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CI Wrestling Thread #56

Remember “Retribution” that was Vince’s version of antifa? Then the big reveal turned out to be a bunch of developmental guys led by a main roster job guy (Ali)? Within a month they were a job stable despite being introduced as viscous thugs who could singlehandedly take over a show.

That was so stupid on so many different levels. They were spray painting and breaking stuff in an EMPTY arena.
 
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Remember “Retribution” that was Vince’s version of antifa? Then the big reveal turned out to be a bunch of developmental guys led by a main roster job guy (Ali)? Within a month they were a job stable despite being introduced as viscous thugs who could singlehandedly take over a show.
That’s it I drew a blank in the name
 
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“Chad Gable’s contract is up Friday. This upcoming Friday. He is factored huge into WWE plans and, thus far, does not have a new contract.

He is expected to get offers from both companies if he hits that area. I don't know if WWE has made him an official offer.

Based on other people I have heard they have made offers on, I would be surprised if they didn't. So that’s one to monitor. He’s got an awful lot of leverage right now.”

- @SeanRossSapp
(@FightfulSelect)
 
Anyone thinks WWE is going to buy up TNA? Ratings dead in the water, most weeks not even ranking in the top 150 on Thursdays, hemorrhaging money, slashing costs and personnel, PPVs consistently selling less tickets than even ROH PPVs, etc.

I honestly could see them propping up TNA just to siphon off AEW’s audience then just shutting down TNA once the damage to AEW has been irreparable.
 
Anyone thinks WWE is going to buy up TNA? Ratings dead in the water, most weeks not even ranking in the top 150 on Thursdays, hemorrhaging money, slashing costs and personnel, PPVs consistently selling less tickets than even ROH PPVs, etc.

I honestly could see them propping up TNA just to siphon off AEW’s audience then just shutting down TNA once the damage to AEW has been irreparable.
Ya it’s definitely possible - I also thought if aj went through with the retirement angle he was going to go to tna and make a run there - I’m not even sure what channel it’s on anymore?
 
Sapp wants to hype up all these expiring contracts with an AEW maybe? MAYBE?? when I don't think anything is going to happen. I wouldn't put it at a .5% chance that Lynch goes to AEW. Gable? No. Ricochet? No. KO? No. Finn? No. It'd be smart for them to let TK make an offer (Orton I believe said "thanks Tony" when he signed his new deal) but who currently in WWE and in the middle of something would actually go to AEW right now?

Agree with 1982 on Bray/Fiend/Howdy. The Fiend mask and music was cool but then the bell rang and it turned to shit. The doc addressed that sometimes Bray got lost in his own creativity to the point that what he wanted couldn't translate to tv and had no ending. And the Howdy thing will surely suck and it's going to be weird because with Bray gone, most won't want to admit it's not working, including the creative team. They're bringing it back based on emotion and I can't believe they're trusting Bo Dallas and some other randos to make this a thing.
 
I could see them buying TNA for their library. Probably get it on the cheap like they did WCW.
 
Vince & Hunter couldn't tamp out the beginnings of AEW with NXT, but 5 yrs later.....they can torpedo it using the rotted husk of TNA?
 
Its on AXS. Who owns TNA

I think I heard the other day it is doing around 20,000 viewers. It also airs for free on Pluto TV
TNA does better than that but last few times they’ve ranked in the top 150 (Nielsen cuts off the report at 150) they were doing like 75-80K, and that’s apparently AXS’ top program.

Just late last year it was very rare for them to rank outside of the top 150, now it’s basically a given every week. They had all the hype, excitement, and good vibes with the TNA rebrand and basically threw it all the way in less than three months.

Hopefully for their sake this NXT stuff will revitalize them some, but it will largely all be for naught as long as they are stuck on AXS.
 
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Sapp wants to hype up all these expiring contracts with an AEW maybe? MAYBE?? when I don't think anything is going to happen. I wouldn't put it at a .5% chance that Lynch goes to AEW. Gable? No. Ricochet? No. KO? No. Finn? No. It'd be smart for them to let TK make an offer (Orton I believe said "thanks Tony" when he signed his new deal) but who currently in WWE and in the middle of something would actually go to AEW right now?

Agree with 1982 on Bray/Fiend/Howdy. The Fiend mask and music was cool but then the bell rang and it turned to shit. The doc addressed that sometimes Bray got lost in his own creativity to the point that what he wanted couldn't translate to tv and had no ending. And the Howdy thing will surely suck and it's going to be weird because with Bray gone, most won't want to admit it's not working, including the creative team. They're bringing it back based on emotion and I can't believe they're trusting Bo Dallas and some other randos to make this a thing.
SRS hasn’t hyped a single one of these WWE people to AEW, in fact he has said he expects all of them to return/re-sign.

But yeah agree with you on the Dollar Tree Bray Wyatt stuff they are doing. I’ll give WWE credit that they can at least make it interesting even though everyone knows at least in the back of their mind it’s going to turn to shit because it always does.
 
Vince & Hunter couldn't tamp out the beginnings of AEW with NXT, but 5 yrs later.....they can torpedo it using the rotted husk of TNA?
WWE is hot and everything they touch seems to turn to gold these days.

AEW is cold and gradually bleeding viewers

Not the same situation as it was in 2019 and 2020.
 
Nooo Otis :(
It’s a really good setup. If he’d went after Gable there it’d be too soon. Great crowd pop… need to milk it another week or two.
Never thought I'd see the day when Liv Morgan is all over Raw...and it's actually working.

Know what else is working? Heel GD Gable and his submissive band of losers.

Biggest pops of the next few months:
1) Rhea's return
2) Roman's return
3) Otis finally turning on Master Gable

Gable has that Kurt Angle potential. Has anybody ever said that? Shit they even have the same box jawed face and stupid haircut, sound alike. Wrestling backgrounds. It’s ****in weird.
 
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The matches apparently weren't quite the same as what you could see out of them on an AEW show (because they were apparently short?), but the matches that were booked last night is the type of inspired matchmaking largely missing from AEW TV right now
  • Kaiser vs. Sheamus
  • Bron vs. Ricochet
  • Dragon Lee vs. Finn
  • Baszler/Stark vs. Belair/Cargill
  • Priest vs. Mysterio
  • And then apparently next week Bron vs. Dragunov.
Meanwhile in AEW this past week we had these bangers:
  • Thunder Rosa vs. some AAA jabroni named Reina Dorada
  • Garcia/Shibata vs. The Workhorsemen
  • Cage of Agony vs. three local enhancement talents
  • Claudio vs. John Morrison
  • Satnam Singh vs. Peter Avalon (aka local enhancement talent)
  • Kyle O'Reilly vs. local enhancement talent
And the dark matches AEW gives their fans are deplorably bad. For example, last week it was Brandon Cutler vs. Evil Uno and Zak Knight vs. Colt Cabana at Dynamite. Two weeks ago we got Zak Knight vs. Jon Cruz at Collision and Zak Knight vs. local enhancement talent at Dynamite. Who the **** wants to watch that for free, much less pay to watch it?
 
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Now taht cagematch has the results and times posted it appears the Sheamus and Priest matches weren't short but the others were. Or at least short by AEW standards.
 
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It’s a really good setup. If he’d went after Gable there it’d be too soon. Great crowd pop… need to milk it another week or two.


Gable has that Kurt Angle potential. Has anybody ever said that? Shit they even have the same box jawed face and stupid haircut, sound alike. Wrestling backgrounds. It’s ****in weird.

I’m here for it. I wanna see Otis crush Gable and then celebrate with Maxine in the middle of the ring. Gives me hope
 
Never thought I'd see the day when Liv Morgan is all over Raw...and it's actually working.

Know what else is working? Heel GD Gable and his submissive band of losers.

Biggest pops of the next few months:
1) Rhea's return
2) Roman's return
3) Otis finally turning on Master Gable
Liv seems like a real life psycho.
 
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