Bob Ryder's latest colum, and it makes sense...

[Guest Downhome]

First off, I just want to take this moment to say publicly that never before have I been as embarased to be a Pro. Wrestling fan in my life. As I sat there, watching the Kane-HHH segment, and the simulated sex (rather graphicly I might add), I couldn't help but ask myself just what the purpose in even watching Pro. Wrestling was anymore. Is this what my beloved sport has become, nothing more than the lowest of all of the lows I've ever witnessed in Pro. Wrestling? I suppose so, because what I witnessed tonight made me, for the first time in 22 years, actually question just why I'm still a fan. I can't even answer it, and part of me wishes that I could say that I'm no longer a fan, but I still am...

 

...but I am a fan of wrestling, period. As long as that kind of trash is on my TV I will not be tuned in. I will turn the channel, and then hope that once I turn it back a solid match will be set out before me. Tonight was just too far, and it turns my stomach just thinking about it. Tonight I saw WWE television produce a segment in which HHH was dressed up as Kane, and simulated having sex with a dead woman, and you know...

 

...I should never be able to say that. Anyhow, here is the column by Bob Ryder, and it all makes sense...

 

"They've aired some pretty offensive stuff in the past, but tonight's "Triple H violates a corpse" segment is in a class all it's own.

 

Forget about the Mark Henry "Sexual Chocolate" skits. Forget about everything they've ever done in the past. The current direction of the WWE (at least the RAW "brand") is more disgusting than damn near anything they've ever thought about doing. After all, when they showed Mark Henry having simulated oral sex with a transvestite...at least it was with a live transvestite.

 

The WWE stock is tanking. Live show attendance is "challenging" (RAW took place in front of a half empty building). Things aren't going very well for the WWE lately.

 

To turn things around, Vince McMahon decided to try "shock tv" again.

 

It'll probably work....at least short term.

 

It was a revolting angle, but ratings will probably go up. People will start tuning in to see what kind of crazy stunt they'll pull next. I wouldn't be shocked to see the rating for this week go above a 4.0 for the first time in weeks.

 

So what's the problem?

 

The last time the WWE went this route, they attracted a huge influx of "casual fans"....and alienated a lot of their core fanbase who grew tired of watching the goofy crap that was being presented on RAW. The "casual fans" weren't loyal and when they got bored with the WWE product they left in droves and the WWE found themselves with a diminished core audience.

 

History has a way of repeating itself, and the WWE appears to be well on it's way to presenting the kind of sleazy show that helped them win the Monday Night Wars. The sleaze will probably boost the ratings, but this time there might not be much of a core audience left when it's all over.

 

But on a lighter note....the corpse carried Triple H to his best match in years."

 

...I can't say any more than this, seriously. I still can't believe it, I just can't believe it. For the first time in my entire life, I am ASHAMED to say I am a wrestling fan...

 

...damn you WWE, Vince McMahon, HHH or whoever the hell else had anything to do with that, just damn you.

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

The last time the WWE went this route, they attracted a huge influx of "casual fans"....and alienated a lot of their core fanbase who grew tired of watching the goofy crap that was being presented on RAW. The "casual fans" weren't loyal and when they got bored with the WWE product they left in droves and the WWE found themselves with a diminished core audience.

 

>All that was needed to be said was said in this paragraph.

[Guest Leena]

...I can't say any more than this, seriously. I still can't believe it, I just can't believe it. For the first time in my entire life, I am ASHAMED to say I am a wrestling fan...

 

Exact same feelings on my part, along with many other fans.

 

However, this was the last straw for me, I can't enjoy watching wrestling anymore now.

[Guest Banky]

I second, third, and fourth your senitments buddy.

[Guest dpac]

i feel the same way, vince and crew are way beyond insulting our intelligence, they are pretty much just shitting right on every single "wrestling" fan

[Guest Human Fly]

It wasn't just "Shock tv" that brought casual fans in, and it won't be what brings them back now. Until WWE stumbles onto the next Hogan or Stone Cold ratings will be around where they are now.

[Guest Downhome]

I'm glad others feel as strongly as myself. It actually "hurt" me to witness what I saw tonight. Never in my wildest dreams would I even THINK of them going to this leval, this depth of pure trash. I will say this...

 

...if Vince is TRYING to make Pro. Wrestling uncool, if he is TRYING to create a target for critics, if he is TRYING to give TNN an excuse to drop him, if he is TRYING to make myself and others feel ashamed and embarrased to even be CALLED a Pro. Wrestling fan, then he is doing a damn good job of it. Most importantly though...

 

...if he is TRYING to give all TRUE Pro. Wrestling fans a reason to leave his company forever and never look back, well, he just might eventually get his wish, as it lookes like that is the "new dirrection" in which he is aiming for.

[Guest Downhome]

It wasn't just "Shock tv" that brought casual fans in, and it won't be what brings them back now. Until WWE stumbles onto the next Hogan or Stone Cold ratings will be around where they are now.

I never realized just how much truth was to the saying that Austin, Foley, and Rocky was the glue of WWE. I mean, think about it...

 

...ever since Foley left it's been going downhill, and that was in 2000. Then came Rocky's exit to the sport basicly, the next year in 2001. Now, in 2002, we have Austin nowhere to be seen. The point I'm trying to make, simply, is that I've never realized just how much they truly were the foundation, untill this moment right now.

 

Only a fool will build his house upon the sand, and Mr. McMahon, HHH/Taker/Kane/Etc... is the weakest of all foundations on which to try to build your house. Find yourself a true foundation, a true rock on which to build upon, because if you do not do it soon, well...

 

...I suppose it is true that only a fool builds upon the weak, the sand.

[Guest BA_Baracus]

Well...

 

...I'm purposefly not watching Raw next week for the first time in ages, so I won't be contributing to a "4.0" rating.

[Guest Super Pissed Smark]

I think all of that is a load of crap. It was the Austin-Vince storyline, and the emergence of The Rock, Mick Foley and others as compelling TV characters that brought the casual fans in, not the hand in Mae Young, or the Mark Henry transvestite blow-job, or Beaver Cleavage, etc. All that crap was just stupid, and nobody thought it was cool.

 

The edgy stuff that worked was the Austin-Pillman gun incident, Austin taking McMahon hostage and Vince peeing his pants, Austin attacking and violating Vince in the hospital. Those sort of angry confrontation angles were entertaining. Hmmmmm, I just noticed a trend with who was involved in the stuff that worked...

[Guest wwF1587]

I dont know what to say. The HHH segment was pure garbage.. I mean angles with Mae Young with Mark Henry, and being pregnant were crap.. but the main events use to be soo good and such that you kind of just shrugged it off and said whatever... But the main events aren't good anymore.. they cant have a sucky undercard and a main event that blows the roof off the arena anymore and thats not good. RAW is truly a disgrace now, I too almost feel ashamed for watching it, but it is like a train wreck.. you cant help but watch... How much longer can WWE blame the economy? Are they really THAT stupid now? I am gonna have nightmares about that HHH segment, it may have been funny for a few seconds... but it shows how much RAW sucks now. If it wasnt for SD! I really dont know what I would do... Thanks Vince, HHH, Steph....

[Guest AndrewTS]

I'm not embarassed to be a wrestling fan.

 

Just embarassed to be a WWE fan. You know...the stuff around those 2 or 3 minute blocks of alleged wrestling?

[Guest chirs3]

Well, I vote we mass-email the WWE via that "What did you think of RAW?" link and give 'em what for.

 

Not like it'll do anything, but hey, if you've got a few minutes to kill...

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I've been embarassed to be a WWF fan for a long while... What took you guys so long?

[Guest Super Pissed Smark]

Exactly. It was Austin, Foley, The Rock, and Vince himself that the WWF's huge money run was built on. HHH and Undertaker only drew money when they were involved with those guys, but they were only good as supporting players. Now they're all Vince has left.

 

And the mains were what saved those Attitude era RAWs when they had all that crap on the undercard, they'd sprinkle Austin and Foley and Rock and Vince in vignettes throughout the show after the opening interview/angle setup to keep everyone hyped for the main event, which made Russo's goofiness palatable.

[Guest Vyce]

I'll be goddamned.

 

Most times, whenever Bob Ryder posts a column talking shit about the WWE, you'll get tons of smart fans going, "Ah, that Bob, he's just biased against the WWE & Vince."

 

Now he posts this and we....all pretty much have to agree with it.

 

Fuck you, Vince.

 

But on a lighter note....the corpse carried Triple H to his best match in years."

 

Ouch.

[Guest Downhome]

When I say I'm ashamed to be a Pro. Wrestling fan, I do not mean that I am ashamed to be a fan of the WRESTLING. It's just, the non-fans look at WWE as the cornerstone of all that is Pro. Wrestling, and when they see them do ANYTHING like this bullsh*t, they instantly say that all that is Pro. Wrestling is bad.

 

I hope you get what I'm saying, as that is what I mean. I don't know what more to say, seriously, I'm at a loss for words here, and that is NOT a good thing. I truly hope TNN is disgusted at this, I want WWE RAW removed ASAP, that is my dream, but alas, it will never happen, I don't think.

 

Vince needs that type of wake up call though, he needs to be kicked in the testicles and then maybe he'll see the light, and maybe things can then get better. It's obvious that they can not get better as things are going right now. Hell, we've all sat back for MORE THAN A YEAR just saying "well, maybe it'll be better next week", but nothing is happening. Hell, if anything...

 

...it is constantly getting worse, and worse, and worse, and then...tonight happened.

[Guest AndrewTS]

...it is constantly getting worse, and worse, and worse, and then...tonight happened.

Next week...HHH snacks on deep fried aborted fetuses.

[Guest razazteca]

I had some money to spend this week and considered buying a WWE DVD but instead of getting the Attitude Era DVD of 3 Faces of Foley I decided to get Sponge Bob Square Pants Halloween Special with 10 episodes. And after watching this crap on the NEW TNN, I am considering never buying WWE products ever again, especially when there is the internet with P2P I can just DL whatever PPV match I want in a matter of days.

[Guest usmale]

you all should be thankful that you have upn. i have requested it for 2 years now and my requests have fallen upon deaf ears. imagine setting through raw and then dying to see velocity for those 5 minute highlights of the real stars of smackdown. i'm tired of raw and i'd die a happy man if my cable company would provide upn.

[Guest Army Eye]

Vince, tonight you have destroyed what little integrity your company ever had. My little nephew came in my room and asked me what was on Raw. I said "Triple H is raping a dead woman" and he started crying. He's ruined forever.

 

Really funny blurb from one of those Torch Feedback thingies.

[Guest art_vandelay]

I've always been ashamed to be a wrestling fan. Didn't you guys know that "Wrestling is Gay"?

 

But seriously, next time you feel like discussing the WWE in public, make sure no-one you respect is around you.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

I think its crazy how Smackdown and RAW are now sort of night and day in terms of quality, wrestling and total amount of crap. RAW has very ittle actual wrestling (and what wrestling is present sucks), tons of stupid over the top soap opera crap so generally sucks on a consistant basis. Smackdown has a good wrestling on a consistant basis and very little of the over the top soap opera crap although it is present so Smackdown is generally a good show..

 

Its almost as if the split has worked to well and you once again have a really crappy WCW (RAW) vs a really awesome WWF (Smackdown), but I really hope that wasn't the idea behind the split.

[Guest eirejmcmahon]

Always nice to hear what Mister Impartial Dupp Cup man has to say - like that sad little creep has any business opening his mouth after his confession in the wake of WCWs closedown.

 

Yeah, it was a shit angle and an insult to the intelligence, we don't need that NWATNA shilling fucktard to tell us that.

 

This is the same guy who works for a company that's pulling a racial angle for fucks sake.

 

Fuck Bob Ryder, just because he finally says something that we agree with, that doesn't mead that he should be given any credibility.

 

He has his own agendas.

[Guest Downhome]

I mean, this is just horrible, just think about it some more. Go and read the re-caps, here is one from 1wrestling...

 

"After a disclaimer from TNN, we cut to an open casket in a funeral parlor. HHH enters, wearing a Kane mask. ‘Kane’ talks to ‘Katie Vick’, details unnecessary, he then undresses the corpse and himself and hops in the casket. Creaking noises follow. And to quote Stone Cold, ‘That’s all I have to say.’"

 

...seriously now, I still can't believe that must even be written, in any form, when not only talking about Pro. Wrestling, but a f*cking RAW RECAP!?

[Guest snowfan]

I'm not embarassed to be a wrestling fan.

 

Just embarassed to be a WWE fan. You know...the stuff around those 2 or 3 minute blocks of alleged wrestling?

That's a good sentiment. I am slowly building up a good tape collection and I may get Puro for the first time in years....

[Guest candie45]

It's just a way to further the split between the shows. They now have a show for the fans who like actual wrestling, and they have a show for those who like the sports entertainment aspect with all the over the top shit. We all think that Raw is [r]awful, but those other fans may think Smackdown is boring, so the WWE thinks that they are doing a good deed with NECROPHILIA~!. Vince is just pissed that he's not "one of the most powerful men" anymore.

[Guest humongous2002]

You see guys the only reason SD! is way better than RAW is because in SD! is all about the action in the ring, the skits backstage are not that many and at least they help with the storyline sometimes, if it is a goofy skit most likely it will involve a midcarder, but never a main eventer. And when it's time to wrestle, the fans get what they pay for. People are paying to see these wrestlers.....you know...wrestle, not to try be comedians, RAW is not SNL. Now it seems to me that the few good wrestlers on RAW are very dissapointed with the booking that they are not even trying putting on a good match anymore. All Vince has to do to end this self destruction is this :

-Fired Gerwitz, and make Heyman head booker and Stephanie becomes a consultant(you know to make her feel that she's good at something)

-Stop with this HGH powertrip bullcrap, have Vince have a talk with his lil' girl and the roided big bird and straighten them out.

-Make Taker do the right thing for the businesss, meaning it's time 4 him to start putting people over.

-End this brand extension b/s. Have the same wrestlers on both shows, and get rid of the wrestlers with no talent like Nash, Bradshaw, Kane, Slow, Crash and on and on and on.

-Last but not least forget that WWE style and let the wrestlers wrestle using their own style .

[Guest Smark Hammill]

It's not hard to figure out. Vince is still living in

the year 1997. He still thinks he's being edgy, cool, and shocking.

 

 

He's just retarded. Simple as that.

[Guest Downhome]

I almost wish WWE would shut down just to end the madness. Perhaps we could have a new-generation of wrestling begin, you know, good wrestling. TNA, anything could rise up, but WWE is just f*cking sucking ass right now, well, WWE RAW anyway...

 

...I wonder when David Arquette wins the WWE championship, you know, to be more like WCW.