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WHAT IF FANS LASH OUT AGAINST PEACOCK, BOOKING DREAM MATCHES, FOUR STAR MATCHES AND MORE

By Dave Scherer on 2021-03-22 10:00:00

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Besides a high profile AEW wrestler debuting or a legend returning, isn’t the formula for creating dream matches fairly easy, barring injuries? Push the 2 wrestlers slotted for a Wrestlemania main event consistently strong for 6 months (akin to Hogan & Warrior circa 1990) - and keep them apart from wrestling each other until Wrestlemania - to pique anticipation. Then, voila! Are there other elements in creating a dream match that I am missing...or is this the dream match formula hack?

Notice that you cited a match from 30 years ago.  Back then, TV was a means to get people out to house shows and buy PPVs.  Now, TV Revenue is, by far, the primary driver for the company.  That means that they can’t keep things on the back burner.  Now, that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t book better but they can’t go six months anymore without people touching.

If Peacock for WWE fans/subscribers is a total disaster and there is tons of backlash is there anything that can be done?  Whether it be there no app on a smart tv, no airplay option from a mobile device to stream, can’t start a PPV from the beginning two hours into it, the organization or layout of WWE programming is not to ones liking.  Whatever the case may be if there is outrage from fans does it matter?  WWE got their billion dollars from peacock/nbc and are locked in.  I’m just wondering would any action be taken by WWE or NBC?

The only action I see being taken is that Peacock will make the changes needed to enhance the fan experience.  WWE is getting significantly more for the rights than they generated from The Network in the USA last year so don’t expect them to take it back in house.  The deal came together very quickly so there will be changes made as we go along.

With all the talent being underused in WWE why do they put an annoying no talent like Reginald on TV? And why do they call him a sewer smeller or whatever they refer him as?

He’s a good comedy character.  That is an element of wrestling.  The word is “sommelier”.  He’s a wine expert.

One reason why I don’t watch the current WWE product much anymore is because of the camera angles that seem to change every two seconds during the shows.  Raw Underground was a prime offender—I tried to watch the highlights on the free version of WWE Network and had to turn it off because the constant changes in perspective gave me a headache.  Seeing as the PWInsider staff has to watch everything WWE puts out (since that’s your full-time job) do these camera cuts bother you guys?

I can’t say it bothers me in the least because I don’t notice it.

After watching yet another marvelous NXT Takeover loaded with terrific 4 star matches, I am left wondering why doesn’t WWE or AEW use their tried-and-true PPV match formulas to consistently stage similar terrific matches on their weekly TV shows? Is there a reason why wrestling promotions can’t or don’t script awesome 4 star matches for each every TV segment?

Yes, there is, the casual fans care less about four star matches than they do about characters and storylines.  A lot of hardcore fans are a bit myopic, they look at it from their point of view.  But there are a lot of fans out there who think the match itself is the least important part of wrestling.  Every promoter with a TV show studies the minute to minute ratings.  If a show full of four star matches drew the highest audience, that is what we would get.

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