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Old 12-15-2020, 07:06 PM   #1525
Emperor Smeat
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The Sheets:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Observer
Raw last night set its all-time record low with both 1.53 million average viewers and a 0.41 rating in 18-49.

For the first time ever, not only did last week's AEW Dynamite beat an hour of Raw, but it beat all three hours in 18-49 and 18-34. It is not a lock AEW will beat Raw's numbers tomorrow but it would be a surprise if it doesn't beat this Friday's SmackDown numbers on FS1. AEW has only beaten 0.41 twice this year, both times in the last two weeks.

Raw had its lowest first hour, the lowest second hour, and the lowest third hour, so this was not people tuning out, as the people leaving the show as it went on was at average levels. This was people not tuning in to see it in the first place.

Raw finished ninth in 18-49 ...

As compared to last week, Raw was down 12 percent in viewers, 20 percent in 18-49, and 29 percent in 18-34.

As compared to the same week last year, Raw was down 26 percent in viewers, 32 percent in 18-49, and 48 percent in 18-34.

The NFL game last night with the Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens was a big culprit, as it did 12.42 million viewers and a 3.57 in 18-49. Still, it had fewer viewers than many weeks this season including last week's game as an ABC/ESPN simulcast.

Male viewers in particular were shockingly low, especially in WWE's usual 35-49 strongest point. Raw beat Dynamite slightly with women 18-49, they tied with women 12-34, and Raw was slightly ahead .27 to .25 in males 12-34. But Dynamite won in 35-49 by a .57 to .46 margin, which made the difference

As far as tuning out, women 18-49 tuned out from hour one to hour three at a normal 15 percent clip, men 18-49 at a 10 percent clip, teenage girls and boys both gained during the show, while people over 50 dropped nine percent.

The three hours were:
  • 8 p.m. 1.63 million viewers
  • 9 p.m. 1.51 million viewers
  • 10 p.m. 1.44 million viewers
Quote:
Originally Posted by Observer
EC3 has confirmed that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

He revealed his positive diagnosis to Chris Van Vliet. As a result, he will not be a part of Ring of Honor’s Final Battle event this Friday ...

Others that have been removed from this weekend's event include Bandido, Flamita, and Kenny King.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PWI
The Monday Night Raw episode that aired last night was very much the show as it was originally written, although specific placement of segments and where they would fit into the show changed over the course of the day. There was also a lot of re-writing of dialogue as the day went on, but this was very much a Vince McMahon vision described by one source as "the writers giving him what he wants."

One major change that happened over the course of the day was originally Keith Lee vs. The Miz was penciled in as a singles match but that changed to a handicap match over the course of Monday. Lee was not slated to go over before the change, either.

Retribution pushing Ricochet to join their group is something that will continue to play out in the weeks ahead ...

As you may have seen by the way Raw went off the air, the show had numerous segments run long, which management was not happy about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PWI
Since some readers have asked, here is the WWE taping schedule for the holiday season.

Raw will remain live every Monday.

WWE NXT will remain live every Wednesday

Friday Night Smackdown will remain live every Friday with the exception of Christmas week. The Christmas episode of Friday 12/25 episode will be taped on 12/22.

Smackdown on New Year's Evening 1/1/21 will broadcast live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PWI
Anthem Sports and Entertainment, Inc. launched AXS TV in Canada on 12/10, available on Bell TV and Virgin TV.

Although Impact Wrestling was not mentioned in their press release, it is listed on their Canadian schedule lineup, so now Impact Wrestling airs on 3 stations in Canada (Live on Fight Network and AXS TV, tape delay on Game TV)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
Former IMPACT X Division and World Tag Team Champion Jake Crist officially announced his free agency as he is no longer a member of the IMPACT Wrestling roster. Several days ago, Crist tweeted out that he would become a free agent on January 1st of 2021 but he shared on Twitter today that his free agency is now official ...

Crist last appeared on IMPACT programming in early June and his last TV match with the company was against Crazzy Steve. Throughout the months, Crist competed in IWA Mid-South, AAW and several more independent promotions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
VICE has an extensive feature up with longtime WWE composer Jim Johnston whose tenure with the company ended in 2017. Johnston detailed the creative process and broke down the meaning behind WWE themes that he’s created. One of those was D-Generation X’s theme.

“A lot of people tell me this is a Rage Against the Machine type of song, but it was always a straight-up funk groove to me. It’s a complete swing rhythm and I guess an ode to people like James Brown in terms of my chord progression.

I think it was Chris Warren’s brilliant vocal that gave the song this counterculture punk-rap vibe. He really symbolized what D-Generation X was all about in terms of upsetting the order of things. I remember we were in the studio and I held up a big sign with phrases that I wanted him to say in his iconic wise guy voice. I had written down, ‘You think you can tell us what to do?’, ‘You think you can tell us what to wear’ and like hundreds of other phrases, which I then cut down to what you hear on the intro. The long introduction of this track was a big risk as it went against the instant glass-shattering chaos that so many of the other themes had. I was worried Vince was going to shut it down quickly because, boy, the intro is so long! But there’s just something about it. Chris’ voice has this magnetic quality and he creates this anticipation in the arena. I feel like the song’s sound inspired a few nu-metal bands. That line: ‘Are you ready?’ caught on as well, as it was used on adverts for holidays, insurance and all kinds of things.”

Johnston came up with Vince McMahon’s theme song because he had been upset with McMahon in a work-related sense. His thought process was, “You’ve got no chance with this guy.”

“When I was writing Vince’s No ‘Chance In Hell’ entrance theme, I had been really upset with him about something at work. I found myself thinking: ‘You’ve got no chance against this guy!’ He’s got the power, the money, and in terms of pro-wrestling, he was pretty much the only game in town. I had written the guitar groove much earlier, and I found myself singing ‘No Chance…No Chance’ over that groove. Rather than a song about one man, I wanted it to be about ’The Man’.

The song is about the work system that imprisons us all. It’s got a thrust of someone who’s kind of like marching like they’re the kind of ‘big I am’. What I loved about Vince was how he liked to be surprised. He let me take risks and if I surprised him with something and it was good then he would be delighted. But if it wasn’t good then boy he would tell you about it! I will always class him as a friend. We were creating something entirely new as the business Vince had bought from his dad didn’t have any music for the wrestlers. Our work together radically changed things and made it so much more theatrical. I’ll always be proud of that.”
Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
JTG was the focus of Pro Wrestling Junkies’ latest virtual meet-and-greet session. He recounted his match against Santino Marella from the fall of 2013 where he uniquely sold Santino’s ‘Cobra Strike’ finisher. The way JTG sold the move was not well received by some backstage and it turned out to be his last match in WWE for the foreseeable future.

“Well I got two different reactions. From my peers, they loved it. This never happened in my career before where I had a great match and my peers got up and clapped for me. Like I’ve had a lot of great matches in WWE but with that sell, when I came back through that curtain, everybody got up and started clapping and laughing and we’re like, ‘That was amazing,’ and then the other reaction was from the office. My agent of the match, he was like, ‘That was pretty creative but you know, I don’t know if you did that to pop the boys or yourself but you got some — you might have a little heat with some people in the office’ and I’m like, ‘Why would I have heat with somebody in the office? The finisher is ridiculous.’ So, I was just having fun out there. He was like, ‘Eh… okay’ and then that happened to be my last match. That was my last match in WWE.”
For some reference:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
Joey G at Wrestling Headlines interviewed former IMPACT X Division Champion Chris Bey. Bey was asked about the working relationship between IMPACT Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling and he feels it’s great for both sides. He added that the dream match scenarios are there and he has a few of his own that he wants to make a reality.

“I think that this is a great thing for the business. I think that whenever we can make that excitement and break that fourth wall so to speak and take what everyone thought they knew about the business and switch it up…because this is an era nowadays that is pulled back so far that a lot of the people who have never taken a bump or who have never actually done this feel like they know. It’s okay to know, but they feel like they really know. The greatest part about moments like these…those same people who think they really know, they see this and they go, ‘Oh I didn’t know this was possible. If this is happening I bet this can’t happen,’ then the next week that same thing they say can’t happen happens. They start to learn we can switch it up on them at anytime. I think this is great because it’s going to provide a lot of dream scenarios and give a lot of people to be seen on different platforms. A lot of people who watch AEW don’t watch IMPACT, a lot of people who watch IMPACT don’t watch AEW. So this will give a lot of different fans someone new to tune into, who they might like or relate to, or find their new favorite wrestler. I think it’s great. Now we talk about the dream matches. I’ve seen a lot of people post stuff like they wanted to see me versus Kenny, then they wanted to see me versus Darby Allin, or they think because of the charisma through the roof they wanna see me and Ricky Starks. There’s one in particular that stands out to me that I need to check off my bucket list personally because it all started a little over a year ago, but I need…for the sake of my story…I need Dashing Chris Bey versus Dashing Cody Rhodes. That’s the one that I need.”
Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
Stone Cold Steve Austin was featured on ESPN’s ‘Monday Tailgate’ program and he shared his thoughts on Pat McAfee’s run in the NXT brand so far:

“He puts it all on the line, he’s going for it. Basically, I think his verbal skills, he’s slaying everybody but he’s not afraid to go out there and put it all on the line so you know, you wouldn’t expect that from a guy who kicks the football but no, Pat McAfee’s badass. I think he’s doing a really, really good job. I give him a solid A.”
Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
Bill Goldberg and his undefeated streak was the latest subject covered on the WWE Untold series.

The rise of the former football star within WCW was nothing short of lightning in a bottle and a phenomenon that kept WCW business strong through the duration of 1998 even though creatively, the company was stifling ...

In the documentary, the streak was acknowledged as the brainchild of Mike Tenay and influenced by other famous streaks within sports. The addition of Tenay’s influence was a late call after Dave Meltzer spoke of Tenay’s influence and being on the phone with Tenay when the idea was hatched. This led to a call from WWE to Tenay last Tuesday and his involvement was not ignored. It appears they used WWE host Matt Camp as the talking head to explain Tenay’s involvement and spliced it into the finished documentary, which is extra attention to care that is noteworthy from the producers.

In 1998, the narrative is often that WWF overtook WCW and the company limped its way out of business from that point onward. However, in 1998, WCW had its best year ever financially with revenue of $188 million and up 68 percent from 1997. Their arena business was phenomenal, and nothing emphasized that strength greater than the four week period that included the decision to end Goldberg’s streak.

While Kevin Nash cited the growing chants of “Goldberg sucks”, which were popping up, the business told another story.

Nitro drew 32,067 to the Astrodome in Houston on December 7th, which was followed two weeks later with 29,000 at the TWA Dome in St. Louis and culminated with 38,809 at the Georgia Dome on January 4, 1999, for the infamous “finger poke of doom”. WCW business was red hot and while ending the streak in a vacuum wasn’t going to kill WCW, the combination of Goldberg’s loss, poor follow-up, and a wretched booking idea at the Georgia Dome set the stage for a money-losing year in 1999 ...

Goldberg sputtered throughout 1999 from uninspired programs with Scott Hall, Bam Bam Bigelow, and a rematch with Nash at the April pay-per-view before a break to shoot the movie Universal Soldier: The Return. His return on the July 5, 1999, episode of Nitro from the Georgia Dome outlined the damage done the prior January. Attendance fell to 25,338 with the paid amount reported at under 20,000. It was the last time WCW ran the domed stadium ...

While WCW squandered a lot with Goldberg, they at least developed him to the point that he did make a gigantic difference in 1998. When Goldberg finally arrived in WWE in March 2003, the template was written, and you could poll the audience and they would tell you the accurate way to book Goldberg. Instead, the ’03 experiment was a disaster with rare instances of the version that had its most success. It was fascinating to watch the company get it right thirteen years later when Goldberg returned for the program with Brock Lesnar.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
Brandon Thurston and former co-host Chris Harrington of AEW had a fascinating discussion and breakdown of last week’s AEW Dynamite television figures. Harrington provided access to his Excel sheet going through the minute-by-minute ratings of the show displaying the total viewers and P 18-49 figures throughout the night for AEW compared to NXT. While Harrington acknowledged that this was a good week for Dynamite to share such data, it is a remarkable amount of transparency for a company official to talk about this information in a public space. I’d highly recommend listening or watching the entire discussion as Harrington doesn’t just present the numbers but shares his analysis and trends he has learned along the way as well as lessons to be following if you’re interpreting the data.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlMHWoIo35Y

Quote:
Originally Posted by Post Wrestling
Lavie Margolin looks at the availability of several smaller networks in the U.S. that carry professional wrestling. It notes that AXS TV is currently is 58 percent of homes in the country with 51.8 million while Game TV (which also carries IMPACT) is only in nine million homes.
Link: http://www.lioncubjobsearch.com/2020...-networks.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by WrestlingInc
Monday Night RAW Superstar Riddle might have a big supporter in Vince McMahon, according to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer noted that McMahon really likes Riddle and thinks The Original Bro is "very funny in his own weird way." He added that although McMahon doesn't understand Riddle's gimmick which is inspired by Sean Penn's character in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, he really likes Riddle's character and thinks its unique and funny.

"He just doesn't get The Bro thing, but he thinks he's funny 'so we gotta keep him on TV,'" said Meltzer.

It was also noted while McMahon might not see Riddle as a main event star, he does see him as someone worthy of regular TV time ...

Riddle was first called up to the WWE main roster in May earlier this year. In his debut match on SmackDown, he defeated then-Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles in a non-title match. In October, Riddle was moved to the red brand as part of the 2020 WWE Draft.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WrestlingHeadlines.com
AJ Styles reportedly liked the recent Impact Wrestling segment where World Tag Team Champion Karl Anderson debuted Hornswoggle as The Wee-nomenal One, a spoof of Styles.

The angle aired last month and Fightful Select reports that AJ didn’t know it was coming, but he seemed to think it was great, according to those close to him.

There were apparently no issues with Swoggle using the old TNA theme, which the company still has the rights to, or the gear and likeness of AJ.

The segment was also said to be a big hit among the Impact and WWE locker rooms.
Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxgo5pHLxt4


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