Themed Pay Per Views

[alfonzo13]

I've been thinking about this for a while. Why did WWE drop some of their old pay per views like Backlash, Judgement Day, Unforgiven, No Mercy, etc... In my opinion, they have nothing to gain with Hell in a Cell or TLC. I know I'm not the only one who's praying for Money in the Bank to return to Wrestlemania. For example, Hell in a Cell is good to a certain extent, it should not be only once a year, every year. I'm excited that it will be at Wrestlemania this year. WWE is doing something good in my opinion. Same principal for TLC. Any match with tables, ladders, and/or chairs can be done anytime at any event, & they still have them at Extreme Rules.

Bottom line: WWE has to bring back some of the older pay per views, and get rid of these themed ones. Agree or disagree?

 

[Edge=GOD]

Agreed, Dislike the themed shit so much. Personally feel it takes something away from the matches such as Hell In A Cell and Elimination Chamber, No Way Out shits all over EC.

Not entirely sure why they even got rid of some PPV infavour of these fairly average at best ones?

 

[HeenanGorilla]

I think this may be bad timing for support, given that we just had a total waste of a PPV. 2 non-title changes in the chambers, a divas match, a lame ambulance match. Never been so glad to not have ordered a PPV.

 

[jokernaut]

i dont like the themes either. it takes away the surprise of when a big special match is going to happen. the past couple years rivalries for the championships go into a ppv like hell in a cell and the rivalry is not even that personal. matches like that should just be a surprise. makes it a lot more fun & unpredictable. sucks that they dropped backlash. that ppv was building a great legacy.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

I think WWE should run a 24 month calendar of PPVs, so that there is a change on the smalle PPVs. For Example - 2012 February is a Hell In a Cell PPV. Then Feb 2013 should be a NO WAY OUT PPV, and alternate the two. This keeps PPVs fresh. Of course, stick with the Big FOUR ppvs - RR, WM, SS, SURVIVOR SERIES as annual events. I would also bring back KOTR PPV every other year too, and book at like the 1993 KOTR was - with the winner having to have competed in 3 matches that night. This kind of booking can be excellent if done correctly. If you remember Bret Hart KOTR 1993 made his reputation stronger. Even though he had already been WWF champ. Then 1998 Survivor Series was great too, as it made the Rock an even bigger bad guy than he had been. Deadly games was when the attitude Era really took off.

 

[Commander Batpope]

I really can't stand the whole themed PPV aspect. Don't know why they did it in the first place. TLC, Hell in a Cell, Extreme Rules, Elimination Chamber, Money In The Bank, they all take away the greatness these matches once had. The only good themed PPV, IMO, was Bragging Rights.

 

[Rcole83]

Part of the spectacle of gimmick matches is making that gimmick fit into the feud. Two guys hate each other so much that a normal match won't do...so you put them inside a steel cage, or make them climb a ladder, etc - That's a hell of a lot more exciting then trying to make a feud fit into the gimmick within 2 or 3 week period. The themed pay per views took away a lot of that excitement.

I like Elimination Chamber as the PPV right in between Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania...shows how dangerous the Road To Wrestlemania is. I also love MITB, but that's a match that's perfect for a Wrestlemania moment. All the other gimmicks belong in heated feuds, not randomly happening between two guys because it's the name of the show.

 

[trashboy]

I really can't stand the whole themed PPV aspect. Don't know why they did it in the first place. TLC, Hell in a Cell, Extreme Rules, Elimination Chamber, Money In The Bank, they all take away the greatness these matches once had. The only good themed PPV, IMO, was Bragging Rights.

Money in the Bank is one of the worst themed ppvs. I've always hated that idea for a ppv, having two MITB winners. There should only be one match, and saved for WM. I like the idea of having one MITB winner, so you don't know which champ he'll go after. And yeah, I hate all the themed ppvs anyway, like others have said, they're not as special anymore. I liked it when they'd surprise you with a TLC match at whatever ppv was coming up, or a Cell match. They need to quit with all these gimmick type ppvs.

 

[Diet Soda]

This topic has been done to death and we posters always reach the same consensus; scrap the themed PPVs and save gimmick matches for ending feuds or big events, have less PPVs in a year to build up storylines, keep the big four, et cetera...

Personally, I'd like to see Creative be actually creative and have new PPV names as often as possible, much like the In Your House series in the '90s. Of course, what's in a name rarely matters to the actual PPV.
Backlash I can get, as it's the fallout from Wrestlemania. The big four are now wrestling classicism, regardless of the lack of regality in the Royal Rumble, or the Survivor Series having less and less of the eponymous matches. The only recent one that springs to mind is Capitol Punishment.

But really though, the matches on the card is what sells the event, and I feel we fans are tired of seeing the same gimmick match more than once in a night, and running like clockwork every year. What we want is more originality and less predictability.

 

[I Heart Cena]

They do this so people can know what kinds of matches will be in the PPV. They think it attracts more viewers. I doubt it. I makes it seem generic.

The IYH series was cool with names like Mind Games and Good Friends, Better Enemies. etc.

I 2nd the notion to bring back the IYH style of PPV naming

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

They do the names so that people know what matches are happening. Which may or may not work, so many people stream now that buyrates will never be as high as they could be anwyays.

From a storyline perspective, I don't like them.

Although what they could do is blend it. Like say you have a PPV scheduled for October, as it turns out you have a heated feud that ends up in a HIAC, you name it Hell in a Cell.

so I guess really having In Your House style names where you have one main name for PPVs and then a subtitle would work. So you'd have like "WWE 200: Hell in a Cell" if they went wit how the UFC names theirs, or "WWE In Your House: Hell in a Cell" or whatever.

 

[owenmandias]

What I hate about themed PPVs is the fact that you know what match you are going to see. Oh look hell in a cell is this month, I wonder what match is gonna happen at that ppv.....

I miss the surprise that you get when people say "at Backlash its going to be a....ladder match" etc

HHH requesting a cell at mania was great, and somehow I just didn't think it was going to happen, therefore...good surprise!

 

[jsn_since89]

What I hate about themed PPVs is the fact that you know what match you are going to see. Oh look hell in a cell is this month, I wonder what match is gonna happen at that ppv.....

I miss the surprise that you get when people say "at Backlash its going to be a....ladder match" etc

HHH requesting a cell at mania was great, and somehow I just didn't think it was going to happen, therefore...good surprise!

Totally agree! Takes away so much of the surprise element of Storylines. That reaction by the crowd and the personal one I had when watching HHH announce its "going to have to go all the way - Hell In A Cell!!" was awesome!

 

[Dagger Dias]

The themed PPV events are a result of lazy booking. However, it does help generate some interest in the shows. For example if it's October and you can only afford to buy two PPV events for the remainder of the year, you know that Hell In a Cell is next followed by Survivor Series and TLC. I'd then save money in October and purchase the following two shows in Survivor Series and TLC. A lot of people disagree with the concept, but WWE might be looking at even lower buyrates without the gimmick themed shows of today.

Back when Judgment Day, No Mercy, etc, were all still around.... I rarely ever purchased them. WWE made it clear that these shows were less important than the Big 4 or even Night of Champions. So why should we as fans care either? Sure, Hell In a Cell tends to be one of the worst events each year, but at least you know what you are getting and therefore it helps you decide if it would be worth buying or not. If I heard "at No Mercy it will be a World Heavyweight Championship match in Hell In a Cell!" it would not make me buy it. Knowing ahead of time all year that this match is coming at a show with that theme, it helps me make that decision rather than an immediate "no" like the generic older shows used to get from me.

Hell In a Cell I can see them getting rid of completely. TLC on the other hand should stick around. It's 4 gimmicks in one, which is why I look forward to it each year. Would it be nice to see more Ladder matches? Sure, but I know I am in for at least 4 gimmick matches all under different gimmicks at that event. Tables, Ladder, Chairs, and a TLC match. There's no reason to ever end that show. It also wraps up feuds for the year. Hell In a Cell, on the other hand, is just an annual waste of money like the generic older shows were. It's a small step above them due to letting people know what to expect months in advance.

 

[richunclescrooge]

Totally agree! Takes away so much of the surprise element of Storylines. That reaction by the crowd and the personal one I had when watching HHH announce its "going to have to go all the way - Hell In A Cell!!" was awesome!

Exactly, that meant so much more than simply having cell matches because the calendar said so. Having them announced sporadically for a big feud like this also makes you anticipate when the next one will be, instead of looking at the events sheet and seeing when it will happen again.

 

[HorsemenNo4]

The biggest problem I find is they introduced too many theme PPV's in a short amount of time. Years ago we had Royal Rumble, King of the Ring, and Survivor Series in one year. Recently we saw Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, Elimnation Chamber, Survivor Series, TLC, Extreme Rules and HIAC. That's a lot of themes. I understand why they want to add something unique to each show so it's not just another PPV.
Another problem is the themed matches are being downgraded in the PPV. At the Elimination Chamber, the World Championship match was the first match, FIRST MATCH! When was the World title ever the first match (Heavyweight, yes but not World). The main event was Cena vs Kane in an Ambulance match that could have taken place at any PPV. The theme PPV isn't gonna be a big deal if it isn't taking center stage.
I'd love to see the return of King of the Ring but remove Extreme Rules and a few others.
Money in the Bank should return to Wrestlemania. It gave a pay day to the mid-carders who weren't going to be on the show PLUS it added some great Wrestlemania moments.

 

[jeritroll94]

Matches like Hell in a Cell, I Quit, Tables Ladders and Chairs, Money In The Bank, Elimination Chambers should be used to settle final differences. I for one am glad Triple H and Undertaker are having a Hell In A Cell which actually isn't at that crappy PPV which has 2 weeks max to build up. The only Hell In A Cell I have enjoyed since its start as a PPV was the DX/Legacy match.

In Your House or the old traditional PPVs like Backlash, King of the Ring, No Way Out, Judgement Day, Unforgiven, Bad Blood, Armageddon etc would be better because we the fans would be slightly more interested in possible stipulations. Matches with stipulations would come at times out of nowhere. WWE should also fit just one PPV a month as well before it gets overcrowded hence the poor ratings for PPV last year.

 

[undyinglylty]

agree,there was no reason to drop out good ppvs,like backlash,no mercy,unforgiven,and so on.the ppvs are so overrated now.

 

[jsn_since89]

Alberto Del Rio (c) v John Cena v CM Punk
WWE Championship Triple-Threat Match
HIAC PPV: 02.10.11

Mark Henry (c) v Randy Orton
World Heavyweight Championship Match
HIAC PPV: 02.10.11

Brock Lesnar v The Undertaker
WWE Championship Match
No Mercy: 20.10.02

Despite two of them being at the same PPV from last year, whats the odd one out?

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