IS Choking with weapons really THAT offensive?

[The Man Of 1004 Holds]

What I wana know is who actually complained about it? surely the writers told the rookies to cause mayhem and surely roberts and bryan discussed the attack and the fact it was shown upclose live AND in repeats on NXT and Smackdown shows it wasnt that serious. if this all stems back to the benoit incident then its ridiculous not at one point did i even think about benoit during that segment. the only sensible idea is someone high up was looking for a reason to fire bryan and complained to vince for a good few days or roberts complained about it/ it wasnt planned but i personally didnt find it offensive as it was the point of the segment that the rookies were attacking and causing mayhem

 

[Andy 2 Randy]

What I wana know is who actually complained about it? surely the writers told the rookies to cause mayhem and surely roberts and bryan discussed the attack and the fact it was shown upclose live AND in repeats on NXT and Smackdown shows it wasnt that serious. if this all stems back to the benoit incident then its ridiculous not at one point did i even think about benoit during that segment. the only sensible idea is someone high up was looking for a reason to fire bryan and complained to vince for a good few days or roberts complained about it/ it wasnt planned but i personally didnt find it offensive as it was the point of the segment that the rookies were attacking and causing mayhem

from what i've read and heard, 99.9% of people thought that the NXTWO havoc was a fantastic, and brilliantly thought of idea...However, theres the 0.01% IMO, it must of been angry moms, unhappy that this sort of 'meaningless attack' on an 'unsuspecting' ring announcer is not what they want kids to see...Easy Option, Don't let their kids watch WWE...Angry Mom option, complain to anyone who gives a damn (CNN, i think thats always against WWE, Im not american so sorry) and then get somebody fired, and continue to let their kid/s watch the program that she complained about! Pointless and a way to get attention, surely she knows the differance between scripted and real life...I'm just Sayin...

 

[Schizophrenic]

I don't know anyone who was offended by it. And if they are I have one thing to say....then get over it. I walk down the street and see and hear things I am offended by everyday yet if I was to speak out I would be told to get over it and that I don't have to look. And in this case if you are offended by what happened then don't watch the damn product. Plus as pointed out several times, we are to believe that people are SO offended by Bryan's assault but now when Kane says that someone attacked Taker so violently that he was left in a "vegetative state" or when Drew McIntyre caused Matt Hardy to have "head trauma" by stomping his head into a set of steps? Both which took place in the "PG Era". I's double standards when one thing is an issue but something just as violent is not.

I also have to wonder what WWE and their "stockholders" see as PG. Hell my little brother was watching iCarly on Nickelodeon which is rated PG yet they had a young boy and girl fighting, throwing each other into walls, breaking shit, choking each other and things of the such yet half the stuff Nickelodeon does won't fly in WWE cause "kids could see it and mimick it? Horseshit.

 

[Silent~Screamer]

Well on the Simpsons Homer frequently strangles Bart, now I know that's child abuse and its also a cartoon and not reality.But so is WWE for the most part. Both shows are also PG and I rarely hear of anyone complaining about the Simpsons, so why is it so different in WWE?

Yes I know, I know, the Benoit tradgedy, but children suffer brain damage and psyhcological problems as well.

Go ahead and rant about how a double-murder suicide is different from child abuse. I'm just trying to make a point.

 

[wwe fan2009]

If parents don't like it then change the damn channel and dont ruin it for the rest of the fans, by complaining and getting someone fired for no good reason. Also WWE does run that dont try this warning. its stupid to fire him.

 

[shankit231]

This is why WWE is going to crap. Why can't there be choking in wrestling. Professional wrestling has been around for a LONG time. Now lets look at the 1960's where everything was supposed to be formal, people still choked each other and parents and kids knew it was just entertainment. The only reason why WWE is getting so big on there TV PG rating I think is because Linda McMahon running for senate. Think about it, her family owns WWE, if WWE does anything wrong they think it will affect here campaign. They did go to TV PG around the same time she announce she was running.

 

[kurt_angle_no1fan]

I saw last nights RAW and couldnt help feel that what happened to Bret Hart (kidnap, throwing him in a Limo, deliberately crashing it) is much worse than what Daniel Bryan did to Justin Roberts! And yes, I am fully aware this WWE and scripted. I just find the entire thing very hypocritical with no continuity!

On a side note, who was driving the Limo? Daniel Bryan? My money is going on Rikishi. He "did it for the Rock"

 

[alistahr]

I saw last nights RAW and couldnt help feel that what happened to Bret Hart (kidnap, throwing him in a Limo, deliberately crashing it) is much worse than what Daniel Bryan did to Justin Roberts! And yes, I am fully aware this WWE and scripted. I just find the entire thing very hypocritical with no continuity!

On a side note, who was driving the Limo? Daniel Bryan? My money is going on Rikishi. He "did it for the Rock"

haha awesome rikishi reference
and you just beat me to it, yeah wth! so its not okay for kids to emulate choking someone but its okay if they go off and kidnap someone and wreck a car with the person in it?!!!!

seriously... this company makes no sense

 

[RKOPUNK]

first of all it wasn't daniel bryan driving because he got the sack although i do believe he will be back soon

although the kidnapping may be worse plain and simple it didn't breach the pg rating while the tie choke did especially with the rule about no choking with weapons or objects. it's also not like there hasn't been any other kidnappings. i've only been watching WWE for close to 2 years and i can remember seeing 2. kane kidnapping ranjin singh last year, the undertaker kidnapping teddy long and you could even count when kane took kelly kelly captive for an episode making it 3 in just 2 years but that was the first time i'd seen someone choked out with a tie

 

[CobraVenom]

Ah kids...

WWE does not equate morals, youngens. I guess you do not remember the necrophilia angle they did one time, do you? Is history really a forgotten thing with most youngsters today? I seriously hope not. But then again, my generation didn't have the luxuries kids do now.

 

[webby_15-0]

i understand what you saying, however for reasons i cant explain myself, i was alot more shocked when i saw justin roberts being choked with a tie opposed to bret being crashed around in a car (this actually made me laugh). so i can kind of understand why this would be allowed and not the choke.

 

[alistahr]

Ah kids...

WWE does not equate morals, youngens. I guess you do not remember the necrophilia angle they did one time, do you? Is history really a forgotten thing with most youngsters today? I seriously hope not. But then again, my generation didn't have the luxuries kids do now.

i remember ive been watching for a while... not a kid here...id like to be still but no

but things are different now, theres a pg rating and someone very talented just got the shaft because of it

 

[CobraVenom]

i remember ive been watching for a while... not a kid here...id like to be still but no

but things are different now, theres a pg rating and someone very talented just got the shaft because of it

PG or not, you should be remembering that worse things have been done and nobody batted a single eyelash. You said so yourself...

"i remember ive been watching for a while... not a kid here"

Or, are you a 16 year old who doesn't remember the attitude era and you say that you do?


EDIT: Shit, 20 years ago, Earthquake "killed" Jake's snake, and nobody said nothing. That is far worse than what happened lately.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the "no choking" rule came from the double murder suicide that occured in 2007 in the Benoit household. That is why it is not acceptable, and it is why sponsors and advertisers and the like probably put pressure on the WWE for having something so graphic. It might seem silly, as the Crossface has been used, but there's a difference between a match and an unwarranted beating on a defenseless employee.

If you're upset about Danielson, he'll be back. Don't panic.

 

[alistahr]

PG or not, you should be remembering that worse things have been done and nobody batted a single eyelash. You said so yourself...

"i remember ive been watching for a while... not a kid here"

Or, are you a 16 year old who doesn't remember the attitude era and you say that you do?


EDIT: Shit, 20 years ago, Earthquake "killed" Jake's snake, and nobody said nothing. That is far worse than what happened lately.

yes... read the second part of my post, its not the attitude era anymore, is it? wwe is pg rated now and its not a private company anymore, so they cant do the things they used to be able to.

i remember mae young giving birth to a hand, triple h insinuating he raped stephanie when she was passed out, and many many more things.. but those things cant be done anymore, and bryan danielson got punished for using a tie as a weapon, yet today they basically used a car... like i said wwe makes no sense

 

[ghettodan]

EDIT: Shit, 20 years ago, Earthquake "killed" Jake's snake, and nobody said nothing. That is far worse than what happened lately.

Even better, remember several years ago when The Big Boss Man was harassing Big Show's dying father and then when he "passed away" Boss Man hooked the casket up to his POS car and dragged it away with Big Show hanging onto it? That might be the worst thing to ever happen.

Regardless I agree that it does not make sense that choking someone with a tie gets you fired but crashing a car over and over with someone inside is okay.

 

[dark_heart1983]

So yeah the choking is only because of the Benoit incident. However when I saw it Benoit never really crossed my mind. Just the thought of Damn! I personally feel there r some people in WWE that want to get away from the PG shit. They do things like the choking and kidnapping then someone above them nullifies that decision.

 

[venomxcore]

It seems everyone forgot a couple of years ago when Jericho came back to WWE and had his brief feud with JBL...at one point in a match JBL had tied a cable around Jericho's neck and dragged him around the ring...and then a week or two later, Jericho did the exact same thing back to JBL.

How is this ok but choking someone with a neck tie is considered too overboard?

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Guys, really, give it a rest. Its even gotten old to me and its only been a couple days.

First and foremost, they did what they did and you (all) have to face that. Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson is receiving massive waves of spotlight right now, more than Matt Hardy likely ever got - and he was rehired, which will always lead me to believe if this isn't a work and is legit - then Danielson will be back.

Now, to stay on topic.. be it as it may..

The "kidnapping" was all apart of a script. It was planned. The choke was not talked about, it was done on the spot, in the heat of the moment. So, is kidnapping worse than choking? No, not when one of the two subjects is pre-meditated.

 

[bringitback]

I think a lot of you are forgetting just how much of an onslaught WWE received following the Benoit tragedy. Because of that situation, yes, choking with a tie IS WORSE than kidnap, within the realms of WWE anyway.

Much like had Benoit murdered his family by throwing them in the back of a car and smashing it into things, that would NOT be seen on WWE television.

Choking with weapons is not allowed in WWE, it is seen in the same light as chair shots to the head. Bryan broke this rule and was subsequently released. Simple as that. I am not saying that it was a course of action I agree with and to be honest it was obviously not a decision they took lightly, considering the timeframe between the incident and the release...but company protocol is there to be followed and when it is breached there are consequences.

 

[philbix2]

WWE does not set the rules to what is PG and what is PG-14, R-17, etc. The TV industry sometimes makes no sense...but as to the difference, though the implication was there that Bret Hart was in the limousine, and violence was supposedly committed to him with the crashing of the vehicle, there was no graphic violence to Bret Hart. There was no camera set on Bret as the car crashed, there was no blood or violence being shown to him. There is no blood on him, he's simply slumped over. Therefore implications means nothing...and WWE are free to use them as long as they show no blood, gore, etc.

I suspect that some of last weeks beat down was somewhat impromptu and a line was crossed. Danielson was shown directly choking someone in camera which is not PG according to TV standards. Though, I'm of the opinion that WWE should not be considered PG simply because the moves in and of themselves are illustrate a form of "violence" towards the body. With WWE pushing limits, I'm suspecting that Danielson was the goat in that instance, and potentially there are others who are just as accountable for what happen. Apparently, Heath Slater almost choked Cena with the rope, but Cena warned him not to a Slater promptly stopped, this is hearsay, but as its being reported now, it illustrates that wrestlers are prone to make mistakes.

Lets be real though. WWE pushes limits. They must push limits. They may have tried to get away with one too. I'd like to speculate that someone told the NXT rookies to "make it good, make it look real." This is part of a storyline Reality is mistakes are made all the time, but its the TV watchdog and their complaints that dictate consequence not WWE, because WWE pushes limits...so mistakes will happen, heads will roll, but not live as that definitely is not PG.

P.S. Danielson will be back in my opinion IF he wants to be. There is too much behind the scenes clout here to know for sure... but if WWE want him back, they'll find a way to get him back. Plus they merge reality and storyline together, so its hard to know how things go down precisely, because there seems to be an angle to everything. We might figure it out over time.

 

[Dave]

Daniel Bryan wasn't driving the limo. Mainly because he was fired for storyline purposes or otherwise. The WWE are not ******ed and I am sure they can afford someone else to drive the limo.

That being said, you raise a very good point that I couldn't help but think last night too. I mean, people have suggested that it was the choking incident and I have defended that vigorously. I have always thought that the WWE knew what they were doing and if Daniel Bryan was fired from the company because he choked someone out, then he must have deserved it. With the current product being geared towards the youth of the world, then you can understand how choking can be deemed to be dangerous.

However, kidnap!? Seriously!? Kidnap?

It just makes no sense to me. I know that the WWE have written it that way themselves and will deal with any backlash that comes their way, whilst Daniel Bryan was probably doing the choke for himself, it just makes no fucking sense. With the real world dangers that lurk around all corners in the WWE, it just makes little sense to have Bret Hart be kidnapped. That attack, more than anything that has happened before, has me thinking that this might be a work. I'm not entirely convinced but I am growing in certainty.

 

[Felderino]

WWE has become total dross. I was a viewer for 19 years but I've only watched the RR and Wrestlemania and a couple of raws this year and they were all letdowns.

The whole product is just too unbelievable these days the realism has died, I saw the NXT beatdown on Raw last week and it looked like the best thing to happen in years. There was genuine passion and aggression, something that has been sorely lacking for at least the past 3 years.

But then incredibly I read about Danielson being fired for daring to choke the ring announcer... WTF!!

Apparantly it's all to do with the Benoit murders, but what would have happened if Benoit had clotheslined or suplexed his family to death? Would that mean those moves would now be banned? Total bullshit by the WWE and until some realism returns to the product they will not be regaining my viewership.

 

[Dave]

WWE has become total dross. I was a viewer for 19 years but I've only watched the RR and Wrestlemania and a couple of raws this year and they were all letdowns.

The whole product is just too unbelievable these days the realism has died, I saw the NXT beatdown on Raw last week and it looked like the best thing to happen in years. There was genuine passion and aggression, something that has been sorely lacking for at least the past 3 years.

But then incredibly I read about Danielson being fired for daring to choke the ring announcer... WTF!!

Apparantly it's all to do with the Benoit murders, but what would have happened if Benoit had clotheslined or suplexed his family to death? Would that mean those moves would now be banned? Total bullshit by the WWE and until some realism returns to the product they will not be regaining my viewership.

Needless to say, i think you are completely wrong!

Firstly, I think you are over-analysing the WWE product. I have learned to be more of a fan lately because I simply put everything else out of mind. I put the Attitude Era and The Rock out of my mind. I put what will happen in the future with pushes and young superstars and I just watched the show. After that, I realised that the WWE is still putting out some really good shows and if you can just watch it for it's value, then you might enjoy it a little more without thinking of what went before it.

Secondly, none of us can be sure if Danielson is gone for good or not. It could be that his release is only to further the angle that you described as having "genuine passion and aggression". If so, would that be such a bad thing?

Lastly, this isn't about Benoit. Sure, he was alleged to have choked out his family but that is completely different from a suplex or a clothesline and you know that. "Choking" is not a part of wrestling, per se. Suplexes are. Of course they couldn't outlaw suplexes, it is a critical part of all wrestling. I guess if he did that we could outlaw all collegiate wrestling too huh? Don't be stupid!

 

[Mr_Ratings]

Basically what WWE is saying is that choking is bad, but kidnapping and vehicular manslaughter are ok. The WWE is a bunch of idiots really.

And you'd think that bret would learn to stay away from cars ( the broken leg )