Should WWE Start Doing "Weigh-Ins" Like Boxing?

[LoudClearVoice]

Recently, there was a minor story about Vince McMahon wanting male wrestlers actual weights to be announced.

So, it got me thinking. Should WWE go to boxing style weigh ins for big matches?

The whole "contract signing" thing has run its course, IMO and so doing a "Weigh In" would accomplish the same thing (getting the two guys together for a face-off, maybe trash talk and an altercation) and would be something new.

I'm talking about doing it only for the Main Events for a PPV. They could do it a week or two prior to the event. The Weigh In could happen most likely backstage at RAW (not sure how they could actually do it in the ring).

I dunno, I think it would be pretty cool. Imagine a Rock vs. Cena "Weigh In." How about Triple H vs. Undertaker weigh in?

It hypes the match even more, IMO, AND makes it seem more real.


What are your thoughts?

 

[Shakin' Abe]

Oh sure, that would be too funny at a weigh in for Mat Bourne vs Mark Henry. Wrestling doesn't need weigh in's because by Vince's own admission, it's not a Sport or even a wrestling show any more. It's entertainment. So why try to legitimze it with more BS? I'm not even sure why they still have a Ref, other than to guide the talent and tell them when to take a match home. Stand Up comedians use a red light in the back of the stage. Why not the wrestlers too?

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Oh sure, that would be too funny at a weigh in for Mat Bourne vs Mark Henry. Wrestling doesn't need weigh in's because by Vince's own admission, it's not a Sport or even a wrestling show any more. It's entertainment. So why try to legitimze it with more BS? I'm not even sure why they still have a Ref, other than to guide the talent and tell them when to take a match home. Stand Up comedians use a red light in the back of the stage. Why not the wrestlers too?

They could use it selectively. Mark Henry is not going to be fighting Evan Bourne in a match anytime soon, let alone a main event.

If it's Rey Mysterio against pretty much anyone, you don't have to do a weigh in because obviously it would be ridiculous.

 

[Mindshatter]

No way, it's totally and utterly pointless. At least with a contact signing for a big match it kind of makes sense, but honestly who cares how much they weigh? It makes absolutely no difference or sense at all.

 

[xtreykarsenx]

While I hate the overuse of the "contract signing", I do believe that instituting weigh-ins would open a whole can of shit.

The day you institute weigh-ins you're almost forced to institute weight classes as in Boxing/MMA. This would ruin any "one-off' match between Mark Henry and Evan Bourne unless there's a ridiculous stipulation levied to compensate for the weight differential. Pride, back in Japan had weight classes, but also allowed their fighters to make certain decisions if the weight differential was above "x" amount of weight.

 

[Stormtrooper]

No, WWE (or any wrestling promotion) should NOT do Weigh-Ins. Weigh-Ins sole purpose in sports is to make sure a combatant is at the Weight Class that the bout is competed in.

In Professional Wrestling, Weight Classes are non-existent (unless the promotion has a Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight division). As such, the Weigh-In is useless. If the promotion does have a division for those classes, generally speaking the combatants are not close to the weight limit.

The only way Weigh-Ins work in wrestling is like when Matt Hardy was cutting weight in order to compete in the Cruiserweight division back in early 2003. If the storyline is weight-centric (like Matt Hardy back in 03), then it MAY work. But those stories are so few and far between.

 

[closet_fan]

it's pretty lame and it wouldn't mean much. in fact, i heard rumors that vince did want weight ins, but didn't want wrestlers' REAL weights to be announced.

boxing uses it as a pre-boxing hype event so the boxers get a chance to stare down and, hopefully for the press, start a rumble, making the match that much more hyped up.

 

[WJDwjdWJDwjd]

Maybe in a major match like the main events at Wrestlemania. I could see a weigh in, maybe a news conference type thing go on. For ALL the PPV's though? Nope. Not a great idea. For Rock vs Cena, I think something along the lines of this is necessary. For WWE to get any kind the best pay out possible, they need to hype this match beyond it's normal audience. A weigh in news conference could be utilized amazingly, like in boxing. Both Rock and Cena are amazing trash talkers as well. Could be fun to watch.

 

[jnapoli85]

Not to get a little off topic but i all for the WWE posting weight height and a Superstars record as they walk to the ring.

ex. John Cena 59 wins 10 by submission with 49 losses. 10 world heavyweight Titles and so forth.

I think it will add a different dimension to each wrestler. Im not saying have something be undefeated like Goldberg that was just silly or that ginger on tna not sure his name. I think i heard he was undefeated or something.

 

[dansaun77]

Silly idea, considering there is only one weight division in WWE now that the cruiserweight division is non existent. It is pre-determined, it is not a contest thus rendering announcing sizes and heights obsolete

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Oh sure, that would be too funny at a weigh in for Mat Bourne vs Mark Henry.

Didn't know Matt Sydal had an on-screen brother that shared his real life first name, thanks for sharing that info.

No, WWE (or any wrestling promotion) should NOT do Weigh-Ins. Weigh-Ins sole purpose in sports is to make sure a combatant is at the Weight Class that the bout is competed in.

In Professional Wrestling, Weight Classes are non-existent (unless the promotion has a Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight division). As such, the Weigh-In is useless. If the promotion does have a division for those classes, generally speaking the combatants are not close to the weight limit.

The only way Weigh-Ins work in wrestling is like when Matt Hardy was cutting weight in order to compete in the Cruiserweight division back in early 2003. If the storyline is weight-centric (like Matt Hardy back in 03), then it MAY work. But those stories are so few and far between.

What Stormtrooper said. Professional wrestling has no real weight-classes unless you have a Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight division. What would be the point of having a weigh-in if two guys weigh around the same amount?

The only time WWE have had actual weigh-ins is when celebrities have participated in matches at WrestleMania. Example is Floyd Mayweather and Big Show, but the reason for that was to get over how much bigger Show was than Mayweather to make it seem as if Floyd was the underdog. So that when Floyd won, it seemed like he actually overcame something, making the fight meaningful.

 

[HardyHater]

Many years ago during Bill Goldberg's run in WCW he was a guest on a local Boston Sports Radio Show. During this time period the show also had a recurring caller to the show called Jim the Wrestling Goon . Jim would call in every Tuesday to recap the previous nights Raw and Nitro shows. Jim would froth at the mouth relaying the action and the dastardly deeds of the heels . The hosts and callers would then continue to make a fun of Jim and poor Jim thinking they were serious with the questions they asked didn't realize they were laughing AT him not with him (Kinda reminds me of the Internet Wrestling community). So now Goldberg is on the show and good ol Jim calls in. Jim goes off on Goldberg lambasting him on how he screwed over and beat the bejesus out of Flair the previous night . Jim screams in the phone demanding Goldberg to answer why he did what he did . Goldberg's response: "Cause it's fixed you goof!"


Something to remember IWC goofs!

 

[GI Cake]

Oh god please no. A weigh in would be completely and utterly worthless in Professional Wrestling standards. The reason why Weigh In's in Boxing or Mixed Martial Arts are so important because if one of the two fighters are even a 1 pound off the weight class they can't legally have the fight. Everything they planned for is thrown out the window and have to resechdule to a later date. In Professional wrestling weight did not stop Hogan wrestling Andre the Giant or Randy John Cena facing the Big Show. Nor has it stopped any fight to be frank.

However, a "Weigh in" Could be worth while sight when it comes for feuds like the Big Show and Mark Henry. What better way to boast off two giants than have them be weighed in the middle of the ring. And then of course the usual fighting each other can happen and all that non-sense but that is only if it is all done correctly. Other than that I don't see any reason why wrestling fans would want to see Evan's 151 pounds weighed against wrestlers the size of Sheamus or Mark Henry.

 

[Azane]

Contract signs fit professional wrestling even more (They don't run their course, as long as the rematch clause, and fine print brought up after are still mildly amusing angles).

I do remember them doing a weigh in once on WWF television, but I totally forget the premise, I'm hoping I'm not misremembering a Crash Holly moment.

If they did it once in a while, and it made sense, I'd be ok with it. I think Big Show and Henry could benefit from a weigh in, but ADR vs punk? pointless.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

While a weigh in would give certain WWE matches more of a legitimate sports feel, there's no real need for it.

The purpose of a weigh in, primarily, is to gather the combatants together in front of members of the press and media as a means of promoting the bout. There's no need to do that in WWE because so many WWE wrestlers are shown on television each and every week. MMA fighters and boxers don't get that kind of regular exposure. One reason for that is because there's often so much time in between their matches. It's not uncommon for an MMA fighter or boxer to have just one or two fights in the span of a 1.5 to 2 years, especially if they're champions.

MMA & boxing also has athletes divided up and limited by weight class and that's just not something that appeal to most American fans. Most American fans that I've known in my life prefer that you get two guys in the ring and let them do their thing and, kayfabe, see who the better man is regardless of weight difference.

I could see something like this being done once in a very great while, like for Cena vs. Rock, when it's just this super huge match that's going to garner tons of mainstream media attention.

As for Vince wanting to use the wrestlers' real weight, it's being done in most cases. There are still a few wrestlers that are still being announced under their worked weight. A few weeks ago, Big Show was announced at 397 lbs but on Raw this past Monday, he was announced, I think, back at the 441 or 485 pound stat that they'd used on him in the past.

 

[a7xfan93]

NEVER!!!

Don't we already have the wrestler's weight announced during the entrances? "this match is set for one fall..introducing the challenger, from so-and-so, weighing in at something-pounds...JJJJJJJJJJJJJOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHNNNNNN CEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNAAA"!

On a side note, i know where cena is from, i know his weight, this was just an example with the awesome ring announcement from the one and only Justin Roberts

 

[kokoBawesome]

I'm okay with a weigh in as a substitution for the contract signing, but I'd also be really okay with using those fifteen minutes for a wrestling match.

If its really a big match like Cena vs Rock, how about a press conference? They did it for Austin vs Michaels at Wrestlemania 14, maybe because Tyson was involved, but it was still something that got attention of the network news here on the east coast. They could do the weigh in as part of the press conference, but like everyone else here has already mentioned it's pointless without weight classes.

 

[Syborgg]

The only time a weigh-in would even be relevant would be to hype a match between 2 monsters, for instance Big Show and Mark Henry. But they are past that now with the personal issues being the focal point of that fued. This is the only time to replace the contract signing with the weigh-in. We all know that in contract signings will always end in an altercation and so would a weigh-in if they were to do it.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

I think their solution to "weigh ins" are contract signings for matches, and we all know how these turn out. Weigh ins wouldn't really fit in the WWE seeing as they don't really have weight classes for titles, who wants to see a weigh in between Henry who's pushing 400+ pounds and someone like Mysterio who's barely breaking 160 pounds? Not this gal

A lot of talking, a lot of wasted time, a lot of BS, then someone strikes the other and a brawl breaks out and someone either gets hit with a clipboard, pen, or put through the table.

I'm sure in the coming months well see at LEAST 3 of these. Rock vs Cena will have an official contract signing, whoever wins the Royal Rumble will have an official contract signing, and whoever is in the WWE Title Match (if its not wasted during the Rock vs Cena match) will have a contract signing

 

[DeathClutch]

That has the be the most ******ed idea going, unless it was used for WrestleMania main events simply because weights happen the day before the event and I'd assume most guys either work the Saturday before x y z ppv or have the night off and wouldn't fly in x y z town until Sunday morning, so no.

 

[GameOver]

NEVER!!!

Don't we already have the wrestler's weight announced during the entrances? "this match is set for one fall..introducing the challenger, from so-and-so, weighing in at something-pounds...JJJJJJJJJJJJJOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHNNNNNN CEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNAAA"!

On a side note, i know where cena is from, i know his weight, this was just an example with the awesome ring announcement from the one and only Justin Roberts

aa but what did he weigh on that particular night.
Wrestlers never change there average weight, ya notice that?
Big Show is always 500 lbs, Cena is always 275lbs. lol and WWE oversell sizes anyway which would kill the fantasy

as for WWE They have done tail of the tapes in the past and pre match conferences like MMA and boxing does, not official weigh ins but atleast the pre match confrontations and when coming to the ring bringing up the graphicals with there dimensions

They haven't done it in a while from memory other then the official match signings

2 examples of the Tail of the Tapes which they did often back in the first 10yrs of Mania

 

[TheyCallMeJ]

Why not just have a press conference between the two wrestlers answering questions then the staredown maybe some shoving, yes I know they have one for wrestlemaina but I'm talking for a specific match just those two wrestlers nobody else. With maina it's a collection of wrestlers I think a one on on press conference would make the match feel even more special. Perfect example to do this is Rock vs Cena I saw a thread where the OP said they should have a one hour show which is a great idea show them training etc and then end it with a live a press conference. Weigh ins doesn't really do much to add drama and wrestling doesn't weight classes

 

[JWGunslinger]

No, if there were weight classes or weight to make then it would make sense but when you have guys like Rey Mysterio taking on beasts like Kane it's absolutely pointless. I get trying to bring something new and cool in but on top of it not really having any point, but it doesn't fit. The WWE's system that they have for everything flows the way it is right now and it would be a pain to change it. The only thing that weigh ins do for any kind of fight aside from documenting the fighter's weight is help build momentum for the fight, but in wrestling that is already taken care of on a regular basis with promos so weigh ins wouldn't really bring anything to the table for the WWE or their fans.

 

[reed214]

no. boxing is horrible (and dying) and their weigh-in's are staged tussle's. unless you don't pay attention, they talk enough every monday/friday night about the feud that they don't need another bullshit t.v segment.

the only good thing they have taken from boxing is the main event match announcement after both have come to the ring.

 

[vampirek]

aa but what did he weigh on that particular night.
Wrestlers never change there average weight, ya notice that?
Big Show is always 500 lbs, Cena is always 275lbs. lol and WWE oversell sizes anyway which would kill the fantasy

as for WWE They have done tail of the tapes in the past and pre match conferences like MMA and boxing does, not official weigh ins but atleast the pre match confrontations and when coming to the ring bringing up the graphicals with there dimensions

They haven't done it in a while from memory other then the official match signings

2 examples of the Tail of the Tapes which they did often back in the first 10yrs of Mania

The Big Show has not been announced as 500lbs in years, in fact since his return with the Mayweather angle his weight has never been announced as 500lbs (They even played it into a mini plot to explain where he had been). During that he was weighed in something around 440 and more recently around 420. So thats just a poor argument to make, when clearly it does happen.
Then there was the whole Matt Hardy plot, who's weight needed to be dropped and then was increased after the Cruiserweight division died. Never mind that Undertaker was in the 300+lbs mark but in recently years has been announced in figures below 300. So your whole arguement there just plain fails.

Weigh-ins are pointless, like people have said boxing use it to because they have weight classes and is a good chance to promote a big fight. Wrestlers have better stages than boxers, as they have hours of programming to build up any feuds and can be done over more than one match. Whereas many boxing fights happen once and thats it. There is little opportunity. If the storyline (such as the Matt Hardy one) was played out to concern a wrestler's weight then sure it would fit in, otherwise its not necessary.