Steps the WWE needs to make

[Guest Rob Edwards]

OK so while the WWE isn't exactly in crisis at the moment it sure could do with a little streamlining so to speak, so what steps can be taken to improve the state of affairs? Here' s my take on things

 

Switch to one talent roster - While the brand extension idea hasn't exactly been a disaster it certainly hasn't helped in the way the creative team probably thought it would. The idea for more wrestlers to get airtime was fair enough but people are going to want to see more of their favourates and now Vince should have an idea of who's going to draw and who isn't. Less wrestlers also means less storylines to write which would (hopefully) mean the writing team could be reduced to just the more quality writers (hopefully headed up by Heyman) and would increase buyrates for ppv's as each feud could be better built over more tv time, it's not like there isn't a bunch of so called talent screaming to be cut (see next point) and you'd also eliminate the problem of people watching one show and not the other.

 

Make some serious roster cuts - Takers days as a draw are long gone, HHH isn't pulling in ratings against anybody, Kane has repeatedly tanked at the box office, Theres 3 so called main eventers you can cut straightaway to create the space on the roster to make the come together possible (OK so I'm fantasising a bit about Hunter being cut) sure they've done their bit for the fed in the past but stardom has a short shelf life in the grap game and if people don't do the business no matter who they are then cut them. Flair could become a full time manager, the likes of Hardcore and Crash Holly, Hugh Morruss, Bradshaw, Faarooq, Justin Credible, Spike, Jamal and Rosey, Val Venis, Rikishi, Albert and co don't and will never draw numbers and don't really have any special ring skills or charisma to warrant making the effort and they wouldn't cause the fed any bother working for another company so why not get them off the worlds TV's too. Then of course you have the two big problems Big Show and Mark Henry, both tied to long term lucrative contacts. I say buy them out sure theres the "it'll cost the same to keep them so you may as well get what you can from them" but when you're talking guys who are actually hurting ratings then theres no point, just admit signing them was a mistake learn from it and move forward

 

Push people who are over - Pretty basic you'd think but seemingly not if you're involved in the WWE, Booker T is super over yet he's stuck in the tag division when he could be carrying the fed, Matt Hardy is super over yet he still gets squashed despite the fact the message boards of the world are full of Mattitude banners, Kurt Angle has been the most over heel in the WWE for months but he's only had one ppv main event this year much less a title run building the chasing face. This really needs to stop, WWE has the workers with the gimmicks to pull the ratings but due to politics they don't get anywhere, I mean outside Book and Matt the likes of Jericho , Rico, The Guerreros and Edge have the potential to draw big numbers further up the card than they are, So what do we get? Taker, HHH and Kane? Way to listen to the fans guys

 

More variety in theme songs - Bit of a trivial one this but I still feel that it's important. A unique theme song and entrance can really help a wrestler get over just look at Chris Jericho's debut for example, the whole shebang was well thought out and bam instantly over as a superstar on his first show. The problem at the moment is that most entrance tracks sound so similar. I've nothing against nu metal, but how is a guy supposed to be marked out as something special if he comes out to practically the same tune as the last guy? Noticed how Kane's pop has reduced since he got more generic music? The old music was great because it was unique and fitted his character perfectly (Although what music would be needed mow to fit a nycropheliac I'm usure of!) but the fed changed it so they could say it was written by The LinkinParkalikes and become hip in the mainstream, I don't get this as I can't see how it encourages people to watch and other than Austin the mainstream stars of wrestling (Rock, Goldberg, Hogan, Michaels) have not come out to rock music or even anything that was popular at the time. In todays WWE Booker T , Jericho, Christian, Eddy and very few others have unique music, most that do are over, Kurt Angle's music is brilliant enough to include audience interaction (which the fed should try more of) it's not rocket science that different styles of characters should come out to different styles of music!

 

Screw WWE style! - It's been the same for four years now and it's time for change, beyond Taker, Kane and HHH (notice how much these names are coming up!) most of the current and next batch of main eventers are not really suited to WWE style, It can't be hard to allow a bit of diversity in ring work, If Benoit and Guerrero can put on a puro style stunner then let them do it, theres no way it's going to hurt anything, let the cruisers go at full pelt, allow the technichal workers to bust out great fast paced matwork, allow more diversifcation in movesets (it's not like using the same move as someone else has hurt anyone in Japan) it's all going to increase the quality of matches and could also help buyrates if done right (The master of technical work v The master of highflying for example) Once that happens the fed can start talking about it's "something for everyone" philosophy with it actually carrying some meaning

 

Less silly storylines - I'm not suggesting they be eliminated altogether as some can be entertaining but they don't need to use them for the sake of it, If it's booked right a match can be sold perfectly well on a "who's the better man" philosophy, Boxers have always drawn huge buyrates with nothing more than hatred and a burning desire to prove they are better than the other guy, wrestlers could quite easily do the same. Then theres always trying to beat people in their type of match (I always thought Rock/Austin v The Dudleys in a table match could have been huge in 2000)

 

Storyline continuity - Crash TV is a thing of the past, storylines need to make some sense obviously the Vick angle is pretty much the pinnacle of past storylines being totally ignored wheras with Angle and Benoit fans can buy into it because they have a history of being rivals similarly to how they bought Benoit and Jericho as a team. Past angles being ignored confuses casual viewers and leads to them reaching for the remote

 

Hire Goldberg - Wouldn't really be a popular decision in the locker room but hey morale aint exactly sky high anyway, his cost would easily be covered by a few cuts of ageing stars and at $2 million a year he's a bargain anyway. From the business perspective Vince would be able to cover his cost in a couple of ppvs and if they did Goldberg v Rock at Wrestlemania the buyrate would be out of this world. OK so he's not the worlds greatest worker but put him with people who can work around his deficencies and great matches will still result

 

Pay more attention to the net - Like it or not Vince smarks know their wrestling. Certainly better than the B list soap opera rejects you hire as writers anyway, We also post storyline ideas openly on the web, the ideas are out there so use them, It's not like anyone is going to sue for taking up a suggestion to turn Rock heel or anything. If he had a couple of people cruising forums/sites on the net he could be presented with the cream of ideas people come up with and bring them together for a great product. Other businesses listen to their customers why not WWE?

 

Well there you go theres my initial take on it but I'm sure theres a bunch of stuff thats slipping my mind at the moment, I'd be interested in reading everyone elses thoughts on this

[Guest Nater]

Is it me, or did you skip RVD?

[Guest Rob Edwards]

Is it me, or did you skip RVD?

Heh I'm not an RVD fan in the slightest but yeah I guess he's over so push him Then wait to see how long it takes for the fans to get bored of his identikit matches

[Guest Goodear]

OK so while the WWE isn't exactly in crisis at the moment it sure could do with a little streamlining so to speak, so what steps can be taken to improve the state of affairs? Here' s my take on things

 

I just wanted to say how nice it is to see a nice, long post with actual points included within it. I might not agree with all of your points, but I recognize the amount of effort that went in to putting it together.

 

Switch to one talent roster

 

I actually like the roster split, personally, but I don't think they've taken the idea far enough. While a bit of crosspromotion certainly makes sense, I think it would be better if the shows weren't sharing PPVs and would alternate from month to month except for the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania. It could actually create more of a impact when someone actually changed rosters, almost like when someone used to move from WCW to WWF. The Roster spilt has already done a great deal of good for Matt Hardy and Chavo Guerrero, and I think going back would be a mistake.

 

Make some serious roster cuts

 

Not everyone can be the Rock, and while Spike Dudley might not draw momentus numbers, he still can be used as an undercard wrestler that puts over other talents. Someone has to be in the mid- and undercard and be sacrificed to put new up and comers over.

 

Push people who are over

 

Absolutely. If you think you can make something out of someone who isn't over, I have no problem giving them victories and the time to try. But, you should never spend a top of the card spot to someone based soley on potential. Reward the most over wrestlers you have by putting them on top where fans can see them.

 

More variety in theme songs

 

Fair enough.

 

Screw WWE style!

 

This card is getting to be a little played by the internet fans. Quite frankly, Rey Jr. does not wrestle like Eddie who does not wrestle like Angle who doesn't wrestle like Kane. Yeah, the cruiserweights aren't flying all over the place but their champion, Noble, doesn't wrestle that way. He's a ground based mat wrestler. They don't have Juvy or Psychosis on the roster, they have Guido and Tajiri.

 

Less silly storylines

Storyline continuity

 

Yes, Yes.

 

Hire Goldberg

 

No... sweet jesus no. Goldberg was a once in a lifetime phenomina for WCW, but so was the nWo!!! Goldberg might draw some numbers if booked properly and all, but he's not going to just light the world on fire by stepping into the ring.

 

Pay more attention to the net

 

Meh, paying attention to what your fans seem to respond to is a good idea. But I wouldn't go so far as to actually take their oppinions since we're so reactionary and fickle. Honestly, three months ago people seemed to want Matt Hardy fired, and now they love him to death. The SM's also seem to have a constant facination with heels for some reason and would have the roster turn that way.

[Guest crandamaniac]

I agree with almost all the points you said, except for the Goldberg one, but I do have another point that should be added. Let's have more top-notch people, especially heels, doing jobs. Think about it, what's the big appeal of heels, in regards to faces? The fact that for all the bad things that the heel has done, he will eventually get paid back for it, and that keeps the fans interests. But look at, say the storyline between RVD and HHH. Wouldn't have been a better storyline if the attitude of the fans was "Maybe he can win!" instead of "Oh he'll probably lose, but it'd be cool if he won". Let's have less attitude, less balking and whining, and have bigger and better payoffs to storylines.

[Guest Rob Edwards]

Yeah I agree with that, more superstars doing jobs = more potential superstars = more potential money making matches = better finances for everyone

 

Why can't the likes of HHH see that?