Does your age play a role in what you want to see from WWE?

[shitsngiggles]

I was just thinking of this, if it should go in another section please feel free to move it, but I would like a view from WWE fans on my question:

Does your age play a role in what you want to see from WWE?

What I mean by this is, when I first watched WWF around '93/4 probably, I used to enjoy the action of it, the wrestling, used to hate the promos and wished they would just get in with the action. Didn't seem to matter who, or what the storyline was, I used to want the action. Used to watch it with my cousins so average age was about 9years old. We all wanted to see the action.

Fast forward to WCW/WWF going head to head, growing up a bit all of us now in our teens, and I started wanting to see promos and storylines but was still interested in the action when the matches were action packed. I used to enjoy DX, HHH, Stone Cold, Mankind, Sting, Hogan, Nash all the usual guys. The feuds and Storylines seemed to be more interesting I can't remember all of them. But anyway I started enjoying all aspects of the wrestling.
Gimmick matches were my favourite and still are these days I must confess. Cage, Cell, Last Man Standing, No DQ whatever, it adds more to match.

Now I took a hiatus after WCW/WWF/ECW all became WWE. I got bored of it all, gave up on it totally. Didn't really see Brock Lesnar or Cena or Orton come to the top. Wasn't interested, still not all that interested in Orton to be honest.

Anway, I came back to it around 2008 (I think). Was this the year of the Orton Vs HHH and the McMahons feud? Legacy etc? If not that is when I came back to it anway. Perhaps it was 2009. It was also the year of HBK Vs Undertaker part 1.
So now, I don't know whether it was the HHH feud or HBK/Undertaker (3 of my favourites) or what but I started watching again, the Orton and Legacy feud I thought was excellent, and HBK and Undertaker was also interesting.

Since then I've tuned in again weekly to RAW, don't watch Smackdown.
Now, I notice a pattern forming in my 20's. I want interesting storylines, I want to be challenged a little to figure out what might happen next, next week, next month etc.

I really don't care for most matches these days (is that wierd?) I mean I enjoy a good match still, but they only click if there is some story behind them. PG works for me if the people in the ring look like they are really going for it, them strong matches where it looks like some real energy is coming out of the guys in the ring.

I'm more interested in seeing a good story these days basically.

So my question is, does your age play a role in what you want to see?

And also for a bonus question, is there an area you think WWE is lacking that is perhaps making you lose interest that could be because of your age?

For example you're young and you think the matches are boring for a certain reason, or like me you're a little older and still think it is good but the storylines aren't good enough.

Please post your comments up, would like to hear some different views

[Jack-Hammer]

All in all, I don't think age plays a huge difference when you're talking about adults. Despite the crap you'll hear haters spew, the vast majority of WWE's audience consists of adult males. For some strange reason, there are a lot of internet fans that seem to think that if you're an adult, then you have to like something very specific. For instance, they think that you're automatically supposed to want guys swearing all over the place, women reduced to nothing more than mostly naked & brainless bimbos and blood flying all over the place if you're grown up.

At the end of the day, what ultimately draws adult fans to wrestling is what's drawn them forever: wrestlers that are able to make them care about their character & whatever they're involved in, storylines that you find appealing, watching those stories play out in both interesting promos & good wrestling matches.

When it comes to younger fans, a lot of them just like to see their favorite wrestlers regardless of what the storyline is. It was very much the same thing with me when I was a kid.

[theBec2101]

I would say yes but I am older now and still want to see more of an attitude era style and when I was younger I wanted to see it then. I think it’s more of ok when I was 15 or so I would have this and now that I am much older I can’t have it. It was to be watered down product. First of all they are not doing this for Family Entertainment strictly political only. It’s weird because they want to do everything to make it kid friendly but kids can’t vote, The person that has been watching your product for decades can though so you give them steak then take it away and give them bread and water. I would vote against Linda just on that cause. No seriously I wouldn’t vote for her either way.

[Redemption-2012]

Well I watched in 2003 and 2004, stopped in 2005 and then came back in 2006. 2007, I only watched half. In 2008, like the person who asked this, I came back half way through. Ever since 08, i've been a full time fan.

I am now 17, and I guess there has to be a compromise, I wouldn't say that age has to do with what we all wanna see, but rather how we understand it.

[DAMAN2000]

when people say that the kids are into cena and adults hate him that isn't true. It's more like people who only know todays cena are into him and people who know the edgeier cena hate who he is now. So in that case it;s not so much age but knowledge of the previous character.

In a more general view i think that age has a varied effect. In most cases kids are easily influenced (i am one) and whoever the older generation cheer or boo they cheer or boo. John Cena isn't included beacause he is heavily shoved down our throats as the number one babyface.

So in conclusion, in my opinion the age dosen't effect what we want as in the WWE universe there is a monkey see monkey do sort of thing going on.

[Hugh G. Rection]

As I got older I definitely appreciate the inring action more. Now I know who can work, and who can't. So I think I'm opposite to you OP. I only really used to care about the characters and storylines when I was younger.

Being older I like storylines to not be completely stupid, and to be consistent with previous events. Also like more mature storylines, and that has drove me away from WWE pretty much.

[Slash-LN]

My mom used to sit me down in front of the tv when I was 3 to watch. I don't know what drew my attention then but she said I would hardly move at all. I'd just sit there and watch it.
Let's fast forward a few years into the early '90s when I thought wrestling was real. I always liked watching the confrontations that led to matches. It was entertaining to me to see that and then when there was finally a match between guys that had been going back and forth I was super into it. So I guess I was exactly what the WWF was looking for. I stayed that way for a long time.
Now I appreciate the build up but the payoff for me is still the match. I'd rather see a great match than watch a 20 minute promo even if it is a great promo. I just have more interest in the matches.

A friend of mine who is a year older than me is the other way. He likes the promos more and doesn't really get that much into the matches anymore. He said he hasn't watched WWE since June because he hasn't been interested in the storylines.

I have 4 nephews who watch (8,9,11,13) and they all like the matches. They get really restless when they have to sit and watch one of those 20 minute opening segments of people talking on Raw.

I don't know really if it's an age thing or just one of those things where everyone is just drawn to different things. We can't always control what our interests are.

[comrade_mario]

Honestly the only time I have ever felt that it has was during the whole 'I hate PG Era' thing (it seems to have lessened off now. Now don't get me wrong, I hated every second of DX going to little people court and Cena making poop jokes, but I understood that the WWE were targetting an age group that I belonged to back in the late 80s/early 90s when they targetted me and my friends in a similar fashion.

The people who didn't seem to get it were people who came in during the Attitude Era and seemed to think that wrestling would always be like that. Those of us who witnessed Duke The Dumpster Droeseand co. in the New Generation knew differently.

It's the only time where I have felt a generation gap in wrestling fans. Go to a live show and you'll see that we all just want to boo the bad guy and cheer the good guy, even the ultimate smarks lose themselves at live shows. We're simply people wrestling fans, we really do just want to be entertained.

[shitsngiggles]

Originally Posted by Jack-Hammer

All in all, I don't think age plays a huge difference when you're talking about adults. Despite the crap you'll hear haters spew, the vast majority of WWE's audience consists of adult males. For some strange reason, there are a lot of internet fans that seem to think that if you're an adult, then you have to like something very specific. For instance, they think that you're automatically supposed to want guys swearing all over the place, women reduced to nothing more than mostly naked & brainless bimbos and blood flying all over the place if you're grown up.

At the end of the day, what ultimately draws adult fans to wrestling is what's drawn them forever: wrestlers that are able to make them care about their character & whatever they're involved in, storylines that you find appealing, watching those stories play out in both interesting promos & good wrestling matches.

When it comes to younger fans, a lot of them just like to see their favorite wrestlers regardless of what the storyline is. It was very much the same thing with me when I was a kid.

Ok so I think we've got kind of the same view on the product in general.

I used to prefer the Divas when I was about 12, girls in Bikinis don't do much for me these days blood used to be ok in certain matches, but I used to prefer the big moments, like Mankind off the top of the Cell, Shane McMahon off the Titantron, Jeff Hardy's various huge spots. All them kind of things, can't remember the last time I have seen one of them on RAW.

Your last paragraph is pretty true aswell, when I was young and didn't care about the storylines like I said, I liked characters no matter what and just wanted to see them people. Unless they were really annoying characters then it would be the opposite.

I didn't really care about good guy/bad guy. In some cases today I still don't.

Originally Posted by theBec2101

I would say yes but I am older now and still want to see more of an attitude era style and when I was younger I wanted to see it then. I think it’s more of ok when I was 15 or so I would have this and now that I am much older I can’t have it. It was to be watered down product. First of all they are not doing this for Family Entertainment strictly political only. It’s weird because they want to do everything to make it kid friendly but kids can’t vote, The person that has been watching your product for decades can though so you give them steak then take it away and give them bread and water. I would vote against Linda just on that cause. No seriously I wouldn’t vote for her either way.

Yeah you're true there, I think putting on a pg show is stupid no matter what. Not many kids up at 10/11/12pm on the east coast.

Did you know RAW isn't even live in Canada anymore?

Originally Posted by Redemption-2012

Well I watched in 2003 and 2004, stopped in 2005 and then came back in 2006. 2007, I only watched half. In 2008, like the person who asked this, I came back half way through. Ever since 08, i've been a full time fan.

I am now 17, and I guess there has to be a compromise, I wouldn't say that age has to do with what we all wanna see, but rather how we understand it.

Ok so, at 17 What would you say you enjoy most? The Matches, The Storyline? Or both?

I think everyone wants both! Obviously that is the whole product.

Originally Posted by DAMAN2000

when people say that the kids are into cena and adults hate him that isn't true. It's more like people who only know todays cena are into him and people who know the edgeier cena hate who he is now. So in that case it;s not so much age but knowledge of the previous character.

In a more general view i think that age has a varied effect. In most cases kids are easily influenced (i am one) and whoever the older generation cheer or boo they cheer or boo. John Cena isn't included beacause he is heavily shoved down our throats as the number one babyface.

So in conclusion, in my opinion the age dosen't effect what we want as in the WWE universe there is a monkey see monkey do sort of thing going on.

Well people learn socially so that makes perfect sense.

I kind of know what you mean about Cena, I don't like him that much and I didn't watch the first Cena with his thugonomics? gimmick. I've seen some video of it though.

I think he could still be an babyface with some more edge, he needs something.

Originally Posted by Hugh G. Rection

As I got older I definitely appreciate the inring action more. Now I know who can work, and who can't. So I think I'm opposite to you OP. I only really used to care about the characters and storylines when I was younger.

Being older I like storylines to not be completely stupid, and to be consistent with previous events. Also like more mature storylines, and that has drove me away from WWE pretty much.

Ok bit weird lol, wasn't expecting that but it makes perfect sense.

I think the matches lost some meaning for me when you get the "santa claus" part of wrestling and found out it isn't "real" lol.

That happened for me when I watched a few botched matches in the attitude era, there was also the fingerpoke of doom, and a few other things like that. When you're young I think you believe the action is more real, and don't really know it is scripted (I didn't). Maybe it is just me I've always like real action but you don't get much storyline with Boxing and Martial Arts.

Then growing up in school, Don't Try This At Home meant; Try it in the Garage, At School, and In the Park. So I once put a friend in a figure 4 for about 10 minutes and it didn't do anything. He wasn't even aching.

We also discovered the boston crab doesn't hurt if you're flexible enough. Single leg crab is pathetic.

We used to try pin eachover and found out if you got it right you could pin someone for a really long time! Without having to beat them up first lol

Not such a let down but funny anyway: Arm bar don't work if you're "double jointed" haha.

Then there was a match where I noticed for the first time Ric Flair (as now is to be expected or a given) Bladed himself. Kind of spoilt the blood aspect.

All these little things and many more, the santa claus of wrestling of wrestling I like to call it.

I still like good matches and moves though but storylines are my main "thing" these days.

[shitsngiggles]

Originally Posted by Slash-LN

My mom used to sit me down in front of the tv when I was 3 to watch. I don't know what drew my attention then but she said I would hardly move at all. I'd just sit there and watch it.
Let's fast forward a few years into the early '90s when I thought wrestling was real. I always liked watching the confrontations that led to matches. It was entertaining to me to see that and then when there was finally a match between guys that had been going back and forth I was super into it. So I guess I was exactly what the WWF was looking for. I stayed that way for a long time.
Now I appreciate the build up but the payoff for me is still the match. I'd rather see a great match than watch a 20 minute promo even if it is a great promo. I just have more interest in the matches.

A friend of mine who is a year older than me is the other way. He likes the promos more and doesn't really get that much into the matches anymore. He said he hasn't watched WWE since June because he hasn't been interested in the storylines.

I have 4 nephews who watch (8,9,11,13) and they all like the matches. They get really restless when they have to sit and watch one of those 20 minute opening segments of people talking on Raw.

I don't know really if it's an age thing or just one of those things where everyone is just drawn to different things. We can't always control what our interests are.

Ok so it can't be a total age thing then, so that answers my question It can't be because of when people started watching either because we've already got different ages and start times with different views.

I used to HATE! promos, now if a promo sucks or the person doing a promo is annoying, it just puts me off so I know what your nephews are going through lol.

Originally Posted by comrade_mario

Honestly the only time I have ever felt that it has was during the whole 'I hate PG Era' thing (it seems to have lessened off now. Now don't get me wrong, I hated every second of DX going to little people court and Cena making poop jokes, but I understood that the WWE were targetting an age group that I belonged to back in the late 80s/early 90s when they targetted me and my friends in a similar fashion.

The people who didn't seem to get it were people who came in during the Attitude Era and seemed to think that wrestling would always be like that. Those of us who witnessed Duke The Dumpster Droeseand co. in the New Generation knew differently.

It's the only time where I have felt a generation gap in wrestling fans. Go to a live show and you'll see that we all just want to boo the bad guy and cheer the good guy, even the ultimate smarks lose themselves at live shows. We're simply people wrestling fans, we really do just want to be entertained.

Sounds like you started watching before me. When I was young it was all Jake the Snake, Ric Flair, Hogan, Andre, Yokozuna (got to see him before he passed away), Macho Man, Mr Perfect etc. People like that. What I "think" of as the original WWF, which it isn't really, but was to me.

I think the last 4 years there has been some attitude era slowly coming back, then they seem to water it down again. But it seems fairly good at the moment in that respect. I'd like to see a bit more edge back in the product in general though.