WWE Writer Says Shut Up And Wrestle

[Guest BoboBrazil]

You've seen it before. That sign that pops up in the crowd from time to time when a Superstar's in-ring promo seems to be droning on just a little too long. Just about the time people in the arena start sitting on their hands, and people at home start wondering what's on TV Land.

 

"SHUT UP AND WRESTLE"

 

I've certainly seen that sign on occasion, and for the most part, it usually echoes my sentiment exactly. Recently, this issue has been renewed in my mind due to the more and more painfully obvious fact that SmackDown! is kicking RAW's ass. I just can't help but wonder if that "gab" factor is part of the problem.

 

Let's face facts. Times change, sports-entertainment changes. The transformation has been both startling and exciting, particularly in the past five years, when promos and mic skills have become more important than ever. But the in-ring wrestling product always has, and always will be the bread and butter of this business.

 

Now, before I pigeon-hole myself as the "old-school writer" (probably way too late for that), allow me to clarify. This is not amateur wrestling. This is not UFC. Promos and other vignettes are an integral part of what WWE is all about. A show that consisted of only wrestling, with no rhyme or reason, would be ridiculous, pointless, and just plain unentertaining.

 

But the wrestling should always be the focus. A great promo is gravy, but the matches are the meal. The idea, at least in my view, is that a really hot promo will help stir interest in a future match. When The Rock ran down Brock Lesnar on the mic, people tuned it to see if the People's Champ could back up his words with actions at SummerSlam.

 

But it should never be forgotten that the promos serve the matches. When promos start becoming centerpieces in and of themselves, having nothing to do with the matches, or worse yet, drawing attention away from the matches, something is wrong. Any time this business has ever been really hot, it's been because of well-conceived angles and promos feeding into well-remembered, epic matchups that follow through on what's promised. As entertaining as a promo may be, it should never be made to stand on its own-what goes on in the ring comes first and foremost.

 

That's a philosophy that SmackDown! seems to have really taken to heart in recent weeks, and it's paid off in spades. The show has delivered nearly consistent quality, presenting an entertaining mix of really good matches that mean something, and out-of-the-ring antics with a purpose. Some have said that SmackDown! has gone "old-school", as if the powers-that-be have been watching old Bill Watts stuff or something.

 

Viewers of that show get to see the incredible Rey Mysterio making history every damn time he steps through the ropes. The whole cruiserweight division, in fact, is finally starting to light up the way it did for WCW in the late 1990s. Brock Lesnar, SmackDown's exclusive World Champion, puts on some of the most brutally engaging matches you'll see anywhere. And don't forget about ring artists like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle, delivering clinics on a weekly basis. More action, less talk. And it's paying off.

 

Meanwhile, over on RAW, they still haven't quite figured out the formula. I mean, do we really need another 20-minute Triple H promo? Don't get me wrong, I think he's great-one of the greatest of all time in fact. But "the Game" should definitely be spending less time soliloquizing endlessly on the stick and more time doing what he does best: kicking people's teeth down their throat.

 

The in-ring action you see on WWE shows each week is distinctly unique, distinctly ours. It's like nothing you'll see on any other TV show. That's what WWE has over everyone else. Our selling point. Extended dramatic speeches, on the other hand, can be witnessed on virtually any other show on the tube. They do that on "ER," on "The Sopranos," on "The West Wing," and any other hit program out there. And quite frankly, they usually do it better. By putting the focus on endless chatter, we only draw further attention to something that's not our strongest suit.

 

But by drawing attention to our amazingly athletic Superstars and what they can do once that bell rings, we're giving you fans something you can't get anywhere else. It's been said so often that it was already a cliché when many of our current Superstars were still in grammar school: There's nothing like WWE action. Everything else on RAW, SmackDown! or pay-per-view should be window-dressing for that action, to build further interest in it. Otherwise, its pointless.

 

So while "Shut Up and Wrestle" may be going a little too far, I can sympathize with the overzealous fans that see fit to flash that sign on occasion. Yes, WWE Superstars are intense, controversial and often hilarious when they talk into that mic, but you know what? I'll always be more entertained by the intense, controversial and often hilarious things they can do between those ropes. To me, that's not "old-school". Because it never got old, and it never will.

 

http://www.wwe.com/news/commentary/brians/1175081

 

 

He tells HHH to shut up too. I give him until the end of the week until he is fired.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

Wow... just WOW! Someone in the WWE advocating action over yakking? Praise be to Jeebus!

[Guest LaParkaMarka]

That poor bastard. He's *so* fired. I hope he gets to write an article about how crappy Steph is as a face before that though.

Really good for him, to actually speak his mind...Vince needs more people like this around him.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

<Vince> So Brian Solomon, you want to make an on air appearance at the PPV Sunday?

 

<Brian> Yes Sir! I'd love to!

 

<Vince> Well, myself and Hunter have an idea where we'll lower you from the ceiling by a cable.........

[Guest Brian]

Unless it's Heyman or Cornetter writing under a fake name.

[Guest razazteca]

I'll believe it when I see it......

 

John Madden soliloquizing endlessly on the stick about EA Sports or ACE hardware is still more entertaining than HHH.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

I'd take exception to these 2 quotes:

 

That's a philosophy that SmackDown! seems to have really taken to heart in recent weeks, and it's paid off in spades. The show has delivered nearly consistent quality, presenting an entertaining mix of really good matches that mean something, and out-of-the-ring antics with a purpose

The quality of some of the recent shows hasn't been that great. I'll agree SD! has been the better show, but the recent ones have been a bit lacking.

 

The whole cruiserweight division, in fact, is finally starting to light up the way it did for WCW in the late 1990s

Nope. Or at least not yet. They've been up-and-down with the CW's. One week they have Mark Henry squash Tajiri, and the next they'll have 1-2 good CW matches.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I give this guy 2 days...

[Guest RenegadeX28]

Brian: Ah yes, another good article by me...

 

(Vince walks in and cuts a 20m minute promo, and Brian puts up a sign, "SHUT UP AND WRESTLE."

 

Vince: (with menacing voice) YOU'RE FIRED!!!

[Guest El Satanico]

Eh it just sounds like a column furthering stressing that Raw and Smackdown are different.

 

It reeks of a column being used to further the storyline of Raw vs. Smackdown.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Eh it just sounds like a column furthering stressing that Raw and Smackdown are different.

 

It reeks of a column being used to further the storyline of Raw vs. Smackdown.

I had the same thoughts actually

[Guest Trivia247]

It could also be another WWE attempt to use Smark Public Opinion for their own gain in promoting the Raw Smackdown mini feud. But instead of listening to us, they use it and don't follow it.

 

People they were serious about Shut up and wrestle they would DO IT!

[Guest AndrewTS]

***WARNING!: HHHating ahead***

 

I just love how a comment clearly aimed at HHH as an insult--likely a worked one--also called HHH "one of the greatest of all time."

 

Can the WWE ever, EVER give a modicum of truth without a load of bullshit and/or sucking of HHH's dick? It isn't 2000, dipshits.

[Guest HartFan86]

This guy's gunna get fired in about 3 minutes..or not.

[Guest Incandenza]

Until the people on the shows ACTUALLY shut up and wrestle, no amount of smark-catering is going to satisfy me.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Until the people on the shows ACTUALLY shut up and wrestle, no amount of smark-catering is going to satisfy me.

You know what scares me most is the alternative to HHH talking............what's better: HHH talking or HHH in the ring? Even if HHH is in the ring against someone decent, he'll STILL drag them down to his plodding and s-l-o-w ways which is fairly depressing. I mean if you have a near DUD match against Spike Dudley there's no hope

[Guest notJames]

Eh it just sounds like a column furthering stressing that Raw and Smackdown are different.

 

It reeks of a column being used to further the storyline of Raw vs. Smackdown.

I was thinking the same thing, especially when the guy both buries and praises HHH, practically in the same breath.

 

Eh, whatever.

[Guest mister foozel]

***WARNING!: HHHating ahead***

 

I just love how a comment clearly aimed at HHH as an insult--likely a worked one--also called HHH "one of the greatest of all time."

 

Can the WWE ever, EVER give a modicum of truth without a load of bullshit and/or sucking of HHH's dick? It isn't 2000, dipshits.

No buddy, i think you got it all wrong.

 

HHH IS one of the best there is, if he wasn't he wouldn't have that world title.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

HA!

 

yeah, Hunter really flashed the skills that he's known for world over the night he "won" the belt.

[Guest BionicRedneck]

No buddy, i think you got it all wrong.

 

HHH IS one of the best there is, if he wasn't he wouldn't have that world title.

You're not serious are you?

 

If you are, I think you need to stop swallowing the WWE's propaganda.

[Guest Angle-plex]

***WARNING!:  HHHating ahead***

 

I just love how a comment clearly aimed at HHH as an insult--likely a worked one--also called HHH "one of the greatest of all time."

 

Can the WWE ever, EVER give a modicum of truth without a load of bullshit and/or sucking of HHH's dick?  It isn't 2000, dipshits.

No buddy, i think you got it all wrong.

 

HHH IS one of the best there is, if he wasn't he wouldn't have that world title.

He may be good (not), but that still doesn't mean everyone has to suck his dick and like him if they want to have a job for WWE.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I can't read a Wwf.con article without feeling dirty in the end... This one included.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

I'm sure the article is a work, it's on the WWF's web page for crying out loud. They're not exactly known for journalistic integrity.

[Guest Leena]

Eh it just sounds like a column furthering stressing that Raw and Smackdown are different.

 

It reeks of a column being used to further the storyline of Raw vs. Smackdown.

That's exactly what it is. Raw's misusing HHH. Smackdown kissing HHH's ass, proclaiming he's the greatest, because we still don't realize it.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

WWE.com Column Creating Buzz Backstage

 

WWE writer Brian Solomon posted a controversial column yesterday on WWE.com that basically called for WWE to "shut up and wrestle." The column has created a buzz backstage in WWE, with sides being split between those who agree with him and those who don't.

 

On a related note, WWE.com does not have a senior editor, which means Solomon had access to post his column directly and did not have to get it cleared by anyone. If a senior editor did exist, the column likely would not have been posted.

 

Credit: 1wrestling.com

[Guest Ozymandias]

EDIT: Posted the same article as FearHavoc. Never mind.