Class is in Session: What we learn from Del Rio's firing.

One of the biggest pieces of wrestling news this week was the apparent firing of Alberto Del Rio by WWE.  Apparently, he slapped a WWE.com employee.  A lot of people online have put on their conspiracy theorist hats, assuming that this is all a work based on the wording of the WWE’s statement as well as the odd Twitter posts @WWE had as of late, but I’m not so sure.  

I’d love to see Dos Caras make a few appearances before heading back to Mexico, or more intriguingly, have Alberto join the Kofi / Big E stable, using these “events” as a springboard, but I don’t think that’s happening.  I think all of this really happened and it is a harbinger, in some ways, of the future of WWE.

Let’s take a look at what we definitely know to be true.

The WWE.com statement

“WWE announced the release of Alberto Del Rio due to unprofessional conduct and an altercation with an employee.”

RAW Response: The Teacher flies solo.

With my friend and partner Doc Manson taking a well-deserved vacation this week, I thought I’d shape our Raw Response a little differently.  Being an only child, it made the most sense for me to make this as self-centered as possible, so as I watched last night’s program, I jotted down my likes and dislikes, and now I’ll share them with you, since I am sure you are desperate to know my thoughts…

Liked:  The Authority opening the show, specifically Triple H and Stephanie.

Over the last few weeks we have seen some all-time classic promos from Triple H, and last night was no different.  He’s learned that by using the “DX” side of his persona, he can either lambast the “smart fans” or at least echo what’s being shouted about on Twitter, and none of us will mind too much.  In fact, I enjoyed the entire show’s tongue-in-cheek way to continue referencing the Network.  They all know it’s become a joke, so by being in on the joke, it just becomes funnier.

As for Stephanie, she’s got her daddy’s way to get crowd reaction, doesn’t she?  I haven’t heard boos that loud in a long time. . . Well, outside of anytime John Cena shows up.

Didn’t like - Lack of logic in Beat the Clock challenge

Peer-Review: The WWE Network is not going to fail; it has already succeeded

The hot talk on the internet dirt sites right now all seems to revolve around the abysmal number of subscribers that the WWE Network has attracted to date. You read some of these articles, including ones appearing on sites like Business Insider, and it begins to sound like 700,000 subscribers is a complete failure and that the WWE is doomed to go out of business due to the hemorrhaging of money resulting from their investment into the WWE Network.

Sorry, but the WWE is going to be just fine.

State of the WWE: A very early Summer Slam preview

The Teacher:  Doc Manson and I are back once again, friends, only this time, we’re actually going to discuss the art of wrestling, and not just the business of it.

Summer Slam is just a few weeks away, Doc.  Are you excited yet?

Doc Manson: Yes. Absolutely, sort of. What’s on the card again? Aside from Cena v. Lesnar?

T:  Frankly, I don’t think there’s all that much else that’s been decided, besides our main event.

In fact, WWE.com is only reporting 3 matches as of yet.  Cena and Lesnar, Jericho and Bray 2.0, and Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella.

So, I ask you again, Doc.  Are you excited yet?

DM: I had a sudden vision of Bray Wyatt as a cyborg, and I was entertained.

State of WWE: WWE Network Edition

The Teacher:  Doc, my friend, it’s been far too long.  We’re a little late to do a proper RAW recap, so what say we just go through a few topics in only mild particular order.  That work for you, sir?

Doc Manson: This isn’t going to be on the test, is it, Teach?

T:  There’s always a test.

First off, today’s big news in the world of wrestling is that, once again, WWE Network subscribers are not coming in the droves Vince McMahon would like them to.  I don’t want to spend too much time on the business end of wrestling, especially since I have next to no business acumen, but tell me, are you surprised or concerned about WWE’s seeming lack of financial support?

The Teacher's Lounge: Fantasy Booking Plan C-Na

In yesterday’s Teacher’s Lounge, I tried to answer the question “Why do we hate John Cena?”  Today, I have a little fun playing booker and come up with a way that instantly makes John Cena more popular with the older WWE crowd, or at the very least, more interesting.

Summer Slam

John Cena and Brock Lesnar are in the middle of an epic battle for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  Triple H is, as usual, seated at ringside.  Paul Heyman stalks around outside, making faces that rival only William Regal and Vince McMahon for their storytelling ability.

As the match reaches its climax, we see Lesnar kick out of the Attitude Adjustment, while Cena barely manages to escape the F-5.  Michael Cole has let us know we have seen “the turning point” in the match 319 times, JBL continues to laud the skills of these athletes, while Lawler says this is the best match he’s ever seen over and over again.

The Teacher's Lounge: Why do we hate John Cena?

Why do we hate John Cena?

Why is it that the majority of adults who watch
professional wrestling groan every time they hear his music?  Why do we despise the jean shorts (Austin wore them), the multi-colored t-shirts with bumper sticker phrasing (The Rock was a slogan machine) and his incessant way of reminding us all exactly where he is?  (In case you had forgotten, the champ is here.)

Do we detest the man himself?  Hardly.  We admire his tenacity to accomplish what he has done in the world of wrestling and we applaud his dedication to charitable work.  Yet why are the WWE fans that frequent social media so rabidly against him?

There is another wrestler who shared a similar fate as John Cena; idol of children, irritant to everyone else.  Like it or not, John Cena is this century’s Hulk Hogan, and by identifying the two biggest similarities between the two, we can discover why Cena finds himself in his current predicament.

1.  John Cena and Hulk Hogan have / had stale characters.