I miss Saturday wrestling programs...

[Guest justcoz]

I was watching videos this past weekend of old WWF syndicated shows and Georgia/World Championship Wrestling on TBS. I realized several things.

 

First, I miss waking up Saturday morning and looking forward to wrestling. Whether it was in the morning, sometime in the afternoon or at 6pm - it was a part of my weekend before Monday nights took over.

 

Velocity and Confidential don't count either.

 

Second, I miss the innocence of those shows. The intimate smaller arenas they often came from. Crowds in small venues can be so loud as they are closer to the action. I miss good effective squash matches which got people over and established characters. Where guys really got to showcase their offense and become stars. Brief effective in studio promos with a Vince McMahon, Tony Schiavonie, Gordon Solie or David Crocket holding the mic rather than the drawn out 20 minute in ring promo.

 

So here is my suggestion. Scrap Sunday Night Heat. Scrap Velocity. WWE needs to purchase a small venue or build one. New York, Connecticut, Las Vegas, St. Louis - I don't care - proclaim it WWE Arena and go nuts.

 

6pm time slot on TNN. Mostly squash matches with one main event and a weekly appearance by someone the caliber of a Austin, Rock or HHH even if it's for a promo to build to Raw or Smackdown. To set the show apart from Raw and Smackdown - allow it to feature stars from both shows.

 

On a given week you can tune in on Saturday night and see Rey Mysterio, John Cena, Jeff Hardy, Chris Nowinski, Tenacious Z, Team Angle, Brian Kendricks, Hurricane - a Booker T interview to hype Raw - and a main event the caliber of RVD vs. Lance Storm. There doesn't have to be interaction amongst the talent from different shows - maybe little occassional teases for fun - all the build up can go towards their programs on Raw or Smackdown or the pending brnad PPV (you know, the split screen interviews with whoever the guy in the ring is feuding with like the old Superstars, Wrestling Challenge features).

 

The show would be safe for kids to watch and make the week's prime time shows where stars are facing other stars seem more meaningful.

[Guest RicFlairGlory]

I'd pop

[Guest art_vandelay]

I wouldn't watch it. Watch Ultimate Muscle on Fox Box if you want a Saturday Morning wrestling fix.

[Guest Sakura]

I can't even sit through Heat. I sure wouldn't want to watch a show with even more jobbers.

[Guest Coffey]

I can't even sit through Heat. I sure wouldn't want to watch a show with even more jobbers.

So, you're not a fan of Independant feds either then?

[Guest Sakura]

Yeah, I do not like Indy feds.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

You know, stuff used to happen in Sunday Night Heat that had effect in the storylines.

 

Yes, really. I remember then Rock and Austin and Big Show (during his push) and Foley all of that would appear on Heat.

[Guest red_file]

I remember I used to really enjoy watching WCWSN, though I think that was more for listening to Dusty talk about gettin' to the pay window than for the actual wrestling. Nice memories, but I don't think I'd watch a similar show were it on. I don't even watch Velocity, and that usually has a decent cruiser match going for it.

[Guest Steviekick]

That's exacttly what is missing in the current WWE programming...Dusty Rhodes giving insightful commentary.

 

I say its time to bring the American Dream back.

[Guest Retro Rob]

I think they should have two hours of wrestling on Saturday nights followed by Confidential. Essentially it would condense Velocity and Heat. The first hour would be for Raw and second for SmackDown!. They could hype it as the Saturday Night Wrestling Block or something like that.

[Guest subliminal_animal]

I can't even sit through Heat. I sure wouldn't want to watch a show with even more jobbers.

So, you're not a fan of Independant feds either then?

Well, in independent feds, you do't know which jobber's gonna lose.

[Guest Brian]

Unless Sabu's wrestling.

[Guest razazteca]

Heat tried that formula with Raven in the Master Piece angle, it was ok, but I hate watching indy wrestlers that I have seen and know that they are talented but get squashed in mere minutes.

 

And on Raw you got HHH using the Sleeper!

[Guest Steviekick]

Heat tried that formula with Raven in the Master Piece angle, it was ok, but I hate watching indy wrestlers that I have seen and know that they are talented but get squashed in mere minutes.

 

And on Raw you got HHH using the Sleeper!

We did not even get to see Raven's "Master Piece" or whatever his new angle was. Stupid WWE makes me mad...

[Guest Army Eye]

One thing that was cool about jobber shows was showcasing the new guys. Even as a kid I'd be pretty bored when presented with a Koko B. Ware squash or something, but when it was a new guy like Nailz or Widow Maker or whoever, it was cool to see them in action and what they had for moves.

 

And then there was Mr. Perfect. He could make a jobber match exciting just because his offense and his character was so cool.

 

Seems like with the Heat/Velocity type shows, not that I ever really watch them, but they seem to be more for the guys who are just dead in the water, the Crash Hollys, D-Los, Al Snows, Funakis of the world. It would be cool if it was more of a showcase for up-and-comers.

 

Take the FBI guys. Wouldn't it be better for them to get some wins on the lesser shows rather than getting their asses kicked by Rikishi every week?

[Guest Lil Naitch]

that's what hhh is for

[Astro101 0]

Are there any Mexican wrestling shows on TV? I've heard they have it on the weekend mornings but I can't read the spanish on my tv guide.

[Guest El Satanico]

It would be cool if it was more of a showcase for up-and-comers.

 

Take the FBI guys.  Wouldn't it be better for them to get some wins on the lesser shows rather than getting their asses kicked by Rikishi every week?

Velocity has been putting up-and-comers on lately. Brian Kendrick(spanky) wrestled under a mask for about two month on it. American Dragon has been on several times.

 

The FBI actually did work on Velocity alot before coming to Smackdown. Nunzio or Chuck Palumbo was on almost every week. Johnny The Bull was never on, but i think he was returning from an injury.

[Guest KingOfOldSchool]

Are there any Mexican wrestling shows on TV? I've heard they have it on the weekend mornings but I can't read the spanish on my tv guide.

Galavision. I forgot what time it's on though. I think it's from 12-3 in the afternoon, or something like that.

[Guest snuffbox]

The Saturday rasslin was always good harmless fun, and moved ahead fueds in the days before primetime weeknight shows. Another such show could easily be a hit with marks, but for anything to be a hit, thatd require the wwe to do something/anything right. Prolly not gonna happen.

[Guest Trivia247]

Superstars was 2 hours at noon every saturday that just made the day.

 

bunch of wrestling and one big interview on that platform near the fans.

 

Velocity is still only one Crappy hour, same as Heat.

[Guest snowfan]

Thing is it would help the midcarders get recognition for their abilities. The tiers of talent are too seperated right now and WWE can't pull off the illusion that second-tier guys have any chance of a clean win on first-tier guys no matter how hard you try to "mark out". Having a squash show would allow WWE to work on getting the midcarders recognized and they could put on more athletic matches.

 

The most technical second tier wrestler would have an opportunity to pull a Bret/Hakushi and gain points in the eyes of the "booking gods".(in an ideal universe that didn't uh have wrestlers who bang the golden daughter uh and wield the book uh)

 

 

snowfan

[Gert T 0]

Besides the "dead-on-water" guys what really kills Velocity and Heat is that about 20 minutes are just a recap of Raw & SD.

[Guest jester]

Another advantage of having a Saturday morning show is that you could start work on a new generation of kiddies and turn them into wrestling fans. The show couldn't be as raunchy as Raw, but taping a show should solve that. They can edit out any naughtiness.

 

And they desperately need to build a future for themselves.

[Guest justcoz]

Great point Jester. Everyone is sitting here saying this concept wouldn't work and they wouldn't watch but I'd venture to say over 85% percent of the people who post on this board are products of that era of wrestling. The wrestling we've see on television now has only been this way since 1995 or whenever Nitro debuted.

 

The fact of the matter is with tv wrestling like it is now - it's more difficult to get people over and it's much easier for guys to be overexposed, lose their pop and grow stale.

 

Take Sean O'Haire as an example. Here is a guy who has yet to compete on Smackdown. His promo videos got him over much like a modern day Million Dollar Man. Where does he go on Smackdown? He beats someone the caliber of Funaki in a three minute match where Funaki gets some offense in and then he's battling to a no contest with A Train before jobbing to a Lesnar or Taker.

 

Where's the build up and development? Where do people get to mark out for his finisher? God, I remember when people used to pop for such meaningless things as a Paul Orndorf piledriver. Hell, look at the DDT!!!! Jake Roberts got that over because he'd leave no name jabronies laying in the ring dead week after week. That can't happen on today's televised wrestling. Characters like the Undertaker were built on squash matches.

 

And I don't want to see guys the caliber of Tajiri, Lance Storm and Matt Hardy as modern day Mario Mancinis, Rene Goulets and SD Jones. However a show like the one we are talking about would be great for indie guys and OVW guys who aren't quite ready for prime time to get air time, work with stars and grow as performers.

 

And then Gene Okerlund can interview Chris Jericho on the platform or at ringside since I miss that too...

[Guest MillenniumMan831]

I remember I used to really enjoy watching WCWSN, though I think that was more for listening to Dusty talk about gettin' to the pay window than for the actual wrestling. Nice memories, but I don't think I'd watch a similar show were it on. I don't even watch Velocity, and that usually has a decent cruiser match going for it.

Dusty's jibberish about young lions, clubberin', the muthaship, ect. made two hours just fly by. Ok, so I never could sit through it for two hours from 1998ish-2000 but he made it more entertaining than it had any right to be.

[Guest El Satanico]

They don't need weekend shows to get the next generation of kids into wrestling. That generation will watch Raw and Smackdown if WWe still exists.

 

The only reason us kids of the 80's got into wrestling by watching weekend shows is because they were the only shows.

 

 

WWe will never do a new weekend show that has actual storylines featuring good lower card guys. They can barely write two shows a week.

 

Heat and Velocity are as good as weekend shows will get.

[Guest jester]

Great point Jester. Everyone is sitting here saying this concept wouldn't work and they wouldn't watch but I'd venture to say over 85% percent of the people who post on this board are products of that era of wrestling. The wrestling we've see on television now has only been this way since 1995 or whenever Nitro debuted.

 

The fact of the matter is with tv wrestling like it is now - it's more difficult to get people over and it's much easier for guys to be overexposed, lose their pop and grow stale.

 

Take Sean O'Haire as an example. Here is a guy who has yet to compete on Smackdown. His promo videos got him over much like a modern day Million Dollar Man. Where does he go on Smackdown? He beats someone the caliber of Funaki in a three minute match where Funaki gets some offense in and then he's battling to a no contest with A Train before jobbing to a Lesnar or Taker.

 

Where's the build up and development? Where do people get to mark out for his finisher? God, I remember when people used to pop for such meaningless things as a Paul Orndorf piledriver. Hell, look at the DDT!!!! Jake Roberts got that over because he'd leave no name jabronies laying in the ring dead week after week. That can't happen on today's televised wrestling. Characters like the Undertaker were built on squash matches.

 

And I don't want to see guys the caliber of Tajiri, Lance Storm and Matt Hardy as modern day Mario Mancinis, Rene Goulets and SD Jones. However a show like the one we are talking about would be great for indie guys and OVW guys who aren't quite ready for prime time to get air time, work with stars and grow as performers.

 

And then Gene Okerlund can interview Chris Jericho on the platform or at ringside since I miss that too...

Yep. They should also use these for quicky pre-taped promos. That way some guys who normally wouldn't get mike time or aren't good with a live mike can be guided through a promo more easily. Remember when Jake Roberts or somebody would rant for a quick five minutes and get the job done? No, now we have to wait for the entrance music, for the wrestler to slowly walk to the ring, to stare at the crowd a little, to pause hoping to encourage a chant...

 

There are too few wrestlers in WWE who are this good on the mike to justify those opening 20 minute promos.

[Guest tank_abbott]

I think this thread is merely waxing nostagia (sp?), We all remember loving this stuff in our youth, so we remember it as being far more watchable than it really was.

 

I can remember getting excited at the prospect of seeing Giant Gonzalez vs Virgil being hyped a Superstars ME...but in today's product it just wouldn't work...there's a reason Heat and Velocity pull in .9's in the ratings, people aren't intersted in watching two lower mid carders go at it anymore.... much less Billy Jack Haynes vs Kerry Davis...

 

The WWE should maybe use Velocity or Heat as a WWE Classics show, and use it too showcase thier amazing video library... quite frankly the only reson I ever watched WCW Worldwide (Circa 2000) or Excess was due to the Companies showing the old matches.

 

I do seem to remember The Action Zone or something showing old clips on a weekly basis for a while, so maybe it has already proven not to be a draw...

 

Hell Maybe a new TNT with over the top skits would be interesting, It would probably do worse numbers than Velocity, truth be told....

[Guest Mr. Slim Citrus]

I disagree; As has been mentioned by snowfan and justcoz, I think that bringing back jobber matches could help get the midcard over, which has the reciprocal effect of:

 

1 - increasing the probability of getting new blood over.

2 - makes the midcard JTTS's appear to be more of a threat to the upper midcard/main eventers, which increases the likelihood that fans will care enough to watch the matches, which, in turn:

3 - prevents the WWF from having to blow their wad by having to put all of their money matches on free TV. Of course, this problem could also be alleviated by reducing the number of PPV's, which will also never happen.

 

Not to mention that I personally would simply like to see the jobber matches back; nearly all the wrestlers I like are midcard/lower-midcard, and I wouldn't mind seeing them win every now and again. Besides which, I tend to believe that helping the midcard get over helps everyone above them in the long run.