Monday Night Raw 3/3/14

[Dan The Man]

We done been trolled.

 

[JayDizzle]

So, what happened to Punk?

No Punk.

No Problem.

 

[Spidey]

Well that was a major bummer. At least it was a half decent Raw.

If it weren't for it being included in wwe network, I don't think I would bother with Mania this year. Only intrigued by Bryan/HHH and semi-intirgued by Brock/UT but UT looks sooooo old. Everything else seems incredibly dull to me thus far. Especially the headline match. None of this is surprising though. The matches they have been building for have been known for some time. I kind of wish I could somehow cancel my wwe network for the night of wrestlemania to show my displeasure.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Alvarez: You feeling pretty confident about this?
Meltzer: I mean, yea...uh, I don't know. It's not like-it's not like-anyone, look, no one's going to tell you, but, uh, I mean, yea, it's, it's, I was, I mean, put it this way, I was told outright he's going to be there, so, uh, but, that doesn't necessarily, you know, I mean, till he's there, it's not like he's there. So I don't know, I couldn't tell you, I don't say it was 100%, I was told it was 100% though, so there you go.
Alvarez: Alright.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Alvarez: You feeling pretty confident about this?
Meltzer: I mean, yea...uh, I don't know. It's not like-it's not like-anyone, look, no one's going to tell you, but, uh, I mean, yea, it's, it's, I was, I mean, put it this way, I was told outright he's going to be there, so, uh, but, that doesn't necessarily, you know, I mean, till he's there, it's not like he's there. So I don't know, I couldn't tell you, I don't say it was 100%, I was told it was 100% though, so there you go.
Alvarez: Alright.

So, Meltzer himself wasn't sure...he was just told?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

So, Meltzer himself wasn't sure...he was just told?

Right.

That was the exchange, painfully verbatim, from the radio show on Sunday night.

Big Dave is taking a ton of shit on twitter, but as you can see he was just reporting what somebody told him, and based on his tone, he was pretty unsure of how to take it.

On tonight's show, he said the source told him after RAW was over that he was flat out lied to. He said the source was somebody not in the company, but a "major figure" in the business who he has trusted for over 20 years.

Sounds like somebody fed this source some B.S., and the way RAW was structured, it seems like it was intentional as they wanted people to think Punk would be there.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Right.

That was the exchange, painfully verbatim, from the radio show on Sunday night.

Big Dave is taking a ton of shit on twitter, but as you can see he was just reporting what somebody told him, and based on his tone, he was pretty unsure of how to take it.

On tonight's show, he said the source told him after RAW was over that he was flat out lied to. He said the source was somebody not in the company, but a "major figure" in the business who he has trusted for over 20 years.

Sounds like somebody fed this source some B.S., and the way RAW was structured, it seems like it was intentional as they wanted people to think Punk would be there.

The way the night was set up...it was totally some awfully bad guerrilla marketing. Clearly, someone from the WWE forced the story, got it out there...and let it run wild...

THEY EVEN MENTIONED HIM ON THEIR OWN SHOW...so they knew what they were doing.

This needs to be mentioned for "Worst Promotional Tactics" at the end of the Observer Year.

 

[EmpireWF]

This needs to be mentioned for "Worst Promotional Tactics" at the end of the Observer Year.

Nah, Chicago was going to chant for him all night regardless. So, they do the tease early on and pivot back to regularly scheduled stuff.

What's so horrible?

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Nah, Chicago was going to chant for him all night regardless. So, they do the tease early on and pivot back to regularly scheduled stuff.

What's so horrible?

They leaked a false story about a returning star, knowing it would be all over the internet and then fail to deliver. The fact they mentioned Punk numerous times on their broadcast AND teased his return at the top of the show (after putting an embargo on all things Punk for over a MONTH), tells me they were complicit in this. They didn't exactly promote a dead wrestler, but I thought it was pretty sleazy to leak information to Meltzer (and I guess even Meltzer knew it was bullshit, but as a journalist he feels the need to reveal that information) knowing it'd spread like wildfire, especially to a smarky Chicago crowd.

Real shitty tactic, IMO.

 

[EmpireWF]

If the leak doesn't happen, nothing changes about Raw though - Some buy tix believing Punk returns and Chicago still chants all night for him.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

If the leak doesn't happen, nothing changes about Raw though - Some buy tix believing Punk returns and Chicago still chants all night for him.

There are most certainly people that purchased a ticket under the guise of a surprise CM Punk return. There were people in that audience that expected him to show up because they leaked blatantly false information. They failed to deliver. That is the definition of a sleazy promotional tactic.

 

[FedEx227]

Yes and no, everyone was excited with the prospect of him being there but I don't believe a single ticket was sold because Meltzer or someone said he was going to be back, it was sold out about a week ago well before Saturday's proposed "leak."

Did the secondary market explode because of it? Unquestionably, tickets were going for $300. Scalpers were everywhere but this bad boy was sold out well over a week ago.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Yes and no, everyone was excited with the prospect of him being there but I don't believe a single ticket was sold because Meltzer or someone said he was going to be back, it was sold out about a week ago well before Saturday's proposed "leak."

Did the secondary market explode because of it? Unquestionably, tickets were going for $300. Scalpers were everywhere but this bad boy was sold out well over a week ago.

That is all that matters. There are certainly people who paid the premium under the guise of Punk showing up, and there is the problem. Tickets surged because someone leaked this shit story...the fact that the WWE mentioned Punk numerous times and had Paul Heyman come out to his music, after an embargo on all things Punk over the last month tell me they were complicit in this shit and for that...

Poor form.

I'm sure some backwater Jersey show will promote Dr. Death Steve Williams and Playboy Buddy Rose for an event this year, so all of this will be moot...but for me...this one is the leader in the clubhouse.

 

[FedEx227]

Larry, I'm confident PWS will do something shitty soon. Keep the hope alive.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Larry, I'm confident PWS will do something shitty soon. Keep the hope alive.

Lord Alfred Hayes Autograph Signing, I'm sure.

 

[EmpireWF]

That is all that matters. There are certainly people who paid the premium under the guise of Punk showing up, and there is the problem. Tickets surged because someone leaked this shit story...the fact that the WWE mentioned Punk numerous times and had Paul Heyman come out to his music, after an embargo on all things Punk over the last month tell me they were complicit in this shit and for that...

Poor form.

I'm sure some backwater Jersey show will promote Dr. Death Steve Williams and Playboy Buddy Rose for an event this year, so all of this will be moot...but for me...this one is the leader in the clubhouse.

So, they're just supposed to ignore the constant chants for 3 hours?

If they had done anything last week to tease Punk returning in Chicago, that's one thing. But, taking advantage of Meltzer is hardly a disgusting promotional tactic. Regardless of what's leaked to him, people think Punk is returning in Chicago.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

So, they're just supposed to ignore the constant chants for 3 hours?

If they had done anything last week to tease Punk returning in Chicago, that's one thing. But, taking advantage of Meltzer is hardly a disgusting promotional tactic. Regardless of what's leaked to him, people think Punk is returning in Chicago.

They've done it for the past month...

 

[EmpireWF]

They've done it for the past month...

And after Heyman did his short spiel, they were back to ignoring the situation.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

And after Heyman did his short spiel, they were back to ignoring the situation.

You must not have watched. Cena was playing up to the crowd too, two hours later.

They specifically built this show around the idea of placating the Chicago crowd because they didn't have Punk there.

What leg do you have to stand on here exactly?

 

[EmpireWF]

You must not have watched. Cena was playing up to the crowd too, two hours later.

They specifically built this show around the idea of placating the Chicago crowd because they didn't have Punk there.

What leg do you have to stand on here exactly?

Cena is a tool, always doing that shit.

Of course they were placating the crowd because Punk didn't return...and they did a good job of it.

Don't see any disgusting promotional move here (Chicago expected Punk to be there regardless), not even close.