Jump to content

Minor news items that don't deserve a thread


Richie Freebird

Recommended Posts

  • Paid Members
2 hours ago, theringmaster said:

 

The origins of Pro Wrestling training is essentially Judo, the things you learn in the first few lessons are all based on traditional Judo teachings.

 

Sad thing is I bet the majority of people teaching this at Schools don't actually know this..

Sorry, but I'm having trouble agreeing with that assertion. I'm sure some schools came about through judo, but British catch wrestling is just as old, if not older, and I don't imagine that the basis of pro-wrestling in Britain traditionally stems from that in the larger part. The Americans had hook/shoot wrestling, as well.

I'm not disputing that some styles and techniques of pro-wrestling stem from judo, but not exclusively; when you look at the differences in some of the basics you learn, such as the difference between a British back bump and an American one, it doesn't seem to be that simple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

Yes, but Brock was a former WWE champion and very well known to WWE audiences as a monster. Rousey isn't.  Maybe my Asuka glasses are steamed up but I'd rather the badass be a WWE star.

But how valuable is the currency of ‘real life badass aura’ to WWE audiences anyway? They’re busy tugging themselves tired to Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor et al

Surely the only reason you bring in a Ronda is to expand your reach beyond that of wrestling perverts? They aren’t going anywhere. Even Brock, his WWE past probably didn’t hurt, but they brought him back with the intention of reaching out to lapsed fans and non-fans, surely?

If you make Asuka the badass in the run up to Wrestlemania, that’s great in the long run as concerns the long term feasibility of the division, but it isn’t going to drive any extra eyes to the product in the critical Mania season. And when the amount of available big name, short spike stars is at its lowest ever, Ronda seems like the best possible option. For me anyway.

If she ends up going down for Asuka (stop it) at Mania, which she should, then that’s perfect and probably does more for Asuka and the division in the long run, anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

Indeed. The thing with Rousey is she legit crossed over to the mainstream and brought new fans to the MMA, in a way McGregor hasn't with a certain audience (young women). Whether they're still there, after her last two results and vanishing act, we'll see, but you're bringing in Rousey to cast a wider net, get some mainstream attention (which she'll probably get), and in the hope her fans stick around to watch the likes of Asuka etc on Raw and the Network.

A year ago this was probably a sure thing, in terms of doing the business, but we'll have to wait and see the value of Rousey, these days.

Edited by ColinBollocks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I totally agree with you, chaps, I just think Rousey's stock has dropped drastically since her Mania appearance.  But you're right, who else is there to bring new eyes on to the product, specifically the women division.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It’s hard to say with Ronda as she went dark almost immediately after the second loss.

My suspicion is that her stock has dropped with the hyper-casual audience, but her more loyal fans are probably still there; she became something more than a killer in the end, and became a sort of feminist torch carrier.

As a boring marketeer, what interests me is the Venn diagram that creates and what size is the audience that will follow her to the WWE. It seems to me that the casual, ‘swept up in the moment’ fans are both the most likely to follow her to the WWE and the most likely to have deserted her since her UFC run. Her, to now, more loyal fans seem the most likely to have stuck with her (or at least be likely to give her the benefit of the doubt) but also the least likely to want to watch the still hyper-masculine, non-progressive WWE product.

As much as I fully agree with the decision to bring her in, I have worries. Not necessarily that she doesn’t have a significant pull anymore, but that the audience that has stayed engaged might not be willing to make the jump with her. It’s fascinating, really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

and became a sort of feminist torch carrier

She became a male idea of a feminist torch carrier, real ones tend not to cosy up to convicted rapists.  Thanks for your posts though, it certainly gives me a perspective that I hadn't previously thought of.  It certainly is interesting!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

She became a male idea of a feminist torch carrier, real ones tend not to cosy up to convicted rapists.  Thanks for your posts though, it certainly gives me a perspective that I hadn't previously thought of.  It certainly is interesting!

Ignore me, I just slandered a Hawaiian fighter.

*edit* Tyson is problematic in that he’s entwined himself in the fight world, and seems to have convinced enough people that his conviction is toss. I do agree. But I’m also not sure how much of that will have got through to her audience who will have switched on around fight week.

She might have been a ‘male idea of a feminist torch carrier’, but her audience was mainly women. Young women, too, which is a really tough demographic for fight sports to catch (including WWE).

Edited by d-d-d-dAz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have visions of her being unable to control her instincts. I don’t think she’ll crack someone, but I reckon she’ll go for a judo hip toss and just as the other person goes to bump, she’ll pop her hip into it properly and they’ll land on the moon or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

but I reckon she’ll go for a judo hip toss and just as the other person goes to bump, she’ll pop her hip into it properly and they’ll land on the moon or something.

Please be Steph, please be Steph.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Copy and pasted from another forum.

Per Brad Shepard on today’s Backstage in WWE podcast (time stamp 29:43), WrestleMania 35 will be at MetLife Stadium “barring an unexpected change.” He says he was told last year and tweeted the scoop in November.

For perspective, Shepard was 100% accurate with his XFL scoop last month.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...