I think in 2014/2015, no one can do what WWE does and keep people's interests. It's like Russo said, you could have Steven Spielberg, Stephen King and Shakespeare writing Raw every week and it would be boring after a few months because 3 hours is a long time every single week non stop. There's no way anything can be that good for such a long time and that's not counting Smackdown or Main Event or Superstars. Even in the Attitude Era, WCW couldn't sustain it, You can't make wrestling that interesting or that must see for so many hours every week and even if they cut an hour off Raw i think it's still too much and yes the roster is thin and there's not enough main attractions every week but it's still an awful lot of time a week to devote to one roster. I am in favour of an off season but at the same time, I do have a bit of pride in knowing that WWE is a long running TV show that shows original content every week and wouldn't like them to lose that.
As far as their wages is concerned, maybe it is too much for WWE to pay their travel every week and put them up in hotels. Jim Ross explained on his podcast how they would pay talent when he was in charge of the house shows and how they did it for TV and PPVs and then you hear Punk talk and he talked about opponents making more money than him and those further down the card from him made more money which is not the way JR explained it, JR made it sound like the wrestlers in each match got equal pay which quite clearly is not the case, that is wrong. I don't agree with sports stars getting paid millions per year or silly figures like tens of millions but if you're out there working 5 days a week like these guys are they should be making a decent living for it, they don't have a union or insurance so they should be compensated for that.
I don't know if the stuff on Total Divas is true or not but if Daniel could have gotten surgery that got him back in the ring in a matter of weeks he should have done it. He should be smart enough to know that he had enough support behind him to be one of the top guys in the company next to Cena and maybe overtake Cena, that alone should have driven him to get back to work asap but again no one knows the situation.
I think the people that will force change will be the ones paying WWE, mainly the USA Network, if they're happy then things wont change, if they are happy with a 2.6 rating and can make money from that then good.
Even if they work all year round, creative types need to be inspired and take breaks to come up with new ideas. TV shows generally have at least 3 to 6 months off between the end of a season and the next season's pre-production. Also having a cliff hanger for a few months builds up hype for the continuation of the storyline, that can't work with when the content is presented three times a week. If you want to run it like a soap opera, then you can't expect the actors to do their own stunts as well as book their own travel/accommodation. It's just too much to ask on a regular basis, that's why people talk about having a bump card. Orton may be only 34 but he's meant to have back problems from doing the RKO for the last 12 years. Honestly if they took a month off after Mania, after Summer Slam and Survivor Series, so they could have writers retreats/holidays/time to seek inspiration that might help and those would be the ideal months to film exclusive content of them away from the ring they can run during those months or if they want to give away a free month's subscription. Nobody is going to be inspired going to the same arenas in the same towns all year round.
Frankly some of these guys should sign up with SAG or Equity and the writers should appeal to the Writers Guild of WGA if they won't set up a wrestlers union. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys who have been in WWE Films gets preferential treatment so they don't appeal to the unions and it would actually explain why they didn't let Punk do the 12 Rounds sequel but keep Cena, Big Show and Orton on good deals. Brock, Stone Cold, Rock and and Edge now have actual agents to go to bat for them which is why Rock and Stone Cold were gone for so long until their nostalgia got to them.
WWE is a massive corporation that is shrinking and rather than reinvesting in new talent to get to the top, they are relying on the same people in the same places doing the same thing. That's how AWA died, that's how WCW died. Most long running series run for 7 to 10 seasons at most and then people move onto new projects for inspiration/new challenges. WWE has changed it's style and presentation over time but that kind of grind doesn't allow for people to develop deep or complex storylines working on 6 hours of sleep 50 weeks of the year.
Even if they work all year round, creative types need to be inspired and take breaks to come up with new ideas. TV shows generally have at least 3 to 6 months off between the end of a season and the next season's pre-production. Also having a cliff hanger for a few months builds up hype for the continuation of the storyline, that can't work with when the content is presented three times a week. If you want to run it like a soap opera, then you can't expect the actors to do their own stunts as well as book their own travel/accommodation. It's just too much to ask on a regular basis, that's why people talk about having a bump card. Orton may be only 34 but he's meant to have back problems from doing the RKO for the last 12 years. Honestly if they took a month off after Mania, after Summer Slam and Survivor Series, so they could have writers retreats/holidays/time to seek inspiration that might help and those would be the ideal months to film exclusive content of them away from the ring they can run during those months or if they want to give away a free month's subscription. Nobody is going to be inspired going to the same arenas in the same towns all year round.
Frankly some of these guys should sign up with SAG or Equity and the writers should appeal to the Writers Guild of WGA if they won't set up a wrestlers union. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys who have been in WWE Films gets preferential treatment so they don't appeal to the unions and it would actually explain why they didn't let Punk do the 12 Rounds sequel but keep Cena, Big Show and Orton on good deals. Brock, Stone Cold, Rock and and Edge now have actual agents to go to bat for them which is why Rock and Stone Cold were gone for so long until their nostalgia got to them.
WWE is a massive corporation that is shrinking and rather than reinvesting in new talent to get to the top, they are relying on the same people in the same places doing the same thing.
The thing is this has always been an issue though - it's not breaking news.
I think I've said before that WWE could really do with doing less shows and giving superstars a bit more time off here and there. Means superstars are fresher when they appear. And as you've said some sort of 'retreat' for the writers every so often seems pretty sensible to me.
Plus an overhaul in how they think - they too often stick with the 'status quo' and superstars if they aren't 'chosen ones' have to go to ridiculous lengths to get anywhere near the main-event which just isn't right. And some of the decisions on who they do and don't push are honestly dreadful.
The annoying thing is there's enough there with the roster they have to create a profitable company and an entertaining product fairly easily.
The thing is this has always been an issue though - it's not breaking news.
I think I've said before that WWE could really do with doing less shows and giving superstars a bit more time off here and there. Means superstars are fresher when they appear. And as you've said some sort of 'retreat' for the writers every so often seems pretty sensible to me.
Plus an overhaul in how they think - they too often stick with the 'status quo' and superstars if they aren't 'chosen ones' have to go to ridiculous lengths to get anywhere near the main-event which just isn't right. And some of the decisions on who they do and don't push are honestly dreadful.
The annoying thing is there's enough there with the roster they have to create a profitable company and an entertaining product fairly easily.
150 years ago we hung people in town squares for entertainment. 100 years ago we marveled at silent movies. 50 years ago radios causes people in streets to gather in each other's homes. 25 years ago we listened to cassettes. 15 years ago we listened to CDs. for the last 10 years we've had mp3 and media players. Now we have sports watches. Media and media platforms need to move with the times. You can't have an app and online distribution platform booking like stuff like 10 years ago or 15 years ago.
Even FIFA have started using goal line technology and vanishing spray. Like Punk said, the NFL and NHL are having to seriously reform their practices because of long term injuries and concussion problems but one of their doctors felt he'd passed the concussion test but still wanted to see him run the ropes to check his equilibrium and another didn't lance, drain and treat his MRSA infection despite repeated requests after they claimed it was a "fatty deposit" on a guy who weighed maybe 200lbs and was fairly lean.
Marvel Comics have their biannual retreats for top writers and editors, creative types in Hollywood and TV network at Cannes, Paleyfest and Comic Con... I think if they had 4 weeks off after the post Mania RAW, SummerSlam RAW and SS RAW and removed the gimmick PPVS as annual events I really think talent would benefit from it. Hell, if need be run Graduation KOTR style tournaments to fill those months since they already work a 1 4 hour taping/4 one hour shows model that means talent gets 3 weeks off before they come back to rehearse their matches and learn the show scripts Regal, Ward and HHH have worked on in the mean time.
I hope he doesn't come back. He's lost a lot of mystique with him being dusted off the last couple of years and just throwing on a little hair dye and eyeliner.
The Sting match would generate some interest, but it's obviously going to be far below people's expectations, seeing as both are well past their primes, and Sting can't carry Taker to a good match like CM Punk or HBK did
Is anyone really shocked? He has survived one of the worst periods of wrestling (from the wrestlers wellbeing POV) longer then just about anyone. For all the great tv the attitude era gave us it was at massive cost. He also had the added pressure of being the "locker room leader" at a time when it must have been one hell of a hard job.
And thats not taking into account the wars he has put his body though (the burning during a elimation chamber match would have sent most of the current roster into going home and doing a podcast about how awful the WWE is).
The fact he is still walking and people still think he will be at Mania (and he really could be) is just amazing in itself
Time to say bye to the undertaker, last years match should not have happened. He should of retired after end of an era match against HHH.
As much as i want sting vs taker it should have happened before hbk vs taker matches but i imagine it would be worse than hogan v warrior at halloween havoc 98 and that match was terrible live diva match quality ie bri vs nikki bella.
Armageddon 2005 was a good PPV and the main event between Taker and Randy Orton in the Hell in a Cell match was brlliant.
TLC 2011 was OK, poor Big Show though he was only World Heavyweight Champion for 45 seconds before Daniel Bryan cashed in his MITB briefcase and won the Title.
Is anyone really shocked? He has survived one of the worst periods of wrestling (from the wrestlers wellbeing POV) longer then just about anyone. For all the great tv the attitude era gave us it was at massive cost. He also had the added pressure of being the "locker room leader" at a time when it must have been one hell of a hard job.
And thats not taking into account the wars he has put his body though (the burning during a elimation chamber match would have sent most of the current roster into going home and doing a podcast about how awful the WWE is).
The fact he is still walking and people still think he will be at Mania (and he really could be) is just amazing in itself
I did read somewhere though that it wasnt actually him and its just a look -a-like. Looks like him., but did Taker not get rid of that neck tattoo and does he not have tats on his hands? Might be wrong though
Skipped RAW this week and will do for the foreseeable. Read the last two, bleak pages of the thread with interest.
I think there are things WWE can fix quickly, and things which will take pretty major restructuring to achieve.
The quick things all revolve around dropping the Omertà-like backstage culture. This is no longer a business that can afford to purposely sabotage guys who are getting over. The reason '96-7 was WWE's best period creatively was because with real competition, they could no longer afford to run the company according to personal whims and vendettas. Pushes were given according to talent, not nepotism, because under pressure from WCW they actually had to do that. They went on the have the most profitable period in their history and crush WCW. All they did was start listening to the crowd, building a style that got reactions and pushing talent rather than their mates. It's not rocket science!
The hard stuff is going to be cutting back the TV hours and adding an off-season. This will require massive restructuring. I honestly think it's necessary. As Declan_Khan eloquently explained, time moves on and although wrestling as a format has proved incredibly durable, WWE is now making far too much TV. Today's TV market is about quality, not quantity. They should be looking at a single weekly 2 hour main roster show with two 4 week breaks annually (one for Chirstmas). The big four PPVs only. Keep NXT exactly how it is. That's still 100 hours of TV every year (the average show might make 22 hours. Thrones makes 10). The quality will skyrocket, the talent will be happier and healthier, and the viewers will come. I don't know if the business (or the shareholders) can withstand such a downscaling, but it's hard to see how to reverse the current decline otherwise.
I hope he doesn't come back. He's lost a lot of mystique with him being dusted off the last couple of years and just throwing on a little hair dye and eyeliner.
The Sting match would generate some interest, but it's obviously going to be far below people's expectations, seeing as both are well past their primes, and Sting can't carry Taker to a good match like CM Punk or HBK did
He just looks old more than anything. He's probably in about as good a physical condition as a man his age having had a full-time wrestling career spanning four decades would do.
Time to say bye to the undertaker, last years match should not have happened. He should of retired after end of an era match against HHH.
As much as i want sting vs taker it should have happened before hbk vs taker matches but i imagine it would be worse than hogan v warrior at halloween havoc 98 and that match was terrible live diva match quality ie bri vs nikki bella.
I think you're seriously underestimating the abilities of two of the best of all time by saying they can't have a good match. It will be a different match to what the WWE audience are conditioned to these days, and it won't have many highspots bar Taker and Sting's signatures...but in terms of psychology and intensity it has the potential to be off the charts.
Every move, every glance, every reversal will actually mean something - not just a bunch of highspots so each guy can take it in turns to get their moves in. Plus, if anyone has any sense they'll be rehearsing for weeks beforehand with Pat Patterson to get it dead on.
With Taker hanging them up - I'd say it's nailed on Dallas and WM32 will be centred around him in terms of Hall of Fame and his retirement match in front of 100,000+.
taker has 1 bad match where he was concussed and it means he can never put on a good match again?
lol wrestling fans always wanna act like they know best.
To me it's not even so much about the quality of the match. I know well that him and Sting wouldn't be a great match but it would be a great moment and that's fine - they can cover their limitations with intelligent booking.
But other than wrestling Sting, I see no reason for him to have another match. The streak is over and a think a lot of the attraction of an Undertaker match is lost too.
The mystique of the characters of both Kane and The Undertaker was lost for me @ WM 31 when Kane was demolished by The Shield, Paul Bearer was inducted into the HoF by his sons and then The Undertaker had his streak broken. It was like a kayfabe and onscreen - remember HHH saying when the streak dies 'Taker dies - closure for the brothers of destruction.
I could live without ever seeing another Undertaker match, Kane match or even having Sting make his in-ring debut for the company. I'd be fine with 'The Vigilante' popping up every now and again and working as a special enforcer for a big match. Would also prefer it if 45 year old Triple H had his swansong against maybe Rollins. WWE, for me, was always best when it 100% focused on a cast of young characters - not selling its biggest show(s) on middle aged 20-30 year veterans. I mean, they did fine without booking Bruno Sammartino vs. Lou Thesz @ WM 1 or Hulk Hogan vs. Dusty Rhodes @ WM 17?
he's had super career been in some of the greatest bouts of all time.i started watching at wm9 and he was the one i wanted to see more than anyone else.that entrance was iconic and was hooked.i would love for him to appear in that original gimick just one last time.i wish his personal and professional life well. however long it lasts.along with the hulkster he's the icon
The mystique of the characters of both Kane and The Undertaker was lost for me @ WM 31 when Kane was demolished by The Shield, Paul Bearer was inducted into the HoF by his sons and then The Undertaker had his streak broken. It was like a kayfabe and onscreen - remember HHH saying when the streak dies 'Taker dies - closure for the brothers of destruction.
I could live without ever seeing another Undertaker match, Kane match or even having Sting make his in-ring debut for the company. I'd be fine with 'The Vigilante' popping up every now and again and working as a special enforcer for a big match. Would also prefer it if 45 year old Triple H had his swansong against maybe Rollins. WWE, for me, was always best when it 100% focused on a cast of young characters - not selling its biggest show(s) on middle aged 20-30 year veterans. I mean, they did fine without booking Bruno Sammartino vs. Lou Thesz @ WM 1 or Hulk Hogan vs. Dusty Rhodes @ WM 17?
Exactly. You never saw much nostalgia in the Hogan era or the Austin era. Not even very much in the New Generation period. It's just another crutch for WWE to use when it becomes apparent yet again that they can't make stars or a roster that people care about.
Exactly. You never saw much nostalgia in the Hogan era or the Austin era. Not even very much in the New Generation period. It's just another crutch for WWE to use when it becomes apparent yet again that they can't make stars or a roster that people care about.
Nostalgia has never been as desperately needed as it is now though. Back in the Hogan era superstars barely ever faced each other unless it was on a major show or PPV...or in the Attitude era there was much, much more legitimate main event level talent.
The current roster can't carry a Wrestlemania on their own - and it saddens me to say that. Some of it is the extremely poor booking, some is the dearth of talent, and a lot of it is we're far too over exposed to major stars interacting with each other every single week, meaning it doesn't seem at all special at Wrestlemania.
If we cut nostalgia entirely - we need another solution. Mine would be to promote nXt to taking the first hour of Raw as a separate brand. Keep Raw to 2 hours with the main roster. Keep the brands totally separate in every single way...and build up to nXt v WWE at the next Wrestlemania.
Fans are already comparing the two and preferring nXt...why not make a proper angle out of it?
I think you're seriously underestimating the abilities of two of the best of all time by saying they can't have a good match. It will be a different match to what the WWE audience are conditioned to these days, and it won't have many highspots bar Taker and Sting's signatures...but in terms of psychology and intensity it has the potential to be off the charts.
Every move, every glance, every reversal will actually mean something - not just a bunch of highspots so each guy can take it in turns to get their moves in. Plus, if anyone has any sense they'll be rehearsing for weeks beforehand with Pat Patterson to get it dead on.
With Taker hanging them up - I'd say it's nailed on Dallas and WM32 will be centred around him in terms of Hall of Fame and his retirement match in front of 100,000+.
Sting v taker at wm25 would have been awesome if not before then. But can you expect taker and sting to put on a good match realistically??? The build up would be amazing if done rightly but the end product would be poor.
Nostalgia has never been as desperately needed as it is now though. Back in the Hogan era superstars barely ever faced each other unless it was on a major show or PPV...or in the Attitude era there was much, much more legitimate main event level talent.
The current roster can't carry a Wrestlemania on their own - and it saddens me to say that. Some of it is the extremely poor booking, some is the dearth of talent, and a lot of it is we're far too over exposed to major stars interacting with each other every single week, meaning it doesn't seem at all special at Wrestlemania.
If we cut nostalgia entirely - we need another solution. Mine would be to promote nXt to taking the first hour of Raw as a separate brand. Keep Raw to 2 hours with the main roster. Keep the brands totally separate in every single way...and build up to nXt v WWE at the next Wrestlemania.
Fans are already comparing the two and preferring nXt...why not make a proper angle out of it?
Because they did it before with NXT as the Nexus, the entire squad jobbed out to Cena repeatedly.
The solution is simple and natural, the old teach the young and then let them take their spots when they can prove themselves capable of doing so, before winding down in supporting roles. Let's say the average wrestling career is ideally 25 years. 2-3 years should be training, 3-5 years working indies and international promotions, then 2-3 years in NXT... most folks will be in the mid to late 20s, in some cases when they sign up. So you then have maybe 12-13 years to use them. 2-3 years building them up, 2 years in the midcard, 4-5 years on top and then 2-3 years winding down seems like the sensible form of career progression. Even CEOs step down and become executive board members when they get to a certain age, as George Lucas has done by letting Kathleen Kennedy take over helming Star Wars at Disney even though he makes money off the films as creator. I think Vince is simply too old and out of touch, he's trying to be the cool dad who is down with the kids but then wants to patronise them for being "lazy millenials with no work effort" when Millennials via blogs and social media are now having money thrown at them to just be them because being relatable is a key factor in being marketable in this new era of multimedia. HHH's rant about his friend Mark tweeting or going on Facebook to complain only for Michael Cole to go on about them wanting viewers to use hashtags for the rest of the night shows that there is disconnect there. I get Vince is bitter Tout failed but the problem is not social media, it is how they use it. They malign their own audience and degrade their own performers in a way that makes little sense.
Honestly, I'd if the GOP hacked WWE I think their internal emails would be just as scandalous, if not worse.
They need to stop focusing on the good old days and make the current product good on a week to week basis. Patterson and Vince booking by the pool, calling up Hayes, JR and Russo to come by seems to have worked a lot better for 26 years than the 30 odd members of staff on the creative team now. NXT has two executives (HHH and Regal), one guy in charge of working with talent on their gimmicks (Ceman), 3-4 writers including the execs (HHH, Regal, Ward, Keegan), 5-6 bookers/agents (DeMott, Amato, Brookside, Smiley, Taylor and Gunn) and it seems to be much more efficient with a clear and long term vision.
It seems clear Graves would have taken Owens spot if he'd been healthy since he was the last guy to beat Neville clean only to be cheated of facing him for the title due to injury, but they moved things around so Owens is in that role and have pulled Graves from ring duties, re-signing him as a commentator. They developed a plan B in the last 3 months in case plan A wouldn't work and it is that kind of planning with contingencies in order that is a sign of forethought and adaptability required in a business where one bad bump can injure or end a career.
Comments
As far as their wages is concerned, maybe it is too much for WWE to pay their travel every week and put them up in hotels. Jim Ross explained on his podcast how they would pay talent when he was in charge of the house shows and how they did it for TV and PPVs and then you hear Punk talk and he talked about opponents making more money than him and those further down the card from him made more money which is not the way JR explained it, JR made it sound like the wrestlers in each match got equal pay which quite clearly is not the case, that is wrong. I don't agree with sports stars getting paid millions per year or silly figures like tens of millions but if you're out there working 5 days a week like these guys are they should be making a decent living for it, they don't have a union or insurance so they should be compensated for that.
I don't know if the stuff on Total Divas is true or not but if Daniel could have gotten surgery that got him back in the ring in a matter of weeks he should have done it. He should be smart enough to know that he had enough support behind him to be one of the top guys in the company next to Cena and maybe overtake Cena, that alone should have driven him to get back to work asap but again no one knows the situation.
I think the people that will force change will be the ones paying WWE, mainly the USA Network, if they're happy then things wont change, if they are happy with a 2.6 rating and can make money from that then good.
Frankly some of these guys should sign up with SAG or Equity and the writers should appeal to the Writers Guild of WGA if they won't set up a wrestlers union. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys who have been in WWE Films gets preferential treatment so they don't appeal to the unions and it would actually explain why they didn't let Punk do the 12 Rounds sequel but keep Cena, Big Show and Orton on good deals. Brock, Stone Cold, Rock and and Edge now have actual agents to go to bat for them which is why Rock and Stone Cold were gone for so long until their nostalgia got to them.
WWE is a massive corporation that is shrinking and rather than reinvesting in new talent to get to the top, they are relying on the same people in the same places doing the same thing. That's how AWA died, that's how WCW died. Most long running series run for 7 to 10 seasons at most and then people move onto new projects for inspiration/new challenges. WWE has changed it's style and presentation over time but that kind of grind doesn't allow for people to develop deep or complex storylines working on 6 hours of sleep 50 weeks of the year.
The thing is this has always been an issue though - it's not breaking news.
I think I've said before that WWE could really do with doing less shows and giving superstars a bit more time off here and there. Means superstars are fresher when they appear. And as you've said some sort of 'retreat' for the writers every so often seems pretty sensible to me.
Plus an overhaul in how they think - they too often stick with the 'status quo' and superstars if they aren't 'chosen ones' have to go to ridiculous lengths to get anywhere near the main-event which just isn't right. And some of the decisions on who they do and don't push are honestly dreadful.
The annoying thing is there's enough there with the roster they have to create a profitable company and an entertaining product fairly easily.
150 years ago we hung people in town squares for entertainment. 100 years ago we marveled at silent movies. 50 years ago radios causes people in streets to gather in each other's homes. 25 years ago we listened to cassettes. 15 years ago we listened to CDs. for the last 10 years we've had mp3 and media players. Now we have sports watches. Media and media platforms need to move with the times. You can't have an app and online distribution platform booking like stuff like 10 years ago or 15 years ago.
Even FIFA have started using goal line technology and vanishing spray. Like Punk said, the NFL and NHL are having to seriously reform their practices because of long term injuries and concussion problems but one of their doctors felt he'd passed the concussion test but still wanted to see him run the ropes to check his equilibrium and another didn't lance, drain and treat his MRSA infection despite repeated requests after they claimed it was a "fatty deposit" on a guy who weighed maybe 200lbs and was fairly lean.
Marvel Comics have their biannual retreats for top writers and editors, creative types in Hollywood and TV network at Cannes, Paleyfest and Comic Con... I think if they had 4 weeks off after the post Mania RAW, SummerSlam RAW and SS RAW and removed the gimmick PPVS as annual events I really think talent would benefit from it. Hell, if need be run Graduation KOTR style tournaments to fill those months since they already work a 1 4 hour taping/4 one hour shows model that means talent gets 3 weeks off before they come back to rehearse their matches and learn the show scripts Regal, Ward and HHH have worked on in the mean time.
http://www.pwmania.com/recent-photo-of-the-undertaker-spotted-at-an-airport
I hope he doesn't come back. He's lost a lot of mystique with him being dusted off the last couple of years and just throwing on a little hair dye and eyeliner.
The Sting match would generate some interest, but it's obviously going to be far below people's expectations, seeing as both are well past their primes, and Sting can't carry Taker to a good match like CM Punk or HBK did
Is anyone really shocked? He has survived one of the worst periods of wrestling (from the wrestlers wellbeing POV) longer then just about anyone. For all the great tv the attitude era gave us it was at massive cost. He also had the added pressure of being the "locker room leader" at a time when it must have been one hell of a hard job.
And thats not taking into account the wars he has put his body though (the burning during a elimation chamber match would have sent most of the current roster into going home and doing a podcast about how awful the WWE is).
The fact he is still walking and people still think he will be at Mania (and he really could be) is just amazing in itself
Time to say bye to the undertaker, last years match should not have happened. He should of retired after end of an era match against HHH.
As much as i want sting vs taker it should have happened before hbk vs taker matches but i imagine it would be worse than hogan v warrior at halloween havoc 98 and that match was terrible live diva match quality ie bri vs nikki bella.
Armageddon (2005) and TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs (2011):
Armageddon 2005 was a good PPV and the main event between Taker and Randy Orton in the Hell in a Cell match was brlliant.
TLC 2011 was OK, poor Big Show though he was only World Heavyweight Champion for 45 seconds before Daniel Bryan cashed in his MITB briefcase and won the Title.
I did read somewhere though that it wasnt actually him and its just a look -a-like. Looks like him., but did Taker not get rid of that neck tattoo and does he not have tats on his hands? Might be wrong though
I think there are things WWE can fix quickly, and things which will take pretty major restructuring to achieve.
The quick things all revolve around dropping the Omertà-like backstage culture. This is no longer a business that can afford to purposely sabotage guys who are getting over. The reason '96-7 was WWE's best period creatively was because with real competition, they could no longer afford to run the company according to personal whims and vendettas. Pushes were given according to talent, not nepotism, because under pressure from WCW they actually had to do that. They went on the have the most profitable period in their history and crush WCW. All they did was start listening to the crowd, building a style that got reactions and pushing talent rather than their mates. It's not rocket science!
The hard stuff is going to be cutting back the TV hours and adding an off-season. This will require massive restructuring. I honestly think it's necessary. As Declan_Khan eloquently explained, time moves on and although wrestling as a format has proved incredibly durable, WWE is now making far too much TV. Today's TV market is about quality, not quantity. They should be looking at a single weekly 2 hour main roster show with two 4 week breaks annually (one for Chirstmas). The big four PPVs only. Keep NXT exactly how it is. That's still 100 hours of TV every year (the average show might make 22 hours. Thrones makes 10). The quality will skyrocket, the talent will be happier and healthier, and the viewers will come. I don't know if the business (or the shareholders) can withstand such a downscaling, but it's hard to see how to reverse the current decline otherwise.
Its deffo going to be Sting v HHH
He just looks old more than anything. He's probably in about as good a physical condition as a man his age having had a full-time wrestling career spanning four decades would do.
I think you're seriously underestimating the abilities of two of the best of all time by saying they can't have a good match. It will be a different match to what the WWE audience are conditioned to these days, and it won't have many highspots bar Taker and Sting's signatures...but in terms of psychology and intensity it has the potential to be off the charts.
Every move, every glance, every reversal will actually mean something - not just a bunch of highspots so each guy can take it in turns to get their moves in. Plus, if anyone has any sense they'll be rehearsing for weeks beforehand with Pat Patterson to get it dead on.
With Taker hanging them up - I'd say it's nailed on Dallas and WM32 will be centred around him in terms of Hall of Fame and his retirement match in front of 100,000+.
lol wrestling fans always wanna act like they know best.
To me it's not even so much about the quality of the match. I know well that him and Sting wouldn't be a great match but it would be a great moment and that's fine - they can cover their limitations with intelligent booking.
But other than wrestling Sting, I see no reason for him to have another match. The streak is over and a think a lot of the attraction of an Undertaker match is lost too.
especially if lesnar can do nothing but fight cena after it seems
I could live without ever seeing another Undertaker match, Kane match or even having Sting make his in-ring debut for the company. I'd be fine with 'The Vigilante' popping up every now and again and working as a special enforcer for a big match. Would also prefer it if 45 year old Triple H had his swansong against maybe Rollins. WWE, for me, was always best when it 100% focused on a cast of young characters - not selling its biggest show(s) on middle aged 20-30 year veterans. I mean, they did fine without booking Bruno Sammartino vs. Lou Thesz @ WM 1 or Hulk Hogan vs. Dusty Rhodes @ WM 17?
I think Kane blowing the trumpet and celebrating with Santino was far worse a few Wrestlemanias ago
Exactly. You never saw much nostalgia in the Hogan era or the Austin era. Not even very much in the New Generation period. It's just another crutch for WWE to use when it becomes apparent yet again that they can't make stars or a roster that people care about.
Nostalgia has never been as desperately needed as it is now though. Back in the Hogan era superstars barely ever faced each other unless it was on a major show or PPV...or in the Attitude era there was much, much more legitimate main event level talent.
The current roster can't carry a Wrestlemania on their own - and it saddens me to say that. Some of it is the extremely poor booking, some is the dearth of talent, and a lot of it is we're far too over exposed to major stars interacting with each other every single week, meaning it doesn't seem at all special at Wrestlemania.
If we cut nostalgia entirely - we need another solution. Mine would be to promote nXt to taking the first hour of Raw as a separate brand. Keep Raw to 2 hours with the main roster. Keep the brands totally separate in every single way...and build up to nXt v WWE at the next Wrestlemania.
Fans are already comparing the two and preferring nXt...why not make a proper angle out of it?
Sting v taker at wm25 would have been awesome if not before then. But can you expect taker and sting to put on a good match realistically??? The build up would be amazing if done rightly but the end product would be poor.
Until he proves me wrong then i will say he wont have good match again as hs body is bascally breaking down after years of abuse.
As for the second line, you know best more than most, lol.
The solution is simple and natural, the old teach the young and then let them take their spots when they can prove themselves capable of doing so, before winding down in supporting roles. Let's say the average wrestling career is ideally 25 years. 2-3 years should be training, 3-5 years working indies and international promotions, then 2-3 years in NXT... most folks will be in the mid to late 20s, in some cases when they sign up. So you then have maybe 12-13 years to use them. 2-3 years building them up, 2 years in the midcard, 4-5 years on top and then 2-3 years winding down seems like the sensible form of career progression. Even CEOs step down and become executive board members when they get to a certain age, as George Lucas has done by letting Kathleen Kennedy take over helming Star Wars at Disney even though he makes money off the films as creator. I think Vince is simply too old and out of touch, he's trying to be the cool dad who is down with the kids but then wants to patronise them for being "lazy millenials with no work effort" when Millennials via blogs and social media are now having money thrown at them to just be them because being relatable is a key factor in being marketable in this new era of multimedia. HHH's rant about his friend Mark tweeting or going on Facebook to complain only for Michael Cole to go on about them wanting viewers to use hashtags for the rest of the night shows that there is disconnect there. I get Vince is bitter Tout failed but the problem is not social media, it is how they use it. They malign their own audience and degrade their own performers in a way that makes little sense.
Honestly, I'd if the GOP hacked WWE I think their internal emails would be just as scandalous, if not worse.
They need to stop focusing on the good old days and make the current product good on a week to week basis. Patterson and Vince booking by the pool, calling up Hayes, JR and Russo to come by seems to have worked a lot better for 26 years than the 30 odd members of staff on the creative team now. NXT has two executives (HHH and Regal), one guy in charge of working with talent on their gimmicks (Ceman), 3-4 writers including the execs (HHH, Regal, Ward, Keegan), 5-6 bookers/agents (DeMott, Amato, Brookside, Smiley, Taylor and Gunn) and it seems to be much more efficient with a clear and long term vision.
It seems clear Graves would have taken Owens spot if he'd been healthy since he was the last guy to beat Neville clean only to be cheated of facing him for the title due to injury, but they moved things around so Owens is in that role and have pulled Graves from ring duties, re-signing him as a commentator. They developed a plan B in the last 3 months in case plan A wouldn't work and it is that kind of planning with contingencies in order that is a sign of forethought and adaptability required in a business where one bad bump can injure or end a career.