NintendoLogic Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 Raw set a record for fewest viewers at 1.686 million. And that's without any asterisks like a holiday or going up against a major sporting event. I suppose you could say the pandemic is something of an asterisk, but if anything, they should benefit from a captive audience. I think it's more a matter of no audiences exposing how stale the format is, like a shitty sitcom being exposed by the lack of a laugh track. If ratings keep falling, I wouldn't be surprised if they brought Vince Russo back. I mean, could he really do any worse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted May 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 Eh, dunno about that. Most people are focused on real world news, as basically all four shows (the three WWE brands + AEW) took massive hits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 25 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said: Eh, dunno about that. Most people are focused on real world news, as basically all four shows (the three WWE brands + AEW) took massive hits. That's absolutely true, but I think the argument can be made that wrestling fans just aren't liking the crowdless shows. I don't think it's a coincidence that AEW's drops are lower (granted they had less audience to start with) because they've put more of an attempt in to make shows look as "normal" as possible. WWE TV has just been strange to watch, with entirely empty arenas and wrestlers having to still do their video game entrances and poses to crowds that aren't there. WWE's style has just been so exposed as rigid and inflexible at a time when the whole world had to change how they do things, they keep doing things as if nothing different is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FMKK Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 I think the empty arena stuff highlights the most artificial and alienating parts of the WWE product, as mentioned by Sek. We've also seen pretty substantial ratings falls after Wrestlemania for the past number of years. So it seems like empty arena has exacerbated a trend rather than creating a new one. The sheer lack of star power on these shows is not helping of course. But a part of me can't help but think that a lot of the WWE habit viewers were waiting around for an excuse to check out. And as someone who hasn't watched the weekly TV in a while, I can't imagine ever going back. The question is if the people turned off by empty arena will feel the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 Yeah that's the ultimate question. Will the lost viewers during the pandemic return when we return to normalcy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted May 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 21 minutes ago, Strummer said: Yeah that's the ultimate question. Will the lost viewers during the pandemic return when we return to normalcy? Doubt it. If attendance won't return to normalcy anytime sun, no way regular viewership will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 20 hours ago, MoS said: I don't even understand why they would do this to Roman. This is beyond parody.  He's in The Big Doghouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 1 hour ago, gordi said: He's in The Big Doghouse 7 stars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 15 hours ago, sek69 said:  WWE's style has just been so exposed as rigid and inflexible at a time when the whole world had to change how they do things, they keep doing things as if nothing different is going on. Last night, I tried to watch last week's NXT. I checked out on the first Cruiserweight match when both competitors had to stop at the belt in the entranceway and look at it longingly. I tried watching the main, too. Lee's "I....am.....limitless" when Priest tried to hit him with the nightstick is up there with the stupidest shit I've seen in wrestling (I may be exaggerating). Backstage, someone thought that would be a really dramatic moment in the match.  Also, if I never see another wrestler make shocked faces after their opponent kicks out of a move that the first wrestler has NEVER won a match with, I will die a happy man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 I myself am not watching any new wrestling with no audience, be it WWE or AEW. Â When things get back to a semblance of normalcy I'll start watching again. But to me it's like watching a stand up tell jokes to an empty club. It doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 Yeah. I can't do it without the crowd. You just need that visceral energy of the crowd to make it all work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 I agree. I haven’t watched a full show since  the pandemic started. I got two matches in to WrestleMania before I tapped out. I tried watching NXT, AEW and 205 Live more than once since this mess happened but it just isn’t the same. It feels weird. I’ll probably start watching again when (or if) they start running shows in front of crowds again, but until then? Pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 How ironic. After years and years of bashing the "idiotic fans and their idiotic chants" and other "bad crowds cheering for their indy darlings"... I agree some shows have been pretty rough and there's a sense of emptiness. AEW with only a bunch of guys on the stands making noise has been quite watchable though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 Of all the shows running during the pandemic, AEW is definitely doing the best job by using their talent in the stands to show some sort of reaction. I also like the fact that the AEW talent are acting differently and acknowledging that circumstances are different in promos and in the way they enter the ring. The WWE/NXT guys acting the exact same way in empty arenas as they always do, with the gesturing and the theatrics and the catchphrases, it just makes them look even dumber than they normally look. And that's saying something. It's just goofy and stupid. And WWE was already going way too far with all the stupid wannabe movie dialogue in the ring during matches when there were fans around. Now that you have to hear everything the performers are saying to each other...it's cringeworthy. It's like really bad community theatre. Without crowds (even WWE crowds) to react off, Pro Wrestling just comes across as odd. When comparing the so-called "Wednesday Night War" one of the areas I thought AEW had it all over NXT was in the crowds and crowd reaction. AEW crowds are usually rabid, and their reactions really added to the overall feeling and aura of the show. The opening moments of Dynamite reminded me of Raw or Nitro in the 90's in a good way. Enthusiasm and excitement. Hell, the NWA was drawing a whopping 250 fans to their TV tapings at the GPB studios, but those fans were LOUD. You need that. But even there, I didn't think that model was going to work long term. I don't think doing a show in front of the exact same crowd every week is ever a good idea for Professional Wrestling. TNA proved that with the Nashville "Asylum" shows and then later in the Orlando "Impact Zone." When you get the same fans every week, it gets harder and harder to get them to react. I found that NXT fans at Full Sail were getting less vocal and less enthusiastic as time went by. Of course, they might just have been reacting (or not reacting) to the quality of the Pro Wrestling they were seeing. Like I said, I have tried to watch Pro Wrestling during this whole thing, I have. There's just something about empty arena Pro Wrestling that doesn't appeal to me. I don't think it's a performance that lends itself to being done in front of an empty building. This whole situation has proved how integral a part of the show fans really are. It's not the same without the crowds, I just can't get into it. Granted, part of that might be the absurdity of watching guys pretend to fight in spandex, while meanwhile hundreds of people are dying every day. I don't know. But then again, I seem to be able to take my brain off the hook when I watch Survivor, and not think about the pandemic for a little while. Either way, I just can't get into the empty arena stuff. And based on the ratings for WWE and AEW, I am obviously not the only person who feels this way. The big question is how many fans will come back, when they're eventually able to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 That is a big question I think the comic book industry is facing down to. When people have been broken of the habit and ritual of watching Raw or going to the shop for books how many are going to stop and realize they made better use of the time and money and not come back. I think that's a real risk for WWE and comic books. I could see AEW and to a lesser extent NXT recovering because Wednesday Night seems like only the hardcores tune in for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 Agreed. Once you get past of the point of realizing that you don't actually *miss* something (or someone, mind you) and that you're caught into new routines and stuff, that thing (or person) is fucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 4 hours ago, Johnny Sorrow said: I myself am not watching any new wrestling with no audience, be it WWE or AEW.  When things get back to a semblance of normalcy I'll start watching again. But to me it's like watching a stand up tell jokes to an empty club. It doesn't work. Agreed & I am in the same boat. I have still been watching wrestling, I am just going back & watching stuff I had not seen before from yesteryear. I watched the Stone Cold Session with The Big Show. Dark Side of the Ring has been pretty entertaining thus far. Plus, count me in with the group that doesn't miss The Last Dance with Michael Jordan. For NBA fans similar in age to myself, that's can't miss television. I already didn't feel like I had a connection with modern WWE but without a crowd, it's just completely unwatchable. AEW has done a few cool things but I can just get caught up via clips posted on Twitter. There's zero reason to sit through entire crowdless shows. I have been watching some MLW because they had some shows in the can from AAA. There's also been at least one half hour of NWA I have watched when they did the feature on Kamille. There's enough out there to see. Hell, I still need to watch the NJPW PPV from Feb. with KENTA/Naito. Maybe I'll do that tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Jordan saying he'd not want to be a role model if he had it to do over again is refreshing to hear. I like that the last two episodes put his worth in pop culture under the microscope a little bit, counterbalanced by the gambling and the overall competitive alpha-male behavior he displayed on the court and to his own team as well. I have a weird respect for Jerry Krause. He had almost a tribal commitment to the Bulls as a corporate entity rather than a sports franchise. Phil Jackson is the most interesting one of the bunch. An authority figure who also embodied so much of the 60's counter-culture back in the day, a Buddhist known for losing his temper, and just a fascinating dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 I watched a Knicks documentary the other day, and that team from 69-73 had so many interesting players. Jackson might be the most intriguing one of them all, openly saying he did acid during his playing days. It just adds a lot to the story of him bonding with Dennis Rodman and how he managed to integrate the Worm to that late 90's Bulls. I'm curious as to how they approach the first retirement and playoff defeat to Orlando. Â Speaking of Orlando, it seems Karrion Kross and Scarlett (why remove her last name dammit) won't be lasting long in NXT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarpetCrawler Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 8 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said: I watched a Knicks documentary the other day, and that team from 69-73 had so many interesting players. I'm assuming When the Garden Was Eden? The book version is fantastic as well. My Dad adored those Knick teams and to this day is more than happy to share stories of watching them. He's not wrong; watching highlights, they're such a stunningly fun team to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 So Karion "Killer" Kross has an insanely great entrance now.  I can't wait to see this in front of 10,000 + people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 MJ was clearly a huge bully to Krause and I should feel bad for Krause but then I see that interview where he smugly says again and again that it's the organization that is responsible for the success and not just the team, and I am like, whatever fuck him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 2 minutes ago, CarpetCrawler said: I'm assuming When the Garden Was Eden? The book version is fantastic as well. My Dad adored those Knick teams and to this day is more than happy to share stories of watching them. He's not wrong; watching highlights, they're such a stunningly fun team to watch. Yes! That's the one. I can only imagine the fun he had. That whole roster of very peculiar (and sometimes stylish) with a selfless playstyle must've been a joy. It's insane how they managed to overcome that Lakers big 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 26 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said: Speaking of Orlando, it seems Karrion Kross and Scarlett (why remove her last name dammit) won't be lasting long in NXT. It's long been a (somewhat overlooked) Vince fetish to give women only one name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 2 minutes ago, sek69 said: It's long been a (somewhat overlooked) Vince fetish to give women only one name. Nothing beats Kelly Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.