Maybe It's Time For Vince To Step Aside?

[sephx42]

It's no secret that the current crop of talent aren't nearly as good as the superstars 10 years ago. WWE is just now getting to the point [hopefully] where someone other than Cena or Orton can carry the company, and have people care enough to tune in. The Divas divison died when its two biggest draws retired at the same time and they have yet to find adequte replacements.

I would also argue that creative isn't nearly as motivated because the current crop of talent isn't as good as it was in the past; the writers are "experimenting" to see what the fans want to see and what they don't to see. Once the WWE establishes a drawing product the writers will up their game and produce higher quality material.

Well, yeah, there is a bit of that, sure. But look at the Divas...I mean, I really hate TNA, I tried and it just seems too full of too much of what I didn't like in WCW right before they ruined it on me, so this is a lot for me to say. I checked out what Mickie James was up to these days and I was shocked to see her, in a tag match, with 3 other girls...and they wrestled. Like actually wrestled. A real match, for a while. While still being mad hot. The talent isn't gone, WWE is just going after a different 'look' for the divas division.

And the current guys? C'mon, the guys can wrestle, the rest is up to the writers at that point. It just seems like they're not even trying. Miz came from a reality TV background, you catch him dressed to the nines on TMZ, why isn't he a new 'Hollywood' heel? At least then it makes sense. CM Punk? If you're gonna capitalize on the Stone Cold comparisons, then give him a real corporation to fight. Air Boom are going to kickstart the tag division? Sweep up all your Smackdown guys that can't get play on raw and really get it going.

I mean, I get VKM has a lot of say in the stories, which can cause a 'too many hands in the cookie jar' syndrome, and that might be why he needs to step back. I'm not saying I could do better...but I could do better.

 

[akrassikauda]

The same old PG thread it's starting to get funny at peoples ignorance it really is. When were kids we loved it don't lie and say you didn't. I loved the cartoonish 80's George Steel eating the turnbuckle screaming for Elizabeth,JYD barking like a dog and pretending to pee on his opponent now that was cartoonish todays product doesn't even come close to that.
The biggest problem with the product is not Vince it's you people who are selfish,it was ok when you where a kid but now it's bad because your not one or the main target demographic that's that's not cool.

 

[Ellye]

As a mature adult, I honestly would rather enjoy a kid-friendly show than a show targeted at silly teenagers that need to feel edgy and are afraid of looking childish.

So I'm very happy with PG and kid-friendliness, thanks. I feel much more connected to a product aimed at kids (or families) than to a product aimed at angst teenagers.

Anyway, more on-topic, I feel like Vince might be slowing stepping down a bit, yes. It's hard to deny his age, after all, and managing a business of this magnitude might get tiring. You gotta admire this passion.

 

[Suibon]

I don't understand what the OP wants here. Isn't it a good thing if your company tries to branch out, to reach a bigger audience than the 18-24-year-old niche, convincing them to buy their top face's merchandise and to watch PPV after PPV because the cussing and the blood have been relegated to distant memory?

Let us take my example: a 19-year-old female collegian who winces at the sight of blood, especially the copious amounts of blood wasted in cage matches, hell-in-a-cell matches, streetfights, first-blood matches, TLC matches, etc. Now, ryan86, would you be willing to turn me away, a potential consumer, just so you can relive your nostalgia?

 

[Rampage Bentley]

Now, this is a tough argument to make even though I feel its a conversation worth having. If you agree or strongly detest, I would like to hear input from all sides.

For over a decade, I have seen a product once predominantly geard towards the 18-24 demo, be sliced and diced up, then spit out and reduced to an athletic circus with super hero invitations to 7-11 year olds. We have lepracons, bright orange or purple gear, THE MUPPETS, not a cuss word in sight, attempts at comedy that make me cringe, and gimmiks that leave me saying, " I'm a 25 year old man watching this?" Say what you want about WCW but they kept Vince competing for the young-adult-male demo. Does anybody else love it when The Rock shows up simply for the era that he represents? The one of ****ts, hoes, and "know your damn role".

Vince has got to do 3 things. Get out of the movie business, Stop seeking political office (Linda), and get his fingers off the comedy.

Vince may have become his own competition and he needs to be filtered.

I'll humor you, Vince steps aside. Who takes over? Triple H? Stephanie? So we get the same exact product just with a different family member at the helm. Trips is better at Vince in some areas but he has a historical pattern of hating and burying some talented guys. And on top of that, it's not like Vince stepping down will curb those three "problems" you listed...

Get out of the Movie Business
Why? I by no means have any love for The Marine, Knucklehead, or Behind Enemy Lines 3 but it's a lucrative business, especially with the straight to dvd model they're using now. If it's making money, from a business perspective, why stop?

Stop seeking Political Office
Do you know why they're seeking a political office? It's because The Senate has tried to put wrestling on the chopping block for years, and the two biggest pushers of that have been Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman... The CT Senators, and the very seats Linda has been running for. It's a purely strategic and defensive move.

Stop the Comedy Act
Another one that's just not going to happen, they're on a major cable network. Wrestling is considered a dirty word to a lot of execs and the only way to get over that is to highlight it as a variety show. Plus if Vince steps aside, do you really think Trips is going to cut it out? He's responsible for more bad comedy than anyone.

 

[Xumer]

Fact is that one day Vince will no longer be running WWE. Whether it's because he wants to retire, move onto something else or passes on, it will happen. I've got to admit that I too watch WWE mostly out of habit, not on it's own merits. I am tired of cena and I HATE the "comedy". I'm not opposed to humor and stuff but the muppets and hornswaggle? Screw that. I also HATE santino. I don't like the direction the WWE has been in for the past few years. The fact that they censor the word "ass" in the stone cold dvd commercials just makes me shake my head.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Vince reminds me of the 79-year-old man who is still employed full-time because doesn't want to retire. He says to people: "When I die, I'll retire."

On one hand, you have to admire Vince's dedication to his life's work......but is there anything in his existence other than WWE? Does he have anything else he thinks about? I can only imagine his crushing disappointment when Shane decided to abandon the family business; to a man like Vince, it must have seemed like the ultimate betrayal.

Vince has over-saturated the market with his product. There used to be one hour a week of original programming (Monday Night Raw from the Manhattan Center). Now, there are two 2-hour shows that Creative has to come up 50 weeks a year (as opposed to other prime time TV shows, which do 22 original episodes a year..... for one hour a week, not four). I had been wondering if Vince didn't realize that ratings were flat/falling because of there's too much of it out there. Instead, he's now producing the WWE Network, giving us even more of his product.

Step aside? Forget it! The problem is that he's too close to the situation to see it clearly. I'll bet Stephanie is chomping at the bit for her old man to retire so she can inject some new ideas........ but she'll wait until Kingdom Come for that to happen.

He won't retire until he's pushing up daisies to welcome the sun and the morning dew.

 

[KingKulin]

PG Era was okay when it served its purpose, but now that purpose is done wit, n its time to push the envelope again. Vince does need to step aside, but after he makes WWE more edgy again n than let Stephanie take over with HHH n perhaps The Undertaker retires n becomes a road agent n HBK does talent relations n get some fresh people in creative.

 

[Leakee]

I agree with the statement made. Two big faces I can think of in history that have been a challenge to authority where Stone Cold Steve Austin and D-Generation X in their prime. Since Triple H 'took over' as COO, Vince McMahon hasn't been on Raw or SmackDown. This has led to no big face to stand up to the boss; therefore they have experimented the closest thing, CM Punk arguing with Johnny Ace.

The Diva's division has fell down Mt. Everest in terms of wrestling. In the attitude era Diva's where both strong and beautiful. In the present, Diva's are so skinny they probably suffer from anorexia, yes they are gorgeous, but it's as if Vince only likes them to comfort him at home. They probably stay at his house with palm leaves fanning him. People like Lita and Trish Stratus where probably believable if they won a men's single title like the Intercontinental Title.

Vince needs to RETIRE!

 

[WORD-LIFE-16]

Vince McMahon needs to step his ass aside and I mean it. He act is old and his time is up. I think Triple h is theperfect man for the job next year I think Vince needs to get out because ya know.

 

[radec]

when your making as much money as vince you would never want to step down. He will step down when hes fuel has run down or when he wants too. Money talks.

 

[Jaystrong322]

Well, Steph is VP of creative and will be the one taking over. The angles written are weak and the promos are generic. I don't have confidence that the product will improve with HHH and Steph at the helm but maybe I am wrong. If they go down the same path they are now I don't see a wrestling business in 10-15 years. There needs to be major changes when the time comes.

 

[King of the Words]

Vince probably has one more descent run in him for tv. As for the product, we all know it`s no attitude era and based for a youth movement. But, for me Cena`s character has to change and evolve or the WWE is going to be in trouble. If they have to keep him a face to keep the kids watching and have no one else they trust to be that face then they have got a big problem. The Cena good guy act has been going since late 2003. It`s time for a new face of the company. Even kids have to be wondering who`s next to stear the ship. Hopefully Punk will but I won`t believe this until they turn Cena heel.