I've been a wrestling fan for over 20 years. I stopped watching around the early 90's though and didn't start watching again for over 10 years.
Stone Cold, the Rock, Mick Foley, and the NWO were what got me watching again. Now, they are all gone.
Other than the aforementioned, why has wrestling(the WWE specifically) gone down hill?
1. No competition. WWE put WCW out of business. TNA seems to be gaining a following but is nowhere near WWE.
2. There are no managers!!!! Bobby Heenan, Capt. Lou, Mr. Fuji, Classy Freddy Blassie; these guys made wrestling just as enjoyable in the 80's as the wrestlers.
3. No dominant tag teams!!!! The British Bulldogs, the Killer Bees, Demolition, The Road Warriors, The Hollywood Blondes, even the Rockers, The Hardy's,
and Edge and Christian were BIG TIME tag teams in their day. Who does wrestling have now, London and Kendrik? Deuche and DomiHO?
4. No dominant stable. There hasn't been a good stable since the DX of the early 2000's, Evolution doesn't count. The Four Horsemen, The Hart Foundation, Nation of Domination, N.W.O., the original DX, where is the next groundbreaking wrestling stable?
5. The wrestlers out of ring appearance. I started noticing this over the past few weeks. Here are Randy Orton and John Cena, the two biggest stars in WWE right now argueably. They are having a contract signing and both men are wearing nothing but a t-shirt and their trunks and they are both jakked up and sweaty as hell.
Hulk Hogan and the Warrior started this informal crap. I MUCH prefer two cool, collected competitors with a manager or two coming out in at least a dress shirt and some slacks. Can't blame the wrestlers though, their travel schedule is too brutal for them to give a f*** about appearance. Which brings me to my next point...
6. The specialness of it has worn off a bit. Before, wrestling was on once a week and their was only a couple pay-per-views a year. Now, it's on damn near every day with a couple dozen pay-per-views a year.
7. The line between heels and good guys has become skewed. Maybe it's something that happens as you get older but I don't know. I mean, how many heels are there? Orton, Edge, and Big Daddy V?
8. The lack of really compelling heels? If Orton and Edge are the biggest then that's the problem. Again maybe it's because I'm older now but I don't think they compare to Piper, Cowboy Bob Orton, Paul Orndorff, or King Kong Bundy. The only heel that compares to them is JBL.
9. There's no Hogan or Flair. Triple H tries his best but he simply can't compare. He's still probably the best wrestling has to offer at this point but no wear near Hogan or Flair.
10. Vince Mcmahon. He has his moments but I'm sick of the guy. It should be real intresting when he steps down for good, if he does at all.
11. Goofy-ass ring names. Triple H is great but that is the stypidest damn name for the best in the biz. I'd be happy if he came out as Hunter Helmsly. Edge, Batista,
Miz, and Carlito all need to lengthen or change their names.
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It's only fair, since that is what has went wrong with wrestling, to note what has improved:
1. The fans support. It's great that the WWE has gotten a huge fan base. It only adds the the events and the spectacle that is wrestling. Wrestlemania may eventually become as big as the Super Bowl or the World Series. Anything that gives people something to do is good.
2. The ring entrances. Some of the ring entrances are an event all by themselves. Chris Jerciho's, Triple H's, and The Undertakers are some of the best. I think it needs to be a little more even though.
3. The announcers. J.R. and the King are great and JBL ruled as a color commentator.
4. William Regal. I think the guy is great. What he adds to the show is what it needs more off. I would so love him to become a serious contender for the title, perhaps even as the head of a stable.
5. The Divas. What guy can hate that? The look 10X better than the female wrestlers of old and are more athletic too. Victoria's 'Widow's Peak' is an awesome finisher.
6. The quality of matches on free tv. Maybe it has dampened the 'special factor' but if you told me when I was 10 years old that their would be 3-4 championship matches every week I'd have said 'awesome!'
7. The speciality matches. Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber, Six Sides of Steel... need I say more?
8. Vince Mcmahon. Yeah, I'm sick of him - but like I said, he has his moments. Some of his moments are down right hilarious - starting with his walk.
That's all i got on the positive side. Like I said, I'm losing intrest again.
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How do they fix it?
1. Cut back on the travel. Give these guys a breather for God's sake Vince.
2. Get some solid factions and managers. One that can stand the test of time.
3. Adjust the characters and appearances. JBL is the best one in my opinion, use him as the base. Shawn Michaels is in deperate need of a character adjustment. I hate him as Triple H's goofy sidekick in DX.
4. Give Triple H a new ring name.
5. Improve the tag teams. The 'W' desperately needs a Demolition and a Hart Foundation and even a Hardy Boys type of a tag team.
6. Hope TNA keeps rising.
7. Increase the fans hatred for the heels. Orton is pretty well hated. I think it's be great if he aligned with JBL. I also like how the whole Edge/Vickie/Chavo alliance is going.
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I'm just a fan though, and these are just some thoughts.
"If people just accepted the fact that message board posters know best the world would be a better place."
A wrestler, before and after some dianabol. Let's give this potential murderer a hypothetical name, "Rabid Canadian"? Maybe?
