The Potential of A Storyline

[Ferbian]

We hear about storylines being filled with potential, but ultimately failing, as well as storylines that we didn't expect to become great ones.

These kind of storylines can start off with high expectations but ultimately failing. Like the Invasion storyline when Vince purchased WCW. But just as well there's likely a lot of storylines that we didn't expect to have the potential to become what we regard it as today.

Any storyline has some kind of potential going for them, but some might never live up to the expectations, they might only be hinted but never happen (Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair for example) and many other storylines just happens but disappoints.

In the end it all comes down to how it's booked. We all know that. But the question is:

Does most of the storylines work its way up the hierarchy to become a great storyline? Or does it start at the top, and becomes worse?

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

I think it sometimes depends what the story is...

If they know they can improve on it and build it to something good, then they will start it steadily and then slowly build it up to something big...

e.g. look at the taker/kane feud from 97/98...the build up was just huge, how did they continue it, kane debuting, then they showed us kane was on takers side, it got us the feeling they are best of brothers, then came RR98, he comes in everyone is happy he is helping his brother, then all of a sudden, he attacks him and burns him in a casket...so many ups and downs..maybe they never planned it all out, maybe when they thought the story was getting weak they added some spice to it...your right, it does matter about how they are booked and this feud is an example on how it was worked up...i have to say when they FINALLY met in the ring at WM XIV, it turned out to be a good match and was worth the wait...

There are some storylines that start of good and end a disaster, and there are some that work their up and there are some that are going on for a long time and you don't even realize, also about crowd reaction...

A current story you can say is the Nexus Angle, everyone loved it at first, but recent attacks on the vets have got people criticizing them, saying it makes them look weak, im guessing this was planned, but what i'm guessing is what happens after Summer Slam isn't planned..maybe they think it's going to end at Summer Slam who knows? if they feel its good story and popular with the fans then they think of ways to spice it up...

Great thread Ferbs..

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I think matches also have a lot to do with this, Ferbian. A recent example of this would be the Triple H VS Randy Orton feud from last year. That storyline had so much promise. Orton went physco, and decided to go after his former mentor(Triple H) and his real life family. Orton's slow and systematic execution of the McMahon family was done so well, and we couldn't wait to see the match at Wrestlemania 25. But once the match was over, we were all very disappointed. We expected Orton and Triple H to kill each other at Wrestlemania, but things didn't happen that way. Instead, we got a very underwhelming Mania main event.

If the matches are bad, mediocre, or underwhelming, then it could end up hurting the feud. The storyline might be promising and filled with excitement, but we all want to see what will happen in the ring. If the wrestlers can't deliver on the mat, then the feud won't reach that hight point we all expect.

 

[Canadian-BadAss]

another classic orton flop would be him vs evolution. or even better, Kane vs evolution, there was a lot of build up to it, with Trip H sleeping with kane's "dead" ex gf, and how they were the ones who beat him to have his mask removed, but whats he do? attacks faces, totally does nothing, i was excited when they turned him into a monster again, thought he'd attack EVERYONE, but no, instead had a So-So feud with Shane O'Mac