The Torch says the brand extension isn't dead yet (thank God):
Despite Vince McMahon winning back Ric Flair's half of WWE on Raw, the rosters are going to remain split in two divisions - Raw and Smackdown.
That, at least, is what wrestlers were being told backstage at the Smackdown house show in Florence, Ga. tonight.
When the Smackdown wrestlers received word of the Raw angle, some were worried about their spot on the roster, thinking if the rosters were recombined due to low house show attendance recently, WWE might cut back to one house show per night and cut back on undercard wrestlers as a result.
Wrestlers were assured by Triple H and the agents that nothing will change other than McMahon playing an ownership role on both shows.
Originally posted by KawshenWrestlers were assured by Triple H
Huh.
Mean Gene: "You know, I don't think it's a question - Goldberg, I don't think it's a question of who's next, I think it's a question of who's left?" Goldberg: "No, see, that's where you're wrong. It ain't who's left, it's - WHO'S NEXT?"
"Just how hardcore am I? Well this morning, I drank milk that was two days past the expiration!" -Norman Smiley
Much like BucsFan, am I the only one who finds this just a bit disconcerting? Tell me again that all the discussion about HHH being the favored son of management and using that position to push himself at the expense of those he doesn't much like has no basis in reality.
Austin walks out on the same night that HBK returns (slagging Rock in his interview) to reunite the Kliq minus the alcoholic member, and HHH is delivering management policy to the locker room. I'm not sure I like the looks of this.
How's your new love?/I hope he's doin' fine/Heard you told him that you'd love him 'till the end of time/Now, that's the same thing/the same thing you told me seems like just the other day/Gee ain't it funny, funny how time slips away? - Willie Nelson tells the truth.
"I thought it was cool how HHH just tossed Jericho out of the ring and made him vanish, possibly into another dimension, at the end of the match." - Dr. Unlikely says the funniest thing I've ever read on Wienerville
Huh? Triple H has been mentioned as doing some administrative stuff for the company for months. It's not like he just started doing this -- he's been management for a while there.
Originally posted by spf2119Much like BucsFan, am I the only one who finds this just a bit disconcerting? Tell me again that all the discussion about HHH being the favored son of management and using that position to push himself at the expense of those he doesn't much like has no basis in reality.
Hunter delivering a message from his BOSS and father-in-law-to-be, who isn't present at a show that HE IS, is holding people back?
What, are you trying to imply that he locked Jericho in a closet or something and told everyone else so that Everyone's Favorite Victim would start showing up at RAW tapings and get fired?
Come on, people. It's called "middle management". Hunter is Smackdown's shift supervisor.
Kansas-born and deeply ashamed The last living La Parka Marka: HE raised the briefcase!
So, in other words, the match was completely pointless? No, wait, it did have one point: to get more Vince McMahon on my TV. Just what I always wanted.
*sigh* I dunno, everything I've been reading and watching in regards to the WWF has been pissing me off. Maybe it's time I should take a break from watching, since I'm not getting any enjoyment out of it. Maybe if I stop for a month or two, I'll enjoy it when I come back.
br>What, are you trying to imply that he locked Jericho in a closet or something and told everyone else so that Everyone's Favorite Victim would start showing up at RAW tapings and get fired?
Come on, people. It's called "middle management". Hunter is Smackdown's shift supervisor.
ROFL..no matter what it is, that is ONE funny statement!
Seriously though, I assume it all went like this.. agent: "dont worry..we are still split" anonimous non-over wrestler from (bleeep) dramatic pause...(bleep): "oh no! what about my push!" agent: "dont worry..we are still split" anonimous world strongest man: "are you sure? hmm..tuti fruti!" HHH: "relax guys, Vince said we are split, so we will remain split.."
Errr..my point? Yes Hunter has stroke, is an inlaw etc, but no, that doesn't mean that he only uses it for evil.
(edited by dMp on 11.6.02 1237) "...And I use that to fuck them some place fairly uncomfortable." "What, like the back of a volkswagen ?" -Mallrats
So, Vince thought about the ratings and decided the major problem with Raw was that he's not on it? Or maybe it was Ric Flair that was killing the ratings, was that it? Well, what the fuck? If they didn't kill brand extension once and for all last night, what was the point?
"You better get his ass outta here before I get up"- Undertaker
We probably should just wait and see how this pans out before declaring the brand split a big waste of time with no purpose. It's already been stated by everyone that this isn't the end of the split, so I'd wager they've got something else up their sleeves to keep it going. Give it til King Of The Ring, and if nothing's happened about it by then, THEN we can lay into it.
Originally posted by LeechOfTheNightSo, Vince thought about the ratings and decided the major problem with Raw was that he's not on it? Or maybe it was Ric Flair that was killing the ratings, was that it? Well, what the fuck? If they didn't kill brand extension once and for all last night, what was the point?
It appears that since Austin walked out, they felt they needed to have something happen with Flair. I guess that's the best they felt they could do on short notice to: A) Turn the nWo full-on heel B) Turn Booker full-on face C) Turn Flair face(?) and remove him from the "Evil Owner" role.
With Austin gone, they have lost their #1 face, so they needed a replacement (or two). So now we have the main people on RAW as such:
How hard is it, really, for a company that basically books week to week (or day to day) to just say "Fuck it" and throw on a, you know, wrestling show? Say Austin's not there, go on with the other matches, kill all the Flair/McMahon shit, throw on a D-Lo/Goldust match somewhere in the second hour, plug in the new Desire video they trotted out for Confidential and HeAT, and bump RVD and Eddy up to the main event. Then make a decision as to who RVD will be facing in the KOTR first round, have that guy come out after Van Dam's match, and have he and Eddy beat the piss out of him. Go off the air. Sure is a lot easier to come up with an answer in a week than in a few hours. Now they just have more holes to dig out of.
I'm just happy that the split is still on. Yeah, there have been problems, but it's been better than having Austin, Rock, Undertaker, and Triple H on both shows eating up at least 50% of the screen time on each.
I guess they feel they need to set up something quickly now that Austin is gone -- who knows how long he's sitting out, or if he'll come back at all?
Two promo posters that look like that it can be done on anybody's adobe workshop. It's fingerpainting. One promo has Frankenstein himself, who's bi a lot of things but linguals not one of them.