The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 02.29.07
Posted by John Meehan on 02.29.2008
HAPPY LEAP DAY, LANNY POFFO FANS!!!
Welcome back, all, and a happy leap day! Thanks again for dropping by your regularly scheduled week-end dose of 'rassling's intrawebz optimism. We're chugging along on the Road to WrestleMania, meaning that there is tons of news from all over this week, so let's get right to it, yes?
On Friday afternoon, WWE.com opened a new section smack-dab on its front page called "Industry News," wherein they made all sorts of mention of rival companies, wrestlers, and industries that fall well outside of the typical "WWE comfort zone" umbrella. A lot of fans found this particularly strange, since a number of those news items had to deal with none other than WWE's biggest rival (which really isn't saying much)... TNA.
MeeThinks?
This isn't "strange," it's genius.
When most non-fans of wrestling think of "pro wrestling," they think of just one name: "WWF" (or WWE). And accordingly, WWE can't help but find themselves (and themselves alone) singled out these days as the one big offender in the North American pro wrestling industry (since they're the resident big dog and -- in many people's eyes -- "the only game in town").
But thanks to this handy little "Industry News" link addition to the front page of their website (the most likely hub for, say, a non-wrestling fan looking to learn a thing or two about this "big, evil organization") -- one can't help but notice that WWE's launch of this conspicuously "broad" industry-wide news hub up also just so happens to come at a time when pro wrestling (read: "WWE") is under fire from the U.S. government and this particular outlet seems to be the ONLY pro wrestling company taking heat from the congressional subcommittee.
So what?
Trotting out a bunch of news from smaller outlets (TNA, for example) not only lets Congressional staffers learn that other wrestling organizations exist (meaning that the investigation will widen to include those smaller companies)... but it also serves to reinforce the overall professionalism of WWE when compared to each of these smaller outlets, showing that WWE is LIGHT YEARS ahead of the drug policies and testings that these upstarts are able to offer and provide (which could easily take the bulk of the heat off of the 'E, simply because they look better by comparison).
Long story short?
WWE is out for WWE, plain and simple (as they should be). And this move -- which is a brilliant one, by the way -- is the perfect way for the company to appear "transparent" while at the same time diverting a bit of the heat they'd otherwise be fielding; all the while underscoring the fact that there are a ton of other promotions and places out there who are screwing stuff up a LOT worse than they are.
In a mainstream media bombshell this week, it was announced that WWE will be paying a whopping $20 MILLION to Floyd Mayweather for his involvement with the company up through and including WrestleMania 24 next month in Orlando. Not only is this purse the single largest one-match contract in Mayweather's career (though he'd go on to make well in excess of $25 million when the incentives were tallied, his base pay for the De La Hoya fight was just $10 million) -- this particular payday also just so happens to be the single largest in professional wrestling history.
But before people all start throwing fits about how WWE could easily be spending that money on stuff like:
a) their tag division
b) their intercontinental title ranks
c) the ECW brand
d) the cruiserweight division
e) signing more regular competitors and/or big-name talent (Sting, Samoa Joe) to long-term contracts, and...
f) just biting the bullet and buying TNA out altogether
MeeThinks it's most important to note that while WWE's move here has certainly been a costly one, it also has the chance to end up being quite a lucrative investment before all is said and done.
Simply put, investing money into reinvigorating items a-d would take not only a slew of money, but also a boatload of TIME -- time which WWE simply doesn't have at this point, especially with WrestleMania now just under 30 days away.
And while buying out a guy like Samoa Joe (or Sting, etc.) would undoubtedly be another smart way to ensure a return-investment on down the line, merely trotting out the latest newly signed talent and having him headline your company's next PPV hasn't traditionally proven to be anywhere NEAR the one-off ratings draw as a bona fide celebrity crossover. With less than 50,000 fans regularly buying TNA pay-per-views each month, the *best* WWE could hope to do would be to attract ALL of those new buyers on over to their brand... (and that's assuming -- falsely -- that every single TNA fan doesn't already buy WWE pay-per-view events).
So more importantly, even if WWE *COULD* sign away all of TNA's biggest stars (most of whom are actually WWE alumni, at this point), or turn around and bolster their tag, IC, ECW, *AND* cruiserweight ranks to the point where people would start caring about them again, the simple fact of the matter is that no matter how hard WWE tried, the bulk of people who'd ever pay money to see the return on those investments would ultimately end up being (let's face it) PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING FANS, a large chunk of whom are already buying the WrestleMania show regardless of who's on it.
But Mayweather? Simply not the case.
He's a quick investment that's already generated a TON of publicity. From ESPN to the Associated Press, the guy has been *all over* the airwaves and news wires over the past two weeks -- and that's something that can only end up working in WWE's favor by the time the final buyrates are counted. "No press is bad press," and if ROH's recent uberfailures throughout Canada have taught us anything, it's that a superior in-ring product that's largely dependent on word of mouth advertising alone simply doesn't translate to a PPV audience.
So yeah, Floyd Mayweather may well indeed have no place in a wrestling ring, but he certainly has just as much excuse to be there as, say, Liberace and The Rockettes had at WrestleMania I. From its inception, WrestleMania was never really about the "pure" in-ring product of professional wrestling on its own merits (in fact, it's pretty hard to find an honest-to-goodness ***+ match in the show's first few outings until you get to Savage/Steamboat at WM III) -- it was about spectacle, sensation, larger-than-life atmosphere and a boatload of crossover appeal. It's the one night of the calendar year where casual fans admit to watching this real-life cartoon.
Twenty million dollars is a boatload of dough, make no mistake about it. But with a ton of mainstream media buzz, a payoff show retailing for just north of $50 (or more, for HD junkies), and a HUGE outdoor venue likely to be filled to capacity with seats no cheaper than $35 a head (and ringside seats drawing well into four figures) -- rest assured that Floyd Mayweather should have no trouble becoming "Money" well spent.
It's no secret that professional wrestling finds itself at the center of controversy whenever the issue of "performance enhancing supplements" is brought up for discussion. Understandably, then, one can see why the kind folks in the U.S. Congress might find themselves a bit put off by the fact that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon declined to appear on the Senate floor whilst the 'feds launched their latest round of interviews regarding the subject. In fact, one representative -- Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., -- even went as far as to say that Vinny Mac "flipped the finger" at these procedings by his refusal to attend.
In his own defense, McMahon fired back with this statement, made on WWE's corporate website on Wednesday evening:
Any suggestion made today by Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that I or my organization, WWE, have been uncooperative or that I have in any way "flipped (my) finger" at the Committee by not accepting its invitation to testify today is inaccurate and unfair.
The WWE has provided over 3,000 pages of documents and cooperated with all requests from the Committee, as we have with similar requests from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The first and only response to our cooperation from the Committee on Energy and Commerce was an invitation to testify at today's hearing sent to me by Congressman Rush on January 23, 2008. In that letter, he clearly states that I have the right, according to House rules, to be accompanied by my own counsel. I responded to the invitation to testify by declining for that very reason. My attorney of 20 years, Jerry McDevitt, is unavailable because he is currently representing another client on trial in Pittsburgh, PA (U.S. vs. Cyril Wecht). Since I sent my letter of declination 30 days ago, there had been no response from the Committee until today's unfair and inaccurate comments made by members of the Committee. Despite this, as I pledged in my January 28, 2008 letter to the Committee, I remain willing to cooperate fully with the Committee's inquiry.
With all that said, a LOT of web critics are giving the 'Boss a hard time over his decision to no-show at this "all important" (kangaroo court?) federal appearance.
HOWEVER --
In the man's defense (and from a strict, legal perspective) -- if the kind folks from the U.S. Congress really did encourage the WWE Chairman to attend with his attorney, then they really have no grounds to complain when the guy decided not to show up on account of the fact that his longtime counsel was unavailable at their desired date and time. For as "shady" as McMahon can be at times (and we all know his reputation for being as ruthless and savvy as they come in the world of entrepeneurs), the bottom line is that if the procedings are of a LEGAL nature, then he has every right to show up with his LEGAL representation in tow.
Even if you've got nothing to hide, sometimes it's just extremely poor business to step into the line of fire without some serious legal back-up to help lend a hand.
Or how about that time when Stephanie McMahon compared WWE's resolve after her father's steroid investigation to the U.S. spirit in the days following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001?
Besides -- Roger Clemens actually *DID* show up to the Senate floor, WITH lawyers no less, and still just about everybody and their brother knows darned well that the guy was lying through his teeth. So what's the bigger infraction, eh? "showing up to pay lip service" or "staying home until you're forced to tell the truth?"
Bottom line --
For as good a businessman as ANYONE in the world may be, there are plenty of situations where they're simply better served to stick close to their legal experts and let the professional mouthpieces be the ones who do (or, at the very least, who *sign off on*) the talking.
And if Vinny Mac & Co. really did send the subcommittee a) 3,000-plus pages of documentation, and b) a letter of decline some 30 days ago... then Rep. Rush's hemming and hawing is not only out of place, it's completely out of line. Could WWE's steroid policy could use some serious tightening? Absolutely. But is Vince McMahon in the wrong for declining a Congressional "invite" on this matter? Absolutely not.
NOW THEN --
I think it's worth mentioning here that a number of delegates from BOTH sides of the aisle couldn't help but wonder WHY OH WHY -- in an election year with a SLEW of more pressing and important issues on the table -- the U.S. government was even bothering to spend time investigating such a relatively "small potatoes" issue as drug use in professional sports (both real and scripted) in the first place. Kinda like Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who went on record as saying "sometimes I think we get our priorities out of order."
Now sure, millions of kids look up to these pro athletes, and thus are more than willing to take whatever "shortcuts" they deem necessary in order to turn out like their heroes. But just as a matter of perspective, for a second -- aren't there a number of other issues plaguing the world in which these kids live that seem to beg for more immediate and decisive action?
(Please skip this section if you're a Republican. Or a Democrat)...
In the United States alone, some 1.2 million pregnancies were ended by abortion as recently as 2005. On a daily average, that means that just about 3300abortions have been performed every single day, which means just about 197,260 abortions will have been performed this year in the U.S. alone by the end of February.
As of January, 2008 U.S. unemployment levels spiked to a two-year high of some 7.4 MILLION jobless Americans -- reaching the exact same highest level that was set two years ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. During that same time, the value of the U.S. dollar fell to a staggering low, dipping to the point where its buying power was eclipsed by the Canadian dollar for the first time since 1976.
By January of 2008, the U.S. economy sagged to the point where President Bush issued a $145 billion economic stimulus package, forcing the issuance of rebate checks worth approximately $600 to each tax-paying American adult in a desperate attempt to curb the country's financial crisis.
Yes folks, steroid use in pro sports is a problem. But by all means... let's waste time and tax dollars on the Senate floor whining about whether or not some carny promoter of a fake fighting company flipped us the bird.
For those of you too lazy to take that quick minute (for shame!), here's the transcript -- but PLEASE keep in mind that it looks a LOT worse in writing than it actually sounded in the course of the interview in question. That context thing, man... it'll kill ya' every time!
"He is a genuinely nice guy and a fantastic human being. What I kind of get peeved about, and this is my Achilles heel, is that I've wanted to do this my whole life. Rock falls into that category. At one point he loved wrestling and wanted to do this all his life. So explain to me why he can't come back. Simply put it's because he wants to be an actor and there's nothing wrong with that. He's very good and very successful. Associating with sports entertainment doesn't do much for his acting career. I get it. Just don't fuck me around and tell me that you love this. That's the only thing that gets me really pissed off. Our fan base have so much admiration for him, he's got to respect that. He doesn't give anything back."
Ok, before we go calling for Cena's head on a silver platter here...
First off, let's keep in mind the fact that while Cena is a bit mistaken when he says that wrestling was "something that The Rock wanted to do his whole life" (it wasn't, and Rocky even said so -- repeatedly -- in his own WWF autobiography). Secondly, it bears noting that The Rock lent wrestling fans a smile with that Battle of The Billionaires hype video last year (of course, then again, so did Rob Schneider, Snoop Dog, and Laura Prepon, no?). There's also the fact that Rocky will take part in this year's Hall Of Fame ceremony... but I guess one could probably argue that the only reason he'll be in attendance (perfectly justifiable, by the way) is because it'll be members of *his* family that are being honored.
So let's take a quick second and see if the good "Doctor of Thuganomics" might actually have something of a point in all of this. Spare the hate mail for a second and hear Mee out, yes?
Whether or not Rocky *owes* the fans anything is a non-issue (hint: he doesn't). Between countless bumps, bruises, bladejobs, he's more than paid his dues. Sure they helped "make" him a star, but in return, he busted his ass for years to keep those very same fans entertained. He gave them their money's worth and more, and in return they helped to make him a boatload of money. End of business relationsip? End of discussion.
"So long and thanks for all the fish," no?
But here's Cena's point (I think): Does Rocky OWE wrestling fans anything? Absolutely not. But you don't always have to OWE somebody something in order to DO something nice for them every once and a while. And while it's all well and good that we've all agreed to go our separate ways, just try not to go about talking about how much you "love" us if you never bother to make a phone call every now and again, is all.
Lots of folks had speculated on this one over the past few weeks, and so it should come as little surprise to see MyNetworkTV emerge as the new home for WWE's blue brand. Obviously, the somewhat limited distribution of MyNetworkTV has a bunch of fans getting a bit of "the blues" themselves, as it means that Smackdown! will no longer be available in at least a few major markets, both in the U.S. and abroad. Additional bad news (so the story goes) is that MyNetworkTV.com isn't quite HD-capable yet... meaning that Smackdown! could soon be reverting to its old, standard-broadcast quality in short order.
Four major points to consider here, before we go getting our panties in a twist.
1) MyNetworkTV is currently available in just about 96% of American markets. so yes, it's a smaller network -- but almost every place in the country that used to carry local affiliates of The WB or UPN has made the swap to broadcasting The CW and MyNetworkTV instead.
2) While MyNetworkTV may indeed not yet be HD-equipped, Smackdown! won't actually switch channels until this fall -- so there's always the chance that this upstart could make the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition by that time.
3) With the ECW and Smackdown! brands effectively merged, just about every single major SD! star and storyline *usually* ends up seeing airtime (even if only in recapped form) not just once, but TWICE a week on WWE programming. And if MyNetworkTV can't sustain the blue brand's audience alone, you know darned well that WWE is certainly not opposed to commandeering the ECW time slot in order to showcase some of Smackdown!'s finest, if need be.
4) Despite its less-than-ideal timeslot, Smackdown! was one of the highest rated shows on all of UPN. But once the network became "The CW," they made it clear that 'rasslin wasn't high on the priorities list, and so this proven ratings-getter was jettisoned to "the Friday night death slot" in hopes to raise the overall profile of this aspiring network. As for MyNetworkTV, however? A wide open Thursday night schedule, and absolutely no reason to believe that they'd be opposed to swapping Smackdown! *BACK* onto Thursday nights.
All in all?
WWE might have taken a *slight* step back with this one, but they are by no means scrambling to pick up the pieces of a TV deal that's permanently gone awry. With some work (and some luck), there is absolutely no reason to believe that the blue brand will have any trouble sustaining either its audience OR its momentum throughout the remainder of 2008 and well into the next year and beyond.
In a week where many a pundit has taken to drubbing pro wrestling's resident big dog over it's various steroid, network, and scandal woes -- MeeThinks it's both timely and worthwhile to take a quick second to highlight some unequivocal GOOD news out of Stamford this week. In case you missed the memo, World Wrestling Entertainment recently announced their intent to continue doing some pretty darned impressive work with a number of charities as they count down the days to their biggest PPV of the year.
First up?
WWE's continuing partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This week, WWE announced that they'd be granting a whopping FIFTY separate dreams come true over the next thirty days to Make-A-Wish kids across the country. Most noteable among that bunch was John Cena, who recently granted his 100th separate "wish" to the Foundation by taking time out of his schedule to personally meet, spend time with, and provide hope to a child suffering from a life-threatening medical condition.
Secondly --
There's WWE's Circle of Champions, a gathering of Make-a-Wish kids from all over the country who'll be treated to a superstar celebration on the morning of WrestleMania 24 as part of WWE's annual Bacon, Bagels, & Biceps Brunch.
For those of you who'll be attending this year's WrestleMania in Orlando and are feeling particularly generous, a few tickets still remain for WWE's annual mega-fundraiser event on the morning of the Big Dance. Tickets are kinda steep at $125 a pop, but in addition to honoring the Make-A-Wish children, all proceeds will benefit The David Maus Foundation, an Orlando-based charity. It's not quite an autograph signing, but you do get to sit at tables in a big old ballroom, snack on the usual brunch fare, and take a few snapshots while a dozen or so WWE talents field questions from the crowd, share smiles with the Circle of Champions kids, and ham things up for charity.
Say what you will about WWE and Vince McMahon, but the bottom line is that the company and its performers really do some tremendous work for charity. And yeah, maybe it's "good for business," but it's also good for the people they're serving -- whether it's terminally ill kids in Orlando or wounded soldiers in Iraq. So like I said, major kudos are most definitely in order to WWE for this one.
It's no secret that WWE likes to trot out the old "hard sell" in the weeks leading up to their biggest show of the year, and so it should come as no surprise that RAW will air for three solid hours on March 10 while the company puts its finishing touches on the WrestleMania card just two weeks before the Big Dance.
What is MOST interesting, however, is that the weeks just after "The Big Dance" is usually something of a quieter, "recharge" interim stretch where not all that much goes on. True, there are exceptions to every rule (such as in 2003, when Bill Goldberg appeared on RAW the very night after WM XIX) -- but by and large, the period between the RAw after WrestleMania and the next month's Backlash PPV is usually dedicated to wrapping up loose ends with a bunch of WrestleMania rematches.
NOT SO for this year, however, as it was recently reported that WWE's flagship broadcast would be airing yet ANOTHER three-hour edition on April 7, just eight days after WrestleMania is in the books.
This, of course, has led a healthy smattering of folks to start up rumors of another installment of WWE's tremendously popular "draft lottery" schtick, whereby wrestlers from each of the company's three brands end up shuffling between shows so as to freshen up the rosters with a bunch of new feuds. (We'll kindly ignore the fact that WWE frequently plays fast and loose with the respective "brand assignments" of their various performers, of course -- and that guys like Batista and Hornswoggle tend to show up on RAW more often than guys like Nunzio show up on ECW).
BUT ANYHOW --
I don't want to get ahead of ourselves here, but MeeThinks the prospect of another WWE brand reshuffling should do wonders to liven up the company's three shows and make for a bevvy of fresh and exciting programs for the next broadcast year. With Smackdown! headed to a new network, they're most definitely going to need some star power to help the blue brand retain an audience (and let's face it, they got absolutely dogged in last year's draft). And with Ric Flair likely taking his final bow at WrestleMania, there's a good chance that an upper-level void will be left in his absence, allowing for the next big up-and-comer to plug nicely into a fixed position in the sub-main-event picture on *any* of WWE's three brands (think MVP, C.M. Punk, or either Jeff or Matt Hardy).
With acts liks Big Show, JBL, and Chris Jericho back in the regular rotation, WWE could most definitely fill some main-event holes that would end up with one (or all three) of those men wearing gold before 2009. And at the same time, guys like Umaga and Batista seem all but spent on their current brands (having feuded with just about every performer at the top of their respective cards), and so there's every reason to believe that at least a few "high profile" superstars will find themselves on another brand once the dust from this year's WrestleMania has settled.
All told?
A draft lotto (while still in its "rumored infancy" stage) could most definitely leave WWE fans with plenty to be excited for in the post-WrestleMania doldrums. As always, be sure to stay tuned for more details as they develop!
After suffering a key loss to his storyline "stepbrother" in Barbed Wire Massacre II at TNA's Turning Point ppv just a few short weeks ago, rumors are now emerging that Judas Mesias (a.k.a. Ricky Banderas of short-lived Wrestling Society X fame) has officially parted was with the company.
A number of sources have picked up on this story, and the details between them have been pretty varied, but the long and short of things is that Mesias was splitting time working between TNA (in Orlando) and AAA (in Mexico), and that TNA simply couldn't offer him the same type of regular schedule and money that he was able to pull down while wrestling south of the border. In fact, word has it that even though Banderas was making anywhere from $500 to $1300 for each appearance he'd make in TNA, the guy was actually working without a contract, and had been since the day he debuted with the company late in 2007.
MeeThinks?
The "working without a contract" dealie is and always has been a terrible idea for TNA. Though it's something of an understandable concession given the company's relatively small payroll and stature, the simple fact of the matter is that Total Nonstop Action has been burned WAYYYY too many times by a high-profile, non-contracted talent who flakes out on them at a critical moment after just a few appearances. From Randy Savage to Scott Hall to Rikishi, TNA has ended up with more than their fair share of egg on their face in the past when non-contracted performers simply decide that this "little company that could" just ain't worth the hassle.
THANKFULLY --
Mesias fulfilled all of the dates, obligations, and storylines that the company had in place for him, and so they didn't wind up getting burned by what appears to be a mutually-agreed split with the guy over the past few weeks. This, of course, leaves the door open for his return some time on down the line should the need ever arise, and it's a nice (and a RARE) "win/win" for the company as both parties can walk away from their partnership having gotten exactly what they bargained for from the moment they first met.
TNA got itself a great (if violent, and perhaps excessive) storyline monster to help add a new dimension to one of their most marketable characters, and Mesias walked away with a few sizable paydays (and a few new scars) to show for his efforts.
Again, that's a "win/win."
What is interesting to note in this particular story, however, is that it appears as if Judas Mesias wasn't the ONLY resident "monster" currently working for TNA *without* a contract, as fellow freaks like Rellik (Johnny The Bull Stamboli) and Black Reign (Dustin Rhodes) also seem to be plying their trade *without* a long-term deal in place. Now the good news for TNA in all of this is that neither of these two men are NEARLY as high-profile as Mesias had been (and so if and when they no-show, it's a much easier fire to put out) -- but the fact remains that TNA continues to maintain a really dangerous precedent of NOT signing talent before they put them on television... which can (and has) really turn around and bite the company in the end, if they're not careful.
With luck, we'll have more here next week!
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
That'll do it for Mee this week, folks. Thanks again for reading, and have a great weekend as March comes "in like a lion" this weekend. As for Mee? I'll be back next week with not one, not two, but THREE separate write-ups for 411 (keep an eye out for a kickass WrestleMania countdown feature starting Monday!)... so stay tuned, and always stay positive!
Everyone is still talking about Floyd...sigh. Yes, his participation in Mania has generated a ton of publicity from mainstream outlets. Does that equal an appreciable number of extra buys? That remains to be seen. Personally, I'd say. Will it generate a long term spike in viewership? Id say no. It's another case of Vince wanting to stroke his own ego by generating this kind of hype and publicity. Boxer vs. Wrestler matches have not only failed but have been disastrous in the past. Hollyfield came in for that one shot deal and no one even comments on it now. Granted it was poorly promoted but I still think it was a failure for the E. Now they are spending 10 times as much to get Mayweather and are getting a shit load of press. I'm sure WWE will earn a ton of money on the show, even after the big money pay out. It seems more like extremely high priced advertisement.
Posted By: Guest#1764 (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 12:14 AM
I still believe that the $20 million is just a way for WWE to get press and Mayweather is going to be paid considerably less. It certainly has worked, before the payday announcement there was virtually nothing in the mainstream media, but now there's been a huge spark in publicity.
Posted By: Guest#5150 (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 12:28 AM
I don't know where the MyNetworkTV/HD thing started, but my area has a MNTV HD channel. The network is HD ready, so WWE shouldn't have any problems.
Posted By: Guest#5470 (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 12:29 AM
again the same old thing about the Rock not giving back. You're absolutely right that he doesn't have to give back, but where you are wrong is that he doesn't give back. He made an appearance on Raw last year in support of the Battle of the Billionaires...sure it was just on screen, but the man is very busy with his NEW job. The fact is everybody cheered like mad to see him just on screen, and that was for the fans!
Posted By: udontgetit (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 12:49 AM
I am with guest#wtfever I live near pittsburgh and we get the Pittsburgh MYTV in HD actually thats the only way we get it broadcast through Comcast.
Posted By: Dan (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 01:44 AM
Another piss poor article. I hate to say it. Mayweather giving the WWE a "ton of publicity"? I wouldn't say that. It isn't even a fraction of what they got with Trump. In fact I feel they have got little publicity with this stunt. The most publicity they got is when they said that they signed him for 20 million dollars. People raised an eyebrow with that one, because it's a lie! He's making probably 5 tops which is a good chunk of change. Money well spent my ass! Either get someone who can actually generate buys or save the money WWE!
Posted By: Willie D (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 01:52 AM
To this day I still wish people would shut the fuck up about Stephanies comments after 9/11. It wasnt that big a deal and when I first saw the interview I didnt take it out of context at all which everyone does
Posted By: natedoggcata (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 01:53 AM
"I am with guest#wtfever I live near pittsburgh and we get the Pittsburgh MYTV in
HD actually thats the only way we get it broadcast through Comcast."
I live near Pittsburgh, too, and I have both the standard and HD MNTV channels. The HD one does me no good, though, because I don't have a HD television set.
Posted By: Guest#3863 (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 01:54 AM
*sigh* John Meehan - always the supreme buzzkiller; "Relax people, there's absolutely no need to get excited about this piece of news. Everything will work out in the end and the thing that you want will probably not happen." FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MAN, GET RILED UP FOR ONCE AND PICK A FREAKING SIDE! GAWD!
Posted By: Guest#0399 (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 03:05 AM
Let's assume that Mayweather is making $20 million for Wrestlemania. That's the equivalent of over 350000 buys @ $55 each. I'm sure (although I could be wrong) that I heard that WWE gets approximately half of the revenue from ppv events. If this is the case, then they would have to have an increase of approximately 700000 buys to break even on the Mayweather deal. This ain't gonna happen and I'd guess that the $20 million must be a top end performance related figure rather than a base payment. Whichever way you look at it, Mayweather is a negotiating genius.
Posted By: Baron Skinny (Registered) on February 29, 2008 at 05:18 AM
Whichever way you look at it, Vince is a genius for even thinking of telling the media the worked amount of 20m in the first place. It simply isn't possible that Vince is willingly paying Mayweather such an obscene amount of money. He can do math too, you know. But people are talking about it, some actually believe it, and it just goes to show Vinnie Mac always gets what he wants.
Posted By: Finn (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 07:08 AM
It's not been the best of news weeks. Everything's come across really negative. "Floyd's overpaid", "Vince hates the government", "Cena hates The Rock". It's all so hollow, like a hungry logic suffering from writer's block at a Freshman's party. When one of the highlights of my weeks is Kurt Angle vs Kevin Nash, I'm not a happy camper.
Posted By: T.G. Corke (Registered) on February 29, 2008 at 08:25 AM
Thanks for the reality check. There are, indeed, more important things in the world than Vince's alleged flipping the bird to whomever.
Posted By: woody (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 09:30 AM
please not another draft. how did the last few drafts turn out?
2007-booker t? chris benoit? lashley? masters? torrie wilson?sandman/daivari/eugene?
2006 ecw draft-rvd and kurt angle. how did that turn out?
2005-christian and muhammed hassan
2004-nidia, rhyno, tajiri, the dudleys were all gone within a year.also drafted was a still injured edge.
Posted By: rey (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 09:58 AM
I would love to see you write a better article Willie D. I'm sure it will be "piss poor".
Posted By: Captain_Snackpipe (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 10:36 AM
I kind of wish Fatdust would pull a Scott Hall and no-show once in awhile. Figures the most reliable non-contracted wrestler on their roster is also the worst in the ring.
Posted By: m8 (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Yes there are more important things that Congress can be addressing than steroids in professional sports, but your examples are poor because these are not areas in which Congress can make progress.
The problem in Iraq boils down to a Presidential decision between the lesser of two evils: pulling out and leaving a country in ruin and ripe for takeover by anti-American leadership, or staying in and losing more American lives.
Congress has no say in the abortion issue. This is a matter for the Supreme Court and the state legislatures.
As for the economic stimulus package, Congress is working on it and the economy is suffering because Congress won't stop meddling with it.
Posted By: Eric von Erich (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 01:53 PM
If Meehan is piss poor, then the whole site must be complete garbage.
I loved this week's reality checks. Rock on, Brother Meehan.
Posted By: Warrior (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 02:40 PM
By the way... this is wonderful:
http://www.wwe.com/inside/industrynews/6544892
Posted By: Christopher Warrior (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 03:18 PM
"Let's assume that Mayweather is making $20 million for Wrestlemania. That's the
equivalent of over 350000 buys @ $55 each. I'm sure (although I could be wrong)
that I heard that WWE gets approximately half of the revenue from ppv events. If
this is the case, then they would have to have an increase of approximately
700000 buys to break even on the Mayweather deal. This ain't gonna happen and
I'd guess that the $20 million must be a top end performance related figure
rather than a base payment. Whichever way you look at it, Mayweather is a
negotiating genius."
WrestleMania hits around the 900,000-1 million buy mark, so there shouldn't be a problem.
Posted By: LatinoMeat (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 03:19 PM
re guest#udontgetit sure the rock may be busy, but it doesn't take much time to hop on a plane and show up at a PPV. If you listen to Cena's comments, he said that all Rock needs to do is just show up and raise an eyebrow and the fans would go nuts. No one is asking him to wrestle, just for him to acknowledge where he started, especially if he claims to love it so much.
Posted By: noturbizniss (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 03:41 PM
Thanks for the tip, Christopher Warrior. PLEASE CHECK OUT THE NEWLY ADDED THINKS ON THAT TOPIC ABOVE!!!
- meehan
Posted By: John Meehan (Registered) on February 29, 2008 at 03:59 PM
1. The Great Khali fail everything in his life, fail in film, fail to speak
english which get him out of wwe soon. 2. Batista, he is on drug still which
make him look too big with muscle, don't get me wrong, he good wrestler but
drug is bad. 3. The Big Show is a joke, he fail to lost weight 200 pound, he
need to lost, he fail to jump, I mean everyone need jump in wwe but he can't
even jump just like the great khali, I feel sorry for some of those wrestler.
Feel sorry for Vince McMahon too, he misunderstand & fall in love of big
guy which will lose him become chairman of wwe, he better be serious and start
honest. Vince need kick out (release) to Batista, The Great Khali, John Cena,
Triple H, they all on drug and fail just like Chris Master.
4. I'm sick that Cena always girl's talk, it between WWE & The Rock business, Cena just jealious and try put his dick in wwe's mouth and have wwe set Cena vs The Rock, it won't work. Cena steal The Rock's lifestyle which make Cena think he's double the rock. Everyone love and like The Rock more than Cena. Cena will fired WWE soon bec he still on drug. 5. Big Show get lot of joke, he think he going to beat Mayweather, don't get me wrong, Mayweather win lot of fight, he will send Big Show in 2 hit, 1 hit, break his nose, if it other hand was hit again, it will more damage his nose which will cause him dizzy and will look most embarass for himself as 7 foot tall was in hospital while on live and news on everywhere. Big Show is cool guy but he's fat, can't even jump just like The Great Khali, I'm sure Big Show stronger than The Great Khali but Mayweather is much stronger than Big Show and than all wwe/former wwe too. You all gald that I'm explain? So now stop misunderstand and start listen and keep in mind what I'm trying to say make you understood clear, that why I'm smart and they called me smart bec I am and was high IQ. I'm comment because I don't want everyone in here as comment post are look fool when they post mistake on comment.
Posted By: Smarty (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 10:54 PM
will the big show/mayweather fight be real like Butterbean and Bart Gunn? Or do you think the Show will lay down for the little guy?
Posted By: dadster (Guest) on March 01, 2008 at 12:37 AM
do you think the Big Show fight will be real like the Butterbean/Bart Gunn? or will the Show laydown for the little guy? I wonder what Big Show is getting for that match?
Posted By: dadster (Guest) on March 01, 2008 at 12:40 AM
