Wrestling Is In A Weird Place Right Now

[BigBombB]

In some ways we're entering a renaissance of sorts with such an eclectic variety of talents getting over and being seen as the top workers within the industry. CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Paul Heyman, Bully Ray, John Cena, etc...etc...of all the people currently "on top", John Cena is the only one who fits the "huge, muscular guy" stereotype and that really says something about this era.

However, we're also seeing a very strange change in how wrestling is run. The cream still rises to the top but only if they are willing to brown nose and play "by the rules". Sure, if you get over then the promotions still want to make huge money off of you but that momentum is quickly cut out from underneath you if you aren't a personal friend of the boss. Sheamus keeps squashing people despite barely having any compelling feuds in his entire WWE career where a guy like CM Punk claws his way to the promised land, draws huge money, and attempts are quickly made to make him into an afterthought. Plus, how many times did they try to reintroduce Kevin Nash when they knew he had no interest in playing ball?

A guy like Triple H wants himself to be seen as a bigger star than guys like CM Punk and even John Cena. His drive to be the center of attention finally cost him and he was lucky to have a readily available fallback plan. Then you look at TNA, the people that made the promotion what it was were thoroughly degraded then let go because they didn't produce enough value to be worth paying the big bucks. So ROH benefits by receiving some of their top talents back who are legitimate stars within the industry now. But even ROH can't seem to figure out how to book most of their talent, leading to a few gems and a multitude of bathroom breaks.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to say that ROH is back nipping at TNA's heels and TNA being forced to build new stars has led to a few interesting angles that never would have occurred otherwise. Being forced to focus on a smaller pool of talent is making TNA better, even if their overall direction is still greatly in question. The new Jeff Jarrett promotion is likely to be just another blip on the radar but at least it will lead to more legitimate competition which is badly needed.

It seems wrestling on the whole is readjusting, finding new ways to attach to fans in an era where UFC has cut into wrestling's "street cred", while dealing with the difficulty where only one promotion is able to create "real stars". What does all of this craziness mean for the future? What can be learned from the past to help keep wrestling a strong, competitive business? Where is this new generation of wrestling eventually going to lead? I've been pondering this quite a bit lately, now I open it to all of you.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

If there's one thing I hate, it's people acting like they know what goes on backstage. "Brown nosing is the only way to the top" *Daniel Bryan has gotten himself so over he's likely going over Evolution in two matches*

Wrestling is in a weird but great spot. There is better in ring product on WWE TV than there ever has been. I challenge anyone to that. Last night's Raw had a fatal fourway, tag match, and Wyatt/Cena that is on par with older PPV matches. The network and NXT means a lot more content is delivered. It's a great time to be a wrestling fan.

As far as UFC...no. UFC is as much competition to WWE as NFL, Breaking Bad, or ANY other kind of entertainment. I really wish people would get this. WWE is entertainment. Their competition is everything else on TV. Wrestling is a variety show. You see Schwarzenegger and Hogan in a scene, you see great wrestling, you see angles with the Wyatts and Cena. It's a lot of variety and that variety appeals to a pretty broad base of people.

The new generation is going where the next crop takes it. It's going to be a variety show and appeal to a wide range of people. The performance center is going to bring some exciting times for us as wrestling fans. Enjoy the ride.

 

[lil steroid meat]

Interesting times indeed.

I watched UFC Countdown for the first time the other day, and it's a pretty interesting show for a company that can't really give promos to their guys.

Pro wrestling as a whole has a grim diagnosis if the UFC starts finding fighters with more personality. Not to mention pro wrestlers are wanting to go into UFC themselves.

I see WWE staying in business for a long time because it's an entertainment company. It's a live action cartoon for kids and then once you've grew up with it, you will continue to watch it out of habit, you are hooked, etc. etc. until you get kids and put them on it. The cycle continues.

I see Jarrett's promotion merging with TNA by the end of the 2010's decade. I just don't see either of them offering a different product than what's already out. I expect that to happen as soon as Dixie Carter gets tired of the wrestling business. An eventual merge might be a good thing because it increases roster talent and production value.

ROH will be small time until they get a TV deal.

AAA coming to US should be interesting. I don't expect that to make a big splash.

Personally, I think pro wrestling needs another Bischoff/Heyman/McMahon type mind. TNA isn't looking for it because they're just happy to still be in business. WWE isn't looking for it because there is no competition. But that is really why the product sucks, no one is innovative anymore and TNA took the few innovative things it had and killed them to be WCW 2010.

I also think that the WWE will start doing a watered down version of what Chikara is doing. Really making it's product a live action comic book. Which can be good or bad depending on the execution.

Interesting times indeed. But like I said, pro wrestling's outlook looks very grim if UFC starts getting more polarizing fighters who can talk and sell fights.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Interesting times indeed.

I watched UFC Countdown for the first time the other day, and it's a pretty interesting show for a company that can't really give promos to their guys.

Pro wrestling as a whole has a grim diagnosis if the UFC starts finding fighters with more personality. Not to mention pro wrestlers are wanting to go into UFC themselves.

I see WWE staying in business for a long time because it's an entertainment company. It's a live action cartoon for kids and then once you've grew up with it, you will continue to watch it out of habit, you are hooked, etc. etc. until you get kids and put them on it. The cycle continues.

I see Jarrett's promotion merging with TNA by the end of the 2010's decade. I just don't see either of them offering a different product than what's already out. I expect that to happen as soon as Dixie Carter gets tired of the wrestling business. An eventual merge might be a good thing because it increases roster talent and production value.

ROH will be small time until they get a TV deal.

AAA coming to US should be interesting. I don't expect that to make a big splash.

Personally, I think pro wrestling needs another Bischoff/Heyman/McMahon type mind. TNA isn't looking for it because they're just happy to still be in business. WWE isn't looking for it because there is no competition. But that is really why the product sucks, no one is innovative anymore and TNA took the few innovative things it had and killed them to be WCW 2010.

I also think that the WWE will start doing a watered down version of what Chikara is doing. Really making it's product a live action comic book. Which can be good or bad depending on the execution.

Interesting times indeed. But like I said, pro wrestling's outlook looks very grim if UFC starts getting more polarizing fighters who can talk and sell fights.

Competition is anyone who is threatening your market share. You condradict yourself. "WWE has no competition" "wrestling's outlook looks very grim if UFC starts getting more poarizing fighters".

Also, no, it's not grim. UFC has to find new stars all the time. You can talk all you want, but if you aren't legitimately good, you get exposed. Plus you can only fight once every few months. Plus the markets aren't as similar as you'd think and the motivation to watch isn't as similar as you'd think.

Wrestling is about stories, UFC is about sport. Saying UFC getting better hurts wrestling anymore than Breaking Bad or Duck Dynasty is like saying the NBA hurts the next basketball movie/TV show.

 

[lil steroid meat]

Competition is anyone who is threatening your market share. You condradict yourself. "WWE has no competition" "wrestling's outlook looks very grim if UFC starts getting more poarizing fighters".

Also, no, it's not grim. UFC has to find new stars all the time. You can talk all you want, but if you aren't legitimately good, you get exposed. Plus you can only fight once every few months. Plus the markets aren't as similar as you'd think and the motivation to watch isn't as similar as you'd think.

Wrestling is about stories, UFC is about sport. Saying UFC getting better hurts wrestling anymore than Breaking Bad or Duck Dynasty is like saying the NBA hurts the next basketball movie/TV show.

WWE has no competition as far as another pro wrestling company removing them from their spot.

But whenever UFC starts finding more polarizing fighters that create a story around the fights, more legit rivalries with more entertaining trash talk/promo/buildup, people are going to care less about pro wrestling. Why would people watch scripted beef that is settled in fake fights when they can watch real beef settled in real fights.

But for the forseeable future, that won't be the case, as I've not really seen bitter rivalries in MMA. It's mostly about the sport. And also, the guys they've had so far aren't exceptionally charismatic.

The NBA/UFC to WWE/TV Show comparison isn't as valid, because the whole premise of WWE is based on being a sport. Is is a scripted television program, yes, but it still operates around titles and sport. When another company takes the appeal of the WWE (the story) and replace the scripted fighting with legitimate combat, they are in trouble. The NBA has no way to appeal to the people who watch Breaking Bad for the drama and explosions or whatever (never watched Breaking Bad). But the UFC can definitely appeal to those who watch WWE for the story and combat.

But again, the UFC doesn't have a charisma radar that can locate the charismatic and polarizing MMA fighters of the world, so the WWE is good for the forseeable future. It would take an INFLUX of polarizing/charismatic dudes to enter the UFC at one time for the WWE to be in trouble.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

In some ways we're entering a renaissance of sorts with such an eclectic variety of talents getting over and being seen as the top workers within the industry. CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Paul Heyman, Bully Ray, John Cena, etc...etc...of all the people currently "on top", John Cena is the only one who fits the "huge, muscular guy" stereotype and that really says something about this era.

Interesting points overall. I think the fan base has evolved and thus that has forced the product itself to evolve. To get to your quote above: I think that the popularity of "INDY" wrestling due to the better accessibility, more exposure and the internet, has evolved the fan base into a group that wants to see more "realistic" wrestling or more "relatable" or "believable" characters like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, etc. rather than these huge muscle bound "larger than life" characters. Fans seem to be more interested in the actual wrestling aspect of it, rather than the entertainment, soap opera part, and thus, these guys that can wrestle and look more like your average person, are more and more popular. On that note, I also think we're moving towards an era that cares less and less about mic work, as the emphasis is more on "ring work." I like a good balance between the two but it just seems to me, WWE is creeping closer and closer to a wrestling and further and further from "entertainment" and "larger than life" aspects of it.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

WWE has no competition as far as another pro wrestling company removing them from their spot.

But whenever UFC starts finding more polarizing fighters that create a story around the fights, more legit rivalries with more entertaining trash talk/promo/buildup, people are going to care less about pro wrestling. Why would people watch scripted beef that is settled in fake fights when they can watch real beef settled in real fights.

But for the forseeable future, that won't be the case, as I've not really seen bitter rivalries in MMA. It's mostly about the sport. And also, the guys they've had so far aren't exceptionally charismatic.

The NBA/UFC to WWE/TV Show comparison isn't as valid, because the whole premise of WWE is based on being a sport. Is is a scripted television program, yes, but it still operates around titles and sport. When another company takes the appeal of the WWE (the story) and replace the scripted fighting with legitimate combat, they are in trouble. The NBA has no way to appeal to the people who watch Breaking Bad for the drama and explosions or whatever (never watched Breaking Bad). But the UFC can definitely appeal to those who watch WWE for the story and combat.

But again, the UFC doesn't have a charisma radar that can locate the charismatic and polarizing MMA fighters of the world, so the WWE is good for the forseeable future. It would take an INFLUX of polarizing/charismatic dudes to enter the UFC at one time for the WWE to be in trouble.

Uhhh no. When is the last time wrestling was presented as sport or when people cover it as sport? It is STORY oriented. UFC is as much competition as breaking bad is. Networks don't have a "pro wrestling" slot they must fill. If wwe draws less than any other show, it'd be cancelled. If every wrestling show drew huge numbers there'd be 500 wrestling shows. Not all wrestling fans like mma. Not all sports fans like mma. Wrestling is seen, promoted, and covered (by media) as entertainment.

Pro wrestling draws fans of all shapes and sizes. Baseball fans aren't all football fans and aren't all mma fans and aren't all pro wrestling fans. Things appeal to people for different reasons. UFC will never kill wwe because you can't fight every week. Big deal if UFC draws huge once every 3 months.

 

[OYDK]

But whenever UFC starts finding more polarizing fighters that create a story around the fights, more legit rivalries with more entertaining trash talk/promo/buildup, people are going to care less about pro wrestling. Why would people watch scripted beef that is settled in fake fights when they can watch real beef settled in real fights.

But for the forseeable future, that won't be the case, as I've not really seen bitter rivalries in MMA. It's mostly about the sport. And also, the guys they've had so far aren't exceptionally charismatic.

.

UFC can't necessarily create more "legit rivalries" or create a "story" when there is none there previously. Most of the time, UFC fighters don't have legitimate beef with each other so it would be tough to get these guys to... get heated to the point of wanting to legitimately hurt each other I guess you could say? Also you must look at the fact that WWE is scripted and that is why the wrestlers are so entertaining... they're putting on an act. There is not many people out their in the world who can naturally excite somebody like a Chael Sonnen or Rampage Jackson, and believe it or not, these guys are playing characters as well. UFC will always have the few Chael Sonnens in their organization, but the majority of the fighters will act like George St. Pierre, which will always have wrestling fans flocking to WWE (or whatever) for entertainment and than back to UFC for actual fighting. UFC has kind of transcended into WWE and vice versa but there is a difference when UFC goes to the point of scripting the buildup to a fight.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Hasn't the UFC seen declines in attendance, PPV buys, and TUF ratings over the past 2 years? It's so bad that Dana is basically manufacturing Ronda Rousey. They lost Lesnar their biggest draw. Spider is gone. Dana shit on Bones Jones for their canceled show.

I still say you guys are nuts thinking UFC is even competition in a light anymore than NFL or Breaking Bad. WWE caters to a lot of different tastes.

 

[liquidprinter]

WWE has no competition as far as another pro wrestling company removing them from their spot.