How happy are you with WWE right now?

[Cristobal]

Ask me how happy I am with NXT and I'll give you a different answer.

[Brian Fowler]

Yeah, I didn't factor NXT into it at all.

[DJ Hero Morganti]

I'm fifty fifty on wwe. The in ring is fair to great. The storylines are terrible to awesome in concept. But the execution tends to fall more to terrible than awesome

[caley]

I went Hit/Miss because I still find something generally entertaining on Raw every week.  I'm fascinated at the level of "THIS COMPANY IS THE WORST!" comments every thing they do gets because there's no way it's as bad as it's been many times in the past (HLA!) and I'm also fascinated at how many people will watch the show just to bitch about it and then when they do enjoy something respond by saying "Enjoyed the match/segment but there's no way it won't just lead to...".  I mean, if the show is driving you crazy to watch it, why are you watching it?

 

WWE, to me, is like Coldplay.  They've got lots of talent, make some interesting stuff, some great stuff, and produce a lot of bland stuff in an attempt to pander to the most people possible.  If you like Coldplay (And I actually really do like Coldplay!) more power to you, continue to buy their albums, go to their concerts etc. but if you don't like Coldplay, there is more access now to more types of music than there has ever been before, so why would you keep listening?  That's how I feel about WWE.  There's a lot of very talented guys who are always going to put out a certain type of relatively safe product for a massive audience.  If you don't like the relatively safe product, there's more wrestling easily available to you than there ever has been before, so why would you keep tuning in?  The whole idea fascinates me (And no I don't buy the "I'm a wrestling fan, I can't quit" when you could just go on Youtube/Dailymotion and watch any other type of wrestling there is) that people feel like they have to watch Raw so they can bitch about it afterwards.

[Execproducer]

I was with you until Coldplay.

[piranesi]

It would be like Coldplay kept recruiting all your favorite musicians and turning them into Coldplay until everyone in every band aspired to nothing other than joining Coldplay because they thought it was the only way they could make a living until even awesome Swiss dudes who did the most dazzling solos were suddenly in Coldplay playing the same two fucking chords over and over way in the background of a slow aimless song that goes nowhere because you know they just don't have what it takes to lead Coldplay in Coldplay style and they need to settle into the middle of the mix of Coldplay because that's all there is left.

 

 

 

And that's the true meaning of Vincemass, Charlie Brown.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

I pay $10 a month for the Coldplay Network, but all I watch on it are Oasis videos from 1996

[piranesi]

I pay $10 a month for the Coldplay Network, but all I watch on it are Oasis videos from 1996

 

 

All the traffic to the network from this board this week is going right into the newly opened "Tesla in 1988" section

[Go2Sleep]

The main roster is having some atrocious luck with injuries right now, but it's been pretty uninspired all year. I only watch ppvs or whatever they're called now live, I usually watch Raw in less than an hour on DVR, and I can't remember the last time I actually watched any SD. The storylines haven't been interesting at all, and the match quality is the worst it's been in several years. If you took away NXT matches, the MOTY list would be embarrassing right now.

 

That said, overall it's probably better right now than it was at this time in 2013 or 2010.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

 

I pay $10 a month for the Coldplay Network, but all I watch on it are Oasis videos from 1996

 

 

All the traffic to the network from this board this week is going right into the newly opened "Tesla in 1988" section

 

 

 

The main roster is having some atrocious luck with injuries right now, but it's been pretty uninspired all year. I only watch ppvs or whatever they're called now live, I usually watch Raw in less than an hour on DVR, and I can't remember the last time I actually watched any SD. The storylines haven't been interesting at all, and the match quality is the worst it's been in several years. If you took away NXT matches, the MOTY list would be embarrassing right now.

 

That said, overall it's probably better right now than it was at this time in 2013 or 2010.

 

The injuries have been pretty devastating. I read earlier on a newz site that Orton is gonna be off for another 6 months following a second surgery. Which, on it's own is whatver, but you've got Cena on sabbatical, and injuries to Cesaro, Bryan, Rollins, Sting if you wanna count him, and even at the NXT level, Zayn and Itami.

 

What I'm saying is: the roster needs to learn how to Hang Tough

[piranesi]

 

 

I pay $10 a month for the Coldplay Network, but all I watch on it are Oasis videos from 1996

 

 

All the traffic to the network from this board this week is going right into the newly opened "Tesla in 1988" section

 

 

The injuries have been pretty devastating. I read earlier on a newz site that Orton is gonna be off for another 6 months following a second surgery. Which, on it's own is whatver, but you've got Cena on sabbatical, and injuries to Cesaro, Bryan, Rollins, Sting if you wanna count him, and even at the NXT level, Zayn and Itami.

 

What I'm saying is: the roster needs to learn how to Hang Tough

 

 

 

I'm issuing you a "like" only because we don't have a "warning" button and I want you to remember never to do this again.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

You issued me a like because there's no love button, and you know it.

 

 

 

I was actually serious about the injuries part though. I just really have less than no interest than Sheamus as world champion right now, and wish there were another person that could've been plugged in that role. I understand that it's most likely a transitional reign until Roman gets it for real, but I'd rather see any single one of the injured guys I listed in the role.

 

Does anyone know what the plan was for Rollins if he hadn't been hurt? I'm guessing he would've dropped it to Roman at WM, but with all the talk about Sheamus possibly dropping it at the Rumble or shortly thereafter, I'm really curious-- especially since a lot of people were predicting HHH/Rollins at WM. There's no way that Sheamus was the plan all along, MITB or not-- I just refuse to believe it

[Charlie M.]

I would have waited until Mania, had Sheamus try to pull a Rollins and fail.

[Godfrey]

Eric Young compared TNA to Nickelback not too long ago. His attitude was "everyone hates them but whatever, dude bought his own hockey rink". Of course, that comparison only works if you're making money.

[jstout]

OK, three follow-up questions:

 

1. Who was the last real star to come out of the WWE? Reigns doesn't seem to be there yet and there was a lot of apathy toward Rollins. WWE just seems to have lost the ability to make stars. They bring people in, will give them a splash upon entry, like Owens, then shuffle them off to midcard purgatory.

 

2. One thing that strikes me is that you see the same two guys wrestle each other 252 times because they have so much TV to fill. Would you like or hate to see a return (or limited return) to star vs. jobber matches to fill up TV airtime without having to wear out all the midcard matchups?

 

3. Should there be more talking, less talking, or is the amount of talking about right? I think those 20-minute talking segments are death, but more people should talk to try to get their characters and feuds over. Just have them talk for less time.

[JCM]

IMO Rock was the last real star, but I wouldn't argue too hard against anyone saying Cena. Punk could've got there if the machine was fully behind him.

 

I think you can have a few jobber matches per show, but they should be kept short and should be used mostly to showcase newer talent.

 

I've been watching the NWA shows from the mid 80's that just got put up, and the standout out thing to me was how much of the shows were made up of promos, and how many good talkers were in the company. I think their should be no 20 minute in ring promos as I really don't think any promo needs to go more than 5 minutes.

 

They need to have more acts cutting promos, but I'm not sure the amount of overall promo time needs increased. What they absolutely need is more out of the ring skits. I just listened to Jericho's podcast where Chavo talks about going from heel to face because everyone loved the lie cheat and steal skits.

[Cristobal]

1. Daniel Bryan

2. I don't think we'll ever go back to the old way of largely squash matched and a Koko B. Ware vs Greg Valentine Maine event, but NXT has shown they can still work like you said, as filler. And it beats having to decide which of two guys you want to protect has to lose.

3. I'm not a fan of the super-talky openers, but more than the total time is the nature of the talking. New Day has been all to find the success that they have by turning their promos into something different.

[jstout]

I should've mentioned Bryan and Punk, but how much of their success was helped by having successful indy careers before arriving?

 

New Day is letting their natural charisma show. I bet there are guys who are 10 times more charismatic in the back than they are in front of the cameras. That's why you have to let them be themselves, express themselves.

[Go2Sleep]

I should've mentioned Bryan and Punk, but how much of their success was helped by having successful indy careers before arriving?

 

It helped them get their feet in the door, and to some extent, I'm sure the small percentage of hardcores constantly chanting for them gave them a little boost with the rest of the audience. Still, I doubt more than 5% of WWE fans saw any of Bryan or Punk's work in ROH. Bryan was definitely their most recent star, but it took them forever to figure out how to use him, then he got hurt right after so...

 

I also think Rollins has a subtle star quality about him. He's at least at that Edge level where he's a reliable main eventer if nothing else. He could easily be a huge deal when he comes back, but I think we're all through giving WWE the benefit of the doubt when it comes to making things like that happen.

 

On the other two questions, I think everyone agrees overexposure is a huge problem and has been for some time. Even HHH hates the 3-hour Raw model, and Smackdown is useless at this point. It's only going to get worse the thinner the roster gets too.

 

I don't think the quantity of promos are as much a problem as the quality. Sure, sometimes that opening segment gets into serious overkill territory (which leads to the trickle down effect of a commercial break in every match), but the attitude era had lots of well-remembered long promo segments. Overscripting is another issue people have been harping on forever and it definitely has merit. It's a big reason why just about everyone feels the same, because their words are all coming from the same person. They could probably stand to mix in more backstage interviews and taped interviews instead of everything being an in-ring monologue, but without guys getting more creative license, changing the scenery won't do much.

[Niners Fan in CT]

They don't use their time wisely at all. They have an opening 20-minute promo which at least ten of it could be shaved off because they just start repeating themselves halfway in.  Plus, obviously most of the shows should not open up this way anyway. 

 

I don't think they need to go back to having all squash matches but there would be nothing wrong with sprinkling some in.  Instead of having Owens face Neville and now one of them has to win. Why not have Owens crush a jobber in under a minute and then cut a promo?  His promos on WWE.com are hilarious.  Or the next week Neville has a match against a jobber and Owens comes out on commentary.  The crowd gets flashy moves from Neville for a few minutes to put over what he can do and the people at home get Neville but also Owens cracking jokes on commentary, that allows him to get a little shine also. you play to their strengths.  Then whatever they have a stare down. 

 

Instead they just rush through every fucking thing and nobody is over or protected.

[Phantom Lord]

I think the main problem with the WWE is two things.

 

1)The Authority angle (Boss vs. whomever...McMahon vs. Austin, Triple H vs. Cena/Orton, now Authority vs. Reigns) is a dead horse.

2)Anytime there is a hint someone that they don't want is over, rather than doing somewith it to see where it goes they choose to ignore it alienating even more fans.

 

Right now the WWE is gonna run with The Authority screwing Roman Reigns out of the WWE Title over and over until WM 32 where he has his big moment under the sign. If they hadn't done this story a thousand times before all ready it might be compelling. But it's 2015. No one cares about the evil corporation holding down the rebel.

 

It also doesn't help that the WWE crushes guys that could be new stars for them. I mean look at Bray Wyatt. The whole kidnapping The Undertaker thing could have been really interesting but the timing was all wrong. They had to do the stupid 25th anniversary deal. Had they let Taker get his 25th anniversary win and then Bray kidnaps him and the next week he did his I AM THE THUNDER AND THE LIGHTNING AND THE FIRE promo and they ran with that for a few months until Wrestlemania with a mortal Undertaker vs. supernatural Bray that would be something crazy enough that could just work. But nope, Bray is just another guy now and that's the WWE in a nutshell. They have just a lot of guys on the roster and Cena's gonna come back and be John Cena as usual and it will be wash and repeat.

 

Too bad they didn't rebrand NXT as World Championship Wrestling or something (back when they turned it into a promotion after moving from FCW). WCW as a mini-successful company under the WWE umbrella is something that should have happened all the way back in 2001-2002.

[The Man Known as Dan]

Honestly, nobody illustrates the WWE's ability to take something fresh and unique and turn it into absolutely nothing more then Bray Wyatt,. And the worst thing is, he STILL feels like someone you can save. I was hyped as shit about Wyatt kidnapping Taker and Kane. I thought he was a complete no brainer to win the title tournament when Rollins went out. Instead he wasn't even fucking entered.

[ChrisM]

NXT is great. Smackdown! is more entertaining than people give it credit for, and Raw is definitely hit and miss. A 2 hour show would definitely make it feel like less of a chore, some weeks, but apparently USA Network really wants that ad revenue. 

 

Overall, there are obvious problems, partially because a lot of their talent is injured. That's why they need to start building up the younger guys. 

 

So, I'd say I'm happy with NXT and the WWE Network content, mostly positive about Smackdown, and hot and cold on Raw. 

[SirSmUgly]

Last legit main event star: Bryan. Last megastar: The Rock

 

They do need to sprinkle in jobber matches if only to get everyone's offense over, especially maybe a primary, secondary, and tertiary finisher along with a viable unique submission for everyone so that I can't call the end of almost every PPV match that I watch. But they also need more video packages and short backstage interviews and skits peppered in. 

 

They need to at least change up the talking. There is far too much in-ring talky-talk. They need to have more wrestlers host shows, but actually have a unique set somewhere other than in the ring. They need to bring back in-set thirty and sixty second promos. Hell, I'd love to see a return to "control center"-type thirty-, sixty-, and ninety-second runs of promos that the wrestlers cut in front of their green-screened logos after which Scott Stanford or Renee Young or whoever hypes matches on the appropriate house shows, RAWs, Smackdowns, PPVs, and Network specials. Everything looks so samey that just giving the same content in different packages will improve things immensely.  

[DJ Hero Morganti]

I actually think we don't get a cash in until post mania if Seth doesn't get hurt