WWE's unpredictability: how far should they go?

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Recently on WWE television, especially on this past Raw in the John Laurinaitus/Punk segment, they've been really harping on the term "unpredictablity" in the product. Unpredictability in an episodic show, when used properly, can really help the product and boost ratings. I say "when used properly" because frankly being illogical and just downright crazy might be unpredictable, but probably would leave a lot of viewers thinking WTF? But other things, if done right can work very well. Hogan heel turn in 96 did wonders for the business. Nexus debut last year generated a lot of buzz. Even Punk's worked promo this summer received mainstream attention. But HOW unpredictable should professional wrestling be? Where do we draw the lines? And where exactly in the product do we place unpredicability?

DISCLAIMER: I am not an Attitude Era mark (something quite clear if you've paid attention to the posting I do on here). I will refer to it soley because it was a time that drew some of the best ratings in professional wrestling. Also, any example storylines I give will be theoretical in nature and serve only to prove a point. They are by no means something I am trying to push.

Storylines: The first thing someone's going to think of regarding an unpredictable show is storylines. Personally, I find the current WWE product fairly predictable. Part of that goes towards how they push the wrestler's personas, but I will divulge into that later. First off, let's compare professional wrestling to another episodic show. I choose Burn Notice only because I watch it regularly and it can push some slight boundaries because of it's nature of being a show based around spies. Feel free to compare my thoughts against whatever show you like. Burn Notice, I say, can push slight boundaries because it's based on something that is relatively unknown. How many people reading this are professional spies? They're using an element that is foreign enough to most that they may take a few "liberties" in reality and get away with it. But it's still all based on a REALITY. A show like Friends is something that most people can completely relate to so is relatively normal.

This is why I feel professional wrestling could help it's unpredictability by taking more liberties than it already does. It's NOT based on reality. The word kayfabe exists for a reason. Everyone (or most) already know it's fake. This allows the writers to do things that aren't exactly normal. I'm not saying we need another pair mating, resulting in the birth of a hand. That would be an example where I think we should draw the line. BUT, after the Punk/Laurinitus segment ended, why not have a backstage scene where Drew McIntyre is running away from Mason Ryan, who happens to be wearing a pink dress? So Mason Ryan has a crossdressing "issue." So do a lot of people in the world. I use those 2 names because it would give them something to do on TV for one, and two, storylines like that should be reserved for the lower card. Keep the upper card and ME pretty normal. Also, I think the general audience attracted by professional wrestling is more open to these kinds of concepts. Aside from children and conservative parents, I think most wrestling fans could accept a story involving a musclebound crossdresser. Even the presence of a leprechaun (though UNentertaining to me) is within sensical enough boundaries due to the fact that they're so widely used and accepted in the rest of the world. Yes, my ideas might be dumb to some or most, but the point is in professional wrestling boundaries should be pushed.

Heels vs. Faces: There will always be heels. There will always be faces. But where the hell are the tweeners? Tweeners are the hardest to pull off because it takes the right person, but they're also the most unpredictable. One of the biggest wrestler's during the Attitude Era was SCSA and he is generally known as a tweener. Yes, he's had his heel and face days, but he has gotten over best as a tweener. He Stun's heels, faces, commentators, Tough Enough winners, you name it. Just don't get on his bad side. And that's the biggest element of the tweener.

Faces are so predictable it's not even funny. I'm not saying I don't like them. I even like John Cena. But I can completely see why so many peolpe hate him. Most of what he does is exactly the same as he did before. And heels, while a little less predictable, aren't much better. Occasionally you get CM Punk(face) getting punted so he can't defend his title and Orton(heel) getting it because they had to have a title match. Or Edge spearing a someone out of an Elimination Chamber match so he can take his spot and win the title himself. Those are good examples. But they happen far too seldom. Otherwise it's heel fights face, and if he wins it's in a shady manner. They won't let a heel go over a face clean anymore. Tweeners can do some of these things and still get cheered, but would anyone EXPECT them to do it to a face? No. But they still can.

The thing about tweeners, though, is there can only be one or two otherwise it stale. Too much "unpredictability" get's predictable, and even farfetched. Orton was tweener briefly before they turned him completely face. CM Punk, before they turned him completely face, looked as though he had potential to be as good as SCSA was as a tweener. I think it's still early enough for him to be turned back. He would need a feud with a face though and that's unlikely as he's probably going to be challenged by a returning heel Jericho. And I know some of you might try to argue that he is still a tweener, but my opinion is that he's lost that already. Hating authority (Laurinaitus) when they're a heel does not make one a tweener.

Also, a lot of people have been pining for Cena to turn heel, but why couldn't they use this storyline with Kane (that seems to be heading towards some change in personality) to turn him tweener instead of full-fledged heel? Why not just have him start saying, "look fans; love me or hate me, I don't care anymore and I'm gonna do what I wanna do." That tweener don't fuck with me attitude that people seem to love so much. I just feel that wrestlers' personalities and boundaries as heels and faces today are WAY too cut and dry.

So what are your thoughts on WWE's unpredictability?
Where should they draw the line?
What other ways can they make it more unpredictable?

Also, I already stated why I used the Attitude Era as my example. Let's not make this a PG vs TV-14 debate please.

 

[Champ1432]

I think you raise a lot of good points. I definitely agree with you about the lack of a good tweener lately, although as you said, only certain people could successfully fill that role. Perhaps Cena is heading in that direction with this emerging storyline.

The problem for me is that too often it seems these storylines go to the ridiculous, such as your example of the hand birth. I know that was quite a while ago, but it seems like the writers don't always handle unpredictability well. Of course we're talking about pro wrestling here, not Shakespeare, but as you said, there is a line that shouldn't be crossed and I'm not sure they know were it is much of the time. As you said though, when done right, it can be riveting to watch.

Ultimately, I do wish there were more unpredictability just like you. It wouldn't even have to be huge storylines. Small things here and there, they way a character behaves, things like that could make a big difference. I also agree that the "crazier" storylines should be kept to the lower to mid card. The ME doesn't really need that kind of stuff, and often the mid card feuds can use some spicing up.

Good post, lots of good points.

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

Unpredictability is something that's very hard to do in wrestling now with sites like these filled with spoilers and people leaking backstage talk everywhere. But my thoughts on wwe's unpredictability is that they have none. More times than none i can predict the ending of raw and smackdown just about identically. And i'm no genuis so i think that's a problem. The only way i think they can make themselves more unpredicatble is just thinking outside the box. It's not really about trying to be like the attitude era again it's just thinking of better storylines and endings.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

Too much to read.

Based on your thread name, short answer...FAR. VERY FAR. Like...keep us guessing forever.

I LOVE unpredictability. I'm a fan from BEFORE the attitude era. It was a great time to be a fan because you never knew what was going to happen. I said this in another thread...the Money In The Bank needs to go. That right there throws unpredictability out the window.

THE PROBLEM
Internet dirt sheets. Yes we dont NEED to read them, but they spoil a lot. This whole 1/2/12 deal for example. The promos would be AWESOME alone, and right now they are doing great with them as far as the show. But the dirt sheets spoil who it will inevitably be! Unpredictability would work so well here if said person would just show up and surprise us all. But dirt sheets have spoiled it and taken out the unpredictability.

STORYLINES
Storylines have, for the most part, been consistent...save for a few from the summer. But there is no point in harping on those. The problem I have is that there is hardly any payoff. Punk went nowhere after the summer. They spent all summer building him up, only to be pushed aside for Triple H to take the spotlight. Even without the title the focus was on Cena.

WWE needs to bring back the unpredictability and take it as far as it can go. Take away MITB, its not working anymore. Come up with some NEW gimmick matches or stop doing them. I remember what a shock it was when the elimination chamber was announced. Come up with something new. Bring back 6-man HIAC or tornado tag matches.

WWE needs to stop relying on the past and what worked. Part of why it work was BECAUSE it was new and unpredictable.



BTW...I cant stand that word "tweener". It sounds like some pre-pubescent teenager who doesn't know if they want to grow up to be a man or a woman. You're either face or heel...there is no in-between. Heels used to get cheered, IT HAPPENS. Some people like to root for the bad guy. Hell I cheered for Austin, Rock and Taker when they were heels.

 

[Defekt]

I think the WWE has struck a nice balance between unpredictability and coherency.

I don't think you can exactly call the storylines predictable, as no one is really sure what will happen before a PPV. There were plenty of title changes this year no saw coming.

If you go for pure unpredictability you get stuck with early 2000's WCW or today's TNA, where strange stuff happens all the time for no logical reason and none of it matters anyway since it's so common and ultimately kinda pointless.