A few queries to start the new year:
1. I haven't seen or read anything on Alex Shelley in months. He's still employed by TNA; they're just not using him at the moment (that I'm aware of). Chris Sabin is still injured to the best of my knowledge, and that's likely got a lot to do with why his partner hasn't been seen. When there's any word on either of their statuses, I'll make note of it.
2. I'm not sure where this rumor got started, but as far as I know The Miz hasn't been injured recently. If there's anything on that matter, I'll be sure to report it.
Here's a story on Tough Enough runner-up Luke Robinson. Some of it's wrestling related.
PWInsider.com has some new questions for the new year. After the break, I go into my take on them. Firts up, a comparison from 2006 ratings to 2011 ratings.
1. Wow. And now we're even lower than that! They really need to get back to building characters people care about (and letting them BE characters people care about).
2. Basically what they said. If it comes down to say, Raleigh or Greensboro, NC for Raw, they're going to look at which one did the best business last time and is likely to draw a good number of fans in the current time. I don't like long travel for shows, either!
3. I also haven't heard anything. There are some matches that blood was a critical part of. What do they do about matches released on DVDs? I imagine this would be similar. Let me put it this way: don't expect there to be blood. That way if it happens, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
4. Things are still in kind of early stages. There hasn't been anything said about an online version, for instance. But I do think they'll try at some point to put the WWE Network there. I think some of a timeframe for when that happens will depend on its success or lack thereof in the States.
5. In the end, it's all about whether fans enjoy the characters presented to them or not. I do think a good amount of the recent decline in business can be traced to there being more focus on people who aren't generally wrestlers. Authority figures and commentators (basically anyone who's not a fairly full-time wrestler) should be used to enhance the talents that the company runs on the backs of. When a potential consumer has money to spend on a PPV or house show, the people on those PPVs and house shows (live events) should be the centerpiece. If Daniel Bryan's just a goof vegan who doesn't own a TV, and the action in the ring isn't as important as the bickering at the commentary desk, why should fans pay to see any of it!?
Since I've already started covering this story, I'll stick with it for the time being: WWE on Demand is still currently in existence with the new year, but there isn't much content left on it.
Update: apparently some providers still have some content on the service, and there hasn't been indication that they'll stop showcasing it. I'd be a little surprised if both that service and the WWE Network existed simultaneously.
WWE is said to be very interested in the possibility of bringing back Brock Lesnar after his UFC retirement. For it to happen, something would have to be worked out between WWE and each of those parties as he's still under contract to them.
That concludes Sunday's news. More to come tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
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