The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania 31 [NSFW]

[KK]

Trash TV

I wish it still was Trash TV! I'll take Raw is War modelled after the Jerry Springer Show over WWE RAW: American Idol.

"You made something exciting sound boring" - I bet that was Vince McMahon into Lawler's headset telling him to berate Cole.

[KK]

That match with Morrison & Sheamus was good fun - had an old school flavour to it. Not something you see very often any more in the WWE.

Steve Austin Chris Jericho is holding the WWE, USA Network, Sky hostage! (now there was a great segment back in the day).

[Jam-Master Jay]

strawberry float this!

I just wanted to see Regal dressed as Goldust, but this is taking the piss.

[Balloon Sod]

Has anyone been chosen as the sixth person for that PPV main event yet?

I can't remember exactly, it's either Jericho or Prototype. Not 100%, though.

[KK]

Michael Cole is still reading the strawberry floating keyboard. Is no-one in the WWE capable of, you know, actually emailing the computer? It's really sloppy attention to detail (or lack thereof).

[KK]

That match made the Hart Dynasty look as dumb as strawberry float.

[Skippy]

If John Morrison doing pulls up, landing on one knee and turning around isn't a GIF in 45 minutes, we riot.

This.

[Beans]

I think the writers saw that GRcade decided WWE is gayer than Glee and decided to become more like it.

Less gay you mean?

[KK]

I haven't seen that many run-ins in a main event since...TNA.

I thought it was absolutely hilarious how every single person who interfered was made to look completely useless. The Word's Most Incompetent Run-ins - Volume 2™.

In more TNA mimicry, they're changing main event matches so late the commercials they're running for the PPV are wrong. This elimination stipulation has come out of nowhere.

You had Chris Jericho (heel) against Hart Dynasty (faces) in a handicap match - nothing like making the heel the underdog, eh RUSSO?! This then descended into a farce as well when Smith left his partner in there like a goof. Was the door or a pinfall not an option? Yes...yes, it was.

You had roulette wheels inexplicably speeding up, Michael Cole still reading from a piece of paper...this was like a TNA iMPACT! show. Same gooseberry fool but at a slower pace. And just like a TNA show, lost in the quagmire was a great match.

[Psychic]

http://www.silvervision.co.uk/products/ ... Discs.html

£8.99 tommorow. Posting this today because I'd probably forget otherwise.

[KK]

http://www.silvervision.co.uk/products/WrestleMania-17-DVD-2-Discs.html

£8.99 tommorow. Posting this today because I'd probably forget otherwise.

Without question worth it for anybody that doesn't have it. Arguably the best WrestleMania ever.

BTW, today's free Wrestling Observer radio is up recapping a hopeless edition of Raw:

http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/17525/

I'll listen to it later.

[Prototype]

JMJ

[Jam-Master Jay]

JMJ

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4KDBFYRJ

[Prototype]

JMJ

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4KDBFYRJ

This is why I vote you forumite of the year.

I post in need of a wrestling link, 2 minutes later it's there.

[Jam-Master Jay]

First time I'll be voted for anything.

[A J Styles]

http://www.silvervision.co.uk/products/WrestleMania-17-DVD-2-Discs.

Without question worth it for anybody that doesn't have it. Arguably the best Wrestling event ever

Fixed

[Lonestar]

Very bad news for WWE.

WWE confirmed to Connecticut investigative reporter Brian Lockhart today that the company is being investigated for its classification of talent and workers as independent contractors.

The audit by the Connecticut Department of Labor includes a review of WWE, which is based in Stamford, Conn., classifying wrestlers and behind-the-scenes TV production workers as independent contractors rather than employees.

The timing is part of the story. The audit comes on the heels of U.S. president Barack Obama stating earlier this year that one of his key issues would be cracking down on businesses mis-classifying workers as independent contractors. Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon's opponent in the U.S. Senate race, Richard Blumenthal, has also echoed Obama's plans.

Last week, the issue of independent contractor vs. employee classification came to the forefront when a Yale law professor addressed the issue in-depth during a Democratic-sponsored conference call. He called the classification of WWE wrestlers as independent contractors "immoral" and stated he does not believe it would hold up in a court of law.

WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman responded to the investigation today, attempting to make it a political issue due to the timing of McMahon competing against Blumenthal in the U.S. Senate race.

“WWE has always complied with the law. Up until this election, WWE has not been fined nor investigated in the past for independent contractor classification. However, curiously the state of Connecticut is currently conducting an audit of WWE’s classification of independent contractors. WWE constantly reviews its internal practices and procedures to comply with ever-changing employee laws.”

Zimmerman added: “The average WWE performer earns more than $550,000 annually, while only wrestling less than three days per week. WWE covers 100 percent of all costs associated with any in-ring related injuries and rehabilitation.”

Caldwell's Analysis: This has potential to be a big game-changer, depending on what the audit committee finds, discovers, concludes, etc. We don't know the behind-the-scenes timing of when the Dept. of Labor decided to investigate, but I believe the reason why it's suddenly come to the forefront is because of Linda McMahon's campaign. It's the law of unintended consequences where McMahon's Senate run has brought a lot of wrestler health & treatment issues to the forefront as reporters have examined her professional record and business practices, which is essentially her only qualification to run for Senator.

As for WWE's statement, how much WWE talent earns has absolutely nothing to do with independent contractor vs. employee classification. The top 10 percent in WWE are making over $1.0 million to raise that annual average, which is irrelevant anyways. "Wrestling less than three days per week," is misleading, as it fails to take into consideration the full-time WWE schedule where talent are on the road year-round with no break.

WWE covering rehabilitation cost is an indirect indictment of the system. It shouldn't get that point where they need to cover "rehabilitation" costs when talent are destined to break down mentally and physically being on the road 52 weeks out of the year with no off-season. Also, the "wrestling less than three days" statement doesn't take into consideration travel days in-between dates. Wrestlers can't recover physically as part of their training to stay in shape to appear on TV, especially with the increased number of international dates and tours.

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_ ... 3765.shtml

[Jam-Master Jay]

Good news.

http://qik.com/video/12461245

Pope taking the piss out of Hogan.

[Adam Pollard]

I actually enjoyed this weeks Raw.

[KK]

Just a quick note on Matt Hardy's video from his hotel, his comment on some "punk stooge" dogging him out was apparently a reference to CM Punk, who he does not get along with. CM Punk is currently dating Lita, I believe.

The latest WWE Films release, Legendary, starring Patricia Clarkson, Danny Glover and John Cena, did $135,000 over the weekend, or $764 per theatre, in 177 locations around the country. A bomb of legendary proportions. The film got decent reviews early, but then in the last few days and following its release the reviews went south in a hurry. It's currently got an 18% ranking at Rotten Tomatoes.

I really don't know why the WWE bother...

And Hogan has now completely lost the plot on Twitter. He's posted another video (to accompany his one the other day of him in the hospital lavs taking a gooseberry fool) where he's 'hiding' behind some weeds, & wearing what appears to be a shower cap & surgical gloves. On his head.

http://www.twitvid.com/65TZ2

F4Wonline.com have conducted a survey examining PPV buying habits for UFC, WWE, TNA et al. The results aren't particularly shocking, but make interesting reading nonetheless.

If you pick and choose events, what helps determine which events you will purchase?

For UFC, the answer was always a show that felt important or a hot main event between superstars. Many people said if they cared about at least three fights, they'd order. For the record, the name mentioned more than any other as a person people would buy a PPV to see, and it wasn't even close, was Brock Lesnar. Not a single wrestling name was mentioned. UFC stars who were mentioned here and there included GSP (second place), Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture, and even Tito Ortiz. For wrestling, again, most people said that they felt the vast majority of PPVs were not worth the money. They mentioned how the results never mattered the next day, how main events were often rematched for free on Raw or iMPACT! the following week, how it didn't matter at all who the champion was because the title changed hands so often and was traded between the same top guys, how the main events were often main events they'd seen a million times both on TV and PPV, and how it never felt like anything they'd seen was newsworthy. Incentives to buy wrestling shows included first-time matches (Miz vs. Danielson and Nexus vs. WWE were both mentioned a few times) and matches that would be legendary (HBK vs. Undertaker, Flair retiring, etc.) (so in other words, WrestleMania). Also mentioned repeatedly was how people did not care about seeing the usual repetitive matches with the only difference being different wacky stipulations. WWE, of course, has been banking on stipulation matches selling PPVs, and TNA, of course, is all about the stipulations.

Long story short, based on literally hundreds of responses, UFC is doing fine, WWE is not going to be happy at all with the results, and TNA is pretty much hopeless. We've got a full analysis of all fifteen questions and a look at what each company can do to try to either maintain (UFC) or improve their numbers (everyone else).

The full article can be read in the latest Figure Four Newsletter at http://www.f4wonline.com