Adding some opinions to see how it goes . The idea is that I’ll be 100% impartial in the news, but the opinions will add a bit more color and personal flair. Lets see how it goes.
Down Year for WWE – The WWE is suffering a down year in regards to revenue. The company was expecting to exceeds last years $30 million in profits this year, but through eight months of the year, have only netted $5 million. This is due to the down shows, the lack of merch, and other various factors, but not limited to the new content on the Network. The Network is not generating a revenue on it’s own yet I’m being told, and is barely able to break even, and is eating up a considerable amount of the WWE’s assets. No one is panicking but it’s believed that many of the changes being made are being made to avoid a potential issue down the road.
Opinion: I fully expect this year to be a down year, but not only, unless changes are made, will continue. The product is just not where it should be and fans know this.
Top Star Has Major Heat – On the latest “Bring it to the Table” it was revealed that Enzo Amore is in fact not well liked in the backstage. JBL has said that he doesn’t have a great personal relationship with Enzo, and that Corey Graves also has issues with Enzo, citing that his t.v. persona is who he is 24/7.
No! No I don’t like Enzo. He’s a fine guy, but… again, the guy you see on Monday nights, is that guy 24 hours a day. There’s no off switch. It rubs people the wrong way. If you’re on a European tour 12 days deep, and he’s going on and on and on about how he partied with the weekend in LA, you’re gonna get tired of hearing about it. There’s a limit, and when you’re on the road that much, that’ll wear on your nerves.
Opinion: It really feels like JBL and Corey Graves are Vince McMahon’s puppets and constantly say what he wants them to believe. Enzo getting crapped on by the announcers after getting jobbed out on RAW is not the way a talent should be treated.
Was Cody Rhodes a Complainer in WWE? – Cody Rhodes was asked about what it was like backstage in the WWE whenever he would complain about his characters. Cody is quoted as saying;
I don’t recall at any point ever being punished for anything like that, but I do recall that when I did speak up for myself from time to time it didn’t make a difference.
Essentially the answer I would get was thanks but no thanks. I think I developed a reputation as a complainer and that’s hard to escape. You don’t want to be a complainer, you want to be someone who says ‘I don’t like this but here’s my alternative.’
Opinion: Cody also comments that the producers should be the writers, which is something I believe.
RAW Ratings – RAW continues its trend of over 3 million viewers for RAW. The show last night hit 3.163 million viewers despite very little build up.
Opinion: WWE is succeeding in-spite of themselves.
Quick Hits – Brandi Rhodes has been removed from GFW’s roster page. Sawyer Fulton has a new look in NXT. Terry Funk will team up with The Rock N’roll Express to face Jerry “The King” Lawler, Doug Gilbert and Lawler’s son Brian Christopher in a six man tag match. The Great Khali was only back for Battleground, and will not be used going forward. Sami Callihan has been added to the MLW One Shot.