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Tons of news tidbits coming out of the Rumble, let’s get to it!
• #CancelWWENetwork & 1 Million Subs
Immediately following Reigns winning the 2015 Rumble, #CancelWWENetwork was the #1 trend. Under 24 hours later WWE indirectly responded with the announcement that it’s broken 1 million subscribers. I’d naturally be skeptical of the timing, but it’s legitimate (870k American). The free month in November, launching in UK/Ireland a week prior, the Royal Rumble itself and it’s fallout put it just over the million mark sometime on Monday. Although there were unsubscribers, it’s much less than the number who signed up. Since the free month was a success they’re doing it again in February (current subscribers just won’t be charged for the month). It’s much harder to get people to subscribe than keeping them – only paying month to month hopes that users know they have that safety net but will be too lazy to unsubscribe (like my Netflix!). The other good news is their stock is up $1.81 this week following the announcement. The bad news is that WWE have launched in all of the big WWE areas (the non-Rogers-getting Canadians aside) and they’re not close to 1.4 million needed to BREAK EVEN.
• BLOODY JUNO! The snowstorm cancelled RAW’s live event and pushed Smackdown to be a live show. RAW’s sit-down interviews were excellent (a huge turnaround from the bad taste of the Rumble) but Smackdown was back to the same tripe. Big Show and Kane’s combined 89 years aren’t capable of having great matches and helping out Reigns. However Bryan’s feud with Kane was decisively finished in a casket match, so hooray!
• For next month’s FASTLANE PPV (yes, that’s the one Vince chose), WWE have booked Rusev vs Cena and an in-ring confrontation of Sting & Aitch (to further hype their WM match). If you’re wondering, Elimination Chamber is gone from the schedule because it was becoming increasingly difficult to book arenas to hang the structure from. I’m sure it’ll return but I’m happy to see it gone from the February slot, as having 1 or 2 chamber matches to secure the WrestleMania main event means the Rumble’s of far less importance (in kayfabe you’d have a better chance against 5 men in a chamber than 29 in an over-the-top challenge.)
• WrestleMania 31 is now WrestleMania Play Button. Seriously though, Vince has decreed WrestleMania will not be named numerically from now on, he thinks it sounds too old (because the Super Bowl’s been suffering greatly since Superbowl XXX!!). So it’s just called WrestleMania, and we’re getting symbols instead, like the play button (Levi’s Stadium in California is close to Silicon Valley) and a star for WM32 because they’ll be in Cowboys Stadium in Texas. Looking forward to WrestleMania Gear stick in Michigan and WrestleMania Beaver in Pennsylvania!
• MY NEXUS BOY Justin Gabriel left WWE before the rumble knowing his status is WWE is working the C- and D-shows. Hopefully he can be happier working in another company. He’d been in WWE for just over 7 years (signing with FCW in 2008) and is now working under “The Darewolf” PJ Black. Who will portray the bunny now? Maybe Kurt Angle, maybe the Undertaker. Only time will tell.
• Alberto Del Rio (Alberto Patron now) says he turned down TNA’s $400,000 offer (with minimal dates) because Lucha Underground helped him sort out his legal issues with WWE, who were trying to prevent him working in USA for a year. BTW, WWE have added this stip to everyone’s contract after Punk & Del Rio left. WWE’s thinking is that even though it wouldn’t hold up in court, you gotta have money to take them on. Independent contractors, totally![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]• This week’s TNA tapings saw another female wrestler return and a wrestler debut (both former WWE talents) Spoilers, in case you watch TNA.
[/vc_column_text][vc_accordion active_tab=”false”][vc_accordion_tab title=”Click to reveal spoiler!”][vc_column_text]It’s Mickie James and Drew McIntyre. He went through something similar to what Roman Reigns is going through now. Back in 2008 he was presented as McMahon’s pick for the future of WWE; pushed too quickly before he was ready and was ultimately rejected and settled as a jobber in Heath Slater’s 3 Man Band. Despite improving a lot since his debut, he was attached with a stigma he couldn’t shake off.[/vc_column_text][/vc_accordion_tab][/vc_accordion][vc_column_text]
• And finally, Mick Foley DISGRACED HIMSELF by cheating at a chicken-wing eating contest! At Wing Bowl 23 in Philly, Foley then lied about it until they showed video proof of him stuffing wings into his fanny pack. Amazing carny move! Hilariously it was picked up by Time, ABC news and Yahoo’s websites. The winner Patrick Bertoletti ate 444 wings in 26 minutes. So stay away from his stand-up and wing-eating contests!
Latest on OSW:
• Royal Rumble 2014 match review: OSWreview.com/rumble2014
It’s sad that even though it was a far more vicious reaction, it was a much better Rumble than 2015!
• Royal Rumble 2015 & RAW review: OSWreview.com/rumble2015andraw
Some major blunders and a great recovery
• OSW episode updates: OSWreview.com/updatejan29
• Tough Enough S1 Eps 8-9-10 review coming tomorrow![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
