OYDK
King Of The Ring
When I say "WWE Programming", I'm referring specifically to Raw and Smackdown. And I'm not just talking about those few times when you found Raw and SD surprisingly above par for a couple of weeks. I mean when was the last time you sat down, week after week, over a prolonged, extended period of time (let's say 2 years) and actually looked forward to watching a Raw or a Smackdown because you thoroughly enjoyed the product put in front of you? Furthermore, when was the last time the product left you consistently satisfied at the end of the night? I ask this because as I was watching the Raw replay tonight, I wondered the same thing myself. Personally, it feels like forever since I've watched Raw/Smackdown because I'm legitimately invested in the stories being told. Sure there may be one or two things going on that I can usually look forward to, but at this point, I watch primarily out of habit and because there's always that hope within every wrestling fan that things will (must) get better someday... right...?
I could be wrong, I don't think I am but y'know, it's possible, but it seems to me like the only demographic that truly enjoys the current wrestling landscape is the one that doesn't know any better. In other words, children and brand new fans. Lord knows there's not a lot of positivity from long-time watchers on sites like this, and the hardcore demo, much like myself, basically seems to watch out of habit rather than any real enjoyment, at least as pertains to the WWE. So that brings me back to the original question, when was the last time you watched the WWE product and actually enjoyed doing so?
Surprisingly, we don't have to go too far back for my answer. Around the end of 2012, I had high hopes that the WWE was finally starting to turn a page after years of abysmal programming, and to my surprise, it seemed like things were slowly changing. One of the main tipping points for me during this period was the emergence of two superstars, both of whom were damn near shattering the glass ceilings that had seemingly been placed above the roster's heads since the rise of SuperCena almost 10 years earlier; CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. Up until this point, the roster had been in limbo and there was a huge lack of depth that, mixed with the atrocious writing, made the product almost unbearable to watch. CM Punk made things interesting again, and Daniel Bryan was the phenomenon that was going to continue WWE's momentum. Cena and Orton were still rock-solid reliable in their mid-30s, Brock Lesnar was back and putting on good matches, The Shield and The Wyatts were tearing it up, Team Hell No and Cody/Goldust were doing some really cool stuff, and watching the rise of people like Bray Wyatt, Rusev, and Ryback, among others, was definitely fun. Above all, and most importantly in my eyes, there was some really good storytelling and character development going on during this period. After Mania 30, everything seemed to just... halt. Punk was gone, Bryan was hurt, Cena was champ again, and the roster seemed to stagnate. 3 years later, I can safely say the product has never even come close to reaching those heights again since. The roster may be better, but that's about it.
Before 2013-2014, I'd have to go all the way back to 06-07 to find another extended period where I actually thoroughly enjoyed the product. Woah.
I'd like to hear some thoughts on this friends.
I could be wrong, I don't think I am but y'know, it's possible, but it seems to me like the only demographic that truly enjoys the current wrestling landscape is the one that doesn't know any better. In other words, children and brand new fans. Lord knows there's not a lot of positivity from long-time watchers on sites like this, and the hardcore demo, much like myself, basically seems to watch out of habit rather than any real enjoyment, at least as pertains to the WWE. So that brings me back to the original question, when was the last time you watched the WWE product and actually enjoyed doing so?
Surprisingly, we don't have to go too far back for my answer. Around the end of 2012, I had high hopes that the WWE was finally starting to turn a page after years of abysmal programming, and to my surprise, it seemed like things were slowly changing. One of the main tipping points for me during this period was the emergence of two superstars, both of whom were damn near shattering the glass ceilings that had seemingly been placed above the roster's heads since the rise of SuperCena almost 10 years earlier; CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. Up until this point, the roster had been in limbo and there was a huge lack of depth that, mixed with the atrocious writing, made the product almost unbearable to watch. CM Punk made things interesting again, and Daniel Bryan was the phenomenon that was going to continue WWE's momentum. Cena and Orton were still rock-solid reliable in their mid-30s, Brock Lesnar was back and putting on good matches, The Shield and The Wyatts were tearing it up, Team Hell No and Cody/Goldust were doing some really cool stuff, and watching the rise of people like Bray Wyatt, Rusev, and Ryback, among others, was definitely fun. Above all, and most importantly in my eyes, there was some really good storytelling and character development going on during this period. After Mania 30, everything seemed to just... halt. Punk was gone, Bryan was hurt, Cena was champ again, and the roster seemed to stagnate. 3 years later, I can safely say the product has never even come close to reaching those heights again since. The roster may be better, but that's about it.
Before 2013-2014, I'd have to go all the way back to 06-07 to find another extended period where I actually thoroughly enjoyed the product. Woah.
I'd like to hear some thoughts on this friends.
