Royal Rumble 2017 Discussion [Stats Edition]

[Briefcase]

How has Meltzer got away with leaking news for this long? Like its obvious he has sources/links within WWE but surprised he still has that insider knowledge without WWE trying to stop it or find the mole. 

[WeeAl]

My guess is that the creative team is too large to really do anything about it, and if they were able to close down his sources it probably wouldn't be worth it for the small amount of the overall viewership that reads the Observer.

[King Pitcos]

Now and again, they have little crackdowns. During the previous decade, I remember a story about how JBL and Eddie Guerrero or someone threatened the locker room that anyone talking to the sheets would get a good hiding.

 

In the before time though, Vince himself and JR were both big Meltzer informants.

[Lorne Malvo]

The leaks don't really affect WWE viewership one bit, either. The vast majority of Observer readers will still watch Mania even if Meltzer reports Reigns is beating Taker and Cena is winning all the belts. 

[Supremo]

I've mentioned it before, but I reckon Meltzer has more sources than ever. Look at the current roster. I'd hazard a guess that there's more people in that locker room who subscribed to Newsletters and traded tapes in their youth than at any time in WWE history.

[PunkStep]

Yeah, that's probably true. The current generation are more likely to be marks for the industry too. I bet some WWE contracted guys have even taken the Meltzer Driver before.

[Guest]

Watching the end of that aj vs cena match, got me thinking that in terms of work ethic, match quality, promo skills, keeping his nose clean away from ring, longevity, money made, its a really easy argurnent these days to argue cena as all Round best ever. Where most after getting big money have gotten bratty , he's working his arse off when he could easily be in the high paid part timer role that hunter, Shawn and taker have sat in for years. Instead he's in ring being super competitive and smashing it still.

[stumobir]

What's the benefit to anyone on WWE's books leaking stuff to Meltzer though? I mean obviously it happens but why do they do it? I can't imagine Dave has enough expendable cash to be paying them and even if he gives them an easy or favourable ride in the Observer is that really worth the risk of getting caught and the inevitable fallout out as a consequence?

[King Pitcos]

Watching the end of that aj vs cena match, got me thinking that in terms of work ethic, match quality, promo skills, keeping his nose clean away from ring, longevity, money made, its a really easy argurnent these days to argue cena as all Round best ever. Where most after getting big money have gotten bratty , he's working his arse off when he could easily be in the high paid part timer role that hunter, Shawn and taker have sat in for years. Instead he's in ring being super competitive and smashing it still.

He is pretty much in the Shawn Michael's role now where he comes and goes. He'll be gone for months again over the spring or summer, doing his first starring role in a proper film. He is an easy front runner for best ever, though. There aren't many (any?) who have a body of work that's comparable, and the environment doesn't seem to exist any more for someone else to ever overtake him.

[JNLister]

What's the benefit to anyone on WWE's books leaking stuff to Meltzer though? I mean obviously it happens but why do they do it? I can't imagine Dave has enough expendable cash to be paying them and even if he gives them an easy or favourable ride in the Observer is that really worth the risk of getting caught and the inevitable fallout out as a consequence?

 

Think of it the same way as leaks to newspapers about government policies.

 

Sometimes it's the government/WWE management themselves trying to see what feedback they'd get to an idea, knowing that if it's terrible they can ditch it and then pretend there was nothing to the story.

 

Sometimes it's a civil servant/politician/creative team member who thinks an idea is terrible and wants to get it out there either in the hope of it getting a bad reaction or spoiling a surprise, in the hope it gets ditched.

 

Sometimes it's a civil servant/politician/creative team member who has an idea that doesn't have much support internally but hopes that leaking it will lead to a good response that persuades the government/WWE to go for it.

 

Sometimes it's just an exchange of gossip, for example a wrestler talks to Meltzer now and again and lets him in on the rumours/plans he's heard and in return Meltzer passes on info that might help their career, eg how much they'd likely get offered in Japan/by TNA/by ROH so they are in a better position when they come to negotiate their WWE contract renewal.

[stumobir]

Good explanation, cheers Lister. I suppose I was looking at it from the naive position of them all being happy and obedient employees.

[Liam O'Rourke]

Just to drop this in here, the latest Squared Circle Gazette Radio is now online, as we review NXT TakeOver: San Antonio and the 2017 Royal Rumble! Breaking down all the matches, the crew takes your feedback on the big events, and discuss the road to WrestleMania 33. Looking at possible matches and likely directions, we evaluate how well the Royal Rumble set up the next two months of WWE programming, debating disappointment in the Rumble, the choice of Randy Orton as the winner, the utter brilliance of Goldberg and Brock Lesnar's interplay, the hilarious failures of Roman Reigns, BRAUN STROWMAN, Big Match John finally gets a round of applause, Undertaker looking a bit worse for wear, and a live reaction of John Cena's proposed Mania direction. A lot of fun this week, check it out and let us know what you think!

 

https://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/download/j9tget/SCG_Radio_111_-_NXT_Takeover_2017_Royal_Rumble_and_Beyond.mp3

[scotswizard]

The one problem with the dirtsheets is they mix the fake stuff in with the wrestling.

 

 

One minute it's poor Seth Rollins has hurt his knee.

 

 

The next someone's been on a radio show talking about the next PPV.

 

 

Next it's the RUMOURS about what Vince has planned for Wrestlemania.

 

 

Then so and so is going in for surgery.

 

 

 

It's like one half of the week it's fake wrestling and then the other half they try and treat it like a real sport and the thing is, the kind of people that sit and read dirstsheets will watch the shows regardless. Wrestling fans will watch ANYTHING with the word wrestling in the title of the show or the synopsis of the show. They will watch it. It's just so old hat now. No one cares. Look at Walking Dead, there is a spoiler forum that literally spoils the episodes days before they air and you never see those spoilers on entertainment sites or news sites or forums, why? Cause they have respect for the show. But wrestling seems to have this weird dirtsheet thing attached to it and people act like it's a big deal, like they're really getting an inside scoop. It's silly. No one cares about Seth Rollins' knee or who might be going into a fake Hall of Fame or who the Undertaker might be facing at Wrestlemania. There's a thing called real life and if you're over the age of 20 and this stuff is affecting your life then you need a long hard look in the mirror. Seth Rollins has a sore knee! Fat Samoa Joe who was good back in 2006 is in WWE! Who gives a crap. Imbeciles that's who. Imbeciles and morons that have no life.

[stumobir]

Isn't trolling a bannable offence? Scotswizard has been shitting up nearly every thread in on-topic with the same retreaded bollocks for months now, I can't be alone in wanting him booted.

[Jazzy G]

There's the same kind of stuff goes on with shows like that. I'm a member of a Doctor Who forum and there's just as much speculating on the direction of the show, leaks, spoiler discussions etc. Criticising the showrunner, the the characters, the episodes. The spoilers and such get stuck in the mainstream papers sometimes as well because they know they can sell copies off the back of it.