Looking Back At My 2014 WWE/TNA Bold Predictions From Last Year

In late 2013, I predicted that Brock Lesnar would end The Streak.

Not only that, but in late 2013, I knew Batista would return to win the 2014 Royal Rumble. I picked Daniel Bryan to leave WrestleMania XXX as the WWE World Champion. I predicted Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena would headline Summerslam 2014 all the way back in late 2013. Also, one of my predictions for 2014 involved CM Punk quitting WWE, Alberto Del Rio leaving WWE, and Kevin Steen signing with WWE. Oh, and I also said TNA Impact Wrestling would move to Wednesday nights during the summer…

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…okay, all kidding aside, I said none of that. However, that will be the topic for this week – looking back at my predictions for 2014 from December 2013. Nearly 12 months ago. This ties together my ‘Truth & Lies’ column, as well as my ‘I Was Wrong’ column. It is always so fun to reminisce how we “knew” what would happen and turn out to be way off. You know, because we are the supposed smart wrestling fans, right? We knew so and so would get a big push upon debuting. We knew so and so would win. We knew so and so would succeed and/or fail. We knew precisely what WWE would do next. We knew exactly what would happen – except we knew nothing. Guilty as charged!

Therefore, since TNA Impact Wrestling has STILL not announced a new television deal, my already written column on that matter is forced to collect dust for yet another week. Maybe “soon” though? I hope! Sit back, relax, and enjoy a fun look back at my 2014 predictions and discuss just how right/wrong I was…

WrestleMania XXX breaks one million pay-per-view buys – Somehow, WWE will get over one million buys for WMXXX. The annual lull through the Fall months is over with. By the time January and February rolls around, the company will pull out all the stops. Whether thing means Hulk Hogan, Sting, Batista, or some other huge announcement, it will happen.

To be fair, this is when I was highly skeptical the WWE Network would launch with WrestleMania included. Therefore, my prediction was based off the event NOT being included to subscribers. Thus, I would technically be wrong as the show drew 690,000 pay-per-view buys. However, the show also added on 667,000 WWE Network subscribers on top of that number. Using some WWE logic, that equal more than 1.3 million WM viewers (plus other fans also watching). WWE proudly announced a record breaking night for Mania – over one million in the United States alone! Yeah, it is just them twisting things to be positive, but that is the point of press releases.

Judging off PPV buys alone, I was wrong. WrestleMania XXX did not reach the one million mark. Taking into account PPV numbers AND the WWE Network launching, it surpassed 1.3 million. Chalk up a ‘miss’ here for me, but keep the context in mind.

John Cena main events; the small minority of online fans whine and complain; WWE makes money from the overwhelming majority of casual fans. – Does that about cover it? Like it or not, John Cena is money. The latest report is his worth is over $100 million per year. Hit the online forums and cry all day long on your little Youtube videos. Go ahead and pretend it matters.

Nailed it. I may as well predict this again for 2015 and maaaaybe 2016. Although, I think John Cena will be part-time or have a much reduced WWE schedule then. Back to 2014, you would think fans would understand this all by now…but to quote a famous man, NOPE! He has been the top star in the entire industry by a mile for close to a decade now, and that is not changing. Eventually, fans will ‘get it.’ Eventually. Sadly, it may take a John Cena retirement in 2016 (or later) for some to truly understand how much he means to wrestling. Then it will be too late. You do not know what you have until it is gone folks. John Cena will be on the Mount Rushmore of Wrestling someday, so I will appreciate what I have now.

The Undertaker wins at WrestleMania XXX – Let’s play a game: See who is the first genius to predict an Undertaker loss at WrestleMania. There is always somebody, right? Gotta be the ‘cool guy’ to make the proclamation and tell everyone how it is going to happen. You know, the same song and dance written every single year.

Oops!

Since I started writing online in early 2008, two subjects always come my way: John Cena turning heel and anything revolving around The Streak. Over and over, week after week, month after month, year after year! If the emails were not ripping me to shreds, it was usually somebody asking me about one of those two topics. No joke, I JUST received an email from a UK fan while writing this column asking me about THE STREAK! Obviously, I get it. Cena is the man, and Taker wrestling at Mania each year is important. I get it. No wonder those two were the most popular questions being thrown my way…

…but in early 2014, I finally caved. In one fateful Jay’s Ways column, I actually asked my readers to stop sending me emails about John Cena turning heel and to stop asking about The Undertaker losing at WrestleMania. After six years, I was done. I could only answer the same two questions so many times. Cena is not turning heel! He never was and never will. I just refused to even touch the subject anymore with a ten foot pole. So pointless. Same with The Undertaker’s WM streak. Just stop. No more fantasy booking. More wonderful scenarios. No more cool moments for a young star to beat Taker. No fitting end with Kane defeating him. Please ask me about anything other than that. Ask me about the sky being blue, grass being green, the indy wrestling scene, TNA being TNA, etc. Please, anything but The Streak!

Then The Undertaker lost at WrestleMania XXX.

*sighs*

Never have I ever been more shocked at a wrestling match outcome. Never have I ever been so wrong. The stunned faces in the New Orleans Superdome that night summed up my reaction perfectly.

WWE gets a major TV deal for Raw and Smackdown – I have been skeptical of the WWE Network since day one. I am done trying to predict what kind of “update” is next for that thing. As for Raw and Smackdown? They have bee positioned very well to finally cash in on a huge deal. I assume they stay on their current networks, but you never know if a bidding war starts. With the ridiculous amounts of money handed out to NASCAR, MLB, NFL, NBA and other ‘live sporting events,’ it is WWE’s turn.

Was the television deal as monstrous as some in WWE expected? No, of course not. Even though WWE routinely beats NBA regular season games on TNT and ESPN, NASCAR races, and MLB games Sunday night on cable in the ratings, it does not matter to networks and those advertising dollars. WWE was right to put their numbers up against all the live sporting events getting BILLIONS of dollars in TV deals. They DO outdraw nearly everything in sports but NFL and for 52 weeks per year, with no off season – important note there, every sport takes months off during the calendar.

Thus, while the company did get record breaking TV deals all across the globe and did see a nice sizable increase in TV ad dollars, it was nowhere close to the wild projections the stock market was wanting. I was right about Raw and Smackdown staying put, unless you count the upcoming Thursday move for the Blue Brand. I was right about it being a “major” deal. I was NOT right though in thinking WWE would cash in the same amount as other sports, even though the pure proof numbers show they deserve it.

TNA Impact Wrestling averages a 1.0 rating or less. – This is my lock of the year. Guarantee. Stamp of approval. Death, taxes and TNA ratings. Those are the three things in life that will not change. Ever. Like clockwork, people love to proclaim that “this is TNA’s year” every single January. They will write lengthy columns and outline a grand plan for ratings to improve. Like clockwork. Quite sad when you think about it. Yet, also like clockwork, their television ratings do not move substantially or much at all. There will be little increases and decreases throughout 2014. No doubt. However, at the end of December 2014, we all know they will be hovering around those lovely 1.0 ratings…assuming they are still on television.

Boom! Like most things TNA related, I called that one down to the final few words: “assuming they are still on television.” Well come December, Spike TV may be airing a movie or a recap show or whatever else. Never really know with this being mid-November and STILL no news on a 2015 deal. Funny how it was for sure going to be announced in the summer. Then for sure by August in New York City! Then FOR SURE by September. Oh, but now it is DEFINITELY by November 1st, right? Well, we are still waiting. My column discussing the new TNA-TV 2015 deal still sits…while their current Wednesday night ratings are…

…yep, at a 1.0 or less. Moving nights was the latest idea to improve numbers, just like going live, changing time slots, signing *insert name here* to a fat contract, and every other ‘reboot’ TNA tried to swindle fans with. I await the 458th “relaunch” of TNA in a few months. Same boy who cried wolf nonsense every few months. Such a shame. I look forward to 2015. I really do. Coming from someone who on a weekly basis (read my Jay’s Ways column) says TNA WILL land somewhere come January, it will be interesting to see play out.

As great as 2014 was, the next 12 months could be as unpredictable as ever. Or as predictable as ever…

Self-Promoting Finale

Thanks to everybody who joined me for my third ever live tweeting session a few weeks ago during WWE RAW! Not my cup of tea admittedly, but I said if I reached 600 Twitter followers I would live tweet again, so I did. When will I live tweet again you ask? Well, I will get back to you when I reach 650 Twitter followers. Only 40 away!

Follow me on Twitter @JustinWatry

Go check out my Jay’s Ways column over at the NoDQ website…

…and finally…

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