WWE - then and now?

[Eelementary]

Guys,

I'm sure you've all noticed this, but WWE's continuous downsizing is, in my opinion, crap to say the least.

I mean, in the last few years, we've seen the ECW go (ok, perhaps not the biggest loss), but on top of this, we've had the Womens title go, the World Heavyweight Championship go, the World Tag Team Championship go, along with the Hardcore and European titles, and in my opinion, it's only a matter of time before the US title goes (in favor of the IC title).

Let's look at the shows now.

I used to like it when it was Raw vs Smackdown. We'd have the draft that was AWESOME, and now that's gone. Despite this, all the big names still appear on Raw mainly, not SD. What about commentary? Remember back in WM 2008 we'd have 4 announce tables? The Spanish announce team as well as Raw, SD and ECW? Now we're only down to 1 English announce table, and JR, the best in the business, isn't even there anymore.

What about the ring itself... remember when Raw and Smackdown used to have the red and blue ropes... making it look a lot more modern and appealing? Now we're down to the ugly lifeless whites ropes. These little things make a big difference.

Who knows which genius decided to get rid of the Elimination Chamber, one of the most exciting PPV's of all time. What now... only 1 MitB briefcase match? The least they can do is make 1 for the WHC as well. Again, this is another victim of them downsizing the titles.

There's NXT which is a great way to find and develop new talent (no argument there), but everything else that WWE has wasted in my opinion, isn't very good at all.

Personally, I feel the Hardcore Championship is no loss - if I wanted to see that, I'd watch backyard wrestling.

JR...well, SOMEONE had to lose their job over the Flair fiasco, and unfortunately, it was Ross.

The ropes make no difference to me, personally. Nor do the PPV's.

I would make one change:

RAW > SmackDown! > NXT

NXT stars would work their way up the ladder in this manner.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

I didn't mind Christian being thought of as a centre-piece, because unlike Foley, Hogan etc, he could genuinely still go at that point. And working with him would help put others over anyhow if it was a well worked program. Kurt Angle I had no problem with either. Remember when they brought in Flair, Hogan, Bisch... it was kind a like, here's a bunch of big names, and we'll work the rest out as in what we do with them a bit later on, mmm k?

The last hot period for tag wrestling was '98 in WCW IMO. Harlem Heat and the Steiner Brothers were the last bastion. Just after Starrcade '97 it all came down with a crashing thud when Scott turned on Rick, and teams like the Faces of Fear and Public Enemy (established teams) really never got pushed to a point of being a viable opponent for Harlem Heat, so Booker T carried on in singles, and really started getting over big time in his program with Benoit. WCW I thought did try again in '99 with a few Freebird type rule teams, like the Jersey Shore Triad, the Revolution, and the Filthy Animals (some of the best matches in '99 are the Triad v Benoit Malenko v Raven Saturn), but I think they missed a Harlem Heat or Steiner Brothers genuinely being the lockdown foundation of the division to cement it all.

One thing I think that has changed massively in pro wrestling is the lack of prestige based around the Titles. There seems to be these overly complex storylines. I think its borne out of the Attitude era where, as Eric Bischoff said, their market feedback studies suggested people wanted to suspend their belief by going "hey I know thats staged, but... wait, was that meant to happen?" type moments. I think what they also though forgot, and still forget, is the right champion, and the right way of promoting blokes who are just after the title, and putting on 5 star matches to sell the value of that title still can equal dollars. One major reason WWF beat WCW is because their WHC matches were about 47,534,433 miles ahead, WCW had the more elaborate storylines, but there was genuine competition at the top and they worked their tails off by and large for it.

I do miss the days of the WCW having the likes of the Steiners, Harlem Heat, Faces of Fear (loved them!), Outsiders, Public Enemy, Wrath and Mortis. Then you had whoever Luger or Giant was tagging with, and even a step further, the luchadore tag matches.

The WWE/F was also paying due attention to the tag team scene too. We had the likes of APA, NAO (not washed up then), LOD. They had almost a transition type movement with their tag teams with the likes of Hardyz, Dudleys and E and C. I believe they were the last crop of a decent tag team division the E have ever had.


Since then, sure we've had tag teams come through but most of the time, as someone else has mentioned, its two individuals. Either individuals pitted together to face a common foe, ala Rated RKO together to face DX OR individuals with nothing else on the cards, Murdoch and Cade anyone? OR even then individuals pitted together for the sole purpose of breaking up and having a feud themselves, ala Carlito and Masters. The purposes of these tag teams, you knew was always going to be temporary. The Usos are probably the only exception to this rule.

 

[Big Pete]

It was okay with Christian but unfortunately it started a trend that really hurt the company in the long-run. WWE guys going over to TNA, being pushed straight to the top making all the home-grown guys look bush-league in the process.

Angle was the first instance where it really backfired. Don't get me wrong, his signing was an amazing coup for the company and it really seemed like the tide was turning but it just didn't pan out that way. It all went down-hill very fast when they blew their load too early and had him go over Joe, and had Joe presented as his #2. By August, Angle held every championship in the company (as well as the IWGP Championship) and they just ran it into the ground.

I agree that WCW had a good tag roster in 1996, but you know what? They had no idea how to book it and while things got better when they had The Outsiders there to anchor the division, I don't think it was quite as hot or as consistent as the 80s or any period before then.

Personally, I think ECW had a better tag team division around that time. Paul E to his credit really understood tag team wrestling.

 

[Iafeta]

Agree Pete. Bischoff had no idea on how to book anything other than a Hogan promo or win. Thats probably harsh, but how he never changed up the main event to resemble anything other than Hogan v a face is almost incomprehensible given the quality in the roster he had. I used to love reading the 90s wrestling mags (yes I'm showing my age here), and you'd always get the dream match up discussions... and then when a number of them fell into Bischoff's lap, barely any of them ever happened.

I suppose with wrestling going mainstream, and the big take up of the internet at that point, it was probably in someways responding to the global market that things had to happen and happen quickly. Which in essence killed tag team wrestling in the sense that the really great tag teams worked 5 + years together, without break.

 

[Big Pete]

Easy E definitely had his limitations but you know what? I'm so glad he got into the wrestling business when he did.

Without him, I doubt Billionare Ted invests the amount of money he did into WCW and the wrestling business as we know it would have been poorer for it. While I would have hate him spending my money, I love the fact that Bischoff was able to introduce me to the likes of Benoit, Rey, Eddie, Dean, Dragon, La Parka, Finlay etc. and at one point, really had one of the best rosters I've seen in wrestling.

He should have bowed out gracefully in 2005 but like everything in wrestling, he stuck around longer than he should have.

 

[Valheru]

I remember in January 2010 I think it was when TNA went head to head with Raw on a Monday night. I thought then that might be the beginning of competition but they never ran another show head to head.

 

[Bulldog Force]

I remember in January 2010 I think it was when TNA went head to head with Raw on a Monday night. I thought then that might be the beginning of competition but they never ran another show head to head.

That's I thought. It was very brave for them to bring in Hogan, but it looks like everyone wanted to see Bret Hart's reconciliation with Shawn Michaels more. TNA could've made their move if they waited a big longer!

 

[Big Pete]

They ran head to head for months but I don't believe it was consistent live television and they drove fans away with bad television.

The first show was a lot like the 're-boot' show from WCW 2000. A lot of people liked it because they were going in new directions and brought in new talent but there were plenty of sketchy moments as well which ended up being far more reflective than the other aspects of the show.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Those first shows when Hogan + Bischoff took over were an abortion. AJ Styles going from a fighting TNA Champion to "mini Flair", 10 minute Hogan promos, Orlando Jordan in general...

 

[Bulldog Force]

I just don't understand why they're trying to get smaller right around the place... never understood it.

 

[alien]

good to see the "prime time players" back. i didn't understand why they broke up in the first place. it seemed they were close to winning the tag team championship

 

[Bulldog Force]

good to see the "prime time players" back. i didn't understand why they broke up in the first place. it seemed they were close to winning the tag team championship

What I don't understand is what WWE is trying to achieve by bringing them back.

 

[DB]

I do know it's the usual 'we have two people that creative have nothing for. lets make them a tag team', but at least they have been a tag team before, rather than the usual champion and challenger make a team, and somehow win the championships - How will they co-exist in the same team.

 

[Bulldog Force]

I wouldn't mind if they win the tag titles at Mania - I mean Cesaro is awesome but Tyson Kidd is a nuffy FFS. He's not championship material.

 

[DB]

On the mic, Kidd doesn't have much. As a wrestler is is quite good. Some of his stuff in NXT was brilliant, with Zayn and Neville

 

[DB]

But how can you say, I have no idea what they are achieving by bringing them back, but you're happy if they win the title.

 

[Bulldog Force]

But how can you say, I have no idea what they are achieving by bringing them back, but you're happy if they win the title.

Because they are a good tag team, but there's no point in WWE reuniting them if they're not going to reap some sort of success out of it.

 

[alien]

yes they are a good tag team and they connect with the audience

 

[alien]

but... what does this mean for SLATER GATOR???

 

[Bulldog Force]

but... what does this mean for SLATER GATOR???

I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did.