The era
of Mr Davis is over.
As you just saw on last night’s QuizzleMania, where all this started nine long months ago
when I fired Luke (long term booking), the Mega Jams reunited to take on Los Intangibles
De WrestleTalk in a tag team predictions battle at this Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing - go
watch our predictions for that on the WrestleTalk Podcast channel.
Buy a Support WrestleTalk t-shirt from WrestleShop.com!
To drive up WrestleTalk ratings even more, though, maybe we should’ve done a creepy
doll and Reginald angle.
Oh wait, shockingly that doesn’t work in any way.
Monday’s terrible episode of Raw - which I’ve criticised for being on one of its
worst runs ever since Fastlane, frequently giving the show 0s or 1s out of 5 - has reportedly
drawn its lowest viewership of the year, at just 1.62 million viewers.
Which isn’t just the lowest of 2021, it’s also one of the lowest figures in Raw’s
entire history.
This was a drop of 200,00 viewers from the previous week, and also doing a disappointing
number in the all important 18-49 demographic.
Tuesday’s episode of NXT was down too, pulling in just under 700,000 viewers despite being
main evented by the huge Karion Kross vs Finn Balor NXT Championship match.
This was down 5% from this time the previous year, when AEW Dynamite was scheduled directly
against them.
And that 18-49 demographic again was an abysmal 0.13.
The big reason why both Raw and NXT’s viewership is down so drastically is the NBA Playoffs,
which would’ve taken a significant chunk out of their audience.
But the playoffs happen every year.
My theory why Raw’s viewership is down so much is because nothing happens, the matches
are repetitive and I don’t care about any of the characters.
A theory somewhat supported by SmackDown’s ratings - which has arguably the most dramatic
soap opera epic in all of wrestling right now, with Roman Reigns being the Head of Everyone’s
Table.
Last Friday’s show actually increased from the previous week, pulling in 1.93 million
viewers, which is also up 5.6% from the same time last year, increasing in the 18-49 demo.
What do you think WWE can do to turn Raw and NXT’s ratings around?
Let me know in the comments down below because I’ll be replying to people for the first
30 minutes after this video goes live FROM OUTTA NOWHERE.
I tell you one immediate fix: fire your new lead play-by-play announcer Adnan Virk after
just six weeks on the job.
His replacement has been revealed already, which I’ll tell you all about shortly.
But first, here’s a message from me from my suit jacket wearing days.
I was so evil back then.
Before we get on with the rest of the news, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to
this video’s sponsor…
Manscaped.com, the premium brand for men’s grooming and hygiene products.
And for shaving your head if you lose a match at WrestleJamia.
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Raw’s lead play-by-play commentator Adnan Virk ‘mutually agreed to part ways’ with
WWE on Tuesday, citing the travel grind and his other commitments as reasons why he couldn’t
go on.
Dave Meltzer then reported that might be more virk than shoot, though, tweeting his release
was actually a “company decision”.
And now Fightful Select have more details on what happened behind the scenes.
Apparently both Virk and WWE were “very aware that the situation wasn’t working
out, and it appeared they knew it early on.”
Perhaps when Virk made the now infamous and seemingly totally random call on Braun Strowman’s
running freight train spot: “We’re going to need a bigger boat.”
A Jaws movie quote that has nothing to do with trains.
Or wrestling.
Fightful claim WWE was going to release Virk regardless, but “the company was hoping
to keep it amicable” - which is possibly why the saving face wording of ‘mutually
parting ways’ was used.
You know, like when you and your ex tell all your friends that you both decided to break
up.
But then she goes around saying it was actually all her idea and you cried and kept buying
her gifts to repair the relationship.
I want that Nintendo DS back, Megan, you have no right to keep it along with the fragments
of my broken hear- But it’s all coming up Milhouse for Virk,
who’s been publicly offered $50,000 by the adult webcam platform CamSoda to do commentary
for their Fight Circus MMA promotion.
We’re going to need a bigger boat.
Still doesn’t work there either.
Meanwhile, WWE have officially announced Virk’s replacement.
Not Tom Phillips or Vic Joseph, or even Michael Cole, again, but the very new WWE broadcaster
Jimmy Smith.
Smith joined WWE earlier this year after 8 years of commentating for the MMA promotion
Bellator, and hosting American Ninja Warrior.
He was actually an MMA fighter himself, and will hopefully provide a much needed voice
of authenticity to WWE programming.
He only had his first WWE tryout in March, where he’s since been working with Michael
Cole, who has praised him for his versatility, and he made his WWE debut hosting NXT TakeOver
Stand and Deliver last month.
Smith himself tweeted: “Hey guys, well it’s been a busy day Flushed
face.
Apparently @WWE liked my work so far.
I know I’m stepping into a new world (I WAS a Mr. Perfect and Bruiser Brody fanatic
however) but know I’ll do everything I can to honor the athletes and fans.
Watch Monday and judge my work for yourself” There has been quite a positive response from
those familiar with Jimmy’s work.
But others have also pointed out his unfamiliarity with the product, with a tweet resurfacing
from two years ago admitting he hasn’t “watched pro wrestling since I was in grade-school.
The only thing that would bring me back would be Chael Sonnen as a manager in WWE.”
Chael Sonnen as a manager in WWE confirmed then, I guess?
How do you think Jimmy Smith will do on Raw?
Let me know in the comments.
Virk sadly wasn’t the only person who lost their job on Tuesday, though, as WWE reportedly
cut over 35 employees from their corporate staff - which we can now add another big name
to the list, with Alex McCarthy reporting WWE’s International Vice President of Communications
and lead for global PR Dan Humphreys has been let go from the London office.
This is presumably so Nick Khan, who has quickly becoming one of the most powerful people behind
the scenes in WWE since being hired last August, can ‘align’ overseas operations with the
US base.
The surprise firings were said to have left many “shocked” and “heartbroken”.
And now we know what WWE told those who survived in a company-wide meeting.
WrestleVotes have tweeted: “After yesterday’s layoffs, I’m told
WWE hosted an internal conference today with most of the “power players” including
Nick Khan.
While the meeting was said to be organized well, it contained nothing of real substance.
So status quo.”
Then describing the talk as a “reassurance meeting” which failed pretty hard because
“current employees feel no more assured of anything.”
PWInsider adds that although the meeting was “all hands on deck,” Vince McMahon was
not present - being led by his new right hand team of Khan and CFO Kristen Salen - where
they also announced employees would be resuming work from the Stamford Connecticut HQ from
July, coinciding with the company’s return to live touring.
But WWE isn’t the only major wrestling promotion with backstage turmoil…
Will Ospreay had to vacate his IWGP World Heavyweight title just six weeks after winning
it due to a neck injury.
Ospreay has now tweeted an x-ray of his neck, and an update on his situation:
“Had my physio pop over the house today & after further digging I’m now being referred
for another MRI on my lower back as well for fears I may have the same issue in my neck.
Things ain’t looking good, but I’m determined to comeback this year.
Thanks for all the support.”
Go send him some love @WillOspreay on Twitter.
Wrestling is a punishing art form to the body.
Will is suffering neck injuries in the prime of his career, while ECW original Mikey Whipwreck
has just announced he’s withdrawing from all public appearances due to health issues.
Whipwreck debuted in ECW in 1994 as an underdog fan favourite, who would go onto win the TV
title, a tag team title run with Cactus Jack, and even became the youngest ever World Heavyweight
Championship at the age of 22.
But it’s almost his legacy as a trainer that most people praise him for now - being
behind the careers of Amazing Red, Tony Nese, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Jay Lethal, Trent
Beretta and John Silver.
I really recommend Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast interview with Whipwreck
from 2012.
But the brutal style he worked, to compensate for being a smaller guy in the possibly the
most hardcore era of wrestling ever, appeares to have caught up with him, as he’s tweeted
a statement explaining why he is now stopping all public appearances:
1.
Can’t drive at night anymore.
2.
Crippling social anxiety.
3.
I have a hard time hearing and it’s embarrassing, even if it shouldn’t be.
If I say “what” to my wife one more time she may strangle me.
4.
I’m fat.
We all know this but it’s embarrassing, even if it shouldn’t be.
Yes, I hear the Butterbean comments at conventions.
Lol 5.
I get confused easily.
It’s happened where I’ll walk around for 20-30 minutes in a store with no recollection
of what I was doing or where I was.
6.
I stumble over my words quite often and get lost about what I was trying to say or what
the topic was.
7.
I have pretty intense mood swings.
I’m able to mostly keep them in check but sometimes it’s a big challenge.
8.
I’m beginning to stutter and stammer a lot.
It’s embarrassing, even if it shouldn’t be.
9.
I have major migraines practically every day for 6-8 hours.
Behind my right eye and it’s getting harder and harder to deal with.
It’s worn me down over the years and it sucks.
Keep in mind I’ve had 14 concussions (that I remember) & they could very well be playing
a huge part in all this.
Or they may have nothing to do with it.
I’m leaning towards yes, but honestly it’s probably a combination of things.
My wife is a saint and I can’t thank her enough for her love and patience in dealing
with me.
All things considered, I’m blessed beyond words and thankful for her and the kids.”
It’s a sobering reminder of the sacrifice wrestlers make for our entertainment.
You can say thank you to Mikey @mikeywhipwreck_ on Twitter.
It’s rather awkward to transition out of that into me dressing up as Maki Itoh, but
I’m going to do it anyway.
There was no AEW Dynamite last night because the NBA playoffs have bumped it to Friday
- expect another low rating there - so I’ll be doing Oli Kawaii on Monday’s Double or
Nothing review.
You asked for it.
Now go watch last night’s QuizzleMania.
I turned babyface.