AEW Thread: A Real Alternative To WWE?

[Symphony Steve]

Big East basketball plays on Wednesday no way FS1 will give up that night for programming during basketball season.

Here's what Dave Meltzer at Wrestling Observer wrote about that:

"It’s also not a secret that WWE is looking to counter program this show with an FS 1 airing of NXT. Whether that show would be one hour or two hours, or live or taped, is not known. The talks are serious enough that in a FOX call to Northeastern affiliates last week, they brought up that possibility. Sources within WWE had confirmed the idea is being strongly talked about and the reason was competition with AEW, and the idea was fairly recent in planning, coming from the AEW signing with TNT.

It should be noted that FS 1 had a contract to air Big East basketball on Wednesday nights, so there may be a scheduling issue in the early months. The idea of NXT on FS 2 would be counter productive since the goal is to beat AEW in ratings with a developmental show, not to draw lower numbers than AEW."

 

[MSOrange]

Here's what Dave Meltzer at Wrestling Observer wrote about that:

"It’s also not a secret that WWE is looking to counter program this show with an FS 1 airing of NXT. Whether that show would be one hour or two hours, or live or taped, is not known. The talks are serious enough that in a FOX call to Northeastern affiliates last week, they brought up that possibility. Sources within WWE had confirmed the idea is being strongly talked about and the reason was competition with AEW, and the idea was fairly recent in planning, coming from the AEW signing with TNT.

It should be noted that FS 1 had a contract to air Big East basketball on Wednesday nights, so there may be a scheduling issue in the early months. The idea of NXT on FS 2 would be counter productive since the goal is to beat AEW in ratings with a developmental show, not to draw lower numbers than AEW."

A developmental show that's better than the main show though...

 

[MSOrange]

Lot of speculation and rumors that NXT and USA have a deal to air on Wednesday night.

 

[Alsacs]

Lot of speculation and rumors that NXT and USA have a deal to air on Wednesday night.

So Vince will cut off his nose to spite his face.
NXT is what it used to be anyway. Vince will want more control of it if it’s going to be on cable.
The product of NXT will suffer as a result.
Screw Vince and his monopoly he underestimates the portion of people who want his company to lose its monopoly and will support a viable alternative. Plus if AEW beats NXT in the ratings it will damage NXT as a development.

 

[Symphony Steve]

Vince is trying to kill AEW in its infancy. In so doing, he's causing at least temporary damage to his product. NXT is the most-watched weekly show on his network. Look for yet another subscription drop. He's gonna have to put some of his big guns on NXT each week, creating more overexposure for an already overexposed product.

Here's why I think he'll fail. There is another huge move that seems like it is almost inevitable. And this will catapult AEW to the top for those looking for the best wrestling product--at some point, AEW and New Japan are almost gonna have to make a deal. New Japan has still by far the best wrestling in the world today. Most of AEW's top people came from New Japan. And Jon Moxley, who had quit WWE., earned rave reviews for his performance in the recently-concluded G-1 Tournament, which annually features the best wrestling on the planet.

Right now, New Japan is honoring its working relationship with Ring Of Honor. But Ring Of Honor is a shadow of what it once was. New Japan will pull the plug at some point. I think that, sooner rather than later, AEW and New Japan will join forces. That will be--AWESOME. WWE will remain the largest promotion, at least for the duration of that ridiculous contract that Fox signed with them. But it will be no contest when it comes to excitement and the best wrestling anywhere.

 

[MSOrange]

 

[jncuse]

The AEW will be severely weakened, within a year (or at least its reputation*). The TV Contract will be the cause.

AWE Fans are hardcore wrestling fans, but they are also generally the type that
a) are most impatient and always looking for change
b) think they would be the greatest bookers ever
c) say its about the quality of in-ring wrestling but a) and b) overrides that.

Only one way to control these types... limited content where the stories can be done slowly and the quality of the wrestling can stand out. And AEW has clearly satisfied in those regards. (In fact that makes all forms of wrestling better)

Once you start delivering content weekly, the fans that AEW has drawn are in general those that will most be turned off. Since these fans are the master bookers, inevitably they will complain quite quickly. They will complain they have seen it before. The quality of the wrestling itself, which will still remain steady, just starts to get loss. in their other criticisms.

Note - this is a generalization of the AEW fan, not all.

 

[OrangeDW]

I miss jobbers. An example...

Sasha Banks came back and attacked Natalya, and then Becky too when she came to help.

The next week she attacked Natalya again backstage.

Last night, she...wrestled and beat Natalya. So...that’s that, right? Now what? Move on to Becky already? Wrestle Natalya again? And if that happens they’ll wonder why nobody cares...there’s no reason to. They already had the match on Raw.

Seems like Sasha-Natalya should’ve happened at the next PPV. Sasha should’ve beat a jobber in her first match back.

Jobbers allowed people to look strong without anyone of consequence looking weak. They prevented repetitive matchups and allowed angles to play out long enough to make it to the PPV with some steam. They made the product better.

 

[two3zone]

I miss jobbers. An example...

Sasha Banks came back and attacked Natalya, and then Becky too when she came to help.

The next week she attacked Natalya again backstage.

Last night, she...wrestled and beat Natalya. So...that’s that, right? Now what? Move on to Becky already? Wrestle Natalya again? And if that happens they’ll wonder why nobody cares...there’s no reason to. They already had the match on Raw.

Seems like Sasha-Natalya should’ve happened at the next PPV. Sasha should’ve beat a jobber in her first match back.

Jobbers allowed people to look strong without anyone of consequence looking weak. They prevented repetitive matchups and allowed angles to play out long enough to make it to the PPV with some steam. They made the product better.

Hopefully a return of "Little Davey Meltzer"

 

[OrangeDW]

Hopefully a return of "Little Davey Meltzer"

Just googled that as it was new to me. Lol.

 

[two3zone]

Just googled that as it was new to me. Lol.

The whole UWF promotion was hilarious, this isn't the Bill Watts version. This guy Herb Abrams ran it, his death story is awesome but so are many other stories about him. Reading about the promotion will bring a few laughs to you im sure.

 

[MSOrange]

I miss jobbers. An example...

Sasha Banks came back and attacked Natalya, and then Becky too when she came to help.

The next week she attacked Natalya again backstage.

Last night, she...wrestled and beat Natalya. So...that’s that, right? Now what? Move on to Becky already? Wrestle Natalya again? And if that happens they’ll wonder why nobody cares...there’s no reason to. They already had the match on Raw.

Seems like Sasha-Natalya should’ve happened at the next PPV. Sasha should’ve beat a jobber in her first match back.

Jobbers allowed people to look strong without anyone of consequence looking weak. They prevented repetitive matchups and allowed angles to play out long enough to make it to the PPV with some steam. They made the product better.

Where are Steve Lombardi and Barry Horowitz when you need them?

 

[Knicks411]

Hopefully a return of "Little Davey Meltzer"

The wiki on the death of Herb Abrams is just art

Before his death, while high on cocaine, Abrams was found naked and covered in a "vaseline" type substance,[4] destroying furniture with a baseball bat[4] in his New York office.[5] He was in the company of prostitutes at the time.[5] Not long afterwards, he died while in police custody,[4] of a heart attack.[5] He had cocaine stuck all over his body when he died.[5] He was laid to rest in New York.

 

[OrangeDW]

The wiki on the death of Herb Abrams is just art

Oh, wow. Talk about going out with a bang.

 

[two3zone]

The wiki on the death of Herb Abrams is just art

Ive had some crazy nights, but I have zero issue going out like that.

There's a story about him having a wrestler shoot punch another for 500 bucks because they slept with his wife.

 

[Knicks411]

Ive had some crazy nights, but I have zero issue going out like that.

There's a story about him having a wrestler shoot punch another for 500 bucks because they slept with his wife.

My mind is totally blanking on who, but when he was promoting the UWF he claimed they had signed a wrestler who had in fact died. Some quick googling isn't bringing anything up, so we're all just gonna have to wait until it comes to me

 

[two3zone]

My mind is totally blanking on who, but when he was promoting the UWF he claimed they had signed a wrestler who had in fact died. Some quick googling isn't bringing anything up, so we're all just gonna have to wait until it comes to me

Bruiser Brody

 

[OrangeDW]

2003 Smackdown with Eddie, Benoit, and Angle. Jeez. Just as far as the matches go, that might be 3 of the top 10 ever.

Those are the kinds of guys I miss. When I hear that a lot of these new guys are good in the ring, I compare them to those guys and...nah. These new guys don’t compare. The style is just...off.

 

[Knicks411]

2003 Smackdown with Eddie, Benoit, and Angle. Jeez. Just as far as the matches go, that might be 3 of the top 10 ever.

Those are the kinds of guys I miss. When I hear that a lot of these new guys are good in the ring, I compare them to those guys and...nah. These new guys don’t compare. The style is just...off.

Smackdown 6; you had those 3 plus Rey, Edge, and Chavo. Who was def the sixth wheel, but still.

Sad to think of those guys, you now have
Eddie: Dead
Benoit: Dead and a murderer
Angle: Body thrashed
Edge: Had to retire early

Obviously the 3 you mentioned were all time great. I do think the level of overall wrestling is higher now than ever before, so "good" matches stand out less than they did in the early 2000s. I'm not saying that as a good or bad thing.

 

[OrangeDW]

Smackdown 6; you had those 3 plus Rey, Edge, and Chavo. Who was def the sixth wheel, but still.

Sad to think of those guys, you now have
Eddie: Dead
Benoit: Dead and a murderer
Angle: Body thrashed
Edge: Had to retire early

Obviously the 3 you mentioned were all time great. I do think the level of overall wrestling is higher now than ever before, so "good" matches stand out less than they did in the early 2000s. I'm not saying that as a good or bad thing.

Plus young Brock when he actually put on real matches, was on Smackdown back then.

 

[Knicks411]

Plus young Brock when he actually put on real matches, was on Smackdown back then.

Yup I totally blanked on him. Matt Hardy as well, but he was more of a lower card guy. That era was my first year in college (2002-03, good year, i seem to recall) and I didnt have a tv in my room (what was i thinking) so I was a little out on wrestling in that period

 

[OrangeDW]

Yup I totally blanked on him. Matt Hardy as well, but he was more of a lower card guy. That era was my first year in college (2002-03, good year, i seem to recall) and I didnt have a tv in my room (what was i thinking) so I was a little out on wrestling in that period

I was also in my first year away at college - but I had a TV and kinda started getting back into it at that time for whatever reason. I remember catching a Cena-Eddie parking lot brawl match and that kindve drew me in and put Smackdown on my radar. And I thought Cena was funny around that time. And always though Eddie was funny.

 

[OrangeDW]

Hey, they listened to me. The Viking Raiders just beat the crap out of two jobbers. It was awesome.

 

[Knicks411]

I was also in my first year away at college - but I had a TV and kinda started getting back into it at that time for whatever reason. I remember catching a Cena-Eddie parking lot brawl match and that kindve drew me in and put Smackdown on my radar. And I thought Cena was funny around that time. And always though Eddie was funny.

When I first started watching wrestling in like September of 1997, Eddie Guerrero was my first favorite wrestler. No idea why.

 

[cuse10]

Jericho's belt was stolen while he was eating at Longhorn Steakhouse.