Are Spoilers/Advertised Returns Taking The Shock Value Away From WWE?

[MattRhys20]

I'll give you the example of the years Royal Rumble and Randy Orton.

If he was cleared to compete at the Royal Rumble, did we really need him to fight on Smackdown a few days earlier? You heard how big a pop he got when he came out for the Rumble in his home town, how much bigger would it have been if that was his ACTUAL return instead of a few days earlier.

Coincidentally, his return on Smackdown was ruined because it was advertised on Raw the previous night, meaning the fans knew he was coming back. Would have been greater if we heard 'Voices' in the middle of Wade Barretts promo if we didn't know he was going to be there

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The main problem isn't the product in and of itself so much as it is the IWC. I've said this in numerous threads like this: you can't expect to be surprised most of the time as a fan if you spend your time scouring the internet for wrestling websites that report spoilers for potential upcoming matches, upcoming feuds, how WWE plans to end current feuds, who could be getting a title run, potential storylines, etc.

It's a common complaint among a good portion of net fans and, much like many internet fans themselves, it's a complaint that defies logic in many circumstances. How can you expect to be taken by surprise when you purposely seek out information to keep yourself from being surprised? In a nutshell, it's pretty fucking stupid.

People have said for years that, for the most part, the internet has taken the mystique out of wrestling and I believe that's 100% true. Before the internet, we were out of the loop. We didn't read about rumors or breaking news backstage regarding new wrestlers signed or released. We didn't hear about upcoming World Championship pushes weeks before they were scheduled to happen. We didn't hear about upcoming matches before they were officially announced.

Also, whenever WWE usually does catch net fans by surprise, there's as much bitching and moaning as before. I don't think most of the net fans that complain about the lack of predictability actually want to be taken by surprise. It comes across as a cover for little more than the same old tired crap about them simply wanting to see something go down exactly how they think it should go down. They want certain wrestlers to have certain gimmicks, certain wrestlers to be pushed or not pushed, certain matches to take place at certain times, certain ways to end said wrestling matches, certain angles taking place and storylines that they believe are good. Basically, a lot of the IWC view themselves as fantastic bookers that possess a clarity & vision that nobody else has.

Surprises are great when they're done in a way that actually makes sense and can lead to entertaining feuds, promos and matches rather than taking place just for the sake of momentary shock value.

 

[Pytch Blakk]

No, but your writing is...it is SPOILERS...

I think it is fine the way it is...Most fans dont care either way...I agree with Jack, the internet has taken the fun out of surprises...But for me, I just like seeing the dumb look on the faces of the people who dont know...

 

[SWANTON]

i agree if you want to be suprised then dont read the spoilers heres a EXAMPLE i used to watch smackdown on My network tv then when it moved to syfy(i dont have) then i just decided to always look up the spoilers expect when i sometimes at a friends house on friday then i dont

and also if WWE wants people to be suprised then just move smackdown to LIVE on tusdays

 

[GI Cake]

Jack-Hammer pretty much nailed this thing down to the letter. The WWE are not handing out spoliers to their product. They don't want you to know who is going to make a surprise return at the Royal Rumble or the next Pay-Per-View. Internet dirt sheets like Wrestlezone provide all the spoliers you want and need. If you don't want to see what happens on the newest edition of Friday Night Smackdown, then don't read the spoliers. That way, the product will still be fresh and entertaining for you.

As for advertised returns/arrivals. Those are not suppose to surprise the fans entirely. They are meant to keep fans guessing and keep you reeled into watching next weeks episode. Remember the Undertaker Vignette's last year? One half of the viewers thought it was Sting, while the other half believed it to be Undertaker. In the end, it doesn't matter who guessed right, it just kept people guessing and made Takers return all the more special.

 

[xavyer]

Well, they do ruin the surprise, but is not entierly the webpages that advertise them, some of you mention that if you don't want to know days or weeks in advance, don't read the spoilers, it's as simple as that, there's always going to be people that are going to do that, but it's up to someone to read them or not, depends if you want to be surprised or not, i read them when i know i won't be watching that day, but when i know i'll watch i just don't read them......

 

[conrad405]

i love watching raw and not know whats going to happen i live in aus so raw airs at about 11 am on tuesday but we dont get it until wes i use to read raw when i couldnt wait but now i find it much better not reading spoilers. so spoilers do (but dont read spoilers simple as that) and as for advertised yes i agree advertising a return spoils it but depends on how they advertise it if they do it well enough that people can say who gives a crap they didnt make this a surprise return then thats alright.

IMO

spoilers = a less fun show to watch
advertise = depends

 

[HBsam31]

I think its all in the person doing the reading. Smackdown I don't so much care about so I will read the spoilers if I am bored, and it doesn't take anything away from the show in my opinion. PPV's on the other hand I stay away from the internet all day so as not to ruin any potential surprises. If I am paying near 50 dollars for something I don't want anything to be ruined for me. I been reading wrestlezone for years. It is the only wrestling website I read, and I like alot of things about it, and I don't like alot of things about it. The bottom line however is it's your choice to read it or not. if you want to be surprised don't read the spoilers. It seems pretty simple to me.

 

[Domo Nation]

I'll give you an example of you are an idiot.

Spoilers wouldn't have any effect on you if you made the simple decision to not seek them out. For example, when the Y2J vignettes were airing I had the idea that it was Jericho, but there were a few other people it could also reasonably be. Because I don't read spoilers, or really the news on this site, there was a little element of surprise on the episode he finally came out. It's quite simple really. I mean what do you suppose the WWE should do to avoid people like you?

And advertised returns obviously happen for a reason. The WWE clearly wants you to know that a wrestler is coming back, and clearly has a reason for making those decisions. They have plenty of surprise returns too, except for clowns like you that choose to spoil them for yourselves.

 

[Jenna.]

I don't necessarily think the OP meant reading the spoilers online. If so then I do agree if you don't want to know what happens then don't read the spoilers.

But I believe what he's trying to say and I agree is the fact that on Raw or Smackdown they'll advertise what's happening the next week. Like when a legend comes back, they'll advertise it as oppose to surprising the audience. I thought the same exact thing when they mentioned Randy Orton was returning before the Rumble back in January. His pop would of been crazy in his hometown. Little things like that kinda ruins the excitement in my opinion.

 

[Nick Black]

I agree with everyone, really. The OP meant that you aren't surprised by the show anymore, not necessarily reading WZ Spoilers, (which add to it). The new Vignette for the *SURPRISE* wrestler to debut in the WWE was solved within minutes. I would have much rather waited until the night after to see a new/old face in the WWE with no Vignette. Again, like Orton coming back before the RR. Why didn't he come back as a late entrant? Why did his return need to be spoiled? On Smackdown the other night, why did they advertise Christian's return on the Peep Show? Why didn't he just interrupt a segment or something? It just seems like even for the people that don't read the spoilers, every potential mark out moment is being spoiled already.

I mean, there are exceptions. When Cena came out to Basic Thuganomics the other night, using his old gimmick, I pretty much marked because I didn't expect it, and no wrestling site or show said "Cena will show up tonight as the 'Doctor of Thuganomics'!" It just happened. The things just happening are what make marking out amazing. The programs themselves (in conjunction with the internet) are making markout moments almost impossible for us.

 

[acailler]

The one reason for the lack of shock value these days is simple. Technology. There's simply too many ways for "shocks" to leak out. It's something that is beyond WWE's capabilities to stop and has and will permanently harm the business in the long term.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

As far as spoilers go I agree with what everyone says, if you don't want them to spoil or ruin the product for you the simply avoid them.

On the other hand the return vignettes are harmless in my opinion. Unlike spoilers obviously the only way you can avoid them is bu turning off your TV when suspecting that a vignette is on, but clearly that isn't likely so you're stuck with them. Not necessarily a bad thing, if WWE knows that a huge mark out moment will occur when a shock return happens then they will keep it a secret. On the other hand if they want to debut or re-debut someone (Lord Tensai/A-train) then clearly they see that it needs to said to the audience that this individual is returning. Do you really think that Matt Bloom was going to be remembered by a majority of the audience upon return.

Orton's return on the other wasn't too much of a big deal. He had only been gone about a month or less so there was no point in milking as something huge by a return shock. Yes he got a big pop from his hometown crowd (and would have gotten a large pop in front of any crowd) but I didn't mind him wrestling on Smackdown a couple of days earlier. Hell the fact that Orton was scheduled for the rumble due to it could have drawn in more people. I guess I'm over analyzing it at this point.

Point in simpler terms: WWE doesn't serve spoilers on a silver platter, and they only use vignettes when needed to.

 

[flawd101]

i now only go to news site and forums once every few months after a great ppv. i recommend all jaded online fans do this. it is hard at first but...
i was completed surprised by y2j and lesnar's returns. they were amazing because i had no idea. not knowing the matches or anything about the show makes it a lot funner. i recommend everyone try it. it made wrestling fun again, at least for me.

 

[KrossRoads]

The main problem isn't the product in and of itself so much as it is the IWC. I've said this in numerous threads like this: you can't expect to be surprised most of the time as a fan if you spend your time scouring the internet for wrestling websites that report spoilers for potential upcoming matches, upcoming feuds, how WWE plans to end current feuds, who could be getting a title run, potential storylines, etc.

It's a common complaint among a good portion of net fans and, much like many internet fans themselves, it's a complaint that defies logic in many circumstances. How can you expect to be taken by surprise when you purposely seek out information to keep yourself from being surprised? In a nutshell, it's pretty fucking stupid.

People have said for years that, for the most part, the internet has taken the mystique out of wrestling and I believe that's 100% true. Before the internet, we were out of the loop. We didn't read about rumors or breaking news backstage regarding new wrestlers signed or released. We didn't hear about upcoming World Championship pushes weeks before they were scheduled to happen. We didn't hear about upcoming matches before they were officially announced.

Also, whenever WWE usually does catch net fans by surprise, there's as much bitching and moaning as before. I don't think most of the net fans that complain about the lack of predictability actually want to be taken by surprise. It comes across as a cover for little more than the same old tired crap about them simply wanting to see something go down exactly how they think it should go down. They want certain wrestlers to have certain gimmicks, certain wrestlers to be pushed or not pushed, certain matches to take place at certain times, certain ways to end said wrestling matches, certain angles taking place and storylines that they believe are good. Basically, a lot of the IWC view themselves as fantastic bookers that possess a clarity & vision that nobody else has.

Surprises are great when they're done in a way that actually makes sense and can lead to entertaining feuds, promos and matches rather than taking place just for the sake of momentary shock value.

I agree 100% with this. Its really hard to be a mark and still expect suprises from the wwe, like this monday brock lesnar's return was a shock to many people but not me if he wasnt present at wrestlemania u had to have figured he was gonna show up on raw. I will say this though, kane's return in december was a suprise and undertaker's return right before laurinitis was fired was a HUGE suprise.

 

[DJ Kyo]

The internet has hurt WWE a lot more than it has helped it if anything...

We always know who's coming back and when. We always know the storyline (or some version of it) before it happens.

There are no surprises and this is no shock value, because there's nothing to be shocked about. We know it already.

Just look at Lesnar coming back. We knew because of the internet and the WWE tried hard to hide him, but it just wasn't happening... There were fucking "we want Lesnar" chants at Mania and on Raw... All Thanks to the internet..

Now imagine the internet isn't around and Brock makes that appearance at the end of RAW... THAT would have been huge.

 

[abhilash81]

i really miss those days 7 years back when i used to watch wwe with my frndz without knowing the results and it was fun to watch...... Then came wrestlemania 21, and an elder friend took us to the internet cafe. That was it! We learnt the results way before it was to be telecast and since then, i've never watched a show without knowing the results firsthand.

 

[TBK]

It depends on the situation. If it's a big, big return and you think people would watch the Pay-Per-View anyways, then yes, keeping it secret maybe a good idea. However, say it's just a popular star which may add a buy or two if his name is mentioned as returning at the PPV.

Overall, I'd say for the most part, just know when it's time for one and when it's time for another. Orton wasn't injured that long and I don't think his name holds too much on the buyrate. I'd say what they did for him around Rumble time was actually really fitting. On the other hand, an example of a huge return that would be best off at the Pay-Per-View would be Edge's back in 2010. He had a long break, there was talk he may show up, but there was never anything official. It was a buzz that got people to just buy the PPV out of anticipation for maybe his return. Then the music hit and people were freaking out.

Basically, just use what you think can create a buzz for the PPV is the main thing.

 

[H33LTurn]

You need to understand what WWE is trying to do with advertised returns. Randy Orton is a big star and his return could mean an increase in ratings or it could bring back anyone who stopped watching after Orton got injured. The return being advertised didnt take anything away from the moment but I do agree that it was rather unnecessary for him to wrestle on SD with the Rumble being so close.