Casual fans of WWE

[Guest JericholicEdgeHead]

As I sit here still in disgust over watching last night's RAW, I have been thinking why I even waste my time anymore caring about WWE.

 

But I have to wonder if even the casual fans and I hate to use the term "marks" still thinks WWE is great entertainment.

 

There still seems to be quite a few fans out there who still watches WWE no matter what junk is thrown their way. Ratings are still good, a cable rating of 3.2 - 4.0 is not bad at all for any wrestling show no matter what anyone says, and it still tops the weekly cable ratings almost every week. PPV's attendance still seems to be good as SummerSlam had a sold out crowd.

 

It's just crazy to me that WWE still seems to be doing good with such poor over the top storylines and pushing non wrestlers over the actual trained wrestlers. Has the buisness really evolved into this??

 

Vince must be happy because it seems like he has had the last laugh and can still run a successful buisness with a 2nd rate product. And as much as I don't like it, somehow Vince is proving that 5th grade level campy soap opera crap will make money instead of actual wrestling. But how long will it last before the bottom falls out??

[Guest God Junior]

I don't know if 'casual' fans are even still watching. It's more likely just hardcore marks who aren't aware of the alternatives to WWE and love wrestling too much to give it up.

 

Of course, there'll always be some people who find it entertaining, but I'd bet the percentage is pretty low right now.

[Ultra Violence 0]

It will last right up until NWA:TNA get a proper TV deal... then the WWE are fucked

[Guest God Junior]

I'm not so sure about that. On other boards, featuring less eloquent posters, I've noticed a lot of people that seem to enjoy Raw just because it has big name stars. I don't know if that's a reflection of the average wrestling fan, but it's likely a good number of them.

[eirejmcmahon 0]

It will last right up until NWA:TNA get a proper TV deal... then the WWE are fucked

Howso ?

[Guest Goodear]

Because TNA is better than WWE ... or so the theory goes. Personally I am not seeing a whole lot of difference between the two.

[bob_barron 0]

It will last right up until NWA:TNA get a proper TV deal... then the WWE are fucked

I don't get it.

 

Why would Raven, Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles and Vince Russo cause WWE to be fucked?

 

I'm sure fans tired of the screwjob finishes in WWE would flock to TNA and their screwjob finishes

[BoboBrazil 0]

TNA offers things that WWE doesn't.

 

1. Unpredictability. Anyone can win a match or show up at any time. In WWE you always know who will win or what will happen 99% of the time.

 

2. More exciting storylines. This is just my opinion of course, but TNA's storylines are better than WWE's.

 

3. Wrestler's aren't held back in the ring. If a wrestler can do a move you will see it here, unlike in WWE where they water everyone down and limit them to very basic movesets.

 

4. Wrestler's aren't held back due to size. A smaller guy will get the chance to main event here, which will never happen in WWE.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Ok Barron.............that's it. I'm fucking sick of wondering who everybody in your sig is.

 

Tell me! I need to put this demon to rest!

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

Casual fans are turned off by the current product.

 

I watch most WWE TV with friends who are casual fans and they watch it out of habit and to take the pi$$ more than anything else.

 

For example, the Coach heel turn had people maoning as they all thought he was a stupid person that had been treated like crap and now he is supposed to help Bischoff win a match ahead of Christian?

 

The casual fans watch for the storylines, and because they have so many gaps in them, they turn off.

[cynicalprofit 0]

Funny but true, last night I started watching Raw withsome who was a casual fan during the war years, of course she really stopped watching when we started screwing around, so I dont think she was to interested in the show in the first place. But she atleast said she had wondered what had been happening.

[Guest Trivia247]

TNA might give them a run for their money in another ratings war, however I think thats EXACTLY what the WWE needs in the long run someone viable to force them to get better again. I haven't been watching the latest efforts of TNA because of the pricetag that adds up by the end of the month.

 

if TNA gets a tv deal that doesn't involve the regular fan to shell out 10 per for what a hour long show? two hours? I forget the actual time. then the WWE will be forced to have to compete with it. putting TNA on a actual network like TNT or USA and not some rinky dink channel like what TNN was before it turned into....Spike. or even before they got POP.

[iggymcfly 0]

The casual fans do like the current product. The ratings on Raw are much higher than they were 6 months ago. Raw's gone from an average rating in the low 3.0s to an average of about a 4.0. Stuff like the opening promo last night, the segment with Austin and Coach, and even the Shane/Jericho match are way more fun to the average casual fan than a ten minute match between Benoit and Shelton Benjamin

[MARTYEWR 0]

If I may use my roommate as an example, he's been off and on with the product lately. We spent more time watching the Colts-Broncos exhibition game last night than we did watching Raw. He doesn't have the same "smart" tendencies that I do as far as wrestling goes, but he did note that "that crowd sure looks excited" during the Cade/Jindrak v. Henry/Mack match, and he also got frustrated during a lot of talk segments, particularly the Austin-Bischoff one backstage (where Austin was questioned by Terri about the SummerSlam match).

 

That's not the only case I heard of, as a lot of people looked pretty bored during SummerSlam at the bar I was at. So, yeah, casual fans are turning off from the product, but, I think, for different reasons.

[Guest nikowwf]

TNA would be exposed on a larger scale - casual fans would sh*t on it. DONT GET PISSED AT ME - I LIKE IT - ITS THE ONLY PLACES TO GET GOOD CRUISER ACTION AT THE MOMENT. BUT, its still second rate looking, and casual fans would look at it, see WWE castoffs and some skinny guys, and sh*t on it.

 

And going the TV route would kill TNA's PPV revenue. It would be all or nothing. They'd have a short time to get going, and build a viable fanbase. If not, they'd be dead and possibly for good.

 

Remember, for all of you who say TNA is the future, remember we are part of about 10,000 people who order these shows. Thats NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. Thats less people than go to the WWE shows often.

 

niko

[Guest nikowwf]

Oh, and my wife the casual fan LOVED Angle/Brock because it had good drama, and because Angle won! (she thinks Brock is mean because he hurt Gowen)

 

and she was disgusted by the EC because HHH won again and she was getting into Goldberg because he killed Jericho and should have killed HHH. (who she has massive heel hatred for.)

 

niko

[Austin3164life 0]

1. Casual fans don't watch because the storylines are way over the top, have too many holes, and are not believable at all

 

2. The Rock is gone from wrestling, Austin doesn't wrestle anymore. As much as some people might hate to admit, when these two are both active, the ratings do well (usually).

 

3. No alternative. No one can flip to TNT and watch another promotion to at least see something different, but within the same "sport". If I change it to a good football game, I'll forget about wrestling.

[Guest Ray]

I highly doubt any TV deal would lead to TNA giving WWE a "run for their money."

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

TNA would be exposed on a larger scale - casual fans would sh*t on it. DONT GET PISSED AT ME - I LIKE IT - ITS THE ONLY PLACES TO GET GOOD CRUISER ACTION AT THE MOMENT. BUT, its still second rate looking, and casual fans would look at it, see WWE castoffs and some skinny guys, and sh*t on it.

 

And going the TV route would kill TNA's PPV revenue. It would be all or nothing. They'd have a short time to get going, and build a viable fanbase. If not, they'd be dead and possibly for good.

 

Remember, for all of you who say TNA is the future, remember we are part of about 10,000 people who order these shows. Thats NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. Thats less people than go to the WWE shows often.

 

niko

Umm but wouldn't getting a TV deal mean better money and improved production values? You're assuming that the production values would reamin the same.

 

I honestly doubt most casual fans still watch WWE because it "looks nice"

[SpikeFayeJettEdBebop 0]

"I highly doubt any TV deal would lead to TNA giving WWE a "run for their money."

 

I dont doubt it at all. Alot of people, including myself, follow TNA but dont buy the shows becasue 1. They dont have PPV where they live or 2. They dont wanna shell out 10 bucks a week. I buy the occasional show and have nothing against TNA. They may be doing screwjob finishes but they just put on a GREAT match last week (Styles/Ki)So, I really think TNA has a big chance, if it had main stream exposure, and the fans that would then be able to get it for free, plus its hardcore fan base that USED to pay for it, it would eventually overcome WWE, or atleast force them to make there product better.

[Guest God Junior]

TNA would be exposed on a larger scale - casual fans would sh*t on it.  DONT GET PISSED AT ME - I LIKE IT - ITS THE ONLY PLACES TO GET GOOD CRUISER ACTION AT THE MOMENT.  BUT, its still second rate looking, and casual fans would look at it, see WWE castoffs and some skinny guys, and sh*t on it.

 

And going the TV route would kill TNA's PPV revenue.  It would be all or nothing.  They'd have a short time to get going, and build a viable fanbase.  If not, they'd be dead and possibly for good.

 

Remember, for all of you who say TNA is the future, remember we are part of about 10,000 people who order these shows.  Thats NOTHING in the grand scheme of things.  Thats less people than go to the WWE shows often.

 

niko

Umm but wouldn't getting a TV deal mean better money and improved production values? You're assuming that the production values would reamin the same.

 

I honestly doubt most casual fans still watch WWE because it "looks nice"

Never underestimate the stupidity of the average wrestling fan.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I have a friend who has stopped watching wrestling but tunes in from time to time. I was telling him about the Shane/Kane storyline today...

 

"Dude, that's fuckin stupid, why do you still watch that shit?"

[Guest goar]

Most people were bored at the bar I wathced SS at. Absolutely bored until the four-way, except the two minutes Austin was on and a few scattered Undertaker fans. People seemed to be into Kane and the EC match. Interesting characters with bad stories can still grab people's interest and Kane certainly showed that. Then again the guy behind me was disappointed that Kevin Nash was the first elimination in the chamber and there's certainly nothing interesting about that character.

 

But I think the telling sign was the number of people at the bar. There were about twenty five of us watching the show. I heard about it on the local sports radio station. If advertising during Jim Rome can only pull in 25 people to a PPV then it seems they've already lost all the casual fans.

[Tawren 0]

My friend Chris (supermark, in other words) has loved every show in 2003, even Bad Blood. But even he felt that the

Spoiler (Highlight to Read):

Kane angle

was stupid last night.

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

The casual fans do like the current product. The ratings on Raw are much higher than they were 6 months ago. Raw's gone from an average rating in the low 3.0s to an average of about a 4.0. Stuff like the opening promo last night, the segment with Austin and Coach, and even the Shane/Jericho match are way more fun to the average casual fan than a ten minute match between Benoit and Shelton Benjamin

And Shane is entertaining and God and should main event every show and should be RAW champ and blah blah blah.

 

I have a question - how many people do you know that watch WWE on a regular basis? Give me a number.

 

As for me, no one, and I mean no one, watches the shows on a regular basis. My brother even likes wrestling but does not watch it if he has something else better to do.

[Tawren 0]

I have a question - how many people do you know that watch WWE on a regular basis? Give me a number.

I know you meant it in a rhetorical way, but I have at least 30 friends who watch it regularily.

[Guest ArchoanJB]

oh my family who watches is in the mark catergory. They dont' talk about the good wrestling, They talk about how Stone Cold got whupped down by Kane. They all hate smackdown because Raw has the big stars. I believe this is what the WWE attracts now other then us and to them, they want this.

[Guest ArchoanJB]

Oh yea that isn't how I normally talk by the way, just wanted to paraphrase their words

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Ok, when you say "friends" you don't mean "people I meet on wrestling boards" right?

 

I only know 1 person who watches it, they barely do. I know LOTS of people who watch*ed* it.

[Tawren 0]

Ok, when you say "friends" you don't mean "people I meet on wrestling boards" right?

 

I only know 1 person who watches it, they barely do. I know LOTS of people who watch*ed* it.

30 people in real life, of course.