Okay, our main event angle on SD is kicking ass..

[Guest AndrewTS]

Now, as much as some of the set up to this angle makes no sense, right now it doesn't matter, as Kurt's a vicious heel leading his own little team and Big Show's not doing too bad in his role. Hell, he got punted in the nards for our pleasure by Benoit, and that I can live with.

 

However, will this draw? Will it sell Rumble buys/tickets? It isn't as casual-fan-friendly as Rock insulting a cameraman, making a gay joke, while repeating the "this jabronie says he's going to win the Royal Rumble!" punchline he'd already hammered into the ground. Of course, the hardcore fans are the one digging this.

 

And like it or not anti-Heyman fans, his handiwork is all over this, since there is no way in hell Vince was completely responsible for this angle, and I'd be shocked if he was at all.

 

However, I like the thought going into this. They are finally trying to reward their loyal fans. Once they do that, the pansy fair-weather fans can follow at some point. At least they aren't driving any away now.

[Guest Anglesault]

They built it up very nicely, it should draw.

[Guest nikowwf]

Rumble is sold out...generally its one of the highest drawing PPV's of the year regardless. Its being built up nicely too, and has (arguably) the two best guys on smackdown in what should be a 4 star + match.

 

Compare that to Raw, which has a main event I also feel is being built up nicely, but one which has NO CHANCE IN HELL of being good.

 

niko

[Guest Choken One]

I agree on both accounts, each Main events are bulit intelligently, both using simplistic minded angles (they hate eachother). No love triangles, no Dogs, no necrophilla. Pure Hate.

 

The Smackdown Main event is the best Angle since god knows when, and to think it all started because of The Big Show.

 

Anyone think that in due time, they will try to tie this to Bischoff (remember he sent him away) as theTRUE mastermind...?

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Are you talking about Angle/Benoit, or Angle/Lesnar? Because Angle/Lesnar is going to be used to draw for WrestleMania, not the Rumble. Angle/Benoit is just being used as a piece of the overall angle.

[Guest Mole]

Yes, both main events are being built very well. I am excited to see how the Team Angle storyline folds out. They can go MANY different ways with this. Stenier and Triple-Juice has been built very nice. I think they are not going to have each other lay a hand on each other on TV until the Rumble. Well, that is what they should do, but that is just my opinion.

 

See what happens when you have something called "long term planning"? I really hope they know what they are going to do with Mania right now. That way it will be built up correctly. Look at SummerSlam. They knew what was going to happen with that BEFORE King of the Ring. Not three weeks before the event.

 

Lets hope this is what 2003 is going to look like. Lets hope...

[ChrisMWaters 0]

I believe that this main event storyline WILL draw.

 

It seems to be well thought out, booked well, and makes the people involved in it look good.

 

I don't see why it WOULDN'T draw.

[Guest AndrewTS]

Are you talking about Angle/Benoit, or Angle/Lesnar? Because Angle/Lesnar is going to be used to draw for WrestleMania, not the Rumble. Angle/Benoit is just being used as a piece of the overall angle.

Both, with the event at hand mostly in mind. Keith's rant on SurSer said, about the Eddy/Benoit match, "the crowd wasn't into it, but fuck 'em."

 

I know the build up for that was terrible, stemming only from that one SD main event, but a lot of crowds don't give a crap about good wrestling. Canadian crowds pop for it and certain US regions do, but will it bring in any new fans or draw well in and of itself?

 

Ideally, smarks would like to see the entire wrestling crowd share their opinions, but often isn't the case.

[Guest Downhome]

If they continue doing a great job building it up, it will draw, that's all the fans really want, true great buildup, ya know?

[Guest Downhome]

We better pray to GOD that it draws, because if it doesn't...

 

*shudder*

 

...I hate to think of what WWE will do out of desperation.

[Guest AndrewTS]

We better pray to GOD that it draws, because if it doesn't...

 

*shudder*

 

...I hate to think of what WWE will do out of desperation.

Which is what worries me. If not, we go to another mega-hoss push. Remember how they killed Jericho's main event run, and even though ratings/buys/attendance held steady without HHH, and when HHH came back they DECLINED, they still haven't given Jericho another chance, because after all, Stephanie "saved" that angle.

 

However, it seems the expectations are high. If it isn't a huge success and only does a mimimal increase/helds steady, they might still kill it, thinking that they are going to somehow come up with an angle that gets huge, immediate results. I doubt they can/will come up with such an angle, since most of the "big" angles they tried bombed horrendously.

[Guest Choken One]

And that's why they want Rock/Goldie...To use that for a reason why the ratings and rates were high.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Well, considering the highest rated segment on Smackdown! from previous weeks was HLA v. 2.0, which dwarfed the Angle/Benoit match in the ratings, I'd say they've got a ways to go before Angle can be considered a substantially drawing champion.

[Guest Insane Bump Machine]

I pray to HHH that this angle will be a success, because it's really getting entertaining and seems to get many wrestlers more over.

[Guest AndrewTS]

Well, considering the highest rated segment on Smackdown! from previous weeks was HLA v. 2.0, which dwarfed the Angle/Benoit match in the ratings, I'd say they've got a ways to go before Angle can be considered a substantially drawing champion.

Only for horny male teens, dumb enough to think they'd actually see anything and not a bunch of talking and a 70 year old man making an ass of himself.

 

It did about the same with other demos, which shocks me, but whatever.

 

The point is, I recognize this angle isn't immediately going to pay off, but it should eventually. IF it is given a chance.

[Guest teke184]

Simply put, NOTHING is really drawing right now but certain marquee PPV events (mainly the Rumble and Wrestlemania).

 

While the whole ME angle itself isn't going to draw anytime soon, it WILL allow the participants (possibly even Big Slow) to draw in about 4-6 months time after people take them seriously as a ME and THEN more disinterested fans come back because the company's doing something right for once.

[Guest AndrewTS]

Which should happen. Brock's push was drawing almost zero heat. Hell, Goldberg chants were about the only response he got. And besides his title match with Rock, he still got little reaction until the Taker win, where he started to turn face.

 

And they STUCK WITH THAT even though they stuck with little else. And right now this angle is drawing some good heat for all involved, so it is already looking far better since they will likely stick with it at least until Wrestlemania, and by then it should be well in place and over.

[Guest deadbeater]

IBM, nice sig.

 

This has to draw. This is the first time since BookerDust that the WWE is doing something right. And if it succeeds, we will have a true wrestling renaissance that will consist of elite amateurs knocking down the door.

[Guest Insane Bump Machine]

IBM, nice sig.

 

This has to draw. This is the first time since BookerDust that the WWE is doing something right. And if it succeeds, we will have a true wrestling renaissance that will consist of elite amateurs knocking down the door.

Thanks.

 

That's another thing. If this angle is a success and good amateur wrestlers in the country see how WWE is putting over the whole "amateur wrestlers turned pro wrestlers" concept, maybe we'll see more and more of them in the future.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Hmm...who was the one that mentioned Rulon Gardner joining up in the WWE as well?

 

Would he make a good part of Team Angle or no?

[Guest Insane Bump Machine]

Hmm...who was the one that mentioned Rulon Gardner joining up in the WWE as well?

 

Would he make a good part of Team Angle or no?

I don't hink he has any pro wrestling experience, so no. An amateur background is good, but there are so many things a good pro wrestler has to do that you can't learn overnight.

[Guest AndrewTS]

Hmm...who was the one that mentioned Rulon Gardner joining up in the WWE as well?

 

Would he make a good part of Team Angle or no?

I don't hink he has any pro wrestling experience, so no. An amateur background is good, but there are so many things a good pro wrestler has to do that you can't learn overnight.

Yeah--it's not like being good in the one means you'll be good in the other. Having the background gives you a good start, and may help in matches to look more legitimate, but amateur wrestling is so vastly different from "pro wrestling" that it would take a while to adapt. Didn't Angle get trained by someone in WWE to adapt into his current style?

 

If it was Benoit, I wouldn't be shocked.

 

Or maybe Al Snow?

[Guest RickyChosyu]

This has to draw.  This is the first time since BookerDust that the WWE is doing something right.  And if it succeeds, we will have a true wrestling renaissance that will consist of elite amateurs knocking down the door.

I haven't seen Haas, but putting "elite" in front of anything having to do to Shelton Benjamin is a conflict of interest if you know what that word actually means.

 

It's stupid to push someone on grounds of their experience outside of wrestling. Pro wrestlers should be successfull in pro wrestling. I see the validity of you wanting new stars built, but simply using a broad and shallow system of "elevating all the amatures" is just as stupid as pushing an angle having nothing to do with wretlers at all.

 

And judging by how this angle started, what is so "right" about it? If you mean the renewed push of Kurt Angle, I would bring up that they've tried it before, and to little success. Does every Angle push suddenly become "right" because it's Kurt Angle, regardless of how it affects business?

 

If they want to improve business, booking based on logic probably wouldn't be a bad place to start. I still haven't seen that.

[Guest YouDaFoo]

Hey Steiner-HHH and the Rumble match is what will draw, Benoit-Angle doesnt have to!

[Guest AndrewTS]

I think amateur wrestlers can be good pro ones, but bringing in a bunch of them on that assumption reminds me of that one promotor in Japan who went crazy with signing shootfighters. Don't overdo it.

[Guest Brian]

Brock had things stabilized by the time he left, and fatert hat the ratings hit a decline.

 

Anyways, with Brock in the rumble, Steiner/HHH being built up nicely, and Benoit/Angle it should provide enough of a balance to draw well, along with the name.

[Guest TheyCallMeMark]

The name value outdraws anything on the card, so it's a moot point anyway.