Sure, why not. Whatever. WWE Network and Wrestlemania

[The Unknown Poster]

Even as Rocky they screwed him. But the reason Austin and Rock had the opportunity to make it is because WWE was still very much like the traditional sense of the business with small booking committees and workers who scripted their own promos

So they got themselves over.

Daniel Bryan is a wonderful example of them actively trying to bury someone. It makes no sense to burn money. But in wwe no one is over. Only the brand is over and that's tje way they like it.

[Taynted_Fayth]

a long time ago i was told wrestlers who make the most $ is because they own the creative rights to their characters so the merch they sell is all to them (like austin 3:16 as an example). Im curious if WWE still allows that or has a sort of contractual agreement now from wrestlers that its the company who dictates gimmicks and whatnot so they control any and all merch. maybe offering a certain % of sale to them but the bulk going to the company. It could explain why, as you mention TUP with reference to uniqueness being lost by lack of creative variety.  like watching Rusev and him waving the russian flag, its like ugh how many times have we seen this in 1 form or another

[Goalie]

It's definitely percentage and has been for years now. The problem they have is they can't create new stars. John Cena was the last star they created and could be argued like Bryan and like Punk... he made himself. Win one week.. lose the next. Nobody is allowed to actually win 2 or 3 times in a row unless you are Cena

[The Unknown Poster]

No one owns merchandising rights while under contract. In fact even original work created by the workers are licensed to WWE during their contract.

There was a recent conflict with Jim Neidhart where he allowed a merchandising company to sell shirts but wwe blocked it on the grounds they had an exclusive merch deal with him even though they have no WWE merchandise of his for sale.

Steve Austin had a similar thing happen.

Some guys can get a larger percentage. But generally the merch money is all about the push. Pushed guys generate more merch sales and it can be very lucrative.

Also notice how top guys always have new designs? If the company won't merchandise you, it's hard to make sales.

Generally heels sell less merch too. One of the reasons they are reluctant to turn Cena is the merch money.

In WCW there was an issue. I think Jericho discovered that when someone bought his action figure it rang through as a Hogan figure. So hogan got the sale on Jericho figures. Lol

There was also a story where JTG was about to have shirts made and he misspoke when giving an interview to WWE magazine and accidenltly used Cena's catchphrase (Hustle, Loyalty, Respect). Cena confronted him in the bathroom and told him to forget about his shirt.

Wwe prefers to own gimmicks because they feel if they spend time and money marketing someone then tjat person shouldn't be able to go to WCW or TNA or wherever and use the same character. Thus why guys always have new names.

Hunter isn't as strict. Such as Samoa Joe and James Storm. In the 80's they might keep their name but it would never be used like Mr Perfect and Texas Tornado.

It hurts development because guys are being assigned gimmicks rather then having gimmicks that are natural extensions of themselves.

[The Unknown Poster]

Alberto returns to WWE.

[Goalie]

With Zeb Colter Lol. Great talker. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Del rio is a good promo. Doesn't need zeb. Weird.

[Goalie]

Ya but dirty dutch is so good... I'm glad he's back. Maybe because zeb is a heel and maybe del Rio would be cheered. Regardless I like zeb.

[The Unknown Poster]

The plan should be to get Del Rio over as a face. They are desperate for a Hispanic star.

[iso_55]

Del Rio better watch his temper. He's getting a second chance. Just can't see him as a face. It bombed the first time. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Del Rio was considered the guy in the right when he was let go. WWE didn't want to let him go and told him to lay low and they'd bring him back in a few months. He didn't want to lay low due to a feeling there was racist tendencies in wwe.

[Goalie]

$$$$ solves everything

[The Unknown Poster]

Double blade hasn't happened in years. Going all out at HIAC.

[Goalie]

Not sure Lesnar blades. He just bleeds easily

[Goalie]

HIAC was pretty solid top to bottom

[The Unknown Poster]

People always say he hardways because blading is banned but he literally always comes up bleeding after going into the post or buckles. He's blading. Blade on his glove somewhere.

[Jpan85]

you could see the cut on top of his head looked little bigger than a blade. I always thought that was a thing when he was in UFC that he got cut open to easily.

[The Unknown Poster]

you could see the cut on top of his head looked little bigger than a blade. I always thought that was a thing when he was in UFC that he got cut open to easily.

consensus online is a blade.  His head never hits the post and while he goes in fast, he's careful to put his hand up, lower his head and slow his momentum right before his head would hit.  He then pulls back slightly, lowers his head even more and drags the part where the cut ended up, across his glove, looks to be near the wrist area.

 

This is the exact same thing he did in his WM match against Roman and his SummerSlam match against Undertaker when his head hit the turnbuckle PAD and he came up bleeding.  He then removed that glove and tossed it aside.

 

I cant say for sure Undertaker bladed.  During the exchange he took a couple of hard chair shots.  Even the one with his hands up it looked like he put his hands up really weak so the chair would blow through his hands and hit his head.  This is classic Undertaker who was previously fined during his HIAC match with Hunter at WM for taking chairs to the head.  Brock also punched him pretty hard after he took his glove off so he might have hardway'ed Taker.  But if you're going to hardway you might as well blade.  Way easier, doesnt hurt and almost always guarantees "good" colour.  Hardway is a crapshoot.

 

 

EDIT: I just watched a GIF and there is the possibility Brock's head hit the post under his glove but I still think its intentional blading.  He runs his head across his glove.  Also, I saw a GIF that clearly shows Undertaker cutting himself.  They're on the floor and Brock throws him into the cell, Taker bounces off and lands on his back.  He rolls towards the ring, hiding his head just under the ring apron but as he's rolling he reaches up to his head with his finger and thumbs together (holding something).  He quickly rolls towards the ring and then rolls back and reaches up to the "cut" to check it.  Classic blade.

[The Unknown Poster]

On the subject of merchandising, thought you guys might like Hulk Hogan's 1998 WCW contract.  Some snippets:

 

- Other than specific agreements WWE still had (not stated), Hogan granted WCW exclusive (to the exclusion of Hogan himself) world wide marketing and licensing rights including his name, image, voice and all intellectual property.

 

- WCW was required to submit all licensing items to Hogan for his approval

 

- Hogan would receive 50% of net receipts from sale of any items containing "Hulk Hogan" (and likeness etc) and 50% of pro rata portion where Hogan shares the licensing with someone else (DVD's for example)

 

- Details conditional on WCW making a deal with Marvel for licensing rights of "Hulk", which they did.  I believe Hogan eventually made his own personal deal with Marvel so that places he worked didnt have to make their own.  If you recall old WWE PPV's, they'd end with a copyright notice from Marvel.

 

 

Now as to Hogan's pay:

 

- He received a signing bonus of $2 million dollars

 

- He was required to appear on 6 PPV events each year and would be the featured performer on those PPV's.  He would be compensated the greater of 15% of WCW's PPV revenue or $675,000 per event.  Hogan would receive $1.350 Million every July, November and February as an advance on those PPV payments.

 

- In addition to the above pay, Hogan would receive a PPV bonus for PPV's he appeared on.  The bonus was linked to buy rates and was minimum of $250,000 and maxed out at $1.75 million but I dont believe he ever rose higher than the minimum.

 

- Hogan was required to appear on Nitro and Thunder as requested and would receive 25% of the arena ticket sales but no less than $25,000 per appearance.  This is why Hogan added his match with Goldberg to the Atlanta Dome when Hogan dropped the strap as the Dome was closing in on a sell out anyway...Hogan agreed to drop the strap if they did it on TV and thus, got a huge pay day for a show that was going to sell out without him.

 

- Hogan would receive 25% of ticket revenue on all non-televised "house shows" he appeared on.

 

- Get this:  As a member of the nWo, Hogan received an additional $20,000 per month simply to "market" the nWo by wearing nWo logos/shirts while performing and appearing.

 

- If WCW created a 1-900 line relating to Hogan, he would receive 100% of revenue

 

- Hogan received first class air, first class suite hotel accommodations, limo transportation and a per diem of $175 per day.

 

- Reasonable creative control over the outcome of all of his matches.

 

And in a bit of genius, this was a four year contract than ended in May 2002.  WCW was sold to WWE in early 2001.  Since Hogan never appeared for WCW in year four of his deal, he would not get paid the bulk of the contract...except he had a Year Four bonus as a "Consultant" where he received $100,000 whether he appeared or not.

 

This is the biggest performer contract of all time.  I believe the merchandise percentage that is standard for most guys is 15%.  Its extremely rare to have creative control (Bret had it, Hogan had it and I dont think anyone else did...). 

 

Prior to The Monday Night War, guaranteed contracts were rare, though not unheard of.  Guys were generally signed to per appearance deals (could be $500 per appearance) and made up the bulk of their salary in bonuses from PPV and whatnot. 

 

Even today in TNA, they sign guys to per appearance deals and if you dont appear, you dont get paid.  Eric Bischoff and his son both sued TNA and it came out his son had a deal where he got paid X amount regardless of appearing (a small fee but a wise inclusion).  One TNA wrestler was outted as working at the Sunglass Hut on her days off to make ends meet.

 

At the advent of video, WWE kept most of the revenue themselves.  Jesse Ventura found out Hogan had a merchandising agreement and sued WWE successfully, receiving a couple million in back royalties and thus the DVD merchandising deals were born for all guys.

 

A major issue for WWE wrestlers today is The Network.  Guys would receive a lot of money from PPV bonuses and with much smaller PPV revenue, they stopped receiving that.  WWE has never expressed to wrestlers how they would compensate them for "PPV's" that are now on the Network.

 

WWE wrestlers are responsible for their own hotel accommodation and non-flight transportation.  WWE does not pay for hotels or rental cars outside of special events (like WrestleMania).  So a low level wrestler making $80,000/year still has to pay their own taxes, hotels, food, rental cars.

 

Back in the day, Pat Patterson used to carry a briefcase of cash at TV tapings where guys could sign out advances so they had cash for road expenses.

 

Some guys can make more on the Indy scene.  For example, AJ Styles makes more money since leaving TNA because of his deal with New Japan plus being able to work ROH and Indy dates.  In Indy wrestling, the promoter pays for trans, hotel and in many cases will pick up food and booze (though this is not required) and the performer sets his own pay.

 

I've booked many "Imports" and they ranged in price from $150 to $1500US.  I also had the first booking on Kurt Angle when he left WWE for $5000US but 24 hours later, TNA jacked the rate due to overwhelming interests and it became $15,000 plus no TV or DVD tapings. (I didnt book him).

[iso_55]

Now the Wyatts are feuding with the Undertaker & Kane. I was reading on the internet more & more WWE fans are growing tired of Bray's rambling promos & the fact that he loses more that he wins in singles competition. As time goes on he looks weaker & weaker & only gets over having 3 monsters backing him up. Even Braun Stroman is getting a bigger push than him & he's part of the Wyatt Family. Other than his ring  entrance, I don't find the guy anything special on the WWE roster. 

[The Unknown Poster]

I wasnt a big Bray fan when he debuted.  I liked the music and entrance.  They need to use more quality music.  A lot of their music is generic right now.

 

But I dont think Bray is particularly great as a worker.  His gimmick is good and he plays it well ofcourse.  I think fans took to him because he was sort of shattering the WWE-think that a top guy could only be ripped. 

 

But what hurt Bray the most was WWE's usual method of pushing a new guy.  They bring him in with a push, he gets over strong and then they deliberately push him down the card and kill his crowd responses and then try and build him back up.  I have two theories as to why they do this:  1) to make "young guys" earn it and realise it can all be taken away  2) because they dont ever want anyone really over with the fans.  Only "WWE" is over, not individual guys. 

 

Look what they did to Bryan.  Look what they did to Ambrose.

 

But as far as the current angle, its a good use of all involved.  The fact Undertaker is working so much this year leads me to believe he intends to retire at WM.

[The Unknown Poster]

Here's a bit of a shocker. Del Rio's deal to return was $1.45m per year downside guarantee. Plus reduced schedule.

So even though his paring with zeb is goofy he will be pushed hard at that price. Given his MMA credentials I wonder if they are thinking Brock vs Del Rio at WM...

[iso_55]

I wasnt a big Bray fan when he debuted.  I liked the music and entrance.  They need to use more quality music.  A lot of their music is generic right now.

 

But I dont think Bray is particularly great as a worker.  His gimmick is good and he plays it well ofcourse.  I think fans took to him because he was sort of shattering the WWE-think that a top guy could only be ripped. 

 

But what hurt Bray the most was WWE's usual method of pushing a new guy.  They bring him in with a push, he gets over strong and then they deliberately push him down the card and kill his crowd responses and then try and build him back up.  I have two theories as to why they do this:  1) to make "young guys" earn it and realise it can all be taken away  2) because they dont ever want anyone really over with the fans.  Only "WWE" is over, not individual guys. 

 

Look what they did to Bryan.  Look what they did to Ambrose.

 

But as far as the current angle, its a good use of all involved.  The fact Undertaker is working so much this year leads me to believe he intends to retire at WM.

I just shake my head when I see Bray Wyatt. I've switched stations when the Wyatts have a match because it's just getting so old. His character is weak. He just doesn't bring a lot to the table as a wrestler. None of the Wyatts are shining stars in the ring... Everything with them is just so predictable.

[The Unknown Poster]

Luke Harper, who came from Ring of Honor is very good.  But he doesnt generally have to be very good in WWE because he's big and he's standing next to below average Eric Rowan and horrendous Braun Strowman.

 

Remember, they tried to do everything to bury Daniel freakin Bryan because "he doesnt look like a star" but they are protecting Strowman like he's the second coming of Hulk Hogan.  Vince and his goofball politics.

[sweep the leg]

Watched some of Smackdown for the first time in in probably over a decade. I love the Wyatt family music and entrance. The match was meh, but I like the idea of them. An angle with Kane & Undertaker should make for great promos and ring entrances, if nothing else.

 

Also, what's the deal with the two black guys dressed like unicorns?