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FEBRUARY 2021 Discussion of Wrestling


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For any of you that went back and watched some of the earlier Royal Rumble matches back recently, Does it bug you how in these modern Rumble matches just about everyone has to have an elaborate entrance like the are going into a big time match on TV. 

Before the modern era, guys entered the Rumble like they were focused on winning now people enter like they have to do the same specific routine that they hate to do every time they leave the curtain 

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12 hours ago, Ziggy said:

For any of you that went back and watched some of the earlier Royal Rumble matches back recently, Does it bug you how in these modern Rumble matches just about everyone has to have an elaborate entrance like the are going into a big time match on TV. 

Before the modern era, guys entered the Rumble like they were focused on winning now people enter like they have to do the same specific routine that they hate to do every time they leave the curtain 

one of the subtler reasons why the 1992 one is the best is Jake Roberts' paranoid reaction every time the countdown starts because -- with no theme music cue -- he doesn't know when Macho Man Randy Savage is going to sprint from the back and beeline towards murdering him. Or Repo Man trying to sneak into the ring and staying hunched over his entire way down the ramp.

People focused on doing their big entrance by rote look like they're admitting this is their highlight of the night, i.e. that they have no chance. It's one thing for us to think we know "oh this guy's not winning" it's another thing entirely for them to basically tell us we're right.

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The entrance music playing has given us some classic moments, though, like the John Cena surprise that someone posted a few pages back or like this:

As always, it's all about how the match is booked. 1992 and 1997 are well-booked Rumbles that tell coherent stories. I haven't seen a Rumble since maybe the one where Bryan lost and Roman won and the crowd hated the whole thing, but yeah...I can't tell you a Rumble that I remember as being particularly well-booked past about 2005. Part of that is because some of these events blend together the older I get, but also part of that has to be the cookie-cutter booking and the use of tropes like "enter, pose, spam finisher, move to the corner to punch-kick so the next person can do it."

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The "I have a set routine for me entrance" thing is a problem all year round, not just the Rumble. Guys have to hit their little pose on their way to a grudge match, or when they should be nervous, or when they should be bursting with excitement.

It's pretty well known around here that I'm not the biggest Shawn Michaels fan, but watch him just coming to the ring during the 90's. His mannerisms, facial expressions, everything was different based on if he was a heel or a face, who his opponent was etc. He still was able to do his dance and pose and whatnot, but it didn't feel like a rehearsed routine.

Then watch him during the last several years of his career. "Here's where I stop and kneel to Jesus, on this line I'm getting into the ring, then..." And his entrance told you nothing about who and where he was that night.

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still one of my all time favorite entrances is the one time Warrior walked  to the ring.

A set routine is good if you periodically break the pattern it establishes, as that sends its own message.

Tricky balance, though.

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The set entrance routines stand out as particularly stupid in an empty arena.

It’s kind of symbolic of a wider lack of creativity in how little WWE has adapted its presentation for the pandemic era shows. The fact that they thought the answer was to go even louder (visually) with the Thunderdome setup seems ridiculous to me.

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20 minutes ago, Kev said:

The set entrance routines stand out as particularly stupid in an empty arena.

It’s kind of symbolic of a wider lack of creativity in how little WWE has adapted its presentation for the pandemic era shows. The fact that they thought the answer was to go even louder (visually) with the Thunderdome setup seems ridiculous to me.

I can think of a few things over the years that directly interface with a live crowd like the Yes chants while coming down the aisle or Christian’s looking out, but generally those entrances have been for the cameras more than the crowd for years. 

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18 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I can think of a few things over the years that directly interface with a live crowd like the Yes chants while coming down the aisle or Christian’s looking out, but generally those entrances have been for the cameras more than the crowd for years. 

Yeah, you’re right. In terms of how the shows are produced, this stuff is mainly for the cameras (the Rumble with HBK shouting at Khali to pose into the hard cam comes to mind).

I’m thinking more in terms of the sort of kayfabe behind it. It makes sense that guys would pose and show off to a live crowd. It also makes sense to pose and show off for the cameras, except in WWE nobody really acknowledges the cameras during entrances or matches (ironically, unless it’s part of their set routine like Cena). So you have this weird situation where guys are posing for cameras without actually acknowledging those cameras.

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5 hours ago, Smelly McUgly said:

The entrance music playing has given us some classic moments, though, like the John Cena surprise that someone posted a few pages back or like this:

As always, it's all about how the match is booked. 1992 and 1997 are well-booked Rumbles that tell coherent stories. I haven't seen a Rumble since maybe the one where Bryan lost and Roman won and the crowd hated the whole thing, but yeah...I can't tell you a Rumble that I remember as being particularly well-booked past about 2005. Part of that is because some of these events blend together the older I get, but also part of that has to be the cookie-cutter booking and the use of tropes like "enter, pose, spam finisher, move to the corner to punch-kick so the next person can do it."

A big part of Rumble matches have always been another tool to set up WrestleMania matches or highlight on going feuds. The entrance music isn't to much of problem  especially if people in the ring react in a certain way or the person entering the ring can tell a story based on how he enters. 

Macho Man was really good at expressing himself in certain matches. Look at WM 8, if he had that feud with Flair today at WM, he'd be told to do his normal entrance and he wouldn't be able to express his hatred till the bell rings. It's kind of like how people have a problem with alot of guys working these blood feuds like regular matches

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3 hours ago, Kev said:

Yeah, you’re right. In terms of how the shows are produced, this stuff is mainly for the cameras (the Rumble with HBK shouting at Khali to pose into the hard cam comes to mind).

I’m thinking more in terms of the sort of kayfabe behind it. It makes sense that guys would pose and show off to a live crowd. It also makes sense to pose and show off for the cameras, except in WWE nobody really acknowledges the cameras during entrances or matches (ironically, unless it’s part of their set routine like Cena). So you have this weird situation where guys are posing for cameras without actually acknowledging those cameras.

I figure it’s their routine to get them hyped up/ready to fight. You’re used to doing it when fans are there, it would throw you off to suddenly stop.

It’s kind of like Goldberg still getting a security escort to the ring because even after all these years, he’s still worried the nWo is going to jump him in the back.

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5 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

Orton and Hunter having a standard wrestling match at WM25 was infuriating. 

Horrible main event. Triple H and Randy Orton has dozens of matches together and there's only one worthwhile match out of them, Last Man Standing at No Mercy 2007.

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27 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

which I believe was their second match that night lol

Correct. John Cena had to vacate the WWE Championship having torn his pec on RAW vs. Mr. Kennedy. It was supposed to be John Cena vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match at No Mercy 2007. Cena's reign was the first year long reign since Randy Savage held it in 1988-1989. Vince McMahon awarded it to Randy Orton at the start of No Mercy 2007, Triple H challenged him for it and won. Triple H defended it against Umaga and then lost it back to Randy Orton in the main event, Last Man Standing.

Edited by The Natural
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