The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania XL - 6/7 April 2024

[KK]

I was beginning to wonder what had happened to this supposed Bayley heel turn. Let’s see if she has it in her to pull this off.

[Rog]

Kofi held the title since Wrestlemania, it was his dream. Now he doesn't give two gooseberry fools.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

I’m shocked that they had bayley win the title back straight away. All I can say is well done to WWE on that one.

Also a number of Charlottes reigns have been pretty pathetic in length.

[captain red dog]

I got round to watching NWA Power, what an absolutely excellent show. Its a brilliant idea to head back to the 70s/80s style of wrestling, and it means they can really stand out on a low budget, up against much more polished money flushed competition.

I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with this. What an amazing time for pro wrestling.

[tomvek]

I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with this. What an amazing time for pro wrestling.

Totally agree. The amount of choice and the ease of access compared to even 10 years ago is amazing.

[captain red dog]

I think access to audience could be the major battle ground with some of these second tier promotions. With AEW Dark, and Dynamite kind of being a good free to view deal, AEW have a leg up on WWE in the UK at least. You have to figure they'll run a show over here within the next 18 months.

Powerrr being on YouTube is absolutely huge for them. If they can get PPVs easy to access through YouTube too, they could really get some good market capture.

I just wish some of the Japanese promotions were a lot easier to follow.

[gaminglegend]

I think access to audience could be the major battle ground with some of these second tier promotions. With AEW Dark, and Dynamite kind of being a good free to view deal, AEW have a leg up on WWE in the UK at least. You have to figure they'll run a show over here within the next 18 months.

Powerrr being on YouTube is absolutely huge for them. If they can get PPVs easy to access through YouTube too, they could really get some good market capture.

I just wish some of the Japanese promotions were a lot easier to follow.

Have the figures been released for UK viewings yet? It would be interesting to see if anyone has tuned in (average viewer wise)

[mitch]

Observer reported that Episode 1 did

81k Friday Night, ITV4,
36k Sunday Morning, ITV4
279k Monday Night, ITV1

[KK]

That already puts them into the most watched wrestling programme in the UK, but not difficult considering how far WWE has fallen (and I can’t see it getting better on BT), however that ITV1 airing did make all the difference.

Still only gives an incomplete picture of how many actually are watching AEW in this country though as we don’t know the ITV Hub numbers nor Fite. Many hardcore wrestling fans aren’t exactly going to wait for the delayed linear airings. And ITV has already dumped the morning replay. Apparently they aired the same version as late night.

[captain red dog]

I watched week 1 from more nefarious means and week 2 on the hub as it was up at a reasonable time. I'd love to see the hub numbers.

[Zellery]

I've caught both episodes on the Hub.

Shame there's no numbers for these on demand platforms.

[KK]

- Universal Champion Seth Rollins drafted to RAW
- WWE Champion Brock Lesnar drafted to SmackDown
- Charlotte Flair drafted to RAW
- The New Day drafted to SmackDown
- Andrade and Zelina Vega drafted to RAW
- Women’s Tag Team champions The Kabuki Warriors drafted to RAW
- Daniel Bryan drafted to Smackdown
Rusev drafted to RAW
- SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley drafted to SmackDown
- Aleister Black drafted to RAW.
- Cedric Alexander drafted to RAW
- Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura drafted to SmackDown
- Humberto Carrillo drafted to RAW
- Ali drafted to SmackDown
- Erick Rowan drafted to RAW.
- Buddy Murphy drafted to RAW
- Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode drafted to SmackDown
- Jinder Mahal drafted to RAW
- Carmella drafted to SmackDown
- 24/7 champion R-Truth drafted to RAW
- Samoa Joe drafted to RAW
- The Miz drafted to Smackdown
- Akira Tozawa drafted to RAW
- King Corbin drafted to SmackDown
- Shelton Benjamin drafted to RAW
- Rey Misterio drafted to RAW
- Shorty Gable drafted to SmackDown
- Titus O’Neil drafted to RAW
- Elias drafted to SmackDown
- Liv Morgan drafted to RAW.

Seth Rollins to face The Fiend in a Last Man Standing match at Crown Jewel.

[KK]

And RAW ends with the crowd booing more stupid gooseberry fool, as Seth Rollins destroyed the FireFly FunHouse and beat up Bray Wyatt, while comedy and childish sound effects played. He then set it on fire. The type of overproduced stuff WWE loves to do that makes you very aware ‘this is all overtly fake’.

[coldspice]

Who is still watching this garbage?

[captain red dog]

I find it fascinating how on the same show you have Brock and Cain, you are also getting supernatural stuff with Bray. They really need to tone that aspect of him back, and give him a decent win because it won't be long at all before this gimmick goes the same way as the Wyatt family.

[Mafro]

Good grief, you wouldn't think he's the company's top babyface watching that. He got booed to strawberry float at the end of the dark match after the show too.

[KK]

Ha, they edited out all the booing as the show went off the air.

To wear out the meme some more, this is such good gooseberry fool!

[Slimgrady]

So they’re actually sticking with a proper brand split this time? So Rollins and Wyatts feud is over?.......what?!
On an unrelated note, NWA Power is tonight and Dynamite is tomorrow night.

[KomandaHeck]

I've only really stayed up to date with WWE through YouTube clips for ages now and even then it's mostly driven by morbid curiosity for how gooseberry fool they can get, but I think I'm done now. The only thing they seem capable of achieving with any consistency is making their top people look awful.

I've enjoyed the AEW show so far, enough to subscribe on Fite and see if it'll grab me long-term. I'm a pretty casual wrestling fan so I'm happy to get my primary fix there as well as glancing at NJPW occasionally as a periphery thing.

[captain red dog]

Bischoff has gone already apparently. Pritchard taking over Smackdown.

Incredible to be honest. Smackdown has actually been marginally better than Raw since Bischoff an Heyman "took charge". It's still a show that's almost completely written by Vince, so I see little point in anyone else getting involved creatively.