WWE: WWE TV - Raw & Smackdown

[BruinDust]

I think these guys don't wanna get any hate online so they keep things separate. I get it when guys can make some bank down the road like with some twitch or youtube channels but on twitter or insta it would be cool if they stayed in character. Owens doing it all the time when hes heel would be amazing or if heel Alexa did it to rip 0n people. I can't imagine Stone Cold or Rock going on twitter to be buddy buddy with fans and promote stupid crap back at their best. I get why they do what they do but in wrestling you can try to blur the lines a little and that is cool.

I kinda like Orton twitter cause it is pretty much really him being heel

Exactly. And with so many wrestlers now in the WWE across the board, opportunities to get your character out in front of fans, especially a less-scripted version, is so rare that it baffles me so many don't take advantage of it.

Look how much those quick back-stage interviews/promos did for Rock/Austin in terms of getting them over in the early going of their characters. Just quick snappy 45 second-1 min promos but it helped them get over. I remember a quick little locker room promo Rock did by himself (no interviewer) on Triple H back in mid-1998 where he called him Gonzo and proceeded to run him down with insults. That was the first time I was like "wow this guy is funny/entertaining" and I've been a Rock fan ever since. Didn't have to be some uber-scripted 15 min. segment. You don't see those type of promos much anymore (if at all) so why not use twitter/instagram/etc and not rely on creative to book you in a segment to let you display your character.

Maybe they think they'll get heat from the office/creative as it seems like now anyone who gets over naturally (i.e. not part of creative's plan or vision) they'll be punished.

 

[JackSlater]

I don't get the WWE performers basically being themselves on Twitter/Instagram then going out on TV portraying characters. Here you have a platform(s) that are basically zero cost to use, no limit to how much you can use it, has a wide following, etc. Why not use that platform to get your character over. Especially if your not getting time on TV to promote and develop their character. If I was a WWE wrestler I'd be in character every single twitter post I ever made.

It's such a missed opportunity. Where outside of wrestling do you find the opportunity to have a "character" and a sort of free rein to act as that character even in public? MJF is better for maintaining his gimmick for the most part even when the cameras aren't there and others would be as well. That said, a lot (most probably) of wrestlers don't have well defined characteristics and so doing social media in gimmick would almost be undiscernible from doing it as their boring old selves.

 

[HandsomeHollywood]

It's such a missed opportunity. Where outside of wrestling do you find the opportunity to have a "character" and a sort of free rein to act as that character even in public? MJF is better for maintaining his gimmick for the most part even when the cameras aren't there and others would be as well. That said, a lot (most probably) of wrestlers don't have well defined characteristics and so doing social media in gimmick would almost be undiscernible from doing it as their boring old selves.

This is true. It's hard to maintain a character when the character you're given is "smile" or "frown". Not to mention today's wrestlers put more thought into what comic book or movie character they're going to base their ring attire off of than they do character work.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Ali is the only one of the Anti-hurt Business to get more than 1 clean pin on The Hurt Business right?

 

[CommissionerMichaels]

Let's face it. WWE is like putting GM mode in Smackdown vs Raw on Random. Nothing makes any sense.

 

[Kaner9]

Let's face it. WWE is like putting GM mode in Smackdown vs Raw on Random. Nothing makes any sense.

SvR has better scripted promos but same long term planning.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Lince Dorado dressed like a Megazord from Power rangers.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

WAIT, ALI???

 

[David71]

ali the hacker and leader of retribution?!? he owns sd and raw now

 

[Linkens Mastery]

ali the hacker and leader of retribution?!? he owns sd and raw now

Maybe Retribution is the hacker storyline.

 

[Kaner9]

I like Ali getting a push even if the story is bad. The man deserves it and it might give his talent a shot to show through.

 

[kanuck87]

I like the idea of a heel faction going up against another heel faction. I look forward to Hurt Business going over on Retribution and turning face in the process.

 

[BruinDust]

If the WWE Draft wasn't proof enough that creative has absolutely no clue as to how to properly execute the brand extension, I don't know what is.

WWE needs to stop acting like everyone who watches Raw also watches Smackdown, and vice versa. They need to build up each show as an individual entity and grow the fanbase of each show on it's own merit. Leave the rosters alone for a minimum 2-years, maybe longer. Allow for some history and chemistry to develop between the performers.

 

[GKJ]

If the WWE Draft wasn't proof enough that creative has absolutely no clue as to how to properly execute the brand extension, I don't know what is.

WWE needs to stop acting like everyone who watches Raw also watches Smackdown, and vice versa. They need to build up each show as an individual entity and grow the fanbase of each show on it's own merit. Leave the rosters alone for a minimum 2-years, maybe longer. Allow for some history and chemistry to develop between the performers.

I think these drafts are driven more than the networks. Ratings are hovering at all-time lows, they’re trying to get them to pop.

 

[Kaner9]

If the WWE Draft wasn't proof enough that creative has absolutely no clue as to how to properly execute the brand extension, I don't know what is.

WWE needs to stop acting like everyone who watches Raw also watches Smackdown, and vice versa. They need to build up each show as an individual entity and grow the fanbase of each show on it's own merit. Leave the rosters alone for a minimum 2-years, maybe longer. Allow for some history and chemistry to develop between the performers.

WWE pretends its 1999 and everybody is watchin everything the company puts out. No one cares about who is on what wwe brand show and all these drafts do is give them something to talk about. If the shows were different and the draft happened every few years maybe Id care but until then its zzzzzz.

 

[BruinDust]

WWE pretends its 1999 and everybody is watchin everything the company puts out. No one cares about who is on what wwe brand show and all these drafts do is give them something to talk about. If the shows were different and the draft happened every few years maybe Id care but until then its zzzzzz.

Exactly, it means little to nothing by now they've done them so often. Draft, shake-up, whatever, all the same thing.

They honestly believe the entire "WWE Universe" watch 5 hours of WWE programming every week. Even during it's hayday in the late 90s, early 2000s, I rarely found time to watch both Raw and Smackdown, and I was a young adult with no responsibilities and loved wrestling. Once they split the brands in 2002, I pretty much just stuck to Raw and ignored Smackdown before my interest in the product waned completely.

So if many die-hards (at the time) like me who didn't follow two shows during a higher point in the business with a better product, what are the chances they have a large group of fans who religiously follow both shows? Pretty slim IMO. But they act as if it is the complete opposite.

 

[CDJ]

So they brought Lars Sullivan back and it immediately gets revealed that he was being inappropriate with a happily married woman online

dude needs to log off the internet forever. You almost gotta cut bait at this point

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

So they brought Lars Sullivan back and it immediately gets revealed that he was being inappropriate with a happily married woman online

dude needs to log off the internet forever. You almost gotta cut bait at this point

He probably should be released, as well as Matt Riddle who beyond pissing off most of the dressing room, just seems like a scum bag. Lars wasn't all that great in NXT, he was just another crappy big dude. But knowing WWE they'll make it his character and next thing we know he'll be punting babies into the crowd.

 

[CDJ]

He probably should be released, as well as Matt Riddle who beyond pissing off most of the dressing room, just seems like a scum bag. Lars wasn't all that great in NXT, he was just another crappy big dude. But knowing WWE they'll make it his character and next thing we know he'll be punting babies into the crowd.

Matt riddle is a talented mixed martial artist and apparently him +3 other people can’t go over on Lars by himself. It’s kind of funny because Matt Riddle would probably destroy him in a real fight

The riddle stuff is sketchy but the Lars stuff is horrible

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

The stuff around the backstage stuff especially around Seth Rollins is disturbing, its not the first time he's gotten major heat for being an idiot.

Lars is just creepy, and not in a character creepy. Plus he's just another really crappy big man.

 

[BostonBob]

In more " well it worked out so well the first time " news - Eva Marie is apparently headed back to the WWE.

cultaholic.com:

Since parting ways with WWE in August 2017, Eva Marie has focussed on acting and appeared in multiple action movies alongside the likes of Bruce Willis and Nicolas Cage.

She recently hinted at a WWE return, though, and told Reel Talker's Jim Alexander that she has "some unfinished business" as a WWE Superstar.

Cultaholic can now exclusively report that Eva Marie is set to return to WWE. Her second debut may also be imminent as a source within the company told us the former Total Divas star could return as soon as tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw.

Marie previously wrestled in WWE from 2013 to 2017 and had memorable runs on NXT and SmackDown. During her last stint on the main roster, she was involved in a storyline where she used different excuses to avoid in-ring action. This included her claiming to be stuck in traffic and an on-air wardrobe malfunction. Marie also starred in the first six seasons of Total Divas until she and WWE agreed to part ways in August 2017.

 

[dahrougem2]

Lars Sullivan isn't even good.

When WWE wants to push the bigger guys, I usually like to think they're uber-athletic but Sullivan looks like he struggles to move.

 

[xtra]

So did retribution speak?

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

On the Eva Marie thing I get it. It just feels like the Woman's division has gone a bit off of the rails. Also they're lacking what Eva Marie can do, which is generate heat. She was exceptionally good at it, especially when she went back to NXT. We know she's as athletic as a brick, and can't wrestle worth a lick. but her character portrayal which is a real reflection of her was always very good.

I doubt they're bringing her back to wrestle though, more likely she's going to valet . . . The Fiend and Alexa

 

[Sheppy]

The stuff around the backstage stuff especially around Seth Rollins is disturbing, its not the first time he's gotten major heat for being an idiot.

Lars is just creepy, and not in a character creepy. Plus he's just another really crappy big man.

I feel like he's becoming mid-late 90's HBK in terms of being an absolute shit head.