Does WWE have too much talent?

[MartialHorror]

Another thread got me thinking of WcW during its prime, where it seemed like they had too much talent at its disposal which made it impossible to strike the right balance. You'd have the more entertaining personalities like Hogan, Piper, Randy Savage, Warrior, etc carry the bulk of the promos and storylines...and then you'd have the great wrestlers like Ray Mysterio, Jericho, Benoit. Juvetud, etc having more matches without any stories. People complain about WcW for...everything...but I do feel a lot of the problem was that there was no way to provide a proper balance...

One of the things I liked about the WWF at the time was that it seemed to utilize its roster more effectively. It often felt like anyone who got any TV time would be part of some sort of feud. Even steady midcarders like X-Pac, Val Venis or the Godfather were often put in programs that involved some sort of storyline.

Right now, WWE seems to have too many people without direction. It's coasting off feuds that have been going on for months. Nothing seems to be going on for the Wyatts. The Uso's and Sheamus seemed to occasionally vanish despite holding championships, Cesaro aimlessly jobbed until he was put in a half-assed program with Sheamus (which had already happened not too long ago involving the SAME belt) and there is this odd blending of certain feuds.

Is John Cena going to give up his pursuit of Lesnar for Rollins? Even though Rollins is feuding with Ambrose? Wasn't the Big Show supposed to feud with Bray? But was that forgotten in favor of a Rusev feud? Is Nikki feuding with Brie or Paige/AJ?

You'd think with all of these wrestlers getting injured, there'd be more time to give to these wrestlers whom people are interested in so they can have compelling feuds...although I guess you have to make room for 'Slater Gater Vs Adam Rose and a bunny' storyline where you get the exact same match on a weekly basis...I hope this means Vince doesn't think a bunny has more potential than Bray...

You can argue that these people could all be used effectively and WWE is just botching the storylines, but it seems to me that there just isn't enough time on every show to properly use everyone. There are too many guys right now who deserve bigger spots. Am I the only one who thinks this? Or could the problem be solved with better time management? Or is the face-heel ratio the problem?

 

[WBL]

I feel like the problem is that there's too much talent, but only because there's this bottleneck at the top, and has been for a long time. For the longest time, in the 2000's, they focused mostly on HHH and the OVW 4... Cena, Lesnar, Batista and Orton. And now, even all these years later, everything focuses on Cena and Orton, HHH is the "King of Kings", and they brought back Batista and Lesnar. They'll let new talent like Bray Wyatt, Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, etc peek their heads up for a minute, but only for long enough for the same old guys to knock it down.

It's what helped to kill interest in WCW. It's that bottleneck.

 

[MartialHorror]

I feel like the problem is that there's too much talent, but only because there's this bottleneck at the top, and has been for a long time. For the longest time, in the 2000's, they focused mostly on HHH and the OVW 4... Cena, Lesnar, Batista and Orton. And now, even all these years later, everything focuses on Cena and Orton, HHH is the "King of Kings", and they brought back Batista and Lesnar. They'll let new talent like Bray Wyatt, Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, etc peek their heads up for a minute, but only for long enough for the same old guys to knock it down.

It's what helped to kill interest in WCW. It's that bottleneck.

Wow, you just nailed that perfectly...and it only took a single paragraph!

It does seem like Orton is losing is foothold though, Lesnar works on a very part time basis and Batista might not come back anytime soon...So maybe something will happen.

 

[TDFG]

6 on 1, half a dozen on the other.

The booking is a problem, too many guys get pushed then buried then pushed and so on i.e. Sandow, Cesaro & to a certain extent The Wyatt's. How can you expect these guys to go on and carry the company in years to come when they become cannon fodder.

Another problem is that there is possible too much WWE right now, 3 hrs of Raw, Smackdown, Main Event, PPV's. A lot of guys have to get used to fill that TV time, so sometimes there is going to be fillers and matches that make no sense and do nothing for the talent.

 

[GeminiGarlord]

I feel like the problem is that there's too much talent, but only because there's this bottleneck at the top, and has been for a long time. For the longest time, in the 2000's, they focused mostly on HHH and the OVW 4... Cena, Lesnar, Batista and Orton. And now, even all these years later, everything focuses on Cena and Orton, HHH is the "King of Kings", and they brought back Batista and Lesnar. They'll let new talent like Bray Wyatt, Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, etc peek their heads up for a minute, but only for long enough for the same old guys to knock it down.

It's what helped to kill interest in WCW. It's that bottleneck.

Yup, this.

Also instead of using their bottlenecked tower to push others further most of the time they just make sure that the bottleneckers stay over (what, cena helped push ryback but now ryback seems to be becoming more over than cena? TO THE BURY MACHINE)

 

[Navi]

The problem is they don't know how to use the talent they have, and there is nothing planned in the case of emergencies.

We had Bryan go out with an injury, but they had Reigns and Ambrose waiting in the wings. Reigns gets a push, and Ambrose sort of does, then goes off to film a movie. Then Reigns has to have surgery and now they just have Ambrose to carry the load with Cena.

Lot's of heels and no faces is their problem. Now Orton has been threatening a face turn for awhile, with his comments about Rollins. Don't know why it hasn't happened yet, but the Authority is the new Evolution and Evolution is notorious for turning on each other. They can't rely on wrestler's like RVD and Jericho to come back every few months, creative has to start making the people they have work for them and they aren't doing that. It's more rehashing every week and the product is getting stale. Maybe they should shake up the creative team that might be a start anyway.

 

[Mudlup50]

I think something they could do to fix the actual problem is build feuds that don't have to end at PPV. We as fans have this mindset that feuds have to end at PPV. I feel like Smackdown is like the testing grounds. Yea we'll have a rematch from Raw that doesn't matter(Bo beating Swagger, any tag team match or main event match). O we'll have a decent match but then have a rematch on Raw. They have enough talent, let some guys compete regularly on Smackdown.

Let feuds end on Raw in high caliber matches like the Y2J v. Bray feud.

And a 3 person feud isn't such a big deal. Nikki is sort of involved in Paige/AJ but it's just to keep both feuds fresh. Cena being involved in Rollins/Ambrose is to keep Cena fresh while Lesnar is off TV. It doesn't mean that he isn't feuding with Lesnar anymore

 

[whoopin' ass]

Have to agree with the idea there are too many stuck at the top. Think back when all those guys went from WWF to WCW - it allowed room for new guys to rise in WWF. Problem today is that they just try and cram new guys into that main event spot now but really, it isn't that different than it was 5 years ago. Edge and Punk leaving didn't really create a gap. That's why guys like Miz and Sheamus are now fighting for mid level titles after being champ. With the rest, there really isn't an issue since guys get released every year so there is always a spot opening. Plus NXT has taken some guys away from the main roster like Kidd so you can bring on other guys. I don't see it as overstaffed as much as overstaffed in one key area. Plus the way wwe introduces new people, you suddenly get a ton of new talent in a short period of time which adds to the feeling. We've seen a ton of new guys over the past year, probably more than in previous years, so the roster seems fuller but they do have a lot of tv time to fill.

 

[Cena Is A Punk Rocker]

I feel like the problem is that there's too much talent, but only because there's this bottleneck at the top, and has been for a long time. For the longest time, in the 2000's, they focused mostly on HHH and the OVW 4... Cena, Lesnar, Batista and Orton. And now, even all these years later, everything focuses on Cena and Orton, HHH is the "King of Kings", and they brought back Batista and Lesnar. They'll let new talent like Bray Wyatt, Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, etc peek their heads up for a minute, but only for long enough for the same old guys to knock it down.

It's what helped to kill interest in WCW. It's that bottleneck.

I can understand your point but I have to disagree. I think the bottleneck has been loosened to an extent. The Shield boys are forcing their way into these discussions. We've seen all three of them in prime hours each show. Reigns is injured right now but he will be pushed when he comes back. Ambrose is getting the best reactions on a nightly basis. Rollins may be the best heel on the show right now. I don't really see Orton being anything but enhancement talent these days. Lesnar isn't on TV half the time. These young guys are being given every opportunity to shine. It's on them to make the most of it.

Sandow is being groomed for the comedy roll. And in my opinion he is killing it. I love what he is doing with Miz. He is shining in what he has been given.

 

[L@RISANO]

The problem is they don't know how to use the talent they have, and there is nothing planned in the case of emergencies.

We had Bryan go out with an injury, but they had Reigns and Ambrose waiting in the wings. Reigns gets a push, and Ambrose sort of does, then goes off to film a movie. Then Reigns has to have surgery and now they just have Ambrose to carry the load with Cena.

Lot's of heels and no faces is their problem. Now Orton has been threatening a face turn for awhile, with his comments about Rollins. Don't know why it hasn't happened yet, but the Authority is the new Evolution and Evolution is notorious for turning on each other. They can't rely on wrestler's like RVD and Jericho to come back every few months, creative has to start making the people they have work for them and they aren't doing that. It's more rehashing every week and the product is getting stale. Maybe they should shake up the creative team that might be a start anyway.

As I mentioned in another thread;

The major problem is the Lack of Top Talent in both the Face and Heel departments at the current time.

WWE have only One Top Level feud going on at this time, and aren't even attempting to push multiple guys up the card so that the Main Event scene can become more diverse.


One of the reasons I enjoyed the WWE when I began to watch over a decade ago, was the fact that there were upto 10+ Legit Main Event talents on the roster who could step in and keep the viewers interested in what they were doing.
CM Punk's walkout did hurt, the loss of some guys due to age,etc. has hurt...but still the company should have been building guys steadily to take over as they used to do a decade or so ago.


At current, there are 2 Major Babyface Superstars injured, and that has left a Main Event scene of get this... 4 Top Main Event Level Superstars(John Cena, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins(2 of whom are actually Works in Progress). Whilst Roman Reigns(also WIP) and Daniel Bryan are injured
Then there is HHH and Brock Lesnar as Part timers who are active.

Beyond that, they'll have to continue to bring back guys just to drum up interest, when instead, they could be building what is available instead of keeping them in limbo.


Cesaro's push was understandably curbed since they wanted to push the Shield trio, but to completely halt his momentum and leave him in limbo has come back to bite the WWE big time,lMO.

Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt family, like Rusev, could have been built up slowly to eventually take over as Top Heels in time. Instead they have been booked so poorly, that a Face turn might be required just to get them back some momentum because of WWE Creative's inability to understand how to properly use Bray's "Cult Leader/False Prophet" character.

 

[HeyYo]

LOL, ya, Mark Henry, Big Show, Rusev, Hornswoggle, Great Khali, And old Kane are all a part of the too much talent roster.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There isn't a bottleneck as such... it's more the conveyor that leads to the top having a drop rather than a stepping stone to that hallowed "main event" status.

WWE has ALWAYS had too much in terms of talent during good periods, this was true in the Hogan era, before it even... only in the mid 90's could you say the talent didn't stack up and they were short.

The problem as I have long said, is that they have a "time honoured" method they found in the late 80's to push talent and they don't deviate enough to accomodate everyone. Once Savage had done it the formula was set...

Debut - Win IC title (or US) - Win World title within 2 years or losing mid card title - if this doesn't happen ditch and try the next one.

It's what got Savage, Warrior, Bret, Diesel Shawn, Austin, Rock, Kurt, Edge, Orton, Batista, Eddie, Benoit, Jericho, Rey, Ziggler, RVD, Cena, Bryan all to the top... and why guys like Shamrock, Goldust, Barrett, Davey Boy, Barrett, Cesaro and their ilk are "failiures". Even Owen fits into this, despite any political issues... these guys were just as over, just as talented and ready for their chance, but WWE could only push one at a time cos of this system... once the brand extention happened they could do 2... but they have often picked the wrong 2... It's pretty tragic guys like Orton have 12 titles when someone like Barrett has yet to have one, even for a night there is no real reason for it other than they didn't "leap and grab the brass ring" from Vinces hand...so they drop off the end of the conveyor and go to the back.

Not everyone CAN be the World champion, but all CAN be main eventers... WWE inextricably links the two however and that damages more talent than anything. Kofi Kingston is the modern Tito Santana, exact same role... he should main event more than he does. Barrett is now the Greg Valentine role.

If WWE pushed guys more like they did before Savage and the treadmill, they'd be more successful. Then guys had a role in the company based on ability, all could "main event" against Hogan etc but few got to be the champ rather than everyone who drops the IC has to be champ or they failed.

Look at Mania 3/4's roster to todays and you'll get my meaning.

Hogan - Cena
Andre - Brock
Jake - Bryan
Piper - Barrett and Ambrose share this at the moment, as Barrett will be a big face on
his return.
Savage - Rollins
Steamboat - Ziggler
Honky Tonk Man - Rollins
Reigns - Jim Duggan (he was intended to be the next big thing, it was only his bust with Sheik that led to "doofus" Duggan)
Harley Race - Orton
JYD - Mark Henry
Rick Rude - Dolph Ziggler
Hercules - Rusev
Butch Reed - Titus
Hart Foundation - The Dusts
Bulldogs - Usos
Rick Rude - Ziggler
Tito Santana - Kofi
Shiek - Kane
Rick Martel - Bo Dallas

If they just let people fit those roles or their equivalent and let the cream rise, then they would get more success, but they plod on with this conveyor of IC to World and it doesn't work.

Look back at that period... some guys like Rude were not allowed to step up cos of politics, but others took a long long time. Bret had been on the roster 7 years when he won the belt, Shawn for nearly the same and Henry a full 15 years... Taker won the belt in a year but didn't get it again for another 5... Piper was always "main event" but never got the big belt, only the IC belt after 7 YEARS! Even into the 2000's, JBL didn't get the belt till he had been on the roster for 7 years... Not everyone HAS to do it in record time...

They want it NOW and that's the problem... if Reigns can't or doesn't make it, there is no plan b for him... he's just "the guy who couldn't cut it" and that is wrong... he shouldn't get the belt for 2 more years...

 

[FromGlasgow]

There are lots of good decent wrestlers but not enough great wrestlers like Hogan, Rock, Austin, Savage, Andre, Taker, Piper, Flair, Hitman and HBK for example maybe guys like Cena and Brock are nearly there to an extent but I cannot see Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose selling the numbers the previous guys did.

 

[Radical]

Part of the problem is the bottleneck issue already talked about with Cena, Orton, Brock, Triple H clogging up the main event when they were doing the same 8 years ago! They haven't really let anyone else up there.

Part of the problem is, sorry to say, old guys who are still around. I'm talking Kane, Big Show and Mark Henry. I have mad respect for those guys and they are some of my favorite Superstars of all time. But c'mon, they got to have an exit plan. 2 or 3 years ago WWE should have planned for them to be phased out by putting them in programs with guys similar to them so they could put them over. You can't ever have a "New" Kane, Big Show or Henry but you can have guys like them if you put effort into it. Why couldn't Henry help Big E get over? Why couldn't Kane help Wyatt really get over? By that I mean a 2 or 3 month feud in which Wyatts are clearly more evil and dominant and has an I Quit match. Kane doesn't come back s Corporate but instead is just gone and solidifies Wyatts as monsters. Now replacing Big Show is very difficult. Very hard to find a giant like him who is an athlete like he is but they could try to find someone. Maybe that Baron Corbin in NXT or The Ascension, especially Konnor. But they got to pull the trigger on that soon.

It is part of the problem. WWE is relying too much on the past and wasting time with too many joke characters and Divas segments. It's like Vince is phoning it in. Maybe weeks of low ratings will kick him in the butt to get going.

WWE does NOT have too much talent, they have a lot of great talent that they aren't using well.

Why are there no more tag teams suddenly in WWE? Just the Usos, Dust Bros and Harper & Rowan. Los Matadores don't count because clearly they aren't credible threats. What happened to multiple, dynamic and interesting tag teams? Attitude Era had multiple great teams: Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, Edge & Christian, DX, T & A, Tazz & Raven, Right to Censor, etc. Now it's like they've given up. Vince must hate tag teams again.

Why is there only 3 or 4 rivalries below the main event? No wonder the shows suck. You see Bo Dallas vs Swagger and it's like they are in their own world. Why doesn't Zack Ryder come down there and Broski Boot his ass for beating him in previous matches? Show some damn pride and then the audience goes, OH, look ANYTHING can happen and everyone has some backbone.

It's pretty clear now why WWE gets lower ratings. It's too much TV time with not enough happening.

Low ratings are the best thing for WWE right now because hopefully it MAKES Vince have to make more compelling TV.