I had the privilege of growing up during the peak of the World Wrestling Federation (now referred to as World Wrestling Entertainment) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). My dad got me into wrestling at a young age with a few VHS tapes featuring superstars like Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels. I enjoyed wrestling, but two guys flying around in tights wasn't as captivating as it sounds.
It wasn't until I was home one summer day that my world became absorbed in wrestling. I happened to go to a Pay Per View channel that for some reason was coming in crystal clear (my dad later explained to me what a black box was), and saw Hulk Hogan turn heel, joining Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in the formation of the nWo (New World Order).
What happened next for the WWE and WCW was what would be called the Attitude Era. This was the best era in wrestling history, and also the worst. It involved wars between the two companies, gave birth to several iconic superstars like The Rock, Sting, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and ultimately led to the fall of one of the companies (WCW).
It also brought about what wrestling purists consider to be the deterioration of the product. The companies became focused more on the entertainment aspect rather than technical wrestling. Fans of the sport argue back and forth about this topic, but the bottom line is this was a move that needed to be made in order to thrust the WWE into the 21st century. If they hadn't shifted the focus to entertainment, who knows if the WWE would be around today.
It also brought about what wrestling purists consider to be the deterioration of the product. The companies became focused more on the entertainment aspect rather than technical wrestling. Fans of the sport argue back and forth about this topic, but the bottom line is this was a move that needed to be made in order to thrust the WWE into the 21st century. If they hadn't shifted the focus to entertainment, who knows if the WWE would be around today.
Since the boom of the Attitude Era, the WWE has unfortunately been mired in mediocrity. People my age (24) and older, who saw this form of entertainment at its peak, rarely tune in unless they are dragged in by a friend or the return of a legend. The WWE takes for granted the fact that there is no competition from another company. When your the only show in town, no matter how bad you are, people will tune in. It is a shame because unless the WWE is hit in the ratings (they average anywhere from 3-6 million viewers a week for Raw) or at the box office (every arena is sold out), the product will continue to slowly deteriorate. Fans can boo John Cena and chant "Boring" during commentator versus commentator matches all they want, but that wont change any of the problems that plague the WWE.
Predictability
One of my biggest gripes about wrestling post Attitude Era is how predictable the outcomes are. The best thing about the WCW versus WWE was that both companies were always trying to out do one another in the unpredictability department. The events were live, going up against each other, with each company strategically planning commercial breaks, when their stars would come out, and main event matches. Now you don't even need to tune in to know what is going to happen.
Fans of the WWE, without having watched any of the build up to this past weekends Wrestlemania, could have probably predicted accurate outcomes of 90% of the matches. I'm sorry but there is no juice to a HHH versus Undertaker match when you know the Undertaker is going to win.
One of the best moments I have witnessed in my life was when the New York Giants, who were 14 points underdogs, defeated the 18-0 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The outcome couldn't have been scripted better. Unfortunately with the WWE, we all know the Undertaker will never lose a Wrestlemania match, ever.
HHH and Undertaker by all accounts had the best match at Wrestlemania, but how could you honestly buy into it knowing who is going to win? No one should watch or invest any emotion into any sport or television show if they know what the outcome is going to be. We shouldn't have to deal with four weeks of build up and interviews of everyone in the company talking about what wonderful competitors and ambassadors to the sport the Undertaker and HHH are when they all knew the Undertaker was going to win. This kind of flawed logic only exists in the realm of the WWE.
Fans of the WWE, without having watched any of the build up to this past weekends Wrestlemania, could have probably predicted accurate outcomes of 90% of the matches. I'm sorry but there is no juice to a HHH versus Undertaker match when you know the Undertaker is going to win.
One of the best moments I have witnessed in my life was when the New York Giants, who were 14 points underdogs, defeated the 18-0 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The outcome couldn't have been scripted better. Unfortunately with the WWE, we all know the Undertaker will never lose a Wrestlemania match, ever.
HHH and Undertaker by all accounts had the best match at Wrestlemania, but how could you honestly buy into it knowing who is going to win? No one should watch or invest any emotion into any sport or television show if they know what the outcome is going to be. We shouldn't have to deal with four weeks of build up and interviews of everyone in the company talking about what wonderful competitors and ambassadors to the sport the Undertaker and HHH are when they all knew the Undertaker was going to win. This kind of flawed logic only exists in the realm of the WWE.
Wrestlemania
This years Wrestlemania was the worst of all time. A week that is supposed to celebrate the rich history of the WWE was made into a spectacle. Drew Carey, yes that Drew Carey, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Is there a bigger slap in the face to the members of this Hall of Fame and the fans of the WWE?
Drew Carey's WWE history consists of participation in a Royal Rumble match in 2001. After the two clowns in the ring eliminated each other, Drew stood alone in the ring awaiting the arrival of the next entrant. Kane comes out, and after refusing a monetary bride from Carey, Carey hops over the top rope and drops to the floor, eliminating himself. That is the kind of career (appeared at one event!) worthy of the WWE Hall of Fame?
As for the actual event itself, if you thought Carey being inducted was the worst part of the week, you were wrong. The matches were an absolute joke. The 8 man tag match, which like every match that involves The Big Show, lasted a little over 5 minutes. As predictable as the WWE writers are, we all knew the outcomes of the Edge, Randy Orton, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Undertaker matches, so why bother discussing them?
For some reason Snooki of Jersey Shore fame was involved in a match. Having Snooki involved in a match in Wrestlemania is the equivalent of the NFL allowing Justin Bieber to quarterback a series for the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. It was a complete atrocity. They already had enough star power with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, did they really have to bring in one of the most disgusting human beings on earth?
Drew Carey's WWE history consists of participation in a Royal Rumble match in 2001. After the two clowns in the ring eliminated each other, Drew stood alone in the ring awaiting the arrival of the next entrant. Kane comes out, and after refusing a monetary bride from Carey, Carey hops over the top rope and drops to the floor, eliminating himself. That is the kind of career (appeared at one event!) worthy of the WWE Hall of Fame?
As for the actual event itself, if you thought Carey being inducted was the worst part of the week, you were wrong. The matches were an absolute joke. The 8 man tag match, which like every match that involves The Big Show, lasted a little over 5 minutes. As predictable as the WWE writers are, we all knew the outcomes of the Edge, Randy Orton, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Undertaker matches, so why bother discussing them?
For some reason Snooki of Jersey Shore fame was involved in a match. Having Snooki involved in a match in Wrestlemania is the equivalent of the NFL allowing Justin Bieber to quarterback a series for the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. It was a complete atrocity. They already had enough star power with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, did they really have to bring in one of the most disgusting human beings on earth?
Incorporation of Legends
This is the hardest subject to critique. It is something that lures myself and many of the people who have tuned the WWE out back in, but it is everything that is wrong with the company. The embracing of the WWE Legends is intricate in the branding and promotion of the business. Many of the Legends transcended wrestling. Everyone knows who Hulk Hogan is, same with The Rock. These are superstars who laid down the foundation that the WWE is built on. The problem is the WWE doesn't know how to correctly utilize these assets.
The worst thing that writers and executives at the WWE can do is what they allowed to happen this past month, and worse, what they are going to allow to happen over the next 12 months. The Rock came back to the WWE to a rousing ovation and a mountain of press. Surprisingly not brought back to promote Fast Five, The Rock was named guest host of Wrestlemania. This would give us four weeks of promotions and a budding feud with John Cena, the WWE's biggest star, in what would culminate in The Rock interfering with Cena in his title match at Wrestlemania against the second biggest star in the company, The Miz.
The following night on Raw, Cena called out The Rock and challenged him to a match. The Rock would accept, but the match was set for next years Wrestlemania! Why would the WWE allow themselves to be held hostage by a match like this? The answer is simple. They continually push aside young talent in favor of the Legends, who give them a temporary boost in the ratings and sales of merchandise, but in the long run damage the overall product.
The Legends should be utilized in development or analyst roles. Stone Cold Steve Austin being the coach/mentor on Tough Enough is a great idea. Booker T, although a bit out there, provides insight and analysis as a commentator you don't get from Jim Ross or Michael Cole. Having someone like The Rock guest hosting a PPV event is a great idea, but having him get involved when he can't commit more than a month of his time is asinine. The reason The Rock had to schedule the match for a year from now is because he has movie obligations and more than likely wont appear in a WWE ring until next January at the earliest. What other profession would allow someone to headline their biggest event while not having to work for ten out of twelve months leading up to it?
Say what you want about John Cena, but he is the best talent in the WWE. No one shoots like he does, and very few wrestle as well as he does. Now he is being relegated to essentially eleven months worth of warm up matches in anticipation of the Wrestlemania bout with The Rock. I would expect Cena to get a title shot against The Miz within this time period, and probably win the World Championship, but what happens when the build up to Wrestlemania intensifies? Anything John Cena does from now on will be done with the specter of The Rock looming over him.
Wrestlemania 28 is in Miami Florida, The Rocks home town. You don't have to be Nostradamus or Paul the Octopus to predict the outcome of the match.
The following night on Raw, Cena called out The Rock and challenged him to a match. The Rock would accept, but the match was set for next years Wrestlemania! Why would the WWE allow themselves to be held hostage by a match like this? The answer is simple. They continually push aside young talent in favor of the Legends, who give them a temporary boost in the ratings and sales of merchandise, but in the long run damage the overall product.
The Legends should be utilized in development or analyst roles. Stone Cold Steve Austin being the coach/mentor on Tough Enough is a great idea. Booker T, although a bit out there, provides insight and analysis as a commentator you don't get from Jim Ross or Michael Cole. Having someone like The Rock guest hosting a PPV event is a great idea, but having him get involved when he can't commit more than a month of his time is asinine. The reason The Rock had to schedule the match for a year from now is because he has movie obligations and more than likely wont appear in a WWE ring until next January at the earliest. What other profession would allow someone to headline their biggest event while not having to work for ten out of twelve months leading up to it?
Say what you want about John Cena, but he is the best talent in the WWE. No one shoots like he does, and very few wrestle as well as he does. Now he is being relegated to essentially eleven months worth of warm up matches in anticipation of the Wrestlemania bout with The Rock. I would expect Cena to get a title shot against The Miz within this time period, and probably win the World Championship, but what happens when the build up to Wrestlemania intensifies? Anything John Cena does from now on will be done with the specter of The Rock looming over him.
Wrestlemania 28 is in Miami Florida, The Rocks home town. You don't have to be Nostradamus or Paul the Octopus to predict the outcome of the match.
All clips courtesy of YouTube and copyright of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
Your right it is a shame what has happened to wrestling but when your 24 years old you probably shouldn't be watching it.
ReplyDeleteThe #1 reason wrestling and the WWE wont be going anywhere is the ratings and the events. They sell out everywhere they go, and the TV ratings are still above average for its time slot.
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