Vince: Fans Didnt Buy The Attractions of SummerSlam 13

[SAIYANS]

Vince Calls SSlam a "Swing & a Miss"


During today's conference call to discuss the third quarter financial results, Vince McMahon said he was not happy with this year's SummerSlam buy rate, and felt fans didn't "buy the attraction." He went on to say that for PPV, you need the right attraction, and SummerSlam was a "swing and a miss" for WWE.

TNA Bound for Glory Attendance & Buy Rate Figures, Vince Calls SSlam a "Swing & a Miss" | Wrestlezone

In short goat boy ain't a viable attraction, and he wasted a Brock match on Punk. I doubt we see Bryan in a mania main event now without it being the fourth main event so to speak. No way to spin it at all, he basically said he wasted Cena and. Brock on Punk and Bryan and the business suffered this quarter, he cited that as the main reason compared to last year

Also of note in the conference call was Stephanie saying wwe network was to be released in the first quarter of 2014.

Forbes also talked about their licenses expiring and how the mcmahons and triple h have made the company a commodity with social media and they're looking at a more lucrative deal than NASCAR got, maybe 4-6x as much for their tv rights

 

[Tapout]

Or you know..could be that paying $55 dollars a month just isn't worth it anymore. Either cut the prices, or the number of PPV's. 13 a year is unneeded.

And if you check history, Shawn Michaels wasn't a main "Draw" but still went down as one of the greatest of all times. Who draws and who doesn't doesn't mean much to most fans.

 

[Nate]

To be fair there wasn't really much else Cena could go against at SS. He's pretty much wrestled everyone that can draw and I doubt Cena vs Orton would've been well receieved. Not saying that justifies the lack of draws for Bryan but unless if they were to prematurely push somebody in the main event scene, Bryan was honestly their best call.

 

[SAIYANS]

@Tapout, Shawn had the benefit of his second run though, where he drew some, that and longevity. I mean he still has some high buys he generated as half the reformed DX which is why they kept reforming it, the hogan match, the Taker series at mania, and wm23. For what its worth Shawn was also thought of as the greatest performer ever in a wwe ring, Bryan isn't the greatest in his own time

People had no problem forking that price out to watch Triple H wrestle last year. Its a believability factor that was preached about on here when it came to him hurting Brock. The match was excellent but selling that shit as be livable to get the orders is hard. Cena and Bryan had an excellent match, but no one and this even goes with his mitb and WHC runs actually supports the guy enough in the real world (views, merch, tickets, buys) when it comes to doing things other than saying yes to make him worthy of that spot.


@natlav, I agree with you somewhat, but the whole thing with using Brock, ideally it has to be with someone who looks like they can kick ass to the outside viewer. I mean his next few dates are surely going to be used for Taker and Rock, as Vince only has a select few appearances and actual matches, which means they all need to be cash cows. They could have gone Brock vs Big Show for example and it seem more legit. As for Cena, I agree with you a little bit about choices, but I could just as easily say after the Hell No split, you could've flipped roles with Kane getting Cena and Bryan getting the Wyatt's, and that sales more, even a long waited RVD rematch. Bryans ideal to main event ppvs like Battle Ground and not any of the big 4 outside the rumble since the match itself is the main at attraction and you can have test world title matches there

 

[Nate]

@natlav, I agree with you somewhat, but the whole thing with using Brock, ideally it has to be with someone who looks like they can kick ass to the outside viewer. I mean his next few dates are surely going to be used for Taker and Rock, as Vince only has a select few appearances and actual matches, which means they all need to be cash cows. They could have gone Brock vs Big Show for example and it seem more legit. As for Cena, I agree with you a little bit about choices, but I could just as easily say after the Hell No split, you could've flipped roles with Kane getting Cena and Bryan getting the Wyatt's, and that sales more, even a long waited RVD rematch. Bryans ideal to main event ppvs like Battle Ground and not any of the big 4 outside the rumble since the match itself is the main at attraction and you can have test world title matches there

The only thing with Brock though was that they had to go through with Punk vs Brock. Punk turned face (or Heyman turned on Punk, whatever happened first) so it was only logical that they went through with Punk vs Lesnar. Yes I agree that WWE should've had Lesnar go after somebody else but they shot themselves in the foot by turning Punk face. Of course if Punk was still heel then the whole match wouldn't have happened in the first place. As for Cena I agree 100%. Especially RVD vs Cena, not sure how good the draw was for ONS 2006 but that match was off the charts imo. Then again it was in a much more favorable scenario but still.

 

[SAIYANS]

That's true, it just seemed like a waste how they used RVD at SummerSlam. SD got better numbers when he came and appeared every week. He's always had a cult following and they did pretty good last time at ONS buy wise.

As for Punk the angle itself had sense but because it's Brock the UFC champ, the collegiate champ, the undisputed champ etc it couldn't be Punk, Bryan, Dolph as his opponent. They made a great match in terms of how it turned out, even better build than hhh vs him the year before. But the fact is Triple H in a real world sense looks like he can beat his ass and has that rep. Taker has the rep, Rock has the rep and status, and Cena has the rep and they even had him use a chain to do it. Punk was struggling to beat the likes of Kofi, that and his build and look don't make it realistic. I'm not talking about how the match will turn out, just how you bill it and cell it, best vs best sounds good but it's a joke when you do a tale of the tape. I understand if they saved Rock or Taker for Mania vs him, but you go with a Kane or Big Show then, big giant monsters in a street fight, and you can sell that to a viewer and say yeah Brock can have his ass kicked by him. And not you, but before it's said about small guys beating bigs before let's be real HBK, Rey, Austin, and Flair all had better physiques and made careers off being ass kickers, dirty, underdogs, and big game performers.

I'm sure Vince signed off on it but the whole thing is eh, we wasted those two at our second biggest event and revenue draw when we should've gave them bigger opponents and saved these two matches for smaller B ppvs. They just didn't give Brock or Cena Hollywood level opponents at the biggest show in the summer where they spend all that time doing an axxess, red carpets, and using staples center. It was a screw up, but better them finding out there than them flopping at WM.

cork and deezy and maryse get what I'm saying

 

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

Yep turns out the point several of us made here about Punk simply being to small to face Brock was true. I'm a huge Ziggler fan but Ziggler v Brock would have to be a squash. But WWE tried to make it seem like Punk was a badass, a scrawny badass who Brock needed help to beat...sigh. And while Bryan was getting big pops and live reactions it wasn't resulting in big ratings from the people at home. For an event like SS buyrates matter big time, its one of the big 4 PPVs.

 

[Wrestling with Shadows]

There's positives to Lesnar and negatives especially on his schedule is that you are limited to how many matches he wrestles but also how many credible opponents he can face and possibly draw with; off the top of my head from a credibility factor, the only ones who could trade with Lesnar believably would be Sheamus, Big Show, Mark Henry and Undertaker.

That said, who else would of there have been for Lesnar to face at Summerslam and draw better than CM Punk did? (cannot for the life of remember what the said above was doing aside from Taker being away and Sheamus injured) RVD, Saiyan mentioned he helped with Smackdown numbers, so there might of been a chance he would of drawn with Lesnar.

What's done is done though and we's nor VKM can change it.

 

[SAIYANS]

There's positives to Lesnar and negatives especially on his schedule is that you are limited to how many matches he wrestles but also how many credible opponents he can face and possibly draw with; off the top of my head from a credibility factor, the only ones who could trade with Lesnar believably would be Sheamus, Big Show, Mark Henry and Undertaker.

That said, who else would of there have been for Lesnar to face at Summerslam and draw better than CM Punk did? (cannot for the life of remember what the said above was doing aside from Taker being away and Sheamus injured) RVD, Saiyan mentioned he helped with Smackdown numbers, so there might of been a chance he would of drawn with Lesnar.

What's done is done though and we's nor VKM can change it.

Some story tweaks and you think they could've used Brock to write Kane off? Kane was set to go anyway before See No Evil, and he's still a monster and a draw. I'm sure he could handle anything Brock dishes in a street fight. Plus they could use it as a tie in for taker later. I would just add him to the list of guys you named.

 

[Wrestling with Shadows]

Some story tweaks and you think they could've used Brock to write Kane off? Kane was set to go anyway before See No Evil, and he's still a monster and a draw. I'm sure he could handle anything Brock dishes in a street fight. Plus they could use it as a tie in for taker later. I would just add him to the list of guys you named.

I actually forgot Kane! Is Kane a draw draw? I always had him down as a guy with a lot of name value than anything else. It's a cool idea though. I could see Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar going down really well as well if Reigns had been around for another year or so.

 

[SAIYANS]

Longevity numbers he's up there with some of the all timers, drew on ecw better than ant champ but RVD and show, and sd had high ratings with him as world champ. Even see no evil was their most profitable film before the call. He's not Taker, but he's always had a mystique and instant credibility with the whole he can go crazy stick.

I just feel there were options they could've went with. Kane's one since he was being written out anyhow and is a big monster. The RVD one could go for Brock too, he could've just as easily shunned Heyman, and no one would question his believability because he's from ecw and a Brock hardcore match would fit his style.

Like you said what's done is done and they just now know to use Brock more carefully to the casual. Cena probably gets som big mania match. I could see. Bryan vs Punk vs Orton maybe at mania though as a fourth main event

I also agree that years from now with the right booking they can use Reigns and Big E. Only outside possibility is possibly a one off deal with Batista since he's making his way into Hollywood and in his words is only interested in ass kickers

 

[The Cork]

I honestly came in here to check what the matches were, because I'd already forgot.

Kind of gives cred to Vince's point.

 

[Chris]

I honestly came in here to check what the matches were, because I'd already forgot.

Kind of gives cred to Vince's point.

Same here, completely forgot Bryan was even in the main event actually.

Also, I think [MENTION=10921]natlav[/MENTION] has made the best point in the thread. Until they get some more stars, it's gonna' be like this. Bryan may not be a draw but he's over as fuck and it'd be hard to ignore that. Who else are they gonna' put Cena against, Fandango? Bryan is the only guy they've built up in like two years and if he doesn't draw then so be it but I bet he still draws more than any other guy on the roster would have because I doubt the fans give a fuck about anyone other than Cena and part timers at this point.

 

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

Same here, completely forgot Bryan was even in the main event actually.

Also, I think [MENTION=10921]natlav[/MENTION] has made the best point in the thread. Until they get some more stars, it's gonna' be like this. Bryan may not be a draw but he's over as fuck and it'd be hard to ignore that. Who else are they gonna' put Cena against, Fandango? Bryan is the only guy they've built up in like two years and if he doesn't draw then so be it but I bet he still draws more than any other guy on the roster would have because I doubt the fans give a fuck about anyone other than Cena and part timers at this point.

Sad but true. But the WWE are the ones who keep shooting themselves in the foot over and over again. They push guys up to the point where they're on the cusp of becoming a big time proper Main Eventer then pull the rug out from under them at the last second. Even Bryan while not a huge ratings draw he is crazy over with the live audiences now he's lost his feud with HHH and all his personalityless buddies and is feuding with a midcard scrub like Bray Wyatt.

 

[Wrestling with Shadows]

I just feel there were options they could've went with. Kane's one since he was being written out anyhow and is a big monster. The RVD one could go for Brock too, he could've just as easily shunned Heyman, and no one would question his believability because he's from ecw and a Brock hardcore match would fit his style.

Thoughts exactly.

Plus back in 02 when I was a wee youngster (Just finishing Junior school) and Brock Lesnar was on his run, I really thought RVD was gonna be the guy to beat Brock Lesnar; so who knows the kids these days might feel the same way or did feel that way about Punk. We're not 12 years old, so we won't know but I certainly would of chosen RVD vs Lesnar in a Hardcore Match than CM Punk/Lesnar if I wanted buyrates and credibility.

That or as you suggested, some sort of program with Kane.