WWE: Stop the damn swerves!

[Rusty]

Today I was browsing on this very Forum and seeing the same threads that were made only a few weeks/months ago is starting to shit me off. So allow me to make a brand new thread.

I went to a website (unnamed source) to read a column by a very good column writer that perhaps inspired me to write about wrestling in the first place about 2 years ago. He said this in his final ever column:

A pet hate of mine over the past year or so (& I've written about it a few times) has been the swerve for swerve's sake. This must stop. Because if it doesn't, nothing will be fresh anymore. No heel turns will shock us. No surprise appearances will surprise us. If only for that fact, it is why WWE should simply concentrate on a consistent product quality from go to woe. Because when John Cena does then turn heel, it won't be met with apathy & medium-term boredom, it will be like "Wow, Cena did a Hogan '96 and turned heel".

I totally, 100 percent agree with this above statement. Swerves like CM Punk winning the World Heavyweight Championship, Batista having an 8 day reign as the World Champion and Edge winning the WWE Title on every second pay per view are surprises. However, one could say most of the swerves we have been receiving have been almost illogical and are only occurring just for the sake of surprising the fans.

The WWE will eventually run out of ideas as we have received surprises too often nowadays. Sure, wrestling is meant to be full of unexpected events, but only on occasions should we witness a huge surprise such as John Cena and Batista returning to the WWE. Look at John Morrisons recent face turn for example, sure it was booked rather badly. But it should have been bigger than what it was. The fans didn't even care.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Is the WWE providing us with too many swerves, or can there never be too many surprises? Explain your thoughts in here.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

There's nothing wrong with predictability. A lot of the time you expect something and when it doesn't come you're dissapointed. Like WWE hinting at WrestleMania matches at Survivor Series.

There's also nothing wrong with a swerve, so long as it's good. Cena showing up at the Rumble and Punk winning the WHC (The actual title win, nothing more), and that's about it.

A swerve for the sake of it is pointless.

 

[Blade]

I agree with Jake, there's times when what people expect to see is what poeple want to see.
Remember how pissed off everyone was when Orton didn't win the title at Mania?

I think WWE's recent swerve obssesion stems from Vince's paranoia about fans finding out what's going to happen. So what if fans find out what's going to happen? I doubt they'll stop watching. And most of the fans don't even know about most spoilers cause they choose not to read them. I rarely read spoilers, I prefer to see things when they happen "live" and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

But for every good swerve WWE throws to us, there's 2 bad ones. WWE should take it easy and remember that a bit of predictability never hurt anyone.

 

[finneycom1]

I agree with the title change swerves, especially with Edge. Now, I like Edge, dont get me wrong. But, since he has been the "Rated R Superstar" (like 4 years), he has had what?, like 9 Championship wins? (Sorry if those numbers aren't right, but he has won the championsip way too much in the past 4 years or so) It takes alot of credibility away from the title.

 

[matt_indiana25]

I agree that they are trying to swerve way too much nowadays. Look at the Hardy/Hardy storyline. It was probably meant for Christian but once everyone know that he had signed with the WWE and we saw what was happening to Jeff Hardy everyone know it would be Christian, so we got stuck with the Hardy vs Hardy storyline cause they wanted to make the swerve on us all.

 

[D-Man]

Swerves are supposed to be special or unforgettable moments. Now that the WWE tries to swerve us after EVERY PPV, we almost expect every unexpected storyline they could come up with.

Hell, 10 years ago, Matt Hardy turning on Jeff would've blown our minds. Now we all kind of saw it coming. This made their feud lackluster and somewhat boring. It could have been so much more, but the WWE has the audience EXPECTING a swerve. Not only do we expect it, but the swerve is pulled off the same way almost every time.

- Babyface gets overwhelmed in the ring and gets beat up by heels.
- A member of the babyface's stable runs down and slides into the ring but doesn't get his hands on the heels.
- The babyface turns towards the heels and away from their stable partner.
- *SMASH* The babyface gets clobbered.

<yawn> Been there... done that... got the T-shirt.

 

[ztwhite]

The "E" doesn't have to stop the swerves, they just have to stop using them on so many shows.

That's one of the main problems with the business today. With all the shows on tv, the creative team catches most of the flack, but damn, just think if you had to write a new show four times a week, every single week for 52 weeks (except Christmas).

Hell, the greatest shows in television history only have to come up with one idea a week or strtch their ideas throughout an entire season.

This was especially true when all the talent mixes and matches on every show. At least it appears as if their actually will be some brand separation again.

Swerves are great for the business and WHEN Cena makes the heel turn, I will guarantee none of us see it coming. It will be the first moment the entire wrestling fan base marks the fuck out since Hogan turned heel at Bash at the Beach.

 

[Total Impact]

I like swerves when they are good. Like Cena in the Rumble was a great swerve as was Rob Van Dam in the Rumble this year, those are good ones. I wouldn't call Punk winning the title a swerve as we all knew it was coming once Edge came out to cut a promo, plus punk had MITB. As for swerve for a swerve sake, that can be ok as long as it makes sense with the story and doesn't jump shark as the WWE did with the Edge/Big Show/Vicki storyline did which made the wrestlemania main event match seem lacking a storyline.

I like knowing what is going to happen and then it happens. As I was looking forward to Christian vS Hardy and hated the swerve with Matt. Sometimes the knowing factor is better as you can't wait till it happens. I read WWE spoilers and still watch the programs with full attention. I vote for knowing what is going to happen over swerves as swerves is just for the IWC to get all hyped up and talking.

 

[The Todd]

Yeah WWE need to know that we don't have to be shocked to enjoy something. The most obvious event can actually please people. Like we expect Cena to beat Big Show. Big Show winning won't shock us enough to be pleased. It would piss people off, except twatty smarks.

There is nothing wrong with a good swerve here and there, Cena at the Rumble, Batista returning (even though he's shit) but swerves for the hell of it aren't exciting.

I remember seeing in someones sig the perfect way to explain Vince with his twists, regarding what he would have done if he was in control of the writing for the last episode of Friends. Something like "everyone knew Ross would get back with Rachel, but Vince would have had Joey and Chandler rape Rachel whilst Ross was tied up."

 

[jmudbake]

I agree that they do need to stop swerving us so much, but its not like the WWE means to swerve is all the time right?

When Triple H beat Orton at WM (which I loved by the way) they didn't do it to swerve us in my estimation. They did it because they could. There is NEVER anything written in stone in wrestling.

Which is why the WWE is swerving us, by not swerving us with a heel turn yet in the McMahon/Legacy feud.

Swerves are exciting, like Matt Hardy betraying Jeff.

NO ONE EXPECTED THAT!

So I don't think they will ever run out of storylines. Because if they do recycle storylines, nothing is ever exactly duplicated.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

NO ONE EXPECTED THAT!

That's probably an example of a shit swerve. If you'd asked me who it was going to be, I would have said Christian, but with Matt as a very close second. It wasn't the surprise WWE thought it would be.

It's also an example of WWE doing it just because they could. Most expected Christian, most would have prefered him.

 

[bxbigshow]

John Cena returning at Rumble, I liked...didn't see it coming, neither did the boys in the ring. Swerve good.

Edge attacking Kofi Kingston before the Chamber match took away any mild push he would've gotten just by being in the match, and had everyone knowing he was going to win. Took the suspense away...swere bad.

If VKM wants to compare/compete with TV or movies he needs to slow down the surprise for surprise sake stuff. They need to make their Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays EPISODES and not SHOWS.

Right now they write on a 2 ppv arc. (my opinion) So of course when they get to the end of the arc...out of ideas. What do we do? Snap decisions, hotshotting ensues.

I was watching the SNME DVD and witnessing the whole Hogan/Savage thing develop. It was 2 YEARS in the making! They new they wanted Hogan/Savage World Title and they worked their way back to get there:

Hogan needs to get his belt back so he's the challenger. (How?)
Savage needs to be champ (how? we'll get to that), he also needs to be the heel.(how?)
Savage turns on Hogan.(why?)
Hogan had "lust in his eyes for Elizabeth AND the belt!" (I love Savage) Jealousy!
(why were they even friends?)
Hogan helped Savage win the title in a tournament and saved his ass earlier. (tournament?)

It seemed like they cared more about hooking a fan from year to year instead of Monday to Monday back then.

They had an idea and went back to how they wanted to get there.

If that was done nowadays it would've played out on 6 episodes of Raw heading into No Mercy or some C level PPV because Vince would've been too scared to wait for Mainia.

 

[TheTruNoLimit]

One swerve I couldn't stand was Kane pulling Rey's mask out of the burlap sack. I could swear from day one the intention was for WWE to really bring Kane's mask back. I think that really was WWE's intentions. And I think they only put Rey's mask in the bag to say screw you to the people who no doubt knew what it was inside the bag. Not to mention, the news about it being Kane's mask hit the internet and WWE probably caught on to that as well.

But, this is a very recent case of where the obvious would've been great. Sure, from the second he walked out with the bag, screaming is he alive or dead, everyone knew it was Kane's mask, or thought anyhow. Yet, everyone would've loved Kane pulling his own mask out of the bag. It was obvious, it was expected, and still even though it was so obvious, it was definitely what the fans wanted.

 

[Razor]

First of all, no one cared about John Morrison's face turn because John Morrison sucks. Lulz.

Though, I gotta agree with you. Look at the recent rash of "WWE, shock us on Monday!" threads. People are looking for a shock just to get a shock. The thing is, too many shocks and we get apathetic. Sorta like watching to much violence on TV will make you apathetic towards violence. It seriously gets to the point where you say "Oh, ok. Triple H just pedigreed his wife off of the Titantron. I guess that's cool." And then everyone is going to start complaining about how WWE isn't surprising them anymore, and make threads crying out for that one big swerve to, you know, shock everyone.

A vicious circle it is. But it's really only caused because people don't wanna suspend their belief anymore. It's kinda hard to surprise people when they won't just get into the story and allow themselves to be surprised. Like Jericho's return. People went online and found out months ahead of time. If they had sat and been patient fans, they would have been blown off their asses. Though, honestly, that return was kinda weird. And his hair didn't help.

If everyone would just suspend belief and stop saying "OMG, WWE should do this and this and this to shock me" these boards would be filled with a much happier population of posters. Just sayin'

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Swerves are exciting, like Matt Hardy betraying Jeff.

NO ONE EXPECTED THAT!

Actually i called that heel turn a month before it happened, and when people said it would definitley be Christian, i STILL said it'd be Matt.

I agree with the majority who said that decent, well timed swerves like Cena's RR return and Jericho replacing Punk in the RAW Scramble are good sparingly. But pointless title changes days after one another, and run ins by people who have nothing to do with who they're attacking just to start a fued is ridiculous.

Have we even been given a reason why Umaga is attacking Punk? I remember when fueds were started by pedestrian actions such as Jericho accidentally spilling coffee on Kane and Kurt Angle getting milk all over the Undertaker's bike.

Now it's just "Oh look it's Mike Knox...... nice beard.... hey, wait! Hey! You leave Rey alone you big bully!" and then these fueds stop just as abruptly.

Well planned swerves are good. Random ones with no direction are not, and unfortunately, that's what Vince is giving us more often that not.

 

[Sean Valjean]

I really think that at times Vince throws swerves in storylines because the fans predict how they'll end up. Kinda makes you wonder how much of an impact the IWC really has, but that topic has it's own thread.

But if Vince really thinks like that, it would be weird because most of these predictions come off the internet from either websites like this or Youtube. If they're watching the IWC to see if we figured stuff out or said what we'd like to happen and were HAPPY about it, why change it? Sure, we predicted it, but we WANTED it. And isn't the WWE supposed to be about giving the fans what they want? It shouldn't matter if we figure stuff out.

The Kane mask thing was a prime example. The crowd FREAKED when Kane said "there is a mask in this bag" Then we he pulled Rey's mask out there was nothing in the arena but a big, collective "Huh?"

Same with Orton/HHH. Generally everyone thought he'd win at 'Mania and that a McMahon would interfere and screw HHH, and generally everyone wanted it, myself included. Instead we got the complete opposite, no interference at all and HHH pinning Orton cleanly.

I think Vince is being paranoid and is trying to swerve everyone every chance he gets. Instead of having well-thought out, logical storylines, we get random surprises that make little-to-no sense just for shock value. Well, Vince, there's a reason no one would expect a lot the stuff you do: because it's stupid.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I think WWE's recent swerve obssesion stems from Vince's paranoia about fans finding out what's going to happen. So what if fans find out what's going to happen? I doubt they'll stop watching.

I agree with you 100%. Its proven that even when a fan is spoiled they won't stop watching. In fact, its also been proven that when a fan tells a friend about a spoiler of importance, that friend will turn the channel to watch it unforld.

Don't believe me?

Ask Tony Chimmel what happened when he spoiled that Mick Foley would win the WWE Championship?

A good chuck of WCWs fanbase turned the channel to see a spoler unfold.

 

[Age of Orton]

Swerves are good for the business but not every week as they lose their feel, also it depends on what the fans call a swerve.. say Batista's 8 day run as champion, I wouldn't call that a swerve but Jericho winning the title back that was a swerve I didn't expect and looking back I should of no way would WWE promote Cena/Batista II like that)

Punk cashing in MITB last year I consider that a swerve simply because I didn't expect him to cash in so soon, just a month prior he was getting jobbed out to anyone.

The Cena/RVD kind in the rumble are always a welcomed surprise, it's not a swerve in RVD's case it was a surprise, Cena on the other that was a swerve as I fully expected an HHH win.

Fans are fickle they want it but on the other hand they don't..