The only fans that I can safely categorize as idiots are the ones that jump in the ring to attack the performers. I love the “all bets are off” policy regarding talent being given free reign to defend themselves against these dullards. POW! Are those your teeth on the mat? kicks the teeth to the ring floor Go get ’em, feeb.
Agreed! You should have heard some of my father and uncle’s stories about watching live house events back in the 50’s. Now those were crazy. You had some nuts going after wrestlers with knives and the occasional ‘Hatpin Annie’ harpooning some poor guy.
@OptimusPrimevil
I agree 100% on all counts. Few fans who were around during The Monday Night Wars can say it was a low point. If someone’s taking an audience away from you, you step up your game and do something that will keep them tuned in to your program. Without a fire lit under you, stagnation is bound to occur.
The schedule has been an issue for several wrestlers. Kurt Angle might not have left if the schedule had been lighter. They’re human beings. What good is making a living if you can’t take some time off and spend it with family? Eliminating house shows would help matters.
And storytelling is a huge difference maker; not just in the match itself but the tale leading up to a specialty match. That’s what makes it mean something. Case in point: Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA for the NWA United States championship. You had two people who were opposites in lifestyle. The beloved hard working hero versus the privileged loudmouthed villain. And they straight up hated each other. It wasn’t just their in-ring work that made this match so memorable because, to be honest, there wasn’t much in the way of wrestling holds that were utilized by either man. It was the intensity they radiated. These guys were brutally pounding the crap out of each other and the crowd was buying it. Toward its conclusion, they were straight up screaming when it looked like Magnum was about to suffer a serious injury because they sincerely believed that Tully hated him enough to do the deed.
“Make me believe. Make me care.” That is what every fan says to a promoter when they plunk down their money to buy a ticket. Caring seems like something WWE can’t get me to do anymore; not to the degree I used to care. I used to spend a fortune on the Apter magazines. I even got both of my letters printed in the letters columns. The magic isn’t there for me anymore. But times change and so do people’s interests. At least I have my fond memories. :)
not having a credible competitor hurts them creatively (there’s really no incentive in doing monday night wars stuff if there is no war to be fought, worse is that step would wear wrestlers down even more so) that and eventually everyone goes to the wwe (that’s where the money is) and going head to head against the UFC is bad for the wrestlers (UFC fighters have periods between matches. pro-wrestlers are expected to beat the crap out of each other on sunday PPV but somehow walk it off to work on monday).
though it is strange that a lot of fans treat kiddie/PG is bad for the wwe but they love chikara’s all ages approach. (it just shows that it’s not the PG rating but the storytelling that’s wrong).
@OptimusPrimevil
I take no offense to that at all but it may not hurt you to invest in a wider lens. I consider myself a wrestling fan more than a fan of any one specific promotion. ECW just so happened to provide more of what I liked about wrestling. I watched WWF way back in the territory days but I didn’t care for Hogan’s hulk-up comeback, the heavyweight slugfest, or the overly cartoony characters. The IC and tag team competitors were incredible, however.
Then I discovered NWA wrestling and I found myself drawn to the variety of wrestlers who were just that: wrestlers. There were a few gimmicky performers like the Road Warriors but mostly you had no frills guys who went in there with tights and boots and gave you a show. Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen, Sting, Dusty Rhodes, Dr.Death Steve Williams, Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff, The Varsity Club, the Midnight Express, The Powers Of Pain, Barry Windham, Lex Luger, yadda yadda. Granted, the perfomers would have loved the extra income from T-shirt sales but as Ric Flair said on his DVD, Jim Crockett didn’t know how to merchandise well whereas that was Vince’s strong suit.
I’ve never been a fan of the term “rasslin’” because it downplays the efforts of the many regional promotions who did not have the benefit of being the one stationed in Stamford. Wrestling wasn’t originally designed for children. It’s been tailored for it now, yes, and the WWE, just like anything else, needs to evolve… but I feel like many aspects of the current product are a step backward (As someone who enjoyed ECW,I will say that chairshots to the head being banned is definitely a step forward).
@OptimusPrimevil
Yes, it was years ago - so that should give you some indication of when I quit being a regular watcher. These days I just buy DVD releases that interest me. Anything from the ECW vault is a guaranteed sale. For all of its controversy over Paul Heyman bouncing paychecks and the so-called garbage wrestling, it had quite a few talented performers and a roster where you never knew who was going to turn up. Heyman knew what his fans wanted because he was a fan himself. I don’t think VKM feels the same way. He’s way out of touch now from what I understand.
@youregoingtoloveme
one night stand? that’s years ago.
didn’t undertaker and kane buried a WCW tag team in the ring so hard they basically got retired (taker IIRC had no nice words for wcw after his stint there)?
@OptimusPrimevil
Oh, I can find wrong in every era. :)
The most recent wrong that comes to mind that disturbed me was when JBL potatoed (and busted open) The Blue Meanie at One Night Stand over some stuff that was said about him online (I think). Hitoricaly, “the boys” have had occasionl backstage scuffles but you never let that dictate how you do business in the ring. I was kinda keen on his character back then but once I found out he took liberties with Meanie, I wrote off JBL for good. I even gave him a Diva moveset in whatever WWE PS3 game I had at the time.
@youregoingtoloveme
true (on the case by case basis) but you’d be surprised how many AE fans (they specifically mention the AE) find the new day and rooty tooty booty a ‘slap to the face for REAL fans’.
I’m mostly referring to AE fans who think that point in time is a magical period that did no wrong/ reverting to that style is the only way to save the wwe.
and fans who actively hurt (or try to) the performers are the worst, more so if they do so not because they hate the character (nice heel work) but they don’t like the booking.
@OptimusPrimevil
I recommend taking those fans on an idiot-to-idiot basis as to which of them are in fact ragers. I am living proof that we’re not all alike. Collectively lumping any group together and saying they’re all the same is about as fair as someone saying all bronies are horse enthusiasts. I’d consider myself a mindful and respectful attitude era fan but I go all the way back to the entertainment era (before Tito Santana lost the IC title to Randy Savage) and, barring a few very rare exceptions, I don’t believe in getting too worked up about stuff I dislike about wrestling.
I don’t watch the current WWE product because I dislike their current direction but I’ve seen a handful of great matches on YouTube with wrestlers who I know can deliver top notch performances. (CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan)
The only fans that I can safely categorize as idiots are the ones that jump in the ring to attack the performers. I love the “all bets are off” policy regarding talent being given free reign to defend themselves against these dullards. POW! Are those your teeth on the mat? *kicks the teeth to the ring floor* Go get ’em, feeb.
The only fans that I can safely categorize as idiots are the ones that jump in the ring to attack the performers. I love the “all bets are off” policy regarding talent being given free reign to defend themselves against these dullards. POW! Are those your teeth on the mat? kicks the teeth to the ring floor Go get ’em, feeb.
Agreed! You should have heard some of my father and uncle’s stories about watching live house events back in the 50’s. Now those were crazy. You had some nuts going after wrestlers with knives and the occasional ‘Hatpin Annie’ harpooning some poor guy.
CLAP FOR YOUR WORLD FAMOUS 4 TIME CHAMPS! AND FEEL, THE POWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
and thus The New Day were born
I’ve encountered comments urging big e to do that to BROCK LESNAR for an automatic induction to the hall of fame.
The spanking in that gif almost synch up with the lunch tray taps in the first cafeteria scene in the first EG.
Chris Jericho is that you?
good for them
The New Day is best gimmick 2015
I agree 100% on all counts. Few fans who were around during The Monday Night Wars can say it was a low point. If someone’s taking an audience away from you, you step up your game and do something that will keep them tuned in to your program. Without a fire lit under you, stagnation is bound to occur.
The schedule has been an issue for several wrestlers. Kurt Angle might not have left if the schedule had been lighter. They’re human beings. What good is making a living if you can’t take some time off and spend it with family? Eliminating house shows would help matters.
And storytelling is a huge difference maker; not just in the match itself but the tale leading up to a specialty match. That’s what makes it mean something. Case in point: Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA for the NWA United States championship. You had two people who were opposites in lifestyle. The beloved hard working hero versus the privileged loudmouthed villain. And they straight up hated each other. It wasn’t just their in-ring work that made this match so memorable because, to be honest, there wasn’t much in the way of wrestling holds that were utilized by either man. It was the intensity they radiated. These guys were brutally pounding the crap out of each other and the crowd was buying it. Toward its conclusion, they were straight up screaming when it looked like Magnum was about to suffer a serious injury because they sincerely believed that Tully hated him enough to do the deed.
“Make me believe. Make me care.” That is what every fan says to a promoter when they plunk down their money to buy a ticket. Caring seems like something WWE can’t get me to do anymore; not to the degree I used to care. I used to spend a fortune on the Apter magazines. I even got both of my letters printed in the letters columns. The magic isn’t there for me anymore. But times change and so do people’s interests. At least I have my fond memories. :)
not having a credible competitor hurts them creatively (there’s really no incentive in doing monday night wars stuff if there is no war to be fought, worse is that step would wear wrestlers down even more so) that and eventually everyone goes to the wwe (that’s where the money is) and going head to head against the UFC is bad for the wrestlers (UFC fighters have periods between matches. pro-wrestlers are expected to beat the crap out of each other on sunday PPV but somehow walk it off to work on monday).
though it is strange that a lot of fans treat kiddie/PG is bad for the wwe but they love chikara’s all ages approach. (it just shows that it’s not the PG rating but the storytelling that’s wrong).
I take no offense to that at all but it may not hurt you to invest in a wider lens. I consider myself a wrestling fan more than a fan of any one specific promotion. ECW just so happened to provide more of what I liked about wrestling. I watched WWF way back in the territory days but I didn’t care for Hogan’s hulk-up comeback, the heavyweight slugfest, or the overly cartoony characters. The IC and tag team competitors were incredible, however.
Then I discovered NWA wrestling and I found myself drawn to the variety of wrestlers who were just that: wrestlers. There were a few gimmicky performers like the Road Warriors but mostly you had no frills guys who went in there with tights and boots and gave you a show. Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen, Sting, Dusty Rhodes, Dr.Death Steve Williams, Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff, The Varsity Club, the Midnight Express, The Powers Of Pain, Barry Windham, Lex Luger, yadda yadda. Granted, the perfomers would have loved the extra income from T-shirt sales but as Ric Flair said on his DVD, Jim Crockett didn’t know how to merchandise well whereas that was Vince’s strong suit.
I’ve never been a fan of the term “rasslin’” because it downplays the efforts of the many regional promotions who did not have the benefit of being the one stationed in Stamford. Wrestling wasn’t originally designed for children. It’s been tailored for it now, yes, and the WWE, just like anything else, needs to evolve… but I feel like many aspects of the current product are a step backward (As someone who enjoyed ECW,I will say that chairshots to the head being banned is definitely a step forward).
no offense but that just gives me the picture you’re more of an ecw fan than a wwe one.
Yes, it was years ago - so that should give you some indication of when I quit being a regular watcher. These days I just buy DVD releases that interest me. Anything from the ECW vault is a guaranteed sale. For all of its controversy over Paul Heyman bouncing paychecks and the so-called garbage wrestling, it had quite a few talented performers and a roster where you never knew who was going to turn up. Heyman knew what his fans wanted because he was a fan himself. I don’t think VKM feels the same way. He’s way out of touch now from what I understand.
one night stand? that’s years ago.
didn’t undertaker and kane buried a WCW tag team in the ring so hard they basically got retired (taker IIRC had no nice words for wcw after his stint there)?
Oh, I can find wrong in every era. :)
The most recent wrong that comes to mind that disturbed me was when JBL potatoed (and busted open) The Blue Meanie at One Night Stand over some stuff that was said about him online (I think). Hitoricaly, “the boys” have had occasionl backstage scuffles but you never let that dictate how you do business in the ring. I was kinda keen on his character back then but once I found out he took liberties with Meanie, I wrote off JBL for good. I even gave him a Diva moveset in whatever WWE PS3 game I had at the time.
true (on the case by case basis) but you’d be surprised how many AE fans (they specifically mention the AE) find the new day and rooty tooty booty a ‘slap to the face for REAL fans’.
I’m mostly referring to AE fans who think that point in time is a magical period that did no wrong/ reverting to that style is the only way to save the wwe.
and fans who actively hurt (or try to) the performers are the worst, more so if they do so not because they hate the character (nice heel work) but they don’t like the booking.
I recommend taking those fans on an idiot-to-idiot basis as to which of them are in fact ragers. I am living proof that we’re not all alike. Collectively lumping any group together and saying they’re all the same is about as fair as someone saying all bronies are horse enthusiasts. I’d consider myself a mindful and respectful attitude era fan but I go all the way back to the entertainment era (before Tito Santana lost the IC title to Randy Savage) and, barring a few very rare exceptions, I don’t believe in getting too worked up about stuff I dislike about wrestling.
I don’t watch the current WWE product because I dislike their current direction but I’ve seen a handful of great matches on YouTube with wrestlers who I know can deliver top notch performances. (CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan)
The only fans that I can safely categorize as idiots are the ones that jump in the ring to attack the performers. I love the “all bets are off” policy regarding talent being given free reign to defend themselves against these dullards. POW! Are those your teeth on the mat? *kicks the teeth to the ring floor* Go get ’em, feeb.