In-ring Segments

[JGlass]

For a while I've felt that WZCW has struggled at booking feuds. Every cycle two or three manage to be worthwhile, but the rest of the card is stuck in matches for belts with little else going on, or feuds that are missing that certain something. I think this is a problem that could be easily remedied by upping the amount of in-ring segments on WZCW programming.

I realize that in-ring segments kick off nearly every WZCW show, but I'd argue that having two or three segments per show would not only allow you to push feuds in a very clean cut manner, but it would also give the show a more realistic feel. When's the last time you watched Raw or Smackdown and didn't see a single in-ring segments? Often times, these segments are the best part of the show.

I'd love to see Saxton and Saboteur cut a promo in the middle of the ring and be interrupted by New Church, or have Stephen Holmes come out and insult the crowd before Chris K.O. ambushes him from the stands. Maybe John Constantine makes an announcement regarding the KFAD briefcase before he is confronted by the title holder, or maybe the Elite X and Eurasian Champions argue about who holds the more prestigious title? There are dozens of entertaining possibilities for in ring segments that could take place on WZCW programming.

So what do you think? Would you like to see more in-ring segments on the weekly WZCW shows, or are you happy with the current "In-ring segment-match-backstage segment-match-backstage segment-match" format?

 

[Viola Moonlight]

I don't see an issue with including more segments like this apart from adding extra work on our plates and our tardiness on creative hasn't been the best. I'm all for making the shows as interesting and exciting as possible for everyone... so should we find a formula and/or team that allows us to create shows on-time at a consistent rate, I think having a go at doing this on a full-time basis couldn't hurt.

A proposed question to you: would you be happy if we went overdrive with this idea that we replaced some of the scheduled matches in the RP boards as segments (i.e. instead of RPing for a match, you RP for a segment like a contract signing). For example, instead of Saxton & Saboteur wrestling a tag team match that has been designed as filler between shows where we will write something pre/post-match to hype these characters current feud, we have an in-ring segment instead where Saxton/Saboteur and the other people involved in the feud will RP against each other - the winning team will be the team to come out on top of the segment. It's the same idea as a match but its not a match when we write it.

 

[JGlass]

I don't see an issue with including more segments like this apart from adding extra work on our plates and our tardiness on creative hasn't been the best. I'm all for making the shows as interesting and exciting as possible for everyone... so should we find a formula and/or team that allows us to create shows on-time at a consistent rate, I think having a go at doing this on a full-time basis couldn't hurt.

I was actually thinking you could outsource these segments from creative to people who are shown to be strong writers and have a good grasp on characters, people like Doc or Yazloz would be ideal for segments like this. You could give them the general gist of the segment and let them run wild with the idea.

A proposed question to you: would you be happy if we went overdrive with this idea that we replaced some of the scheduled matches in the RP boards as segments (i.e. instead of RPing for a match, you RP for a segment like a contract signing).

I was thinking about that, and I think that would be an okay idea... but just okay. Ya'll did it during the Saxton/Saboteur spoon feud for KC, and I thought it worked out very well, and Doc and I had a lot of fun with that RP. That said, I can understand how people would be disappointed since it would kind of take the competitive element our of RP'ing, which I reckon is a big part of what makes WZCW exciting.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

I was actually thinking you could outsource these segments from creative to people who are shown to be strong writers and have a good grasp on characters, people like Doc or Yazloz would be ideal for segments like this. You could give them the general gist of the segment and let them run wild with the idea.

That could be another way of doing it but we'd have to limit it to strong writers though... a perk of sorts for doing good. I like it.

I was thinking about that, and I think that would be an okay idea... but just okay. Ya'll did it during the Saxton/Saboteur spoon feud for KC, and I thought it worked out very well, and Doc and I had a lot of fun with that RP. That said, I can understand how people would be disappointed since it would kind of take the competitive element our of RP'ing, which I reckon is a big part of what makes WZCW exciting.

I edited my response before you could have a look at it. This is what you missed that may change your mind what you said:

For example, instead of Saxton & Saboteur wrestling a tag team match that has been designed as filler between shows where we will write something pre/post-match to hype these characters current feud, we have an in-ring segment instead where Saxton/Saboteur and the other people involved in the feud will RP against each other - the winning team will be the team to come out on top of the segment. It's the same idea as a match but its not a match when we write it.​

td;lr - It's RPing for an in-ring segment where the winning RP translates to their character coming out on top

 

[Awesome_Miz]

In another fed I am in it's basically in-ring or backstage promos. I like the idea, but instead of having a thread someone from creative could PM the people involved and they can talk it over and one person does his part and sends it to the next and so on. Then, they send it back to the creative team.

It would be interesting way of seeing some feuds built up. Maybe you can have two or whatever number of people who have never talked to each other argue in the ring.

 

[JGlass]

That could be another way of doing it but we'd have to limit it to strong writers though... a perk of sorts for doing good. I like it.

Precisely. I'd say you can make a short list of people that you consider worthy and when the time comes ask them to write the segments. This could also be a good way to test the waters for future creative members.

For example, instead of Saxton & Saboteur wrestling a tag team match that has been designed as filler between shows where we will write something pre/post-match to hype these characters current feud, we have an in-ring segment instead where Saxton/Saboteur and the other people involved in the feud will RP against each other - the winning team will be the team to come out on top of the segment. It's the same idea as a match but its not a match when we write it.​

tl;dr - It's RPing for an in-ring segment where the winning RP translates to their character coming out on top

That was very far from tl;dr.

It could work conceptually, but I don't think people necessarily need to come out on top of any segment. Some segments should end with a stare down or a shouting match, and some segments could just be one person/team in the ring without any interruptions or anything like that. I think this could work in some cases, but not in others. For contract signings, sneak attacks, or physical confrontations it could work, but for verbal confrontations, comedy bits, or character building it would be out of place.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

I don't see an issue with including more segments like this apart from adding extra work on our plates and our tardiness on creative hasn't been the best. I'm all for making the shows as interesting and exciting as possible for everyone... so should we find a formula and/or team that allows us to create shows on-time at a consistent rate, I think having a go at doing this on a full-time basis couldn't hurt.
.

I sent a pm to Numbers not a month ago offering to fill this idea. I offered to write any segments or small things that need done. So extra work for you guys it's not.

I have no problems reading old roleplays and figuring out people. I've wrote in the past, and if you got them to me on time. I could always have them to you a day or two before hand.

Enough time to go over my grammar. That kills that argument...

I've been on staff in three feds, wrote for over a year.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I made mention of this in some show feedback a little while back, and Numbers and I sent a couple of PMs back and forth discussing it. I think creative has done a better job of arranging feuds and actually advancing said feuds than when I first joined, but like FalKon said, it increases the amount of work.

I think Numbers made it a point when he took over to give everyone something relevant to do instead of just random matches, and through no fault of his own some of it fell through. The mentor program was an ambitious idea that started strong but it petered out due to lack of participation on some of the rookies part. I understand if creative would be reluctant to put in that work, knowing people can and have up and quit out of the blue.

One suggestion I'd make is letting the two sides involved in the feud write their own characters part, then send it onto creative and let them piece it together. It would ease a bit of the load on creative, and allow those involved in feuds to be a little more hands on.

 

[a0161613]

I've always been trying to advocating people stepping up and writing something for their own character or even someone else. Shotaro has done it at least twice, Barbosa and Miko have been brilliant in giving us a basic direction to write their feud with their own ideas inbetween. Funkay had the whole basic idea for the tag division laid out before the first round of this cycle. If someone puts in that kind of effort then it at least deserves to be put on the show somewhere.

I would LOVE for everyone to have something to do, the Unscripted cycle allows us to do a little more than normal with more bodies and it would be good to see someone step up. I'd support it because this is very close to the start of the road to KC.

I'm not dismissing the in-ring thing J - I'd love to evolve the style of the shows (which I guess is your main point) but I'd rather us focus on getting our shows up consistently first and foremost.

 

[Miko]

I've thought about this before and it seems to me that we have few in ring segments and the ones we do have are 99% centred around creatives own characters, pretty much everyweek we open with Callahan or Holmes or Showtime, its dissapointing sometimes as last round me and Barbosa were in the main event with Holmes and Showtime and I honestly thought there were two or three good moments for our characters to interject themselves, but we got Big Dave. Its understandable I guess because they can work together on them to make sure they go right, this shows because the odd few without them always feel rushed and a lot flatter, and I think this makes a lot of fueds fairly uninteresting if you dont go out of your way to read RP's.

The only way I can see around that is for two people who are fueding to write some of their own segments/backstage stuff and pitch it to creative, I'll admit to being guilty of pitching very little until recently, which is why I dont ever complain about how my character is used, but I'll make efforts to change that if creative would be okay with adding segments written by other people.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I've always been trying to advocating people stepping up and writing something for their own character or even someone else. Shotaro has done it at least twice, Barbosa and Miko have been brilliant in giving us a basic direction to write their feud with their own ideas inbetween. Funkay had the whole basic idea for the tag division laid out before the first round of this cycle. If someone puts in that kind of effort then it at least deserves to be put on the show somewhere.

I would LOVE for everyone to have something to do, the Unscripted cycle allows us to do a little more than normal with more bodies and it would be good to see someone step up. I'd support it because this is very close to the start of the road to KC.

I'm not dismissing the in-ring thing J - I'd love to evolve the style of the shows (which I guess is your main point) but I'd rather us focus on getting our shows up consistently first and foremost.

Hey, I helped Shotaro with those segments thank you. You Brits and your damn ignoring good ol' fashioned Red, White, and Blue hard work.

Seriously though I think sometimes people look at you guys on creative as these big bad monsters who shoot down every idea. I don't really know what you guys could do to change that outside of straight up coming out and telling people otherwise, but I know that when I was still brand new to the fed I looked at all the guys on creative, guys who were current and former world champs, guys who held records for longest title reigns, and felt insignificant, like my opinion wouldn't matter. I'm sure others have felt the same.

 

[Kermit]

I've thought about this before and it seems to me that we have few in ring segments and the ones we do have are 99% centred around creatives own characters, pretty much everyweek we open with Callahan or Holmes or Showtime

They are in the main-event scene. I really am not trying to sound mean, but why shouldn't they be opening up the shows?

this shows because the odd few without them always feel rushed and a lot flatter, and I think this makes a lot of fueds fairly uninteresting if you dont go out of your way to read RP's.

I will agree that some times creative segments get a front row push, but that is mainly because most of creative is in the main-event scene. Kurtesy, Celeste, and GM have got the same amount of most regular members, because they are not in the main-event scene. I, along with most of the others, try to put as much effort into additional segments as we can. I wrote like 7 or so segments last round that included names like Krypto, Runn, and Beard/Gent.

I highly agree with you about putting common themes from RPs into segments on shows. Most regular members just don't read RPs, or not at least all of them.

I'll make efforts to change that if creative would be okay with adding segments written by other people.

Send them on over. The more the merrier. I remember writing an in-ring promo for Chris when he first turned heel. Creative was happy to put it on the show.

 

[Lee]

The last time I suggested an in ring segment the ending was edited by creative without my say so and made me look like a senile old man.

I think the rule is true though, unless youre on creative you don't get one.

 

[The Crock]

The last time I suggested an in ring segment the ending was edited by creative without my say so and made me look like a senile old man.

I think the rule is true though, unless youre on creative you don't get one.

"Bah, humbug. Chris KO is a vile young man! Back in my day, we didn't wear silly helmets to the ring -- it wasn't about vanity!" /old man Titus

 

[a0161613]

I think the rule is true though, unless youre on creative you don't get one.

Not much has changed in this respect since day one, main event level talent (from Rios to Will to Ty) and the big feuds open the show but new World Champs get the same privelege.

Besides, unless I/we hear about complaints (or get replies to PMs that I send out) how am I supposed to change things?

 

[Lee]

I think it's more an assumption of how things are done. I assume creative get in ring segments because they're on creative, they deserve that extra thing.

Also that segment wasnt under your watch and was over a year ago.

 

[a0161613]

It's OK I dont mean to have a go. I know you know how we do things because you set them up in the first place.

Sometimes its our own fault. Rush was supposed to have a big coming out party for his title reign and we've shelved it continuously for whatever reason. Which reminds me.....

 

[Kermit]

Rush was supposed to have a big coming out party .

 

[Lee]

Rush's new theme:

 

[JGlass]

Sometimes its our own fault. Rush was supposed to have a big coming out party for his title reign and we've shelved it continuously for whatever reason. Which reminds me.....

I knew he and Sam Smith were more than just friends.

 

[The Crock]

I knew he and Sam Smith were more than just friends.

He's a gentle lover.

 

[Shotaro]

I'm always happy to write show segments or matches. Hell I've written something for the last two, possibly three meltdowns (I know I've done two matches in a row but I think I did a segment the show before...)

How much of that is simply because being a Brit I'm more likely to be online when Numbers is and so I'm a convenient person to ask or not is open to debate but yeah, I'm not opposed to getting stuck in and helping write stuff for the shows.

The thing to remember when you come up with an idea or a storyline is that there are so many moving pieces. When we first knew Yazloz was going to have to take a break, me him and Numbers were planning out ideas for a feud (only general stuff) and that got canned because Funkay had an idea that worked better and should produce a more engaging story at the end of it.

It's easy to be annoyed with the perception that creative are self-serving, but in all honesty could anyone argue against Showtime, Drake or Holmes being in the main event? Then you have KO, Celeste and Kurtsey as the guys just below that and although GM has started around that level on the card he did beat the current World Champ in his debut match and is a returning character so it's not like he has been inserted into the main event straight away or anything.

Look at any wrestling show, Main Eventers get the most mic time because they're the draws. The problem with e-feds in general, in my opinion at least, is that it's difficult to acknowledge your place on the card sometimes because you feel you should be higher than you are. I'm guilty of it myself; when the boards went up for the last round I felt that I was "above" Aftershock. Is Howard a solid mid-card booking? yeah, but that doesn't mean he is guaranteed a spot on the "bigger" shows any more than Kurtsey, Titus, Celeste or Constantine who were all on that card also and are all above Howard on the card.

Over the past few months I feel that the booking of the mid-card has improved in terms of story-telling - yes creative's characters seem to get more mic time but they're also feuding around the world title for god's sake, if I argued that Howard should open Meltdown because of the tag storyline it would be dumb because it wouldn't feel like a big enough deal, unless he were somehow involved in the main storyline at the time which should, as ever, be the main event.

tl;dr If you want a segment for your feud then write one, it doesn't take as long as an RP and it's easier to edit a promo that it is to write one from scratch.

 

[Miko]

They are in the main-event scene. I really am not trying to sound mean, but why shouldn't they be opening up the shows?

Thats fine, but when its Holmes, Showtime and Callahan having scores of dialogue with each other all the time, or Chris K.O's numerous segments where no one else really seems to get a look in in a major capacity, it starts to feel like a circle jerk. No one else seems to get close to that sort of air time, not trying to be mean, but at the end of the day, as a comment in my rep says, you'll always find it easier to book your own characters.

I will agree that some times creative segments get a front row push, but that is mainly because most of creative is in the main-event scene. Kurtesy, Celeste, and GM have got the same amount of most regular members, because they are not in the main-event scene. I, along with most of the others, try to put as much effort into additional segments as we can. I wrote like 7 or so segments last round that included names like Krypto, Runn, and Beard/Gent.

I highly agree with you about putting common themes from RPs into segments on shows. Most regular members just don't read RPs, or not at least all of them.

Send them on over. The more the merrier. I remember writing an in-ring promo for Chris when he first turned heel. Creative was happy to put it on the show.

All of this translates to, creative needs more effort required from our side, I am cool with that.

I'm always happy to write show segments or matches. Hell I've written something for the last two, possibly three meltdowns (I know I've done two matches in a row but I think I did a segment the show before...)

How much of that is simply because being a Brit I'm more likely to be online when Numbers is and so I'm a convenient person to ask or not is open to debate but yeah, I'm not opposed to getting stuck in and helping write stuff for the shows.

The thing to remember when you come up with an idea or a storyline is that there are so many moving pieces. When we first knew Yazloz was going to have to take a break, me him and Numbers were planning out ideas for a feud (only general stuff) and that got canned because Funkay had an idea that worked better and should produce a more engaging story at the end of it.

It's easy to be annoyed with the perception that creative are self-serving, but in all honesty could anyone argue against Showtime, Drake or Holmes being in the main event? Then you have KO, Celeste and Kurtsey as the guys just below that and although GM has started around that level on the card he did beat the current World Champ in his debut match and is a returning character so it's not like he has been inserted into the main event straight away or anything.

Look at any wrestling show, Main Eventers get the most mic time because they're the draws. The problem with e-feds in general, in my opinion at least, is that it's difficult to acknowledge your place on the card sometimes because you feel you should be higher than you are. I'm guilty of it myself; when the boards went up for the last round I felt that I was "above" Aftershock. Is Howard a solid mid-card booking? yeah, but that doesn't mean he is guaranteed a spot on the "bigger" shows any more than Kurtsey, Titus, Celeste or Constantine who were all on that card also and are all above Howard on the card.

Over the past few months I feel that the booking of the mid-card has improved in terms of story-telling - yes creative's characters seem to get more mic time but they're also feuding around the world title for god's sake, if I argued that Howard should open Meltdown because of the tag storyline it would be dumb because it wouldn't feel like a big enough deal, unless he were somehow involved in the main storyline at the time which should, as ever, be the main event.

tl;dr If you want a segment for your feud then write one, it doesn't take as long as an RP and it's easier to edit a promo that it is to write one from scratch.

Yeahyeah we get it.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Just to quickly point something out here, Ascension kicked off with a segment that was originally intended to be a mid-show angle with the Tag situation and actually became the Ascension opening. It also didn't feature anyone from creative.

Something I also think has played a part in the use of ME characters in the show openings recently is the fact that, as JGlass said, we haven't managed to sustain feuds/storylines, which is partially our fault. I, along with the others on creative are looking to change that and I think the Tag situation is just the start of that change.

 

[Trill Co$by]

I know this is almost a two month old topic, but I'd rather post it here than start a new one. I just have a question at helping push storylines... would it not be so hard to have like a mini-interview written for someone as they're on their way to the ring?

It doesn't have to be a Journalist coming up to them or anything. It could simply be how WWE has their little "picture in picture" moments where a heel talks about how he's going to dominate while the live feed shows him still entering the ring.

My thing is pretty much the same with Creative here. More segments should be devoted to the Main Event scene, unless it's around a Royal Rumble or KotR style PPV. With that said, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt for creative to add a small aforementioned style segment to the shows. Even if it's just one of them per show, it adds a bit more drama to it.

Also, it helps for the people who aren't creative to be more open about wanting something done on the show. Don't be rude about it, or impatient. Just a simple "Hey, I think this could help mine and FunKay's characters" could get someone to pay more attention and get you a bit more segments going. It wouldn't be that hard to accomplish would it?