For all the grumbling about how everyone liked or didn't much such and such, was there REALLY going to be a huge outpouring of emotion when Test made his big return from injury (on Heat)? Or more importantly, the week after that?
On the bright(er) side, you've got to give WWE credit for trimming MAJOR costs from their payroll this year. I don't know if we have a running total yet, but as far as I can see, they cut from the payroll this year (whether voluntary or not in some cases):
- Steve Austin - Brock Lesnar - Bill Goldberg - Ultimo Dragon - Terri Runnels - Ernest Miller - Sean O' Haire - Billy Gunn - Test - Kanyon - Jacquelyn - A-Train - Bryan Kendrick - Zack Gowen
Am I missing anyone from that list? Either way, if I was a WWE shareholder, I'd be impressed with that kind of payroll reduction, even if a few of them helped contribute to the bottom line (Austin, pun not intended).
Originally posted by CANADIAN BULLDOGFor all the grumbling about how everyone liked or didn't much such and such, was there REALLY going to be a huge outpouring of emotion when Test made his big return from injury (on Heat)? Or more importantly, the week after that?
On the bright(er) side, you've got to give WWE credit for trimming MAJOR costs from their payroll this year. I don't know if we have a running total yet, but as far as I can see, they cut from the payroll this year (whether voluntary or not in some cases):
- Steve Austin - Brock Lesnar - Bill Goldberg - Ultimo Dragon - Terri Runnels - Ernest Miller - Sean O' Haire - Billy Gunn - Test - Kanyon - Jacquelyn - A-Train - Bryan Kendrick - Zack Gowen
Am I missing anyone from that list? Either way, if I was a WWE shareholder, I'd be impressed with that kind of payroll reduction, even if a few of them helped contribute to the bottom line (Austin, pun not intended).
I guess you get the good with the bad. I'd have loved to see them keep Spanky and Kanyon, but the rest are fairly useless.
Now I don't know how much all of the guys you named make but I find it hard to believe that Spanky, Zack Gowen, Terri, and Jackie were making a lot of money. I would have to think that Billy Gunn was making some decent money due to his tenure. Oh and Ultimo Dragon is supposed to be back sometime soon without a mask and add to that list Goldust and Ron Simmons.
I thought Gunn would end up retireing from the ring and become a road agent or trainer(Joke?) or something. I can't say as I ever thought he'd get the boot.
A-Train was one of those little surprises that when he's not on tv, you don't think about him, but when they have something for him to do, he seemed to make the best out of it and he seemed to enjoy working.
Test, however, well... I guess his immunity finally wore off. Or was that only for one year?
Why do I get the feeling Bob Holly's gonna be gone within two months?
Cerebus: RIP 1977-2004.
"What do you think it's like being created by a manic-depressive, paranoid schizophrenic, hypochondriac, misogynist with delusions of grandeur and a messiah complex?"
Oh man, Albert was one of my favorite wrestlers in the whole federation. I am really sad that he's gone. I hope that he's able to find another place to wreck everyone in his path!! He was just so big and so mean and so.. hot!!!
Originally posted by CANADIAN BULLDOGFor all the grumbling about how everyone liked or didn't much such and such, was there REALLY going to be a huge outpouring of emotion when Test made his big return from injury (on Heat)? Or more importantly, the week after that?
On the bright(er) side, you've got to give WWE credit for trimming MAJOR costs from their payroll this year. I don't know if we have a running total yet, but as far as I can see, they cut from the payroll this year (whether voluntary or not in some cases):
- Steve Austin - Brock Lesnar - Bill Goldberg - Ultimo Dragon - Terri Runnels - Ernest Miller - Sean O' Haire - Billy Gunn - Test - Kanyon - Jacquelyn - A-Train - Bryan Kendrick - Zack Gowen
Am I missing anyone from that list? Either way, if I was a WWE shareholder, I'd be impressed with that kind of payroll reduction, even if a few of them helped contribute to the bottom line (Austin, pun not intended).
I guess you get the good with the bad. I'd have loved to see them keep Spanky and Kanyon, but the rest are fairly useless.
Brock Lesnar was useless? News to me.
"It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is. Victory is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia but to keep the very structure of society intact." ---George Orwell, 1984
Found this link at PWInsider that shows a recent picture of Test from last week ... he looks really thin, but I guess that's what not being able to lift weights will do for you ...
I was of the opinion that he was bland until I saw him live back in August. He had a presentable match with Heidenreich, which I thought would be a complete 'vessel of fertilizer' and really worked the crowd into it. I'm also fairly confident Heidenreich didn't carry the match, but you did have Heyman on the outside. I wonder if he knew the writing was on the wall then as he wasn't in any hurry to leave the ringside area, He just kept doing laps and working the crowd. Some chick even flashed her boobies at him (she may have been a plant). Maybe he just hadn't heard pops like that since the DX days (Melbourne is usually a hot crowd for anything), but he turned me around that night.
Test: Appeared to have the personality of a side of beef. Reasonable in 00-01 WM17 match with Eddie was good. The early Stacy era was OKish too.
Albert: never seemed to be able to make the connection with the crowd to go from "meh heel" to "hey heel". Plenty of guys never do, but Albert looked like he could. Didn't have the look for me to buy him as a face.
It's a tough industry in a tough world that's always looking for the next star.
Originally posted by Jeb Tennyson Lund• One of these days, when Triple H is in the middle of one of his long grunting promos, Jericho should just lean forward, stick his finger on the end of Triple H's schnozz and say, "poooooooke!" No one will know what to do.
Was Scott Steiner released last year or earlier this year? Should Pat Patterson be included on the list of those released?
If you looked at the roster 1-2 years ago, I'd have bet that at least one of Taker, HBK, Bob Holly, Al Snow, Ric Flair, and especially Bradshaw would not have lasted longer than most of the guys that have gone.
Add to this list Kane's reported contract issues.
Add me to the list of I'd rather see Albert and Test instead of Tomko, Viscera, Tough Enough or Diva crap... Then again, I don't buy PPVs or WWE merchandise, so while I watch mostly every week I don't think Vince cares much about folks like me...
Whatever the reasons for all of the releases, I can't help but argue that the WWE NEEDS new blood in a bad way. The people on the roster were all given a shot (some shots were fair, others were not), and for whatever reason management decided they were not going to reach the goals they had for them.
I think in cases like Snitsky replacing A-Train for example on the roster, and arguments about in-ring talent vs. charisma, etc., that all those points are pretty much moot. Snitsky might not be as able to go in the ring as A-Train or Ultimo or O'Haire, but it doesn't matter if he's who the E wants to put out there in that program or angle.
Plus, for every Snitsky, there's always a Carlito hiding somewhere, too.
"Maybe I'm getting off topic, but this thread already sucks, so I don't feel bad about it. " -LotusMegami
"The only way TV Gangrel could change is if Real Gangrel changed." -Filipino Elvis
See here's the thing (may I rant for the moment?).... The WWE has this brand split thing going on right now. Most people seem to be against it. I liked it for a while, but now my opinion is shifting. The WWE has, at any time, about 25 people on the active rosters, plus five who are injured/inactive/filming a movie/etc. Now, I'm not gonna say that Gunn, Test, or the A-Train are really all that good. They were passable at times and were probably over at times. But WWE, as I alluded to above, has a very thin roster because of the split. Things are very repetitive, and they never seem to be able to fill three hours of new programming per brand per week without resorting to useless recaps and filler. Now, the question begs, why would they release people? I know that these guys were inactive right now, but in general, WWE seems to be trimming the fat by releasing lower to mid card guys. Of course, this would be okay if they had people to fill the void, but they don't. Gene Snitzky and Heidenreich are horrible, and fairly talented guys like Simon Dean/Nova and Eugene/Nick Dinsmore are stuck with comedy gimmicks. They bring up stiffs like Mordecai and Tyson Tomko who have no talent and then they change their semi-successful gimmick. The only person I've seen to give me hope is CCC. He's certainly not great, but he's the best that I've seen. WWE has serious talent problems. You all know this already, but it's things like this that make no sense. Thank you for your time.
Thread ahead: Smackdown! St. Louis Spoilers Next thread: Jake "The Snake" Roberts charged with animal cruelty Previous thread: Wildlife Fund suing WWE again...
As long as Jarrett loses the goddamn belt at this PPV, I'll be fine with it. At least this gives TNA a real destination to build towards, rather than kind of meandering from week to week.