Public Name Recognition?

[mork83]

Why is it that wrestlers of today aren't as well known with non-wrestling fans as those in the past. Even my sister, who has never watched wrestling in her life, has heard of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, Ric Flair, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Bret the Hitman Hart, Undertaker, Jake the Snake, Sgt Slaughter, Sting, The British Bulldog, Mr. Perfect, etc.

The only two that really stand out over the past ten years are Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. People know Mick Foley, but they really don't know Mankind or Cactus Jack. Cena is getting there, and HHH, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Kane are somewhat recognizable, but not household names.

I guess wrestling back in the day was more cartoonish, good guy vs. bad guys, which appeals to a wider audience. I just don't see people like Edge, Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy, CM Punk, The Hardys getting to that level.

 

[Minor League Brian]

Honestly, It could quite possibly be the name. I mean, I never watched wrestling when I was young but I knew who the Undertaker was. I knew who Hulk Hogan was. They had catchy names, while Edge, Randy Orton, Etc. Don't have those catchy names like the Vet's. Not to mention they also haven't done near as much as those house hold names.

 

[mork83]

They all do seem to have a nickname: Rowdy, Macho Man, Superfly.

Another person that is an odd choice, but certainly has become a household name is Vince McMahon. He has easily been one of the most visible, recognizable figures for the WWE over the past ten years. For me, it's just Steve Austin, The Rock, and Vince McMahon.

 

[Shocky]

It's probably simply the popularity of the sport. In the mid 80's nothing was as hot as professional wrestling. These guys were putting on SNME's getting about 10.0 Network Ratings, that's huge. Those are around the same numbers that 24 and Heroe's pull in now.

Even the Attitude Era at it's peak drew a 6.5 cable rating, with some segments getting into the 7's, but that is it. Anywhere you turned in the 80's it was kids with wrestling gear, and the parents knew who the kids liked, so it hit mainstream.

With the Attitude Era, you had those kids now teenagers buying stuff on their own, so the older people were taken out of the equation, therefore the older generation doesn't know the guys like Steve Austin or the Rock. If they did, they probably woulnd't have let their kids watch WWE.

You may see a bump in Cena, but honestly, he'll never be Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair.

 

[Big Ace]

A guy like John Cena will never be a household name like Hulk Hogan. Not even Ric Flair, who to me, is the greatest Wrestler of all time, is THAT well-known outside of Wrestling. I really could care less about who's popular and who's not, as long as they deliver in the ring. I do indeed have to say that most adults nowadays do remember the days of Jimmy Snuka, Hulk Hogan, and Roddy Piper. At least, my dad, who despises Wrestling ever since he found it was ''fake'', says that today's Wrestling is all a scam. He thinks the WWE is too over-the-top, and that TNA is too cheap. Not even Sting is really a household name. You might recognize him if you see him, but outside of Wrestling, he's not a megastar. When guys like Edge appear on MadTV, they don't get a huge reception. Every major star has had something that seperated them apart from everybody else, but the guys nowadays don't have it.

John Cena resembles Hogan way too much to really be special. In my mind, he'll be forgotten in 10 years or so. Nobody in the past 5 years have really been superstars outside of the ring. The Rock could be considered. So could Austin. The thing that pisses me off, is that most fans that watched in the 90's, no longer watch, which took away a lot from Wrestling. Currently, they're in a slump, so I suppose you can say that's the reason why, but to most people outside of the Wrestling business, Wrestling is just a joke. They say turn that crap off and turn on UFC for real fighting.

CM Punk is certainly ideal to some kids and some real Wrestling fans, but he doesn't have that one catchphrase that made people like Hogan, Rock, and Austin into mega-stars. Hell, right now, nobody has that catchphrase.

 

[iget4:20higher]

What wrestling needs is to have more publicly known feds on tv more. 2 feds on tv aint gonna cut it because if they dont like the 2 feds on tv they think all wrestling is like that so they definetly wont tune in. Everyone in the 90's watched wrestling because you had 3 styles: hardcore, a soap opera with some good wrestling in it , and a group of 3 people beating up random wrestlers and some good high flying action. It expands a variety of audience and fulfills their taste. Right now we have a guy who will overcome anything and is boring the living hell out of us.(Raw is the leading brand for WWE so most people trying to get into wrestling watch this.) Then we have a company with alot of incredible up and coming wrestlers and some recognizable names bringing alot of styles to the company.(I've hear alot on these forums that old wrestling fans have gotten back into wrestling because of TNA. TNA is doing some hardcore, high flying and flat out wrestling each week so it appeals to alot of viewers. Also they keep doing new innovative stuff unlike WWE that keeps recycling material and is currently dealing with roid problems.) With ROH coming up I can definetly see another boom in wrestling within 2 years. So all not is lost. Sorry to be a little off topic.

 

[greenie]

It's probably simply the popularity of the sport. In the mid 80's nothing was as hot as professional wrestling. These guys were putting on SNME's getting about 10.0 Network Ratings, that's huge. Those are around the same numbers that 24 and Heroe's pull in now.

Even the Attitude Era at it's peak drew a 6.5 cable rating, with some segments getting into the 7's, but that is it. Anywhere you turned in the 80's it was kids with wrestling gear, and the parents knew who the kids liked, so it hit mainstream.

With the Attitude Era, you had those kids now teenagers buying stuff on their own, so the older people were taken out of the equation, therefore the older generation doesn't know the guys like Steve Austin or the Rock. If they did, they probably woulnd't have let their kids watch WWE.

You may see a bump in Cena, but honestly, he'll never be Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair.

Shockmaster you could'nt have put it any better