Official Raw thread

[Ewa PGH Fan]

Apparently Vince is demanding anyone who was released cannot wrestle elsewhere immediately. There must have been some severance pay given to them if he can force them to stay out for 6 months.

All WWE contracts have a non-compete clause in them but they are usually for 3 months and the wrestlers get paid for those months. Of course, if a wrestlers' contract has expired then there is no non-compete clause. That's why wrestlers who haven't resigned are pulled from TV a few months before their contract expires.

 

[Hitman Hart]

Meltzer on the brand split:

It is still largely secretive, if things have even been figured out past the top guys, regarding what will happen with WWE talent when they do the brand split in July.

The most likely reason that the move was made, was because the USA Network was not happy with the ratings of Smackdown. The hope was that Smackdown on USA would do close to the numbers of Raw, particularly when it opened strong at around 2.7 million viewers. The reality is that WWE was not using as much primary talent on Smackdown, nor were they doing the obvious, shooting angles for matches on Mondays that would lead to Thursday. For wrestling fans, Smackdown remained no more important, nor must.see, on USA as it had been in recent years on Syfy. What shocked everyone is that ratings had fallen below what they were a year ago, even with the move to a much stronger station. While ratings weren’t down from last year as much as Raw, the expectation was that a Thursday night prime time show on USA would do better.

Key to this is that, even though WWE will be adding expenses by going live, USA is not paying more for the increase in costs. It’s the first sign, while hidden from the public, that USA is concerned that the approximately $127 million they pay WWE this year for Raw and Smackdown is not delivering at the level they would like. Given that the key economic driver of the company is not the network but the television rights fees, in the long run, until economic conditions change greatly, ratings are still the most important barometer for the company, and they are consistently falling.

Looks like the WWE thought they could just use Smackdown as a filler show, and improve its ratings, just due to the move to the USA Network.

and the WWE has had the 90 day no compete clause for years.

 

[Duffman]

Please, USA is practically begging for more WWE content an this was the timeline

- They were a network who didn't even want to put wrestling on it's channel
- Then making WWE add a 3rd hour because it was better than anything else they had
- Then adding SD to SyFy because it was doing better ratings on the CW than a lot of SyFy original shows
- Then putting SD on USA itself because it wanted good ratings and it wasn't getting that with it's original Tuesday night shows
- Then putting wrestling on the 2 most important nights of the week because they're that desperate.

Don't think for a second that Vince is sweating when he's the one in the driver seat.

USA wanted SD live on Thursdays and Vince told them no it has to be Tuesday because of how they tour and USA agreed.

People love to talk about WWE's falling ratings and yet USA is one of the top tv channels because of WWE. Cable networks would kill for a show that does 3 million fans 52 weeks a year.

 

[Hitman Hart]

Smackdown's ratings on USA Network (so far, very short sample size) is very comparable to their ratings on SyFy, which has to come as a bit of a disappointment to both parties.

SMACKDOWN AUDIENCE ON SYFY RATINGS HISTORY | PWInsider.com

WWE Smackdown Viewership Drops

 

[wazzu31]

USA isn't exactly a giant anymore and they need just any content that people will watch regardless or they could be on the chopping block with the next go around of forcing networks into the more expensive packages that noone is really buying like expected.

 

[StanMarsh51]

All WWE contracts have a non-compete clause in them but they are usually for 3 months and the wrestlers get paid for those months. Of course, if a wrestlers' contract has expired then there is no non-compete clause. That's why wrestlers who haven't resigned are pulled from TV a few months before their contract expires.

Hornswoggle was on the SCSA podcast not too long ago and said that they can do indie shows and appearances, but can't be on TV/ppv during those 90 days.

 

[Duffman]

As long as they don't appear on tv they're fine and talents can also decline the no compete clause if they want to go somewhere right away.

Of course they would be forfeiting a bit of money because WWE pays them to stay away for 90 days and most guys take it to unwind and it's better money than they'd get anywhere else but they can decline it.

 

[Duffman]

Thursday’s WWE Smackdown averaged 2.169 million viewers for USA Network, according to Showbuzzdaily.com. The number was up slightly from the 2.112 million count from last week.

Smackdown was able to finish as the top show on cable in the 18-49 demographic.

Even with SD being barely above 2.1 million viewers USA was still the top network in the most important demographic. As long as USA is winning the ratings war they're happy.

 

[futballiscool]

 

[anotheridiot]

I have never once wondered what if Cena vs AJ. I thought what if Undertaker vs Sting, NWO vs DX, but no, never once thought AJ Styles was even in the conversation, it was more of who is that.

Company man Cena doing his job I guess, out of the title picture, into a vendetta..

 

[futballiscool]

I have never once wondered what if Cena vs AJ. I thought what if Undertaker vs Sting, NWO vs DX, but no, never once thought AJ Styles was even in the conversation, it was more of who is that.

Company man Cena doing his job I guess, out of the title picture, into a vendetta..

You're listing "dream matches" from when wrestling was a cultural force and at least twice as popular as it is now to detract from this one. Styles is by far the biggest name in wrestling of this era who wasn't a Vince creation and Cena is unquestionably the biggest name period. It's not NWO/DX but nothing in wrestling right now compares to that

As far as Cena being a "company man" I'd be shocked if he wasn't pushing for the feud. Styles might not fit your profile of a 300 lb wrestler but Cena wants to work with the best

 

[futballiscool]

Brock Lesnar close to finalizing deal to fight at UFC 200

 

[Duffman]

Brock Lesnar close to finalizing deal to fight at UFC 200

Kind of hard to do when he's under WWE contract.

 

[futballiscool]

Kind of hard to do when he's under WWE contract.

For what it's worth, the author of the article has over 300 K followers so it seems like a real journalist with sources.

I don't know the details of his contract and what it precludes. Plus Brock has broken contracts in the past.. working in New Japan for example

 

[OregonDucks]

Maybe I am naïve to what other shows ratings are, but I can not understand USA Network begging for more WWE content when WWE ratings are falling faster then a brick in water. Their top show, RAW brought in like a 2.1 rating last week. Smackdown always hangs around the 1.something mark...

Maybe these are good ratings in the grand scheme of things compared to other shows? I don't know? Just seems low to me because I remember the days wrestling was bringing in 4.0-5.0 ratings.

 

[OregonDucks]

For what it's worth, the author of the article has over 300 K followers so it seems like a real journalist with sources.

I don't know the details of his contract and what it precludes. Plus Brock has broken contracts in the past.. working in New Japan for example

Brock in UFC please.

His run in the WWE is over. Really no place left for him in the business. I cant think of any storylines right now where it would work to put Lesnar into.

 

[Duffman]

Maybe I am naïve to what other shows ratings are, but I can not understand USA Network begging for more WWE content when WWE ratings are falling faster then a brick in water. Their top show, RAW brought in like a 2.1 rating last week. Smackdown always hangs around the 1.something mark...

Maybe these are good ratings in the grand scheme of things compared to other shows? I don't know? Just seems low to me because I remember the days wrestling was bringing in 4.0-5.0 ratings.

Excluding network tv because no regular cable channel can compete with them Raw & SD are usually the #1 rated show in their timeslot across all of cable. Ratings across the board are down at every cable network because more and more people are switching to the internet and dumping cable.

So yes while Raw is longer getting a 4-5 range the fact that they are still #1 with a 2.1 means everyone is down and Raw is the best of that.

 

[futballiscool]

Brock in UFC please.

His run in the WWE is over. Really no place left for him in the business. I cant think of any storylines right now where it would work to put Lesnar into.

He's their biggest star and he's been placed on a pedestal to really push someone to the next level when he finally takes a clean pin. It's a huge loss if true but at this point nothing's confirmed. Maybe it's a one off and he's back to the WWE. Maybe it never materializes

 

[Duffman]

For what it's worth, the author of the article has over 300 K followers so it seems like a real journalist with sources.

I don't know the details of his contract and what it precludes. Plus Brock has broken contracts in the past.. working in New Japan for example

This is what Brock said before he signed his last new WWE deal;

He's not interested in UFC anymore, he can always change his mind but he feels that strongly against it I can't see it happening.

 

[futballiscool]

Maybe I am naïve to what other shows ratings are, but I can not understand USA Network begging for more WWE content when WWE ratings are falling faster then a brick in water. Their top show, RAW brought in like a 2.1 rating last week. Smackdown always hangs around the 1.something mark...

Maybe these are good ratings in the grand scheme of things compared to other shows? I don't know? Just seems low to me because I remember the days wrestling was bringing in 4.0-5.0 ratings.

At it's peak both Nitro and RAW were on simultaneously and both drawing that number individually. Once WWE started beating them badly they went higher than that