Your Thoughts On Pyro Usage in WWE

[TheNickster]

As we all know, pyro is a big thing in WWE entrances. Some say it enhances the wrestler's entrance, others say that it is loud and annoying. Take HBK's pyro, for example. So much of it, and it is very loud. If you've been to a WWE event, you know how loud it is in the arena with the entrance music and the crowd, and on TV HBK's pyro covers up so much of the sound. Just watch a video of Shawn Michael's entrance on YouTube.

Then there is Kane's entrance. My friend was at the Royal Rumble in 2011. Of course there is unpredictability with who enters and as soon as the buzzer goes off, BANG, Kane's pyro goes off. He said it scared the living daylights out of him.

There's the quiet pyro like ABD's pyro that just falls from the Titantron, also.

So, what are your thoughts on the pyro that WWE uses?

 

[DirtyD79]

To me it's one of those things that's just there. I guess if you're a little kid it's a big deal but when you see it every show it loses something.

 

[2Sweet_4Life]

I suppose if you look at it this way if Goldberg didn't have his pyro would he big as big as he was? I dont think he would- when the smoke came out of his nose it was intimidating. I do think an entrance theme determines if you should have a pyro because for example CM punk having a pyro just wouldn't fit with his theme.

 

[Principino]

I think pyro works should be limited to PPVs, doing it every week on RAW and SD kind of loses the buzz of pyro works, leave it for the PPVs where it gives the event a bigger feel to it.

 

[Sinabite]

there was a time and day when wrestlers only had pyro at PPVS, and it was 100% effective, now EVERYONE has pyro.....i mean, if the wwe decided that they were going to have raffle off ONE ticket at EVERY show and the lucky winner got to come out under the titantron to the RAW/SMACKDOWN them.......there would be tons of pyro

 

[Fugazi]

Pyro isn't much important I believe. Should they take it away? nah. It's part of the show. I myself always laugh at Kofi's pyro because I always imagine the guy trying to get the timing just perfect. Makes me chuckle a bit.

They shouldn't remove it just because it drowns out noise. They plan these things so no one is talking while the pyro goes off. It enhances the show. I've been to quite a few like events and I enjoyed the pyro myself.

 

[#heel420]

Live the some of the pyro can be frightening. Batista's & Lashley's pyro was surprisingly loud. And Kane's pyro always hits out of nowhere so your heart might skip a beat. But I think it helps a character get a better reaction a lot of the time. Any body watch Smackdown Friday? Ryback was getting a pretty so-so reaction then that pyro hit and the people cheered he appeared way more over than he did with out the pyro in his entrance.

 

[steamypotato]

It can definitely enhance a guy's image, in my mind. Look what they're doing with Ryback right now. That pounding gesture he makes with his hand is ok, but give him the pyro at the top of the ramp like they did this past Friday, and it gives it more of an effect. I feel like you can turn a crowd sometimes with a little pyro.

 

[thatotherguy]

I think if a guy has pyro it's a good sign that WWE has confidence in him (not to say that guys without pyro have no confidence from the WWE – look at Cena). Look at Swagger. When he got the World Championship, he got pyro for his pushups that he used to do on the entrance ramp. Now the pyro's gone.

 

[Psyclone]

Live the some of the pyro can be frightening. Batista's & Lashley's pyro was surprisingly loud. And Kane's pyro always hits out of nowhere so your heart might skip a beat. But I think it helps a character get a better reaction a lot of the time. Any body watch Smackdown Friday? Ryback was getting a pretty so-so reaction then that pyro hit and the people cheered he appeared way more over than he did with out the pyro in his entrance.

no offense but you do know that smackdown crowd noise is piped in and edited right??? I'm sure the crowd was cheering a bit, but they do pipe in noise to make sure the heel's get boo's and the faces get cheered.... (watch daniel bryan's entrance again and you'll see people cheering more than booing, yet the sound is total booing..)


anyways I have nothing against pyro.. It's fine how it is.. Kane's does cause a momentary skip of the heartbeat live, and the others is what it is... it works.

 

[Defekt]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I think anyone who has a problem with wrestlers having pyro is kinda nitpicking.

A wrestler having pyro means he is someone to pay attention to. It's part of building the super hero/super villian image and increases the production values of the show.

 

[Azane]

Pyros are a good way to make the superstars seem larger than life.
Iconic entrances were one of the things I loved about wrestling in the 90's, I remember the attitude games and beyond, one of the selling points as a kid was being able to see and tweek entrances, notably pyros.

Some characters, like you mentioned Kane and or Taker have their personas heavily controlled by pyro interaction (Now if only I stopped staring at the turnbuckle pyros when I watch and ruin the surprise for myself that Kane's going to be coming out soon).

I think WWE has a good balance, you don't see insane pyro parties like Goldbergs old entrance, yet sometimes you see something extravagent like Del Rio's.

They can make or break stars and I think they're done pretty good right now.

I can't remember what game it was, but one of the wrestler simulators had it so that you earned pyros at a certain star power, and that's how it really happens most of the time, they're almost like a reward for making a name for oneself as a performer.

 

[Diet Soda]

I don't think it's a solid formula for boosting the popularity of a superstar.
There are instances where entrances with pyro that just don't boost the superstar - Drew McIntyre springs to mind, someone already mentioned Jack Swagger, remember when Christian had what Del Rio has now?

Generally though, I enjoy it, when it suits the entrance though. The Dudleys' old pyro with the missile firing down was ace. Chyna's cannon thing was quite cool too. Brock's exploding turnbuckles during his first run were also fun.

 

[pharrison0scorpion]

I agree with what most people are saying here, although I do have one problem. The Usos have pyro, and they havent even been tag champs yet. Kofi has been stuck in mid-card virtually forever, and yet he has his pyro. Del Rio's is kinda never used anymore and hes the no.1 contender for the WHC. I think if you have pyro, it's just because it fits, but it does somewhat depend on where you are in the card as well. Obviously, they're not going to give pyro to someone like JTG, but at the same time, it doesn't fit someone like Cena, so it depends on both.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

Look at Swagger. When he got the World Championship, he got pyro for his pushups that he used to do on the entrance ramp. Now the pyro's gone.

Actually.. When Swagger won the World title.. He was so boring walking to the ring, he stopped doing his push-ups.. Go back and watch some tapes..

Also, I think pyro's are a good thing.. Not everyone needs them, but it adds that little extra something to a wrestlers entrance..

 

[STILLNWO4LIFE]

I have got to agree with the few guys above. The pyro should be used during ppv events and big match situations. It does kind of lose it's meaning when it used every time a wrestler that uses pyro involves it in his entrance on Raw or Smackdown.

 

[whoopin' ass]

some good, some suck. the opening pyro for Raw is brutal. it is their equivalent to a money shot in a porn movie - over the top, all over the place. but there were some that were perfect. HBK's in-ring pyro from the 90's was awesome and great for the character. del rio's now is good too. what annoys me is that they will change up the pyro for someone, and actually improve on it, and then change it back. they changed Jericho's a couple times so that the pyro was at the right and left of the screen instead of the usual bottom and it was different and cool but they quickly went back to the same old stuff. i think in may ways, TNA does a better job of the pyro since it seem to be more limited but even there, they are a few guys who should have pyro and don't.

 

[Sinister Shadows]

Excessive.

At this point Generic Jobber number 42 is just as likely to have pyro as not.

Most of the time with pyro, it's completely un-needed.

Entrances like Austin.. perfect... yet incredibly simple, with big matches at times they would add a little to it such as the glass over the entrance.

 

[HBsam31]

Its part of the show and it works. I attended Bragging Rights 2009 in Pittsburgh, and when DX went to do the crotch chops with the pyro, it didn't go off, and it left me a little disappointed. LOL I was a fan of DX since they were first formed and waited a long time to see them so I felt a little cheated it wasn't perfect. Now that my childish rant is over I think it is very much part of the show and it can really add to a superstars entrance. Pryo made Goldberg just a lot more imposing. When he blew the smoke out of his nose it made him even more badass going to the ring. As others have said, keep it how it is. It works.

 

[VeryReal1980]

Pyro isn't for everyone. And it shouldn't be used weekly. They should use it for PPVs and surprise appearances. It could be used on the entrances of the heels. To give them an extra boost with the audience. It is very loud in person and it can be overused sometimes.

 

[Mr. Charisma]

I have always loved pyro. I could even deal with it at a house show. Neat thing I learned about WWE pyro is how much planning goes into it. Most pyro that looks impressive actually makes very little sound. Even Kane's ringpost pyro. Next time you are at a live event look for the pyro that is usually hidden off to the side that creates the sound for all of the other pyros you think you hear. I good example is this shot from Mania's opening pyro...

http://youtu.be/dnrUVpzj2F0

Also go back and find the night Kane debuted at Badd Blood. First time he ever blows up the ring posts and there is no "boom". Nerdy for me to notice that but stuff like this entertains me... plus is something you'll always look for now.
http://youtu.be/dnrUVpzj2F0

 

[Warrior]

Is it necessary? No. Does it take away from the show? No. I personally like pyro, not with every one one course. Its fun to see, plain and simple and it doesn't need to be more complicated than that,and honestly not that many people have pyro. It tends to help far more than it hurts the show. Example? What would Kofis entrance be without his Pyro?

 

[midgensa]

I think it is obviously important to some characters and as a whole I really do not have a problem with it.

I have never been that bothered by it at live events, and it really is something that people should know going in.

I like Kane's pyro a lot ... it really is part of his gimmick and his character that he can "conjure fire" at any point. I also love the pyro with some other entrances, like DX, Goldberg, Booker T., Christian's old theme, etc.

It works for me and I think it adds to the spectacle as a whole.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Pyros are a lot more for the live crowd. It's a psychological thing. On TV it doesn't have as much meaning but it's a great visual. They only give pryos to guys who they have plans for/are over because they don't want to spend money on crappy guys who aren't going to get over.

I don't think they should be used more or less, they do a pretty good job at it.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

When I think of pyro I always come back to two things.

1) I always thought the coolest thing ever was when Razor had a match with Sid. Both men were in the ring, Razor's in ring pyro goes off behind him as he does his pose and Sid runs through it to attack Razor.

2) Sticking with Sid I always liked his WWF in ring pyro of his name. Thought it looked cool.