Did he move to the states to work full time? is that why they changed his name? seems really weird since he's been established already as WALTER. But you know they like to have control on this stuff. Inb4 he says it was his idea...
So he was the one they trademarked Gunther Stark for before they found out that was a Nazi? Questionable choice for a wrestler born in Austria that's worked in Germany a lot and is very severe.
whenever I hear a ridiculous WWE name I just picture Vince in his office on Beyond the Mat coming up with the genius idea of "Puke".
Shit like this is hilarious. Vince is soon going to have someone like Elias running developmental because he looks good.
You guys are so weird about names. It’s wrestling, we have seen names like The Berzerker to Jungle Boy. A name isn’t going to make or break anyone. “Sting” became a all time great.
It’s weird as hell when a guy is getting his name changed despite already being featured on TV within your own ecosystem.
I don't know why you guys are all bent out of shape about making a known star change his name to a literal Nazi's name.
And then when WWE got called out for again trademarking a Nazi's name, they just hit the fast forward button three months where they would have took his last name from him and just made him Gunther anyways.
I’m surprised they waited this long to do it. I guess with Walter mainly being in NXT UK they didn’t care. Now with his move to the states and likely a main roster run in his future they asked to either trade make the name or pick a new one and he decided to go with a new name. And I think for Walter that’s smart. We see how easily you can be dropped by WWE. Given how Vince is such a body guy someone like Walter might not click for Vince. If that were to happen he could go right back to being Walter.
The WWE wants to own everything about their independent contractors. They know when he leaves they can’t trademark his actual name so they’re changing it because wwe believes he owes all of his success to them and don’t want him profiting off of a name they believe they made popular
A billion dollar company who can’t do a basic Google search lol. Didn’t they name a female group after a porn site and had to change it on the fly. EDIT: yes, yes they did. https://www.google.com/amp/s/whatcu...to-rename-submission-sorority-after-porn-link
I want to know what storyline was pitched to Ali that made him say fuck it. Sean Ross Sapp said he wouldn’t repeat it but it was pretty awful and “something Ali would’ve never gone along with”
They were going to put Austin Theory in a red, white, and blue mask and re-do the Mr. America vs Muhammad Hassan angle
Stuff like this comes out and we're supposed to believe that the Nazi thing was just an "LOL multi-billion dollar corporation doesn't know how to use google." They 100% knew who Gunther Stark was. At this point there's justifiable reason to still consume their product
Any other multi billion dollar corporation? yes Vince and WWE? Lol It was definitely Vince in his office yelling at an intern to “Just fill out the fucking paperwork and trademark it, I’m Vincent K McMahon dammit”
At what point is "LOL Vince" is no longer enough to justify turning a blind eye to how racist and exploitative this company is? Apparently a literal Nazi tribute and forced evil Muslim stereotype doesn't move the needle for people
There won’t be a point for the people that are still turning on WWE, myself included. I’m a perfect example of it. AEW is far superior with content and storylines than WWE currently but every Monday when I get home at like 9:30, I still turn on Raw (when it’s not football season at least). I’m not paying attention to it like I used to but it’s still on. Why? Because it’s been that way for 20+ years. That’s the demo for WWE right now; people who have been tuned into it since they were kids with nothing better to watch on Monday nights
There are multiple reasons why WWE doesn't do an "off season" but one big one is implied right in your comment. If they ever took like three months off, people would just stop bothering. They'd lose maybe 30-50% of their audience right there, the people who only watch out of inertia.
Not sure if this exact scenario was true but it's pretty widely reported that Ali had a strong objection to a storyline and said something like it went against all the work he had done to break down streotypes.
That Muhammad Hassan thing was 100% not real, but I will say hearing dudes like Cornette talk the oldheads in creative in WWE definitely still think the evil foreigner trope will get heat and would do it if they could get away with it.
I think it only works if there's a foreign "boogeyman" that white America is afraid of. I don't even know that we have one of those right now. But it's ultimately distasteful
It doesn’t fit the demo, but I’d watch a white American being the boogeyman these days. Lean into it hard.
A white, domestic terrorist in a MAGA or Q hat would be a much more current and realistic portrayal. But you're right, we're dealing with a demo that has no problem overlooking a Nazi. That crowd would likely turn that character into a babyface.
It's not real... Ali was working on a new character, recorded vignettes and pitched them backstage to Vince. Vince's loved them and green lit the character. Ali cut the first promo on Smackdown and the IWC instantly thought it was a racist trope and shit on it. Vince ended the character that very week. Ali shared all that info and even posted one of his recorded vignettes so people could see where he wanted to take the character. I believe now that WWE got blow back they don't want to touch a character like this and thus Ali's frustration about not being able to deliver his message in WWE and wanting his release.
In part you are correct. WWE wouldn't risk losing any part of its audience because WWE isn't a wrestling company. Its a entertainment company who makes billions of dollars because its able to provide 52 weeks, 5 hours per week of content for major networks and it's able to bring a big and consistent viewing audience for all 52 weeks.
I think it's a fantastic character. I agree it probably would've shit the bed much like Retribution (its was also his idea that was pitched to Vince and given the OK) Ali would be one dude I would love in AEW because he's so creative and they wont be afraid to let him execute the vision without someone taking it over like Vince has
that character being anything but a stereotypical foreign heel would require way too much nuance to ever get through on WWE programming.
redneck white people not accepting that POC don’t look like them, despite being born here? Bring on the MAGA tears
What are we expecting on Dynamite? Briscoes showing up to confront FTR? Makes sense considering they’re fighting a jobber tag team. Curious how long they hold off pulling the trigger on the Mox heel turn. I’d like for the basis to be something like “the version of me you people liked and cheered nearly killed me and I almost lost everything I’ve ever loved. Fuck y’all.”
It's funny because I have hated this version of Moxley for a long time. Just go back to NJPW Mox that just likes to beat the shit out of people.
This is laughable. Please name an entertainment venture WWE has attempted to any great success outside of wrestling. But even in the comment you made, the point you're trying to make is ludicrous. You say WWE isn't a wrestling company but an entertainment company that provides 52 weeks of content. So...what is that weekly content that they provide? It's wrestling. It's not always very good wrestling, and there's usually an asston of nonsense laid on top of it, but it's wrestling. There's a big giant wrestling ring in the middle of the arena for all 52 of those weeks. People come out and wrestle. All the aforementioned asston of nonsense is done to build to more wrestling. WWE is wrestling. That's what they do for 52 weeks a year. Don't be so obtuse.
WWE has largely put on a shit wrestling TV show for nearly a decade. You get brief months (generally mania season) where its entertaining and good but largely it's shit. They don't give a fuck about making the product better, they haven't innovated or changed the product since the ruthless aggression era. And just because the content they attempt to provide outside of wrestling isn't necessary ultra successful doesn't mean they haven't transitioned into one. WWE does more than wrestling, its got a podcast network, movies, they have branched off to reality tv, they have docs they have daily shows like the bump along with other random shit like the E&C show, ride along etc... When I say they aren't a wrestling company I'm not saying they don't provide a wrestling product as its main attraction. What I'm saying is they aren't as focused on giving people the best wrestling action. They are more focused on making WWE a bigger brand and providing content to TV networks to make insane amounts of money. The years where WWE was making cash because of touring and PPVs is long gone. They no longer have to make super stars because the brand itself sells. They no longer have to do things like they did in the attitude era because they are now a more accepted brand to advertisers. When Vince mentions "we don't do blood and guts" when Tony say's "we don't have to mutilate our selves for a niche audience" they are very clearly telling people (advertisers) that "wrasslin" isn't what they do. AEW is a wrestling company. It's sole goal is to provide the best wrestling promotion/show in the world. And based on that they hope to be a profitable company that in time may launch into more but for now its sole and only goal is to give you the best 3 hours of TV every week.