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Subject: WWE: How Would You Improve It?
Posted by: Farn
- Sustainer [451044109] Wed, Dec 10, 2003, 21:35
I know many of you have been following wrestling for years, have probably seen all kinds of great storylines and wrestlers. What I would love to hear is what you guys would do to improve the product of the WWE.
Are there wrestlers you would give a push to who aren't getting one? Is there a wrestler who gets too much face time in your opinion? What matches would you put together? Who's holding the belts if you are in the backstage area?
Figured this was a good way to get some good debating going in the Wrestling forum. |
| 1 | Tree
Donor
ID: 121101019
Wed, Dec 10, 2003, 21:43
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i'd start by firing anyone who's last name is McMahon - unless their first name was Shane.
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| 2 | Mike D
Sustainer
ID: 23715270
Wed, Dec 10, 2003, 21:48
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Nice idea Farn. I've love to comment on all those questions......but in the interest of time, space, and everyone here's sanity, I'll start with one thing and let others chime in.
Wrestlemania. The Grand-Daddy of them all. It used to be the culmination of the biggest, most exciting, most heinous feuds of the year. Now, things are thrown together at the last minute! For freakin' Wrestlemania!
Who can forget Steamboat and Savage, battling all across the country, Savage managing to hold on to the belt time after time, somehow, someway. Finally, in an epic battle, the Dragon won the strap at Wrestlemania. So many examples like this in both singles and tag action.
On a broader scope, most "feuds" are under-developed these days, and the "on the fly" booking goes against the way things used to be. WWE(F) was known for planned out booking. I remember when Jericho joined the then-WWF and was quoted as saying he knew who he was going against in the next 3-4 PPVs! Not anymore.......
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| 3 | Farn
Sustainer
ID: 451044109
Wed, Dec 10, 2003, 22:17
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agreed Mike D. It seems as though these storylines are creating by throwing darts at a board.
I would probably cut back HHH's title reigns. I think people are quite sick of him holding a title. So if he takes that title back it will only serve to make things worse. It seems as though his backstage connections have really bothered fellow wrestlers. The McMahons need to stop playing favorites and start rewarding the guys who work the hardest and draw the biggest reaction from fans.
I would probably give Chris Benoit a chance to shine. Same with Eddie Guerrerro. Both of those guys work their ass off every night. In the same breath I would probably give Mark Henry the heeve-ho. He is one of the stiffest workers I have ever seen.
What they really need to do is build up feuds. Don't start a feud, have it last one PPV, and then move on. Stretch them out 3 PPV's. Put a veteran headliner (ex. HHH) with a new guy (good work putting him with Orton and Batista). Let the new guys get some face time with already established stars. That's the best way to get fans to pay attention to new comers. I really thought it was a good idea putting the Hurricane in those pieces with Rock months ago. But they let it go. They should have continued to build him up. The fans really took to him at that point.
It did hurt them that Rock left for the movies and Austin got hurt. They lost their two biggest names at once. That was indeed a huge blow. They need to establish new stars.
All in all I would say they need to start giving some of these fresh faces a chance. They need them to be able to take over when the older guys get out.
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| 4 | mIST
ID: 5351150
Thu, Dec 11, 2003, 06:23
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Raw: I'd keep thing how they are NOW. With two exceptions: Jericho should fight for the World Title and Matt Hardy V-Onnnah should be pushed to the moon.
Smackdown: I'd go back to 2002, when they used to put up memorable matches every week. Now it seems like a watered version of Raw.
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| 5 | Tree
Donor
ID: 121101019
Thu, Dec 11, 2003, 06:57
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guys like Jericho, Benoit, and Eddy should clearly be main event guys - and not just main event, but world title caliber.
anyone who has saw what happened when benoit and guerrero worked together in ECW knows that these two can put on some of the best matches EVER.
Jericho too - in ECW, he was blow away amazing.
Chavo is an up and comer, who lives in his uncle's shadow, but is apparently going to be feuding with Eddy soon, and that's good.
Evolution, managed by Ric Flair, should turn on Triple H, and they should add Maven to the fold.
Flair could say he was impressed by Maven taking him on, and he respects him, and that's why he's pairing him up with Batista, and these two monsters become world tag champs.
the reason for turning will be that they were gonna go no where as long as HHH held the belt, and he was an old man holding onto the belt for too long, and it was time for the kids to shine.
Orton wins the World Strap, and much like Lesner in Smackdown, becomes a younger generation to hold it.
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| 6 | Species
Leader
ID: 569221717
Thu, Dec 11, 2003, 12:00
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My point was made recently in a wrestling column somewhere, but I've felt this way for a while so I'm not stealing someone else's take. I think one of the WWE's problems is the total lack of promotion and development of up and coming characters.
Some of the most notable guys to get over during our 2 fantasy seasons that come to my mind are Cena and The Hurricane. Why? Because they basically created their OWN gimmicks out of their own personality, talent and charisma. Sure the WWE writers had something to do with pushing it or something, but IMO they had to make a lot of the push on their own just by their talent burning so bright.
All too often these guys just end up showing up on TV with no previous fanfare. The Bashams, Cade and Jindrak, Akio and Sakoda, Orlando Jordan - insert many others here -- all just seemed to burst on TV one day with no real character or explanation.
Two characters really come to mind from back in the 80's where the WWE did a magnificent job of building the character to where I couldn't wait until they debuted:
1 - Razor Ramon - I can't remember how many promos were aired before he showed up....and I was lapping it up like a dude dying of thirst. It seemed like a month or more we'd see these promos where he was saying he was coming to the WWF and was going to kick ass. He was big, arrogant, mean, had the greasy hair, fake accent and the toothpick, and when he did come to the scene we already knew a lot of what he was about. Instant character, instant heat, some pretty good success.
2 - Bam Bam Bigelow - I remember how each of the heel managers were lining up to manage him: Slick, Jimmy Hart, Heenan I think was still around, Mr. Fuji, etc. They would all say how agile he was for a 300-pounder, and how each of them would be THE guy to take him to the top of the heap. I swear this buildup lasted 2 months minimum, and I remember like yesterday how "Bam Bam" supposedly kept crossing perspective managers off of his list. I can remember him debuting and doing cartwheels in the ring, and Gorilla Monsoon (maybe?) marveling at the agility of the big man, blah blah blah. Sure Bigelow didn't have lasting success in the WWF, but the buildup was cool.
The WWE definitely needs to get back to character development.
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| 7 | Mattinglyinthehall
Sustainer
ID: 217351118
Thu, Dec 11, 2003, 18:46
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My Fiancee:
"More wrasslin', less yappin'".
She says she'd like the ladies on SD to wrestler more. She says she has no problem with how they dress, but they need to make themselves good for something besides t&a.
"HHH needs less power. I hate him. He isn't worthy of his status and his image is played out. I don't like him, and I don't like his personna or character. He should be more willing to push the younger talent." [This next part she says in a South Park Cartman voice] "I hate him. I hate him. I hate him so much."
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| 8 | mIST
ID: 5351150
Fri, Dec 12, 2003, 06:32
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So, if you hate him so much, he's a great heel. Right? :)
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| 9 | Great One@Merrill
ID: 491136212
Fri, Dec 12, 2003, 09:21
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They should make Orlando Jordan the next Smackdown champion. AND give Rhyno the US Title. And Ultimo and Rey the tag titles. And Test the IC title. That could all happen, and they have all nice long runs. And I still would wind up about 5th in our standings.
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| 10 | Farn
Sustainer
ID: 451044109
Fri, Dec 12, 2003, 09:42
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lol Great One
I was reading that and I was like "Why does he want to give the belt to all these guys who aren't that great?"
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| 11 | kev
ID: 43111845
Fri, Dec 12, 2003, 17:14
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The thing about building up persona's, is you have to build up the right ones....how many promo's did we see on Nathan Jones.
SD is just making all the wrong pushes. Zach Gowen? Nathan Jones? Baaaahhhh.
SD needs to take a look at what made WCW successful... the cruiserweights. I know injuries have played an effect on his career, but Billy Kidman is vastly underused, as is Ultimo.
I think the WWE needs more feel good stories... remember when Foley first won the title? They need more stories like that. They needed Cena to make the face turn much earlier on. Now if he gets the strap, it doesn't have that real feel good story.
I know he is on my team, but I got him on my team for the reason I think he is the most underused character in the WWE- The Hurricane, Shane Helms. The last time I truly enjoyed a whole segment on RAW was when Hurricane came swooping in with the Rock...just pure greatness. The Hurricane has a great gimmick, he has a great in ring persona, and the fans would get behind a Hurricane push. Sure, the world title is out of the question, but I would love to see Hurricane involved in a battle vs the Evolution- Orton wins the IC strap, doing something underhanded.... The Hurricane objects to this...all of a sudden, doer of all good things, the Hurricane becomes just an annoyance to the Evolution, tagging with Goldberg/Micheals in matches vs the Evolution....then, finally, he gets his shot vs Orton, and pulls off the monumental upset. Build it up...have Hurricane do this for a couple months, then have Foley grant him a match on RAW- not a PPV.
Guys like the Hurricane are what make the WWE fun, and exciting.
I also think Randy Orton has the skills to be one of the best heels the WWE has seen in a very long time. He has that swagger...I really like his heel potential.
They made Kane too crazy.
More feel good stories, less chokeslames to old women.
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| 12 | Mattinglyinthehall
Sustainer
ID: 217351118
Sat, Dec 13, 2003, 10:19
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I like Kanes current image. Unlike his and Taker's personna in the past, they don't try to pull off the idea that the guy is unstoppable. I'd much rather see Kane keep coming back because he is insane with rage than the simplistic idea that he is bulletproof or supernatural or something. They'll have plenty of time to bring back the more than human gimick when he faces Taker at WM.
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| 13 | Farn
Sustainer
ID: 451044109
Tue, Dec 30, 2003, 14:56
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maybe I will use this thread to evaluate how each storyline is going.
Is anyone else sick of random interferance by wrestlers? Last night we see Kane come down and interfere in Booker's match. Its rumored this will set up the match with Booker for the Royal Rumble but that doesn't excuse the random run-in. They need to stop just throwing things together. Set up the run-in. Create storylines, don't just pick them up in the middle for no reason.
Also, its about time Booker gets a belt back. This guy is a main eventer. He has been around a long time and he is very capable of carrying a segment or two. Maybe strip these guys who paid no dues (ie. Orton or Batista) and give him a belt.
One thing I have always been against is the overuse of older guys who sneak back in to main event PPVs (ie. Hogan). But last night they could have gone a long way by giving HBK the title in his hometown. That place was hopping and the Raw brand was ready for a new title holder. And then he could have dropped the title either at Rumble or the next PPV (not sure if they have one before Mania or if its Smackdown's). He could have defended against HHH and then dropped it to someone else (Booker? Goldberg? anyone without 3 H's in his name).
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| 14 | Doug Flutie
ID: 56738923
Sun, Jan 04, 2004, 02:33
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macho man randy savage :)
man i miss oldschool wwf....i wish they'd release dvds of old wrestlemanias or payperviews (although they probably can't now because of the logo change).....how i would love to see macho man beat flair for the gold at wrestlemania VII again...or for the warrior to make his return in the hogan/sid match....
*sentimental tears*
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