You Do Your Annoying, Unorthodox Thing That You Do In The Wrestling Thread

[javonstokess]

IMO...the Attitude Era was something special, but at that time it was shock value that grabbed the main stream audience. D-X and their controversial antics, The Ministry (crucifying people), The Nation of Domination (racist overtones, hell they held Chyna down as the Rock acted like he was going to kiss her), The Oddities, Val Venis, GTV, the racist stereotypes like Kai-In-Tai (spelling)...and Stone Cold/McMahon, I just watched the clip where Stone Cold put a gun to Vince's head (even tho it did say "Bang 3:16"). At the same time South Park was also at an all time high and was super popular. It was a different time where nothing was sacred, nothing was off limits it seemed like.

We live in an era now that is super PC, as a whole. Everyone worries about offending someone. The smart business move is to not offend and be steady or safe. None of what I listed would fly these days on TV. Hence the "PG era" WWE is in now. I'm not saying that PG is at fault for where WWE is now, but my point is that people used to tune in to see what crazy stuff would happen next. More people/friends would hear about it and tune in next week. That shock value was off the charts.

I watched from 1996-2001/2? I started watching again a year ago. The program now is typically not very good and predictable. Every week on Raw the order of events is the same and the main events seem stale (not all). They can't make stars like they used to. I enjoy it to a certain degree, but that isn't saying much. I don't see it ever being mainstream again. Vince had the magic touch and I don't see that happening again.

I don't think it's the WWE "can't" make stars anymore, I think it's they don't want to pull the trigger on logical decisions due to possible financial implications or personal bias.

For example, look at the members of the Shield. Seth Rollins started out as an awesome heel and they started in a good direction by making Dean Ambrose his main nemesis, but they watered down Dean. Now Seth's back and he's just a weird, watered down face with nowhere near the reactions he got as a heel.

Now look at Roman Reigns, this is a guy who COULD be the biggest heel the WWE has had in years, but they don't want to fully pull the trigger. Had the WWE actually done what used to come natural to them, Reigns would have turn on Dean during the mini-tournament for the championship. In that fell swoop, you would have created two of the biggest stars in the business with a swarmy, cocky Roman Reigns (which we know he can play) and the lunatic out for revenge in Dean Ambrose. That SHOULD have lead to a one-on-one at Wrestlemania w/Dean winning the title.

BUT, the like Roman as a face and push him like the underdog and they clearly aren't sold on Ambrose as the top face so he kinda meanders in the mid-to-upper card losing alot because they know he'll remain a fan favorite. All three guys SHOULD be bigger stars than they are, but instead of listening to the fans, the WWE either looks at the bottom line or sticks with what "they" think.

It's like they can catch the lightning, but always chose to let it go because they think a better bolt of lightning will be along any second.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Anyone interested in the ESPN 30 for 30 on Ric Flair?

Here is the trailer for it:

https://***********/30for30/status/890693011193069568

 

[famicommander]

Reigns should have had way more time developing before they put him into a main program.

His spot in the Shield was supposed to go to Chris Hero, but they decided to use the respective ring and mic skills of Rollins and Ambrose to try to hide Roman's flaws and elevate him into a position he wasn't ready for.

And the fans could plainly see what was happening, which is why is mega babyface push fell flat on its face.

 

[famicommander]

What would it actually take to make WWE (or wrestling) popular with the mainstream audience again though? Or does everyone think that's something we won't ever see again?

Difficult to tell I guess.

NXT has probably been the best wrestling WWE has put on in an extremely long time. The Cruiserweight challenge, ditto. But if they migrated that model to RAW and Smackdown does anyone think it would actually expand the audience? Or just better appease the current wrestling fans?

The last time viewership numbers for NXT leaked out the per week average was worse than what GFW gets right now. NXT isn't about the mainstream, it's about hoarding talent so that ROH/NJPW/CMLL/AAA/GFW/LU don't have access to them.

If wrestling is ever going to be mainstream again they need a transcendental star along the lines of a Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rock, or Hulk Hogan again.

John Cena doesn't cut it. He's very good at appealing to his fanbase and getting his haters riled up, but he doesn't make your average person on the street care about wrestling like those others did.

 

[Dr. Evil]

This is not wrestling related, but this sucks as I enjoyed my interactions with him in the Thor and Agents of SHIELD threads:

http://forums.superherohype.com/announcement.php?f=33&a=263

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=532841

 

[nite-owl]

 

[Hunter Rider]

 

[Hunter Rider]

 

[famicommander]

The budget cuts continue:
WWE has canceled The Edge and Christian Show

 

[nite-owl]

So Bo Dallas is nuts.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

What would it actually take to make WWE (or wrestling) popular with the mainstream audience again though? Or does everyone think that's something we won't ever see again?

I think it would need a breakout star that appeals to the mainstream (like Hogan and Rock did), and another wrestling company to become big enough to challenge WWE (it will be a long time if ever for that to happen), and an ECW like alternative that has wrestling we haven't seen before in America (hard to see what that would be, as everything has been done), which would give WWE and their new WCW-like competitor something to steal from.

 

[famicommander]

ROH/NJPW (and to a lesser extend TNA and NOAH) are the "new" ECW and have been for a long time.

Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens/Steen, Seth Rollins/Tyler Black, Sami Zayn/El Generico, Donovan Dijak, Chris Hero/Kassius Ohno, Roderick Strong, Cesaro/Claudio Castognoli, Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor/Prince Devitt, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan Danielson, Karl Anderson, Cedric Alexander, TJ Perkins, Austin Aries, Nigel McGuinness, Steve Corino, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Roode, Hideo Itami/KENTA, Eric Young...

The vast majority of them came right from ROH or NJPW, with a select few from TNA and NOAH. And that's just off the top of my head.

And it doesn't include former WWE guys that reinvented themselves elsewhere and came back like the Hardys.

 

[Dr. Evil]

So the question for you guys is what is your all time greatest feud in WWE history?

For me, it's Austin vs. McMahon. Sure, the matches suck but the moments in that feud were memorable. I am sure everyone remembers "Bang 3:16" where Austin held Vince at gunpoint with a toy gun that resulted in Vince urinating himself. Or Stone Cold's attack on Vince in the hospital dressed as a doctor in surgery scrubs. Or when he sprayed the Corporation with Beer via a beer truck or even destroying Vince's car with a cement truck.

What do you guys say is the greatest feud in WWE history?

Sort of hard for me to talk wrestling with the passing of one of our own members.

 

[Dr. Evil]

 

[AndrewGilkison]

So the question for you guys is what is your all time greatest feud in WWE history?

For me, it's Austin vs. McMahon. Sure, the matches suck but the moments in that feud were memorable. I am sure everyone remembers "Bang 3:16" where Austin held Vince at gunpoint with a toy gun that resulted in Vince urinating himself. Or Stone Cold's attack on Vince in the hospital dressed as a doctor in surgery scrubs. Or when he sprayed the Corporation with Beer via a beer truck or even destroying Vince's car with a cement truck.

What do you guys say is the greatest feud in WWE history?

Sort of hard for me to talk wrestling with the passing of one of our own members.

I thought the Austin/McMahon feud had some good matches, actually. Rock vs. Austin at Mania 15. Austin vs. Dude Love at Over the Edge 98. The St. Valentines Day Massacre cage match.

 

[Dr. Evil]

I thought the Austin/McMahon feud had some good matches, actually. Rock vs. Austin at Mania 15. Austin vs. Dude Love at Over the Edge 98. The St. Valentines Day Massacre cage match.

Probably right. Not in the mood to argue with anyone today. Today should be all about peace since we lost one of our own members as my sig would indicate.

 

[The Chris]

Dirty traitors!

 

[Dr. Evil]

Dirty traitors!

You going to Takeover: Brooklyn and Summerslam?

 

[The Chris]

You going to Takeover: Brooklyn and Summerslam?

Takeover Brooklyn yeah. Watching Summerslam on the network.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Takeover Brooklyn yeah. Watching Summerslam on the network.

So will you be yelling

Spoiler

Adam Cole Baybay!

at Takeover?

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Probably right. Not in the mood to argue with anyone today. Today should be all about peace since we lost one of our own members as my sig would indicate.

The Vartha Memorial Wrestling Thread.

 

[Dr. Evil]

The Vartha Memorial Wrestling Thread.

Was he ever a wrestling fan? I really only saw him in the Thor and Agents of SHIELD threads and he was a joy to talk to in those threads.

 

[nite-owl]

 

[Wheels]

Reigns should have had way more time developing before they put him into a main program.

His spot in the Shield was supposed to go to Chris Hero, but they decided to use the respective ring and mic skills of Rollins and Ambrose to try to hide Roman's flaws and elevate him into a position he wasn't ready for.

And the fans could plainly see what was happening, which is why is mega babyface push fell flat on its face.

I think you kind of needed someone like Reigns in there. Not necessarily Reigns per se, but someone who could be the power guy or heavy of sorts. Cesaro is a beast, he would have been awesome.

 

[chamber-music]

Add Kevin Owens to that picture and you have the friendship killers