Wrestling Thread 4: The Ruethless Aggression Era • Page 536

even though im not a fan, you'd think the Bellas are gonna be involved. Either in the match or at mania

 

Yeah, all things considered, she did kind of go out like a bum. If she were a dude, that performance in the mens Rumble would be pretty unremarkable. Eliminate one person, get one good shot in on someone else, then eat 3 finishers and get eliminated? That doesn't really sound like WWE putting someone over. Her lasting even 5+ minutes and fighting off some eliminations would have given that a stronger impression of putting her over, even if she ultimately only eliminated Ali and went out in the same fashion. But I don't believe WWE's thought process was about getting Nia over as a dominant female. I think it was totally about fan service to pop a crowd that dislikes her.

 

Assuming you mean Bayley + Sasha. Riott Squad will be there for sure. Mandy + Sonya makes a lot of sense too. And think they are setting up an Io + Kairi appearance as well. Then you've got the Iiconics and who knows for the last team. Nia + Tamina could work. Would like to see Ember and Naomi involved in some way, but maybe just give the two of them championship matches that night instead.

 

Feels like the RAW teams are obvious for EC. Boss + Hug, Riott Squad, Nia/Tamina.

Smackdown teams are Mandy/Sonya, IIconics, and Nikki Cross will probably form a team with someone (Carmella? Naomi?) since I can see her feuding with the IIconics to start out after her Rumble elimination.

 

Nikki climbing into the chamber even though she isn't in the match to fuck with the Iiconics feels more on brand.

 

financial question. Do you make significant less if you're in NxT compared to the WWE? How does that work? I'm sure it's person by person, but does what you make change when you get called up?

 

probably Naomi/Lana

 

Yeah most in NXT make a lot less and get a bump when they hit main roster.

 

NXT talent almost universally make less than WWE talent, but WWE also pays for all of NXT talent's travel, hotels, car rentals, etc., which is something that obviously adds up very quickly once you're a member of the main roster paying for those things yourself.

 

so like financially, you WANT to get called up. Even if you're someone like Sanity? Like i'd assume Gargano makes more than Sanity? Or back when they kept Asuka longer at NxT cause they needed someone to head that division. They must get a little extra ...like you said, maybe its the travel stuff that gets bumped, even more so for "the face" of Nxt? Or no. You want to get called up 100%

 

top NXT talents probably do make more than some people on the main roster, but getting called up is gonna result in a pay bump

 

I think it's case by case. A big name being brought in, like Samoa Joe to NXT, is likely getting a lot more than a homegrown talent that they picked up from a tryout. I've heard NXT contracts have gotten higher, but I think it's still case by case for who you're talking about. I'm assuming someone like Asuka, who was a big name on the indies, is getting paid a bit more than someone like Kacy Catanzaro or Aliyah. But I'm also not sure how the contracts are structured. It could be something where everyone in NXT gets a base salary but there's a promise written in for a certain bonus or increase on the main roster once you're there.

At the end of the day, even with travel being covered, I'm fairly confident that you're coming out ahead once you sign a main roster contract, even if you're the lowest person on the card. Don't think someone working NXT for years is making some sort of unlivable wage, but the fact that a lot of NXT folks seem to live together in Orlando may speak to the difference between their salary compared to a main roster member.

 

Hmm.. it's interesting though cause like you'd think someone like Gargano would say "wtf call me up" if it were that large of a difference. Obviously Gargano is a lot more seasoned and ready than Lars Sullivan.

Like would guys who feel like they're being held down in NxT consider jumping to AEW if they dont get called up soon.

I think it's a semi-decent question

 

If I remember correctly, a lot of the starter deals for NXT were in the $50k range, but as Mick said, you get a LOT covered. It's almost like a college scholarship + living money.

But I'd bet guys like Ricochet or Cole, guys who were heads of other promotions and making solid indie money, they probably are well into six figures. Adam Cole for example might make more money in NXT as the face than he would on Smackdown as a random mid-card guy. And the lifestyle would be infinitely better.

 

Would depend on what AEW's contracts end up being. I know they're promising big money, but that's easier said than done. And a lot of people in the past have mentioned being able to make just as much money on the indies/New Japan as in WWE if you really hustle, but that hasn't stopped a ton of talent opting to come into NXT from those places. And we've seen plenty of people flame out from NXT, or right after being called up, and I've never heard anyone complain about the wages that the NXT roster gets.

AEW will be tempting for many folks, I'm sure, but I don't think you're going to see huge swaths of big name NXT talent going to AEW, or even hearing stories of lower-ranked NXT talent going there and bitching about their pay in NXT

 

Also, add "NxT" to the list next to "Rhonda" and "Bailey"

 

Nia tossed Ali, who just recently beat the WWE Champion, and it took 3 finishers to get her out. That's looking super strong to me, especially for a division she doesn't even compete in.

Nia, imo, already got her comeuppance when Becky beat the shit out of her backstage and said "Keep my name out ya mouth". I don't really see how last night could be considered a punishment. This is kinda treading into "knowing Vince" territory for me.

The commentary stuff was gross, as I said, but I think you guys are having a hard time separating that from what actually went on in the ring.

 

“My favorite part of the entire match was early on when the crowd’s telling Ronda she can’t wrestle, so she offers to “show them some wrestling” and hits Banks with the Three Amigos. That’s such a specific, learned insult on top of the injury. The best aspect of it is how Ronda hits the suplex and stalls just long enough to let the smarter people in the crowd realize what she’s about to do for a split second before doing it. That’s what we talk about when we say Ronda Rousey’s a great pro wrestler who understands how this is all supposed to work. It’s shit you can teach, but that you usually don’t learn until you’ve been doing it a while. Plus, Sasha countering out of the third suplex into a lungblower only for Rousey to have that scouted, backflip through it and transition straight into an arm bar was FIRE.”

it’s true

https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/wwe-royal-rumble-2019-best-and-worst/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

 

I will say that I have not seen anybody shit on the Sasha/Ronda match as much as some of the nerds in here did.

 

A lot of irrational Ronda hate in here, it's very odd.

 

A lot of people hated her signing, and never got past that. Her being a terrible actress certainly doesn't help. But it's funny because people who are 90-10 in the ring like that are usually loved by the internet.

 

I irrationally hate someone who is average at best at wrestling, the worst actor on Earth and yet at the top of her industry.

It's very irrational.

 

There are a lot of things you can dislike Ronda for. Her performances once it comes time to actually wrestle in the ring, especially on the big stage at a PPV, isn't one of them. She has not had a bad match on PPV yet. And even if you're not willing to give her match of the night at any of those events (which I don't think she has deserved yet, but she's always certainly been in the top 3 matches of every PPV she's been on), you can definitely make the case that her matches are consistently the most memorable of every PPV.