hallicks Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 What drives PPV buys? Star power, good storylines? What if you have one and not the other? Bryan does not have the star power, so he needs a good storyline that presents him as a credible challenger for the title, or with a compelling personal issue with his opponent. Since the start of the program with Cena, he has never been presented as a credible threat to his opponents. It's been rammed down our throats, over and over again that's he's a bit rubbish. "Buy this PPV! One of the main-eventers is well shit!" Swing and a miss indeed, Vince. Â Maybe the moral of the story is, don't put an indie darling in the main event of 4 consecutive PPV's and bury him to fuck at each stage along the way and expect good results. All it takes is one good promo/angle to get people buying the shows again, if this year's MITB is a good indicator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vamp Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Half of that argument isn't valid though. The disappointing SummerSlam buyrate that Vince was commenting on happened before the four consecutive ppvs. Â Not that the build up to SummerSlam is innocent in that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callum1993 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I'd say Kane vs Shane in the Ambulance Match was a classic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patiirc Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Kane vs Benoit at Badd Blood 2004, was a great match andhere it is . Aside from that vs Jericho at Armageddon 2000 was pretty good and maybe the 2001 Rumble as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members bAzTNM#1 Posted November 1, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted November 1, 2013 Kane & Albert had some better than expected battles for the IC belt in 2001. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Pitcos Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 John Cena's black again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Paul's Bin Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Kane Vs Raven Vs Big Show springs to mind from WrestleMania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members PunkStep Posted November 1, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted November 1, 2013 Oh, very good shout. Totally forgot about that one, that was loads of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Fatty Facesitter Posted November 1, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted November 1, 2013 (edited) I like Kane, don't get me wrong, but most of those choices are really clutching at straws and further proof that he hasn't really had much in the way of classic matches. Favorites, absolutely. Classics, nay. Â But then he needn't have, for the character and it's many messed up storylines have made him a classic personality all the same. He should be commended actually, because he doesn't seem to have really slowed down since the day he started. If anything the pace of his matches has actually quickened over time. He still does the flying clothesline off the top and he still puts some good bite into his power moves. Â Also, in spite of how long he's been around, he's been consistently active save for one or two spells out with injury. He's wrestled most weeks on Raw, Smackdown and house shows for the better part of over 15 years now without really slowing down. Edited November 1, 2013 by Fatty Facesitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphinx Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 (edited) I really liked Austin and Triple H vs. Taker and Kane at Backlash '01. It's not iconic and for most isn't likely to be a classic, but I hold it in high regard nonetheless. Edited November 1, 2013 by Sphinx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted November 1, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted November 1, 2013 Kane & Albert had some better than expected battles for the IC belt in 2001. Â I remember Kane doing a hurricanrana in one of them which was awesome. Kane/X-Pac vs Big Show/Undertaker at Summerslam 99 was good. In fact when Kane got in great shape in early 99 he was having good matches most weeks. I have a soft spot for his Hell In A Cell with Mankind in 98. He also had a great match with CM Punk on ECW I think. Â His Wrestlemania 14 match is his best though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted November 1, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted November 1, 2013 (edited) Just thinking to myself, they had Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, commentating on the Hulk Hogan vs King King Bundy cage match at WrestleMania II. Imagine the uproar if they did that now? The biggest match of the year up until that point (I'd say Orndorff/Hogan was bigger) and they had a comedy horror host with a massive pair of norks handling the announcing with Jesse and Lord Alfred. People used to get on their case over the guest hosts. This show had celebrities up your arse. You couldnt move for them. Â Not complaining, because I love Elvira. She's still gorgeous to this day (in gimmick of course. Out of character she looks like a pork scratching). I'm just thinking of the idea of it all. They wouldn't even have JR doing commentary for the HBK retirement match, but they had Elvira do the Hogan vs Bundy bout. I wonder how much she costs? If I ran a promotion, I'd have brought her in for a Halloween themed show. TNA should have. Edited November 1, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members garynysmon Posted November 1, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted November 1, 2013 As a non regular WWE viewer these days, I tend to dip in now and again when I read about something interesting, and watched the RAW replay accordingly to see the Shawn Michaels segment more than anything. I've read a lot that WWE have fucked up Daniel Bryan's push recently, but all I could think about while watching the segment was how such a weird looking bloke had made it so far up the card in the first place? I can't imagine Vince McMahon allowing a small-ish bloke that looks like a hobo anywhere near the title picture back in the day. He needs a shave, that beard is ridiculous now. It's a testament to his popularity though that the crowd were booing HBK, and you can't even say that the audience were kids as most of the WWE's audience are around my age and should remember his whole career really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakashi Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I guess Bryan is one of those characters that fans will go crazy for in the buildings but it never actually translates to money. I guess punk is similar as he seemed to have a negative effect on ratings and PPVs but at least he shifted a shit load of t shirts and basketballs. Â He's a great wrestler that seems to have a lot of the necessary tools to succeed but i just don't think he will make it as the guy or any sort of difference maker. I don't really believe the ratings or PPVs would have been much different if Bryan was replaced with Kofi or Kane. And let's be honest, he looks like total shit. There's being 'unique' and then there's looking like a Russian rent boy thats had too many bad nights living in a cardboard box. Â With all that being said, Cena aside, no one could succeed with the shitty booking and treatment Bryan has had since Summerslam. Truly astounding. As much as i like Big Show as a character, main event matches vs Orton or Haytches are not something Im looking forward to at all. Main event scene looks bleak. Can't believe I'm saying this after seeing it 3000 times already, but bring back Cena/Orton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Butternut Squash Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 (edited) Punk and Bryan have never translated to money but then again WWE has never pushed either guy to the top and protected and presented them like top guys. Edited November 2, 2013 by Mr Butternut Squash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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