back to square 1 where nobody got elevated and you just wasted $$$ on a guy who doesn't wrestle another match for you.

How is this a bad deal? He wrestles two matches, pops two buyrates, makes them a profit, and then LEAVES, therefor we don't have to put up with him after that in what would probably be several of our favorites jobbing to him. If it must happen, this is a GREAT way to do it. Use him for that special attraction factor and then get him out of the locker room before he starts causing trouble

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Reports say that Vince McMahon is getting increasingly desperate about the dropping interest in WWE, and is losing faith in his own ability. He reportedly feels he is running out of ideas and is unsure how to turn things around.

Well, signing a guy solely for 2 PPV matches sure won't make fans happy.

 

Here's a novel idea: push guys who are *over* and/or the crowd is interested in, rather than force guys down the fans' throats. Focus on good wrestling and good storylines, and limit certain wresttlers' influence. Realize smaller guys can wrestle and get over w/ fans, so it might be a good idea to push some of them rather than using them as Hoss Chow.

[Guest HartFan86]

What the hell is the deal with Tough Enough kids DRAWING?

[Guest Angle-plex]

I don't think the tough enough kids is what brought the viewers in, I think it was everyone checking to see if Hoss vs Samoans was over.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

If Goldberg is only going to wrestle 2 matches, don't even bother bringing him in.  Anything other than a long-term deal is pointless.  Wow, the matches pop 2 buy-rates, then you're  back to square 1 where nobody got elevated and you just wasted $$$ on a guy who doesn't wrestle another match for you.

How is this a bad deal? He wrestles two matches, pops two buyrates, makes them a profit, and then LEAVES, therefor we don't have to put up with him after that in what would probably be several of our favorites jobbing to him. If it must happen, this is a GREAT way to do it. Use him for that special attraction factor and then get him out of the locker room before he starts causing trouble

Who gets put over? Rock, who doesn't need it. Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to put over the most over guy in the WWE, to me, is pointless.

 

How exactly does this help the WWE, other than make money off 2 PPV's? Nobody new/fresh gets elevated, which is the problem, especially on Raw. Vince should be thinking long-term, not *extremely* short-term in order to right the ship.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

What the hell is the deal with Tough Enough kids DRAWING?

Unlike *some* members of the RAW roster, the TE kids can move and have a small, but respectable repetiore of moves to work with.

 

 

They're solid, unspectacular, but solid.

[Guest Downhome]

As far as Goldberg being in for only two matches, think of this...

 

...what if when he debuts, he gets a HUGE pop against a heel Rocky (nevermind about what if, he WILL get a huge pop, period). Anyhow, what if the fans get attached to him? Will WWE be forced to sign him long term, or will they say a prompt "fuck you" to the fans, and just ignore his being over?

[Guest Downhome]

Also, I love the Christopher/Maven feud. Not only do I see a star in Maven, but I totally LOVE Christopher's style in the ring. It's nice to see him coming into his own, and not simply becoming a shadow of a cliched wrestler. He is actually molding into his own sytle, and I love it.

[Guest AndrewTS]

Also, I love the Christopher/Maven feud. Not only do I see a star in Maven, but I totally LOVE Christopher's style in the ring. It's nice to see him coming into his own, and not simply becoming a shadow of a cliched wrestler. He is actually molding into his own sytle, and I love it.

Yeah...although the fact that a guy who has wrestled so little is one of the highlights of Raw is kinda a bad thing. I don't really see much coming from Maven for many many years--less for Chris. Who knows, though...

[Guest EternallyLazy]

All I can say is this... a Goldberg/Rock match, or a Goldberg/Austin match would generate major heat and would bring interest back. Even if it's just temporary, that's what WWE needs to spark interest for a venue that is going to have SERIOUS trouble selling out with just Angle/Lesnar as a main event. They're getting desperate. Think of what is probably going through Vince's head... he's got to put at least 50,000 asses into the seats of SafeCo Field. Do you really think Lesnar/Angle would do that?

[Guest AndrewTS]

If he wrestles 2 matches and goes, Goldberg I can deal with. Don't want to see him for any more, though.

[Guest BoboBrazil]

I don't see why Vince is being such a stingy fuck. One ppv with Goldberg vs Austin or Goldberg vs Rock will make back the 2-3 million Goldberg probably wants to work full time. Shit, he paid $750,000 for Hall and $750,000 for Nash to come in during the nWo comeback.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Here's a novel idea: push guys who are *over* and/or the crowd is interested in, rather than force guys down the fans' throats. Focus on good wrestling and good storylines, and limit certain wresttlers' influence. Realize smaller guys can wrestle and get over w/ fans, so it might be a good idea to push some of them rather than using them as Hoss Chow.

You realize they've put on shows on Monday night that we've applauded them for and said were really good and they've gotten stinkeroo ratings.