WWE General Discussion - October 2008

[Enigma 0]

The Sting/Hogan Fall Brawl '99 match listing on WWE 24/7 is listed as "Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan", though this was a few months after Hogan went back to the red and yellow. Maybe something is going on.

[Perfection 0]

story that relates in a lot of ways to last week’s story on WWE not connecting with adults. Presumably, they’ve decided that they don’t want to. One reader noted he received an e-mail from the WWE with a marketing survey asking what fans wanted wrestling to be. The first question was age and sex. When he responded he was a 44-year-old male, the screen told him the survey was over.

 

WON.

 

 

 

 

And they wonder why the ratings are low and keep dropping. If ratings are so important for them, I wonder when they will finally realize that having their product targeted to kids is not a winning strategy if they want higher ratings. If you are a casual fan, who the hell wants to watch cage matches with no blood or watch cena call someone poopy head?

[garfieldsnose 0]

I would go on record to say the ratings are only important for them because they are important to the networks. They're making a pretty penny and have been doing great business. I think last year was their highest grossing revenue or something like that?

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

They are more concerned with selling merchandise and filling seats than ratings. Look most of us are adults and we still watch because we are hooked on it. The WWE needs more people to be hooked on it so they are looking for a younger audience.

 

On a side note, blading during a cage match is unrealistic and so cliche in a wrestling match.

[Matt Young 0]

The Sting/Hogan Fall Brawl '99 match listing on WWE 24/7 is listed as "Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan", though this was a few months after Hogan went back to the red and yellow. Maybe something is going on.

 

He was still known as Hollywood, though. He had the red and yellow weight belt.

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah Hogan had gone back to the red and yellow maybe a month before this. I think it was the very night that Jericho debuted on Raw actually.

 

In regards to the kid friendly lack of blood....what kids don't want to see some blood in a violent match? If a kid doesn't want to see that sort of thing then I doubt wrestling would be something of interest.

[Papacita 0]

They're probably worried more about parents than the kids with respect to blood. Besides, blading was getting really cliche in WWE for a while, so I wouldn't mind it if they scaled back.

 

I also don't think hiring an acting coach for the wrestlers is that bad an idea. I don't necessarily like the Entertainment-style approach, but if they're gonna keep putting their wrestlers in positions in situations that rely on acting, they might as well take steps to make sure they're good at it.

[Enigma 0]

The Sting/Hogan Fall Brawl '99 match listing on WWE 24/7 is listed as "Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan", though this was a few months after Hogan went back to the red and yellow. Maybe something is going on.

 

He was still known as Hollywood, though. He had the red and yellow weight belt.

 

No he was not. He didn't do that schtick in WCW. When he went back to the red and yellow in WCW 1999, he went back to the old attire and everything: the yellow trunks and boots, the red kneepads, the yellow shirt and bandana. He was 100% 1994-1996 WCW Hulk Hogan.

[Molotov The Bear 0]

He still came out as Hollywood Hogan the first couple months after the nWo.

[ryankeast 0]

If they are keeping Holly of TV because they have nothing for him and he is an asehole to young talent - why the hell don't they just cut him? The guy has done nothing of note since 99/00 with the whole big shot angle, when he was feuding with Big Show and Kane.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

The Sting/Hogan Fall Brawl '99 match listing on WWE 24/7 is listed as "Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan", though this was a few months after Hogan went back to the red and yellow. Maybe something is going on.

 

I noticed that too (through looking at the online schedule since my 24/7 is terrible right now, but that's another story for another thread), but on the 15th there is a match labeled "Hulk Hogan vs. Studd" set to appear, so it negates it.

[Enigma 0]

He still came out as Hollywood Hogan the first couple months after the nWo.

 

Yes, I KNOW THAT. But in August 1999, he went back to his total red and yellow babyface garb.

 

But Matt tried to say he was mashing the "Hollywood" persona and the red and yellow together like he did when he went back to the WWF. He never did that in WCW. He even went back to using that "American Made" music.

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

Sources are reporting that WWE Superstar Bob "Hardcore" Holly is currently in a rehab facility in Atlanta, GA. Holly was allegedly busted stealing painkillers out of another Superstar's personal bag. WWE talent executive John Laurinaitis was notified of the incident and Holly was sent to rehab.

 

Taken from a rip-off site that credit the above to the observer/insider.

[Bigelow34 0]

I think they are smart for catering to kids. They did the same thing in the late 80s and how many of us stuck around from then and became lifelong fans? They are smart to tone down now, hook them in, make some cash and then amp it back up as they become angst filled teens in 7-8 years. It may turn off some older fans, but the hardcore fans aren't going away and this way the can hook in a whole new audience that is more likely to become diehards than the hordes of casual fans that popped in during the late 90s boom.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The Magic show that followed the Wrestlemania thing on MNTV got better ratings (1.4 vs 1.2).

 

I still havent seen ratings for Smackdown.

 

 

 

 

[zappafrank 0]

Watching the PPV last night, I realized that I'm starting to dig Orton's "you're not as a big deal as you think you are" attitude towards the younger guys. There's no way he could have pulled it off convincingly a few years ago, but his last title reign was tremendous, and made a believer out of me. I also like that while the crowd is cheering for him, he acts like he always acts, and the writers aren't catering to anyone but the character itself. Good stuff.

[DCH 0]

Randy Orton now is probably my favourite gimmick of his. He acts like a complete dickhead but is cheered for it and is actually cool. I think the only time he got booed was when he was ripping on CM Punk. I love how he completely abuses every heel and face.

[geniusMoment 0]

With Smackdown pulling a 1.9 this week I wonder if WWE is going into panic mode yet

[cabbageboy 0]

Eh I doubt it. SD was bound to drop a bit going to a network that a lot of people have no access to at the moment. If it bounces back to the CW level then it's no biggie, but if it declines past that then it's time to worry.

 

As far as Hogan goes, I don't know if he ever technically went back to being simply Hulk Hogan again. Maybe it was a deal with Marvel not wanting WCW to use the "Hulk" name? I seem to remember him being technically still called Hollywood Hogan but was basically just doing his old act. Either way I'm not going to get on 24/7 for listing it that way.

[RepoMan 0]

Unless MyTV suddenly gains an equal ammount of markets nationwide, SD rating are going to down for a while. If it goes down a to below a 1.7, I think WWE would be concernced. As others have pointed out, the WWE's bottom line is better than ever. Merchandise, DVDs, and buyrates are way more important when they don't have a real competitor.

[Hawk 34 0]

Unless MyTV suddenly gains an equal ammount of markets nationwide, SD rating are going to down for a while. If it goes down a to below a 1.7, I think WWE would be concernced. As others have pointed out, the WWE's bottom line is better than ever. Merchandise, DVDs, and buyrates are way more important when they don't have a real competitor.

 

MyTV reaches 96% of the country which is equal to the CW.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

The Spike vs USA argument all over again.

 

Fun fact: Vince thought USA reached more homes because it was in more hotel rooms.

[JN News 0]

11 years ago yesterday, Brian Pillman died of heart failure at age 35. 11 years ago today, saw everyone say their last goodbye to The Loose Cannon.

[Scroby 0]

Man has it been 11 years? That's crazy.

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah I still remember Pillman's death like it was yesterday. It's hard to separate it from the bizarre and tastleless angle he was doing with Marlena and Goldust, and it was so creepy and weird to see Pillman's wife on TV that night on Raw.

 

Speaking of the actual drop in ratings from them going from USA to TNN in 2000. The rating for Raw on Aug. 21, 2000 was a 6.2. The next week they moved to TNN and it was a 4.9.

[sluggo 0]

Unless MyTV suddenly gains an equal ammount of markets nationwide, SD rating are going to down for a while. If it goes down a to below a 1.7, I think WWE would be concernced. As others have pointed out, the WWE's bottom line is better than ever. Merchandise, DVDs, and buyrates are way more important when they don't have a real competitor.

 

MyTV reaches 96% of the country which is equal to the CW.

 

Right but a lot of MNT stations are sub-channels of other stations. In my town, MNT is a sub-channel of Fox and it's not even offered on cable unless you get the entire HD package. I'm sure the numbers will grow when the analog cutoff nears.

[Scroby 0]

Unless MyTV suddenly gains an equal ammount of markets nationwide, SD rating are going to down for a while. If it goes down a to below a 1.7, I think WWE would be concernced. As others have pointed out, the WWE's bottom line is better than ever. Merchandise, DVDs, and buyrates are way more important when they don't have a real competitor.

 

MyTV reaches 96% of the country which is equal to the CW.

 

Right but a lot of MNT stations are sub-channels of other stations. In my town, MNT is a sub-channel of Fox and it's not even offered on cable unless you get the entire HD package. I'm sure the numbers will grow when the analog cutoff nears.

Same here. Turns out My Network TV here in the Bay Area is Kron channel 4 and I never knew that until I found out Smackdown was going to be on that channel two weeks ago when I saw a commercial for the premiere of Smackdown on My Network TV that listed channel 4 as the channel it was going to be on.

 

If it wasn't for that commerical, that listed channel 4 as being the channel My Network TV is on, I would have never known. The TV Guide channel doesn't even recognize channel 4 as the My Network TV channel.

[TheFranchise 0]

Someone explain to me why Pillman's wife appeared on Raw the night after his death?

 

I know precisely 0 about the situation.

[Bigelow34 0]

Unless MyTV suddenly gains an equal ammount of markets nationwide, SD rating are going to down for a while. If it goes down a to below a 1.7, I think WWE would be concernced. As others have pointed out, the WWE's bottom line is better than ever. Merchandise, DVDs, and buyrates are way more important when they don't have a real competitor.

 

MyTV reaches 96% of the country which is equal to the CW.

 

Right but a lot of MNT stations are sub-channels of other stations. In my town, MNT is a sub-channel of Fox and it's not even offered on cable unless you get the entire HD package. I'm sure the numbers will grow when the analog cutoff nears.

 

And I think that will have a major effect on ratings as well because the time slot will vary based on the network it is airing on. In RI, it airs on the Fox affiliate at 11:30 on Friday night. If that occurs in bigger markets, it may affect things quite a bit.

[Scroby 0]

If I remember correctly, WWE did a satellite link with her and she explained his throat and ankle issues or something. She was interviewed or she explained something.