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Post by Sir Chris Cairns on Apr 14, 2011 9:01:53 GMT -6
Is he bartending there? I can just imagine some businessman out of shot after the shoot ends saying, in a weedy voice, 'All I wanted was a beer.'
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Post by Sir Chris Cairns on Apr 14, 2011 9:07:35 GMT -6
Having said that, I think I'd rather be a failed midcarder who now earns an honest living as a bartender with anger issues... than know my girlfriend cheated on me with Mike Knox.
Even Val Venis > Morrison.
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Post by Rico on Apr 14, 2011 11:50:12 GMT -6
LOL so true....
This may be a dumb question, but what the hell is a T-dot Girl?
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Post by Head Booker on Apr 14, 2011 15:19:29 GMT -6
I wondered that as well...
Tate
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Post by Icon Lord Leon Corbin on Apr 14, 2011 15:35:14 GMT -6
I am guessing the T is for Toronto lol...
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Post by Head Booker on Apr 14, 2011 16:00:28 GMT -6
As part of WWE’s recent “rebranding” effort (dropping “World Wrestling Entertainment” as the official company name, banning the word “wrestling”) – a document that was distributed internally has leaked out titled “The Language of WWE.” According to the Figure 4 Wrestling Newsletter, he document was sent to employees who do international voice-overs for WWE programming outside of the United States.
The sheet includes a list of words and phrases that have now been deemed “Incorrect Terminology” – along with what they consider the “Correct Terminology” to be used on their televised shows. From “The Language of WWE” -
“World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a publicly traded entertainment company (NYSE: WWE) that creates and delivers a weekly action soap opera to its passionate fans.
WWE has been a recognized leader in entertainment for more than 25 years and has developed into one of the most popular and sophisticated forms of global entertainment today.
As a global entertainment brand, the language that we use when communicating on WWE is critical.
Please ensure that you are familiar and employing the below, effective immediately. “
Here are some of the terms that are banned and the alternatives that WWE wants used:
* “Wrestling” or “catch” is banned. Some European countries still use the term “catch” to describe pro wrestling and “catchers” to describe wrestlers.
* The following phrases are incorrect: “Wrestling is broadcast in 145 countries,” or “Catch is broadcast in 145 countries.” The correct terminology is: “WWE is broadcast in 145 countries.”
* Even the word “Sports” is no longer allowed. Instead, WWE is to be referred to as “Entertainment” or an “Action Soap Opera.” Seriously.
WWE gives these examples: “WWE is exciting entertainment” or “WWE is an exciting action soap opera”
* “Athletes” or “Sportsmen” are not allowed either. WWE gives the following example to use: “WWE Superstars are entertainers with tremendous athletic prowess.”
* The terms “fight” and “fighting” are not allowed. Matches must be referred to as “matches,” “bouts,” and “action.”
“The Language of WWE” concludes with the following “Key Soundbytes” to be used:
* “WWE is pure entertainment”
* “WWE is an action soap opera”
* “WWE Superstars are entertainers with tremendous athletic prowess”
~~
- WWE's All Stars video game is selling at a faster rate than projected by THQ, based on sales of the last "B" game - Legends of WrestleMania that came out two years ago.
- WWE introducing Awesome Kong through vignettes is part of Triple H's philosophy of wanting to build fans' anticipation for new characters, as opposed to just having them show up on TV.
As noted before, Triple H is taking over the developmental process of the company and it's expected his changes will begin within a week or two.
Among the changes is the fact that he will take charge sooner than later of who is brought up to the main roster and not bringing guys up before they are ready.
~~
--There was a lot of post-WrestleMania finger-pointing for all of the problems with the show. The general belief among what appears to be the majority in the company was that it was a great spectacle live, but from a booking standpoint and wrestling standpoint, aside from HHH vs. Undertaker, the show was not close to WrestleMania level. The two matches that took the most criticism were Cena vs. Miz and Lawler vs. Cole. In Cena vs. Miz, although they had a bad match, the problem was more how it was laid out to begin with, between the flat double count out finish, and then coming back and going immediately into the finish. Then Cena wasn’t even acting like he was upset by it the next day. The Rock-Cena dynamic that wound up, instead of creating a repeat of the 2002 Hogan vs. Rock moment, ended up with Rock actually getting booed for putting over Cena. Cena was both kind of criticized but more sympathized with on what happened. The feeling among several who have been in the position was that Cena should have been able to figure out that his Mania creative was crap and had it changed, noting that the top guys in almost every era would have. Cena apparently did complain to others about it, but didn’t ask for it to be changed. The feeling was that Cena, the guy who had to carry the company as the top face, came out of everything both unpopular and also secondary, and that the title also came off as secondary since the match and finish hurt both Cena and Miz. Still, it wasn’t the finish that did that, but the whole issue of the public not buying Miz at that level and lack of emphasis on the title. The title was in no way shape or form part of the draw in the match, which the only thing people cared about was what Rock would do to Cena and/or Miz at the end. There was also the feeling that Rock screwed Cena, and then instead of Cena looking for revenge, he got nothing back other than the handshake and endorsement that the public rejected. And now he has to carry the company again.
--Dean Malenko also got a great deal of heat because he was the agent who laid out Lawler vs. Cole with the long heat spot on Lawler which ended up killing the match. But the issue is timing. Whoever timed out the show and booked that match to go 14:00 was the problem. For the match going that long, there had to be a longer heat spot or else you just have Vince vs. Bret Hart, which was even worse. Both years because they promoted the match so heavily, matches that should have been kept short were given way too much time given the limitations physically of the people in the match.
--Jim Ross, as noted last week, was called at about 6 p.m., or three hours before Raw started, to come to the Phillips Arena. He wrote that he had purchased an expensive new suit. As Vince likes to do, he had Michael Cole spray barbecue sauce all over the suit. Ross did write that the suit was ruined. Vince has on more than one occasion done that. He had wrestlers brawl on and ruin Howard Finkel’s car years ago that Finkel had just bought. Most likely after getting his jollies, the company will pay Ross back for his suit.
--Awesome Kong is debuting shortly. On Raw, they had a video previewing her arrival knocking the head off a Barbie doll looking model I guess symbolizing that’s her goal beating up all the pretty girls. It’s expected she’ll have a new name. The introduction of Kong through vignettes is part of the HHH philosophy of wanting to build fans anticipation for new characters rather than having them just show up. He’s taking charge of the developmental program and it’s expected whatever his new changes are will be done imminently, as in changes starting within a week or two. Among the changes are that he’s going to taking charge sooner than later of who is brought up, not bringing guys up before they are ready (Mason Ryan) and how they are introduced.
--There are major changes in store for the company. We’ll have more on this next week, but Vince McMahon is attempting to change the company from a wrestling company, or sports entertainment company, to an entertainment company that goes beyond the scope of wrestling. To do so, in what may be his final act, he said he is going to go on a spending spree and buy entertainment properties. He noted that he was going into debt financing to make these purchases. WWE has never tried to use debt leverage, which is how the UFC is financed. This greatly changes the future of the company. WWE may have been in a position where the growth may be limited in the future because of the lack of finding that next Rock or Steve Austin, but its future for a number of years was very secure due to cash on hand and running a business with so many revenue streams that it has remained strongly profitable even at times when stuffing instead of potatoes didn’t fully connect. But instead of going with a pat fairly stable hand, Vince is going to gamble and go into non-wrestling related businesses. His track record in those businesses is not good, but perhaps he feels he’s learned. Among the things he’s talked about is outsourcing the company’s production team, and doing the television station which had been known. The one immediate thing going into debt for purchases and spending the large amount of cash on hand will force the company to drop its huge dividend. That will in turn drop the stock price, which was propped up by the strong dividend. The stock fell to $11.61 at press time after McMahon made the announcement last week. The dividend has not been sustainable over the long haul because the quarterly profits had been less than the dividend in virtually every quarter, but because the company had so much cash on hand, largely stemming from initially going public, they were able to do what many considered a gimmicked dividend.
credit: The Observer
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Post by Head Booker on Apr 14, 2011 16:06:00 GMT -6
Monday Night Mayhem with Bill DeMott
Hosts: The Big Mosh and "The Chairman of the Board" Todd Vincent
Report by Paterson from N.J.
Airs every Monday at 6:00 P.M. (CT)
Show available at MondayNightMayhem.com.
Why he made the decision to return to the WWE as a trainer for Tough Enough: "It's very simple. I was sitting home, and my phone rang. I looked at the area code. It was 203, and I said 'Damn what did I do now?' Anytime I see those three numbers for Connecticut, the first thing I think is 'What did I do?' It was John Gaburick, my friend for years and who ran the Tough Enough's in years past. Before he could get the sentence out of his mouth, I said I was in. He didn't have to explain anything, or after the hereafters, and who was apart of it. Before I knew it was 'Stone Cold' (Steve Austin), Trish (Stratus), and Booker (T) I was in, because I take great pride in associating myself with the Tough Enough brand."
How the Tough Enough contestants took to WrestleMania weekend and the overall experience of WrestleMania XXVII: "I don't think they got it, and there's a part of me that says they did not deserve to be there. I don't mean it disrespectfully. I understand Raw and premiere the kids there, but WrestleMania? You have to earn that spot. There's cats on the roster that weren't at WrestleMania, so I don't think they understood it. I just thought they were like 'Wow, we're at WrestleMania, and there's cameras ollowing us, and we're it right now.' I guess that's my crossover with Reality TV right now. I'm always going to protect the business."
How many of the Tough Enough contestants (besides the winner) he believes have the potential to perform in the WWE: "If I gave my honest opinion, which I pretty much do 99 percent of the time, there might be three that have potential to go to the farm system. The finale will be live, so everybody will see who the two or three are. I think for reality TV, a lot of people are picking their favorite talent and putting their money on them. I think every week someone is going to be shocked at what happens."
Whether or not there have been discussions of a return to the ring or the announcer's table after the season finale of WWE Tough Enough airs: "There's been some very interesting conversations since returning from L.A. and shooting the first nine weeks of the series. I think people are going to be very surprised if they see me back in anything other than Tough Enough. I like Tough Enough to be my baby and be there as long as they'll have me, and I feel like even after the training stuff is done in producing and bringing the show further and further. But I think people are going to be surprised at my role, whether it be a new role or an old role with WWE. I have to say, don't cash me out of making an in-ring appearance or two."
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Post by Icon Lord Leon Corbin on Apr 16, 2011 13:58:27 GMT -6
WWE may want to change the name of Wrestlemania...
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Post by Sir Chris Cairns on Apr 16, 2011 14:27:28 GMT -6
Action Soap OperaMania has a nice ring to it.
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Post by Rico on Apr 17, 2011 19:04:03 GMT -6
I'm glad to see they are going with the Old School way of shooting vignettes to get the fans excited about a new talent, but I think in the most of the cases where they did that for a debuting character, it didn't work out to well, well in the 90's especially, i can't remember any character where they shot vignettes of them, and then they actually became a star.
Bob Holly is the only one i can remember that stuck around for quite a bit. Jericho doesn't count because it was only a ticking down clock.
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Post by Icon Lord Sean "Magic" Fiery on Apr 17, 2011 19:17:05 GMT -6
Alberto Del Rio? Also, didn't Edge have some?
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Post by Head Booker on Apr 17, 2011 19:25:52 GMT -6
Kofi comes to mind...
Tate
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Post by Icon Lord Leon Corbin on Apr 17, 2011 19:32:50 GMT -6
Carlito as well.
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Post by Sir Chris Cairns on Apr 18, 2011 6:16:03 GMT -6
Goldust got a lot of cool vignettes in 1995 prior to his début.
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Post by Rico on Apr 18, 2011 16:07:20 GMT -6
Kofi was in 2007, I was meaning more along the Attitude Era, and I did forget that Edge had some. Goldust was a great character until they turned him Face, then it went to hell, and that stupid turrets gimmick ugh...
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