Converting people...

[Decarow]

Ok, so this week was the first time i sat down and watched a full ECW in 3 years, and at all in about a year and a half. I've been reading people say how it's the best show to watch when you just want wrestling. However, I was fairly disappointed. The beginning segment was HORRIBLE. Washington looks like The Rock combined with Obama and sounds like Chris Rock. Not only that, but the mic work was horrible. It was something I'd expect from a backyard wrestling promotion. Neither Washington nor Ryder made me believe their characters were real. And Benjamin... well, he's never been too good on the mic. It was not a segment to show someone when you try and get them interested in the product.

The Hurricane segment was pretty cheesy. Would've been better without the obvious acting.

However, the wrestling was really good. Jackson was dominant. Good staredown with Kozlov. The main event was phenomenal.

However, if I wanted to try and "convert" somebody into watching WWE, I would have definitely taken them to watch Raw. It has better acting and entertainment. I know we are tired of what's going on, but remember, new comers don't know that the main event is "stale" and that the mid-carders in their early twenties "should be" multiple world champs.

If you want to attract somebody to the product, show them what would interest them more. Raw's storylines are better acted and more real. Smackdown has Hardy with the title, and he's not the best speaker.

If I wanted to convert somebody, this is the order of product I would show them:

1.) Monday Night Raw
2.) WrestleMania 21 (the start of this era)
3.) Smackdown
4.) SummerSlam 2005 (Hulk vs HBK)
5.) WrestleMania 18
6.) ECW

I try to keep it somewhat modern, so they are watching modern wrestlers. No point in showing them WrestleMania 1-5 and expecting them to jump right into what's going on now. They'll be expecting Hogan and Warrior, instead they'll get Cena and Batista. Instead of Andre they'd get Big Show. I'd keep that stuff just in case they get interested.

What is your method?

 

[RatedRCyCo]

I'd show them Smackdown, then some more smackdown, then some select moments from RAW followed by some of the best recent PPV matches which as we all know was performed by Smackdown superstars

 

[WOLFPACK0524]

I converted my wife into a WWE fan and this was how I did it:

Since we were dating for a while, her first experience was Wrestlemania in 2004. She wanted to watch it with me. My first reaction was "really?!" But she wanted to be with me regardless. I didn't think she would like it but she was entertained. I had to do a lot of explaination to her to catch her up a bit but she liked it. I prefaced a lot of guys and I said that she would probably like Edge the most. Then afterwards I told her that we needed to watch Raw after that to see the aftermath from it. She worked on Thursday Nights at the time so I had to tell her what happened on Snackdown. She was a big fan of Kurt Angle and love his theme, especially when people chanted "You Suck" with it. When I had gone to house shows or Smackdown/Raw tapings in Cleveland, I would call her to play his entrance to her. After we married, we did not have enough money to afford cable so I was only a Smackdown person for almost 5 years. My dad would get PPVs here and there and my wife got hooked on it because she hated Randy Orton and anyone who was really cocky. She liked it when they got their butts handed to them. I think that was when she really got into it because she liked seeing the bad guys get it.

She now works Mondays so she only catches the last 45 minutes of Raw but she still hates Randy Orton and Legacy. She is in love with John Cena only because, "you just look at him and want to give him a big kiss," and Evan Bourne. She said, "you know if my sister was single, I'd want her to meet him." We have been watching ECW and she thought the "Smurf" thing was funny and she actually has been quoting Zack Ryder's "WOO WOO WOO You know it" since then. It's funny. She is also very critical on wrestlers with bad trunks like Big Show and Jericho. She hates the little shorts on Cody Rhodes too. A woman's perspective indeed.

She actually just said that we should get SummerSlam. Without prompting too. I think we have her hooked.

 

[TheBestThereEverWillBe]

people always jump on the fact that its fake wrestling. u goota make them realize its just a mens sope opera. instead of men and women fighting over each other. its men fighting over a belt with action.

 

[Dexter]

She actually just said that we should get SummerSlam. Without prompting too. I think we have her hooked.

Score. Well done, my friend. Well done. I guess, then, we have to hope Cena beats Orton or she's going to be really disappointed.

On topic, I didn't intentionally get my wife into it. As I recall, she just passed by one day as I was watching and saw Chyna and sat down and started watching. She's still not a huge fan but she watches with me from time to time, just to see the women's division. Funny thing is, she HATES the women's division. Constantly bitches about how they're all a bunch of girly girls pretending to be athletes. But she still comes running if I tell her a women's match is about to start. I can't explain it.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

Well, I got one of my best friends to start watching wrestling. I was in the fifth grade and my best friend and I would talk about wrestling non-stop. This other kid in my fifth grade class, (little did I know he would also become my best friend), would get annoyed all the time, and ask "Why are yall always talking about wrestling? It's corny... it's fake! Blah, blah, blah!" Well, one day in sixth grade, me still a wrestling fan, talking to my friend, the same kid who called wrestling corny and fake interrupted, and asked, "Hey, Jensen... did you see this Bobby Leslie guy?" First, I thought to myself, "Who the hell is Bobby Leslie?" I knew who he meant, but I didn't feel like arguing, so I took the time to realize that he was trying.

Since that moment, he would watch Raw and Smackdown every week, and an occasional ppv. He would try to learn about WWE trivia (even more than me... pysch!) He would buy all the Smackdown vs. Raw games and even subscribe to WWE Magazine. He also had WWE accessories and action figures. You could have almost called this kid the "Ultimate Wrestling Fan", something that I always wanted to be known as. Apparently, now he isn't as much of a fan. The last time I saw him was 8th grade graduation, but since we're about to start 10th grade, he lost interest. I guarantee that if we went to the same high school, he would continue to watch WWE until he was old and gray. Something I will do as long as I live to be old and gray and the compnay is still around.

 

[Saritafan]

great stories everyone,i also hooked 2 of my best friends to wrestling,there brothers/twins

it all started in 7th grade,i was in gym class talking to one of my friends about randy orton running his car over undertaker(it was little after survivor series 2005) and then out of no where,my soon to be best friend interupted and he was like "you saw that too" and then all our gym classes after that,we talked about wrestling.he then started coming over to my house with his twin brother and I gave them the 411 about everything in WWE,i showed them old DVD's,the history of titles,the attitude era,all that great stuff.then every raw and smackdown,we use to call each other and talk about what was happening and then every PPV,they use to come to my house and we use to watch it together,order pizza,and have fun.they have actually learned EVERYTHING about WWE thanks to me,they know everything now

we've been best friends for 5 years now and they've never missed a PPV until now.the last PPV they came to my house was wrestlemania 25 and since then,they've missed every PPV to date so sadley,i think they are losing interest in wrestling and i can't blame them,WWE does suck now,I also havn't talked to them in 2 months now so I guess our friendship is also out the window

I do feel like I wasted my time with them,i taught them everything about WWE and they just leave it all high and dry but oh well,they maybe done with wrestling but i never will,i'm a wrestling fan 4 life

 

[Gotahn]

That is so weird because I am proud to be a WWE/F fan and when I met my wife she tried to convert me but I had been a fan since I ca remember. We both loved Wrestling and we fell in love. By the way she loves the faces and I go for the heels, which make for exciting PPV nights.

Back on subject: If I wanted to convert a new person to WWE, I would start with the Raw when Vince was punted in the skull by Randy Orton to Wrestlemania 25. With Randy Winning the Royal Rumble and the buildup after that was pure gold. Plus they get to witness the build for the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. Then I would top it off by showing them Wrestlemania 25. The reason I chose this is because With Randy having an impressive heel streak going, I figure the person I was trying to convert would hate Randy with their life and to see him get dominated at Wrestlmania 25 would seal the deal for them. I think they would eat it up. Plus the Taker and Michaels match was so awesome they would be on the edge of their seats wondering who would win. So that is the route I would go.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I'm sure you could convert people to WWE but only if they have never seen it before. Good luck trying to convert someone who watched WWE during the attitude era then stopped. Anyone who was a fan a the former WWE or of the former ECW will probably laugh at Raw and ECW now. I've been watching for 20 years now and have been through every era and this entertainment era is by far the worst. Same feuds, storylines, and celebrities booking and wrestling in matches is the worst idea ever. ECW use to be known for barbwire matches with Sabu and Terry Funk and now has Shelton Benjamin and Zack Ryder singing Hootie and the Blowfish. It's not entertainment to me or other former hardcore fans of WWE during the Austin era but some people like it. For WWE I wouldn't show them Raw but Wrestlemania 12-20. That last good Wrestlemania's there were. Probably I would show them Undertaker against Michaels at WM25. For TNA I would show them The Rhyno promo of him burning the ECW title and The History of TNA year 1 for the more hardcore "wrestling" fans. TNA is better suited for the former Attitude fan and any other fan of wrestling and WWE is now suited for fans of comedy sketches.