John Cena is reportedly one of Big E. Langston's biggest supporters backstage. With Cena about to return to action, many expect Langston's role to increase.
Course, Cena also championed Evan Bourne and that didn't lead anywhere but it's still great news for Big E.
WWE projected to earn $20 million in revenue from corporate sponsors. This number has nearly tripled in the past five years, when in 2008 they earned $7.4 million. This is due to promising advertisers that they will no longer have any risque television shows and their push for TV-PG content.
So that's probably the direct benefit of going PG.
According to Dave Meltzer, HHH has laid out a plan to build up the division which includes getting teams ready in NXT before reaching the main roster and to take underutilized and talented singles wrestlers on the main roster and pairing them up to see if they can get over as a duo.
I think it's safe to say HHH finally is showing results in the tag division. Good for him.
wirehead26 on
I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!!!
+3
CuvisTheConquerorThey always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered Userregular
And here's a bit less good...
WWE is more hesitant now to sign smaller guys and more hesitant in general to sign talent with already-established names on the independent circuit.
The company thinks they have enough smaller wrestlers on the roster. There is no set rule when it comes to signing smaller wrestlers but they are planning to cut back on how many they sign in the future. It's also the belief that they do not have enough "big guys" on the roster and some within the company think it's affecting business in a negative way.
As far as independent stars go, or wrestlers that have achieved success on their own, WWE is worried about breaking them of bad habits they pick up on the indies.
This is a mistake, IMHO. People aren't really all that impressed by the big guys these days; that's part of why Tensai was brought in amongst much hype and ballyhoo just to end up curtain-jerking in a comedy act (the other part being that godawful gimmick). And freezing them out also means freezing fresh talent with fresh ideas and approaches out of the company. Two of WWE's three hottest stars right now are "smaller indie guys"; that should really tell them something.
Bryan and Punk are anomalies in terms of indy talent though. I just don't see someone like Davey Richards or Eddie Edwards ever achieving that type of success. And the term "big guy" still has an unfair correlation for being a shit wrestler. You can't be terrible and still make it in WWE today no matter what your body type is.
The only smaller indy guy I could see make it big in WWE in the future is Adam Cole and he's under contract with ROH for the time being. Soloman Crowe, Kalisto, Adrian Neville, and of course Zayn are plenty enough for now.
wirehead26 on
I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!!!
0
CuvisTheConquerorThey always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered Userregular
Bryan and Punk are anomalies in terms of indy talent though.
They're really not. They were some of the best on the indies, to be sure, but there are a lot of people with the same kind of skill sets. Maybe not Richards or Edwards, but, for example, there's a lot of Chikara guys who can work a great match and have charisma/promo skills/presence.
And I'm not saying that big guys are automatically terrible; pretty much every big guy WWE has who is not named Khali is a fairly decent worker. But just being big doesn't count with the audience the way it used to, these days.
According to Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Weekly, while WWE is ruling out Hulk Hogan for WrestleMania 30, as the company expects him to return to TNA, officials are eyeing Sting for a possible appearance at the big event.
With TNA being in a state of total disarray, the report notes WWE believes it can bring Sting in for a WrestleMania appearance. "The WWE side believes that Hogan's ultimately TNA-bound, but they also feel there is a decent chance that they may end up being able to get Sting for WrestleMania next year," the report reads.
I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!!!
0
CuvisTheConquerorThey always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered Userregular
Sting needs to be at Mania at least once in his career. Without that, it just doesn't feel complete.
+5
ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
Yeah, in fairness, those two "smaller indie guys" are two of the best in history. One of 'em had the catchphrase of "best in the world" while a heel and people really couldn't argue the point.
+1
CuvisTheConquerorThey always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered Userregular
Yeah, in fairness, those two "smaller indie guys" are two of the best in history. One of 'em had the catchphrase of "best in the world" while a heel and people really couldn't argue the point.
And if WWE isn't willing to look past the physique or entertain an independent streak, they may miss out on the next one of the best in history. Hell, they had a shot at Austin Aries, and passed because he didn't have the right "look". Now with them putting more emphasis on the "look", they're only setting themselves up to miss more.
Bryan and Punk are anomalies in terms of indy talent though.
They're really not. They were some of the best on the indies, to be sure, but there are a lot of people with the same kind of skill sets. Maybe not Richards or Edwards, but, for example, there's a lot of Chikara guys who can work a great match and have charisma/promo skills/presence.
And I'm not saying that big guys are automatically terrible; pretty much every big guy WWE has who is not named Khali is a fairly decent worker. But just being big doesn't count with the audience the way it used to, these days.
I've stated this before, but on a national scale, I don't feel that the guys from Chikara would get over as much as you think. I don't think their ring work is as good as other guys out there, and a good amount of their presence has to do with the promotion they wrestle in. I really can't think of any Chikara guys who left the promotion and became huge: Osirian Portal shows up occasionally as a comedy tag duo in CZW, the Colony sometimes show up in DGUSA and do nothing, and Chuck Taylor, Johnny Gargano, and Ricochet (he did wrestle on earlier shows) were all pretty established before joining Chikara, and are relatively big indies stars without that promotion.
I think if you're looking for indy guys who could make the jump, you really have to look at PWG, which is the one promotion showcasing the best indy talent out there. Adam Cole is obviously one of the few guys who's ready to make the jump, but you also have Gargano, Michael Elgin (hey, here's a bigger guy who could get over), and Ricochet who could make an impact, to say nothing of guys like Joey Ryan, Kevin Steen, and the Young Bucks.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
0
CuvisTheConquerorThey always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered Userregular
I really can't think of any Chikara guys who left the promotion and became huge
Not really a Chikara guy. He started in Europe, met Hero and Quack, wrestled shows for them while also doing RoH. CZW, and PWG.
Like, if you're going to go that route, you could also have put up pictures of Chris Hero and Daniel Bryan.
The first promotions he worked with in the States were Chikara and IWA-MS. He branched out to RoH, PWG, and the rest, true, but Chikara is where he emerged onto the North American scene.
0
PwnanObrienHe's right, life sucks.Registered Userregular
If we're talking about PWG guys I can't fathom why they haven't given Brian Cage another shot.
Because he needs to be in a tag match or against a quality opponent like Elgin to really shine. Look at his match with Willie Mack from last year. Dude just isn't as good as he should be at this point.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
+1
PwnanObrienHe's right, life sucks.Registered Userregular
If we're talking about PWG guys I can't fathom why they haven't given Brian Cage another shot.
Because he needs to be in a tag match or against a quality opponent like Elgin to really shine. Look at his match with Willie Mack from last year. Dude just isn't as good as he should be at this point.
This just made me think that all you really need to work well against Willie Mack is the ability to sell a big dude crashing into you and made me think that I'd love to see a Ziggler vs Willie Mack match.
If we're talking about PWG guys I can't fathom why they haven't given Brian Cage another shot.
Because he needs to be in a tag match or against a quality opponent like Elgin to really shine. Look at his match with Willie Mack from last year. Dude just isn't as good as he should be at this point.
If we're talking about PWG guys I can't fathom why they haven't given Brian Cage another shot.
Because he needs to be in a tag match or against a quality opponent like Elgin to really shine. Look at his match with Willie Mack from last year. Dude just isn't as good as he should be at this point.
I'm more basing it on his look alone.
Oh, I also think he's cycling off the roids, because the dude has lost almost all the definition in his abs. He looks in awful shape compared to where he was this time last year.
Every time I've watched a Chikara show I've been pretty underwhelmed by the actual wrestling, TBH.
Honestly it's hit or miss. That's why they have these completely over-the-top characters and storylines to stand out from other indy feds.
I've never seen a completely bad Chikara show though and I've been watching fairly consistently since High Noon. I'm looking forward to the Neon Alley shows starting this Sunday.
I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!!!
0
PwnanObrienHe's right, life sucks.Registered Userregular
I honestly can't think of a single big guy on the indies that I would like to see called up. Maybe Elgin qualifies but I'm sure WWE would consider him short.
Elgin makes me think of Claudio, in that he is not really the kind of big man you think of when you think of a "big man" in the WWE, but he wrestles a powerhouse style incredibly well and can look like a beast even when there are much bigger people around.
This is the current seating chart for a TNA live show in 3 weeks. The blue are seats that are still available, the grey are seats that have been taken. Tickets for this show have been available for months.
I think you need a solid mix of big guys in something like WWE for it to really work. And Big Show, Mark Henry and Kane are probably a couple years at most away from retirement, and someone probably has to fill their shoes. And like, the only big man to gain any traction lately is Ryback. They have a ton of talented mid sized guys, and if they pass on a couple current indie stars, they'll probably be fine for like, the next decade or so. They've got way fewer big guys at the moment, and most of them aren't even close to established, yet. And you can't look at Big E and Luke Harper and go "yeah, those two and Ryback, that's probably enough."
+3
PwnanObrienHe's right, life sucks.Registered Userregular
So, this week's NXT is pretty bleh. The commentary from Scott Dawson is evidence enough as to why this is his last show. Renee did well though, keeping things interesting and teaming up with Regal in making fun of Dawson.
That said the show's worth watching for the main event of Sami vs Bo alone.
+2
HawkstoneDon't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things. Somewhere outside of BarstowRegistered Userregular
I bought the comic mentioned in the article off of eBay, with the coordinates and the "I Am CHIKARA" sticker. It was cool stuff, and it gave us something to get signed at NYCC. Good stuff, looking forward to the 11/2 rally.
I wish I could be there! I will be on vacation in Florida. You will have to report back how it goes. For those who don't know Icarus is staging a rally at FDR skate park in Philly...if you are local he is talking about a big reveal and of course spreading the word through " I am Chikara" shirts. The Chikara 101 messageboard is full if info too.
Inside of a dog...it's too dark to read.
0
CuvisTheConquerorThey always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered Userregular
I think you need a solid mix of big guys in something like WWE for it to really work. And Big Show, Mark Henry and Kane are probably a couple years at most away from retirement, and someone probably has to fill their shoes. And like, the only big man to gain any traction lately is Ryback. They have a ton of talented mid sized guys, and if they pass on a couple current indie stars, they'll probably be fine for like, the next decade or so. They've got way fewer big guys at the moment, and most of them aren't even close to established, yet. And you can't look at Big E and Luke Harper and go "yeah, those two and Ryback, that's probably enough."
I am by no means saying that they shouldn't bring in more big men. But I really don't think that ignoring small men is a good thing.
And you forgot Erick Rowan, Brodus Clay, and Sweet T.
CuvisTheConqueror on
0
PwnanObrienHe's right, life sucks.Registered Userregular
I think you need a solid mix of big guys in something like WWE for it to really work. And Big Show, Mark Henry and Kane are probably a couple years at most away from retirement, and someone probably has to fill their shoes. And like, the only big man to gain any traction lately is Ryback. They have a ton of talented mid sized guys, and if they pass on a couple current indie stars, they'll probably be fine for like, the next decade or so. They've got way fewer big guys at the moment, and most of them aren't even close to established, yet. And you can't look at Big E and Luke Harper and go "yeah, those two and Ryback, that's probably enough."
I am by no means saying that they shouldn't bring in more big men. But I really don't think that ignoring small men is a good thing.
And you forgot Erick Rowan, Brodus Clay, and Sweet T.
So, this week's NXT is pretty bleh. The commentary from Scott Dawson is evidence enough as to why this is his last show. Renee did well though, keeping things interesting and teaming up with Regal in making fun of Dawson.
That said the show's worth watching for the main event of Sami vs Bo alone.
yeah, watching it he sometimes sounded like the spliced together commentary in WWE video games.
0
PwnanObrienHe's right, life sucks.Registered Userregular
My favorite moment from this week's episode was when Renee asked Regal if he knew about Divas followed by 30 seconds of missing commentary audio.
It always makes me cringe when the Real Americans get cheered. Not that I don't think they (Cesaro especially) deserve all the accolades they can get, but this is not a gimmick that should be cheered.
It doesn't really bother me, mainly because Zeb has been talking a whole lot less lately. It's basically just been, "We the People!" and not much else for a little while now. I think the cheers are coming from people just enjoying their matches, especially Cesaro swinging people all over the place.
And if he's turning face, them getting cheered isn't exactly a bad thing.
PAFC Top 10 Finisher in Seasons 1 and 3. 2nd in Seasons 4 and 5. Final 4 in Season 6.
0
CuvisTheConquerorThey always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered Userregular
I think you need a solid mix of big guys in something like WWE for it to really work. And Big Show, Mark Henry and Kane are probably a couple years at most away from retirement, and someone probably has to fill their shoes. And like, the only big man to gain any traction lately is Ryback. They have a ton of talented mid sized guys, and if they pass on a couple current indie stars, they'll probably be fine for like, the next decade or so. They've got way fewer big guys at the moment, and most of them aren't even close to established, yet. And you can't look at Big E and Luke Harper and go "yeah, those two and Ryback, that's probably enough."
I am by no means saying that they shouldn't bring in more big men. But I really don't think that ignoring small men is a good thing.
And you forgot Erick Rowan, Brodus Clay, and Sweet T.
According to Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Weekly, while WWE is ruling out Hulk Hogan for WrestleMania 30, as the company expects him to return to TNA, officials are eyeing Sting for a possible appearance at the big event.
With TNA being in a state of total disarray, the report notes WWE believes it can bring Sting in for a WrestleMania appearance. "The WWE side believes that Hogan's ultimately TNA-bound, but they also feel there is a decent chance that they may end up being able to get Sting for WrestleMania next year," the report reads.
If they got Sting for a Wrestlemania appearance, I would flip out so hard.
PAFC Top 10 Finisher in Seasons 1 and 3. 2nd in Seasons 4 and 5. Final 4 in Season 6.
Posts
Course, Cena also championed Evan Bourne and that didn't lead anywhere but it's still great news for Big E.
So that's probably the direct benefit of going PG.
I think it's safe to say HHH finally is showing results in the tag division. Good for him.
This is a mistake, IMHO. People aren't really all that impressed by the big guys these days; that's part of why Tensai was brought in amongst much hype and ballyhoo just to end up curtain-jerking in a comedy act (the other part being that godawful gimmick). And freezing them out also means freezing fresh talent with fresh ideas and approaches out of the company. Two of WWE's three hottest stars right now are "smaller indie guys"; that should really tell them something.
The only smaller indy guy I could see make it big in WWE in the future is Adam Cole and he's under contract with ROH for the time being. Soloman Crowe, Kalisto, Adrian Neville, and of course Zayn are plenty enough for now.
They're really not. They were some of the best on the indies, to be sure, but there are a lot of people with the same kind of skill sets. Maybe not Richards or Edwards, but, for example, there's a lot of Chikara guys who can work a great match and have charisma/promo skills/presence.
And I'm not saying that big guys are automatically terrible; pretty much every big guy WWE has who is not named Khali is a fairly decent worker. But just being big doesn't count with the audience the way it used to, these days.
And if WWE isn't willing to look past the physique or entertain an independent streak, they may miss out on the next one of the best in history. Hell, they had a shot at Austin Aries, and passed because he didn't have the right "look". Now with them putting more emphasis on the "look", they're only setting themselves up to miss more.
I've stated this before, but on a national scale, I don't feel that the guys from Chikara would get over as much as you think. I don't think their ring work is as good as other guys out there, and a good amount of their presence has to do with the promotion they wrestle in. I really can't think of any Chikara guys who left the promotion and became huge: Osirian Portal shows up occasionally as a comedy tag duo in CZW, the Colony sometimes show up in DGUSA and do nothing, and Chuck Taylor, Johnny Gargano, and Ricochet (he did wrestle on earlier shows) were all pretty established before joining Chikara, and are relatively big indies stars without that promotion.
I think if you're looking for indy guys who could make the jump, you really have to look at PWG, which is the one promotion showcasing the best indy talent out there. Adam Cole is obviously one of the few guys who's ready to make the jump, but you also have Gargano, Michael Elgin (hey, here's a bigger guy who could get over), and Ricochet who could make an impact, to say nothing of guys like Joey Ryan, Kevin Steen, and the Young Bucks.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
My Let's Play Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UC2go70QLfwGq-hW4nvUqmog
Not really a Chikara guy. He started in Europe, met Hero and Quack, wrestled shows for them while also doing RoH. CZW, and PWG.
Like, if you're going to go that route, you could also have put up pictures of Chris Hero and Daniel Bryan.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
Then why aren't they good enough to go to better promotions like RoH or PWG?
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
He was the Wrestlefactory's second trainer.
The other was Quack.
I'd say he was a pretty big part of the company while he was on the indies.
Also if you're looking for exclusivity to one indie company you're basically limiting yourself to ROH and good luck with that.
The first promotions he worked with in the States were Chikara and IWA-MS. He branched out to RoH, PWG, and the rest, true, but Chikara is where he emerged onto the North American scene.
I'm going to let you in on a secret here:
Because he needs to be in a tag match or against a quality opponent like Elgin to really shine. Look at his match with Willie Mack from last year. Dude just isn't as good as he should be at this point.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
This just made me think that all you really need to work well against Willie Mack is the ability to sell a big dude crashing into you and made me think that I'd love to see a Ziggler vs Willie Mack match.
I'm more basing it on his look alone.
Oh, I also think he's cycling off the roids, because the dude has lost almost all the definition in his abs. He looks in awful shape compared to where he was this time last year.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
Honestly it's hit or miss. That's why they have these completely over-the-top characters and storylines to stand out from other indy feds.
I've never seen a completely bad Chikara show though and I've been watching fairly consistently since High Noon. I'm looking forward to the Neon Alley shows starting this Sunday.
My Let's Play Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UC2go70QLfwGq-hW4nvUqmog
This is the current seating chart for a TNA live show in 3 weeks. The blue are seats that are still available, the grey are seats that have been taken. Tickets for this show have been available for months.
Steam
can we move up
we actually bought a ticket
That said the show's worth watching for the main event of Sami vs Bo alone.
I wish I could be there! I will be on vacation in Florida. You will have to report back how it goes. For those who don't know Icarus is staging a rally at FDR skate park in Philly...if you are local he is talking about a big reveal and of course spreading the word through " I am Chikara" shirts. The Chikara 101 messageboard is full if info too.
I am by no means saying that they shouldn't bring in more big men. But I really don't think that ignoring small men is a good thing.
And you forgot Erick Rowan, Brodus Clay, and Sweet T.
yeah, watching it he sometimes sounded like the spliced together commentary in WWE video games.
It doesn't really bother me, mainly because Zeb has been talking a whole lot less lately. It's basically just been, "We the People!" and not much else for a little while now. I think the cheers are coming from people just enjoying their matches, especially Cesaro swinging people all over the place.
And if he's turning face, them getting cheered isn't exactly a bad thing.
Yeah, I am, actually. It's hard to complain about a lack of big men on the roster when you can name 9 off the top of your head.
If they got Sting for a Wrestlemania appearance, I would flip out so hard.