WWF is serious about cruisers!

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

From Meltzer:

 

From the WWF try-out camp in Cincinnati, it's said that nobody impressed the WWF officials with their ability, including AJ Styles, who left a good impression on WWF officials during a dark match. The wrap on Styles is that he's too small and average looking, in the WWF's eyes.

 

 

 

Can the WWF call it or what?

 

Oh...wait a minute...

[Guest ])r. ])eath]

Amazing. This news comes two days after I hear Jim Ross complement the "hoss" talent in Tough Enough 2. "He's got the genes. He can talk, and he can move.. what else does he need?" Great.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

This kind of thing doesn't really bother me anymore, since it's obvious that it will never happen the way it should, and the WWF knows it. Looks like it's more WWA for Styles.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

The irony, of course, is that Styles showed me more talent in the 6 man at the WWA ppv...then anyone in the WWF has since...........................................................

[Guest ])r. ])eath]

What I was saying, is why does the WWF even have OVW if they are just going to have all the Tough Enough shows? They could have easily just put talents like Mike Modest, Lo Ki, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, etc. on TV, but instead we get Maven. Some green jobber whom got a chance he didn't deserve.

 

We won't even talk about the resignings of "veterans" instead of just elevating people like Laviathan.

[Guest Tony149]

The WWF doesn't care about the cruisers. Which is sad. Hell, they should just release the guys they consider cruiserweights if they don't want to push them.

[Guest ])r. ])eath]

The WWF doesn't care about the cruisers. Which is sad. Hell, they should just release the guys they consider cruiserweights if they don't want to push them.

The problem with that though is that if they leave the WWF no one will be able to see them anymore. The WWF is the only highly watched wrestling, because it is like the only Nationally televised wrestling.

 

Of course, it's not like they could get any less TV time than they get now.. seeing as how they get zero.

[Guest Tony149]

If the WWF released the cruisers, then it gives upstart promotions more talent to use. Of course, the upstart promotion would need to know what they're doing. The WWF is losing money paying for guys they don't use.

[Guest Frank Zappa Mask]

They still wrestle in the WWF?

[Guest RickyChosyu]

The WWF is losing money paying for guys they don't use.

Well, that's almost an entirely different problem, isn't it? I mean, Kevin Nash is probably being payed more than all of those guys combined, and......

[Guest Tony149]

The WWF has a lot of guys under contract they don't use/don't plan on doing anything with them or signed for no reason.

[Guest Redhawk]

Just because someone rarely or never wrestles -- i.e. Kevin Nash -- doesn't mean they're worthless. I don't see anyone complaining about Ric Flair, and he's getting paid more and wrestling less than anyone.

[Guest Tony149]

I'm not saying they're worthless. I'm just saying why waste money for guys you won't use ie. crusierweight division.

[Guest razazteca]

So what is stopping WWF from giving AJ Styles a push?  WTF cause he is small....why can't they give Styles a comicbook gimmick and a mask, it worked for Hurricane....and Kane....eh or maybe not good idea.

 

Why is the WWF having indy tryouts when 95% of all indy stars weight less than Edge?

[Guest Tony149]

The WWF is able to pick and choose who they want because they (WWF) own the wrestling business at this time until a new promotion is able to go one-on-one with them.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

ANd how long will it be until a copany comes along with deep enough pockets to compete with them? I think most would agree that none of the current feds have what it takes.

[Guest goodhelmet]

No, none of the feds do have what it takes, unfortunately but at least there are companies trying. I pray that a network develops another wrestling company so that there will be more options. I really thought the WWA had a chance until I saw the last PPV. Talk about bush league production and the booking was piss poor.

 

For another company to work they have to avoid mistakes the WWA made such as even mentioning the WWF, hiring or advertising talent they can't produce and a cleansing of the good ol' boy network. I don't care for Feinstein but the Ring of Honor seems like its on the right track in promoting a viable wrestling product.

[Guest The Vanilla Midget]

eh, its probably best for aj styles that he didnt get hired, and while he *is* awesome and all, he would only be wasted by the wwf and lost in the shuffle ala jerry lynn.  now if only they had let that man fued with rvd during the invasion...

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

The big edge the wwf has over any other Fed is name recognition, fans and non-fans alike recognize the WWF as the wrestling world.

 

What a new promotion should do is avoid brining in older guys (piper,savage,hogan,Zybsco.) And provide more of an alternative to the wwf. that was the wcw's big mistake they tried to copy the wf but it only made them look like bush leaguers and the wwf look like trendsetters.

[Guest The Vanilla Midget]

true CWM, these feds need to establish individuality, sure it will take time, and will not be profitable initially, if they build the fed from the ground up, then they will solve a *lot* of problems and money, and all they need is some talented writing staff, some decent young talent (read the guys wwf rejected) and *maybe* one or two more established stars ala guerro, lynn, etc to help sell shows and get the young guys over.  also none of that gimmicky XPW crap, if you do shit like that, people will expect you to go even more hardcore, and that is bad for all parties involved.

[Guest goodhelmet]

"also none of that gimmicky XPW crap, if you do shit like that, people will expect you to go even more hardcore, and that is bad for all parties involved"

 

True. I firmly believe this was ECW's ultimate undoing. what was once innovative had become passe and Paul E. didn't know how to adjust.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

not too mention if you do that xpw crap you'll never get a decent tv slot.

[Guest goodhelmet]

Hell, ECW had a timeslot but I don't believe that the poor timeslot was their undoing. Putting the world title on Justin Friggin Credible for a year doesn't help your product. The cliche table breaking didn't help and the crappy business practices and weak angles of ECW's last year also helped in the company's demise.

A wrestling product can be successful even if the WWF aren't the initials but the hubris of these guys running the shows interferes with rational decisions that help their overall product.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

EcW went out of business for a couple of reasons: Vimce and WCW bought their talent at will, they had little money, and maybe most importantly the hardcore fad is getting old and a new trend is needed.

 

That's why hardcore feds don't wotk, because it's all been done. EcW failed to change with the times. Novelty feds like XPW will never be anything but jokes.

 

Here's the question, if the hardcore fad is over what's going to be wrestlings new fad?

[Guest One Bad Apple]

When they died, I'd say they were far from a federation based on hardcore wrestling. How much ECW did you guys watch, anyway?

 

I'd say a big reason was the lack of storylines. Corino and Dreamer were feuding forever, so were FBI and Nova and Chetti. Then Simon Diamond and Swinger join up and they feud with Nova and Chetti. The FBI go on to Mikey and Tajiri. These didn't last forever, but that was probably only because the company tanked.

 

They just drove everything into the ground by cementing almost everybody into a specific place on the card.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

"Here's the question, if the hardcore fad is over what's going to be wrestlings new fad?"

 

Well I don't know what will be, but I know what should be; high-flying spots and hardcore weapondary mixed with psychology and build.

 

Why not build paychology around massive spots? In a feud, if one person finishes the other off in one match by, say, throwing them through two tables, then the psychology could be built around this. The next match they had they might repeat the spot, but this time, the victim kicks out. This is AJPW style psychology, but using a hardcore spot instead of a finishing move.

 

This will work because hardcore spots are only going out of fashion because they mean nothing. Things that mean something to fans will always be popular, as proven by the fact that the stunner has been over as a move for years. It's still popular because it still means that Austin should get the win directly after hitting it. Following this, you could also give different wrestlers signature spots that would act like finishers.

 

If you don't know what i'm on about, go and watch Raven vs. Rhyno from Backlash 2001, it's not the definitive version of what i'm talking about, but it's a good start.

[Guest The Vanilla Midget]

as the wwf is learning now, things are only revolutionary once.  through ecw and wwf attitude, fans have become desensitised to hardcore antics to the point where people are putting their lives on the line in ridiculous gimmick matches and the only reaction it receives is bleh.  while you *could* build psychology around massive spots, it would get old very quickly (highsopts lose impact over time, a "classic" finisher like the stunner/***** frog splash gains impact over time) and fans would really only care once.  now i dont know what the next thing the wwf needs to do is (heck if i did do you think i'd post it here ), but rehashing old stuff like hardcore/nWo/retro superstars isnt the way.  in order to regain the edge, wwf needs to be innovative, but imo they pushed the envelope pretty damn far with attitude, and i have no idea where they will go from here.  if it takes another screwjob then so be it, but something needs to happen to shake up the wwf product, and the answer isnt simply bigger and more dangerous spots, as we have seen how well that has worked for XPW.

[Guest Tony149]

A new wrestling company needs a guy with Ted Turner's money, but ran by somebody who understands wrestling. The WWA still can do something if they take time to think it out.

[Guest BA_Baracus]

Uhm...

 

...what's the big deal?

 

You have to be a 280 pound plus, chrasima-less slug to "work the WWF style" and get hired there.

 

Yup...I'll take Test over AJ anyday!  Or uhhh...not.

[Guest The Vanilla Midget]

they need to think it out and make major changes talent wise.  they have to stop trying to sell their shows on randy savage and scott steiner, but rather sell them as the WWA, featuring the aforementioned stars.  if they want to compete with the wwf, then they need to play the game like the wwf, by placing the promotion above the stars, otherwise nobody will take them seriously.