WWE leaks more false info to the internet

[Evolution]

Source: PWInsider.com

WWE has been throwing out some false information for a while in hopes of catching internet leaks. The Ric Flair/General Manager “spoiler” was one of these red herring leaks, and another red herring came out last week with the RAW rating. The real rating for the first hour was a 3.03, while the first hour rating given by the company to some employees was a 3.3.

WWE employees used to be allowed to leak out the ratings to the media, probably because they were so high and the company was proud of them. However, shortly after WrestleMania 18 in 2002, leaking ratings to the internet was forbidden as the company’s numbers started to head south.

If WWE is able to pinpoint the person who leaked out the false 3.3 number, he or she will likely be fired. There’s no word on whether anyone lost their jobs or not over the Flair leak.



Haha, this is becoming a funny obsession for WWE.

[Hammy]

Fair play, I can't resist spoilers but if they aren't there, great, surprises are much better.

[Izzy]

The franchise has arrived!

I am all for WWE cracking down - the internet is ruining the 'surprise'

...of course we could just stop reading spoilers....hmmm

[Hammy]

We could but its the nature of lifestyles as well, its a click away.  When I'm not training I spend a considerable amount of time online and KNOWING the results are there its too tempting, knowing future storylines are.  I'd be tempted if I knew WWE was "more" open, but they aren't.  Heck back in the day some guys got released and they didn't say a damn thing, it wasn't until 12 months had gone by and you hadn't seen them that you guessed they'd been released or something, checking the dirt sheets is all you can do to keep up with things sometimes.  I mean as well, Kennedy has been released, we wish him well in his future endeavours etc. and so on, but why?  People want to know.

Imagine how the internet could have ruined some classic storylines like the Outsiders invading WCW.  You would have been told who was showing up each and every week, the why's, what's and so on, there wouldn't be the classic grey areas.  I mean watching it, it worked so well because people thought WWF was invading.  T'Internet wouldn't of ruined it thats going over the top but it would have taken the shine from it.  Watching it myself now, from what I've read over the years, I have a basic idea of what happens, but not quite when and how, so there are many cool surprises and gems...

[D]

I have learned in my years of being on the net, that it spoils everything and makes things suck.

Imagine Chinese Democracy and how great or at least how much better it would've been if u didn't post on a GNR forum and u heard it from scratch with no expectation, hype or frustration?

Wrestling, I am convinced sucks now, because we talk about it so much and have become so smart to it, that it doesn't surprise us anymore and we have become harder and harder to please.

[Hammy]

We have become harder to please but in many ways because they have seemingly hit the glass ceiling you are left saying, where do they go now?

I remember the days when a steel chair shot or a table bump made you go holy ****!  Now you need a Triple Jump Moonsault off a 100 foot ladder through 60 tables to get a good pop, which is why in many respects I'm learning to be content with watching good wrestling while not being blown away.

ECW/Superstars/Smackdown is a really good combination, solid wrestling and youth.

RAW is stale and...the pits.

The biggest problem though is no new ground is being treaded, spoilers or not.

On top of that, things in many respects do feel too structured, old promos were crazy off the hook intensity wise, I just don't feel that vibe now.  Yet I do off re-runs, that tells me it isn't just me, things have still changed.

When was the last boom period?  When the roster was **** by WCW and forced to freshen up.  ECW, Superstars and Smackdown have to an extent that feel, the balance is great on the whole, they have the right veterans - Edge, Jeff Hardy, Christian and some very good young talent.  It may only be a few weeks old but Punk's Title Reign is looking pretty damn cool, he's very entertaining in his Tweener role...

[Izzy]

The net is an issue - but while it can rob an angle of the ''surprise'' it cant make an angle suck

Just like u can watch the same film multiple times - quality shines through even when you know the outcome

The net alone isnt to blame

[Hammy]

Thats true because the past few weeks I've watched RAW spoiler free and it has been blah.

Yet I've read the spoilers for ECW, Superstars and Smackdown for the past few weeks and enjoyed 'em loads knowing what was happening.

My likening of it to the Nitro things was there was a surprise/shock/debut nearly EVERY week over a few month period, I'm guessing most in the current climate would have been wrecked.

[D]

Good points guys. Vince has gotten lazy hence the Mcmahon vs insert here angles.

It worked with Stone Cold for a reason. It just doesn't work the same with anyone else cause nobody can pull it off like SC.

I think the announcers are very stale and seem to mail it in. most of the wrestlers seem very uninterested in what they are doing.

when was the last time u saw a cool innovative move or match?

[Hammy]

I think Morrison vs. Edge was the TV match of the year, it was quality stuff, you don't always have to bust out completely new moves, fast paced, great near falls and counters and it was different because you hadn't seem them face each other 100 times over.  It's a shame you don't get Smackdown D, isn't your connection good enough to use torrent sites?  There is actually the site wwedaily.com, this weeks is up there now, surprised they get away with it.

[Izzy]

WWE fails because they work within strict rules

Great drama doesnt get made to order, it cant exist like this

Nothing is surprising in WWE because u KNOW where the line is drawn. Two guys on top of the announce table - u know we wont get a pedigree through it

You know the chair shot wont yeild blood - so the whole effect is gone

Daffney got slammed in tacks - a woman! Tacks! Its shocking because its unexpected, its that bit daring

Drama needs to seem natural - it cant be so blatantly staged

[James Lofton]

If the internet and these spoilers existed in the 80s, the wrestling boom never would have occurred. It needed that magic and suspension of disbelief to take off.

Tell the world a week before Wrestlemania III that Hogan is going to win, that stadium is half empty.

[D]

I don't really read internet spoilers anymore and it really doesn't change much.

I think being older and knowing how everything works ruins the magic.

Would u really want to see Copperfield or David Blaine if u knew exactly how each trick was performed?

Vince is like the record company

CD's led to a music business boom but as soon as people got smart, it led to the demise

same with wrestling. At first letting people in on wrestling caused the huge Attitude boom, now people know how things work and it is no longer interesting.

[Hammy]

same with wrestling. At first letting people in on wrestling caused the huge Attitude boom, now people know how things work and it is no longer interesting.

Thats the thing, for the entertaining Era that it was I think long term is been very damaging.  You've let people in, shortened their attention spans.  Got them used to weapons, blood etc.

Admittedly some WWE matches can be dull now, but many are good, IF you are a fan of the 80s style, in many ways WWE's style is a slightly evolved version.  In the 80s fans could get into headlocks...

[James Lofton]

I think being older and knowing how everything works ruins the magic.

I don't agree with the older part, but yes letting people in on how things work definitely altered the 'sport' forever.

My grandpa was a **** wrestling fan for decades. While he did dabble in WWF, he mainly watched NWA/WCW. He literally washed his hands forever of wrestling when Garvin won the belt from Flair. NWA actually lost quite a few fans over this decision. Garvin's short title reign made zero sense. The two weren't even really feuding at the time. To make matters worse, it was immediately announced that Garvin would NOT defend the title until a Flair rematch months down the road at Starrcade. To add insult to injury, NWA was the only organization to ever enforce the 30 day title defense rule. Now they were giving the new world champ an instant free pass.

I do not remember how the info came out(I'll assume a magazine), but come to find out, Flair was simply taking a vacation and NWA wanted to give the belt to someone for a short reign and then give it back to Flair at Starrcade. NOBODY wanted the belt under these circumstances. NOBODY, and they had no shortage of great talent in the promotion. Garvin was the only person dumb enough to do it.

My grandpa basically said, "That's enough of that...", and never watched it again.

Garvin gets booed everywhere he goes, and at the rematch at Starrcade, the whole damn crowd wants Flair to win. Venues also saw a huge drop in attendance.

This is where Crockett(and then Turner) went wrong. They **** on the wrestling 'purists', leaving them no other option but to change the channel. WWF had the tons of casual fans, and the NWA's niche was large enough to sustain the company. Once the purists walked away, it was only a matter of time. Doesn't surprise me in the least that a decade later, McMahon had a virtual monopoly on the business.