10 YRS AGO FLAGSHIP: Keller & Powell talk WWE Network hype, Summerslam developments, Steph-Brie, TNA's future, live calls, emails

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This is the ten years ago flagship Flashback of the Way color podcast for Monday, August fifth, twenty twenty four. Here we go, Welcome to THEPW Torch Live cast. IM Wade Keller, editor and publisher of the Pro Wrestling Torch weekly newsletter since nineteen eighty seven and also pwtorch dot Com, a website updated every day with news, commentary, exclusive features, live TV coverage, live paper results and more, and also

the pw Torch app free on Android and iPhone. Just search PW Torch on your smart device to download our free app. And also host of the pw torch Live Cast. We are on five days a week, Monday through Friday and also Sunday nights after major pay per views, and I host usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is Tuesday, August fifth, twenty fourteen, and the PW torch Live Cast is brought to you by Audible, a leading provider of spoken audio information and entertainment. Listen to audiobooks whenever and

wherever you want. Get a free book when you sign up for a free trial at audibletrial dot com. Slash pro Wrestling Torch. If you want to talk about last night's Raw or anything in the news, including WWE business figures, WWWE network, TNA's future, uh, anything like that, give us a call. Six four six seven nine eight two eight. That's six four six seven two one nine eight two eight, as Roman Raine would say it. I said, call us. The other half of us today is as usual. Jason

Powell from Pro Wrestling dot Net. Jason, welcome to the show. Hey, good to be here, Good to have you last night. I'll just lead with one discussion point. Uh, Stephanie and Forrie, you've got up on your website. The note that the third hour of Raw viewership declined again after a streak of an unusual streak of weeks where the Raw viewership actually went up in the third hour compared to the first two. I have not the last two weeks been on the ledger of thinking that the Stephanie Bree segments

have been great. I think aspects of them have been good, but other aspects of them have been disappointing. I was a big fan three shows ago of the Stephanie being arrested version of the feud. I like Stephanie Moore as a reluctant fighter who's been backed into a corner where she the only reason she agreed to fight Bree is

to stay out of jail. I thought last week it took a turn for the worse when she suddenly out of nowhere, went from oh my god, I don't want to fight you, or I don't want to fight you, but if it means staying out of jail, okay, I'll agree to the lesser of two evils. And now she's like all gung ho about fighting her at the end of last week's segment and all this week. I can't wait to get you in the ring. I'm brutal, I'm bad, I'm a mcmanon, I'm going to kick your ass the

whole thing. Just it seems like they switched writers in the middle of the storyline and one writer decided to go completely new direction. And I think this is the weaker version of those two directions, Jason.

what she would say. So I think it's you know, Steve Bostin's talked about this on his podcast When you Talk, you wrestling fans connect with the wrestler when they feel that they're talking from the heart, not from a memorized script. And you know, Randy Orton is known for just pacing backstage with a script, memorizing it word or word methodically. Of course, we learned on Twitter days ago, maybe it's good that he scripted, but that's a whole other issue.

You what a stupid thing to say on Twitter and to not realize it. But but nevertheless, he referred to somebody who was shooting with on Twitter as miss Piggy because well she was overweight, so you know she's a stalker. But that's you know what that well, you know what she could she could have like poisoned his dog. You don't have to call her miss piggy because that means she's a bad person. Because she looks overweight to me and she's ugly. That's what bullying is is when you

don't pick on somebody for their actions. You pick on somebody for something they're not in control over that day. You know, their looks or whatever. It's just like, it's just he needs to be smarter than that in this age. That's not a sophisticated in sulfur guy in his mid thirties and as a public figure representing company that makes a big deal of being anti bullying. It was just it was not the right way to respond. He should

have taken the high road. And he has since apologized, so fair enough, but he showed really bad judgment initially because I mean, if he's just a guy out there and he wants to be a jerk and pick on women for being overweight as his way to get back at them for being a stalker, fine, but he represents WWE, and that's just that's just immature and stupid.

just it's not I mean, it's not awful. I've seen worse, but it's not good. And I think it's hurting the storyline because and also we kind of had to the stephan McMahon. You know, when like Scott Hall and Kevin ash would respond to a Babyface promo by holding their fingers up and wiggling them and mocking how scared they are. Like, right, Stephanie did that. Like Brie has a script written out last night, and she delivers it all angry, and it's

really intimidating. I'm going to tear you apart. Two weeks ago, Stephanie was in tea and so scared of going to jail, but she didn't want to wrestle. That scared her too, But she only agreed to fight for because she was even more scared of jail Okay, So now bree promises to terror into pieces and her response is, oh, good job, Bree boy. That was so scary, And I'm like, that just took all the juice out of the whole purpose of Breeven talking because Steph's not selling it as if

she's scared. So now steps back into the bad habit of you know, the Hall and Nashee, who you're so scary and triple as done that over the years too, instead of what we loved three episodes ago, which was Stephanie finally showing vulnerability and giving the fans somebody a laugh at same thing we praised her for when she got knocked into the mud in Vicki's departure.

I really felt that way. I'd liked last week segment despite the weird character shift. I didn't think it was like out of place last night, just maybe it was because of the week before. But when it was like, oh, this is the final segment again, it was there was a bit of a disconnect for me, and maybe, you know, based on the ratings or the viewership numbers we've seen, maybe there was for the audience as well.

know that that is main segment worthy. Now. That said, in their defense, there was no John Cena, there was no Brocolister. It was they had thereat, the great stellar video package they put together on them. But I don't know what else they would have made evented with. It wasn't a packed show, Jason, with a lot of other candidates to be the main segment.

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dollar special and it's not going to last long. Get in while you.

other tiers and receive even more benefits through Patreon. Hey said, everyone for all I toot your horn, but you don't toot yours very often. I've tried for years. Why should people care more about what you have to say about wrestling? This sounds like such a bad way. I wish my phrasing O. What is it about your coverage and what you bring to covering wrestling in terms of experience and

knowledge and perspective? What's this? Why do your customers pay to get your coverage of wrestling when there's so much other stuff out there.

been around for going on six years. So there's a ton of audio content there with a ton of interviews as well. And I mean, this is what I do for a living. I bust my butt around the clock, especially again during the work week, and I just think if you give it, give it a shot for one dollar, you're really going to consider it money well spent and hopefully we can keep people coming back for more.

about your background much. So like three times a year, I corner you and I either talk about your background or throw you throw you a question and have you do it so people kind of know why you're not just some guy hired by some corporate wrestling website to put up, you know, eight articles a day and he gets paid ten dollars per article, and you know, and you can just tell their gloman news off of somebody else, and they don't know the experience to know how to

interpret it. And you know, what really about what is news? What's credible? How interpret that news? Sometimes there's items taken from your reporting, my reporting in various other places that actually our first run news sites and newsletters and publications, and they'll just take a little snippet and turn into this big thing just because they're trying to please some corporate boss who runs seventeen other sports related webs or you know, men's related websites, and that, you know, I mean,

there's there are some there's some really bad online reporting out there that I'll just lead you in the wrong direction. And there I guess my point in asking you that too is just to differentiate. I mean, I feel the Torch. I feel the same way about the Torch. But you've got the experience to take a story and let people know not just what's happening, but why it's happening, and cut through the BS too, and it make that clear.

So hopefully that comes across just inherently in our analysis of the shows and the audio that we do here at blog Talk. But but I think it's it's worth mentioning because there's just so I mean, it's just the stuff we get sent. I know, you do two jays and the stuff we gets in here at the Torch of links to other stories and I'll read it and I'll be like, oh god, I mean it's just so off.

You know, It's just it's like something that they're trying to reinterpret from somewhere else, and it's just it doesn't it's not the actual correct interpretation of what it means or where it's going.

drinking game in my house. Yes, I thought the nine to ninety nine thing was really weird last night, Like it was almost like somebody told them, like they had to say it so many times throughout the shows they're made like an ongoing running joke about it to have fun with it or something. But I thought that was really weird. I don't think I was just gonna ask you is I can't remember someone was talking about recently. I don't know if it was You're a Bruce, But

you know the idea that heels. You know, if they get cheered, then they're not doing their job right, right, So how do you think that that kind of contrasts with Cina and that he has been the face for like the past ten years, but he spent like half that time getting booed by half the audience. That would you argue that means he's not playing a good face.

overgrown toddler wrestling style at times. And I'm usually a defender of John Cena's wrestling style, but I mean, there's things about him stylistically that in the ring look kind of clunky in a way that it doesn't matter to the kids and the women, but the guys compare him to some of the really great athletic, tough guy, more graceful athletes out there that just seem more cool, and he pales in comparison, So he has his weaknesses. Now, I've spent so much time on this show defending that

John Cena should be the top star. He's not the perfect dollar around top star, but he's one of the best, and he's been very effective. Could somebody else have been more effective had seen it not been in the picture. Maybe they kind of played that up a little bit with the who Lesner dynamic last night in the video, But no, John Cena is not a perfect babyface in

that respect. He does his job as a top star really well, and he has so so so many people cheering him and paying money to see him and buying his merchandise that I don't think that gets offset by the people who are booing him. I think that in and of itself, there's enough people cheering him. It works if a heel is getting incredibly intense booze from even forty five percent, but you know, fifty five to sixty sixty five percent of the audience, but some people choose

to cheer them. I don't think that they're doing their job poorly at that point, but I would say they'd be doing their job better if they could find a way to turn everybody against them. So I'd say the same thing with John Cena. There's so many assets he has going for him, but it would be more ideal if it was more along the lines of stone cold Steve Austin, where he's just thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly almost one hundred percent well, probably one hundred percent cheered during his

top babyface run. Jason to me, it's tightened.

minor tweaks. I'm not asking him to go out there and just be someone that he's completely not, but it really when you've noticed that you are doing things that do push away a good portion of the audience, maybe not away from the product, which is another thing he clings to that he's getting a reaction, Well, you know, work a little bit harder to try to win those

people over. And we've seen at times that when he drops some of the silliness and the cornball routines and he goes out there and he delivers a good, straightforward promo, people acknowledge it, and then he'll come right back the next week and do something that loses those people again.

match the other night. He's he's pretty damn good. But then he just loses it. He does the whole thing like with Bray Wyatt. He just shrugs it off, and I know, as his wholeham attitude just loses me completely, or starts making jokes about poop and stuff.

STF for me? And he's like what what? Oh oh okay, uh sure sure, you know, like totally, like nobody dared to tell John that before, like how awful it looked. And I've said this, I would have respected John Cena.

I would respect John Cena if someday he comes out and I'm giving him this out if he cares to take it, which is well, you knows Ben Well saying I didn't want any kids hurting other kids with this hole if they imitated me, So I applied it loose and try to make it seem like it was more, you know, torquing the body and not squeezing the neck

in the head that made the move effective. And maybe it wasn't ideal, but I just figured it was, you know, in light of the Benwall stuff, should probably apply that a little bit looser so we don't have any kids choking each other out. If you like said that, I'd be like, okay, maybe you know what I mean, Like, you know, there's so many other things in wrestling that could heart if kids imitated, I would say, just pick a different finisher that you can apply well. But I

don't think that even cross Teena's mine. I just don't think he thinks about that stuff. And I think he's so insulated as a top guy, not because he's a bad guy and has insulated himself. It is kind of natural when you're like the top go to guy in the company, nobody wants to only Steve Austen, you know, separated from the business, retired and made more money than Seen up per year, you know, on average, I mean've

seen has made more money in his career. But in his peak years, Austin was responsible for turning the tide of WWE against ww Austin has the credibility to do that, and very few other people, apparently, if anybody, has ever

done that. So it's too bad, you know. I think Seena isn't isn't highly self aware of certain things, and in because of his stature, he doesn't have what we all have, which is friends who tell us the truth so without worrying about losing their jobs or you know, their standing in their in their in their chosen professions.

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it's going to really change the tide long term. And I think long term they're doing damage to him by putting in that spot now. And if they think it's potential, I think that they should have just held off a little bit longer, And especially like last night, whenever Daniel Briant gets mentioned, I think that there's still that Daniel Bryan Mania going on. I mean, every time they mentioned name,

the crowd just erupts into the s chant. And I just don't think Roman Rains is ready for that spot, and I don't think the crowd's ready to give up on Daniel Brian, and I think pushing him in that WrestleMania spot's going to be a huge mistake if they continue that way.

that I think he's going to need. And I fear that if it just feels a little too predictable, that the Mania crowd is really going to turn on I just right now as things stand to me, if Daniel Brian were healthy, that just feels like the bigger match

than Rains. But I did you know, last night I was starting to feel the same way about another crowd seemed to be kind of drifting away from Rain a little bit, and then last night I thought they were really with him, and it was so one crowd if nothing, but still that particular crowd was really into Rains for that fifteen minute match with Cain.

raw report. The text version that I put up earlier today, Rain's at the end like said, you know, you beat me down, but I'm still here, And it like ended with like it's like when you're reading a sentence and there's an exclamation point at the end, but you didn't know what was coming until you're reading the last word, and so you just you're reading it normal and you get to the last word and you're like, oh, there's exclamation point, So I better say the last word of

the sentence really loud, even if that's not the natural stress point.

supposed to say it? There they know, they feel their promo. They are in that character and it's not it's not like rehearsal at a high school or college acting class. They are in a zone. And Rain's is not in a zone. He's he doesn't know who he is as a character yet, and he's not speaking from the heart. And you know, It's not like that just saying here anyone's aware of, like they're not going, why did he say here? Really loud? It's not like fans are saying

that specifically. But what happens is there's this intangible feeling when Rain's talks that I think is hurting him, which is he's saying rehearse lines. It's what screws up Brandy Orton as a babyface, you know, where people react to Orton as a top star when they see him, like I've seen this guy in so many great WWE moments, who will cheer him, but they but it doesn't I

don't think it can. I don't think when he's a babyface really connects at the level that's necessary because he just seems kind of soul less and empty and unengaged. And it's just a staccato rehearsal of what he scripted to say, and Rains is more in that zone right now and he's not. I just don't feel he's speaking

from the heart. And again Steve Austin says it's better than anybody when he talks about the art of the promo, and I think it was when he and I were on when he had me on his show left November. We talked about this and the art of the promo and and the scripting, and I know he's brought it up other times and that that to me is that's even more important than the moves that So yeah, I'm curious. I'm I mean, this is why we watch wrestling and love to follow it as grown ups. You know is

is you follow it. You know what they're trying to do, but there's just things that are not in their control. And watching the Rains push play out is gonna be It's gonna be fascinating to watch. What whether you're cheer and former against him or you want Brian it up, but whatever it is, WWE is tentatively banking on him to be a breakout star and they're putting the machine behind him right now, the machine is behind Johnson and Lesnar, and Rains against Orton is a supporting match, just like

Jericho Bray and Brie Steph. In fact, Brie STEP's get more of a push than rains Orton. So kind of have to wait till after SummerSlam to see where they go. I mean, but I think it does seem like maybe they're pulling back a little bit, but more just because hey, we're selling summer Slam and Rains isn't in the main event like it was last month, so that's probably part

of the reason. All right. I do want to remind people the pod Torch live cast is brought to you by Audible, a leading provider of spoken audio information and entertainment, exclusively with this free trial. But you have to go to audibletrial dot com slash Pro Wrestling Torch. Now you see why it's stressed trial there because I don't want you to go to audible dot com. So I'm stressing the word trial Audible trial dot com slash Pro Wrestling Torch.

That's where you can go and claim your free audiobook. All right, let's move on to more phone calls here and we'll go next to area code nine to five two. This is VIP member Brian. Brian confirmed, this is you and the city are calling from today.

the ads and plugs through Patreon. Full VIP membership starts at nine dollars in ninety nine cents to treat yourself to a streamlined, add and plug free listening experience with a VIP or Patreon membership. Yeah, and I have not seen it yet either, and I would have. It would have been nice if we got a promotional copy by now, Jason. I mean not that we're being cheap. I'm just saying

we're so busy covering wrestling stuff. It'd be nice if wwe still still sent that out to us, But no, we got to go out and hunt for him, and so no, we can't review it. Have you seen it right away, Brad?

think he's told the story. I think he did it between the Ropes Dot Common interview where he just said, like he made them, he put the thing off like six seven times or something like that, and just kept giving them the run around and doing the interview because he was dreading it so much.

the crowd is taken to him. I know the company is full on with Roman reigns, but they should take note Dean has dollar signs in main event written all over him. Last night segment with Rowlins was campy, but I loved it Ambrose's facials and mannerisms, especially when he tore up the money in the bank contract. Are wrestling Gold?

Your thoughts? I liked it a lot too. James Caldwell and his report on PW Torch dot com a little cooler on it than I was, and thought it was kind of like, just, you know, high schoolers pranking each other or something like that. I thought Ambrose when he was tearing it up and having kind of that mock, Oh, I know this hurts you so much, Seth rollins, what am I about to do? What am I doing? Everything?

Just he's spot on with that stuff, and you know, yeah, I mean it's you know, the hat and the briefcase. You know, you can imagine Vincent Man sitting in the back going this this hilarious. J b OL's head is covered in colon and popcorn and all. I mean, not everything about it was great, but I thought that, you know, creating a distraction for Seth to lose to a guy

that he was heavily favored against was fine. I mean that worked for me in the spot on the show those in and I just think, Yeah, Dean Ambrose does everything that he's asked to do really well, And I don't have much of any critique. I think he knows who he is. He's in step with his character, and he gives off that sense of authenticity and he's good

and intense in the ring he is. There's that, there's Dick, some Dick Slator, there's some Roddy Piper, There's who's the third person that we we came to conclusion he's a combo with three people, and I can only think of Slater and Piper.

to bee like Rawlins did the same thing. So I hope there's a real slow build up to that moment when he turns, because I know he's really over as a Babyface. And I'm not saying I wouldn't take that approach with him, but I just think I don't know that he's going to be Vince McMahon's guy, you know, but I think he can be a really strong heel

player for them. But I think that one of the real I guess one of the things that stands out about Ambrose to me is there, even though I'm sure he's doing every single thing they tell him to do, just like everybody else in that company, there's an element of danger when he's out there that's missing with so many of the other guys on the rock. Sure.

is again Friday, several years ago. The goal was, you know, hey, let's get the big names on that are current, you know, and talk you know, guys who just get fired like Hernandez, Guys who have a new paper view going on from their training center, but are willing to talk to us like Booker t who are national stars, legendary take team

guys like Devon Dudley, AJ Styles. Shortly after leaving TNA, Jake the Snake, Robertson Scott Hall did their first interviews with us after being announced for the Hall of Fame, Stone Called Steve Boston did his first public comments about WrestleMania thirty on this show just days after WrestleMania. We love all that. We've also wanted to do history pieces and we've had different people on historians like mccarsh and George Shire and Greg Oliver, and we've also wanted We've

also had legendary wrestlers on. And one guy that you're gonna have on on this Friday show I'm really looking forward to this interview is the grappler Len Detton from Portland, Oregon. He's got a autobiography that is out Jim and you've been reading that, You've had You've got me excited to read it, and you're going to have him on the show on Friday. And you are the perfect person to interview him because that is your home territory and that's

where he was such a big star. So give us a little preview of what to expect and sell people on checking out Friday show.

South in the in the early eighties. You he was a main heel, one of Junkyard Dogs, you know, biggest opponents during his you know, his biggest run ever in wrestling. So you know, Len Denton has done a lot. So I mean, if you're a fan of great wrestling stories, you know Lena is rentled in Texas, in Mid South, in Mid Atlantic, Central States, Memphis, Portland, you know a

lot more. You know, he was underneath guy for years and you know, you read a lot of books and you know quite Honestly, you go, Okay, I don't really want to read about your childhood.

in in Calgary. You know, he booked for Harley Race in Missouri when the WWF was breaking the rules, you know, in in you know, the early eighties, and ran a TV taping in Saint Louis. I mean that was a that was a huge deal. Plus, you know he talks, you know about backstage stuff. You know, he got into altercations with with fans. You know, I mean, everybody knows about the infamous Louisiana fans. Everyone has heard Jim Cornett stories about the Louisiana fans. Well, you know, he has

some some stories of his own. You know, he worked for Bill Watts. Bill Wats a strong personality. He talks about his altercations with the Bill Watts. He also talks about a confrontation with with one of your all time favorite wrestlers, Wade Jerry Blackwell. Yes, you know, he was managed by Jim Cornett and Jimmy Hart. You know he he worked with Andre, He worked with Dusty and dB Ossi. You know, he was on the USA Network with Southwest Wrestling before w w F was on was on, was

on the USA Network. And you know, in for for MMA fans, Chail san the guy who has made millions off of his talking more than his fighting, you know, stole a lot of his promos and a lot of pat lines growing up in Portland for the grappler. You know, the grappler's famous line is they got a name for you. If you're a great wrestler. They don't call you a great wrestler, they call you the grappler. Beat me if you can substitute the words Chail Saun and and you

have his catchphrase, yes very cool. So you know this guy, this guy, this guy goes from you know, from the early seventies all the way. You know, he's you know, because of Chail Saun and he's relevant right now. So even though you may not have heard of him, you know, this book has got a million stories and you know, I'm not quite done with it, and it's great and nothing you could have be way before I go. It's written. Uh,

you know the great it's the grappler stories. But there's a writer for the book, as many wrestling books have, and he's a reporter for a television station in Portland and he is an excellent writer. So many wrestling books just sound like someone dictated, you know, a tape recording, and you know they're just kind of, you know, a stream of consciousness. This is really well written. I think this is the best written wrestling book since probably The

Queen of the Ring, the Story of Mildred Burke. I mean, this is a this is I in all honesty, I did not expect much from this book because I thought the grappler that that I had talked to in the past was kind of a K fave guy and protected the business. And I didn't expect much because it's self published. But this is, you know, this is, in my opinion, of a very top notch wrestling book.

the book and extracting details and reactions from him. So we really look forward to that. If you have an email question for the Grappler because you can't listen or call live, the email address is PW Torchlive cast at gmail dot com. Just be sure to put in the subject line question for Grappler and we'll and Jim will take a look at those and filtering questions ahead of time.

So again the Grappler lend and comes on the PW Torch Livecast one Interview Friday, following in the footsteps of other legendary names who have been on the PW Torch Live Cast Interview Friday, like Jake Roberts, Teddy Biassi, JJ Dillon, Paul Bear, Jerry Jarrett, Tommy Young, Jimmy Hart, and Nikita Koloff and others. Those are all big names from the nineteen eighties and even the seventies. So I hope you'll

check that out, Jim, thank you very much, Jim. I also hosted a wrestling radio show in the early two thousands. What was the full year range, Jim.

the tail end of the Attitude era. Really fascinating time to go back and listen to a familiar voice here for live cast listeners and a long long time pros and Torch reader, and that is Jim Valley, with an award winning radio show host and those shows it's a pocket a time where there's not a lot of audio.

Frankly about pro wrestling preceded the PW Torch VIP section by just a couple of years, so it really does fit the pocket of time where there is an audio, and it's really really really cool to have access to those and VIP members get to enjoy hearing kind of a smart for lack of better term, you know, insider perspective on professional wrestling with special guests, live calls and Jim your your review and point of view on big events during that time period, So a real perk going VIP.

PW torch dot Com slash go vi is the place to go if you want to sign up as a VIP member. Jim, thanks for taking time to come on and preview the show and I relud forward to listening on Friday.

weeks back at pw torchlivecast dot com. When you go to pwet torchlivecast dot com, also you get to there are links to our rssp So if you want to subscribe on your phone, if you've got Podbean on Android or whatever app you use on Android, to get your Torch dot Com slash Go VIP is where you can sign up. It's ten bucks a month, not ninety nine, but ten dollars a month. To get on board with that, Jason, I'm going to save our nine to ninety nine rant

for the VIP after show. We'll give our thoughts on that. I'm not even gonna tease tease it, but we'll just discuss that in the VIP after show. But we can get back to the phone lines and let's go to another VIP Express caller. This is VIP member Scott. Just confirm this is you and let us know the city you're callin from.

Ivory enthusiasm with wrestling, the Bruce Mitchell audio shows. I've been working my way back. I'm into some stuff from two thousand and eight and to hear the history of the business with you and Bruce just talking and just really give an insight into anything you can think of in the business. I would say for the last past fifty years, I heard you guys feeling a rant about wrestling before TV, what wrestling was like before TV, you know,

reading the old newsletters. It helps fill in the gaps that you missed from you know, I stopped watching in two thousand and four. WRESTLINGIA twenty was the last pay per view I purchased. I got the net. I went VIP last July based on one of the sales you guys did that was in conjunction with the ass the Torch calling me each day. Yeah, and it just rekindled my love for the business. My wife, I'm can't get

over how much I'm back into wrestling. Considering our first nine years together, I wasn't touching anything with wrestling and the way I'm back involved and enjoying everything. Looking forward to talking to you guys and calling Bruce and Travis on their audio show. But the Bruce Mitchell audio show was truly it's the best thing ever. The Startcare reviews he just did incredible even for someone who wasn't watching

wrestling at that time. I was five years old in those starcades where and I really enjoyed reliving them through Bruce and just amazing and Wade. Everything you do, You're just such, You're so on top of everything. I had a problem with my subscription. I sent you an email when you were speaking to some of those old live cast interviews to interview with Jim Ross in May. I had a problem with my subscription with my credit card.

You were quick enough got back to me that within an hour, reconnecting my password and everything to get me through so I could hear all that stuff that weekend. It was the weekend of a paper on a WWE special, but you were just there for your customers, and any true wrestling fan should go vi Ida.

one of my biggest disappointments is a network subscriber. Is there's no structure to the live I know you guys have talked about it. You know it started, you know the Tuesday nights you have the WrestleMania rewinds and you have the countdown, and you have your main event. You know, then you have your superstars on Thursday n Next Team and Saturday night's the behind you know they showed the documentaries with the behind the Ring. But the fact is

network now going on six months. The fact that there's still no structure, that there's no If I tune in every Saturday night it's six o five, I should be able to see something that like built in, like the old WCW on TVs or I mean the Saturday night Saturday Night's main event or just like you've always said, Wade, when am I going to get on a Wednesday night eight o'clock every week I can watch Mid South Wrestling, or every Friday night at seven o'clock I can turn

on and I can watch Old AWA. The fact that there's no structure and we're now six months in is a big problem, and I'm wondering if the fact that the Rogers deal in Canada, if it's going to be on cable, are they just going to show the live feed? Is that all they're going to get? And does that lead to more structure for the network.

at pwtorch dot com. That also applies to WWE pay per views. I cover those live at pw torch dot com with a detailed written report with star rating. And of course you can find other TV reports from other contributors to PW torch such as nxt roh, Impact Wrestling and more. Check it out pw torch dot com your first stop for TV and pay per view written reports no great topics. I you know, yes, because when you subscribe online to the over the top method in the US,

you have access to anything anytime. And I think WWE has has let has not been as serious about making destination programming, like you said, in terms of a structure and a schedule, because they figure, what's the big deal? You know how lazy they have to be to not just click through the menu and pick something out. Why would you even watch our live stream? Well, they should give you a reason to watch the live stream because

you make it a communal experience. And then one of the things and I won't go into all of it, but you're right, Bruce and I talked at length about this, and one of the things they can do is utilize Hulk Hogan, for instance, to give exclusive introductions and break in in the middle of a show of an old WW pay per view or an old Saturday Night's Made event and do a break in. They don't have a ninety minute Saturday Night's Made event minus commercials, is you

know what, sixty two minutes or something? Have Hogan do have some commentary sitting at a table, use Tom Phillips or Renee Young or anybody. I mean in WWE, sit down with Hulk, spend a day and sit down and actually watch it with him and have him react to things and splice that into the show and premiere it. So you go, you know, Wednesday night, we're gonna air Sentate's made event number three and it's when Hulk Hogan

took on Big Boss Man in a cage. I don't know what what was number three, but whatever it was, and say, and Hogan's going to be sitting in uh interviewed with Tom watching the show with Tom Phillips breaking

in with commentary, do a director's cut type thing. If not that, at least when something airs on Saturday night or Sunday night, have a communal Twitter where you have hashtag WWE network, you know sat for Saturday or you know whatever, and you can at least have an ongoing discussion and have somebody sitting there putting the tweets that people are saying while it's airing live on there. There's just there's a lot of things they could be doing

to make it feel more like a happening. And again, Bruce and I talked at length, and there are a lot of other ideas, and Jason, it does seem like they've lacked creativity in that regard to make it feel like when you're if you're not watching the network, you're

missing out on kind of a party. WW is so effective with WW Nitro by having Nitro parties and sending Gene Okerland or or the lately Martial Art out to you know, these college parties and these get togethers, and they made it seem like the place to be and the thing to do. And I just think they've they've done a thirty five percent job of promoting the easy, cheap stuff to make the thirty five percent of the obvious stuff they've done, but they're sixty five percent more marketing.

That to me is just obvious and just a brainstorming session and a few dollars away from making happen. So, anyway, your thoughts on that, and then also, do you have any knowledge yet of the of the Rogers cable on demand library situation.

want to talk with WWEPR about now. I'll try to get some more details on that.

of days. I guess August twelfth, I think, is when that thing when it launches, and you know, that's one to watch because I do think there are people that if it were available on their television and they didn't have to go get a device or just take the various approaches to getting it. Would would would have subscribed for this, it haven't. So if that model is very successful, I'm curious to see if they look to expand that that model elsewhere outside of Canada. As far as the network,

to me, it's just get me more now. That continues to be my biggest gripe about the network, and there are many. I mean, it's a you can't beat the price for considering the pay per views alone, but outside of you know, what incentive do I have to turn on the network today? There should be some Why isn't there?

some incentive to turn that to turn it on. And I don't expect her to be Bombshelle News at the top of every hour, but give me a little something that makes me feel current, makes me feel like, oh, I need to turn this on right now because because or at the you know, the top of the hour, because there might be something there that maybe they're gonna announce a pay per view match, maybe you're gonna announce a match for Raw. There's just there's really no incentive

for that. It's the only thing now, it feels like that they have is you go there for the pay per views, you go there for NXT and you know what else. Way I mean, there's I guess the Raw pre show and everything else is this great back catalog, and that's nice, and they can certainly do a better job of laying that out as well. But I just

I think that's where they're really missing right now. It's the platform is a young man's platform, and here they're giving their younger audience that you would think you would want to hook on this network a lot of old material and not nearly enough new.

my laptop. I can put my headphones in at the college library and log into the internet and stream it. I can go to the coffee shop and do it. Or I can sit at home with my Apple TV box or whatever Roku and turn it on and it's

happening right now. And they're talking about the gruesome Paul George injury and comparing it to other big wrestling injuries over the years and different recoveries of athletes, and you mix and you talk about Guardians of the Galaxy and Batista and his role in it, and people calling in and reviewing it. And then you also have a part of the show where you go, hey, coming up, we

just added Senate It's made Event to the network. Let's bring in Hacksaud Jim Doug and talk about some of his his matches on sentence Made Event and what to look for and what it was like. You know, going from syndicated TV to NBC Saturday Night's a completely different larger platform for WWE exposure, bringing Roddy Piper to talk

about that era on the show. There's so many possibilities, and I think that would make people feel like they're not you know, when you subscribe to the network, it's you get the pay per views and you get basically access to a Blockbuster store or you know. I guess Netflix would be a more contemper example of all wrestling stuff. And that's great, and seven hundred thousand people are for that, but I think there's hundreds of thousands of people out

there who want their wrestling fix every day. And if we were I think if w do we plugged our show, which they would never do. You know, they have no interest in doing so when I understand that, but if they plugged our show, we would grow huge because talking wrestling live every day with callers with a variety I guess, a variety of host, a variety of subjects, a variety of perspectives, and we're on every day Monday through Friday live. Nobody else does that in pro wrestling, and I just

think it would take off huge. And wwbe's chosen not to do that, and I don't think it would be that expensive and if they showed on Ron SmackDown clips of variety Piper sitting down live with callers, You're seeing it with everybody else, You're commenting on Twitter with everybody

else as it happens. I just think you would have a lot more engaged users and people would thus get addicted to it, and if their credit card expired, or their or their PayPal ran out of funds, or they canceled after six months for some reason, they would be like, I need back, I need to get that back. And now it sort of feels like, well, if I let it laps, I can always go back and you know, sign up again if I'm in the mood to watch wrestling for a couple of months, you know, all this extra.

But now it's football season and I don't know. I just there's so much more they could be doing for not that much money, and it feels like they're pulling back at a time when they should be adding. And I think they're being penny smart and dollar foolish in that process.

one thing I've been doing. I've been going through two thousand and four right now, watching the pay per views, reading the back issues to see the progressions of storylines. No one does it better than the Torch, No one does it better than you. Way, Jason, You're awesome as well. And the last thing I'll say though, is what you just said. Guys one last thing that they can do

so easy, that costs nothing. Why don't we spend like a fifth, you know, thirty seconds an hour on raw saying hey, this debuted this week on the the network. He's Saturday Night's main event from you know, I just saw they posted more Storday Knightsman event show, a fifteen second clip of whoever you want? Yeah, show that, let the young audience see that, and just to promote the network.

It's like you know, how on HBO when you go in between the shows, they'll show things that are coming up that you know, some things that are going to be on the network. You know, if you've ever watch like let's say, of programming ends on WWE network at fifty three after they'll show you some things like they did it a little bit for the new Satay Night's

main events, and it's coming promote what you have. You have so much, you have so much in that ball, you know, just I know you're letting it out in pieces and it's a ten year plan. And I totally agree with you. Wage you've always made that reference to the car wash down the street from your house. This isn't an overnight thing. This isn't going to be we put the network on there and boom, we're a thirty

million subscribers. It's going to take time, and you know, but use what you have, use the resources you have, and I know that they're trying. I agree with what you just said. It's penny wise, dollars foolish. Spend to make money, you must spend money. And I agree their corporate so they have to be looking out for Wall Street. But there has to be ways, and I agree with you, Jason. The value nine ninety nine a month, it's great. It's a great value, but there's so much more they can do.

It has so much potential, and it just doesn't feel like they're putting all into it that they even put into the w From what it sounds like to the WWE classics on demands, sounded like there was more rhyme or reason in scheduling with that which monthly. You know, I'm like, say, wait, I called it April when they were doing a weekly special this is the Warrior Week, than they did the whole theme week and then they dropped it nothing else since why not do something like that.

that that's the number they're growing by. And that's going to searge for SummerSlam, and that's going to search for the Royal Rumble. Assuming the Row rumbles on the network, they're gonna have surges. They they haven't had that that that WrestleMania week type search. So I wasn't shocked by the lower numbers, uh in terms of subscriber count. And if you only listen to the Tuesday live cast, you know, that's kind of your main way to keep up on wrestling.

There's a lot of other stuff going on, so definitely check out other podcasts that we've done, and obviously the websites, and if you're a VIP member, you're certainly up to speed with a Bruce Mitchelladio show and Wade Killer hotliner on dot net the dot Net Weekly Show and Jason's

Q and A and everything else. But last week was a huge week for news with the WWB financials being released, and that seven hundred thousand subscriber number is alarming to some people, but to me, what it says is it's worth doing all of these things we talked about, Scott, because they all they need to do is turn that thousand into three thousand people a week signing up, and there's going to be two thousand people who are excited about some of the things that you're saying that are

on the fence, and they just aren't bothering.

how many students are into wrestling. Okay, little ideas like marketing wise, do a tie in with Toys r US and be able to purchase six months to the network for your at Toys br US and maybe Toys r US takes a twenty dollars hit. But you know what you can get people in to me this is you know, you go and Toys r US and you see all the WWE paraphernalian things that they sell there, the belts,

the wrestling dollars, all that stuff. Well, you know what put something so someone like you know, my uncle, I'm going to buy my nephew a president. I know he loves WWE. Well that would be cool. I combined six months of WWE network for sixty dollars. All he has to do is type in the code. That's more money for Titan and a kid when that runs out in six months. If they love the network, they love the product, they're gonna want to keep that. Yeah, there are so

many little things that can be done. And again there's so much potential. And you know, I always think, though I look back with you to do as a VIP member, you do things chronologically.

put Summer Slam ninety seven up there. Put up Summer Slam.

the live stream serve? I know it's clearly not going away, given the approach they're taking in Canada, but I didn't quite I just put up a link to the pay per view and you can still stream it live on the you know, on your network platform, but it doesn't have to really be a live feed. And now that we know it's sticking, it's time for them to really step up and do more with that.

I believe during our normal time slot, so there'll be a rare time shift, So this Friday, The Grappler Lendett and You'll be on with PW Torch Live Cast guest host Jim Valley this Friday, six thirty Eastern five thirty Central time. And you can send email questions for the Grappler to PW Torch Live Cast at gmail dot com. PW torch dot com. Slash go vip is where you go not to sign up for a VIP membership but

also our newsletter. For ninety nine dollars a year, you get a home delivery of around fifty weekly newsletters who take a week off maybe twice a year on average. But for ninety nine bucks you get a whole year of the Prossing Torch newsletter and it is this week's issue, for instance, will be packed with a ton of details

on WWE financials. Greg Parks has reviews of some of the top wrestler hosted podcasts with pros and cons about how Jim Rossteve Boston, Chris Jericho, how they're transitioning from wrestling promos and announcing to hosting a podcast. Also part twelve of the Paul Bear Torch Talk with his first

hand story in Michael Hayes Go way Back. They were best friends till the Dave Paul Bart died a couple of years back, a year and a half back, and Paul Bart talks indapt about the birth of the Freebirds and Michael Hayes proposing the idea to him and the whole chronology of that Buddy Roberts's role in the Free Birds. We do a Legends Torch Talk just about every week

in the Prosing Torch Newsletter. Plus I'll have excerpts of my interview with Hernetez last week, so if you didn't catch that, I'll be pulling out some key quotes and adding wrap around a commentary for me in page two Radar. Page two Radar usually features exclusive quotes from people in the wrestling business in one form or another, talking about a hot topic in wrestling, and sometimes there's some off record, inside backstage information tossed into so that's part of the mix.

Plus the Torch news Wire, I take the top stories of the week, add some details, add some analysis, put it in chronological order. It's a way to have something land in your mailbox every week, where if you've had a busy week and you feel like, man, I didn't go to websites for a few days, and I'm probably missing out on stuff. The newsletter's a way to just say, all right, I know I've got I'm caught up on

everything for the last week, and I was able. I was able to read every you know, catch up on all the news in twenty thirty minutes in the news section, reading over it, plus my cover story, my endnotes, my page Drew Radar, Bruce Mitchell's weekly column, Greg Parks's weekly column, the weekly Legends Torch Talk series, the exclusive pay per view roundtable reviews with our Torch staffs scores and reviews

of the shows, so much more. My new thot exclusive raw reports with analysis of many, many, many segments in raw also part of that newsletter. If you would like to get home delivery of the print newsletter, it's ninety nine bucks for a full year. If you combine that with an online VIP membership, there's a huge huge discount if you've decide to bundle both, So details on that

at PW torch dot com. Slash go VIP. We're going to move to the VIP after show, but Jason, you've got your sale going on with dot net membership, and let's nd the show with you reminding people how they can take advantage of that great sale.

dot com. We invite that interaction. Let us know what you think of what we're saying, and let us know what you want us to talk about and ask us specific questions. Wadkeller Podcast at pw torch dot com. Excellent thank you everybody for joining us tomorrow. Pat McNeil texted me his line up his guests just a few minutes ago and let me pull that up here mentioned this earlier, but I've got to navigate through my phone here. Oh wait, No, he didn't text me, so that means either emailed me

or Facebook message me. So I'm going to go to my messenger.

Hero on the show with him tomorrow. James Caldwell likely co hosting with Greg Parks on Thursday, and then Jim Valley guest hosting an hour later. Star time that's important. Six thirty Eastern, five thirty Central this Friday with It should be a really really good interview. A guy who's seen a lot, been around a lot, and has a lot of stories to tell. And Jim has read his book, he'll know what question to ask to bring out some great stories, some behind the scenes stories about life on

the road with some top names over the decades. The Grappler On with Jim Valley this Friday. Don't forget to check out my interview with Hernandez last Friday created a lot of buzz. Two hours with Hernandez the full VIP show, but nearly an hour and a half free for VFP. Excuse me for PW Torch livecast listeners at PW torchlivecast dot com. Two weeks ago, Booker t was my guest.

Three weeks ago, Devon Dudley was Jim Vally's guest, and Drew McIntyre his only I think still to this date is only Wrestling Journalists Podcast interview to date, a really

good interview with Drew McIntyre. If you haven't checked that out, please go back and check it out and you can go all the way back to say the week right after WrestleMania thirty for my interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin with his first public comments about the death of Ultimate Warrior and what happened at Usmania thirty, including the brock Lesnar loss. So so so much worth listening to and checking out. We thank you for your support of this show. If you are subscribing to us on iTunes,

please leave the five star score and a review. It helps keep us up on the search results and the podcast rankings. I don't say that much, but if you've got thirty forty seconds to go, do that on iTunes, that would be fantastic. Subscribe, give us five star rating, give a quick positive review if you like what we do here at PW Towards Live cast. All right, on that note, Waite Teller thanking our callers stay really good

group of callers and appreciate all our listeners. And on the other side of the music, we will have the the after show. Jason, Paul and I have got some good email topics waiting for us, and we're going to talk about the nine ninety nine thing yesterday and too and try to make sense of that. So Jason, thank you very much.

They continue to, very very specifically, Jason say that a network subscription gets you every pay per view through the end of the year. What is up with that, Jason? What's your information on possible changes in what you get with a network subscription.

their options open. My my hunch may be slightly educated hunch. And as far as it goes, I think WWE's keeping things kind of close to the best. I just don't think they've decided yet, and I just don't think they want to make promises about including the world rumbled And I think what they're gonna do is they're going to learn this month with SummerSlam, how much can we grow? How did we get ninety eight percent of people who are going to be interested for the next two years

when we offered Restlemania thirty for nine ninety nine? Or are we going to see incremental but only occasional surges and subs and SummerSlam is surge number two? And if they get an extra two hundred and fifty thousand people to subscribe this month because seeing a Lesnard, they do a stellar job promoting it and it's SummerSlam and people are gung ho, and a lot of people who dropped off, you know, sign back up. Then WWE is going to say, oh,

let's stick with what we're doing. You know, let's just stick with what we're doing. We'll include rumbling Mania next year. But if they go through SummerSlam and they end up at seven hundred eight thousand or seven hundred forty thousand, and it's just a relatively small increase and they kind of paste it out and go crap, you know, we really did kind of saturate. We got most people we're going to get when we in the first month and

it's going to be really slow from here. They might just look at twenty fifteen and go, we need WrestleMania to be a separate event. We need that money back. We think we can still get, you know, cable companies to come back on board if we offer them WrestleMania as an exclusive and that gets them back on board. That might be what they need to do for their business plan. Even so ninety nine is a good deal.

The other thing people have talked about, which is kind of interesting, Jason, is WWE Network offers an in arena, in ring event that's two hours long on Saturday, that is WrestleMania WrestleMania preview show or Night one, and then they do a night too that's three hours, and that's what you have to pay for. So you get WrestleMania

Night one on the network, WrestleMania Night two. You got a pay full price for something like that, or you offer the first two hours or WrestleMania on the network, but the last two hours with the three biggest matches are part of inexclusive pay per views, I mean, or they offer it on the network, which you have to be a premier tier subscriber where you're paying an extra five dollars every month in order to get WrestleMania and

Rumble in SummerSlam, the premier pay per views. There's a lot of things that they might be thinking about, but it just to me seems like they're keeping their options open.

People should know going in. Okay, if I lock myself in for six months, and in some cases, I mean I know, you can cancel and many ways and get out of paying your ten dollars a month, but if you do go through a platform or you're signing up dropping that sixty bucks right out of the gate, and there are somewhere you have to you should know what you're signing up for. And it shouldn't be well, we told you through the end of the year. That's to me, it's just shady and oh well, it says in the

fine print. I mean, b as if they are doing this, then they need to figure it out out and tell people upfront, because right now you know if you sign up, if you do, if you roll your subscription over at at the first six month expiration time, you better be you better know if you're getting Royal rumble an elimination chamber, because those fall in that window wrestle Mania, they still have time to play around with, but they need to They need to come clean on this and do it

quickly or I mean that's just poor customer service to to kind of mislead people and still well what you know. JBL kept saying on raw through the end of the year. BS they know what people are expecting and if they're not going to deliver it, they need to come right out and say it.

could really backfire. What what's your what's your interpretation or your take on nine ninety nine as a shtick last night started by Triple ation, carried throughout the show.

what Scott said VFP members. Scott said, it's content. I don't think nine ninety nine is what people are confused about or what's stopping them is they thought, oh I thought it was twenty four ninety five. Oh it's only nine ninety nine. Well then I'll subscrit that isn't what they need to clarify. That's not what's gonna be as fans callb will puts it a call to action to get people to subscribe. The call to action isn't hey, it's a penny less than ten bucks. You know, it's

a subway sandwich and the coke. You know. It's like, that's not what they need to be selling people on. They need to be selling people on that they are missing out on something special, and other marketing does that. But I also a problem with forri ble H being the guy to push the price. It's just it's started

to feel like a cheesy infomercial. And when you're number one of your top heels, is the guy who you know is going to benefit from it and he's the guy who wants you to subscribe, is the guy that you're also supposed to hate it. It's it's such a problem with the presentation of the narrative of the product.

doesn't sound like he's genuinely excited about it. It sounds like he's a pitch man, and I don't like it coming from him. I don't like it coming from Jerry Lawler, who clearly doesn't even know how half the things function. JBL is kind of the heel commentator. Shouldn't come from him, shouldn't come from Triple Ah and Stephanie. I still think you find creative ways to use some of your stars so it feels somewhat organic and not your heel stars.

But if they're convinced everyone loves John Cena, we'll find different ways, unique ways for John Sena just started working it in make it feel organic rather than rather than just the force product placement that they do from out and do on a regular basis. They need to be a little more creative with that end of things. And I got a kick out of that club turned on them at the end. They were having fun with it, especially that third time Triple Ah said it, and then

if you notice the last time was probably him. I think it was him, but that crowd it was groans and Booze, it wasn't. They were having funds going along with it, and yet nine to ninety nine, Wait, aren't they the company that compares themselves to Netflix? Only better? And I guess at that point you better be better because I think they charge more than Netflix.

in their faces. They're like, but you can watch Legends House and in Total Divas and every pay per view through the end of the year and it's just nine ninety nine, Like why aren't another million of you doing this? And they just can't believe it, And it comes across as just needy and not confident. There's not a bravado to it. There's a desperation that I think the average viewer senses, and I think people want they want to feel like they're part of something that's hot. And yes,

I like that. You know, they talk about the ninety percent or whatever percent it was, you know, satisfaction rating among customers. They need to pitch that, and but there's a there. It is frustrating because I mean, I mean, I've run my own business for two and a half decades. I mean, and I'm not a don't have an advertising partment, orn ththing like that. But like you think about it when you're on your business, like, you know, how do we market this, what's the what's the what's the pitch?

What's work? You study what works? You try to make sure you reach the audience that would find a fair value for what you charge in exchange for what you do. And WWE just is all over the place and they don't know what they are and who they're marketing to. And I think they just wanted it, Jason to come easy and it didn't, and now they're just mad and kind of sadly pathetically desperate. And it's just not cohesive. That's that's a phrase I look for. It's not a cohesive marketing effort.

the screen and boom, their center. It's made event highlights. That's what's on on Wednesday night. And you're not watching, you're missing out. And I'm going to be hashtagging. I'm gonna be on Twitter, which with hashtag you know ww network talking with you guys during it. It's like and then she leans to the points to the points to her left and points at the summer slime. It's going

to be arring on Sunday night. And then and then tout and hey, you know you you you want to look at Old Wrestling and you know, learn about the history of the industry you're a longtime fan or his here's world class and here's the episode we're putting up this week of Scanneract Bar devastation in corporation, like show us highlights and get people excited in this in this event center type atmosphere, and and I mean there's just again, it's just it's frustrating because this is a product that

people should be more excited about, and more people should understand, and more people should be going and watching the live stream. They don't even talk about the live stream that much other than right after rob this match will beyond.

three or whatever? Pay per view? That's Zach Gwen fought pensic mannon you know that was that was you know, ten years earlier, So you could get away with not drawing a lot of attention to it. Hard not to mention Lesner and Sena have fought on pay per view in recent years, but it is I think I just was it. Robert Kennedy said, shine a lantern on your problems, you know, don't don't let other people define your weaknesses.

Own it, and and I think they need to own the fact that Lesner and Sena fought, and that Sena one, and that should be part of Lesner's argument.

got lucky before and he is obsessed. He is obsessed with getting that win back. And I've never seen him more motivated. And after the win with Undertaker, he knows there is no stopping him and he is at one hundred percent. Just own it, and then you know, like and then and then you can sell the Lesner Scena match by having Michael Cole say, fans watch brock Lesner give Seena the beating of his life, and you decide, how did John Cena beat Lesner last time after taking

that beating? And is did brock Lesner today stronger as Paul Hayman says, than he was back then? Did he prove it by beating Undertaker? You be the judge. Network subscribers watch it now. If you're not a network subscriber, sign up right now and watch it or watch it on demand tomorrow. There's just just you watch the show and you're solf frustrating because, like you said, Jason, where's Vincent manna promoter? This stuff isn't that hard, you know, they're just.

nine to ninety nine. Rather than paying fifty five dollars for the HDEP, he will give you nine to ninety nine HD same thing plus all this other stuff. And that's where ninety nine comes into play. The way they're doing it, they don't ever bring up the savings anymore. I think they just got scared away from doing that because I mean, it's I get it with Comcast, but you already lost you lost this network, you lost Direct TV.

There's part of me that actually feels way the best thing that could happen to them when it comes to selling their own network is for Comcast to follow suit, and just so you know what, we're out of here, because then the gloves can come off.

the concern from the beginning. There are two concerns from the beginning one well many many, but two of them were they're going to redefine They're going to define down what pay per views are worth by including them as part of a nine to ninety nine package every month. It's gonna make pay per view seem less valuable because now you're charging less. To a degree, that's true. But to a degree what you're trying to do is is

and this is just simple economics. One oh one. By charging a lower price, you're gonna have more people who might buy. You're expanding it and the technology allowed for it, and so there wasn't there weren't going to be a million people who were going to pay for Summer Slammer money in the bank, and the best Summer Slam ever did six seven hundred thousand buys. So the idea is they were hoping to get to one quickly and eventually two million people paying ten bucks with a higher percentage

of money that they kept in lower overhead. They figured this is the way of the future, so it made sense to charge less. Who cares the people to find down the price of pay per view? They were going all in and they took that chance, and I applaud them forward and I made my case for why it was smart, knowing what they knew to do what they did for WrestleMania thirty with the launch. So I'm fine

with all that. But the other concern Jason, when we were dismissing this is they're not going to even try anymore, you know, because while they'll just have everybody's money and they won't have to promote pay per views. Well, we see with that video of Sina Lesner and how hard that they are pushing this lineup and Triple A's talking about a prowdie as of the lineup and the way that they're pushing Summer Slam that we thought it was

kind of ridiculous that they would just sit back. I think if they had two million subscribers right now, Jason, they'd still be promoting SummerSlam as hard because they'd be seeing money growing on trees. And let's just promote the hell out of this because it's such a successful concept. Let's get the best Summer Slim we can and get even more people on board. Thanks for downloading today's show. Take it to the next level with a VIP membership.

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It's some for summ Okay. I know there's a feeling going around that Ruscev is being set up for John Cena, But Sweger has just earned thirty has just turned thirty two, and this could be his last chance to get over the American hero things seems to be working in the crowd loves patriarch to be patriotic whenever possible. He's been given plenty of chances in the past. Falling asleep at the production meeting and the DUI didn't help, so some of the management seems to like him to give him

this opportunity. Just wondering what you think the future holds for him, Jason, What's what's the finish of the flag match?

whoever gets to it first. I mean, that's there's ways to protect Russev, and I think Swagger needs a win to keep this going, because it's anytime he stands up to Ruscep in a match, so far he's been he's been manhandled.

Swager has an out, they come back again. They do another screw finish, but John Cena, damn it, he's had enough after losing to Lesnar and getting you know, beat by Lesner. He's got to go do something that fans can get rally behind him for. And taking on Roussev at house shows in a pay per view would do

it again. I think you can't have seen a battling somebody who couldn't even beat Jack Swager given Swager's push, So I think Sweger can't win unless they really are going to give Swager a big push so that fans look back and go, wow, that was the beginning of Swagger really turning his career around. Okay, let's tackle a couple of emails two before I wrap up. This comes from E Manual, who says, how do you think Roman Range is a tire will affect his championship potential? I know,

WWE's not a fashion show. Who I disagree with that it kind of is, but a tire does matter. Axel failed at a failed outfit HBK Brown tights from a first elimination chamber match, et cetera. I can't see Rains with a title in that outfit. What would be a cool looking alternative, in your opinion, an Adam Bomb style single, it a test tile shorts. I'm sorry, test style shorts.

Just curious, Jason, I'm kind of fine with it. Rains, Where's I don't think that is going to I don't think that's on my top five list of things that are that'll make or break them.

to help and get over. He also says the Sina loses that Summer Slam, will there be a big rematch for the title as it should be, or will it go all the way to other or will it go the way of other big match rematches for the title that never happened rox senem or so Many of twenty nine or in Brian from as so Many thirty, et cetera. And Asina does not get his rematch, well, it will be the logical storyline reason for it, like injury timering

off et cetera. And third to Ceth Rowlins ever realistically catching.

He loses, but it's by DQ, but he still looks just dominant.

convinced Rain's Lesners is the way to go. But hmm, I might sit on that one until next summer slim.

I'd actually make the stipulation for Ambrose Rowlins a tummerslam for money in the bank briefcase to be on the line and have Ambrose leave with it. There can be a good story to be told with crazy Dan Ambrose catching it on Lesner and taking him to his limit.

him label it as such. But in less there's a situation like there was when they had to do these the change to take it off Anderson and put it on edge because of injuries. And I get not just coming out and saying no matter what, he still has it. But I just don't go there. I want to protect your royal rumble outcomes, your money in the bank outcomes. I don't think those should just be, you know, just thrown out through his stipulations in a match.

The Torch reported it thirty years ago. That's the nineties past cast every Friday on the PW Torch Daily Cast Feed.

and still have a job. At one point do you say this guy's unprofessional? In cut your losses? Well, I mean, that's been ten years of WWE frustration. Jason.

lot of good reasons. And there are there are you know, maturity issues and management trying to manage him issues, and there's judgment issues with him and they've been consistent and he has not outgrown them. And you know, publicly laughing at somebody as a Latinus piggy just I mean, yes, there's all the hypocrisy of WWE making him apologize, but because of the way that they are. But it's just it's just it's a dumb thing to say as a

public figure, even as a heel. I mean, you just have to understand your rolin already.

And the Russo thing was the last straw, and now you know, they went the PR Agency went crawling back to uh Spike and said, all right, let's let's just try to make this work. You know, we're sorry, we handle things on professionally. Let's make this work. And I think I'll try to figure that out.

him because of that carrot. And he didn't make personal phone calls to top to bottom of the roster and and tell them you know this is this is the sad truth, and he just kind of disappeared and ended up in WWF. That I think is one of the dark parts about Hayman. If T and A is going under, I hope or they don't get on Spike and they don't have revenue and they have to fold. I hope they do things better, but their history indicates they'll probably

find a way to do it even worse than that. Unfortunately, I did it fight it intriguing that Vince Russo said in his writing his public statement that John Geberrick told a TV official about me, and I was told they were okay with it. So therefore, and of course, you know, we can't help with the all caps any reports that Spike was Spike canceled t ANDA because of me or false then three four paragraph later or whatever it was, VINCERUZI goes, So if John was telling me the truth,

then that means that these stories aren't true. And it's like, so he's calling everybody saying everybody's inaccurate and saying he was a final straw. But even he's not sure if what John told him is actually true. So he doesn't even know if the reason Spike dropped stop negotiations and essentially canceled IMPACT is because John lied to him and said, no, Spike's not you know that Spike never said they were

okay with it or the right person didn't. So that I thought was kind of an interesting, you know, to Russo explanation.

on it is. No, that's not what was said. But if that was, wow, I mean that that's embarrassing and jumping back to you know, if this were to be the end of TNA, I don't think those phone calls will come from Dixie. I mean her her. I'm not saying it won't come from someone in the company. It could be John Goborick or whomever. But with Dixie, this woman hates delivering bad news. It's I don't understand. I mean, no one likes to, but she hides from it, and

it just someday. I'm sure the story of Sting's final days, I've heard bits and pieces, and you know, they had, by all accounts, a good relationship and she just no contact there towards the end, and it put people interrupt position that had to deal with him toward the end because she wouldn't just you know, do the right thing and talk to him about what was going on and why not just hey, we can't make it work, but thank you and move on. I don't understand that.

like Bruce Prichard and John Goburick. But you just the stories continue. Nobody's come in there and just cleaned it up.

hopefully they'll get there. But it's all okay, wait, because Jeff Jarrett just announced today that he has worked at a new working agreement with an independent promotion from South Africa that I've never heard of.

and I have no intention of ever running. I'm never going to hire a wrestler. I'm never going to hire anybody. But I'm going to have affiliations worldwide and a website, and let's see how far this can go Unlet's see where leads us. That's what it comes across to me, more than a serious business plan and execution. But if that's the case, he stringings some people along. I mean, I know people that he's talked to about jobs down the line, front office and wrestlers, and I mean it

so I don't think it's really happening. I'm just for effect. For I'm just saying it. This just feels like it's a satire to me. I'm only just shut up and hire some people and announce something when you have something to announce.

all the other stuff. And we've already talked in more in depth about the financials and network and all that, so we didn't get into that today, but all the fresh news from this week coming out of RAW, I think we hit a lot of the key topics. So anyway, appreciate it, Appreciate our members for their support, and I'm behalf of Jason Powell. This is Wade Keller signing off. Invite you to email the show with feedback or questions or comments. That email address is Wadekeller Podcast at petewtorch

dot com. That's Wadekeller podcast at pwtorch dot com. Also welcome your feedback on Twitter. Even follow us on Twitter at pw torch and follow me at the Wade Keller. That's at PW Torch and at the Wadekeller.

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