Coming up, is the USA Network already disappointed with NXT 2.0? A WWE commentator shoots on
the Saudi shows and one former WWE star begs for their job back.
So subscribe to WrestleTalk if you haven’t already because we’ve got daily news to
keep you up to date in the goings on in ring, in gorilla and backstage, but also because
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about it on Twitter. He never checks Twitter, he’s going to be like what the hell in about
five months time. Onto the news and the multicoloured unicorn
version of NXT, otherwise known as NXT 2.0 is a couple of weeks into its life, bravely
setting out to promote newer younger talent in singlets and bring in a younger demographic
to the product which has traditionally skewed slightly older than the golden 18-49 demo.
Well according to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics this week’s episode DID NOT do that, he
reported that the median age of viewers for this week was 62 years old.
Thurston pointed out that the median number going up doesn’t mean that the number of
50+ viewers has increased, that number is apparently stable, it instead means that the
youngest end of the spectrum has risen, indicating that the younger viewers WWE wanted to court
with this revised product might be switching off.
Interesting Brandon also noted that less women in the 18-49 demo are also watching the product
now that it focuses on great big slabs of meat.
Following on from this Andrew Zarian decided to contact a source at the USA Network to
get the inside scoop on how they viewed this dip:
He said: “The is all to bring a new younger viewer who is connected with pop culture & trends.
Needless to say, the demo numbers are disappointing but we are hopeful this is just a bump in
the road” Hopefully NXT can stay the course and does
begin to bring in the younger eyes it so desperately wants, otherwise we could try NXT 3.0?
NXT 3.0 would just be the old NXT again, go back to the well.
Speaking of going back to the well. The well, well, well look who's come crawling back.
One WWE star released during the company’s glut of firings recently was Braun Strowman,
which came as a surprise to many as he had recently been featured in plenty of high profile
storylines during the pandemic. Since his release Strowman has wrestled EC3
for his control the narrative promotion, but hasn’t signed with any new promotion.
Now Ringside News are reporting that Strowman “keeps trying to get his job back” with
WWE, but they currently have no interest in signing him.
Which must be a tough position to find yourself in when you are the archetypical WWE wrestler
and they’ve also just rebranded a show to focus on BIG DUDES, there’s none bigger.
And it’s even more frustrating considering the seemingly arbitrary nature of the cuts,
as there are other stars in the company reportedly unhappy with their booking and looking to
leave. We spoke about this a few weeks back, but
Gran Metalik of Lucha House Party was said to have asked for his WWE release, but the
king of the ropes is currently tied up with his contract,
Now Insider has confirmed that Metalik not only asked for his release, but both he and
tag partner Lince Dorado have been spotted at television tapings waiting to speak with
higher ups about their unhappiness with how they are booked.
Someone quite happy with his current WWE booking is Smackdown Commentator Pat McAfee who is
dead pleased that he doesn’t have to go to Saudi Arabia to commentate on Crown Jewel.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show he said: “Yeah, [WWE is] heading over there. I wasn’t
invited. It’s a real shame. Good luck.” “I’m not gonna be a part of that. Hey
listen, I’m not supposed to be a part of that. I’m happy I’m not going or whatever.
But I don’t know how that whole thing plays out 10 years, 20 years from now, looking back
on it. But the shows, everybody said it is insane over there. It’s awesome. Until they
get stuck there, and then I got to call Buffalo SmackDown.”
Pat obviously referencing the infamous incident in which the plane full of WWE stars was stranded
at the airport following Crown Jewel 2019 and a reported dispute with Saudi authorities,
so Smackdown ended up featuring a lot of NXT talent and Pat McAfee was flown into Buffalo
to provide commentary. Pat’s relief at not being sent to Saudi
Arabia is understandable then, as likely is his call that you don’t know how the whole
thing plays out 10-20 years from now. Though I’m not sure WWE is super worried
about the long term PR implications of working with the Saudi regime, because MONEY.
How much MONEY, we’re gonna find out pretty soon as the company have announced that their
next quarterly earnings call is going to take place on Thursday 4th November.
As the company have returned to touring and trimmed a lot of staff, we could see some
bumper amounts, especially as last quarter their revenue increased 19%.
Let’s hop the barricade and talk AEW for a moment/more specifically CM Punk.
Punk is obviously well known for speaking his mind when it comes to his relationship
to his former wrestling company and has spoken at length before about how he feels he should
have main evented more as WWE Champion and obviously infamously aired some shoot/kayfabe
grievances in the legendary pipe bomb promo. Speaking to Sport1, Punk said that to deliver
the promo he had to sneak a draft past Vince: He said: “Everything was real. I had to
write a draft for Vince and I didn’t say anything about what was in that draft. I knew
what I was going to say and I knew that I wasn’t going beyond certain limits. But
what was also clear to me is live TV is a business in which it is easier to get forgiveness
afterwards than a permit beforehand,” “I gave him a wrong draft and had it approved,
said “Yes, okay” when he was still suggesting that I should make fun of his daughter Stephanie,
and then I did something else. But because what I did was good, he wasn’t mad.”
I love the idea of Vince just offering out his kids as punching bags - ooh ohh make fun
of Stephanie, I love when people do that. Such severely weird dad energy.
Now Punk is obviously the saviour of all wrestling and produced legitimate tears from Oli Davis,
something I wasn’t sure he was capable of - I thought they’d removed the ducts during
the hair transplant. But even Punk’s return to wrestling can’t
stop the ebbs and flows of viewership for the good ship AEW.
This week’s Dynamite’s Anniversary Show drew 1.053 million viewers according to Brandon
Thurston, which is the lowest figure since September first and significantly down from
last week’s 1.152 million. Could be the views stabilising after a bumper
month of shows and reveals, post-PPV fatigue or maybe it’s the fact that no insane dream
match was advertised for this show. Who knows. Back to WWE for the last bits of news and
Eddie Guerrero’s son Dominik Mysterio has been talking about legacy and his wrestling
character. For a while before his debut it was rumoured
that Dominik might be appearing in WWE under the name Prince Mysterio, but instead ended
up going by Dominik and not wearing a luchador mask like his father.
Dom recently guested on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin and spoke about living
up to the legacy saying his father Rey has left him big shoes to fill and he wants to
try to “live up to the Mysterio name”. But not just live up to it, inhabit it, own
it as he said the “The long goal, the endgame, is to eventually take over the Rey Mysterio
name. That’s the legacy within it, he’s Rey Mysterio, it’s only right to make it
junior. Traditional and Lucha culture and Hispanic culture, that’s tradition, that’s
what you do. I kind of showed up and Dom Mysterio just organically happened. Everything happened
so fast, we didn’t get a chance to put these little things together but we’ve definitely
talked about it. He’s mentioned it before, the mask is something that I have to earn
along with the name so one day if he wants to pass it onto me after he retires or wants
to make me earn it after he retires, whatever it is I’m up for it.
Dominik versus Rey retirement match for the mask - I am into it.
Speaking of luchadors and legacy, Legado del Fantasma have a big opportunity when Santos
Escobar goes up against Isaiah Swerve Scott for the North American title next week following
Hit Row’s main roster call up. But while likely that Santos will be securing
his second NXT belt, the faction leader already has his eye on the next move.
Speaking with Pro Wrestling 4 Life hs said that:
‘Do I still need to do more on NXT? While they keep me there, I’ll take everything.
I’ll take everything they put in front of me. Should they bring all of us to SmackDown,
we’ll be ready. We’re not only ready, we’re hungry. We have a mentality of business.”
“Right now, we have a lot going on in NXT, but should that happen, there’s something
I want to do and that’s work with Rey. I know, now it’s probably a cliche to work
with Rey, but it’s important to me. I call myself the Emperor of Lucha Libre. He would
love to work with me as well. I know it.” Santos has previously worked with Rey in Lucha
Underground and around Mexico, but seeing them together on a WWE stage, ooh, c’est
magnifique. I think that’s uh Spanish. Speaking of I think that’s uh.
Karrion Kross’s ring gear, I think that’s uh, sort of a… a sex thing?
I dunno, anyhoo, back on the August 23rd edition of Raw Karrion Kross debuted new ring gear
with a helmet and straps looking like someone who has gone to the Torture Garden as one
of the Masters of the Universe - HimMan. Talking with Table Talk Kross clarified the
inspiration for the new gear stating: “I’m not entirely sure at this point.
I had received a briefing about, I guess it was a creative team conversation, a series
of people attempting to expand on the original concept that was presented during NXT. I guess
it was a team of people. The direction I think they were attempting to go in was essentially
a gladiator idea. I had introduced the lower body gear at NXT when I competed against Finn
Balor to get the title back. My original concept was like, this feels like
what the coliseum days would be like. We’re in a circular area with people around.”
The most shocking thing about that
is that this took a team of people.