Do you like not seeing the WWE champ wrestle every week on Raw?

[chicagokmc]

With Cena away for movie duties and Lesnar’s part time schedule we’ve a ppv lead in period where the champ has not been actively fighting on Raw and in fact barely around. Personally, I like it. I’m an old schooler at heart. Back in the day, the world champ fought on tv only on special occasion. The other champions were more active on tv and made up for the absence of the world champ. Granted WWE should have but has not used this as an opportunity to actively defend the US or Intercontinental titles. In fact they have instead chosen to cram more Stephanie/Bella down my throat than I like. But all that said, I still like this over that tired pattern of seeing the world champion fighting in meaningless action on Raw every week. I saw meaningless because we know nothing of significance is going to happen to the champ given that his upcoming ppv match is already set.

If the predictions and thoughts turn out to be true regarding Lesnar getting the strap, WWE fans may have to get used to a lot more of this…

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Cena doesn't wrestle on Raw every week when he's been champion. Off the top of my head, I don't think most champions have ever wrestled every single week on WWE TV. I think it's important for the champion to make an appearance on television, however, on a weekly basis most of the time. Back in the mid 80s, Ric Flair didn't wrestle on television every week, but there was almost always some sort of promo segment, video presentation or something in which he was involved in.

The thing about Brock Lesnar is that he's not even willing to just show up each week. Besides, I think it'd get sort of old if Lesnar appeared on Raw each & every week, stand around glowering at people while Paul Heyman hyped him. The formula would get stale quickly without Lesnar getting into the ring to wrestle on television and he won't do that, he's got no interest in doing that.

This dichotomy has been interesting, however, because it casts so much doubt and has generated so much speculation on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match. It make sense for Lesnar to defeat Cena for the title, as Cena has a significant role in an upcoming film, so that this bout evens them up with a win each and keeps Lesnar's momentum going as this raging beast that just ended the streak. However, as much as it pains some fans to admit this, it makes sense for Cena to retain given how Brock Lesnar's deal is structured. He won't be wrestling for free on television, he won't be appearing even on a bi-monthly basis and he sure as shit won't wrestle at house shows; so it's not as if WWE can put the title on him for any real length of time. The last I heard, he was scheduled to be part of Night of Champions, so if he wins at SummerSlam, there's practically no chance of him coming out of NOC as champion because he's gonna disappear for the next 4 or 5 months.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

The champion is always involved in some sort of storyline or feud (duh!). Having him or her (because this really applies to all champions) wrestle every week would become monotonous. Champion wrestles, heel interferes. The same thing every week with limited variation will get old fast. JH made a good point about Lesnar. One reason he's so over with the crowd is because his appearances are rare and feel special. If he came every week, that wouldn't be the case.

That said, it feels like it has been awhile since Cena wrestled on Raw. I wouldn't be surprised if they have already begun to slow his schedule down to get more mileage out of him.

 

[Mustang Sally]

The thing about Brock Lesnar is that he's not even willing to just show up each week.

That's for sure. In fact, as little as we think Brock has to do with WWE, he probably is even less involved than that. He already knows how to wrestle, so he most likely shows up only when he absolutely has to, limiting his contact with the organization and seeming like a mercenary even to the staff and employees of WWE.

As a reward for this level of non-involvement, he's probably going to be cheered to the rafters when (and if) he beats John Cena this Sunday. Many, many fans are dying to see the guy who stops in to work at WWE only when he has to (contractually)..... while they hate the guy who has given everything he's got for us during these past 12 years. Terrific, huh?

Meanwhile, I think it's a good idea for the world champion to not fight on TV every week; it makes the times he does fight into a special occasion. In Bruno Sammartino's day, he fought once a month.....at a major arena with a packed house, the event promoted all month long by WWWF. It made a championship defense into a bigger deal than it is today.

This was going to be one of the problems with Daniel Bryan as champion, had his reign lasted longer. In many ways, his championship stint wasn't as genuine as John Cena or Randy Orton: Daniel was seen as an underdog even as he held the title.....seeing him fight on TV as champ wouldn't have been special at all. He looked like the challenger every time he went out there, even while wearing the belt. Go figure.

WWE follows a formula in how they present their talent. As a rule, they oversaturate our TV screens with the performers we "want to see the most".....until we get sick of them and don't want to see them at all.

So far, they've resisted the temptation to do the same thing with the world champion. Let him show up on our screens, but don't make him wrestle every time out. Hopefully, they'll stick to that. It's time-tested.

 

[chicagokmc]

my point was, the champ may not be actively wrestling singles, but the wwe recent formula has been...

ppv wyatt vs cena (champ)

week 1 - cena vs harper
week 2 - cena/sheamus vs harper/rowan
week 3 - cena/uso's vs wyatt family

maybe a week off in the middle of that. we got this for cena and for daniel bryan as well. to mustang sally's point its that whole over-saturation thing i'm glad i've gotten a break from.

 

[Reflection]

While I'm okay with the top champion not wrestling every week, I feel that he should at least make an appearance once a week, and skip not more than one week a month. However, given the kind of track record Brock has in this matter, I'm sure I'll have to get used to a lot more of this, like you said. It will really suck though, not getting to see the WWE Championship or the champion for weeks on end. I don't see the point of a Brock title reign either, except that he might pass the torch to someone 8 months from now. It will also suck for guys like Orton, Reigns, Rollins,Ambrose etc., who in the meantime will be fighting amongst themselves for... what? The champion isn't even in the building. Next appearance is one month away, Seth. Don't bother bringing the briefcase along.

 

[TheDrix]

If the champion would wrestle every single week (or every single show)..the title he holds would lose the "prestige" can I say? Everyone would take it for obvious, or just stop to care as about US Championship.
My opinion is, that the less he wrestle, the bigger value the championship he holds has and then, I guess everyone is way eager to see the champion fight for his championship against someone, than when he is fighting every week, winning everything and then he does the same at ppv against the same opponent.

 

[Slash-LN]

It doesn't bother me.
If they can keep me entertained with anyone then I don't care too much who isn't there. There might be a week here or there where I want to see x wrestler and I'm a little disappointed that they aren't there but that doesn't hinge on them being a champion.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
So maybe it would be a bigger deal to some people if the champion isn't there for a week or two.

 

[lil steroid meat]

I definitely think the World Champion shouldn't wrestle every week. It was something that was created in the late 90's as a ratings tactic and that isn't necessary anymore.

World Champions wrestling less frequently does two things:

1. Makes the PPV's a bigger deal because it's the only time you can see them in action.

2. The secondary title's prestige is now raised due to them being the highest ranked active, competiting champion on television.

The World Champion should maybe cut a promo or be involved in a segment or something but they definitely shouldn't be in the pointless television matches we've seen for the past 15 years.

That being said, I don't know if this applies to Brock's situation because dude literally (as far as we know) doesn't have to leave his house from NOC in September until the Royal Rumble in January. But if they rework his contract I wouldn't mind him showing up 1-2 times a month and only competing at the PPV's.

 

[L@RISANO]

I do wonder if they'd use Heyman to keep Brock relevant once, I assume, he wins the WWE title at SummerSlam, and then defends successfully at NoC against whoever.

It has been refreshing that Creative has actually put some sort of effort into making the majority of the SummerSlam Matches actually have Storyline Feuds behind them rather than throwing them together randomly.

The main prediction has been that Brock wins at SummerSlam and drops the title at NoC, which does make sense for normalcy to resume and also due to Brock's contract.


However, from a personal POV, I'd love to see Brock Lesnar have a long run with the title that will truly drive home the Fact that after beating the Invincible Streak and then SuperCena at SummerSlam and maybe NoC also, that Brock is truly the Guy to beat and the one to put over a New Star(whoever it maybe Reigns, Bryan, even Cesaro perhaps..) Big-Time at Wrestlemania 31 itself.