If you aren't enjoying WWE, why are you watching???

[f_roEDGE]

I have stopped watching Raw for about a month now, but still read the results here on the website. I watched the Daniel Bryan segment this week, simply to see the Royal Rumble fallout, and then turned off the show.

The WWE will continue to thrive putting on a disappointing product as long as we watch. We need to stop watching RAW and Smackdown, so that the WWE will stop putting on a mediocre product. If you REALLY need to watch it, stream it online.

What do we really have to see? We know the matches for Elimination Chamber. The US and IC titles are never defended. Tag Team division is becoming a joke again. Divas division is a joke, and should only consist of AJ, Naomi and Natalya.

Ask yourselves, if I am bored/frustrated with the current product, why am I watching? Lance Storm is right! We can make a change if everyone would stream the shows or stop watching the product entirely. Low ratings would cripple the WWE.

Thoughts?

 

[closet_fan]

I don't watch anything live anymore. I DVR RAW and Smackdown and stream the PPVs the next day. I watch purely out of habit. I don't HATE the product right now, even though I don't like where it's going.

The things that have been happening are really starting to make me wonder whether shelling out the initial $60 for the network will be worth it. If I do, a majority of it will be to watch old PPVs and shows. WM30 had seemed like a bonus, but I'm not sure now.

 

[smizzy]

Thoughts?

Why don't you just plant yourself outside headquarters with a picket sign and a buddy or two? Ya know, really stick it to the man.

 

[Gibby]

I was chatting about this with some friends the other day. I've been watching WWE for about 23 years and have worked myself into a position of brand loyalty with them that I can't shake. And I'm not a brand loyal person, generally-speaking. I love pro-wrestling but could never get into WCW or TNA, ECW died shortly after it got to UK TV, ROH doesn't do it for me, and I can't follow the storylines in NJPW as well as I'd like because I don't speak Japanese (though I am backtracking through various videos of NOAH, NJPW and AJP). Not only this, there are also a lot of positives about the current WWE programming that are less interesting to debate than the two or three very large negatives - they have a lot of good in-ring workers and some interesting prospects at every level of the cards. Finally, my closest friends watch it and we generate a layer of enjoyment through the familiarity of WWE and our relationships with the characters and each other.

 

[f_roEDGE]

Not only this, there are also a lot of positives about the current WWE programming that are less interesting to debate than the two or three very large negatives - they have a lot of good in-ring workers and some interesting prospects at every level of the cards. Finally, my closest friends watch it and we generate a layer of enjoyment through the familiarity of WWE and our relationships with the characters and each other.

But these prospects are undoubtedly going to be misused. Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston & Daniel Bryan are very skilled yet severely misused. The Shield and the Wyatts will all hit a wall, with the exception of Roman Reigns. 2 years from now, the guys will be doing the same things, going absolutely nowhere while John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Batista and HHH take up the spotlight. It's very sad.

Stream the show if you really wanna watch it. Just don't watch it on live TV or those two or three very large negatives will ruin the product forever.

 

[keith hall]

Why do I continue to watch it???...because wrestling is what I love...

ever since I was little wrestling has always been there...one of my first wrestling memories is the Hogan Goldberg nitro match, I watched it while I was in the emergency room(I had just hit my head because I jumped off the couch just like Rey mysterio and required stitches)...

but wrestling is a huge part of my life...Im basically a WWE historian so I know all about the slumps they've endured...

and That's what this is...a slump...

well actually its the end of one...

because we're in the exact same scenario we were in before the attitude era...WWE has lost plenty of top stars and is grooming new one...

so I'm going to sit back and enjoy this new era...and I'm going to try to keep the complaining for everyone else to do...

 

[Broski_of_the_week]

Simply because there is nothing else to watch. I don't contribute to the ratings as I don't watch RAW live on tv but if I don't watch it at all then what do I, as a wrestling fan, have to watch? Believe me, I'm as frustrated as the next guy with the current product but there is no real other option to watch. ROH doesn't hold me as it doesnt provide the 'sports entertainment' style I've been brought up to enjoy and I find it to just feel a little dated, TNA has awful production values and an even worse roster, like another poster said as well NJPW and co arent in a language I speak (although I have started to watch a bit on youtube, Prince Devitt v Kota Ibushi was a hell of a match!) and NXT WAS good but at the moment is worse than RAW with the Ascension, Bo Dallas and Alexander Rusev dominating storylines despite being, for lack of a better word, shit.

I only got back into WWE beginning of 2011 after a decade or so of being on a self imposed Hiatus following the end of the monday night wars and the rise of the likes of Cena and Batista who just dont interest me. I think I'll stick around until the Raw after Wrestlemania and if everything carries on in the same vein, it might be another decade before I dare switch on a pro wrestling tv show. I will miss it but I don't think I can stand watching another year of this nonsense where I find myself watching every week annoyed at the fact that everything is being booked oh so wrongly.

As a side note, does anyone else really believe the likes of Stephanie McMahon garner real heat or is it just X-Pac heat she gets i.e you boo because you genuinely just don't want to see her? Because I think the whole problem with this authority storyline is that HHH and Steph and co think they're a million bucks atm for getting booed out of the building when they don't realise they are getting booed for all the wrong reasons.

 

[Gibby]

But these prospects are undoubtedly going to be misused. Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston & Daniel Bryan are very skilled yet severely misused. The Shield and the Wyatts will all hit a wall, with the exception of Roman Reigns. 2 years from now, the guys will be doing the same things, going absolutely nowhere while John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Batista and HHH take up the spotlight. It's very sad.

Stream the show if you really wanna watch it. Just don't watch it on live TV or those two or three very large negatives will ruin the product forever.

Demanding perfection from approximately 35 hours of programming per month is beyond unreasonable. I didn't sign up for WWE to grouse about it, I got into it because it still has the capacity to tell the best stories and, with prospects such as Bryan and Reigns all the way down to Sami Zayn and rumours of signing guns like Prince Devitt and KENTA (ok, long shot) then the future is bright for me. I can handle some occasional guff because I know how to make light of it, and I can ride the bigger negatives such as the last few days because it makes for good drama. So I'll continue to enjoy it in the manner I see fit and you can continue to grouse about and feel unhappy. Makes no odds.

 

[keith hall]

oh and to anyone saying the new generation will be misused...um once again remember the first couple of years before the attitude era... undertaker couldn't wrestle...stone cold didn't talk...the rock was a face with no voice...and HHH was midcard at best ...give the wwe time...everything will fall into place...and maybe the reactions d-bry Is getting will translate to ratings...remember wrestlemania 13 did not sell out completely...and Shawn couldn't draw a dime

....but the second the new Gen got control things took off...so just wait...and ENJOY!

or attempt to

 

[Broski_of_the_week]

oh and to anyone saying the new generation will be misused...um once again remember the first couple of years before the attitude era... undertaker couldn't wrestle...stone cold didn't talk...the rock was a face with no voice...and HHH was midcard at best ...give the wwe time...everything will fall into place...and maybe the reactions d-bry Is getting will translate to ratings...remember wrestlemania 13 did not sell out completely...and Shawn couldn't draw a dime

....but the second the new Gen got control things took off...so just wait...and ENJOY!

or attempt to

I applaud your optimism but the product currently doesn't look to be going that way, the more Triple H 'takes control' of WWE programming, the more it seems to be reverting back to the old formula, and the backstage politics are far too involved in current wwe. Although I don't believe every story that is reported on sites like this one, there are far too many stories that give this same impression of HHH and his 'clique' ruling over WWE nowadays and not giving the opportunities to people they don't like over those who arent in demand by the fans but fit into the big guy, larger than life mold. We are still seeing re-hashed feuds from the early 2000s, still seeing the likes of Bryan, Ziggler etc being overlooked for Sheamus, Batista etc and although we can all see talent in a lot of the up and comers, none of them seem to be getting that real opportunity and push apart from those who are 'in' with those in charge (Big E Langston is Cenas workout buddy, Roman Reigns is related to the Rock etc). Surely those who are most talented and entertaining should be top of the pile, no matter what theyve said or who they travel on the road with. Until this starts to happen then I don't see this 'New Generation' forming.

 

[AnthonyM4]

Like someone else said on this board, watching wwe is like watching a crazy car wreck. It has been like that for a long time. It's just hard to take your eyes off of a crazy car wreck. The only difference between wwf now and wcw in 2000(and boy what a wreck that was), wwe doesn't have to worry about someone like Jamie Kellner saying "we don't want wrestling on our network anymore."

 

[Mongoose McQueen]

I am not one of those fans will complain all the damn time about EVERYTHING like some do but even I am getting a bit sick of WWE's BS. I mean, Batista vs Orton as the main event for WrestleMania? REALLY? I am complaining but complaining about something that actually matters. CM Punk quitting WWE also bothers me because I am a big fan of his and I personally believe that WWE should of handled his push a little bit better.

He was treated like garbage in mid cad feud with undeserving fools like Curtis Axel for crying out loud.With that being said, I am not going to hold a grudge because he will be replaced I am sure over time. I am a big Cena fan but am not happy with how WWE plan on using him in a feud with Bray Wyatt for WrestleMania, it makes NO sense and will flop big time if WWE go ahead and do it. The product is not where it should be right now and that is because the silly mistakes WWE keeps making. I am not a part timer hater whatsoever, In fact I don't know where WWE would be without them.

 

[Eyebrows]

Mostly I stay away from the WWE. I watched the Rumble every year because I love the Rumble match and I tuned the night after because I was curious about how the crowd would be. Turned it off after the opening segment. I doubt enough people will stop watching to significantly shift the ratings but it's common sense to me to not watch something if I don't enjoy it. 3 hours of HD programming stored in my Sky Plus planner takes up a lot of space. Besides I always check on here to see if there's anything worth watching then check out the main parts on Youtube which is pretty much how I'd watch it on TV, fast-forwarding to the segments that interest me.

People watch because there's no alternative. I used to enjoy TNA years ago and would defend it to the death but the quality of their show has really suffered. More so than ever. There is ROH though which is unavailable on UK television. However, I just found out that they have the shows on their website so I'll be watching that now. It used to be on over here on The Wrestling Channel which was actually pretty good but was obviously too niche a market to succeed.

Another point is, despite how much we bitch about it now, a lot of us were massive WWE fans in the past. I want them to do well, I want them to succeed in creating engrossing television. So I would tune in, in hope that there'd be something interesting to watch or a small gem of a match...there are still isolated parts of the show that are excellent when taken by themselves.

 

[adam i]

I watch because I've been loyal to the E for 25 years. There are highs and lows. Although I disagree with the writing lately, the E has fooled me before.

 

[Tyler44]

Well, I stopped watching regularly 8 years ago. I got sick of it and it was not entertaining me so I moved on.

And the only two times I've found myself clawing back to see what happens was the CM Punk 2011 lead up to the MITB and this Daniel Bryan chaos. I for one still believe the Daniel Bryan thing is a brilliant work (I know giving credit to WWE right now is the last thing anyone wants to do), but yeah. I stopped watching because the product got stale. Still is.

And after Wrestlemania, I'll tune out until something big happens again because the current roster does not have enough talent to stimulate my interest to what I once had.

 

[f_roEDGE]

There are many who still watch the product today, regardless of their disappointment. I personally don't understand it, but that's fine....everyone is different.

I just feel that the more we watch, the more nothing will change. In fact, things are actually getting worse. 'Small' guys will never be respected world champions for as long as WWE stays in its current mentality. Lack of viewers might change that.

As I said, if you people really want to watch, I suggest streaming instead of watching on television. Otherwise the product is going to get worse and worse. There are many sites that stream Raw live.

 

[Kris Benwa]

I watch it because I love it and honestly, it's not that bad to me. Sure Daniel Bryan could be used better but I think he will be. CM Punk walking out doesn't affect me one way or the other because I never was one of his knob gobblers. I didn't like him before the pipebomb I liked him for a few months after the pipebomb but never jumped on the bandwagon. Him leaving shows me what's wrong with him moreso than what's wrong with WWE. I do think either Punk, Bryan, or Reigns should have won the rumble and I'm not happy with the rumored WM card but this is the first time in a while I've been excited about the FUTURE of the WWE. Right now it's meh but the future is looking extremely bright I think Cena still has 1 or 2 prime years left, Batista is back for a run, we've got the Shield, Bray Wyatt, Daniel Bryan (sort of already there), Cesaro (wishful thinking), Big E Langston all on the cusp of becoming huge stars and that's a crop I am a fan of. If they can handle all these guys right I'm excited for the future I understand why they're doing what they're doing now though.

I also watch TNA every Thursday and they've up until recently been putting on better shows than WWE has. Them I'm a little less excited about because the loss of AJ Styles and possibly everyone else in the future and tbh when the bridge comes I may stop watching TNA. I'm also thinking of getting into ROH. I've been watching a ton of their old matches on Youtube and all I need is a free night and I'm sure I'll start to watch some of their recent shows and get into it.

In conclusion, I don't have as big a problem with WWE as seemingly everyone else does. I agree Bryan should have been in and won the Rumble but it isn't WM yet. I'm in the wait and see mode. I will say however if the rumored matches for WrestleMania actually become the card I might not watch it (even though I either go to a bw3 or stream it anyway). I'm looking forward to the future of the WWE because in my eyes the future is bright while the present isn't dim enough to warrant losing my viewership.

 

[ECWcyrus]

Why do I still watch? That's a question I ask myself quite often. I would say the reason I still watch is mostly out of habit. I'll spend my Mondays watching RAW, Thursdays watching IMPACT, watching ROH simply because I love wrestling--always have.

Yes, this is a dark time in wrestling, with AJ gone from TNA, WWE angering their fans, Punk leaving, ect, but I watch, I guess, with the hope that things will turn around.

I guess what I'm saying is, while the product may not exactly be in its best state, it's hard to just stop watching after watching for so long.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

People will watch in the same way they watched Dexter and hated the ending, or continue to watch soaps even though they go through spells of being shite...

Accept WWE for what it is, a soap opera set in the world of what used to be called "pro wrestling" rather than anything else and a lot of hate, stress and the BS disappears... but people don't do that cos of the "it's real to me dammit" mentality.

It wasn't always this, for many of us it was a different animal when we formed our attachment to it, it was a semi-legit sport/art form even in the 80's... for kids like me who grew up with World of Sport and one week a month of WWF on a Saturday wrestling was a national pastime, a treasure in a week of 4 channels, Coronation Street and horrible bloody attempts at kids programming. Families could sit down and watch wrestling, Big Daddy etc and one a month we got our treat of seeing guys like the Bulldogs v the Harts and that got us hooked.

For others it was Stone Cold and the Rock and that era...

Either way the attachment is for life, just like your football team or first love... wrestling fans often endured ridicule compared to other "sports" or TV shows... so they care... they're not gonna "just stop watching".

BUT

Like I said in another thread, the risk isn't people stopping watching WWE owned material. The network will allow us eventually to relive pretty much the whole history of wrestling... if we hate what they are putting out now then we just watch the old stuff... with in 5-10 the wrestlers themselves will pretty much be obsolete... They will be able to have a model where you pay to book your own shows... as the tech grows and each WWE game gets closer... eventually they will only need the talent for the odd live show... but for now either way they have your money...

Where this is the crucial time for them is that as well as fundamentally changing their business model for the first time in 30 years they are also fighting a different battle for TV money - to get the kind of deals the EPL or Champions Leauge get... so they don't care about those who hate the current product cos they're catered for... what they do care about is maximising ratings and buzz while the TV negotiations are in proccess to maximise that final number...

There is 2 ways of looking at the last 2 weeks in the WWE... either they are doing something so wrong that it's costing them talent and fans... or they are doing something VERY right. In the last 3 days just in the UK alone, the WWE has made the BBC and the Independent newspaper - cos of Bryan not being in the Rumble and Punk "walking". To company in the middle of negotiating it's biggest TV contract ever, and aiming for a Billion that is a boon...they are basically the most talked about entertainment product on the planet right now... more people care if Punk has quit than what movie spots or bands are gonna play the Superbowl this weekend...

They couldn't BUY that publicity when Dwayne was there.. That alone is going to make even the most jaded fan watch at least until 30 is out the way... just to see if it is a work with Punk and of course that's the rub... with the 6 month initial commitment, they have you till Summerslam anyway... so at worst if you don't like what you're seeing you don't watch the TV shows... but they got your money so you'll just watch Attitude etc... but to those networks suddenly WWE is literally the hottest thing on the planet... this publicity adds an amount to their bid... that might just be what makes the difference between a 9 and 10 figure value...

If it's real and Punk is the "casualty" then that's a shame, but there is no way WWE is not in control of it's shit right now - for 3 weeks all you've heard is dissention and reports of issues, even guys like Foley saying how disgusted... you have an "Authority" and a guy who has been very quiet... Vince... This is how he comes back and how his "ownership" etc is resolved... WWE will be 2 factions pro-Trips/Pro Vince... and 30 will be all about it... the mainstream will be into it and the TV deal value will be based on it...

 

[iammikerodriguez]

When the WWE network was announced, I was all for getting it. I wanted it right then and there. Being a long time WWE fan, from wrestlemania 5 till present time, I thought the WWE network was only going to enhance the current modern day product.

Being an avid WWE fan for a long time, the only time I really tuned out was when WWE began pushing the likes of Batista. I'm not a fan a Cena but I respect him and Orton as well. Even with my favorite wrestler of all time, Shawn Michaels, on TV, I tuned out because I couldn't stand the rest of the product. I started tuning back in again in late 2011 and saw some of the newer guys being pushed like Punk and was instantly hooked again.

In the last few days, I'm going against my initial thought of getting the network. Especially now with the news of Punk leaving. I feel as the WWE had momentum leading up to the days of the Network launch, right until the Royal Rumble happened. I will be one of the ones not subscribing to the network, if I cannot stand the current product. If I was to watch a bunch of old matches, I can probably do that for free else where. The selling point for me is how it helps the current product. But the current products, with the exception of Punk, Daniel Bryan, Bray, The Shield, Ziggler, Rhodes and Kofi, isn't great. Cena and Orton, though I respect, are played out. Batista I can't stand to watch another second, and the whole triple H going to bat for his buddies thing is getting old too. I don't mind the outlaws being champs but Nash in the rumble? Really? WM30 is looking worse and worse each day.

How epic would a Punk vs Bryan WWE Champion match would be at WM30? Sting vs Taker? Brock vs Batista? Cena w/Hogan vs Ziggler w/Piper? Shield vs Wyatts? Triple H vs Orton? 4-way Ladder Tag Team Championship Match? Jericho vs Sheamus? RVD vs Kofi? That's the FANS WM30 card!

WWE has always been about doing what the fans want. The WWE network is a product for the fans. If WWE can't give the fans what they want... The fans won't give wwe their money. Simple as that.

 

[Zu11y]

You never know guys, they may be making the product shit on purpose so true fans feel the need to watch past shows (buy the wwe network) to satisfy their needs

 

[roethlisberger78]

Look lets face it the product might not be as good as it could be, and I'll be honest with the fans getting so hostel over DB not getting the push he deserves it feels like a huge riot could happen anytime in the building they're in for that night ( that would be awesome by the way). To answer you question so to why I still watch lets look at it as your favorite NFL team mines the Steelers and while they didn't have their best year I still watched them any time they were televised, I live in Ohio so I have to deal with the Browns gams mostly but you know I still watch those games also (big point here) BECAUSE I LOVE THE NFL.... so why do I still watch WWE even though its not quite as good as it could be... because I love wrestling, nothing will change that I'll always be a fan, and I'll always be that young kid who wanted to someday walk down that isle, even though I'm getting older I still think about that because I love it.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

Look lets face it the product might not be as good as it could be, and I'll be honest with the fans getting so hostel over DB not getting the push he deserves it feels like a huge riot could happen anytime in the building they're in for that night ( that would be awesome by the way). To answer you question so to why I still watch lets look at it as your favorite NFL team mines the Steelers and while they didn't have their best year I still watched them any time they were televised, I live in Ohio so I have to deal with the Browns gams mostly but you know I still watch those games also (big point here) BECAUSE I LOVE THE NFL.... so why do I still watch WWE even though its not quite as good as it could be... because I love wrestling, nothing will change that I'll always be a fan, and I'll always be that young kid who wanted to someday walk down that isle, even though I'm getting older I still think about that because I love it.

I'm with you man, I think this is the perfect example. We watch the WWE because we love pro wrestling. Because we've been fans forever and why would we stop now? As a lifelong Jet fan I totally understand where you're coming from with the NFL comparrison. Except you're team has actually won something in your lifetime.

 

[rbv13]

Why do we watch?

The answer is simple – This is a great time to be a fan of professional wrestling! I am not sure if it was planned or just simply happened but the fans passion for the product is reaching near optimal stride. When an individual is truly passionate about something they damn well should demand what they perceive to be perfection. At its very basic element this is just human nature. If you love your pro or colligate team you demand the same. If you love your job you demand the same. If you love your country you demand the same. Wrestling ultimately is a form of entertainment but also a release and guilty pleasure of the masses. If we want to live vicariously through the business it is our prerogative. Any individual’s opinion might seem crazy or over the top but it is our prerogative to do so. I firmly believe we are in the early stages of the next great evolution of the industry and I love the chaos, the uproar and the passion.

Join me in placing your right hand over your heart and proclaiming “We the Wrestling People!”

 

[The IWC Butcher]

Agreed... I've watched since 1987 as a kid and enjoyed it... stayed into the bret hart era (even though 91-95 had some rough gimmicks ... attitude era rekindled my enjoyment and since then it's been habit...Some good points from 02-07 but the corny PG silliness started to dismiss the product ... being force fed Cena for going on 10 years... I enjoyed the summer of punk, Daniel Bryan the watts and the shield but honestly out of one episode of raw I'd say I enjoy maybe 30 mins to an hour. It's habit. Plain and simple. It's like eating at outback. Decent okay...Maybe you ll get a great new dish but for the most part it's bland average. Lately starting from summer slam to now it's like the mcmahon family are trolling it's diehard fans. And this thread is spot on...don't like it don't buy it don't watch it...but we will.not get our vengeance as fans because WWE is like Disney now....a new fresh crop of 7-10 year Olds with no attention spans lack of storytelling appreciation. We fans will not get satisfaction until we truly not care and allow WWE to bother us. That's it.