How to Heat Up the Crowds?

[Guest RedDiesel]

It seems like anymore, wrestling crowds just suck. Unless they chant "WHAT?", they're dead. Canadian crowds are always great, but otherwise - it's pretty awful.

 

Maybe wrestling should have warm-up comedians? Perhaps more interaction by wrestlers? (Austin stomping Hall every time the crowd chanted WHAT?)

 

It just pisses me off that Lance Storm will never get a chance because he's not a cartoon.

[Guest TheNewF'nShow]

I agree.  However I think the Chicago and Garden crowds are always very good.  And I hope Lance Storm does get a chance eventually

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

One thing I noticed at a tv taping is that it is hard to hear the skits that happen on camera.  So while they might cheer who they see, its sometimes hard to hear what they are saying.

 

Also, they should have a hot match to start things off.  I would use RVD or someone that gets a crowd going to start things off.

[Guest RedDiesel]

Yeah, NYC crowds are pretty great. Any crowds in Texas are usually excellent as well. LA's good. But the crowds for Raw and Smackdown always seem so dead.

[Guest Tony149]

WCW did a good job keeping the crowd from dying off with the Nitro Girls & DJ Ran. The WWF needs to find a way to keep their crowds from getting bored during commerical breaks.

[Guest old_mort_wwfe]

I would use a 30 minute Benoit promo then follow that up with a Lance Storm match. Then id give them the triumphant return of.....STEVE BLACKMAN!!! The crowd noise would be off the scale for that show

[Guest HybridNetwork]

I think it also depends of how many times the WWF puts on shows in that area. Some crowds tend to be less excited because the WWF visits that city/arena several times throughout the year. Any shows up in Canada usually have hot crowds because the WWF only put on shows up there once a year (twice if they, the Canadian fans, are lucky).

[Guest Kinetic]

Also, they should have a hot match to start things off.  I would use RVD or someone that gets a crowd going to start things off.

Oh, god.  Could you imagine the bitching that would occur on this board if RVD were to curtain jerk every show?  It'd be unbearable.  If they really want to keep the crowd into every show, they should a) do something with the midcard, so the fans actually have a REASON to respond one way or the other, and b) book better matches with better workers.  There's no need for dancing girls or a DJ if you have a product that people actually care about.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

I think it also depends of how many times the WWF puts on shows in that area. Some crowds tend to be less excited because the WWF visits that city/arena several times throughout the year. Any shows up in Canada usually have hot crowds because the WWF only put on shows up there once a year (twice if they, the Canadian fans, are lucky).

Makes you wonder if Vince only cares whether the house is full or not, not whether they are cheering/booing while they are there.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

Also, they should have a hot match to start things off.  I would use RVD or someone that gets a crowd going to start things off.

Oh, god.  Could you imagine the bitching that would occur on this board if RVD were to curtain jerk every show?  It'd be unbearable.  If they really want to keep the crowd into every show, they should a) do something with the midcard, so the fans actually have a REASON to respond one way or the other, and b) book better matches with better workers.  There's no need for dancing girls or a DJ if you have a product that people actually care about.

Yes, I know (RVD thing). But hell, they put Y2J as the curtain jerker as the champ.  They could use the Hardleys who pop crowds, Kurt Angle, who gets the crowd going or  Booker T, who's entrance alone wakes the crowd up.  Just no more big men matches or boring promos to start the show.

[Guest TheDames7]

How about some cruiserweight matches...just f'n spot fests to get some guys over with the mindless crowds when they die.  Call up everyone they have stat!

 

Dames

[Guest Dace59]

Only one problem, that would leave the crowd totally dead for the SE bouts and they'd only bother with the wrestling matchs that don't happen that often.

No seriously, either dude to markism or the atmospher it would be that bad at all.

Still, huge f'n spot fests work for me.

[Guest dreamer420]

That is what WCW started to do in it's last days.  Stick 3 Count, the Jung Dragons, Rey and Kidman out there and let them murder each other to get the crowd hot for the upcoming crappy matches.

[Guest TheDames7]

Was that so wrong?  The crowd was actually into the cruiser matches at the PPV's because of the past matches that the 3 main cruiser teams had.  If they had played on that and hyped their matches, people would have cared a little more about it and they would have gotten over.  They never gave cruisers angles after Jericho left.  

 

Dames

[Guest Dace59]

The Jr. Heavyweight matches ruled.

The main reason I watched WCW. They had some great stuff in those matches.

[Guest dreamer420]

I liked it.  I knew exactly when to turn on the TV to see some kick ass CW matches.

[Guest Brian]

I doubt cruiserweight matches would change the way fans look at main events. Their basically trained into that style, a spotfest once a week (with the occasional studly match) won't change how they look at the main event style.

[Guest TheDames7]

Brian, I'm not saying that these matches would change the way fans would look at main events...but I think they would prefer to watch a good Juvi vs Rey match than a Scotty/Albert meaningless tag match with no angles or no direction.  The cruisers would get over on their hard work, just like RVD, because its something different and it would get the moves and the guys over quick.  You can still headline with Rock, Austin, HHH, etc, but on the undercard, you can spice it up with some quality cruiser matches.

 

Dames

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Here's a simple solution. The WWF creative team could give the wrestlers some depth and a solid storyline. If the crowd has a reason to boo or cheer a wrestler, this question wouldn't be asked.

[Guest InigoMontoya]

The crowds seem alright to me, but the show is on hours after over here, so maybe they spice things up a bit before it's aired.

Anyway, any reason to get the cruisers on tele is a good reason in my opinion. Have them jerk that curtain all they can.

[Guest Flair5000]

Going back to an earlier point, I think Storm can and will get over. He certainly was in WCW. He doesn't need to be a cartoon, just an arrogant, insulting dick.

[Guest Brian]

Of course...people who bring something different and unique to the WWF fanbase get over. And it'll force Vince to actually look at the mid-card and book for them too. Re-structure the shows.

[Guest justcoz]

Take a cue from ECW and let guys work the mic prior to their matches to get the crowd into the forthcoming match.  The backstage segments aren't the same.  It's not in front of the crowd and there is no interaction beyond "What?" and "Rocky", it's just them watching a television screen.  Meanwhile, if you give Tazz, RVD, The Dudley's, Raven, Edge, Christian, Lance Storm, etc. 1 to 2 minutes of mic time, center ring in front of the crowd it would not only build their charachters but add heat to the next match.  The Dudley's get on the mics and start picking fights with people in the audience and The Hardy's music hits, it's suddenly not just the Dudleys vs. The Hardys again, it has a new meaning to the people in the crowd.  Ditto for Tazz pulling out the 'survive if I let you' catchphrase on Lance Storm after Storm just berated the US in the name of Canada.  Suddenly Tazz locking the tazzmission on Storm means something to the crowd.

 

Seems simple doesn't it???  It gets the midcard over.  Now get the announcers to do the same.  While it doesn't effect live crowd heat, seeing Edge vs. Christian and having JR and the King only discuss the pending NWO/Austin confrontation while ignoring what's going on in the ring doesn't necessarily transend well to the viewer watching at home with tickets to Raw the next week.  

 

The commerical breaks kill crowd heat!!!!  This is a sport-entertainment company and they can't figure out a way to keep the crowd awake during the 2-3 minutes of silence and nothingness they have to endure?  Copy the Nitro Girls concept, play some music, show classic WWF clips on the big screen or play interactive WWF games with the audience on the screen.  Do something!!!  People dish out some cash to attend the tv tapings.  It's pathetic that the WWF just leaves people sit there until the next segment.

 

TURN DOWN THE LIGHTS!!!!!  It makes for a better look on television anyway.  Keep a spotlight on what's happening in the ring because nothing annoys me more than seeing two guys working their assess off and the fans in view of the camera ignoring them while trying to call attention to their signs and actions.  The lights can be on during the introductions, interview segments, etc. but dim them when the bell sounds so the audience pays attention to what's going on in the ring rather than sitting there looking for signs, fights in the crowd, flashers, etc.  It will also take away from that annoying fog after the pyro which looks like shit on tv...

[Guest Flair5000]

or, have lots of good matches with the wrestlers working hard for each other, and write decent skits which serve a purpose other than boosting McMahon ego.

[Guest KoR Fungus]

I agree with whoever mentioned the backstage skits.  The crowds don't get into them at all, unless it's an Austin or Rock promo.  Wrestlers should come down and cut promos in the ring, it gets much more reaction than backstage skits do.

 

Other than that, it's just a matter of the WWF putting on a good show.  Any crowd will get into a good show.  If the crowd is dead, it's pretty much always because the WWF is putting on bad matches and skits.  It's up to the WWF to entertain the crowd, and if they don't, of course the crowd will suck.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Well, i went to ROCKBOTTOM in vancouver (a ppv couple years ago) and before the show vince came out and for like 10 minutes plus he trashed Canada and stuff it got the crowd REALLY into the shoq. but then canada is so wrestling starved we're always into the show.