10 Things You'd Do To Improve Current WWE

[goodhelmet]

For those of you encouraging the emergence of squash matches, be careful of what you ask for. It does not make for compelling TV at all. Hell, one of the reasons I returned to watching wrestling after a 7 year hiatus was because I loved the fact that I didn't know who was going to win in alot of matches.

[Loss]

For those of you encouraging the emergence of squash matches, be careful of what you ask for. It does not make for compelling TV at all. Hell, one of the reasons I returned to watching wrestling after a 7 year hiatus was because I loved the fact that I didn't know who was going to win in alot of matches.

Sometimes, wrestling isn't supposed to be entertaining every second that it's on. It's supposed to establish things for the future -- I'm willing to forgo the occasional ** 25-minute RAW tag match to do 3-4 squashes that get over guys who need to get over and build to a bigger and better match in the future. The problem they've run into now is that the PPVs are just like the TV shows because there are so many big matches on both, and the PPVs should always be a step above. From a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense.

[Guest Dorian]

Not only that, but you can turn a token squash match into a 25 epic to put over this newbie talent that can turn into an overnight star by playing up the big win.

[Resident Evil]

The thing is that metal tends to go through phases where it's cool and phases where it's not. Hip hop is always trendy, and staying on top of that trend (or gravy-training it) assures that WWE will always at least seem contemporary.

Hip hop doesn't fit in with wrestling at all. There's nothing I hate more than hearing hip hop music when I'm watching wrestling.

 

 

Do you guys realise how many people actually don't like hip hop music?

 

 

As far as music goes Japan traditionally does it does the right way. Yeah, it would cost a fortune over here to do what they do but it's something I would spend a lot of money on. Truly good music everyone can relate to.

 

 

 

These are some things I'd do:

 

 

 

About the squash matches -- NO! NO! NO! or at least not too much of them on the card. I do not want to go back to the way it was in the past. I think people forget how uneventful all those squashes are.

 

 

 

Burn the whole WWE to the ground and start over. Do whatever I can to get rid of that horrible name and do whatever I can to get the WWF name back. If that's not possible than I'm swithching it to something better as quickly as possible.

 

 

 

I'd definitely change or alter the style though I'm not too sure on where I'd go with it. Even the "best" style ever of All Japan over and over again (which is partly why I think All Japan started more non selling stuff towards the end of the 90s) is the same style over and over again. What you need is some variety but also a good base style or two that the fans can connect with and become familiar with.

 

The juniors would be treated with a lot more respect and prominence although I feel I'm just repeating what everyone else is saying here. Once in awhile I'd let a heavyweight beat some of the lower tier juniors but if there are junior wrestlers that have something special which allows them to compete with the heavys than I would showcase that.

 

 

HIre RavishingRickRudo as a booker.

 

Television shows would go no longer than a hour and a half. Anything more than that and you're starting to push the envelope on the viewers' attention span. You're also going to make it harder on the bookers

 

 

Get rid of nonsensical backstage camera work. Yes, it's a diversion of that "boring" wrestling but it's the ultimate kayfabe breaker.

 

Eh, gotta go now.

[sek69]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I remember Barry Windham going up against Harley Race in Florida, and despite losing, it pretty much made Barry's career because Gordon Solie put over how much of a fight the kid put up against the veteran champ.

 

Sometimes losing ends up a bigger push than winning.

[Tim Cooke]

Midnight Express squash matches with or without Cornette on commentary are better than 95% of the regular TV matches going today. If a guy is limited, he gets 1 minute, does his 3 big moves, and is out. He gets over, everyone see's his big moves, and he proceeds to keep learning while doing the quick squashes.

 

The key is to have good squash matches, not bad one's.

 

Tim

[goodhelmet]

OK, I just watched 40+ hours of NWA tv, not to mention the Barnett NWA tapes. The best part of those squashes was the commentary of Jim Cornette. Also, where are you going to find a mark like David Crockett who can give you entertainment for all the wrong reasons. Seriously, there is no Jim Cornette in the biz today (not even the real one) and I don't think I would watch the squash match shows anyway. You can have enhancement talent, guys who just go out there to lose whatever but you def. do not want an hour or two hours of squash matches.

[Loss]

Speaking of that, working with limited guys, I remember Bret Hart saying once that he could carry anyone to a decent match by asking them ahead of time what their three biggest moves were and building big to each one happening. I thought that was pretty cool.

[goodhelmet]

Now, THAT is something these guys should be learning. Know your friggin opponent.

[Loss]

In a perfect world, Bret Hart would be booking WWE.

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

One of the ads at the bottom of this page is for Butternut Squash.

 

I had to point that out.

[Guest Anth]

I'm not going to post 10 points because I think everyone here has already covered these pretty well. I'll just expand on the points with some ideas of my own.

 

For set design, they need a major overhaul. Instead of one gigantic entrance that looks more like a rock stage than a sporting event, how about 2 seperate entrances at each end of the arena. One for heels, one for faces. Make it simple, no ramps or gigantic pyro. Have smaller screens set up around the entrance, use a smaller lighting rig for each entrance. Even decorate each entrance to fit the heels and faces. Make the heel one darker and more brooding for example.

 

I'd say have your TV in smaller arenas, but I don't know if Vince's ego will allow it.

 

I wouldn't say go back to a TV show dominated by squashes, but there definately needs to be more squashes then there are today. Christian, as mentioned before, would greatly benefit from this because he constantly gets put against guys on a bigger platform than him, where he can't possibly win. I'd say for a 2 hour TV show, have 3-4 squash matches (make them impactful and exciting), 1-3 mid-upper card matches which are competitive, and have stories and feuds built in. And finally a main event with main event wrestlers.

 

Cut back on skits, and have the feuds advanced through more interviews, and in-ring storytelling. Of course they'll need to be taught this by road agents. Or do the pre-taped segments, which I'll talk about later.

 

Managers need to be brought back to WWE in a big way. Many of the new guys coming from OVW and such desperately need managers to get them heat, because they are too inexperienced to get the heat on their own.

 

For the guys who are still a bit shaky on the mic, have their segments pre-taped. Saves them from dying infront of a live crowd.

 

When doing backstage stuff, get a fucking better camera crew. The one they've got now is shaky as hell and is shooting from this shit angle below everyone, it looks idiotic.

 

A better set for interviews would be nice, instead of the one they have now which looks like a do-it-yourself Playhouse toy out of a box.

 

Variety is the spice of life. Heavyweights, cruiserweights, women, tag teams. Just make the shows more unique. Seems like every new wrestler is built on their chiseled physique and power moves. Fuck that shit, WWE needs brawlers like Dick Murdoch and sympathetic underdogs like Paul London, and less Chris Masters and Mark Jindrak (I could care less if he's a decent wrestler, I'm bored as shit by his gimmick and character which everyone has). WWE had an awesome Women's division during the winter-spring of 04. You had Lita, Trish, Molly, Victoria, Nidia, Jazz, Gail, and Ivory. All of them good-great workers who were learning the craft. But then they shot it all to hell with the Diva Search.

 

With the cruiserweights, let them do the insane spotfests and high-flying moves to get them over. This stuff is not being done by anyone on WWE, as soon as the crowd sees these guys do these moves for the first time, they'll react to them because they are different and unique. But once you've got the crowd hooked with spotfests, bring down the insanity of the spots and add in psychology to keep the crowd interested without killing the workers.

 

WWE is totally missing the boat with the Latin audience, Lucha Libre is growing more and more popular as Lucha shows travel around the US with guys like Lucha Va Voom and the group out of Chicago. Which is why stuff like the Mexicools makes me shake my head.

 

Instead of insepid backstage skits that break your suspension of disbelief, borrow from ECW and do more pre-taped segments highliting the characters of the wrestlers. Everyone should see the video package Paul E. prepared for New Jack for ECW TV in August of 96. It's just New Jack, alone on the streets, talking to the camera in this serious tone, about how his family is dying in the projects due to the gangs. They didn't even have enough money to buy a tombstone for his dead nephew. All he wanted was to win the ECW Tag Titles, to get the money to get his family out of the projects. We see a music video set to Natural Born Killaz (another brilliant move, using the music to accentuate the character) about The Gangstas chasing The Eliminators for the titles. After the video, and after they have won the titles, New Jack says the first thing he'll do with the money...is buy a tombstone for his nephew. Just amazing work, and it's all so simple, as it gets the character of New Jack across, and makes the audience care about him. I can't say that for many people in WWE.

 

More storylines that the audience can relate to, or at least stuff the audience can understand in the realm of reality. Supernatural shit like Kane & Undertaker is dumb and needs to stop immediately.

 

You guys may laugh at me for this one, but stuff like Spike/Molly from '01 and Trish/Jericho from last year are perfect. The audience can relate with the positions these people were in, as their feelings conflicted with what others believe they should do. You saw love, hate, joy and heartbreak. The great thing about these stories were that they also tied directly to what was happening in the ring. Spike/Molly had the feud between the Hollys & Dudleys (a story as old as time, another thing WWE needs to do more of), and Trish/Jericho led to the blood feud between Jericho & Christian (WWE desperately needs more blood feuds).

 

Batista vs. HHH was a great story with twists and turns, told over a few months, and involving many other players. The crowd cared for Batista because he showed the talent to be a star, but HHH was holding him down. The crowd wanted to see him break free, and eventually he did.

 

Well, that was a bit of a rambling mess, not sure if I made my points but hopefully I added to the discussion.

[Ray]

Speaking of that, working with limited guys, I remember Bret Hart saying once that he could carry anyone to a decent match by asking them ahead of time what their three biggest moves were and building big to each one happening. I thought that was pretty cool.

And he's not just talking, I saw him actually do it in a match with Undertaker in 1992.

[Resident Evil]

Speaking of that, working with limited guys, I remember Bret Hart saying once that he could carry anyone to a decent match by asking them ahead of time what their three biggest moves were and building big to each one happening. I thought that was pretty cool.

And he's not just talking, I saw him actually do it in a match with Undertaker in 1992.

WHere did Bret say this at? I'd like to hear or read that interview.

[Ray]

Speaking of that, working with limited guys, I remember Bret Hart saying once that he could carry anyone to a decent match by asking them ahead of time what their three biggest moves were and building big to each one happening. I thought that was pretty cool.

And he's not just talking, I saw him actually do it in a match with Undertaker in 1992.

WHere did Bret say this at? I'd like to hear or read that interview.

It was on the Wrestling Observer Live radio show. Here's a link to a transcript of the interview:

 

http://www.liveaudiowrestling.com/wo/news/...ve+radio+report

 

Bret also remembered it as the night Owen started and had a bad squash match, as there was no such thing in Stampede. Bret remembers telling Magee to give him his three best moves so he could build around them and not do anything else, and after the match Vince said he had found his next champion. Dave said Vince was right, he just didn't know he was talking about the wrong guy in the match.

 

[Guest KingPK]

1) Hire writers that actually know SOMETHING about how to write a wrestling show instead of outcasts from Hollywood. Someone that's been a fan for most of his life and has ideas about the characters' strengths and weaknesses.

 

2) LISTEN to those people. If a guy on the low end of the totem pole has a good idea that others like, GO WITH IT instead of slapping him down or taking the idea and completely fucking it up. Suppression of original ideas is what's got them in the creative rut they're in now.

 

3) Drop the filler. Axe the Diva Search and only have interview segments that further something, whether it be an angle on the show, a future show, PPV, whatever.

 

4) Squash matches are ok, as long as they showcase something about the person doing the squashing. If it's a Big Show squash, have the jobber bump like hell for him to showcase how powerful he is. And then use those squashes to build to more competitive matches (like say, Shelton Benjamin saying "Yeah, he's strong, but I know how to chop this giant down to size.")

 

5) Have Vince book Stephanie and HHH on a cruise around the world to get them the hell away from the company for 6 months at the minimum.

 

6) Like Anth said, have storylines that are LOGICAL and tap into the audience's emotions, making them actually care for the face and want him to tear the heel to shreds. Though the "our little secret" part is a little slimy, it is making Rey into an incredibly sympathetic character and makes Eddie the slimeball heel that they want Rey to finally shut up once and for all.

 

7) Make the secondary titles mean something again. Outside of the Royal Rumble and a few other exceptions, make the US and IC champions automatic #1 contenders for the big belts, with the caveat being if the holder decides to take a title match, he must forefit his belt and a match will be held between the top two IC or US title contenders to determine the new champ.

 

8) Shit or get off the pot regarding the womens' division. If you can't get any good talent together besides Trish and Victoria, scrap the belt and make them valets or interviewers or something.

 

9) Make the tag titles floaters. Neither brand has a tag division worth a damn, so see if you can't combine them into something halfway decent.

 

10) Four words for a new DVD: Diva on Diva Action! Hey, I had to round the list out with something.

[MyOwnSummer]

For instance, what were they thinking using that "Bodies" song for the ECW promos? It's five years old and wasn't all that happening when it was actually new.

Well I didn't mind it for ECW because ECW normally catered to the Metal crowd. And didn't they use "Bodies" asa theme music during the Invasion until 9/11.

[Guest Anth]

I just had to add this thought to the thread. For a show like Velocity or Heat, how about having the announcers host the show from a studio instead of ringside?

 

The basis for this was I was watching an episode of Primetime Wrestling from 86, and Gorilla and Bobby Heenan host the show from a studio. They introduce the matches, and afterwards they will discuss the wrestlers we've just seen, and their current involvement with the WWF. It's all very calm and informative, as Gorilla and Bobby have a very intelligent discussion about undercarders like Tiger Chung Lee and George Wells. They don't need to yell or become cartoon characters, in fact they came across like sportscasters discussing the game results on Sportscenter or something.

 

What I'm saying is with a show like Velocity and Heat, which are mostly undercarders, you can have guys like Al Snow and The Coach put over the wrestlers from the studio, instead of being forced to yell like an idiot and talk about nothing over the match itself.

[Loss]

I really like that idea too, actually, as long as the set looks good. I think the rationale behind doing away with the studio hosting was so they could get closer to the audience and have a more authentic and intimate feel, but they ruined that when they moved Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler away from ringside. I'd suggest moving the talk shows like the Cabana and the Highlight Reel outside of the ring though, and putting them elsewhere in the arena. The shows definitely look more professional and less thrown together that way, and it's much easier on the crew.

[Guest EastCoastJ]

1) Drastically alter the look and presentation of WWE television. People like Dave Meltzer argue that wrestling is a star driven business, and that the reason wrestling isn't popular right now is because of the lack of new stars who people want to see. I think that this belief leaves a huge peice of the puzzle out, and that is the presentation of the product. Wrestling only really peaked three times: With Rock n' Wrestling and the Hogan era, with WCW and the Raw/Nitro wars, and with Raw's new attitude era. In the first case, Vince McMahon nearly drove himself out of business due to his refusal to change with the times and move away from the concepts that initially made him rich. In the second case, when WCW finally tried to create new stars it didn't matter as the vehicle was so tired. And now, McMahon is pretty much in the same boat that he was ten years ago. He'll beat the attitude presentation into the ground over the next few years until business bottoms out.

 

It's not the actors that are tired, it's the play. WWE is starting to get the right stars in place, but the vehicle that they are using to deliver them is one of the main reasons (along with timing) that wrestling won't boom again for at least five years. If someone who stopped watching in the early 90's when Doink and a few midgets ruled the airwaves, and then turned on the WWF five years later and saw DX, live in prime time, throwing out catchphrases that thousands of fans shouted along with on a set that literally looked like a warzone, you knew you were watching something worth giving another chance to. However, if you stopped watching WWE in 2000 and turned it on today, what would you see? The same set, the same color scheme, the same tired television format and the same commentators calling the whole thing, and you would remember why you stopped watching in the first place.

 

WWE needs to do something to make their product different, or at least do it to Smackdown to constrast the two shows. Pushing new stars and adding longer matches isn't changing anything. They need to do something to their product to make it as drastically different as the attitude era made it from the prior period.

 

This is where it would suck to be a promoter, because I have no idea how I would do that.

 

2) Change the sets. I would like to see something more along the lines of PRIDE. More white being used in the ring/ropes as well, with maybe a white and red ring for Raw and a white and blue ring for Smackdown. White guardrails would be a nice touch too.

 

3) Cut twenty minutes from each show and turn it into a pregame. WWE could stand to borrow some elements from legtimate sports, and this would be an idea I would strongly support. Both shows are too long at this point, and stars are being overexposed. I think that Smackdown for instance should open with Michael Cole, Tazz, Josh Matthews and maybe Gene Okerland on a seperate set, in the press box overlooking the ring and the arena like Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley would be on TNT before a playoff game. They could be putting over what a big show that they have tonight, show interviews from wrestlers as they arrive at the arena, and get all of the recap segments from the prior week out of the way early so that they don't kill the pace of the show as they have a habit of doing. They could also feature sit down interviews with the General Manager of the show, explaining why he made the matches that did for the evening, and perhaps discussing contendership with a top ten list of some sort. As long as the pregame was entertaining and treated like an important part of the show, it would give meaning to everything, make the company seem more legitimate and prevent talent and bookers from having to stretch 90 minutes of content into two hours.

 

4) Bring back the atmosphere of the 80's. Bring the guardrails closer to the ring, make the ramp to the ring more narrow and dim the lights in the arena. Look at an entrance like Terry Funk's from The Great American Bash 1989. It just FELT important. Funk had ten yellow shirted security officials by his side, and they were fighting their way through the tightly packed aisle with a huge spotlight on them. This kind of entrance still happens in boxing, and it's effective as hell. Also, people complain that fans aren't focused on wrestling while it occurs, but when the arena is lit up like a greenhouse what do they expect. Hogan/Andre is an immortal moment in part because of the visual of a sea of darkness surrounding a lit up ring containing the most important match of the era. We know you can draw decent crowds WWE, no need to always show them off. It's a minor detail, but Batista/Lesnar would feel much more epic in this kind of environment, and in theory it should be much harder for two wrestlers to lose a crowd in a darkened arena, because they have nothing else to focus on.

 

5) Look to Hollywood. Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock was the greatest built WWE match since Wrestlemania 5. They didn't need to blow up any ambulances. They didn't need to rape any corpses or introduce elaborate backstories involving 30 family members and dark secrets. The fued was incredible because a)both men were kept seperated, and the urge to book them into tag matches on opposite sides on TV for weeks beforehand was supressed, and b)because of the training packages shown on television. Rocky is one of the greatest stories ever told, and WWE channeled that for the build of SummerSlam 2002 with those video packages. It was straightforward. Two guys who had always been the best at what they did training their asses off for the biggest challenge of their lives. The Rocky was Rocky, and Lesnar was the vicious machine who pushed his body to the max with the sole purpose of destroying The Rock. WWE needs to build more feuds like this, not like Guerrero/Mysterio.

 

6) Bring Back Squash Matches: This is somewhat starting to happen with the Masterlock Challenge and the Angle Invitational, but it could do so much more. Nobody of any importance to the company (Christian, Ric Flair, Rob Conway etc) should be jobbing in a match that means nothing. Unless it builds to something and isn't simply television filler, mid carders and higher should only be pinned or submit on pay-per-view and at house shows.

 

7) Return to more of a Crash Television Format: You have got to leave your fans wanting more if you expect them to pay $40 for three hours on a week where you have already provided them with seven hours of it. By the time Raw or Smackdown ends, I find myself so tired of seeing Jericho or Edge on my screen that I am actually relieved to be getting a six day break from them. This isn't the most ideal feeling for an audience to have.

 

8) World Champions Wrestle ONLY on pay-per-view. Seeing Hulk Hogan in the ring used to be an event. Every match was special and memorable. You just can't say that about World Champions today. In order for a pay-per-view match to draw, it has to be seen as being a huge deal, and if it's the only time you get to see the champion wrestle that month, it will be. Obviously house shows and dark matches are fair game for champions to wrestle though.

 

Well, there are eight things that I would do.

[Loss]

And they're eight really fantastic points. Welcome aboard.

[Guest Some Guy]

7) Return to more of a Crash Television Format: You have got to leave your fans wanting more if you expect them to pay $40 for three hours on a week where you have already provided them with seven hours of it. By the time Raw or Smackdown ends, I find myself so tired of seeing Jericho or Edge on my screen that I am actually relieved to be getting a six day break from them. This isn't the most ideal feeling for an audience to have.

Elaborate on this "more of a crash tv format" thing. If you mean going back to Russo style booking then I disagree. If you mean building angles that have swerves (that make sense) and lead to a match that has the proper finish then I agree. WWE has become way too predictable, HBK's heel turn was a refreshing change.

 

The have run with HHH as the heel champ and HBK as the bouncing babyface for way too long. Things need to be changed up. Taking guys off TV for a while to keep them fresh makes sense. They have (or atleast had) a ton of guys not doing anything and a few monopolizing the shows. Take a few of the guys monopolizing the shows off TV for a while and elevate others into those spots. Then when you bring the other guy back he has a fresh feud with a new star. It's not hard at all.

 

WQ7) Return to more of a Crash Television Format: You have got to leave your fans wanting more if you expect them to pay $40 for three hours on a week where you have already provided them with seven hours of it. By the time Raw or Smackdown ends, I find myself so tired of seeing Jericho or Edge on my screen that I am actually relieved to be getting a six day break from them. This isn't the most ideal feeling for an audience to have.

 

Apparently HHH is off TV for a while. That in and of itself is a good thing, but it could be a better thing if they take that time that he's gone to elevate Shelton up to a top spot, then bring back HHH to feud with him and hopefully put him over. Voila, you have a new main eventer.

 

People say that Shelton can't talk, fine, then don't have him talk. Not every guy needs to cut 20 minute promos. Goldberg was about the hottest thing going in 98 and they were able to build up his first promo into a big event. Get back to that. Make people want to see things as mundane as someone talking. There is no intrigue anymore.

[Guest EastCoastJ]

When I say the return of a more Crash Television feel, I meant more in the way of television format than booking style per say. I remember when a two hour Raw used to seem to pass in sixty minutes, these days a two hour show seems to pass in four hours. I think part of that is the fact that they let segments go on for far too long currently. There is no reason that a Smackdown number one contender match needs to go forty minutes, and no reason that Chris Jericho and Carlito needed to be involved on camera for what seemed like 30 minutes each last Monday. The result is fans becoming apathetic about the product rather than enthusiastic. Both rosters have a B show full of entertaining talent, I would rather see more talent be used on Raw, resulting in less airtime for everyone and a product that moves at a faster pace, and leaves you wanting more of everyone.

[Guest KingPK]

They only do really long matches once in a long while, so I don't think that's much of a problem; it helps make the match more "epic" (though that SD match DID drag and probably wasn't worth the time it got).

 

Most matches on SD and RAW rarely crack 10 minutes anyway; it's the endless promos that are the problem (i.e. every HHH promo). If they would actually PROMOTE the B-Shows once in a while, people would probably watch more often. If Cole and Tazz took 20 seconds a couple times during the show and said "Tune in this Saturday to Velocity because there was a GREAT match between William Regal and Chris Benoit", then more people would have watched.

[Guest Some Guy]

OK, I see your point. I wouldn't have TV matches go 40 minutes very often, if for no other reason than PPV matches that go that long aren't seen as special or as worth paying money to see.

 

Raw used to seem to go by so fast because 37 things happened in every segment and you'd have whiplash by the end off the show. I would limit everyone's TV time to allow the showcasing of more talent.