The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania 31 [NSFW]

[Chocolate Jim]

strawberry float Kash is stiff as strawberry float

[KK]

10pm until 2am, are Challenge doing this on purpose!

Edit: Worst PPV intro package in a long time!

As it's so long because of all the adverts they could really do with starting the programme at 9.

To their credit they never interrupt the matches with commercials though.

[Jam-Master Jay]

Always been the way with TNA. Crowd seem quiet I think due to the audio setup. They definitely get more involved in the matches than the average WWE crowd, mind.

[KK]

I don't know what it is with the IMPACT ZONE and PPV, as during IMPACT WRESTLING every week they're incredibly lively. But then it used to true of the WWF & WCW at times too - the crowds were considerably less rowdy than they were for weekly TV.

Suppose it's similar now in regards to the WWE crowds on PPV, what with them being more hardcore and 'in the know' with their chanting & who they cheer for and what have you.

[captain red dog]

In some ways the crowd at this PPV reminds me of the World of Sport wrestling crowds.

Some great talent here in the X Division though. Shame we won't see most of them again though. Also really loving JB on commentary. Lush shout out to World of Sport just after I typed it.

[Chocolate Jim]

Bit over complicated with all this qualifying stuff so far but solid matches nonetheless

[Chocolate Jim]

King kenny is good fun

[Jam-Master Jay]

Dutt.

[KK]

This explains why WWE are going so heavy on 'Tout' all of a sudden...

WWE (Yep, Wrestling) Invests In Video Messaging Startup Tout’s $13.4 Million Series B

Tout, the service that lets you post real-time status updates, and another spin-out from SRI, the research institute that birthed Apple’s Siri, is announcing today that it has closed $13.4 million in Series B funding. The investor line-up in this one is interesting, as it includes WWE – yes, that’s “World Wrestling Entertainment!” Others in the round included 819 Capital and individual investors Gordon Crawford, Stan Shuman and Jack Schneider from Allen & Co. The round follows Tout’s $2 million Series A in December 2010, which saw investment from Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Horizons Ventures, and Seavest Ventures.

The company has seen its fair share of high-profile users, including Shaquille O’Neal (who announced his retirement on Tout) and Survivor host Jeff Probst, for example, as well as Ryan Seacrest, Erin Andrews, Dr. Oz, and a number of news stations and major media networks including CBS, National Geographic Channel, CNBC’s “Fast Money,” C-SPAN, ESPN and even presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Tout, for those unfamiliar, allows you to post video messages of up to 15 seconds. People who follow you and see the message can then reply with their own 15-second videos. Twitter-for-video and other video messaging startups (e.g. Seesmic, Vlix) haven’t really caught on (unless you count YouTube, and perhaps you should), but Tout believes that its inroads with the celeb/media crowd will be to its advantage. Apparently, WWE agrees.

The company says it now has 23 million users. In March, the company said it had 12 million users visiting its website, so it’s unclear if Tout is counting unique visitors or those with registered accounts here. (We’ll update when we hear back UPDATE: Here’s what Tout says: “In March we had experienced 12MM total visitors to our application (web and mobile) since launch. That number now is well above 23MM total visitors who have ever come to our application (mobile & web) since launch. It’s not a monthly number, its cumulative since launch – i.e. total visits since launch”). That’s kind of a big deal – after all, celebs can easily get fans to click through, but how many users then stick around to participate themselves?

But even if they don’t, maybe that’s OK with Tout, it seems. In an earlier interview, CEO Michael Downing told TechCrunch that the company’s vision was not to be “a destination social network,” but wants to enable video messaging for everyone else. The company was then testing an API and teasing “some major partners” in the works. I guess we have some insight into WWE’s interest, then. By the way, if you’re interested in sending your messages to WWE’s “superstars and divas” – and c’mon, you know you are, right? – the company is prompting Tout on its homepage here. Hold my calls.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/11/wwe-ye ... -series-b/

All this Twitter integration has already been mildly irritating on RAW (especially when they went really overboard with it right at the start), so I can imagine the RAWactive initiative that commences on the 1000th episode being close to unbearable.

[Mafro]

Surely it must be completely impossible to protect yourself at all to stomps off the top rope like Sonjay Dutt's finisher?

[captain red dog]

Surely it must be completely impossible to protect yourself at all to stomps off the top rope like Sonjay Dutt's finisher?

I'm wondering that too. It is an awesome finisher but I don't see how it can't be massively painful and damaging. If he hits it wrong you are looking at broken ribs at least.

[Ginga]

Old people and technology.

[Chocolate Jim]

This is a bit like watching prelims

[captain red dog]

This is going to be tough to stay awake. Enjoying it as it seems massively different to all the other PPVs on the calendar, but 2am is too late for my tired eyes. Plus I'm climbing Snowdon early tomorrow.

[Superking]

Borash is so much better on commentary than Tazz

[Jam-Master Jay]

Quite like that finish. Both men look strong, and it could be a good reason for a future grudge match or feud.

Good to see Joe looking strong again.

[KK]

WWE RAW Ratings Breakdown 9th July 2012

Show did a 3.2 rating.

Quarter 2: Lost 74,000 viewers (continuation of the AJ/CM Punk/Daniel Bryan opening marriage proposals; Sheamus squashing Jack Swagger)
Q3: Lost 416,000 viewers (Christian & Tyson Kidd vs. Ratings Disaster & Dolph Ziggler; Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler match announcement)
Q4: Gained 102,000 viewers (Brodus Clay vs. Drew McIntyre; Stephanie McMahon discussing her marriage vow renewal)
Q5: Gained 280,000 viewers (John Cena & Kane vs. Big Show & Chris Jericho)
Q6: Lost 214,000 (continuation of John Cena & Kane vs. Big Show & Chris Jericho)
Q7: Lost 21,000 viewers (Heath Slater vs. Sin Cara; return of Bob Backlund)
Q8: Lost 21,000 viewers (Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole; reveal of Hornswoggle as Anonymous General Manager)
Over-run: Gained 711,000 viewers (conclusion of Eve and Bryan vs. AJ and CM Punk)

IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE! Ratings Breakdown 5th July 2012

Show did a 1.0 rating

Quarter 2: Lost 30,000 viewers (Devon vs. Crimson; Madison Rayne kissing Earl Hebner; Chris Sabin promo)
Q3: Gained 120,000 viewers (Bobby Roode attacking Sabin; Dakota Darsow vs. Flip Casanova)
Q4: Lost 106,000 homosexual viewers (Madison Rayne & Gail Kim vs. Tara & Miss Tessmacher)
Q5: Gained 151,000 viewers (A.J. Styles promo; Kenny King vs. Lars)
Q6: - (Austin Aries training video)
Q7: Gained 91,000 viewers (James Storm vs. Jeff Hardy)
Q8: Gained 136,000 viewers (Hulk Hogan, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries in-ring confrontation) to close on a 1.15 rating.

What the RAW quarters seem to indicate is attempting to drag out segments & matches (which I'm sure we'll see more of when they need to fill 3 hours) doesn't work.

[Dante]

oh look, surprsied to see Sheamus losing viewrs.... Again.

[Something Fishy]

He's got nothing going for him.

sad that Vinnies company still elevates you if you have the right mates.

Rubbish now.

[Bindal]

It was a gooseberry fool Raw, pretty much everyone lost viewers apart from Cena and Funkasaurus. Q2 lost comparatively few viewers and probably has as much to do with the 15 minutes of talking than it has to do with Sheamus' <5 minute squash match (which I imagine a lot of people didn't even see).