Wednesday is here, as I hope for the end of the week to arrive here soon! ACK! Maybe Wednesdays really suck because Chunder is on? Who knows?

With reviewing Keith's book the other day, a few of you have asked me what I'd write a book on, if I was given the chance some day. Well, I wouldn't really go for any type of history type book at all, nor would I try to do any kind of information one either. I'm pretty good with numbers, and with studying Econometrics, I wouldn't mind doing some kind of analysis on the financial side of wrestling. If you've ever read the book "Pay Dirt", which examines the money and success of each league, then I'd like to do something like that for wrestling federations. Another thing I'd like to write would be something on the Monday Night Wars, in terms of ratings. But dreams come and go....

I'm proud to say that the internet is getting interesting again, in terms of breaking news and rumors. It was getting dry there for a while, that is, until Jerry Lawler retired. Now with the entrance of Paul Heyman in the WWF, things are getting good again. Lots of dirt everywhere!

On to the PDC.

Today's PDC
*Ratings Analysis
*Theory
*Shouts

RATINGS ANALYSIS

WCW Nitro

First Hour: 2.3
Second Hour: 1.8
Composite: 2.05
Composite Last Week: 2.05
Composite Last Year: 2.8

WWF RAW is WAR

First Hour: 4.0
Second Hour: 5.0
Composite: 4.5
Composite Last Week: 5.1
Composite Last Year: 6.4

HEAD to HEAD

RAW: 4.0
Nitro: 1.8
Margin: 2.2

WWF Weekend Shows

Livewire: 1.1
Superstars: 1.0
Mtv Heat: 1.9

Well, it looks like the wrestling industry is back in a rut again....

While WCW remained in the ditch, the WWF decreased significantly this week, going from a 5.1 to a 4.5. Not good at all, especially with NO competition besides WCW and also for this being Wrestlemania month. Let's see what went wrong.

The return of Triple H was only big enough to make a 3.6 rating. Yeah, those interviews are so important, as is the attention of fans when one of the "big 3" stars does an interview. After that, nothing really caught on in the first hour, and the Haku/Rikishi vs. Undertaker/Kane only drew a 4.3. Those guys are supposed to be superpower tag teams, but yet they can't draw a higher rating? If that doesn't put something into the minds of the bookers backstage on the stock of those 4 wrestlers, I don't know what will.

Nothing really caught on in the second hour, oddly enough, except for the strong main event. Vince McMahon and Trish Stratus did provide a jump by 0.5, so I guess we'll see more screwy segments like that. I didn't really think much of it, yesterday, about the segment where Trish was forced to strip. Yeah, I guess Vince went a little too far there, but I've seen much worse from the WWF. Vince is just begging for ratings anymore, which is actually admitted in the new XFL commercial about the Cheerleaders.

The WWF should work on something to provide a better spark in the first hour.

Once again, Nitro starts off slow, starts peaking at the 3rd quarter of the 1st hour, and then crashes and burns. If you want to talk sparks, this is the show. There's too much focus on the older wrestlers right now, and with them being in most of the important segments (opening, end of 1st hour, and end of 2nd hour), they simply aren't drawing. That's too obvious.

Ratings were down, slightly, for Livewire and Superstars. That means demand si slightly down, and not a great sign whatsoever heading into Wrestlemania. Mtv Heat went with their par of 1.9. That's a truly horrible show anyway. Not even special guests on the show can draw ratings, like the WWF tried with the Rock one time.

Theory

You know, watching WCW continuing to use the same old wrestlers and doing the same angles they were trying in 1994, I've come to wonder about what WCW is truly up to. Once WCW was coined in 1990, they put on years of crap until 1996, where they took over the wrestling world. But in those 6 years, they saw the WWF get very lazy and much less powerful than they were in the 1980s.

Now, WCW is in the gutter again, and the WWF is starting to relax. They aren't as powerful as they were in 1999 or 2000. Ratings are down, attendance is down, and the WWF's profits are lower than before. WCW, besides the addition of the Cruiserweight division, is making no attempt to improve itself, despite lower ratings. Is WCW playing a sitting duck for the WWF to get very weak, and then to overtake them again like they did in 1996?

If that's Eric Bischoff's plan, then I'm impressed.

If Trish Stratus gets any hotter, she'll melt the silicone in her breasts.

Shouldn't this month's ECW pay per view, Living Dangerously, be called Barely Living?

I hope Chyna writes another book, that way we won't have to see her on television for another 3 months.

Instead of "WCW-Greed", they should call the next PPV "WCW-Matches you've already seen on Nitro only with no set up and smaller crowds!"

Electric Gas users in California get more heat than Rikishi and Haku.

How ironic is it that just as Jerry Lawler's skin-baring, no-talent wife is fired from the company, Stone Cold Steve Austin's skin-baring, no-talent wife is getting a push?

If I wanted to hear Limp Bizkit every damn second WWF, I'd watch TRL.

Funny how the New York Hitmen head couch, Rusty Tillman, is getting more hype and air time that WWF title holders Test and Dean Malenko combined.

Like Al Snow says, Little People equal Big Ratings. Unfortunately, Big People equal Little Ratings. (Taker, Kane, Rikishi, Haku, Show)

Hats off to the WWF and their big balls telling it like it is how they released Kat and Lawler quit, rather than in WCW where a wrestler will disappear and never be spoken of on the show again. ( Scott Hall )

#Not much comedic ones this time around. We'll see next week.

Credit for the Insanity: Felix Fontan, Jeremy Iwen, Mark B., Ragley 3:16, Meg Zamula, JRICOHOLIC, El Oso, and Lieb 467.

@That's all for today. I'll be back with those dreaded Chunder and WCW thoughts. Just chill till the next episode.

Phat Pharm: The RETURN of "Kicking Ass and Taking Names Later"!!! Click HERE to Read it!!

Take Care, and Thanks for Reading.

Mr. Tito © 1998 - 2001 Exclusive to LordsofPain.net


Many critics are saying that Saturday Night Live should have posted a stronger average rating (4.7) during February sweeps, but they blame the XFL for delaying audiences on certain shows.

Chicago Enforcers quarterback, Kevin McDougal and the San Francisco Demons Jermaine Miles were named XFL players of the week for week 5 of the season.

Yahoo News

Ratings

NBC Game: 2.4

UPN Game: 1.2

TNN Game: 0.9

The New York Post reports that the XFL offers ads for $60,000 per 3 ads, unlike the original deal of $100,000 for 3 ads. Ouch.

1Wrestling.com