So its interesting to note a few contradictory arguments as I read through this. These are statements that I see over and over in these sorts of threads. Lets start with the fact that the ratings have dropped from 6s(and higher) to being luck to get 3s. Supposedly this fact is no longer relevant because a large number of wrestling fans either torrent, live stream, YouTube or read results on sites like this. Theoretically the viewership hasnt dropped, rather it has become split. Then there is the statement (which is commonly seen) that the IWC is only 10% or a small minority of wrestling fans. Wouldnt watching wrestling every week either through YouTube, torrents, streaming sites and catching up through summary articles make one a part of the IWC? But this presents a contradiction. Either the ratings were cut in half because the viewers are going online thus meaning that at least half the fans are IWC members or the IWC is in fact a small minority, but the total fan base/viewership has plummeted. So which is it?
Another small thing, which I see as interesting, is the fact the Ive seen it stated over and over again that people boo/bash Cena because they go online and see that its cool to hate him. Well if half the arena is booing him, does that mean they got it from these very sites that only a minority visit? Lets take the argument that people who dont care are seeing other people boo him and thus join in to be a part of the crowd. But wait, these people with no vested interest are seeing an equal number of people cheer him, what would be their motive to jump on the booing bandwagon? So we are back to a 50/50 split of cheers and boos. Then you have to consider that there is a certain small percentage of audience members that arent really fans of the show. Its safe to say that most of these are there because they are taking their kids. Kids cheer Cena which means the same group of people that arent really fans will go along with their kids. So then, it would stand to reason that a portion of his cheers are from people who arent even fans. This means with a 50/50 crowd split, the majority of fans are booing him.
I understand the need to feature Cena because he makes money through selling merchandise. But consider this; most wrestlers have a t-shirt on the merch stand whereas Cena has and entire ensemble. A kid wont simply want a t-shirt; he will want the matching hat, and matching sweatbands(and in each color available). Would this mean that if other wrestlers had entire ensemble, they would be selling just as well? I dont know, just something to ponder. You could say that kids will still buy Cena because he is their favorite. Ok, but anytime Ive asked someone, especially kids, why Cena, they say because hes the best wrestler. I ask what makes him the best, and they say its because he always wins. Well shit, then theoretically anyone can be a top draw and merch seller simply by being booked to win and having more items of merchandise on the stands. Just an observation.
WWE is constantly trying so hard to get fans online with either Twitter, WWE.com, WWE App, Facebook, Tout(that shit still happening?), etc. Wouldnt it be logical to assume that some of these fans connecting online might be trickling into the other wrestling site such as these?
OK, now lets say that the IWC is a minority, hardcore fans opinions dont matter because they are a stupid minority, and ratings dont count. This still leaves us with an arena full of people demanding Daniel Bryan. Going by the logic that most of the crowd are non IWC fans and just casual viewers, that would mean they have no idea that he is an indy darling. Regardless of audience break down, they are all relatively unanimous in their demand for Bryan. This wasnt the case a couple years ago, which means Bryan got over in the WWE. This has been going on since the summer at least. You cant tell me that the fans are getting behind these Cena vs Orton matches. You sure as hell cant tell me that the fans are accepting Batista as a face. And there is absolutely no way you can tell me that if the fans wont be pissed as hell if Orton vs Batista goes on last at Mania. Ending the biggest wrestling event in the history of wrestling thus far with a very large crowd full of passionate fans (based on the distances and amounts of money they spend) all in a pissed off uproar cant be best for business. It seems that the WWE is seeing whats happening but just not applying the information, in MOST cases. They did see the reaction to Shield vs Wyatts and apply that to the Chicago crowd. Kudos on that. It is very clear however, that the crowd at every arena is demanding one thing and getting another.
Now lets take some of the most popular TV Shows out there right now that were mentioned earlier: Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones. The writers and directors for these shows are mainly concerned in the content of the show being as interesting as possible, keeping fans interested thus maintaining high ratings. Ratings are still good for business. These shows are wildly successful. Raw, Smackdown, PPVs, etc are all just TV shows. WWE makes TV shows. The problem is instead of worrying about keeping the content as interesting, they are worried about being as PC as possible to maintain certain sponsorships, while shelling out a decent enough product to keep a moderate amount of interest. This is like creating a TV Show and being more worried about the commercials than the show itself. We have a show about meth and meth dealers, a show about killing and violence, and another show about killing and violence that includes incest. Huge fan bases, huge successes. Now dont be ignorant and try to tell me that Im suggesting WWE start including sex, drugs and intense violence in their shows. Im just saying that interesting content should come before sponsorship.
There is a reason the Attitude Era had so much viewership. It was so damn interesting. It got all kinds of media attention. Hell, it blew all other wrestling promotions out of the water. Why is this? Because there were stories, plot twists and characters. All of these are essential to a TV show. Mid carders all had some kind of character and storyline. People like to protest the Attitude Era and argue it was all smut, blood, necrophilia and old ladies birthing hands. Hot lesbian action, sex celebration, and basically every bra and panties match happened after the Attitude Era was over. The majority of Divas going to playboy was after the Attitude era. Yes, sure there were girls who were sometimes seen in thongs and what not. But honestly, why the hell would that be a problem. You cant sit on a wrestling forum and shit on the AE for having women in thongs when in the very next tab you have Xvideos open. Then the whole blood thing. For one, its not something that happened every night. Blood, or color as referred to it in the industry, was used in certain spots to really emphasize what was happening. It made certain feuds more serious and believable. Blading was heavy back in the 70s and 80s but people dont like to shit on that. It seems like people on sites like this just like to sound cool and sophisticated by deeming this era trash. The Katey Vick angle(which was never Triple H supposedly molesting a corpse but rather mocking Kane by using a mask and a mannequin to get him even more pissed off) didnt even take place in the AE. Mae Young birthing a hand was a 5 minute segment that was meant to be light hearted humor, and IMO is funnier than a leprechaun tripping someone. Its also not an accurate representation of the whole era. The AE was mostly notable for producing what is widely considered the best feud of all time in Austin vs McMahon, bringing talented smaller guys into the main event(Hart and HBK are popular examples), creating the best stable WWE has ever produced(DX), having characters and storylines through out the card, including actual segments backstage. Its not like today where you just have a GM standing near a bunch of WWE advertisements when suddenly a wrestler approaches them, getting booked in a match. Back then, there was a whole storyline going on backstage for each episode in addition to what was happening in the ring. These segments actually enhanced talent, kept interest, and developed storylines. There was this whole backstage environment that just brought a whole new element of entertainment. Crowds were hot, ratings were high, they were getting recognized by outside media. These sorts of things need to happen again and I think they are doing pretty much this with The Shield and The Wyatts, which is what actually works with the crowd. Go figure.
To say everything is fine is false. Every big PPV, mainly Summer Slam and Wrestlemania, requires part timers to come in and carry the show. Whether it be Taker, HHH, Rock, Jericho, Lesnar or whoever, the big events are never stand alone shows. One of the main events is always from a past era. This wasnt the case in past eras. This is a clear sign business isnt great. Not to mention the amount of money they have to shell out for this. I remember they gave $25 million to Mayweather for his WM stint, which is Cenas total net worth. When coworkers tell me no one watches wrestling and they are surprised to here WWE is still around, I tell them about how they constantly have celebrities involved, and guest hosts, celebrity tweets, how they are getting fans involved with social media and Raw Active, how they are promoting Be A Star and Make a Wish, and that they partner with Susan G. Komen, and the fact that they are even producing movies. The response I got is that it sounds like WWE is really desperately grasping at straws. Make you think. When it was at its absolute best it did it with its own active roster, little celebrity involvement, no movie studio, no social media networking, and no partnerships with charities. It just listened to its fans. Is that not whats best for business? Couldnt they still listen to fans and keep all their other side projects going still?
Very last rant
Why is it that any time someone comes onto a wrestling site and criticizes the current product; they are attacked by the other members? Is that not what a forum is for? Also, why do people suggest we stop watching if we are unhappy with the product? What does that solve. Our complaint is that we want a good wrestling show in our lives. To stop watching solves none of that. One does not simply watch wrestling all their life and quit. Thats all. Sorry its so long winded and kind of jumps around.
