OAO Spike and UFC vs. USA and WWE thread

[Styles]

Didn't know where to post this, went with here since it sort of effects WWE but if you want to move it to Sports thats fine.

 

It's not official yet but being reported on several MMA sites. Here's the one that broke the story:

 

http://www.insidefighting.com/betweenRound...p.aspx?uid=2232

 

Should make for an interesting head to head.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Well, I'll have to tape one of them and right now I'm leaning towards Raw being taped.

[RavishingRickRudo]

Stephan Bonnar is Mr. FreeTV. The dude just delivers.

[Lord of The Curry]

Fuck yes. A pox on yee who moves this. The children need to know that there is hope elsewhere.

 

Enjoy the way Edge and Matt Hardy were beating the shit out of each other at SummerSlam? Then there's no reason why you shouldn't want to watch any of this.

[Fro]

Bad, bad move by Vince to piss off Spike TV.

 

UFC can definitely eat into their ratings as could TNA.

[Styles]

The card, btw:

 

- Evan Tanner vs. David Loiseau

- Stephan Bonnar vs James Irvin

- Josh Koscheck vs Drew Fickett

- Chris Leben vs Edwin Dewees

- Thiago "Pitbull" Alves vs Spencer Fisher

- Brandon Vera vs Fabiano Scherner

- Brock Larson vs John Fitch

- Pierre Guillet vs TBA

- Jay Hieron vs. Johnathan Goulet

 

 

Looks like fun.

[Guest Brian]

Bonnar/Irvin should be all slugfest. Happy to see Hieron stepping in the octagon again.

[RavishingRickRudo]

I wonder if the WWE will counter-program any, or would they just completely ignore it and continue on with their regular plans for their USA debut?

[Guest Brian]

What would they counter-plan with? Thirty minutes of Regal/Benoit?

[Eclipse]

Heh, this could be the competitive spark that WWE needs. This is defintely gonna have the WWE rethinking some of their moves now...

[AndrewTS]

I wonder if the WWE will counter-program any, or would they just completely ignore it and continue on with their regular plans for their USA debut?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They'll do the same thing they always do against something that eats into their ratings--do the same old **** and make lame potshots.

 

i.e. "There's a clear difference between a fighter and an entertainer", and JR will try to contrast WWE's "old school storytelling" with "some upstart bloodsport" in the RR.

[Styles]

I wonder if the WWE will counter-program any, or would they just completely ignore it and continue on with their regular plans for their USA debut?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Considering it's their USA re-debut they're going to have a loaded show anyway with probably a couple main event caliber matches and a likely HHH return to boot, so I don't think they'll counter program any more than they would have anyway to get people to watch on the new network.

 

Between the TNA commercials and this, Spike TV is really giving Vince more gray hairs.

[justcoz]

They absolutely must replay the October 1 TNA show following or leading into UFC.

[Styles]

They absolutely must replay the October 1 TNA show following or leading into UFC.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's funny you should mention that...

 

MTVN.com has updated the grids for SpikeTV, there will now be replays of iMPACT! Monday nights at 12:00am ET/PT.

 

WAR SPIKETV!

[Guest Brian]

Will Ultimate Fighter air after this or will it have already moved to Saturday at that point?

[Styles]

Will Ultimate Fighter air after this or will it have already moved to Saturday at that point?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I believe the final RAW on Spike will also be the final Ultimate Fighter on Monday nights, the next week it will air first run on Saturdays at 10.

[daileyxplanet]

They absolutely must replay the October 1 TNA show following or leading into UFC.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's funny you should mention that...

 

MTVN.com has updated the grids for SpikeTV, there will now be replays of iMPACT! Monday nights at 12:00am ET/PT.

 

WAR SPIKETV!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Great news, sometimes I forget to watch TV on Saturdays.

[CanadianChick]

I wonder if the WWE will counter-program any, or would they just completely ignore it and continue on with their regular plans for their USA debut?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Nothing. I doubt WWE sees UFC as a threat, just as they don't see TNA as a threat. Even if they do, their arrogance won't allow them to do anything different. If they do, it'll be credited for being a USA debut rather than to persue fans to watch their programming over UFC.

 

Oh, and if there is counter-programing, it won't be directly. It won't be an all out slug fest between Cena and Angle with blood or anything. It'll be Triple H returning.

[Guest *KNK*]

Thank god SpikeTV has the balls to say "Fuck You" to Vince McMahon's empire.

[CanadianChick]

How are they saying that? I just think they know who their main audience is and that old Raw viewers might still tune in to Raw thinking it's still on Spike and get UFC instead. Since they are likely the demographic that Spike is looking for, they'll stay and watch. It's a great plan actually to take advantage of lingering Raw viewers.

[Guest *KNK*]

How are they saying that? I just think they know who their main audience is and that old Raw viewers might still tune in to Raw thinking it's still on Spike and get UFC instead. Since they are likely the demographic that Spike is looking for, they'll stay and watch. It's a great plan actually to take advantage of lingering Raw viewers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I meant they didn't just let Monday nights go to waste and decided "Hmm, We have a product we want to promote and showcase, Let's put it back on where we used to have our Wrestling program before, since we already established that timeslot for action anyways".

 

Of course it's a great plan, that is why I'm glad SpikeTV is doing it. Vince McMahon likely figured Spike would grateful for the 3 years WWE gave them and give them a big cheery send-off with "THANK YOU VINCE" commericals while they air CSI repeats against Raw.

[CanadianChick]

Ah, okay.

 

I'm not too sure if this will make a huge dent in WWE's ratings, since alot of WWE fans would simply not enjoy UFC because they enjoy the entertainment rather than sport. However, I think UFC will do quite well with their core audience, lingering Raw viewers, and wrestling fans that want more violence. Raw's ratings will increase simply because they'll be hyping the crap out of this show, but just because one show does good, doesn't mean both won't. I'll be real interested in the ratings, that's for sure.

[AndrewTS]

Weren't there talks last year or so about Vince trying to get Tito Ortiz in WWE? Or were those totally unsubstantiated?

 

Of course, I wouldn't put it past Vince to try to buy the biggest UFC name willing to whore himself out and get buried on WWE TV just to make UFC "look bad." Although the thought of Tito knocking Edge dafugout with a single punch is amusing.

 

I don't expect it to get a huge audience right away, but WWE is experiencing no growth worth mentioning. There might be plenty of disillusioned WWE viewers (and considering, in general, the core audience is aging), they might be open to a more mature product.

[Blade2kxx]

Weren't there talks last year or so about Vince trying to get Tito Ortiz in WWE?  Or were those totally unsubstantiated?

 

Of course, I wouldn't put it past Vince to try to buy the biggest UFC name willing to whore himself out and get buried on WWE TV just to make UFC "look bad."  Although the thought of Tito knocking Edge dafugout with a single punch is amusing. 

 

I don't expect it to get a huge audience right away, but WWE is experiencing no growth worth mentioning.  There might be plenty of disillusioned WWE viewers (and considering, in general, the core audience is aging), they might be open to a more mature product.

 

Actually... According to Da Meltz, Ortiz is working w/ TNA. Then again, I could have misread it.

[Corey_Lazarus]

No, he meant if there was ever an interest in Ortiz from McMahonland.

[Guest MikeSC]

I can imagine the WWE will be damaged by SpikeTV drawing, roughly, 1/4 of their usual audience immediately after RAW leaves. That'll show the WWE.

 

Any channel that is actually holding a grudge like that is run by children and don't have a clue what to do.

[claydude14]

A lot of old wrestling fans from the Attitude era I know who have stopped watching except for the occasionall pay per view event at my house were all pretty big into the first Ultimate Fighter, resulting in us getting the UFC with Liddell/Couture ppv. Thus, I could see them drawing a decent rating with this event without hurting the RAW rating much, if at all. Also, by this time Monday Night Football will be back... that's a lot of competition for the same target audience.

[Gary Floyd]

It looks like things are about to get a bit more interesting.

 

It's about time I had an alternative. I haven't been able to see any NWA TNA, but it looks great, or at least better than the WWE right now. And UFC? I'm sold.

 

Tough luck Vince. If other people start watching this stuff instead of your program, then it's your own fault. Oh, and the fault of the writers.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Yea, with Stephan Bonnar and Evan Tanner on my TV I think RAW is taking a backseat in October.

[Styles]

Weren't there talks last year or so about Vince trying to get Tito Ortiz in WWE?  Or were those totally unsubstantiated?

 

Of course, I wouldn't put it past Vince to try to buy the biggest UFC name willing to whore himself out and get buried on WWE TV just to make UFC "look bad."  Although the thought of Tito knocking Edge dafugout with a single punch is amusing. 

 

I don't expect it to get a huge audience right away, but WWE is experiencing no growth worth mentioning.  There might be plenty of disillusioned WWE viewers (and considering, in general, the core audience is aging), they might be open to a more mature product.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hah! If that's true, then Vince is pulling more of his hair out because Tito Ortiz did a TNA PPV for them as a special referee a couple months ago and the chatter is TNA is going to bring in Tito and Ken Shamrock for the Spike show and promote a worked match between the two in order to keep the UFC audience watching.