EdwardKnoxII 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2004 WWE News: Luther, RVD, XFL, More RVD being de-pushed? - Kurt Angle has been pushing WWE to give Luther Reigns a bigger push. He used his power to get Luther a win over Rob Van Dam on the second Tokyo show last week. Reigns is one of Angle's associates. [PWInsider.com] - It appears that WWE is planning to continue RVD's de-push. He has worked Velocity two straight weeks and it looks like his role will be reduced. He has signed a new deal so its not a situation where WWE is trying to get him to sign a new contract. [PWInsider.com] - WWE continues to try and cut back on how much "inside" content makes its way out through WWE.com. This could lead to an even more reduced presence for Byte This. [PWInsider.com] - The XFL came in at the #2 biggest flop in sports history on ESPN's recent list of the 25 biggest sports flops in the last 25 years. - Weekend ratings saw Velocity do a 0.5, Experience do a 0.5, and Heat do a 1.2. [PWTorch.com] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tangerine Report post Posted July 21, 2004 Curious, what was #1? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brett Favre 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Curious, what was #1? JBL's title reign. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Evolution Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Curious, what was #1? JBL's title reign. I wouldn't be surprised, considering the abortions that are the ESPN's 25 Year Countdowns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Just Looking Report post Posted July 22, 2004 #1 was Ryan Leaf. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tangerine Report post Posted July 22, 2004 I'd be hesitant to say JBL was a flop considering the ratings have gone UP and so has the quality of the show. Ryan Leaf was a huge bust but #1 flop...I say XFL was worst. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Angle is now smackdown's Triple H. Forcing over wrestlers further down card while pushing for someone who really sucks to get a big push. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NYU 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 - Kurt Angle has been pushing WWE to give Luther Reigns a bigger push. He used his power to get Luther a win over Rob Van Dam on the second Tokyo show last week. Reigns is one of Angle's associates. [PWInsider.com] Boy, Angle sure knows how to pick those superstars, huh? Somebody give Kurt and Arn Anderson total control of the booking committee immediately. We'll have the top fan favorites on Smackdown - Billy Gunn, Hardcore Holly, AND Luther Reigns - in the Main Event in no time! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tangerine Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Funny how everyone complains about Undertaker being the HHH of Smackdown and yet Angle is doing the exact same fucking thing as those two are. At least HHH makes sure Orton and Shawn and Batistia are established...Angle wanting of pushing Reign doesn't work for me. Shouldn't he be pushing for his fellow amatuer companion, Charlie Haas instead? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChick 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Am I the only one who's missing why RVD's getting depushed? Did he do something wrong? If by pushing Luther Reigns, he means a heel monster to feud with Cena and put him over, fine. If by pushing Luther Reigns, he means Taker's (if he wins at SS) first contender, then not so much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NYU 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Well, don't forget the problems that Angle has had with Van Dam in the past. Between the potato shots that busted Kurt open, Angle's wife deciding to publicly call RVD out on his "carelessness", the very stiff shots the two of them seemed to share whenever they wrestled together.....Kurt and Rob never really seemed to get along too well. Now, with stories of Angle's political ties in the locker room starting to rise, it's become pretty interesting that RVD's push is starting to really wane. Even in the face of signing a new contract, Van Dam has suddenly found himself stuck on Velocity - and suffering losses to Kurt's new protege in Luther Reigns. I'm not one to suddenly delve into conspiracy theories - but it's definitely something to look at. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tangerine Report post Posted July 22, 2004 or Maybe Vince just doesn't like RVD. Is that too simple and conclusive of a reason or do we need any xfiles sized conspiercy theory to every single "de-push"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Promoter 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 I'd be hesitant to say JBL was a flop considering the ratings have gone UP and so has the quality of the show. I guess you haven't seen the house show attendance numbers reaching less than 1000 people in some places As for Angle I think he should have been this political in 2001-2003 during a time he was shafted in some storylines to look like a tool. Now, I think he's just doing it because of his unstable physical condition which must worry the wwe staff. He has the right idea though(talent picks are suspect), but.....let's hope he doesn't become Trips 2002-2003 where he goes from net poster boy to the most hated in the IWC for playing politics and not delivering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Well last year Rob Van Dam was at least in the Intercontinental Title picture (and held it for a few months), and made maybe 1 Heat appearence. Also was in feuds with the top heels. This year he's jobbed to everyone in the US Title feud, and has been stuck on Velocity in the last few weeks. Before coming to SD, he was stuck in a dead end Tag Team title reign that meant nothing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NYU 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 This year he's jobbed to everyone in the US Title feud, and has been stuck on Velocity in the last few weeks. Before coming to SD, he was stuck in a dead end Tag Team title reign that meant nothing. But even on Raw, he was a Tag Team Champion almost right before he left. Before he was traded, he was even getting the chance to Main Event the show once in a while. When he was traded to Smackdown, many RVD fans had a sigh of relief because they just knew he would get a better push on Smackdown. The roster pool over there was considerably weaker, so they would have no choice but to push someone with the crowd support that Van Dam had already established. But, now that's he been on Smackdown for a few months, what's happened? He really has jobbed to everyone in the U.S. Title division, he hasn't won a title yet in the three months he's been there, he's constantly getting pushed on the side angle-wise for those that receive much less attention than he does, was left off a Smackdown card in favor of Hardcore Holly and Billy Gunn, and he's now been stuck on Velocity duty for the past two weeks. Let's not also forget that, at the Great American Bash, he was eliminated first in the Fatal Fourway match. That's just the icing on the cake. Now, how could his career have been better off on Raw - in which the roster pool was SO much more deeper - than it is on Smackdown? Vince's opinion of him couldn't have changed so quickly in such a short amount of time. Van Dam's push since being traded has just plummeted - curiously, at a time, in which Angle's political pull is beginning to rise AND at a time when this wrestling show sorely needs a top face to capture people's interest. Now, we hear news that Angle recently used his stroke to get Van Dam to job to his own protege Luther Reigns at a show in Japan. Why should Angle have any effect on this decision? And why is Luther going over Van Dam cleanly in Japan, yet still getting punked out by John Cena in the States? Might it be because Angle still doesn't like RVD, yet has become a fan of Cena? I mean, these are questions to think about. But then again, this could just be another one of those "xfiles sized conspiercy theory" dealies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChick 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Dupree's push has considerly lessened too. He's been doing a whole lot of nothing, just like Rob has, since Great American Bash. I think he should form a tag team with someone like Jintrak. London and Kidman need another tag team to face after the Dudleys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewTS 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 OMG ANGLE IS BECOMING SD'S HHH AND REIGNS IS HIS X-PAC! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted July 22, 2004 OMG ANGLE IS BECOMING SD'S HHH AND REIGNS IS HIS X-PAC! X-Pac has TALENT, so saying he's on the level of Horshu is an insult to wrestling. He's more like Kevin Nash the 2003 version. Still better than Tyson Tomko at least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jobber of the Week 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Like with Shawn Michaels, I withhold criticism of Angle since he delivers in the ring pretty reliably. While I know he can't keep up his former style, if he starts dogging it in the ring like HHH post-quad, then it's time to stoke the fires. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest combat_rock Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Well, I really hate reading stuff like this. I mean, Luther Reigns? Was he even watching what happened with Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan, or Kevin Fertig (and will happen with John Heindrich)? Whoever said he should be championing Charlie Haas is absoulutely correct. And I was like the biggest Angle mark two years ago. Still am, but if this is true, it's retarded. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Who the hell champions Horshu, anyway? Luther Reigns is a stupid name. OH AND BY THE WAY: Scott Keith be damned, it's "handing over the REINS," not the "reigns" of the company. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Im hijacking this news thread for a second to mention that Summerslam's theme song was revealed on Smackdown (as much of a spoiler this is, its not that big of a deal) to be... "Summertime Blues" - Rush Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChick 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Thanks for not starting another thread on it. Much appreciated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewTS 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Im hijacking this news thread for a second to mention that Summerslam's theme song was revealed on Smackdown (as much of a spoiler this is, its not that big of a deal) to be... "Summertime Blues" - Rush They already mentioned that on Raw. It sounds almost as silly as you'd expect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted July 22, 2004 The Summerslam theme is ground breaking news, indeed. We only knew of it on Monday during RAW while nothing (good) was happening. Was Smackdown any good, or was knowing the SSlam theme the bright spot of the show? (crosses fingers) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Evolution Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Hmm... St. Anger or Summertime Blues? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Quik Report post Posted July 22, 2004 I wish they'd use a Britney Spears song as a PPV theme. I would mark so hard for the lameness that would occur. **Hopes "Stronger" will be the theme song of SummerSlam 2005** Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JerichosHi-Lite Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Am I the only one who's missing why RVD's getting depushed? Did he do something wrong? Um no. You're not. Sounds to me like Vince is having a tantrum or something. Mid-life crisis perhaps? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest combat_rock Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Am I the only one who's missing why RVD's getting depushed? Did he do something wrong? Um no. You're not. Sounds to me like Vince is having a tantrum or something. Mid-life crisis perhaps? God, I hope Vince isn't just now in the middle of his life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted July 22, 2004 Vince McMahon is AT LEAST 57 years old. His mid-life crisis was well over a decade ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
