HOW would you improve the WWE's presentation?

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

Wrestling is a visual medium. So much depends on how things look. Which is a big reason why the WWF was able to move above other promotions in the 80's; it was also a big reason why Nitro was able to beat out Raw in the mid-90's. The product just looked better. More professional. Respectible, even.

 

Once upon a time, the presentation of WWE's product was actually up-to-date and maybe, perhaps, gasp, trendsetting. Kevin Dunn was doing some tremendous production and video work. That was, like, 7 years ago. For some reason (which can be discussed as well), they still haven't really changed a thing. Honestly, the biggest thing I can say they've done with the presentation of their product is changing the match graphics and adding a "real" music theme to PPVs. In 7 years, those two changes. Imagine it's 1998 and they are presenting that product like it's 1991. It would be insane. But that's what they're doing here.

 

Personally, I think 1991's presentation was a helluvalot better. They had sustained camera shots, rather than this change-angles-on-every-punch-shown-and-never-keep-a-shot-for-over-7-seconds. They had long walks to the ring, where the camera would actually move around and zoom in as well. The current style of TV is closer to how they were presenting it in 91 than they are in 05.

 

Also, their backstage stuff was much smarter - wrestlers were interviewed, that's about it. None of this "Wrestler X watches Wrestler Y on a monitor backstage as Wrestler Y is inexplicably revealing his master plan". Back in the day they knew the camera was there, and they were talking to the audience and their opponents. The WWE wants to have it both ways, where the camera is seen at one moment by the wrestler, and not in another. To his credit, Russo knew this was a problem and tried to remedy it with stuff like G-TV, and security cameras. But it can't be done. You can't balance both effectively. They should just choose between being a TV show and being a Wrestling Show (and that goes for everything). As is, they have no idea what they are. There is no vision. And you can see that in how they present the product.

[Al]

I think wrestling needs to adopt a more sports-like approach. Not like the real wrestling zealots insist on, but something to give the show more structure and purpose. The presentation needs to work on the principle that we are watching a legitimate competition, and that there are consequences for striking referees, raising havoc, etc. It would give wins and losses more meaning.

[Loss]

They need a new logo. They've had that same scratch logo for seven years now, and the Attitude era is looooong gone. Whatever "vision" the MTV VMA's have been broadcast in in the past few years is what I'd like to see WWE start airing all of their shows in. I'd like to see them actually have an elevated ramp on at least one show that goes all the way to the ring, like in early 90s WCW, just because in addition to looking good, it would give the wrestlers opportunities to do more spots they can't do now. I'd like to see a change in color scheme on both shows just to freshen up the whole look and feel -- maybe do SD in green and RAW in black. I'd do more taped promos backstage in front of a gimmicked background like the WWF did in the late 80s and early 90s, not only for a fresh look, but because it would give a lot of guys a chance to talk and learn to talk without the pressure of having to do it live all the time. Whenever they do something like the Highlight Reel or a contract signing, I'd like to see that take place in a different area, maybe where the announcers sit, and move the announcers back to ringside. The Highlight Reel *looks* like a made-up set while the Brother Love show and the Heartbreak Hotel always looked like something totally different. It would also put less pressure on the crew to clear out the ring during a commercial break, since there's normally a match that immediately follows the Reel. Those are the first suggestions that come to mind.

[Marty]

Since you brought up the Brother Love Show, I wanted to bring up the first time I ever saw it on TV. I never saw the first episode of it (with Bobby Heenan) but I did see the Ted Dibiase one. When I first saw it upon turning Superstars on, it opened, and since I didn't see the opening credits, I immediately thought the network cancelled wrestling for some religious zealot's show. Since I was 10 at the time, I ran around the house in a panicky fit, until I returned to the TV and saw Dibiase and Virgil on screen. I was like, wow. I miss the days of being suspended in disbelief like that.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

I totally agree with changing the logo. I don't know why they didn't when they changed their name. Maybe they didn't want the fans to think that it was a totally different company because they changed the F to an E and wanted to keep the familiarity of the scratch logo to ease them into the letter change... in other words, they think their fans are complete morons. And since they are spending so much time rebranding their tape library, it'll be years before they change the very outdated look of their logo.

 

Raw has had the same colour scheme since its inception, they shouldn't change it. Maybe add some gold-trim. Give Smackdown some regal purple-trim, or background, with white lettering and blue trim. The WWE logo should be some amalgam between the two trademarked colours.

 

The sets need to change, dramatically. I can't believe they still haven't changed the RAW set in the slightest. It's been, what, 4 years? It's horrible. I blame Steph. No man could actually think that's a good design for a wrestling show. The Smackdown set is horrible too, with the fist breaking glass motif. TNA smokes them in terms of entrances, and PRIDE rapes them. I love the cylindrical tunnel from TNA, and the two entrances. They also have better, more current, camera work and promo videos. WWE could steal alot from them.

 

Who is the guy that left the WWE for TNA? That guy did an amazing job.

[Coffey]

I think that the color scheme, as Loss hinted at, is the biggest problem. That was part of the appeal to me when Smackdown first started airing. It wasn't red. I don't know what color to use. WCW had the whole silver/metallic thing going on. It worked, because it looked almost futuristic. ECW had purple. Smackdown is blue and Raw is red. So, maybe Smackdown could go yellow and Raw orange? Fuck if I know. A change is definitely needed in that department though. Part of the reason why I want a color change so badly is because the ring looks like old hat. It needs a new apron and new ropes. Hell, maybe even throw a logo in the middle.

 

I think, since WWE consider Raw the flagship show, that it's definitely time for a make over of sorts. I don't know about the ramp going to ring though. I mean, personally, I like it, but it's been done before. Then again, everything has pretty much been done before. If not by WWE, then by another wrestling promotion.

 

Come to think of it, the ramp would be cool to see again. Especially if there was a red carpet going down it. Cheesy? Sure, but it'd be original. At least in wrestling.

 

I like the idea of the commentators being elevated as well. Think Shane Douglas & Joey Styles at Heatwave '98. They were up in like a balcony. It worked. It'd work for WWE too.

 

I don't care about Piper's Pit/Barbershop/Brother Love Show type settings. WWE doesn't really need them. They could just as easily have "Mean" Gene Okerlund do in-ring interviews again. Hell, he could do some backstage ones in front of the pre-made backrounds like Loss hinted at. Like he used to do with Hogan, et al.

 

I want there to not be footage shown backstage at all. I mean, pre-recorded interviews on a made backround are one thing...but I don't want to see Dean Malenko watching Lita in the shower, or Evolution talking about Batista in the locker room. The camera man is there. We, as fans, can't act like he's not. Everything should take place in front of both the camera and the live audience.

 

Since WWE is hell bent on having so many freaking PPV's a year, since it brings in a lot of money, they should set up some sort of round robin deal. That way, the fans know what the main events are going to be well ahead of time. It'd also give multiple wrestlers the opportunity to main event. Say, six wrestlers and they have to fight each other. Throw, like, HHH, HBK, Benoit, Batista, Jericho & Orton into it. One PPV is Orton Vs. HHH. Another is Batista Vs. HBK. Eventually, you'd have the matches that were built up, like Batista Vs. HHH, but you'd also get the "smark" matches of like Benoit Vs. Jericho. That's a lot of matches too. It'd also reincorporate a ranking system by default. I don't know how it'd work with title defenses, but maybe they could make a rule where the Heavyweight title can only be defended on the "big four" PPV's? That would add, at least a little, prestige to the title again. Especially if someone went over the champion at a non-big four PPV. It'd make for longer title reigns too.

 

On that level, you could make the IC title almost like the TV title. Keep it the IC belt, but make the TV title stipulation...you have to defend it. Perhaps not every Raw, but every PPV for sure. That way the middle PPVs would still have a point. Perhaps make it so that you have to defend the belt at least once a month on a non-PPV show as well. Switch it up though. Don't make that match always on Raw. Throw it on Heat every now and then. Try to add something to Heat. Hell, I think that Heat should be live too. It could be a good show. Cut back on the house shows, since attendance it down, and move Heat to a different day. Have titles defended and storylines advanced on that show too. Kindof like how Thunder was to WCW. Obviously it was the tier 2 show, but shit still went down.

 

I'm just trying to throw ideas out here.

 

Perhaps footage can be shown from OVW of wrestlers getting ready to debut? That way we don't just get video vignettes of The Masterpiece before he shows up and slaps on a full nelson in a squash match. What makes this guy so special? Why should he be allowed to wrestle on Raw? Show us! It wouldn't kill a wrestler to debut and lose every now and then. Afterall, these wrestlers on Raw are supposed to be the best in the world. Right?

 

I love "Tale of the Tape." WWE needs to do that more. Add in more things than previous titles held though. I want a bio, like in boxing. Not just age and weight. Not Tazz's tips where he's like "don't get hit with his finisher." I was stuff like reach too. Maybe that's asking for too much, but I definitely want "Tale of the Tape."

 

During title matches, the wrestlers should be introduced in their corner. Like in Japan. Height, Weight, Location, titles, name. No more kayfabed locations either. I want to hear what city they're from. Even if it's a bumpfuck small ass city. No more "from Dudleyville" or "Death Valley." I want to hear like "Gary, IN!"

 

Corner intro's will make sure the wrestlers know who the favorite is before the match starts too. Things like Rock/Hogan can mess shit up. Besides, it makes title matches seem more important. The ref should always check the knee and elbow pads for weapons before each match starts too. Actually, I would mind if after the introductions and ref checks, the wrestlers both shake hands like they do in Ring of Honor. It brings the sport appeal out more.

 

Earl Hebner has to go. I don't care how good he is at communication or whatever. He has to go. He can't do it anymore. Arguably, I don't think he ever could. He has the worst "near fall" count that I've ever seen. It's terrible. He can't sell a bump well either. It exposes the business badly.

 

How about making it so that wrestlers with managers or valets can't have their manager/valet leave their corner? They shouldn't be able to walk around the ring freely so that they can interfere behind the referees back.

 

An impartial GM would be nice too. Kindof like Jack Tunney back in the day. If someone cheated, he'd make some shit go down. A rematch at least. The better man should win matches. Heels can get heat otherways that by interfering in matches and hitting people with a chair.

 

How about instead of an opening promo, we get an opening card lineup like they do at house shows? "On tonight's show...." kind of thing. The Fink or Lillian could do it in the ring.

 

This is a small thing for me, but I always liked how Goldberg had security escort him to the ring. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see him walk to the ring from backstage, but it made sense that the champion would have protection. It'd make sense for Triple H to have a bodyguard. Kindof like Lex Luger in WCW. He had Harley Race as his manager (HHH has Flair) and he had Mr. Hughes for his security/bodyguard. We should hear Flair spouting off shit during the H? matches too. Stuff other than "you got him champ!" If he's the manager, I want to see Hx3 roll out and talk to him when he gets in trouble. I want to hear The Nature Boy yell at him to strike a leg or whatever. Like Bobby Heenan used to do. Make the manager's role important. I wouldn't mind seeing wrestlers whom were about to get a push, or who were on a losing streak, looking for outside help either. Would it kill someone like The Hurricane to ask a manager for his services? You could even show him being trained by the manager. Kindof like what Hogan did for Gene Okerlund. HAHA! Raw eggs!

 

Kill the women's division. Seriously. Lita is out. Molly is heel. I don't want to see Victoria beat Trish only because Victoria is the only babyface left in the division and it would set up Victoria Vs. Molly. With the firing and injuries, there's only three competant workers left in the match. No one believe that Christy Hemme can beat Trish in a match. Even if it's made to look like a fluke. Chick Kick, it's over. It doesn't matter how much clevage Trish sports or how short Christy's skirt is...it's not worthy of a Wrestlemania slot. C'mon.

 

I think that tag team wrestling should be show exclusive. Kindof like how the cruiserweight division should be. One set of tag belts. If a couple of wrestlers want to get together because they think they have good chemisty, a show jump to try to go after the titles wouldn't be a bad thing. It'd spice shit up. Like, if Regal and Tajiri randomly wanted gold they could jump to Smackdown. Actually, I think since Smackdown has the CW's, Raw should get the Tags. So, if The Bashams, for example, wanted gold...they could jump to Raw. There needs to be AT LEAST six teams for the division to be credible. At least in my eyes.

 

Stop with the gimmick matches. Shit. No wonder people don't seem to care about the TV shows anymore. They're full of one-on-one matches. We should get, like, two or three gimmick matches a year. Instead we get, like, one per PPV. That's like 14 a year! Street Fight, Elimination Chamber, Hell in a Cell, Cage Match, Ladder Match, TLC, Barbed Wire Cage, etc. It doesn't ever mean anything if we just saw it happen.

 

Reincorporate some sort of time limit. Kindof like how TNA does for iMPACT! on Friday's. I'm not a real big fan of 10 minute time limits for all the random undercard matches, but something could be done for title matches. All World Title defenses should have an hour time limit, for example. Maybe the IC get's forty-five. Then you don't have to have the "main event" go on last. One of the worst things about WWE PPV's is that you know when the main event is going to end just by looking at the clock and seeing how much time is left until the show is over. Same with Raw. If you have the "main event" in the middle of the show, who knows how long it will last. Especially if you switch is up. 60 minute draw. Thirty minute title change. Four minute squash. It does bring up a problem though...how do you follow the "main event?" They could just advertise matches that will happen "if time allowed" though. That way people know what else to expect. We don't need another random Owen Hart Vs. Skinner Wrestlemania match. "Go gimme four minutes!"

 

When the bell rings, a match should be over. No more restarts. No more "five more minutes!" If time runs out, the champion retains the belt in a draw. That's why he's the champion. He's supposed to have the advantage. You shouldn't get a restart. You couldn't get the job done. You pushed him to his limit, but you didn't win. Nice try. Next. Seriously. That's why I always hated the Hart/Michaels WM Iron Man Match. Why wasn't it a draw and Hart retained the belt? Stupid.

 

I don't care about a new logo that much. Seems like a hassle to me. They have to go over all the old logos and shit. Get new copywrites, etc. I have a box set of Wrestlemania 1-14, and you can tell that they put the scratch logo over the old logos down in the bottom corner. Just seems like a lot of work that could be time spent doing something else more productive.

 

All main events don't have to have someone bleed!

 

I hate how on Raw you always know who's going to show up. You can tell who's getting the current push. It wouldn't be so bad if Batista got a week off. Or if Val Venis randomly had a match this week. It keeps everyone looking strong instead of knowing who's going to win or lose a match. Seriously, when you see Steven Richards on Raw, do you think he has a shot? It's different when you're building up to a big PPV like they are now with Batista, but throughout the year, they should incorporate this.

 

I'm a big fan of character specific entrances. Like how Gangrel used to rise up through the ring of fire. Like how Misterio has the big jump ramp. Things like that. WWE should do more of those.

 

I'm a big fan of the wrestlers not wearing their ring gear except for when they're going to wrestle. Benoit always looks stupid when he's giving an interview in his tights. On the other hand, Triple H always looks good when he's dressed up to talk. I don't know why, maybe it's because of the IV Horsemen back in the day, but I've always been a big fan of this. The wrestlers should dress like they have a suit/tie job when not wrestling. It just looks more professional and legitimate.

 

IC belt needs to go back to being the old belt. The one that Warrior and Rude wore. Why did they change it? They don't need to constantly update their belts. Of course, since they do, the IC title needs some sort of change. It looks terrible.

 

I'm not a big fan of contract signing in the ring, but I do like when they have press conferences like they do in boxing. A place for the press to ask questions and the wrestlers to do a staredown. It could even be shown as like a special. "This Saturyday night at 10pm, Batista/HHH press conference." That's when HHH could do his "I am the Game. You don't want to play me. I've beaten them all " speil instead of taking up thirty minutes with it each month for whomever the next challenger is.

 

Alright, my hands are starting to hurt...so I'll probably write more later.

[Guest Some Guy]

I agree with changing the logo, maybe go to the block letters with the scratch logo inside it. I'd color code the logo to match the show (Black and Blue for SD! and Red and Black for Raw).

 

Until they change the color scheme, Raw doesn't bother me as much as SD!. I hate the Silver ring posts and steps and the blue ropes and the stupid set with the fist. Maybe Black and Gold ala WM 10 would be better.

 

Separate the brands entirely. No mention of SD! on Raw, unless it's a pot shot and vice versa. No more "inter-promotional" matches either. They need to create the mistique that they are two different companies. Drop the Draft Lottery deal and have free agents, who just show up on the other show, like when a guy would jump from WCW to WWF. Say Kurt Angle shows up on Raw one week and challenges HBK, they could either go with the "what is he doing here?" routine and then reveal that Bischoff signed him or they could build it up as a suprise for a few weeks. As it is now it was very obvious after the RR that Angle would show up on Raw and then HBK on SD!. If Angle signed with Raw then he could give the same reasoning as he did for wanting the match with HBK on SD!. "I've already beaten every on that other show and now I'm coming here because I need a new challenge. And I'm going to start with a guy who, ever since I came to WWE has been called "the greatest athlete in the history of the WWE". I'm an Olympic Gold Medalist, Damn it! They called him "the most resillient(sp?) superstar in the WWE". I defended the WWE title at WM 19 with a broken freakin' neck! They say he's the most honored man in WWE. I've held (runs down the list of titles). So the man I came to fight, the man I came to beat is none other than Shawn Michaels. And Shawn when I get my hands on you, I'll make you tap and prove that I am what they say you are. It's True, It's damn True!."

 

I think that type of build would be more effective. It would ass an element of suprise back into the show. I wouldnt even have SD! acknowledge he was gone other than maybe having Teddy Long be in a bad mood on the show.

 

Then a few months later have a Raw guy jump over to SD! The possibilities are endless in what they could do. Hell, if they really wanted to shake things up they could have Long sign the Raw champ or something.

 

This would not be a visible change in presentation but they would be presenting the shows differently to the fans. No more "SD! Rebounds" and all that other synergistic shit. The only thing I'm having trouble with is figuring out how to separate the the big four PPVs, well 3 because WM would still have to have both shows on it to be fair to the wrestlers when it comes to pay offs.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

I think RAW and Smackdowns set needs to be smaller, and the entrance-way needs to be longer. Not to the point of where it was in the early 90's where there was no video screens, but I don't think they should take up a 1/4 of the Arena either. I love elevated ramps. I think an elevated ramp to the ring, with a video/light floor on the way to the ring, and a ton of lights in the background, with a 2 part video screen that extends all the way down, that can slide together and open, and an elevator + steps takes the wrestler to the top of the ramp. That could be for smackdown. RAW could have a dual entrance-way, where the inclined ramp could divide and from on between wrestlers could come out. _OR_ they could set it up like WM 4/5 and have the wrestlers walk down from the bleachers/aisles.

[Guest Some Guy]

Come to think of it, the ramp would be cool to see again. Especially if there was a red carpet going down it. Cheesy? Sure, but it'd be original. At least in wrestling.

 

 

The only problem I see with the ramp is that they'd make it out of the metal grating that they use now a no one in their right mind would bump that.

 

 

I like the idea of the commentators being elevated as well. Think Shane Douglas & Joey Styles at Heatwave '98. They were up in like a balcony. It worked. It'd work for WWE too.

I like that idea. I'd have the sommentators become more like the hosts of the show and not part of the show. Gorilla and Bobby, weren't always getting beat up and such. I think they've beaten up JR in OK more than enough times by now and it's never really gotten any heat (well except when Kane lit him on fire. Ha ha ) Speaking of commentators I'd fire King or move him to Heat, have Tazz come to Raw with JR and put Heymen with Cole on SD!. I'm sick of Lawler and don't like Tazz and Cole's buddy-buddy shit. I'd also have Heymen and Tazz be heel commentators in the Jesse Ventura sense, where they really put over the heels for beign smart or tough or whatever and mention the double standard whenit comes to faces and heels cheating.

 

I don't care about Piper's Pit/Barbershop/Brother Love Show type settings.  WWE doesn't really need them. They could just as easily have "Mean" Gene Okerlund do in-ring interviews again. Hell, he could do some backstage ones in front of the pre-made backrounds like Loss hinted at. Like he used to do with Hogan, et al.

I don't like this type of interview segment. It's old hat. Backstage promos are fine. Pre-taped promos in front of a blue screen are not.

 

I want there to not be footage shown backstage at all. I mean, pre-recorded interviews on a made backround are one thing...but I don't want to see Dean Malenko watching Lita in the shower, or Evolution talking about Batista in the locker room. The camera man is there. We, as fans, can't act like he's not. Everything should take place in front of both the camera and the live audience.

I wouldn't do away with all the backstage stuff. They could still have the heel reveal his master plan or whatever but they need a reason for it. It could be that the camera man was filming a backstage promo and is walking away with the camera on, hears somethign and secretely films it.

 

Since WWE is hell bent on having so many freaking PPV's a year, since it brings in a lot of money, they should set up some sort of round robin deal. That way, the fans know what the main events are going to be well ahead of time. It'd also give multiple wrestlers the opportunity to main event. Say, six wrestlers and they have to fight each other. Throw, like, HHH, HBK, Benoit, Batista, Jericho & Orton into it. One PPV is Orton Vs. HHH. Another is Batista Vs. HBK. Eventually, you'd have the matches that were built up, like Batista Vs. HHH, but you'd also get the "smark" matches of like Benoit Vs. Jericho. That's a lot of matches too. It'd also reincorporate a ranking system by default. I don't know how it'd work with title defenses, but maybe they could make a rule where the Heavyweight title can only be defended on the "big four" PPV's? That would add, at least a little, prestige to the title again. Especially if someone went over the champion at a non-big four PPV. It'd make for longer title reigns too.

Tournemetns when done properly work very well at getting people over. I think they should possibly go back to a ranking system. Kind of like the WCW Top Ten. Have Bischoff post a list every week, that he (his character) came up with based on who is doing the best. A guy who is say #8 would see this, confront Bischoff, he'd tell him that he'll never amount to anything more than #8, and the guy would go out and bust his ass to get better. All the while Bisch laughs his way to the bank. In other words they could use it as a motivation factor.

 

Perhaps footage can be shown from OVW of wrestlers getting ready to debut? That way we don't just get video vignettes of The Masterpiece before he shows up and slaps on a full nelson in a squash match. What makes this guy so special? Why should he be allowed to wrestle on Raw? Show us! It wouldn't kill a wrestler to debut and lose every now and then. Afterall, these wrestlers on Raw are supposed to be the best in the world. Right?

I like teh idea but that would require very long term booking. They'd have to come up with the gimmick for the guy way before he came up to the big show.

 

I love "Tale of the Tape." WWE needs to do that more. Add in more things than previous titles held though. I want a bio, like in boxing. Not just age and weight. Not Tazz's tips where he's like "don't get hit with his finisher." I was stuff like reach too. Maybe that's asking for too much, but I definitely want "Tale of the Tape."

I agree with the "Tale of the Tape". When Ventura ran down the list at WM 3 it gave the match an even bigger aura.

 

During title matches, the wrestlers should be introduced in their corner. Like in Japan. Height, Weight, Location, titles, name. No more kayfabed locations either. I want to hear what city they're from. Even if it's a bumpfuck small ass city. No more "from Dudleyville" or "Death Valley." I want to hear like "Gary, IN!"

I think how they do it now is fine. If a guys gimmick is that he's a dead man then announcing him from Houston doesn't make much sense. Dudleyville is pretty stupid at this point as the joke has long since run it's course.

 

Earl Hebner has to go. I don't care how good he is at communication or whatever. He has to go. He can't do it anymore. Arguably, I don't think he ever could. He has the worst "near fall" count that I've ever seen. It's terrible. He can't sell a bump well either. It exposes the business badly.

I agree. I've hated Hepner since Montreal. Not because of the part he played inteh match itself, I don't really care about that. I just think that ever since then he's had an arrogant smug attitude as though being the head referee is a big bragging right. I hated how they made him the "Stone Cold Ref" in his feud with Nick Patrick. I think the refs should go back to being faceless, gimmickless parts of the match.

 

How about making it so that wrestlers with managers or valets can't have their manager/valet leave their corner? They shouldn't be able to walk around the ring freely so that they can interfere behind the referees back.

 

An impartial GM would be nice too. Kindof like Jack Tunney back in the day. If someone cheated, he'd make some shit go down. A rematch at least. The better man should win matches. Heels can get heat otherways that by interfering in matches and hitting people with a chair.

Linda should have this spot, despite her lack of charisma. She should be the one and only person who has authority over Bisch and Long. Vince has had too many face/heel turns to be taken seriously as inpartial. She has only been a face and that's really only because she's been a foil for Vince a few times and mistreated by her husband. If she sees Long siding with the faces too much then she should come on and call him on it and same for Bisch with the heels (I'm not really sure if he's a face or a heel right now, though and that's a good thing). The GM, ideally should be looking out for the best interest of the show, not the heels o faces. If they aren't, then Linda swoops in and corrects the problem.

 

How about instead of an opening promo, we get an opening card lineup like they do at house shows? "On tonight's show...." kind of thing. The Fink or Lillian could do it in the ring.

If they did that then people could plan out their piss breaks or whatever. If you ran down the card in order and basically said that at 10:15 Snisky would fight Hassaan, I'd know not to rush back from whatever I was doing during the break before that quarter hour.

 

Kill the women's division. Seriously. Lita is out. Molly is heel. I don't want to see Victoria beat Trish only because Victoria is the only babyface left in the division and it would set up Victoria Vs. Molly. With the firing and injuries, there's only three competant workers left in the match. No one believe that Christy Hemme can beat Trish in a match. Even if it's made to look like a fluke. Chick Kick, it's over. It doesn't matter how much clevage Trish sports or how short Christy's skirt is...it's not worthy of a Wrestlemania slot. C'mon.

Agreed. I'd put Trish with a heel who has poor mic skills but a good workrate, he couldn't be completely outshone by his manager.

 

I think that tag team wrestling should be show exclusive. Kindof like how the cruiserweight division should be. One set of tag belts. If a couple of wrestlers want to get together because they think they have good chemisty, a show jump to try to go after the titles wouldn't be a bad thing. It'd spice shit up. Like, if Regal and Tajiri randomly wanted gold they could jump to Smackdown. Actually, I think since Smackdown has the CW's, Raw should get the Tags. So, if The Bashams, for example, wanted gold...they could jump to Raw. There needs to be AT LEAST six teams for the division to be credible. At least in my eyes.

Agreed.

 

Stop with the gimmick matches. Shit. No wonder people don't seem to care about the TV shows anymore. They're full of one-on-one matches. We should get, like, two or three gimmick matches a year. Instead we get, like, one per PPV. That's like 14 a year! Street Fight, Elimination Chamber, Hell in a Cell, Cage Match, Ladder Match, TLC, Barbed Wire Cage, etc. It doesn't ever mean anything if we just saw it happen.

I agree. They've done a good job of protecting HiaC and the Elimination Chamber, but the rest have been used up. Ladder Matches used to be special, now they mean nothing and they put guys in them that don't bump like crazy or know how to work. I think the street fight stip on Raw with HBK and Edge was fine although it was booked wrong, Edge should have been able to use the lack of rules to his advantage by doing things that would ordinarily get him DQed.

 

Reincorporate some sort of time limit. Kindof like how TNA does for iMPACT! on Friday's. I'm not a real big fan of 10 minute time limits for all the random undercard matches, but something could be done for title matches. All World Title defenses should have an hour time limit, for example. Maybe the IC get's forty-five. Then you don't have to have the "main event" go on last. One of the worst things about WWE PPV's is that you know when the main event is going to end just by looking at the clock and seeing how much time is left until the show is over. Same with Raw. If you have the "main event" in the middle of the show, who knows how long it will last. Especially if you switch is up. 60 minute draw. Thirty minute title change. Four minute squash. It does bring up a problem though...how do you follow the "main event?" They could just advertise matches that will happen "if time allowed" though. That way people know what else to expect. We don't need another random Owen Hart Vs. Skinner Wrestlemania match. "Go gimme four minutes!"

I'd go with 15 for the IC title on Raw and 30 for PPVs, the World title would get 30 on Raw and 60 on PPVs. You could book a 30 minute draw on Raw to set up an Iron Man match at a PPV. And I always liked the TV title gimmick with the ten minute time limits

 

When the bell rings, a match should be over. No more restarts. No more "five more minutes!" If time runs out, the champion retains the belt in a draw. That's why he's the champion. He's supposed to have the advantage. You shouldn't get a restart. You couldn't get the job done. You pushed him to his limit, but you didn't win. Nice try. Next. Seriously. That's why I always hated the Hart/Michaels WM Iron Man Match. Why wasn't it a draw and Hart retained the belt? Stupid.

Because Piper said that there had to be a winner.

 

All main events don't have to have someone bleed!

Agreed. Shawn and HHH blade way too often.

 

I'm a big fan of the wrestlers not wearing their ring gear except for when they're going to wrestle. Benoit always looks stupid when he's giving an interview in his tights. On the other hand, Triple H always looks good when he's dressed up to talk. I don't know why, maybe it's because of the IV Horsemen back in the day, but I've always been a big fan of this. The wrestlers should dress like they have a suit/tie job when not wrestling. It just looks more professional and legitimate.

I agree about wearing street clothes, but havign everybody in a suit makes every one the same. I would make a rule that no one is allowed to wear fanny packs on TV. I swear to God that wrestlers are the only people in the world who still sport those goofy fuckign things.

 

IC belt needs to go back to being the old belt. The one that Warrior and Rude wore. Why did they change it? They don't need to constantly update their belts. Of course, since they do, the IC title needs some sort of change. It looks terrible.

Agreed. I never liked the post-WM 14 design for any of the titles. I really hope that when they switch from Cena's US title to a non-gimmick specific belt they don't go back to that horirble looking thing they had before.

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

I'd make more of a big deal about the fact that guys from different brands never interact on shows, except for the Big 4. Though I would also allow for guys to jump brands, maybe have the GM's do a trade once in a while, that kind of thing.

 

I'd also have them come out and state that guys are ALLOWED to make cross-brand challenges for WM. Thay way, WM is special because there can be the cross-brand matches, RR is special because they all get to wrestle, and the two SS's just have everyone on the same show.

 

Further, I'd tell the announcers EVERYTHING. Well, maybe not everything - if they'd perfer to not know the finish so their calls can seem more "real" or whatever, fine, but announcers should NEVER be at a loss for words unless they're running an angle which specifically calls for it.

 

What I mean is, if a "mysterious limo" pulls up, JR shouldn't say "Oh, it's just Vince". But I mean, their JOB is calling wrestling matches. They should NEVER not know what to call a move. I would have all the anouncers sit down with the wrestlers and discuss what to call the moves. When a new guy hits his finisher, they should say "He likes to call that the (X)" EVERY TIME, and when cruisers do some crazy-ass move, they should know what the name of it is. Nothing annoys me more then seeing JR not know what to call a move that *I* know the name of. IT IS YOUR JOB TO KNOW WHAT ALL THE MOVES ARE CALLED. LEARN THEM. I think that would make the thing seem a lot more professional, because then you'd never have "WHATTAMANEUVER!" again.

 

The same should apply to match rules. The announcers should know exactly the rules of every single match. I mean, look back at HHH/Rock in the Iron Man. At one point, King asks what happens if there's a draw at the end of the hour, and JR literally says "I don't know." He should NEVER say that. None of the anouncers should. He should be able to say something like "Well, a draw would go to the champion".

 

Although, if it is a rule that somehow is going to play into the finish, they should just NOT mention it as opposed to bringing it up and saying it should go this way, only to have someone come out and change the rule.

 

So basically, I think the announcers should be more clear, and should always seem like they know what they're talking about. Of course, exceptions can be made (like if someone pulls out a move that they want to play off as having never been seen before) but in general terms, they should NEVER not know something.