The Ratings Thread - a lot of people watched wrestling on Super Tuesday, sort of

[Emperoreddy]

Some of it is talent having too much say I think.

Like with Bryan, he really wanted to be selfless and step back, work with younger guys, and not take the spot light. That's a noble thing, but he should have told him no, that's not whats best with business.

Like you signed Daniel Bryan fresh off main eventing Mania. He should have been champ within 6 months of his debut and then building towards a big title feud with Punk.

Hell go back to the founding days, someone should have told Cody not to give himself that stupid stip that he could never challenge for the title. Cody was super over that first year, but that stip basically forced him into the Codyverse where you got this kayfabe big deal who can never challenge for the title.

AEW isn't dying or anything, but they had so much momentum when Bryan and Punk came in and they squandered it with questionable booking and Tony not being able to control his locker room.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

You mean 3 time Wrestling Observer Booker of the Year Tony Khan?

It seems like Tony's booking skills are on par with mine when I got all my brother's star war figures and mixed them up with the DC Super Power Superhero figures to have a dream wrestling league where on any give card you could have Darth Vader vs Superman or Chewbacca vs The Joker

And much like Tony Khan I loved having a Battle Royal at the top of every card.

Tony's guys put on better matches, but I think my actual booking of Beanie Baby wrestlers when I was 6 or 7 was way better.

... I feel embarrassed admitting that, but I was very young, and those were the days wrestling was outrating football, so anybody who wants to judge can eat shit!

Some of it is talent having too much say I think.

Like with Bryan, he really wanted to be selfless and step back, work with younger guys, and not take the spot light. That's a noble thing, but he should have told him no, that's not whats best with business.

Like you signed Daniel Bryan fresh off main eventing Mania. He should have been champ within 6 months of his debut and then building towards a big title feud with Punk.

Hell go back to the founding days, someone should have told Cody not to give himself that stupid stip that he could never challenge for the title. Cody was super over that first year, but that stip basically forced him into the Codyverse where you got this kayfabe big deal who can never challenge for the title.

AEW isn't dying or anything, but they had so much momentum when Bryan and Punk came in and they squandered it with questionable booking and Tony not being able to control his locker room.

One of AEW's greatest mistakes was cutting Bryan's heel run short so he could do a bullshit stable with Moxley and Wheeler Useless.

He was the best heel in the company, and possibly the business at that point, which is saying something considering you had MJF and Roman.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

I think that's a pretty apt analogy.

Tony Khan isn't a booker. He's a billionaire's kid that likes collecting things and playing with them. If he was better at his job then AEW has a good enough roster to contend with WWE.

I agree except I don't really know that these guys can contend with WWE.

When you look up and down AEW's roster, I see one guy that's a real draw (MJF) and one guy with potential of being a real draw. (Darby) Edge, Christian, Sting, and Jericho are all old as f***. Christian's doing the best work of his career but still, he's old. People have seen him for 25+ years. At some point the mainstream/casual tunes you out even if you're doing great.

The rest of the guys are just guys who can put on good matches. Is Orange Cassidy popping a rating? No. Is Danielson? No. The Bucks and Page actually drop the rating on a regular basis. Omega might, I'll credit him on that one, but I think he's hit or miss.

And I don't really think you can make the argument of "Yeah but if Tony were a better booker". He's not, and they have creative freedom and still don't pop a rating. And OC, The Bucks, and Page are not getting star treatment in WWE to be booked in a position to succeed.

Whereas on the WWE side you currently have Roman who supersedes everybody, white hot faces in LA Knight and Cody (And yes, I realize some people don't like Cody, but there's no denying he's selling) and you might even be able to throw Jey Uso in there right now. Won't even mention Women's divisions... Those two companies are on different planets in that regard lol.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

One of AEW's greatest mistakes was cutting Bryan's heel run short so he could do a bullshit stable with Moxley and Wheeler Useless.

He was the best heel in the company, and possibly the business at that point, which is saying something considering you had MJF and Roman.

I've said this before, and I appear to be way in the minority here, but this is exactly how I feel about current MJF. His character now is good and he's a great wrestler, but they had one of the best heals in the history of wrestling in their hands and changed his character right in the middle of a title reign.

I miss ruthless heal MJF.

 

[Unholy Diver]

I've said this before, and I appear to be way in the minority here, but this is exactly how I feel about current MJF. His character now is good and he's a great wrestler, but they had one of the best heals in the history of wrestling in their hands and changed his character right in the middle of a title reign.

I miss ruthless heal MJF.

I agree, I think he is being too silly, with the goofy skits with Cole and the kangaroo kick thing, I feel like it is watering him down

 

[Emperoreddy]

I've said this before, and I appear to be way in the minority here, but this is exactly how I feel about current MJF. His character now is good and he's a great wrestler, but they had one of the best heals in the history of wrestling in their hands and changed his character right in the middle of a title reign.

I miss ruthless heal MJF.

Part of the issue though was crowd's were just not having him as a heel. He was too over and getting massive face reactions.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I can't defend Bryan's AEW booking at all, it has been subpar, but part of that is his own fault.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Part of the issue though was crowd's were just not having him as a heel. He was too over and getting massive face reactions.

And that's fine. I believe one poster said that was the deal with Eddie Guerrero as well. That's OK.

Not a reason to turn him into a goofball pandering to the crowd.

Heck...WWE did a great job with Stone Cold. They saw heal Austin getting over with the crowd, but they didn't change his character.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Part of the issue though was crowd's were just not having him as a heel. He was too over and getting massive face reactions.

Flair was hugely over in the NWA/ JCP days and you never saw vignettes of him and the Horseman playing mini-golf or doing hot dog eating contests

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Part of the issue though was crowd's were just not having him as a heel. He was too over and getting massive face reactions.

Flair was hugely over in the NWA/ JCP days and you never saw vignettes of him and the Horseman playing mini-golf or doing hot dog eating contests

I want the MJF that was yelling how awesome he is with a bloody nose while demanding a member of the press try one of his pickles.

I miss that version.

 

[canucksfan]

I agree except I don't really know that these guys can contend with WWE.

When you look up and down AEW's roster, I see one guy that's a real draw (MJF) and one guy with potential of being a real draw. (Darby) Edge, Christian, Sting, and Jericho are all old as f***. Christian's doing the best work of his career but still, he's old. People have seen him for 25+ years. At some point the mainstream/casual tunes you out even if you're doing great.

The rest of the guys are just guys who can put on good matches. Is Orange Cassidy popping a rating? No. Is Danielson? No. The Bucks and Page actually drop the rating on a regular basis. Omega might, I'll credit him on that one, but I think he's hit or miss.

And I don't really think you can make the argument of "Yeah but if Tony were a better booker". He's not, and they have creative freedom and still don't pop a rating. And OC, The Bucks, and Page are not getting star treatment in WWE to be booked in a position to succeed.

Whereas on the WWE side you currently have Roman who supersedes everybody, white hot faces in LA Knight and Cody (And yes, I realize some people don't like Cody, but there's no denying he's selling) and you might even be able to throw Jey Uso in there right now. Won't even mention Women's divisions... Those two companies are on different planets in that regard lol.

Another problem is AEW hasn't developed their own stars other than MJF and he's done all of the work. Wrestlers get momentum and then the booking kills them. If the WWE snags MJF AEW is screwed. Most of their roster is aging and or injury-prone. Another problem is the types of matches they do. Too many big spots so often so guys get injured more.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Thurston had a solid graphic showing that Collision ratings always crash on WWE PPV days, doesn't matter what time they air.

Some people were still trying to claim there wasn't a cross over audience between the two companies, but I think you can kill that notion.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Another problem is AEW hasn't developed their own stars other than MJF and he's done all of the work. Wrestlers get momentum and then the booking kills them. If the WWE snags MJF AEW is screwed. Most of their roster is aging and or injury-prone. Another problem is the types of matches they do. Too many big spots so often so guys get injured more.

A lot of that's on them too. They had Cody, but either booked him into a corner or let Cody book himself into a corner until the crowds hated him and he left.

We had belt collecter Kenny for a minute but honestly I don't think they have really capitalized on making Kenny a singles star instead of a Trios guy either.

Darby, Sammy, and Jack Perry aren't star potential guys to me.

I think Page legit could he a star, but he seems to get derailed a lot.

Might finally be getting corrected, but a lot of White's early AEW career was poorly booked. Dude should have been a singles star with the rocket strapped from day one.

And then you have a women's division that gets no time or consistent storytelling. They have talent that can become stars, but they are wasting them. f*** they had one in Jade and seemingly had no idea what to do with her after establishing her streak

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Another problem is AEW hasn't developed their own stars other than MJF and he's done all of the work. Wrestlers get momentum and then the booking kills them. If the WWE snags MJF AEW is screwed. Most of their roster is aging and or injury-prone. Another problem is the types of matches they do. Too many big spots so often so guys get injured more.

This is a good point. It's like AEW is the (current) Mets of wrestling. Instead of developing their own talent and adding some big free agents to compliment feuds, they fully rely on the big signings to carry them. It's great for the initial pop (Punk, Edge, even RVD) but it fades pretty quickly.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

I've said this before, and I appear to be way in the minority here, but this is exactly how I feel about current MJF. His character now is good and he's a great wrestler, but they had one of the best heals in the history of wrestling in their hands and changed his character right in the middle of a title reign.

I miss ruthless heal MJF.

It doesn't help when you have a guy who was the biggest dickhead heel in wrestling turn and immediately be looking for friends and cowering to a heel.

Like, I can't even blame just Tony for the latter part. He's a f***ing idiot for booking that, but how does nobody else, including Max, point out he's the babyface champ cowering to a heel.

This is a good point. It's like AEW is the (current) Mets of wrestling. Instead of developing their own talent and adding some big free agents to compliment feuds, they fully rely on the big signings to carry them. It's great for the initial pop (Punk, Edge, even RVD) but it fades pretty quickly.

You don't even need to go out of wrestling to make this comparison... They're TNA fifteen years ago lol.

Bring in a bunch of older WWE cast offs who are past their prime, that you don't really know what to do with.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

What was SD leading into?

Because it's extremely surprising considering Charlotte has the character of a paper bag and IYO, if she has one, hasn't really gotten much opportunity to show it.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[GKJ]

Damage CTRL has been a perfect example of Hunter having and showing patience where Vince would’ve given up after 4 weeks

 

[GKJ]

 

[Fro]

Only 1.8m viewers?

 

[TD Charlie]

Yeah they popped a decent number, but not quite what I expected it would be. The coming weeks will be more telling. Seems likely that they'll fall right back to where they were before.

 

[Sheppy]

1.8 seems kinda low? I don't follow much but I figured they'd strike the 2.0 mark.

 

[Emperoreddy]

They have been doing around 1.4 during football season

Demo has been under .5 as well.

So in context it's a decent jump

 

[Scandale du Jour]

If you compare to the same period last week, it is likely a significant jump.