BS With CSR
A new episode of the weekly audio podcast, “BS With CSR” hosted by bloggers Blake Mitchamore and Shane Shoemaker is out on CSRWrestling.com.
1:10-5:55 The BS of The Week
Shane Calls BS on Brad Maddox or “Mad Braddox” and Blake goes off yet again on TNA and Dixie Carter.
6:18-16:10 Shane and Blake go In-Depth on The Wyatt Family vs The Dudley Boys
If it’s about family Where’s Spike?!
Who comes back next?
What does this do for Bray Wyatt?
17:15-30:00 League of Nations Talk with CSR Fan Ryan Anderson
Do we like this faction?
Where is this going?
Is this going to help Roman Reigns be the babyface Vince desperately wants him to be?
Kevin Owens
Every Monday and Friday I write a column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Today’s looks at who WWE needs to put more investment into given the current climate of the company and audience. Here’s an excerpt:
You have to change with the times, and times have changed for WWE.
Their flagship show, “Monday Night Raw,” is three hours. That’s too long. But WWE gets a nice check for producing the amount of content they do for NBC Universal. The length of the show isn’t going to go down until the zeros in the check do.
Social media and the access to information has spawned a separate group of fans. There are hardcore fans and casual fans. The measures of success by each is dictated mostly by very differing factors.
Just as the times change, the formula to some extent has changed. Larger-than-life characters who stand out on the street or project superhuman-like abilities are and always will be a draw. They will draw for merchandise. They will draw for outside media attention. They will draw for the more casual fan. That’s been John Cena, and Roman Reigns is moving into that spot as time goes on.
The change that comes with evolution is the need of a costar who is relatable. This person doesn’t need to have a look hard to mimic. This person doesn’t need to be seen in Hollywood movies. This person needs to be relatable with a sense of an underdog for the hardcore fans to feel they have a piece of. In the past, this person was CM Punk and then Daniel Bryan. Punk is gone, and Bryan never will be a world title holder in WWE again, in my opinion. The company got burned twice in two years with him holding titles and then getting hurt weeks later. WWE finds it too much of a risky investment and in Bryan’s health.
Kevin Owens is that next relatable guy.
“Monday Night Raw” in Pittsburgh on Monday was entertaining live and on TV had a better pace to it than recent episodes. However, the questions posed to me were the same, and they weren’t about what had happened but about who everyone didn’t get to see: Owens.
Can you blame them? Owens is the intercontinental champion, one of the best talents on the roster, and there’s three hours to fill.
However, it made sense after I broke the news on my Twitter account (@JustinLaBar) on Tuesday that Owens was sent home because of illness. He had his son, Owen, with him, and he too was dealing with illness. Owens later confirmed this on social media. This is perfectly acceptable.
CLICK HERE for what Owens’ WrestleMania match should be and what should happen next.
