If Mr. Russo knew what "equalled ratings" then maybe he would not have sunk WCW and/or TNA. It has never been hidden that everything runs through Vince so all the credit being given to Mr. Russo for the attitude era is pretty misguided. When you look at what he did when he didn't have a filter, it's quite obvious that he should not be given a whole lot of credit for success.
Vince Russo "SAMI ZAYN DOES NOT=RATINGS"
- Thread starter Supreme Knowledge
- Start date
Russo is a hat. But on to his points, and I'll respect that the OP (claims) to be discussing the points made by Russo, rather than defending the man himself:
- Not every NXT star will be, or needs to be, a main event Draw.
It didn't make sense to me why Russo was attacking Zayn personally about him being a 'draw'. As other said, it was his debut for starters and, unadvertised. Perfect TV booking as far as I'm concerned to put him in front of the home crowd. You get a casual or a kid tuning in, you get to see a guy with amazing athleticism, pulling off some great moves and having a great match with Cena. This is a win, as far as WWE and booking was concerned.
- Raw actually was a success, as far as entertainment goes.
There were many times during the Attitude Era that there were good shows but the show wasn't drawing "enough". One show does not change that. It takes a long time, and going way back then, took Eric Bischoff delivering Foley spoilers to finally end the ratings rot.
When a show is not drawing as well as one would like, then critical acclaim starts to become more important, from journalists to praise what a good show it was, to fans tuning in so they can spread the show by word of mouth.
But really, considering Raw's recent ratings, to bash it when it has actually done well just shows up Russo's true motives. Make of it what you will.
- WWE isn't NJPW. WWE isn't NXT either.
NJPW is great for people who are able to appreciate multiple styles of wrestling shows. But let's be frank. It's a completely different audience and the two are not really comparable.
Same for NXT. It's a completely different show designed for talents to hone their skills. Some of you saying "Nexus destroyed NXT" is just frankly rubbish. If you're a casual fan and you only want to watch WWE, then that's fine. But appreciate NXT for what it is. And that goes for Russo too. His points clearly showed a lack of understanding of the sports/athletic world in general, not to mention television (which he hasn't had any success in since the late 1990s as already pointed out). Which brings me to my next point.
- "Small guys" can and do "draw"
In a world where political correctness is running wild, the whole issue with anabolic steroids, injuries etc., it just shows how important guys like Zayn, Rollins and Neville will be in the years to come.
Wrestlers like Lesnar, Big Show, The Rock, guys of their sheer size are fast becoming a novelty again. The days of the Main Event dominated by guys with "the look" is over. It takes a particular human being to have that naturally - which by today's society standards - are going to be increasingly harder to find when it comes to wrestling ability, looks, and sheer entertainment.
You only have to look to guys like Rey Mysterio that the smaller guys can and do draw, and the kids bloody love wrestlers who are exciting and can wrestle. Many of WWE's up and coming are fitting this breed. They will draw to the point of being able to make money and entertain, but not necessarily main event. But they don't have to.
- Shows have a beginning, middle and end, not just a complete car crash
The best shows have good under cards that keep you entertained until the main events. This is what guys like Zayn's match was for. If you had only tuned in, you'd have finished watching on a high and you would have stayed tuned. This is entirely the point.
Of course, if you don't like wrestling then I would have to ask why you are watching or commenting on it in the first place. Lastly...
- Daniel Bryan does draw.
For a time, I too subscribed to the theory that Daniel Bryan doesn't draw.
To that, all I can say, and this goes to you too, OP:
Go to a WWE event. Stop being an armchair, keyboard trolling warrior and actually attend an event. Listen to the fans in attendance. Smark crowds or not, Daniel Bryan consistently is the top reaction from the fans, outside of homegrown talents.
This is good for business. WWE need to work towards getting people to tune in. The crowd's reactions are infectious, WWE know that and they always have been. It's not about Sami Zayn or any "indy darling" why the show isn't drawing. A better show at 2 hours, or a better format, would be the way to go.
- Raw's 3 hour problem
If they *really* had to stick to the 3 hours then I would pad the first 30 and last 30 minutes of the show with analysis, recaps and reaction like your regular sports show. At least this way, the talent would be less over exposed and the show would become easier to write.
As for the pre-show on the Network and post-show, put the dark matches on the Network and have a few minutes from Scott Stanford hyping the event as per usual before handing over the real pre-show that takes 30 minutes of the regular show on TV.
Kodo Sawaki
Championship Contender
There is part 2 of the story
Zayn Doesn’t Equal Ratings—Part Deuce
LOW AND BEHOLD! I’m still here and haven’t killed myself per your asinine twitter comments suggesting I do just that. Yeah, believe it, or not, I survived all your ridiculous ga-ga pointing out I killed WCW, I killed TNA, I put the WCW belt on both Dave Arquette and myself, I know nothing about wrestling and Sami Zayn is going to be perhaps a bigger star for the WWE than even Hulk Hogan himself. Grant it, my right index finger is quite a bit sore due to blocking all those ridiculous personal attacks by all those who aren’t capable of coping with another human being having an opinion that might be different from theirs, but aside from that . . . I’m fine. Amazing thing is that even though I blocked what I felt was an entire small country, my twitter followers somehow went up—-isn’t that something?
When it comes to me, and ANYTHING I say, for whatever reason, the Vince Russo player haters just thrive on taking my words, then twisting and manipulating them in such a way where what “they” said I said is not only so far from what I actually DID say, but close to being even the exact opposite. When I stated that in his current form, or presentation, Sami Zayn wasn’t going to draw ratings on RAW despite the fact that he’s an unbelievable talent, that was turned into me “attacking”, “degrading” “burying” and “taking a cheap shot” at Sami by the deaf, dumb and blind community. If you went back, and perhaps had an actual adult read my comments back to you—perhaps you would discover that I actually wasn’t guilty of any of those accusations you said I leveled at Sami Zayn. The fact of the matter is . . . I SIMPLY TOLD THE TRUTH.
Oh yeah, and don’t let me forget, then There was this one writer—who comes from a state which fancies itself by naming their collegiate teams after varmints dipped in gold—who actually suggested that I was attempting to blame RAW’s dismal ratings on Sami Zayn. Like I’ve said in the past, don’t let the facts ever get in the way of a good story. Me blaming Sami for the ratings Monday night is the equivalent of me accusing you of being a responsible journalist.
So then, I’m told that I’m doing it all for “clicks”, even though I get paid by the column no matter how many people do, or don’t read it, and then there’s I’m doing it all because I’m attempting to stay “relevant”. Yeah, the guy who mentions that he’s an old man on every podcast, and treasures his 1966 Batman blu-ray collection—-is desperately trying to stay “relevant”. I had a conversation on my show the other day about freakin’ MEL TORME because I want to stay over with the “hip” crowd.
Here’s the deal, and then I”m going to leave it alone. If you actually can’t understand that Sami Zayn being presented to the television audience as strictly a “wrestller” is going to have less of an appeal than had the WWE given him a character, a story and presented him in entertaining vignettes prior to his arrival—-then you are just plain ignorant and there is really no other way to say it. Why would you settle for him just appealing to a limited “wrestling audience”, when if you did your job and put in a little time and effort he would appeal to an entire “television audience”? If you don’t understand that basic concept, then you also have to believe that Vince McMahon’s “Ringmaster” would have been a bigger draw then “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, because that’s how Vince saw Steve at the beginning . . . as nothing more than a wrestler. It was Austin himself, who knew that he was capable of much more than a guy just wearing black trunks.
So go, be free, back to your keyboards, and back to the senseless attacks. At least now I know what to expect, so I can do some extensive rehab on my index finger prior to you reading this.
http://csrwrestling.com/zayn-doesnt-equal-ratings-part-deuce/
Zayn Doesn’t Equal Ratings—Part Deuce
LOW AND BEHOLD! I’m still here and haven’t killed myself per your asinine twitter comments suggesting I do just that. Yeah, believe it, or not, I survived all your ridiculous ga-ga pointing out I killed WCW, I killed TNA, I put the WCW belt on both Dave Arquette and myself, I know nothing about wrestling and Sami Zayn is going to be perhaps a bigger star for the WWE than even Hulk Hogan himself. Grant it, my right index finger is quite a bit sore due to blocking all those ridiculous personal attacks by all those who aren’t capable of coping with another human being having an opinion that might be different from theirs, but aside from that . . . I’m fine. Amazing thing is that even though I blocked what I felt was an entire small country, my twitter followers somehow went up—-isn’t that something?
When it comes to me, and ANYTHING I say, for whatever reason, the Vince Russo player haters just thrive on taking my words, then twisting and manipulating them in such a way where what “they” said I said is not only so far from what I actually DID say, but close to being even the exact opposite. When I stated that in his current form, or presentation, Sami Zayn wasn’t going to draw ratings on RAW despite the fact that he’s an unbelievable talent, that was turned into me “attacking”, “degrading” “burying” and “taking a cheap shot” at Sami by the deaf, dumb and blind community. If you went back, and perhaps had an actual adult read my comments back to you—perhaps you would discover that I actually wasn’t guilty of any of those accusations you said I leveled at Sami Zayn. The fact of the matter is . . . I SIMPLY TOLD THE TRUTH.
Oh yeah, and don’t let me forget, then There was this one writer—who comes from a state which fancies itself by naming their collegiate teams after varmints dipped in gold—who actually suggested that I was attempting to blame RAW’s dismal ratings on Sami Zayn. Like I’ve said in the past, don’t let the facts ever get in the way of a good story. Me blaming Sami for the ratings Monday night is the equivalent of me accusing you of being a responsible journalist.
So then, I’m told that I’m doing it all for “clicks”, even though I get paid by the column no matter how many people do, or don’t read it, and then there’s I’m doing it all because I’m attempting to stay “relevant”. Yeah, the guy who mentions that he’s an old man on every podcast, and treasures his 1966 Batman blu-ray collection—-is desperately trying to stay “relevant”. I had a conversation on my show the other day about freakin’ MEL TORME because I want to stay over with the “hip” crowd.
Here’s the deal, and then I”m going to leave it alone. If you actually can’t understand that Sami Zayn being presented to the television audience as strictly a “wrestller” is going to have less of an appeal than had the WWE given him a character, a story and presented him in entertaining vignettes prior to his arrival—-then you are just plain ignorant and there is really no other way to say it. Why would you settle for him just appealing to a limited “wrestling audience”, when if you did your job and put in a little time and effort he would appeal to an entire “television audience”? If you don’t understand that basic concept, then you also have to believe that Vince McMahon’s “Ringmaster” would have been a bigger draw then “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, because that’s how Vince saw Steve at the beginning . . . as nothing more than a wrestler. It was Austin himself, who knew that he was capable of much more than a guy just wearing black trunks.
So go, be free, back to your keyboards, and back to the senseless attacks. At least now I know what to expect, so I can do some extensive rehab on my index finger prior to you reading this.
http://csrwrestling.com/zayn-doesnt-equal-ratings-part-deuce/
Supreme Knowledge
Occasional Pre-Show
There is nothing I need to say because Russo said it all and he's correct. Most people either didn't read the first article or couldn't comprehend it. All they cared about was "Zayn doesn't equal ratings" and the automatic bias hate for Russo plus the thought that if it's indie, it's good already took over.
Thanks for posting part 2
The Mattitude Era
Occasional Pre-Show
I think if I'm a casual fan, the use of Sami Zayn last week is what keeps me tuned in. Just seeing the energy of the crowd when he came out and did his thing is the type of thing that hooks fans. Cena had that same effect on me when I first started watching wrestling around ten years ago. The energy that he brought to the crowd.
enviousdominous
Behold my diction
Even a genius can be wrong.
Let's admit something about Vince Russo. He was a low brow dick head who started brain storming content when low brow dick heads were the main consumer base for TitanSports. If an immature crowd demands boobs, butts, beer and maybe a little bit of actual wrestling, Vince Russo is their go-to guy. He can create amazing content, when (as you said) he's given the proper filter.
The ability to shart his innermost musings onto the internet in no way reflects a filter sifting through his bullshit. He's just as filtered now as he was when he added speed to WCW's downward spiral. His articles have been fluffed up "this one time" or "I think that" special interest blogs, I've read every one of them and I've yet to find one that shows any actual interest in improving the state of pro-wrestling. Any fucking idiot can pick apart a form of entertainment for why it didn't please them.
What I gathered from Russo's article was that Sami Zayn fails in that he doesn't present enough aesthetic bullshit to distract from the fact that he's a damn good performer in the ring. I loved the match and I could write an article of my own as far as why I loved the match. Ratings slumped, which a fucking idiot like Vince Russo uses to validate whatever point falls out of his head.
My opinion: pro-wrestling isn't as exploitive as it was when Russo was using Sable as a meat puppet, or when he was using Stone Cold as Beavis and Butthead's ******ed father/step-uncle, or when he thought the train wreck of a human being that was Shawn Michaels deserved some creative control.
It's more important to the WWE to keep it PG, for whatever reason they choose to keep it PG I think that they're wiser for keeping it PG. Sami Zayn is an excellent performer with fans from around the world, Vince Russo is a tired failure who has the time of day to blog on this obscure website.
Russo had the right ideas at the right time. But the thing is, what worked in the Attitude Era won't work now. It wouldn't have worked during the Rock & Wrestling Era. As times change so do the business strategies of pro wrestling. Russo doesn't seem to understand that.
The thing he seems to miss is that between 2003ish to the PG Era wrestling was slowly declining despite having both the star power and edgier stories. If Russo is right, why didn't it work then? For that matter, why didn't it work early in the PG Era when they were stacked with star power? The answer is simple...
The perception of what a star is has changed over the last 5-10 years, not just in pro wrestling, but in culture. Russo hasn't updated his opinion with the times. For that matter WWE is only turning around on the opinion out of necessity.
As the rules that define a star change so do the ways you have to present them. Austin worked because you were able to show him to the audience raising hell. The culture wanted rebellion and angst, so we accepted it. Hogan was a superhero patriot, because that's what culture wanted. In a world where the internet is prominent, we demand a certain level of realism in the personalities we follow. The athletic wrestling performances go hand in hand with that idea.
Anyhow, if this were the late 90s, Russo would be correct. If he were right his other pursuits would have succeeded. The proof is the pudding. He deserves respect because he was an integral part of an important era, but that doesn't mean he's with the times.
The thing he seems to miss is that between 2003ish to the PG Era wrestling was slowly declining despite having both the star power and edgier stories. If Russo is right, why didn't it work then? For that matter, why didn't it work early in the PG Era when they were stacked with star power? The answer is simple...
The perception of what a star is has changed over the last 5-10 years, not just in pro wrestling, but in culture. Russo hasn't updated his opinion with the times. For that matter WWE is only turning around on the opinion out of necessity.
As the rules that define a star change so do the ways you have to present them. Austin worked because you were able to show him to the audience raising hell. The culture wanted rebellion and angst, so we accepted it. Hogan was a superhero patriot, because that's what culture wanted. In a world where the internet is prominent, we demand a certain level of realism in the personalities we follow. The athletic wrestling performances go hand in hand with that idea.
Anyhow, if this were the late 90s, Russo would be correct. If he were right his other pursuits would have succeeded. The proof is the pudding. He deserves respect because he was an integral part of an important era, but that doesn't mean he's with the times.
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