What are your wrestling pet peeves?
- Thread starter Psykohurricane55
- Start date
The Reality
Dark Match Jobber
This guy should me a meme for stupidity. “Zero proof?”. You do know there are doctors right? And you do realize that if WWE were caught it would be a nightmare PR wise right? There is zero chance this was faked and WWE has not been proven to lie on a regular basis. Since you hate WWE so much, you shouldn’t be on this thread so go away
The Reality
Dark Match Jobber
1. Wrestlers getting distracted in the ring by someone coming out and staring at them as their opponent then rolls them up or hits them with something. Why would you ever ignore your opponent? Why would someone be scared of an attack in a match? They’ll just win by DQ and referees will separate them.
2. Wrestlers being surprised after their opponent kicks out of a basic move that they never win with. It’s like seriously? You never win with this move so why are you surprised?!
3. Faces and heels being friends after they switch roles as if they just forgot their problems just a year ago.
4. Wrestlers getting title shots after losing a lot of matches by simply attacking the champion.
2. Wrestlers being surprised after their opponent kicks out of a basic move that they never win with. It’s like seriously? You never win with this move so why are you surprised?!
3. Faces and heels being friends after they switch roles as if they just forgot their problems just a year ago.
4. Wrestlers getting title shots after losing a lot of matches by simply attacking the champion.
The Reality
Dark Match Jobber
Lesnar is honoring the contract he signed. Why should he be a full timer when he hates travel and gets paid more for showing up once in a while? Blame Vince for allowing this not him for being smart. Also he puts over people when told to do so, I don’t remember a report saying that he doesn’t.
Vince isn’t scared of AEW, it seems only the IWC cares about it. It’s not a threat to WWE at this point, right now it’s a question if they can even stay in business or on TNT.
Aquaman6686
Mid-Card Championship Winner
Have not been proven to lie??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
They've faked: Murder, suicide, arson, incest, assault, cancer, and any other atrocity you can think of. This is all documented FACT.
He made another thread on this already that cause a lot of mayhem and i had to warn him a punish somebody else because it got to personal.
The thing is that he knows by writing is conspiracy theory about reigns that he will ger a rise out of peoples and will turn a blind eye on smart counter point you can bring in because he loves to troll wwe and roman reigns fans. I fell it's just better to not get into his game and let him go. He want to hates on reigns and wwe and go on with this conspiracy theory, let him, it's better for everybody and way less of a headaches for the mods.
Aquaman6686
Mid-Card Championship Winner
And yet, I've backed up my argument with documented facts, while there is absolutely zero evidence suggesting I'm wrong.
And yet other did the same and you made fun of them and turn them down every single time and then bitch to us when it got to personal.
Aquaman6686
Mid-Card Championship Winner
It's easy to get mad when you're right, have proven it beyond any shadow of a doubt, and are still told by imbeciles that you're wrong because "WWE AND THEIR DOCTORS SAID HE WAS REALLY SICK, THEY USED HIS REAL NAME".
Storyline continuity would be one of my biggest issues. Take Rey-Joe, for example. They have Dominic be a big part of the storyline, it's going somewhere, where exactly we don't know. Rey gets injured, everything gets dropped. Rey comes back, no sign of Dominic, Joe's moved on, but so has Rey apparently. Nope. You go back and close up loose ends.
Another thing is going to what should be your big-money matches far too often, on TV. You got damn-near 100 Superstars, yet only use a couple dozen. Get everyone involved. Form factions where a guy has to go through all the low-level henchmen to get to the main boss. Use managers to talk for those who can't cut a promo to save their life. Natalya, I'm looking at you. Use your own guys as enhancement. Use EVERYONE.
On the fan side, hijacking shows and criticizing every move with all these empty threats of quitting on WWE and moving on to AEW get real old, real quick. Don't like it, move on.
Another thing is going to what should be your big-money matches far too often, on TV. You got damn-near 100 Superstars, yet only use a couple dozen. Get everyone involved. Form factions where a guy has to go through all the low-level henchmen to get to the main boss. Use managers to talk for those who can't cut a promo to save their life. Natalya, I'm looking at you. Use your own guys as enhancement. Use EVERYONE.
On the fan side, hijacking shows and criticizing every move with all these empty threats of quitting on WWE and moving on to AEW get real old, real quick. Don't like it, move on.
Fire Marshall Bill
Let me show ya somethin!!!
Pet peeve? How about how ridiculous Vince McMahon can be. Look at this headline: "Indians Plan to Activate Carlos Carrasco 3 Months After Leukemia Diagnosis"
It's frickin ridiculous what he'll do to get Reigns over. He's even having other athletes fake leukemia.
It's frickin ridiculous what he'll do to get Reigns over. He's even having other athletes fake leukemia.
One thing that is bugging me more and more is how if you wrestled a safe style, you automatically get trash by meltzer and ultimetely the iwc. Also the fact that not one promotion is worried about making a product that will attract casual wrestling fans. Everybody from wwe to aew to roh and so on would rather cather to their own little fanbase instead of trying to get newer fans to watch by having a product that would be attractive to normal fans.
Finally, the fact that nobody cares about even trying to create stars like they did in the past. Again, nobody in the wrestling world is a draw anymore. We have guys that attract a portion of the fans to a certain promotion but we don't have anybody on the level of a hogan, flair, hbk, austin, rock or cena. I see this as fans having too many options now. The style of wrestling isn't helping either going in with the mindset that you have to have a 5 or 6 stars match every night is killing their chance of attracting more fans and normal fans couldn't care less about in ring. Finally the fact that everybody is training the same way, especially in wwe, isn't helping anybody.
Finally, the fact that nobody cares about even trying to create stars like they did in the past. Again, nobody in the wrestling world is a draw anymore. We have guys that attract a portion of the fans to a certain promotion but we don't have anybody on the level of a hogan, flair, hbk, austin, rock or cena. I see this as fans having too many options now. The style of wrestling isn't helping either going in with the mindset that you have to have a 5 or 6 stars match every night is killing their chance of attracting more fans and normal fans couldn't care less about in ring. Finally the fact that everybody is training the same way, especially in wwe, isn't helping anybody.
tanyaharber0321
New Member
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JoeMallard
Championship Contender
The biggest draws ever in wrestling were Hogan, Flair, Austin, Rock and Cena, there will never be anyone on their level ever again in any promotion. Cater to the audience watching, because casual fans won't be sticking around. The only way to draw casuals is hiring Russo and doing away with wrestling matches and make it all about promos and making the matches pole matches.
Wrestlingaholic
Championship Contender
A few things that have been mentioned already, and a few that haven’t:
• too many ring dives - the law of diminishing returns. Dives can be cool - but it feels like EVERY match features one or more variation of a topé suicida or a plancha.
• false finishes in standard matches. No need. Also see multiple finisher kick-outs. I much prefer moves like the F5 and RKO which are (mostly) protected as very few people (basically Reigns and Rollins) kick out of ONE.
• the lost art of selling. Some wrestlers try their hardest - Johnny Gargano is an expert salesman, in my opinion; but too many are up far too quickly from certain moves. At Crown Jewel, the Fiend kicked out of a sledgehammer shot to the head. That’s ridiculous, I don’t care how much you are trying to build up a ‘supernatural’ character. I guess the idea behind that is that it will make it more special when he loses the belt, but in reality, it makes casual fans think the guy can’t be beaten, so why invest in any title feuds when he defends?
• I HATE the much-overused IWC term, “buried”; a wrestler getting on tv every week but losing is not a wrestler getting buried. True burial is not even getting tv time. Over the years, I’ve heard so many examples of people thinking certain wrestlers are ‘buried’ because they lost a match. Finn Balor was ‘buried’ by Kane but had just beaten AJ Styles, who himself was little over a month away from winning the WWE Championship! Hardly a burial
• that brings me to my next point: poor booking. I like AEW having a win-loss record on all their wrestlers’ intrographs, but it doesn’t actually mean anything yet. For all they keep saying “wins and losses matter”, they need to start proving it. Case in point, Darby Allin and Jimmy Havoc having a #1 contenders match a few weeks ago on Dynamite despite only winning 1 match each, yet PAC had (at the time) won 3 I believe, and hadn’t been afforded the same opportunity. Yes I know it is building a PAC storyline (at least I hope that’s the plan), but it doesn’t help their cause as they build their brand. Still not as bad as WWE though, who will just hotshot people to title matches for no apparent reason. I love the Fiend’s character but Hell in a Cell (and Crown Jewel) was way too soon for him to challenge for the Universal Championship. See also RoodeDolph with the tag belts, and many more examples. Build feuds and wrestlers logically, and don’t be afraid of a slow burn (some of the best storylines are slow burns)
• the backlash against fans “hijacking” shows. I don’t mind it, though I caveat this by saying to a certain extent. People throwing around beach balls is just plain disrespectful. But people choosing who they cheer and boo for in a given match is totally up to them. I actually wish companies would pay mor attention to this rather than choose title runs on their own whims, as if fans are clearly behind a given wrestler, MAYBE giving that wrestler a prominent run will bring in some money...
My main gripe with this one though is that it isn’t a new concept - I remember the nWo pandering to it in 1997/98, I think at San Francisco’s Cow Palace (May have been Superbrawl ‘98) when the crowd booed all the faces and cheered all the heels. Got reported in wrestling media as a really fun crowd as it was so different. Today they would be torn apart as “hijacking”. There’s a huge difference between going into business for yourselves (like at the show people always reference as the ‘start’ of the phenomenon, the Raw after ‘Mania 2013 in New Jersey) and showing your support to a particular wrestler (the Raw after ‘Mania 2013 in Miami, the ‘birth’ of the Yes movement) - I was at both shows, and the crowd in Miami was (IMO) a lot better, we weren’t chanting for Daniel Bryan to sh*t on the product but because he was felt to have been shafted at Wrestlemania the previous night; the crowd a year later in Jersey actively hammered the Randy Orton v Sheamus match, to the point where the Big Show, who months earlier had faced “please retire” chants, got chants this night of “thank you Big Show” because his interference ended the match!
• interference is another peeve of mine. Certain wrestlers / valets / managers are known to interfere. Why do referees never pre-empt this and bar that person from ringside BEFORE the match? Just a little logic tweet which doesn’t have to be introduced to every match, but every now and then would make a good plot line
• the dreaded roll up. Too many matches finish with this move, as it is deemed “protective”. For some reason, companies think wrestlers look worse losing to a finisher than to a roll up. That makes no sense, if anything it’s the other way round. WWE are the worst at this but all companies do it. I went to a Dragon Gate USA show in Phoenix once and almost every match finished with a roll up or ‘basic’ move, after a match of high spots and huge moves. Makes zero sense.
• faces having no friends or support when heels interfere / gang up on them. Again, makes no sense, as they never have a problem getting tag team partners etc. Again, doesn’t have to be used in every match, but a little more logic in your booking goes a long way
• a belief in everything Meltzer says. Especially pertinent this week, and more annoying when certain sites (*cough* WhatCulture *cough*) quote him like he is the Gospel, and never apologise for doing so even when HE HIMSELF apologised for a wrong story. Yes he has longevity and you can understand why he is respected, but he also gets a lot wrong because he speculates or reports from contaminated sources
That’s just a few, there’s more but I don’t want to take up much more space on this page (apologies for the essay!)
• too many ring dives - the law of diminishing returns. Dives can be cool - but it feels like EVERY match features one or more variation of a topé suicida or a plancha.
• false finishes in standard matches. No need. Also see multiple finisher kick-outs. I much prefer moves like the F5 and RKO which are (mostly) protected as very few people (basically Reigns and Rollins) kick out of ONE.
• the lost art of selling. Some wrestlers try their hardest - Johnny Gargano is an expert salesman, in my opinion; but too many are up far too quickly from certain moves. At Crown Jewel, the Fiend kicked out of a sledgehammer shot to the head. That’s ridiculous, I don’t care how much you are trying to build up a ‘supernatural’ character. I guess the idea behind that is that it will make it more special when he loses the belt, but in reality, it makes casual fans think the guy can’t be beaten, so why invest in any title feuds when he defends?
• I HATE the much-overused IWC term, “buried”; a wrestler getting on tv every week but losing is not a wrestler getting buried. True burial is not even getting tv time. Over the years, I’ve heard so many examples of people thinking certain wrestlers are ‘buried’ because they lost a match. Finn Balor was ‘buried’ by Kane but had just beaten AJ Styles, who himself was little over a month away from winning the WWE Championship! Hardly a burial
• that brings me to my next point: poor booking. I like AEW having a win-loss record on all their wrestlers’ intrographs, but it doesn’t actually mean anything yet. For all they keep saying “wins and losses matter”, they need to start proving it. Case in point, Darby Allin and Jimmy Havoc having a #1 contenders match a few weeks ago on Dynamite despite only winning 1 match each, yet PAC had (at the time) won 3 I believe, and hadn’t been afforded the same opportunity. Yes I know it is building a PAC storyline (at least I hope that’s the plan), but it doesn’t help their cause as they build their brand. Still not as bad as WWE though, who will just hotshot people to title matches for no apparent reason. I love the Fiend’s character but Hell in a Cell (and Crown Jewel) was way too soon for him to challenge for the Universal Championship. See also RoodeDolph with the tag belts, and many more examples. Build feuds and wrestlers logically, and don’t be afraid of a slow burn (some of the best storylines are slow burns)
• the backlash against fans “hijacking” shows. I don’t mind it, though I caveat this by saying to a certain extent. People throwing around beach balls is just plain disrespectful. But people choosing who they cheer and boo for in a given match is totally up to them. I actually wish companies would pay mor attention to this rather than choose title runs on their own whims, as if fans are clearly behind a given wrestler, MAYBE giving that wrestler a prominent run will bring in some money...
My main gripe with this one though is that it isn’t a new concept - I remember the nWo pandering to it in 1997/98, I think at San Francisco’s Cow Palace (May have been Superbrawl ‘98) when the crowd booed all the faces and cheered all the heels. Got reported in wrestling media as a really fun crowd as it was so different. Today they would be torn apart as “hijacking”. There’s a huge difference between going into business for yourselves (like at the show people always reference as the ‘start’ of the phenomenon, the Raw after ‘Mania 2013 in New Jersey) and showing your support to a particular wrestler (the Raw after ‘Mania 2013 in Miami, the ‘birth’ of the Yes movement) - I was at both shows, and the crowd in Miami was (IMO) a lot better, we weren’t chanting for Daniel Bryan to sh*t on the product but because he was felt to have been shafted at Wrestlemania the previous night; the crowd a year later in Jersey actively hammered the Randy Orton v Sheamus match, to the point where the Big Show, who months earlier had faced “please retire” chants, got chants this night of “thank you Big Show” because his interference ended the match!
• interference is another peeve of mine. Certain wrestlers / valets / managers are known to interfere. Why do referees never pre-empt this and bar that person from ringside BEFORE the match? Just a little logic tweet which doesn’t have to be introduced to every match, but every now and then would make a good plot line
• the dreaded roll up. Too many matches finish with this move, as it is deemed “protective”. For some reason, companies think wrestlers look worse losing to a finisher than to a roll up. That makes no sense, if anything it’s the other way round. WWE are the worst at this but all companies do it. I went to a Dragon Gate USA show in Phoenix once and almost every match finished with a roll up or ‘basic’ move, after a match of high spots and huge moves. Makes zero sense.
• faces having no friends or support when heels interfere / gang up on them. Again, makes no sense, as they never have a problem getting tag team partners etc. Again, doesn’t have to be used in every match, but a little more logic in your booking goes a long way
• a belief in everything Meltzer says. Especially pertinent this week, and more annoying when certain sites (*cough* WhatCulture *cough*) quote him like he is the Gospel, and never apologise for doing so even when HE HIMSELF apologised for a wrong story. Yes he has longevity and you can understand why he is respected, but he also gets a lot wrong because he speculates or reports from contaminated sources
That’s just a few, there’s more but I don’t want to take up much more space on this page (apologies for the essay!)
No need to apologize i sometimes do the same thing myself when i have something to write about the subject. Anyway, loved some of the stuff you pointed out and i couldn't agree more with everything you wrote. DIf you have other thought on the subject, don't be afraid to post it.
Wrestlingaholic
Championship Contender
Cheers Psykohurricane.
Expanding upon my previous point re: roll ups - my least favourite part of roll up finishers (which doesn’t happen all the time, to be fair) is when the wrestler being pinned makes absolutely no attempt to struggle out. Most commonly seen in the 24/7 Championship (which I know is a comedy title), but occasionally in actual matches too, where the pinned wrestler then immediately gets up and looks surprised. It’s about as convincing as Cena’s STFU....
*note: I like Cena, but surely someone has to have told him to make it look like he’s actually putting pressure on? At this point, he’s just trolling us, right??
Expanding upon my previous point re: roll ups - my least favourite part of roll up finishers (which doesn’t happen all the time, to be fair) is when the wrestler being pinned makes absolutely no attempt to struggle out. Most commonly seen in the 24/7 Championship (which I know is a comedy title), but occasionally in actual matches too, where the pinned wrestler then immediately gets up and looks surprised. It’s about as convincing as Cena’s STFU....
*note: I like Cena, but surely someone has to have told him to make it look like he’s actually putting pressure on? At this point, he’s just trolling us, right??
mkw1962
Getting Noticed By Management
Pet Peeves,
1. People that say Roman's illness was fake, don't need to explain we don't know his personal life.
2. People that say Wrestling is fake, I know some aspects are like punching in the face or throwing each other into the ring posts. A lot of it has to be real, how do you think they get hurt. You can't fake all of it, but wow they sure do make it look good and that is why they are in the WWE.
3. Finishing moves, I just don't like it when you know a match is going to end. It happens with Cena a lot he is getting beat up and all of the sudden he does his thing and he wins. They need to go back and forth a little more and not let the good guy always win. I just don't like the one sided matches where the bad guy is winning and than all of the sudden the good guy does his finisher and wins.
4. Squash matches or whatever you call them where a main roster wrestler faces a no name and he or she beats them real easy. Then the commentators would say wow this guy is going to be trouble for the champ some day. If he is on the roster on Monday night Raw he better beat a no name, that should be no surprise.
1. People that say Roman's illness was fake, don't need to explain we don't know his personal life.
2. People that say Wrestling is fake, I know some aspects are like punching in the face or throwing each other into the ring posts. A lot of it has to be real, how do you think they get hurt. You can't fake all of it, but wow they sure do make it look good and that is why they are in the WWE.
3. Finishing moves, I just don't like it when you know a match is going to end. It happens with Cena a lot he is getting beat up and all of the sudden he does his thing and he wins. They need to go back and forth a little more and not let the good guy always win. I just don't like the one sided matches where the bad guy is winning and than all of the sudden the good guy does his finisher and wins.
4. Squash matches or whatever you call them where a main roster wrestler faces a no name and he or she beats them real easy. Then the commentators would say wow this guy is going to be trouble for the champ some day. If he is on the roster on Monday night Raw he better beat a no name, that should be no surprise.
I have two that I can think of off the top of my head.
1. Elimination Chamber - I absolutely can't stand when wrestlers who are not friends/allies/stable/tag team mates break up pin-falls. It makes absolutely no sense at all and you shouldn't want to break up a pin fall.
2. It's not something that happens often, but it recently happened after Goldberg beat The Fiend Bray Wyatt. After Goldberg beat The Fiend (who carried The Fiend championship to the ring) he suddenly had the blue Universal Championship right there ready to go. To me that makes no sense at takes that much more realism out of it. They also did that with Kofi at WrestleMania. After he beat Daniel Bryan, they took off the cloth and revealed that the black WWE Championship was just sitting there. I know you can make the argument that they have it 'just in case' but that would not have happened back in the day.
1. Elimination Chamber - I absolutely can't stand when wrestlers who are not friends/allies/stable/tag team mates break up pin-falls. It makes absolutely no sense at all and you shouldn't want to break up a pin fall.
2. It's not something that happens often, but it recently happened after Goldberg beat The Fiend Bray Wyatt. After Goldberg beat The Fiend (who carried The Fiend championship to the ring) he suddenly had the blue Universal Championship right there ready to go. To me that makes no sense at takes that much more realism out of it. They also did that with Kofi at WrestleMania. After he beat Daniel Bryan, they took off the cloth and revealed that the black WWE Championship was just sitting there. I know you can make the argument that they have it 'just in case' but that would not have happened back in the day.
Carnage Carlson
Carnage Personified
My biggest number 1 pet peeve that no ones seemed to mention other than Brock Lesnar is part timers in general, for fuck sakes Cena,Undertake,Austin,Goldberg,Lesnar,Hogan. if you're 40+ hang it up and let the younger guys have their turn you're getting old, you don't move like you used to you can't take the punishment that you used to, you can't display the move set that you use to. You had your time just pass the fucking torch, if you're struggling for money, 1 should have probably saved and invested more wisely. 2. Act, do commercials etc there's other ways to make money. 3. Mainly Goldberg and Cena how about you sell some of you're multi million dollar car collection but please, stop part timing unless you're putting a guy over and WWE please stop booking this shit.
The Boss
'The Boss' Of Pro Wrestling
Number one pet peeve without question is wrestlers not wearing proper gear.
I hate with a passion people who wear kick pads to hide the fact that they are not wearing proper boots. No, high school wrestling shoes are not proper gear.
I hate when guys wrestle in "gimmick clothes". I don't care what you wear to the ring to get your gimmick over but, once that bell rings you should be in a pair of boots and a pair of tights. Adrian Adonis was a perfect example of how to do it. He came to the ring in dresses and scarves but it all came off before the bell rang and he was dressed properly. I understand that there are exceptions to the rule but when half of the roster is wearing "gimmick clothes" then it's no longer an exception, it has become the excepted norm. While this is especially true on the independent scene, the major companies are no less guilty.
Pet peeve number 2: Long, drawn out promos.
Back in the day wrestlers didn't have to talk throughout half the show in order to explain what the hell is going on. Wrestlers did their story telling in the ring as each match had a beginning, a middle and an ending. Promos were short and sweet.
Today it seems that every show begins with someone coming out and talking for a half hour about how he got screwed, and how he wants this or that, and whine, whine, whine. Then, just as you think he's done and we are FINALLY going to get to see some wrestling someone else's music hits and that person comes down and rehashes everything that was just said. "So, you don't like this, and you don't like that and you feel that you should get this...". Then the two of them go back and forth with over scripted dialog. Just when it seems like they are about to go at it and we fill at last see some action... SOMEONE ELSE's music hits and this person says, "Do you fans want to see this match? Then let's... not have it right now and save it for another time."
Oh, the frustration. An entire hour plus of your time wasted. This is the number one reason that I rarely ever watch wrestling on TV anymore.
Pet peeve number 3: refusing to keep it kayfabe
There was a time when people lived their gimmicks. Not just when they were in the ring but ALWAYS. They didn't talk about the secrets of the business. Even though the vast majority new that it was a work, the wrestlers and companies went out of their way to present it as legit as they could. There was no hanging out in public with those with whom you were feuding, there was no using of shoot names and their sure as hell was no breaking of character in the ring as a way saying "I was faking it before but now I'm serious." In the world of social media, wrestlers should be making an added effort to keep kayfabe alive by NOT breaking character. You can be you character at ease without breaking kayfabe. At least a good wrestler can. Goofballs can't.
Pet Peeve number 4: Intergender matches
This goes hand in hand with the kayfabe issue. The number 1 go to defense of inter-gender matches is, "Well it's a work anyways so, what difference does it make?" That right there goes to show you how little effort is being put in today to make the product feel legit. This is supposed to be a physical competition. With only the occasional exception men are bigger, stronger, faster and more physically resilient than women. That's not a shot against women. It is mere scientific fact. I'm a full supporter of women's wrestling and women's competitive sports but trying to say that all women are just as powerful as all men is an insult to our intelligence.
Pet peeve number 5: too many champions
Don't get me wrong, I like a good title change as much as the next person but when EVERYBODY gets to be champion it devalues the prestige of the belt. Just like if everyone had superpowers, in reality, no one would have superpowers. The same is true in wrestling. If everyone is champion then in reality, no one is champion.
I hate with a passion people who wear kick pads to hide the fact that they are not wearing proper boots. No, high school wrestling shoes are not proper gear.
I hate when guys wrestle in "gimmick clothes". I don't care what you wear to the ring to get your gimmick over but, once that bell rings you should be in a pair of boots and a pair of tights. Adrian Adonis was a perfect example of how to do it. He came to the ring in dresses and scarves but it all came off before the bell rang and he was dressed properly. I understand that there are exceptions to the rule but when half of the roster is wearing "gimmick clothes" then it's no longer an exception, it has become the excepted norm. While this is especially true on the independent scene, the major companies are no less guilty.
Pet peeve number 2: Long, drawn out promos.
Back in the day wrestlers didn't have to talk throughout half the show in order to explain what the hell is going on. Wrestlers did their story telling in the ring as each match had a beginning, a middle and an ending. Promos were short and sweet.
Today it seems that every show begins with someone coming out and talking for a half hour about how he got screwed, and how he wants this or that, and whine, whine, whine. Then, just as you think he's done and we are FINALLY going to get to see some wrestling someone else's music hits and that person comes down and rehashes everything that was just said. "So, you don't like this, and you don't like that and you feel that you should get this...". Then the two of them go back and forth with over scripted dialog. Just when it seems like they are about to go at it and we fill at last see some action... SOMEONE ELSE's music hits and this person says, "Do you fans want to see this match? Then let's... not have it right now and save it for another time."
Oh, the frustration. An entire hour plus of your time wasted. This is the number one reason that I rarely ever watch wrestling on TV anymore.
Pet peeve number 3: refusing to keep it kayfabe
There was a time when people lived their gimmicks. Not just when they were in the ring but ALWAYS. They didn't talk about the secrets of the business. Even though the vast majority new that it was a work, the wrestlers and companies went out of their way to present it as legit as they could. There was no hanging out in public with those with whom you were feuding, there was no using of shoot names and their sure as hell was no breaking of character in the ring as a way saying "I was faking it before but now I'm serious." In the world of social media, wrestlers should be making an added effort to keep kayfabe alive by NOT breaking character. You can be you character at ease without breaking kayfabe. At least a good wrestler can. Goofballs can't.
Pet Peeve number 4: Intergender matches
This goes hand in hand with the kayfabe issue. The number 1 go to defense of inter-gender matches is, "Well it's a work anyways so, what difference does it make?" That right there goes to show you how little effort is being put in today to make the product feel legit. This is supposed to be a physical competition. With only the occasional exception men are bigger, stronger, faster and more physically resilient than women. That's not a shot against women. It is mere scientific fact. I'm a full supporter of women's wrestling and women's competitive sports but trying to say that all women are just as powerful as all men is an insult to our intelligence.
Pet peeve number 5: too many champions
Don't get me wrong, I like a good title change as much as the next person but when EVERYBODY gets to be champion it devalues the prestige of the belt. Just like if everyone had superpowers, in reality, no one would have superpowers. The same is true in wrestling. If everyone is champion then in reality, no one is champion.