broccoman

They just posted it on NJPW world.

There's huge danger with this approach. While you do squeeze more and more money out of fans, you end up alienating non-fans, and you need non-fans to become fans sooner or later. The closest comparison I can think of is anime in Japan. They chose to cater their market more towards their hardcore fans, and it really did hurt overall business, and then it impacted the product itself by making it more about things the hardcore wanted (moe) Preaching to the choir is great to get through the bad times, but it can only work for so long. Eventually they will have to expand back to the mainstream with an Austin/Hogan-type, or the hardcore market is going to keep shrinking and shrinking gradually until it becomes unsustainable.

Reigns being Batista, I'd say pretty high at the Rumble, though I think he'll do better in well, rube towns. Ambrose- I'm already seeing the crowds die a bit for him because of how they've made him look dumb. I think they might be coming close to missing their chance with him.

Aj-Bella even with the silly ending deserves to be pimped. I'd say it was the most fun match on the card, though overall this card was Hogan vs Dungeon of Doom-era bad.

A loss isn't going to kill Charlotte- she's too good for that.

Things I'd do bring back King of the RIng- I like the no former champions get it. I'd guarantee the winner a shot at Summerslam for the title. Run the tourney in July. I'd allow for upset Rumble Winners. I'd implement a booking rule where at least one match a night breaks traditional structure- and finishers aren't used. Why can't MITB matches end in DQ? I'd have some champ get himself counted out or DQed or have someone run interference to thwart MITB. I could see say, a champ Seth Rollins having J&J out there to punch off the ref when he's cashed in on.

I'll say this- the Donald Sterling comparison was unfair. Al Davis would have been better. The reason I think it's different now is because of age and arrogance that comes with knocking off all your competition. Vince was at his best when he had someone to beat. Who is he trying to beat now? As much as HHH brings his own set of flaws to the table, I think he gets the modern wrestling landscape in a way Vince no longer does, and you do need the wrestling fans to tide you over until your next big thing comes. Part of the issue is the current environment , it's near impossible to become the next big thing , unless you somehow manage to put a transcendent talent in a body Vince likes- and we haven't had that since John Cena.

I think the best option would be to go Lucha Underground on Steroids as a Hispanic-heavy touring promotion mostly in the South, with influences from WCW. Kinda a mix of Lucha and either Memphis or Bill Watts. (I could see Wattsian booking working with lucha talent for some reason)

I agree with those points, but it is different now. The differences now are 1) He has a lack of competition, which hurts the wrestling. There are people who watch for the wrestling, and they are the folks who sustain the product in the not-so-hot times. Even when they hate the product, they watch. I'm seeing a change- people aren't hating as much as they are just indifferent. That's bad. Vince might be the sort that does better when he's having to compete hard, and not so much when he can coast. In my case, this has been the first time in years when I've been able to watch a wrestling show on Monday nights, and have chosen to skip it for random stuff. 2) Vince is too far detached from what works to be effective with his old formula. He's gotten too old to be running things anymore. He's no longer Vince, he's now Verne.

That's the impression I"m getting- that as long as Vince isn't ruled mentally incompetent Donald Sterling-style, the WWE will continue to decline. I think the Network and how it's struggled is just the start- great idea, but killed the PPV revenue. Also, continuing to stiff the talent and treat it the way it is will mean fewer talented folks go that route. I think it's possible pro wrestling outright dies in the US now, and may even be the canary for other things. If NJPW/AAA/indies provide similar opportunities- I could see folks preferring that route, and given the peanuts WWE pays low-carders, I could see certain non-essential folks leaving. Would be folks below Cesaro on the totem pole. As for Punk- was never a believer in his "best in the world" stuff, he was just good, so I don't really miss him wrestling. I do wish him good luck and happiness with AJ, and I hope he succeeds outside of wrestling, and I'm glad he invested well. I'd like to see Punk do an investment show.

I think funkdoc's idea of a Social Justice Warrior type would get nuclear heat. Wrestling crowds would really hate SJW's. Above post nailed it perfectly.

If I had my way- one match per night for a few months would not have the traditional match structure, or would end it early. The hot tag wouldn't get made. A non-finisher would get the win, etc. Wrestling is too formulaic.

That whole bumping on the side, do you think that was due to Flair and his unwillingness to take certain back bumps due to the plane crash?

His Raver WCW run in the late 90s had some decent matches on Saturday Night. Enough to move him out of Tiger Territory.

Currently former, but plan to resub shortly. I mainly do it for the PPVs. Most of the internet wrestling I watch right now isn't on WWE Network- they don't have World of Sport- and 70s WOS stuff ages really well for me.

Eaton/Lane is my favorite as well. I'd probably take Condrey over Lane as a tag wrestler with a random generic partner, but feel Lane was a better Midnight Express half for some reason, probably Charisma/style- he just fit what I thought the Midnight Express should be better.

Was looking for this thread, because he's a guy I've felt has been really underrated due to his issues keeping him from WWF and WCW most of his career. Could work a variety of styles- I've seen some good World of Sport stuff and he did the fairly stiff World Class Style- that's a good variety. I also remember him having some late career WCW matches which I enjoyed. Don't know how good he was in Japan if he ever went there. Could work both as a cocky heel and sympathetic face, and did both well.

Embry would easily make my list, despite my arguments. His runs in World Class and Memphis are enough to do it for me. If his Puerto Rico stuff is better...

I agree. That didn't help anyone.

JBL throws out old World Class references 2-3 times/yr. Earlier this year I think he referenced the Simpsons.

Angle may be a spot monkey, but he's one of the more entertaining ones out there. Wouldn't make my list though.

There was the reverse case of AJPW making a character based on Wolf Hawkfield from VF.

My vote's a bit later- the brand split. When they made the WCW title the Smackdown title, you knew that was the old role of the IC belt on PPV's. It reduced the IC and US belts down to what we would have called TV title level in the 90s. I think the IC is increasing in importance, they just need to put it on someone who fans believe is a rising star. I think WWE really missed on a big opportunity not giving Reigns the IC belt- they could have had work matches with guys like Cesaro for the level to improve his ringwork, and it would have elevated the belt while keeping him away from being overexposed. Not only do I think they're taking it back, I think they have to take it back. The US belt being the modern day TV belt I'm fine with- Sheamus would have been a great face TV champ in mid-90's WCW.

A good bit of his World of Sport stuff is on Youtube, and it's pretty entertaining. You might find the WoS stuff less boring if you want less gritty. Finlay's old man WWE run was very good as well.

That's my knock on him- his run of greatness was too short, but it was ever so great. Part of the reason I'm so high on Dean Ambrose is because he just reminds me of Eric Embry in so many ways. Embry could wrestle, brawl, and just sleaze in a way that was so awesome fans would come around and start loving the sleaze. I really want to see the PR stuff now, most of my knowledge of him is World Class and Memphis. The Superclash III match vs a very young Jarrett I thought was pretty solid as well. He is one of my all-time favs.