The v2 wrestling podcast - working the crowd

http://v2wrestling.com/5/post/2015/06/the-v2-wrestling-podcast-working-the-crowd.html

Welcome back to another edition of the v2 Wrestling podcast and welcome to all of our listeners on TNAsylum.com and the 606v2.com forum.

Next week we will be talking to the organisers of the upcoming Lucha Libre event in London on the 11th July as well as a wrestler from Lucha Underground – who? Tune in next week but in the meantime, drop us your questions for the show.

Please note that we are currently looking for contributors to write for v2Wrestling, so if you want to see your article read by a large audience, make sure to get in touch.

This week Adam is joined by Rich and Ethan to discuss the latest news from TNA, WWE and around the wrestling world.

We kick off with a look at the biggest headlines this week, including Kevin Nash, Hogan, Punk and Bully Ray all seeming to be arguing with each other!

The show moves onto TNA, and more specifically a conspiracy of major proportions – have Destination America, ROH and TNA colluded together to come up with one of the craziest secrets ever? Has Meltzer been worked? And more importantly, if the IWC and Melter have been worked, is it a good thing or do you believe that the bad publicity is detrimental?

We also take time to look at the Mickie James story – is it in bad taste or is everything allowed within the wrestling world?

We then move onto WWE in the midst of what feels like weekly ppvs! After Ethans rant about the IC match at Elimination Chamber (Let it go Ethan!), we look forward to this weeks PPV and our big question is “who leaves with the title?” Let us know!

 To ask a question or answer any of the above, please email us at wrestling@v2journal.com or contact us through twitter or facebook and please make sure to submit any questions you would like us to discuss!

To listen to the show scroll below or download from iTunes here (click)

If you have problem listening to the show on the v2Journal, you can listen directly to the show on http://v2wrestling.podomatic.com/entry/2015-06-09T13_20_55-07_00

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Adam D wrote:We then move onto WWE in the midst of what feels like weekly ppvs! After Ethans rant about the IC match at Elimination Chamber (Let it go Ethan!),

I'm not going to, I'll be talking about it in years to come. I hated it.

To be fair, it was horrendous in every aspect.

Still not as bad as the ECW one.

It had no redeeming features at all.

Crimey wrote:It had no redeeming features at all.

The podcast or the IC EC match?

Both.

Disagreement is fun. If the team all had the same view every week, then you'd only need one person on the podcast.

I got to say I agree with Ethan. On the (IMO tiny) chance the TNA / DA news was a work, its the most stupid idea for a company that lost it's TV deal less than a year ago, moved to a much smaller platform and would then be saying they are about to lose that deal.

Last week (on the first Wednesday night war), the figures were:
- ROH 163,000 (replay 110,000 = Total 273,000)
- Impact 297,000 (replay 72,000 = Total 369,000)

This week, we have:
- ROH 161,000 (replay 138,000 = Total 299,000)
- Impact 330,000 (replay 74,000 = Total 403,000)

I still don't think you can learn a lot from these numbers (and Dixie would argue these are meaningless anyway as the +3 and +7 should be considered). Maybe in a month there is more to say.

All we can say is that if this were to create a stir, in the short term it has not got eyes on Impact, as these two shows are the lowest viewing figures of their original programming. So, if it were the case that Impact had to generate 50% (to pick a number) more viewers over its 500,000 to be renewed, this really is 2 steps back to try to take 3 steps forwards.

The "work" (if it is to be one) hasnt happened yet and therefore wouldnt have the impact on figures.

The disgruntlement and uncertainty isnt the work - a ROH invasion is the worked angle. If AJ Styles/ Lethal/ Briscoe or whoever turns up at Slammiversary, thats what has the desired effect following that.

The network uncertainty isnt meant to get new viewers - its to throw people off the scent for the big reveal. Slight of hand if you will with Meltzer being the patsy. Still dont think its going to happen mind but it would be seriously awesome if it did.

It would be awesome. But it's not going to happen.

If this really were then it would have happened on show 1. As you said on the show, the discussions with DA and RoH have been going on for a long time. So, DA could have scheduled this Wednesday night of wrestling to a time when Impact had a live show. Or, they could have parked that Impact taping and produced something new.

They didn't. Instead, what the hardcore in-ring action RoH fans got for staying around for the first 10 minutes of Impact was a Barbershop Quintet. Seriously, a viewing base built on workers like Punk, Bryan, Cesaro, Joe and Rollins got men singing in harmony wearing bowties. There is no possible way to make them change channel more quickly.

So, yes. If it happened it would have been nice. But its not happening. And if it does now, it just won't be as bigger deal, it'd just feel silly. About as silly as Meltzer would feel if it happened, but I reckon he's safe right now.

From this:


To this:

If we just assume that it is a work, then this is part of the misdirection.

The next live show is a week Wednesday. This gives them time to find their feet on Wednesday nights. All of the other stuff was taped a month or so ago. You cant film something to be kept secret a month ago.

And just because ROH is the lead in show, it shouldnt effect what TNA is currently doing - the barbershop quartet thing was awesome. This is not being a tnapologist - it actually had a big time production feel to it (although the crowd didnt help). I love segments like that.

I keep saying stating I dont believe it but there is a small part of me that says that it could just happen. leaning 95% that its not though!

I think that RoH being a lead show is absolutely critical. IF the idea is that TNA needs more viewers, then you want to scoop up some of those RoH fans.

I don't watch RoH (just don't have time), but my understanding is that it is relatively hardcore. And I just don't see those wrestling fans wanting to see Tyrus with a sign round his neck saying EC3 #1 and a barbershop quintet singing trouble.

As Impact is recorded, I assume they could have switched it round. And they could have put the tag match on number 1. That would have IMO have been a hook for the RoH fans. They might have stuck around.

And if this all turns out to be a work, then I've fallen for this hook, line and sinker. But if it is not, how lazy of TNA I say to just put out the same show. If they are not getting renewed and extra viewers could have turned that around, why not look at the audience they could have picked up from RoH and gone for them. Because I think most TNA fans whether the tag match was first or the barbershop signing would have watched it.

Firstly, the ROH viewers are TNA fans, pure and simple (on DA) - if they are ROH fans, they are likely watching it on Saturday on the syndication.

I get where you are coming from but the increased viewership will come from people like you - someone who has heard good things but not watched it before who may now decide to fork out an extra $6 to get the channel who wouldnt just do it for one wrestling show.

I am not defending anything that is going on at TNA - I think the show is pretty good at the moment and doesnt need changing (other than BDC vs Rising which is quite boring but takes up TV time). TNA is its own worst enemy but the last thing it needs to do right now is another reboot to try and drag in ROH fans.

How Adam got me to spend $10
If I concede that I have more money than sense, you should not necessarily read into that that I am a rich man.

However, I have recently handed over $10 of my hard-earned money.  And here I have to admit Adam is right.  All publicity is good publicity.  For I have given Mr Dave Meltzer $10.

I said I'd never do it.  I said that I'd only spend money on the product, not mostly what I could find on the internet for free.  But as a strictly one-off, my need to dig deeper into what Meltzer has to say on the DA / TNA / RoH news has made me go to the source.

So, what have I found for my investment.  Well here are some snippets:

1) There was a 35% drop off in the first quarter hour figures RoH to Impact.  So, RoH viewers who stayed to see what Impact is like, did see the barbershop singing and turned off.

2) Dave says as of last weekend the word at DA is there is no change in their thinking to not renew Impact.

3) Dave says that TNA talent are being told there is no change and they are staying on DA.

4) It is said that there is no talk ROH side regarding working an angle with TNA.  (Which I will concede does not say there is no talk TNA side and given how little ROH said about moving to DA does not mean there is no talk).


So at this stage, this is how I feel.

I'm being worked by Adam who is being worked by Dave, who is being worked by DA / TNA and ROH.  I guess Prometheus screwed Prometheus.

Promo - I dont think either of us have the energy to keep going over the same points! I agree with most of what you wrote for the record with regards to the work angle and I dont believe it but I can always hope!

A quick question for you though. You seem very down on the barber shop quartet segment. Did you like it? I thought it was great!

That's actually a difficult question.

I'm up on EC3. His progress in the last 2(?) years has been quite rapid. He works the mic well, he has a look and he is a worker.

I'm peed with Tyrus. Look at the guy, he's a beast. WWE used him abysmally and I thought TNA couldn't do worse. They haven't done much better. But the EC3 "do you want to see him dance...." stuff had me laughing, that was great.

The quartet (of 5... almost as if creative went, you know what'd be better than a barbershop quartet? A babershop quartet with 5 people!). Yeah, I was happy with it, it plays in the whole angle and I've been - kind of - following TNA so it works for me. I'm really down on it, because I think that killed any additional lead from RoH viewers. Maybe just my opinion.

Unfortunately, I didn't get that much further in the episode (other than I watched the tag match). I tend to put on Impact when I'm feeding the babies and sometimes that means I get to watch it and other times it means not a chance really.

Universally, I'm not hearing good things about yesterday's show bar the main event. Though I've not read the reports in detail, just scanned them. So maybe it is because of the Slammiversary build and that could therefore be a good thing.

I'd not pick a bigger hole in Impact that I would in Raw. Both shows tend to have great matches, so the main event in Impact was great, just as I really enjoyed Kevin Owens vs Neville. And both shows tend to have really stupid bits.

I think it was you who made the comment on the podcast that WWE fans might be wanting TNA to fail (sorry if that is putting words in your mouth). I don't really understand that. If you don't like the show, don't watch it. It's not right now the car crash that some people who don't watch it might want you to think.

And WWE is struggling. Raw is fast descending to 3.5M viewers. And they were up at 5M after Mania, so that's a big drop. And I totally know why, I maybe watch 10 hours of wrestling a week, but no way will I invest 3 hours in watching the whole or Raw live.

Anyway, best news of the podcast maybe getting one of the LU wrestlers as an interviewee. If next week's LU show

Spoiler:

doesn't get on MotY radar I'm gonna be as peed as Ethan watching a loop of the IC EC match for a week.

The reviews for Impact this week were strange. The dirstsheets thought it was a really good episode (wrestleinc and wrestlezone reviews) but the comments otherwise!