What the NXT cuts all have in common though, is that none of them really have the "WWE Look".

Leon Ruff: really small and scrawny
Mercedes Martinez: in her 40s and butch
Tyler Rust: tall but lanky without much muscle mass
Bronson Reed: comparatively short and stocky
Jake Atlas: has a gymnast's body (unsurprisingly, seeing as he was one)
Bobby Fish: also in his 40s and kinda doughy, plus now that O'Reilly is getting pushed as a singles guy he’s probably viewed as extraneous

There were reports that the new edict when signing talent was to focus on bodies - over 6-foot, 260+ lbs, etc, so maybe this is the higher ups clearing house of people they don't see a future in, which in and of itself is telling.

There is no rift between whether or not NXT is a third brand or not, lol. What does that even mean? It’s a two-hour show they monetize by airing on USA to help offset the costs of having a factory that pumps out wrestlers to fill the 7, 8, 9 hours of content they pump out each week.

NXT became a bit of a vanity project of Triple H because his ego wants the wrestling world to see him as a great genius even though he wouldn’t have shared a ring with half the guys there, and he wants the business world to see him as heir apparent so he can get an executive job when they sell to Disney.

Yeah, NXT used to “try harder” to be something other than an alternative, but that was Triple H’s prerogative before it became monetized. It was an angle for the WWE Network, a bit of an audition and was an hour a week. Vince doesn’t take the same prerogative when he’s booking his show. It’s assembly line.

Should it be that way. I don’t think so, and the biggest concern I’ve got for a Triple H-led WWE is that he sees it that way too and NXT was just a lark for a few years, but we’ll wait and see with that.

So why haven’t they fired Roderick Strong and Adam Cole then? Who in NXT actually has a WWE body? Cezar Benoni and Tino Sabbatelli? They got cut too. AEW has scooped up a lot of bodies from NXT.

Talent get cut for a number of reasons. It can be a look, it can be what you have or haven’t produced, it can be attitude, it can just be time. It can be because you’re 6’8, 320lbs and did a cannonball onto your own head on PPV and you’re the drizzling shits.

NXT definitely needs a major overhaul. Developmental does as well. I hope it becomes less sterile in the future. I get why they expand overseas in a branding sense (there’s that bullshit word again). But I think they should have different styles of school within the continental United States.

Wrestlers learning something one way helps with the tedium.

AEW needs to pick up Mercedes immediately.

For quite a few years now, I’ve thought that the WWE should reinstate WCW. Take everyone over 40 — everyone from Randy Orton to Shinsuke Nakamura. The “backstory” if you even need to get this far is that WCW has the funds to buy their WWE deals out and get them all to sign. The show is just wrestling, in an 18x18 ring, with cables, with its own aesthetic.

Do one Nitro a week, 12 PPVs a year. Throw all the 205 Live guys on there for a Cruiserweight Division. You don’t mention WWE, take shots at WWE. You just put on wrestling and that’s where the old guys go.

You’ve immediately got a roster of AJ Styles, Bobby Lashley, Edge, Sheamus, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Shelton Benjamin and Kofi Kingston right there. Have no McMahon around any of it. Send over Bruce Prichard and Johnny Ace to run it or whatever. Hire Lance Storm to be an agent. Finlay, Billy Kidman, Booker T, Brian Kendrick or whatever.

That show’s going to get as many viewers as Raw. Now you’ve cleared up a whole bunch of roster space and are in the position where there is less clutter and more of a need to get guys up. You’ve still got Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Big E, Drew McIntyre, etc. Move up guys like Chad Gable, Montez Ford. Suddenly everything is less static.

If WCW is #1 and absolutely killing it. Cool, whatever. You still own it. If WWE makes a surge and a comeback with a focus on younger talent? Great. You’ve got three shows that are making giant bank, two “products” for people who might prefer one to the other, and then you’ve kept everyone employed, producing content, but not getting in the way of one another.

WCW would also be a great place to debut talent from developmental or that you want to have a look at, and then you bring them over to WWE TV when you are ready to make them a young star.

This COULD have been what Raw and SmackDown were/are, but the formula and presentation is too much the same and there just hasn’t been that effort made to separate them philosophically that I don’t even think people would buy it now.

Plus, I see value in WCW as an alternative branding, as well as reestablishing PPV as a revenue stream and using old trademarks and IP.

People are probably groaning at the idea, but don’t tell me that you wouldn’t watch a Starrcade with Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Randy Orton, Cesaro vs. Rey Mysterio, etc. It would be stonkers.

And that show probably allows them to enter the market with another $100 million per year for talent they already pay.

You don’t do the nWo. You don’t have Eric Bischoff and Jay Leno. You don’t do DQs at the end of every main event. But the essence is “WCW has the money to pluck all these world class names out of the WWE to end their careers for the one-time giant of professional wrestling.”

Just don’t go plastering “WWE Presents” on everything, or forcing your cringe-inducing aesthetics over everything, etc. *Expands* your business (which is the appealing thing about it to a boardroom), redistributes talent, uses it better by giving them a fresh environment (which is important for stars that have been around for a while), and allows for a more streamlined baseline WWE product that is hopefully more appealing than it is as this giant hodge podge.

She’s one of the more puzzling. You’d think there would be a place for her somewhere. NXT as a player/coach. She’s one that I guess maybe she asked for it? Or maybe because she wasn’t going to be main roster they just thought “fuck it.” But she’s one that I wouldn’t have cut based on talent.

Anthony Henry (Asher Hale) may be a good get for AEW.

I haven’t seen him wrestle. I didn’t even know he existed. He probably does it very well, but at 5’10, 180lbs, I think I’m just tired of seeing that wrestler.

Can't believe it about Giant Zanjeer, protégé of The Great Khali.

Jake Atlas and Ari Sterling (Alex Zayne) were "indie darlings" before they signed with WWE... could def see AEW picking them up, especially Atlas

Damn @ Bronson Reed... he was getting Raw/SmackDown dark matches and possibly about to be called up, and now cut

like 2 guys on the 205 Live roster now, wonder if the show will be gone very soon

Ikemen Jiro and Grayson Waller

Fair enough. I say he'd be a good get for them because he fits that mold of what they look for.

I concur on Sapp


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SRS said on his SD post-show there’s some interesting WWE/FOX stuff that will come into focus next week.</p>&mdash; Danny (@dajosc11) <a href="https://twitter.com/dajosc11/status/1423841729862684672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It’s very disheartening to see the number of people WWE has released over the past year. I know it’s just business but if I were a talent, I’d be very concerned about job security.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WWE has released the following 41 people since April 2021:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERAW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SmackDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SmackDown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWENXT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWENXT</a> <a href="https://t.co/EeVgw4qsiS">pic.twitter.com/EeVgw4qsiS</a></p>&mdash; Colby F. of Fightful &amp; WrestleZone (@ColbsMMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColbsMMA/status/1423835829672292359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you are a top independent wrestler in 2021, why would you even consider taking an NXT contract at this point unless they significantly raise the money? You are just as likely to get stuck in a lease in Florida with no job as you are of making it there.</p>&mdash; SoCal UNCENSORED (@socaluncensored) <a href="https://twitter.com/socaluncensored/status/1423855796174036994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I wonder if they want to revamp NXT to make it more like Monday Night RAW


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">PWInsider reports a possible reason for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWENXT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWENXT</a> releases are apart of efforts to rebrand the show with a new logo, lighting, and format. Will be interesting to see what happens. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWE</a></p>&mdash; John Clark (@johnrclark12) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrclark12/status/1423821953908019201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Supposedly FOX has been growing more upset with WWE in recent times. Not enough for them to suddenly pull the plug on their tv deal but something that could easily come back to haunt WWE when it comes time for the next round of tv deals.

Mix of the recent waves of talent releases baffling them in terms of some of the names gone, them losing interest in promoting non-SmackDown stuff on their network and properties, and them growing upset over WWE's deal with Peacock since they feel NBC has been benefiting way more than they have with their deals with WWE.

Both PWInsider and Observer have also recently mentioned chatter from their sources about the growing unrest at FOX over their WWE deal.

This was from this week's Newsletter about FOX:

This was from a recent Q&A article on PWI over similar issues they've heard about:

I didn't know FOX owned Tubi, interesting


Andrew Zarian of Mat Men Podcast reporting more releases to come in the near future

I wonder if WWE will use the Fox drama to wiggle into a deal with NBC for Smackdown at the end of the current contract. If not NBC then perhaps back to USA. I highly doubt Tubi will be be a success. I think the name alone is a flop. It's been out for over a year and I've never known anyone who uses it or has heard of it.

10 years ago

"Hey kid, it's a budget thing, best of luck in your future endeavors"

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I don’t care how many times I share this video lol <br><br>This is just a reminder that CM Punk was right all along. <a href="https://t.co/kIqzPaUAgx">pic.twitter.com/kIqzPaUAgx</a></p>&mdash; ❦ ꫝꪗ᥇𝘳𝓲ᦔ ❦ (@TheHybridEnigma) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHybridEnigma/status/1423822317428387842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Streaming isnt new, if Fox cared about streaming rights for Smackdown they should have included that in the contract.

Yeah if anything Foxs people made a stupid deal. What did they think would happen when they basically decided to "share" a company with NBC? Did they think WWE would just fuck off and ignore their other, pre-existing contracts? Seems like it was destined to be a shitshow tbh.

Just read that Pete Dunne is also in that same situation as Adam Cole in that his contract is also expiring soon and he hasn't resigned.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">And more to come. <a href="https://t.co/ZblQiPnUIj">https://t.co/ZblQiPnUIj</a></p>&mdash; Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewZarian/status/1423984426606813184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Fans were taught not to invest in people in NXT because they would likely have their legs cut off on the main roster.

Fans now being taught not to invest in people on the main roster because, successful or not, they could be axed.

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I wonder if WWE shouldn’t ditch the monthly joint PPV model and go back to having brand exclusive shows. Ley all the smackdown ppvs be available on the fox sports app. Let the Raw shows be on peacock. Migrate the Fox ppvs to peacock a week or so after the live event. Keep the two night mania going but one night on Fox for all the smackdown matches, the other for all the Raw matches on peacock.

They’d never do it but if building storylines to drive viewers to peacock is the issue Fox is having, maybe that’s the solution to generate for traffic and app sign ups.

I dont think there is any way you will make both Fox and NBC happy. Unless they had dollar for dollar pricing and exactly equal amounts of content which obviously isn't in the cards. Or if they truly split the rosters again and go to alternating PPVs between Peacock and Tubi so each network has their own unique offering with maybe 2 crossover shows a year, one to be aired on each network.

I can see why Fox is upset with the deal and you don't hear the same rumbling from NBC. NBC gets more content for less money and has the streaming stuff on top of it. NBC clearly has the better deal here. And considering the WWEs downward trend continuing they will be in a much better position to negotiate a new deal when this one ends, and Fox being upset only strengthens that position too. Fox knows they got the super short end of the stick here and they cant hide their displeasure any more.

Imo it would be in WWEs best interests right now to give Fox SOMETHING. I don't know what it is, but you gotta toss them a bone to make them happy. Maybe start by trying to not cross promote the stuff on NBC during Fox broadcasts because that clearly irks them. Let's be real, WWE doesn't really need to cross promote and advertise on the different shows. They aren't gaining any viewers doing that at this point. The audience is there and they either knows whats going on on each show or don't care enough to know, but either way they don't need the reminding. They'll watch it regardless. That by itself won't be enough to placate FOX though. Think WWE should maybe do a few "supershows" and give Fox the rights to broadcast them and give them some kind of timed exclusivity to stream them, maybe 6 months or a year or something. The only exception would be for WWEs YT channel for a few clips. I dunno what they can do short term other than that really.

And similar to your idea Damian, I think they could possibly think about going back to brand exclusive shows and streaming them on that networks streaming service, but ONLY for PPVs. Basically every 3 months would be RAW PPV on Peacock, SD PPV on Tubi, big PPV on both networks. However long they have exclusivity for the PPVs applies both ways, ie after a couple months tubi could air the last RAW PPV or something too. But like I said I would only do this in regards to PPVs.

If Fox wanted to air SD on tubi as well, for instance, I'd let them but with the caveat that it would still be on peacock too, while RAW and NXT stay exclusive to peacock. Can't give them everything or it risks irking NBC too much.

Obviously none of this may be possible. I don't know how the streaming contracts are set up with NBC so this may all be moot.

Brand exclusive “PPVs” require roster depth. Well, good ones do. That was the issue the first and second time around; the undercard was DOA. With the cuts, and the mishandling of the talent they have kept, they’d have a lot of work to do. I guess that’s predicated on the assumption that they’d want to make the shows good, and well…

If they were to do the brand exclusive specials, I honestly wouldn’t make them more than 2 hours, and maybe an hour for a pre show to hype the card and give the audience a warm up match. Book 4-5 of your biggest matches, have some short segments to transition to the next match, and call a day. They don’t need to have 3 hour ppvs if they stuck with being brand exclusive.

They aren't going to do brand exclusive PPV's again for the streaming networks. WWE's deal is with Peacock, they aren't going to take away from them to give to Fox and keep all the profits. This whole ordeal will heighten negotiations at the end of the TV rights deal and probably be one of the straws in breaking the camels back of WWE on Fox. Fox is not thrilled with WWE's ratings, they are below what was anticipated and what Fox paid for. WWE will do their best to leverage the best deal for Smackdown on USA. I believe that the Fox deal was for 3 years, the Peacock deal is for 5 years.

WWE is currently preparing for this situation by tightening up their talent wage bill and when they end up taking a loss for a smaller rights deal for Smackdown on USA (once the Fox contract is up) they will still be making a huge profit, due to the massively lower wage bill. WWE has cut 119 wrestlers and a lot of staff in the past 2 years. They are adapting and trying to stay ahead of the curve.

I'm sure they will. I've been thinking the exact same thing as soon as I found out that FOX is pissed about the whole Peacock thing.

I also wonder how many of the 40+ cuts over the past year have had anything to do with the lingering pandemic and it's effects, not just on WWE but the entire wrestling industry (and yes, I, like everyone am well aware that it has affected way more than just that).

It's important to remember that the past year was WWE's most successful year ever financially. I think what the pandemic really has hurt is future plans. NXT has been aiming for huge international expansion but now with covid those plans aren't as secure to take a leap on. With those international expansion's quelled now Vince has gone to development and seen that Triple H has tried to make NXT far more of brand than Vince ever wanted. It would cost a lot of money to expand NXT and push it the way Triple H wanted to.

I see WWE raiding NXT of it's top stars that they see potential in for the main roster and letting the show continue through it's current contract where it may get canceled or severely reduced when it comes to payment for the next tv rights deal. And then perhaps WWE can chose to tac on a bigger charge to Peacock for exclusive rights or figure out another option entirely. Either way I think based on what I've read recently that NXT as a pushed brand is pretty much done.

If the long term goal of NBC/Universal is to purchase WWE in a UFC/ESPN type deal, which has been speculated as the reason for the Peacock deal, then they will absolutely need to outbid Fox for Smackdown.

In fact with the timing of the deals, if the intention is to purchase WWE once the Peacock deal expires in 2026, it would likely be announced in late 2025. If I remember correctly, the current TV deals expire in 2024. NBC would need to have Smackdown under contract to avoid a whole mess of issues. Fox will probably offer a better deal than they currently have just to drive up the price on NBC out of spite.

Bottom line, Vince gets richer and maybe he will finally retire.

Release everyone

Release the hounds

They can’t; they already let Deam Ambrose go…

Meltzer reporting Vince/Nick Khan's new mantra is 'no more midgets' and 'no one over 30' for NXT.

Now that 'no more midgets' is the mantra I really want them to bring up Gargano and give him a comedy gimmick and put him in the 24/7 scene entirely for the online meltdowns

so is rockstar spud still there,

Yeah, he's still there.

Rumor going around is that HHH got his ass handed to him by Vince in front of Pritchard and Nick Khan for making a new generation of Jimmy Harts instead of a new generation of Dwayne Johnsons. Vince, Pritchard and John Laurinaitis are the ones deciding whose cut and Vince/Pritchard/Laurinaitis will also spearhead the revamp and new direction of NXT.

HHH: Let me introduce you to Jake Atlas!

Vince: GODDAMNIT

Meltzer said there will be some exceptions to the rule of no shorties and no one over 30, as Vince does like Adam Cole, but they will be the rarity going forward.

Rovert noted on Twitter Vince wants to call up a ton of women to RAW.

How hard is gertner's erection right now, I wonder?

What a bunch of shit company run by old bastards who jerk off over big muscly men.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is getting attention again so just wanted to let people know that after this tweet, two NXT wrestlers DM'd me to say they have to stick to these similar match routines and were as about as thrilled about it as I was. <a href="https://t.co/Z3IAHfU1PJ">https://t.co/Z3IAHfU1PJ</a></p>&mdash; forever tired (@Maffewgregg) <a href="https://twitter.com/Maffewgregg/status/1424425159801425926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I mean, I disagree with nearly everything WWE does but trying to get more wrestlers who look like grown men that could kick someone’s ass in a fight and fewer cruiserweights is a very good idea.

If they are aiming for the OVW days of Lesnar/Cena/Orton/Batista being top developmental products that is wise IMO.

I think Vince also changes his mind A LOT these days so I half expect him to abandon this idea in a few months.

Yup

Focusing on body guys is all well and good but then I see what this company is doing with Donovan Dijak since he got on the main roster and I remember that this company hasn’t got a clue.

Right. They don’t have a clue regardless of body type though. I’m just looking for a glimmer of hope in them focusing on the proper talent. We’re at the point now where MY negative ass is the optimist.

I dont know how they could possibly blame Triple H when there is like 25 examples of guys that were super over when called up, and it was Vince and company who dropped the ball.

I know he's the most insanely interesting character in wrestling history but honestly I can't wait for Vince to die so that the company may actually change and get good again. Then we can get some good books or doc's about his life. There is no way he's gonna be able to be honest about anything via writing a book or in a doc. No f'n way.

And for the record Triple H definitely showed that he could build a nationally touring brand from nothing. Sure with the help of the hottest indy stars of the time, but still he made it happen and it was something that Vince never would have done. Triple H hasn't failed with NXT, Vince got his hands on it and either by shitting on the NXT stars pushed to the main roster or Kevin Dunn... IDK what the exact cause is but Vince ruined NXT.

WWE: We’re going to focus on large men who look tough!


Braun: https://64-media-tumblr-com.cdn.ampp...0d3o3_500.gifv

Ideally they would focus on Johnny Curtises who look like, wrestle like and have the charisma of Johnny Curtises.

But fuck another boom. They got a library to make money off of.

The sick fucks at WWE tried to keep the trademark for Chelsea Green's real name after they released her, but then she tweeted about it and WWE started getting internet backlash, so they now are going to back off and let her have the trademark to her real birth name, according to Fightful

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I never thought I’d be in a legal battle for my BIRTH GIVEN name… �� <br>Going to discuss it on tomorrow’s episode of <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenWEnvyPod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GreenWEnvyPod</a></p>&mdash; CHELSEA GREEN (@ImChelseaGreen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImChelseaGreen/status/1424372252800393228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

LOL! I always wondered when wrestlers legally changed their names (Warrior, Ryback) to get around trademarks, if WWE would ever try it the other way around. Looks like we now have the answer :rofl:

idk if it's true but there were rumors that Keith Lee got "heat" with WWE because he was battling them over the trademark of his real name also

I once read that over the last decade Vince changed his mind to see if talent can 'sink or swim' and that's why anytime other people tell him "hey you gotta check out ______ from NXT" if he decides to give them a main roster call-up he intentionally removes some parts of their gimmick that got over in NXT to see if they can 'sink or swim' without what made them a hit.

In theory, that sounds like a good test but if you apply it to wrestlers past it would have hindered so many from getting over. It's sort of the opposite of the Paul Heyman mentality of 'highlight the strengths, hide the weaknesses'.

It's incredibly difficult to trademark a legal name for a person that has any kind of past activities doing something similar. This is because federal (and individual state) trademark protections apply only to using the trademarked name with each particular set of goods or services, (i.e., athletic performances, theatrical performances, clothing/apparel, film/tv appearances, etc.) If a wrestler is using their name in multiple, or one or more, states, for one or more goods or services, it's incredibly unlikely that a federal USPTO trademark application will be approved for those same goods/services, especially if they're no longer employed or affiliated with the applying entity, in this case WWE.

I don’t know if you’re just randomly referencing their NXT feud or if you’re implying EC3 is on Johnny Curtis’ level?

If it’s the latter, I’d like xrod banned. I think this warrants it.

DX in the MUD


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If Ciampa and Gargano had walked up to Bret and told him their idea was to go 45 with a bunch of bad community theater &quot;Why am I so violent!?&quot; crap he'd have got on the phone to Vince and told him get rid of those guys. HBK said &quot;Oh that sounds great here's how to make it worse!&quot;</p>&mdash; Rasslin Uploader (Armstrong Alley on YT) (@KrisPLettuce) <a href="https://twitter.com/KrisPLettuce/status/1424374934466400257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With Keith Lee, I heard they are trying to get him to give them written consent, but he won't do it and is trying to trademark his name on his own

This is something I mentioned somewhere else, and I stand by this:

Cameron Grimes (aka Steampunk Jimmy Garvin) will have a better main roster career than Karrion Kross. Because there aren't any expectations for him to be some huge star and he's a goofy midcard act that can get over without being too big for its britches.

Also, L.A. Knight will probably get over on the Main Roster as well, for different reasons. Or, failing that, he'll start teaching promo classes.

Lol, the former



Dirty Curty :rofl:

Like randomly taking a great Heel like Bobby Roode and making him a generic babyface? I still dont understand why that happened :mad:

KRIS P LETTUCE????!!!!

So is HBK generally not liked as a backstage creative person?

When he was announced as joining the PC/NXT staff I think many thought he'd reel in some of the PWG 2010 style into better storytelling, instead he's intensified it. I think some wrestlers love that and some are not fans.

I kind of view it as 'what if every match on a show was a Young Bucks match', which is not my thing.

Just shut down all of NXT at this point, lol. Stupid. People whining about "big guys who look like they can really beat people up" in a fake fucking combat sport are whatever, lol. Except for guys who are super tiny like Adam Cole, I get that.




Adam Cole is going to die on the main roster. He will look like WWE's Marko Stunt against the likes of nearly anyone. Rey Mysterio is WWE's Paul Titan compared to Cole. Speaking of, Paul Titan to AEW please. Right god damn now. That dude "goes hard in the gym".




Good lord is NXT years past an amazing watch. Nearly any Takeover from a few years back is a great watch. Nakamura and Zayn immediately come to mind. Shit, really any NXT Nakamura is gold.




Also


https://twitter.com/i/status/1424390788667019272

Yeah, without his written authorization, it's very unlikely they'd be able to successfully register the trademark of his own name with the USPTO for any of the classes of goods/services (clothing, merch, live entertainment performances, media appearances and performances, etc.) especially if he'd been using his own name prior in selling/marketing/performing for any of those same classes of goods/services.

Bad Bunny not released

ok why did the wwe not give him another name that was dumb of them in the begining.

Probably assumed he'd agree to let them take over ownership of the trademark, at least while he's under contract with them. It's pretty common to assign that right over, during the term of an agreement at least, but it's not always the smart thing to do and if the talent has any leverage they should try to avoid doing so.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Perception means everything especially when you are working with partners who are not pro wrestling fans and don't have deep knowledge of the talent. <br><br>In reality are the changes coming to NXT a bad thing? Time till tell. 2/2 <a href="https://t.co/hNxa3qxZG1">https://t.co/hNxa3qxZG1</a></p>&mdash; Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewZarian/status/1424794268456062978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reading the reports of new PC hiring guidelines it sounds more like a Grindr Bio: I’m not into ……��</p>&mdash; Parrow (@Parrow_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Parrow_/status/1424754984449679366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

They had a pretty long timeframe when they let the wrestlers keep their names when they came in. I believe starting with Samoa Joe through around Keith Lee. Not sure if Keith Lee was the last one before they started randomly picking names for new signees again, but he was close to the end of that.

But a lot of people came in with names they already had established.

I buy that argument for big stars, but I doubt any of these NXT releases are on the Networks or Partners radar.

Parrow's post made me at first like "How would he know?"

Then I remembered, and was like... "Ok... that makes sense."

Soooo Bray Wyatt still with WWE?

The biggest problem there, though, is that WWE themselves created this problem to begin with by codifying this. Trying to populate the entire roster with bodybuilders and swimsuit magazine models with a tertiary emphasis on getting them to work well in the ring or on the mic (or both) is a stupid way to approach the endeavor, coupled with consistently telling people through words and deeds that anyone they consider "small" is worthless (and even that is relative - some of the guys who are considered GOAT historically aren't really people who strictly pass that eye test).

Then, they'll do shit like have a guy the size of Braun Strowman and try to make him work like he's Ricochet. Or not realize the reason why there was so much groaning and eye rolling at the rehire of Eva Marie was because nearly every match she had, she nearly Droz'd her opponent, herself, or both, but she was getting fast tracked to rule the Divas Division because she's "pretty" and was a bitch on an auxillary reality show that most wrestling fans weren't watching and that was supposed to be a 1:1 translation on her being the hottest female heel WWE had ever seen. It didn't.

Instead of looking at the issue of start-stop pushes and not properly building or presenting guys (colloquial - men and women) in ways that will eventually work them up the card, they do shit like bank all their money on a handful of talent (look how long it took for them to finally get Roman in the position they wanted him in from day one) and let everyone else languish. They script bullshit and write dumbass tripe angles and sometimes try super hard with the shittiest gimmicks possible neverminding what it might do detrimentally to th
folks on the roster saddled with this shit. They panic and call people back who were over 10 years plus ago; often at the detriment of people they could be focusing on now. And if anyone outside of their pet projects fail, it's their own fault for not being backed by the machine that quite honestly likely promised them the moon and then cuts them a month later.

But no... they failed because they're not 6'6 and 285lbs of weightlifter muscle. If only they willed themselves to grow taller, they might make it in the business.

There was more to this, but I don't have time to write it now, and I know I'm going to lose the tangent I was on if I try to come back to it later. Point is, there's too much stock put into this "midgets" mentality or the "needs to look like a star walking through the airport"... and by "star" they actually mean giant and jacked up. If the machine got behind some of these folks like they got behind others, there's no way the world wouldn't know who Shinsuke Nakamura was at this point if they treated him more like a guy who has the intangible charisma he has and less like generic foreign guy #582. There are plenty of others who could have been or currently be stars if the company would allow them to be stars instead of stunting them because THEY don't believe they are stars.

If they want to push the big scary looking guys that’s fine, but I’ve not seen much evidence they know how to do that.

Lashley - had to leave the company and rebuild his image, came back and got put in two all time shitty feuds with Sami and Rusev
Drew - had to leave the company and rebuild his image
Sheamus - has had his ups and downs, the one time they pushed him as top guy they made him a bland smiling babyface who said Fella a lot
Priest - treading water feuding with Miz and Morrison
Viking Raiders - the Viking Experience
Keith Lee - ugh
Mace and T-Bar - LOL
Omos - extremely limited, just kinda stands there
Titus - theyve tried but nothing has worked, basically a big lovable dork who does charity work
Big E - seemed happy being part of an all time great faction, we’ll see how this one plays out
Corbin - made the most unwatchable character in wrestling and used as the scapegoat for bad ratings
Azeez - just kinda stands there
Roman - seems like they finally got it right but man did it take a long time to get there

And that’s just guys currently active on the main roster. Not a lot of home runs there. But I’m sure bringing in a bunch of brand new big guys with no experience will solve the problems.

They had a big hit with Rusev with his US Championship run, then they yanked the rug out of from under him, split him and Lana up, and put Rusev in the League of Nations. Then Rusev got himself over again and WWE yanked the rug out again.

Braun Strowman was the hottest thing in wrestling during his “I’m not finished with you!” feud with Roman, then WWE yanked the rug out from under him and completely nerfed him for a quick Shield reunion.

I don’t know how fresh new talent is going to solve that.

Supreme and Tom with the hard-hitting facts and historical info to back it up.


Still sad for Shinsuke and what he is today. Gonna go watch old NXT to feel better.

One may say "vintage" NXT even

It may not be for everyone, but I'm enjoying the shit outta Nakamura with Rick Boogs shredding guitar behind him.

i can almost see big cass come back to wwe, impact rebuilt him like they did lashley and drew. wwe needs to have a deal with impact to build wwe stars.

Yeah they probably should bring him back. You shouldn't be that big and ripped and talented and not work for WWE. He'd also be awesome as a monster in NJPW.

Has Cass gotten better on the indies or something? I remember him being really awkward and boring in the ring. Doesn’t seem like the New Japan type

you need to watch impact they know how to book him

Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens are a New Japan type, by that truth ANYBODY can work in NJPW.

Love Chase. My boy.

Good for you. I'm not saying he isn't worthy of love, just that he's rather unspectacular in multiple ways. So if a guy like Chase or Fale can become "New Japan" guys, there is no argument that anyone that has worked for WWE, especially that went through the FCW or Performance Center development can't adapt to become "New Japan guys". I mean really what does it take? Wrestle harder? More germans, more lariats trade strikes and chops and yell like an anime character? It's not that much different.

Take it easy.

I saw Bad Luck Fale in a couple of those ridiculous 10 man tags they like to do and thought he seemed to fit the role well.

Cass has the look but seems to move around like a fragile old man.