Monday, February 3, 2020

Sounds like the WWE shit is hitting the fan again, right in time for Saudi Arabia end of this month!!

Vince McMahon launches XFL II this weekend.

His main job is not looking too hot at the moment:
  • His attempts to scuttle the Khan family's startup AEW promotion have largely failed.
The "Wednesday Night War", as we have been calling it since October's launch of AEW Dynamite on TNT and NXT's show expanding to two hours and moving to the USA Network, has largely been in favor of the upstart.

Taking viewer ratings as the numbers, the 16 competitive weeks have gone 12 for AEW, 3 for NXT (the first invasion week for Survivor Series, Thanksgiving Eve, and the last show before Christmas), with 1 even, according to ShowBuzz Daily.
  • Ratings are cratering for long-time USA programming Monday Night Raw
Wrestling site Cageside Seats reported last week that the show coming out of the Royal Rumble, where both Rumble matches (and Wrestlemania challengers) came from Raw, continued a downward spiral which has seen the year-over-year-over year viewership numbers on USA for the show after the Royal Rumble go from 4.1 million just four years ago to just 2.4 million this year.
  • It appears, largely as a result of that, the two major corporate underlings other than the McMahon family are gone from the company.
George Barrios was Chief Financial Officer of WWE since March of 2008.

Michelle Wilson began as a Vice President of Marketing in 2009, became Chief Marketing Officer in 2011.

Both were fired Thursday.
  • As a result, WWE public stock lost over 20% of it's value on Friday from $62.31 to $48.88. 
  • And another $2.80 to $46.08.
The WWE has lost $1 BILLION in the last 96 hours.

And that's just the stuff out of the ring.  It appears there is a spate of drug abuse or other Wellness Policy problems within the company the last couple of months:
  • Tag Team Contender Robert Roode got his first strike in December and served a 30-day suspension.
  • Low-card wrestler (who most WWE fans would not even know is still with the company!) Primo Colon also got suspended 30 days for Strike One in December.  Both suspensions have been served.
  • Raw lost it's secondary singles champion last week.  The WWE announced that, as of Tuesday, Andrade was suspended 30 days for Strike One.  His suspension runs out February 27th.  He is the United States Champion -- and, as of right now, still holds the championship.
  • However, the big news might be forthcoming.  There are apparently more suspensions for the Wellness Policy in the pipeline.  At least one major sheet has reported Samoa Joe, after coming off one injury and possibly a legitimate concussion, is about to reported as suspended.  No confirmation yet.
  • The biggest news, however, would be another probable write-off from Raw this evening.  After a substitute (Carillo's legitimate cousin!) was given from 205 Live to keep Humberto Carillo (who was feuding with Andrade) busy for the aforementioned Andrade suspension, Rey Mysterio came out and got the same "DDT to the concrete" spot from said substitute that Andrade received from Carillo before his suspension.
  • The reason that news is so big?  If Mysterio is sanctioned under the Wellness Policy for something new, he would be fired from WWE unless an exception is made.  It would be Strike Three.
  • And there's word there may even be MORE suspensions in line.  One name being mentioned is Rusev.
Which does lead to one leading question...

After everything that took place at the last Saudi Arabia situation in October, could we legitimately be seeing WWE talents take Wellness Policy suspensions intentionally to avoid the February 27th Saudi Arabia card?

We already know there is word that some dissatisfied talents were considering last year being fired under the Wellness Policy to get out from under WWE and take their chances elsewhere.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE:  Wrestling journalist Sean Sapp, however, has stated the WWE has denied that Samoa Joe is suspended.

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