Author Topic: How the internet destroyed wrestling.  (Read 4547 times)

Fallsview

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How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« on: December 12, 2010, 11:04:38 PM »
Remember back when titles changed hands in Rio De Janeiro when it never happened?  Remember when you thought that your house show was the only wrestling match where two wrestlers fought, when in actuality they went from town to town doing the same bout? Now it seems TV is destroying wrestling.  Why bother going to a house show when you know nothing is going to happen because it's not televised? 

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2010, 05:27:46 AM »
Remember back when titles changed hands in Rio De Janeiro when it never happened?  Remember when you thought that your house show was the only wrestling match where two wrestlers fought, when in actuality they went from town to town doing the same bout? Now it seems TV is destroying wrestling.  Why bother going to a house show when you know nothing is going to happen because it's not televised? 
House shows now are not nearly what they used to be. Back in the eighties, you could go to a house show and get your money's worth and then some. You knew back then that the caliber of wrestlers would put on a good show. I went to several house shows in the late ninties and they stunk. Wasn't even worth the ticket it was printed on. Now I only go to Raw or PPV shows when I know that wrestlers will be on their best performance.

The Showstoppa

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2010, 05:56:03 AM »
When wrestlers depended on the gate from house shows for a paycheck, promoters considered it a lucrative thing, etc... house shows were excellent.  Now, with contracts, there is zero motivation to go out and put on a good show.  Not to mention it's so long between when they return to some venues that nobody even remembers how bad the previous show was.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2010, 06:03:53 AM »
When wrestlers depended on the gate from house shows for a paycheck, promoters considered it a lucrative thing, etc... house shows were excellent.  Now, with contracts, there is zero motivation to go out and put on a good show.  Not to mention it's so long between when they return to some venues that nobody even remembers how bad the previous show was.
Good point. I also think that its more of "when the cats are away, the mice will play" so to speak. When there is a big PPV or a Raw or Smackdown event, ALL the top dogs including VInce would be in the locker room making sure things went as planned and that no one milked it.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2010, 06:07:06 AM »
Good point. I also think that its more of "when the cats are away, the mice will play" so to speak. When there is a big PPV or a Raw or Smackdown event, ALL the top dogs including VInce would be in the locker room making sure things went as planned and that no one milked it.

No doubt.  The old-school road agents didn't put up with shit, because they knew it was directly affecting their paycheck too, as many were active wrestlers on that nights card.  They had more of a vested interest in what was going on.  Now, it's retired wrestlers who are more concerned with just keeping their job.....no way they are going to go back to VKM and say "The show sucked, nobody would listen to me..."  because Vince would say, "Well, you can't do the job.....you're out of here..."  imo.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2010, 06:19:58 AM »
No doubt.  The old-school road agents didn't put up with shit, because they knew it was directly affecting their paycheck too, as many were active wrestlers on that nights card.  They had more of a vested interest in what was going on.  Now, it's retired wrestlers who are more concerned with just keeping their job.....no way they are going to go back to VKM and say "The show sucked, nobody would listen to me..."  because Vince would say, "Well, you can't do the job.....you're out of here..."  imo.
I give it 5 years maximum before the WWE shrinks in attendance size and goes back to 3,000 max capacity venues. They are already struggling to sell WM tickets for this year.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2010, 06:22:59 AM »
I give it 5 years maximum before the WWE shrinks in attendance size and goes back to 3,000 max capacity venues. They are already struggling to sell WM tickets for this year.

He will have to do something drastic.  Not to mention, the ONLY reason he got out of his funk before was because WCW stepped it up.  Sadly, I don't see any competition coming forward to force him to now.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2010, 06:33:08 AM »
He will have to do something drastic.  Not to mention, the ONLY reason he got out of his funk before was because WCW stepped it up.  Sadly, I don't see any competition coming forward to force him to now.
WCW was its own demise. He stepped up nothing. Bishoff himself screwed up when he gave away Raw's results. That's when people started tuning in to WWE. Vince got LUCKY otherwise he would have lost everything and been bagging groceries at no frills.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2010, 08:22:28 AM »
WCW was its own demise. He stepped up nothing. Bishoff himself screwed up when he gave away Raw's results. That's when people started tuning in to WWE. Vince got LUCKY otherwise he would have lost everything and been bagging groceries at no frills.

I'll give him some credit with the DX, Austin attitude era....it was a much better show than when the WCW got bogged down with making the nWo too big, burying Flair, etc...

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2010, 12:53:54 PM »
I'll give him some credit with the DX, Austin attitude era....it was a much better show than when the WCW got bogged down with making the nWo too big, burying Flair, etc...
We need 1999-2003. Attitude era at its peak with consistantly changing GOOD storylines.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2010, 01:23:50 PM »
We need 1999-2003. Attitude era at its peak with consistantly changing GOOD storylines.

I'm bad with dates, is that around the time of the original DX....Tyson being involved, etc?  I really liked that era.

Montague

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2010, 06:48:45 PM »
I suspect it will take more than just changing the show’s content to an edgier style.
Remember that the original attitude era had some brilliant talent that was able to pull it off.

You had guys from other major brands, old territories, independents, etc.
All were encouraged to develop and portray extensions of their own individual characters and personas.
I don’t know that the cookie cutter clones of today’s generation are capable of doing that.

I don’t think many wrestlers are very creative anymore because
a.) they don’t have to be
b.) they don’t know how
c.) in some cases, they’re not allowed

Unfortunate.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2010, 06:09:56 AM »
I suspect it will take more than just changing the show’s content to an edgier style.
Remember that the original attitude era had some brilliant talent that was able to pull it off.

You had guys from other major brands, old territories, independents, etc.
All were encouraged to develop and portray extensions of their own individual characters and personas.
I don’t know that the cookie cutter clones of today’s generation are capable of doing that.

I don’t think many wrestlers are very creative anymore because
a.) they don’t have to be
b.) they don’t know how
c.) in some cases, they’re not allowed


Unfortunate.
I know for a fact from "my source" that all interviews / promos are done by creative. Wrestlers are told what to say and how to deliver it with the exception of only a very small handfull.

Mont, you also brought up a valid point with the talent pool. How can one campare:

1999/2005 - Austin, Rock, Foley, Michaels, Undertaker, Kane, Hogan (final run), Benoit (prior to his crap), Eddie Guererro, Edge, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesner, HHH, etc.

TO

Recent 2010 - Kofi Kingston, Chavo Guererro, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Horn Swoggle, John Morrison, The Miz, Miz's stupid side kick (don't even know his name..what does that tell you?), Tyson Kidd (BORING), etc.

There is NO comparison by far. The recent talent pool stinks. I feel bad for guys like Randy Orton, Edge (who is calling it quits once his contract is up) and Brian Danielson who is the best wrestler technical wise that they currently have.

Batista got fed up with the direction of the product and left. As did Jericho. Neither is interested in returning. The Undertaker is almost 50yrs old and one hairline fracture away from retirement, Ray Mesterio's doctors confirmed that he is one knee injury away from reirement (he's had FIVE knee surguries already), Edge confirmed that he is not planning to renue his contract next year, The Hardys (as f*****d up as they are) left, the entire original ECW roster left because Vince buried its originality and pissed off everyone involved with that. I could keep going on providing more example. The list is endless. I'm telling you, The few that know the business that post on here could probably put together a much better product then what is being force fed to us weekly.

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2010, 02:49:16 PM »
Another attitude era is the ace up VKM's sleeve. Only a matter of time.

Now that Linda isn't running for office, I look for this to happen as well.

He needs something.

Montague

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #14 on: December 14, 2010, 03:04:44 PM »
I'm telling you, The few that know the business that post on here could probably put together a much better product then what is being force fed to us weekly.


I believe it.
In fact, I feel that, on some occasions, we've done just that!

What the fukk is Vince doing?
He could have modified the product just enough to clean up the Fed's image, but instead, he revamped (it seems like) EVERYTHING.
Fixing things that aren't broken can cause a currently well-oiled machine to run less than optimally.

Fallsview

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #15 on: December 14, 2010, 11:38:30 PM »

I believe it.
In fact, I feel that, on some occasions, we've done just that!

What the fukk is Vince doing?
He could have modified the product just enough to clean up the Fed's image, but instead, he revamped (it seems like) EVERYTHING.
Fixing things that aren't broken can cause a currently well-oiled machine to run less than optimally.


My belief is that it's not fun for Vince anymore, it's all about money/Wall Street and now he's under the gun to make it.  There is no mystery and suspense anymore.  How many of you sat and watched wrestling during the Monday Night Wars and wanted to see who else left the WWE?  Remember back in the 70's and 80's, you'd see different wrestlers come in and perform-Dusty roads coming in and wrestling in the WWF at MSG for a night.  When these wresters did that, it added a variety and surprise to the show.  Now, there is nothing else.  It was soooo much better in the 70's and 80's.  Anyone remember the big card at the Omni with Flair vs. Backlund?  They had a few WWF'ers on that card witch was good the business and the fan.  Now, if you wear a Hulk Hogan shirt to a WWE event, you have to take it off. lol

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2010, 06:04:39 AM »
Now that Linda isn't running for office, I look for this to happen as well.

He needs something.
Nope. Its done.

marcie999

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #17 on: December 17, 2010, 03:13:06 PM »
My belief is that it's not fun for Vince anymore, it's all about money/Wall Street and now he's under the gun to make it.  There is no mystery and suspense anymore.  How many of you sat and watched wrestling during the Monday Night Wars and wanted to see who else left the WWE?  Remember back in the 70's and 80's, you'd see different wrestlers come in and perform-Dusty roads coming in and wrestling in the WWF at MSG for a night.  When these wresters did that, it added a variety and surprise to the show.  Now, there is nothing else.  It was soooo much better in the 70's and 80's.  Anyone remember the big card at the Omni with Flair vs. Backlund?  They had a few WWF'ers on that card witch was good the business and the fan.  Now, if you wear a Hulk Hogan shirt to a WWE event, you have to take it off. lol

No way.................... Really?

Do they give you another tshirt to wear at least or do you have to just sit there in your bra?

Don't own a Hulk tshirt but I would be furious.................


 >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Ripleeeyyyyyyyyyyy

Montague

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Re: How the internet destroyed wrestling.
« Reply #18 on: December 17, 2010, 04:49:47 PM »
What about if it's a Hulk t-shirt you bought from WWE?
They're going to prohibit you from wearing an item you purchased from them...


Yeah, that's Vince.
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