The good of having a great mid-card...

[Guest Downhome]

Ok, let's look through the WWF's line up shall we? We have...

 

1) A horrible tag division, with the upcoming match of Spike/Tazz Vs. Billy/Chuck at the PPV, and this match doesn't even have ANY buildup or reason for happening.

 

2) We are being forced to watch Edge Vs. Regal, which has been nothing more than a pain to be forced to watch. No, it isn't because Edge or Regal "suck" in my opinion, it's just that they styles are so diverse, that they simply clash worse than just about any two guys I've ever seen. Does anyone actually care about this feud?

 

3) We have RVD Vs. Goldust now seemingly, and if you ask me this is the better of the mid-card feuds, and that isn't saying much at all! This feud has promise, but it's too early to tell if you ask me. It would mean a little more if the IC title was at stake, but of course that title is tied up in the POINTLESS Edge Vs. Regal.

 

4) We have absolutely NOTHING going on with the Euro title or DDP.

 

5) We have absolutely NOTHING going on with the Cruiser-Weight title or Tajir.

 

6) We have absolutely NOTHING going on with the Hardcore title or Maven now it seems. The only thing that accomplished was simply getting the title off of "Mean Mark", and furthering his feud with Rocky.

 

7) Then we have various guys who pop up from time to time for basicly no reason, like Booker T, Test, Rikishi, The Hurricane, Lance Storm, Albert, Scotty 2 Hotty, blah, blah blah.

 

...and that is about it for the mid-card, etc... I believe. If I'm forgetting anything, I suppose that just means they are doing that much worse of a job than what I have mentioned, lol.

 

We have Angle/HHH, Rocky/Taker, and Austin/Jericho going on now in the upper parts of the card, and they are all good, and have been built up accordingly. But, that right there is the very problem...

 

...it seems that the ONLY thing the WWF cares ANYTHING about is getting their Main Even talent/feuds over! I mean really, what reasons has the WWF gave not only us the net fans, but also (and more importanly), the CASUAL fans to care about? Hmmm, I don't know about you but I don't see very much there!

 

What happened to building up feuds over the IC title, making it seem like it was a huge deal to actually win that belt? It used to be that the IC belt was the final step before the World Title, and the feuds over the IC belt would be almost just as well developed as that as the WORLD Title! What is the possible reasoning in not doing anything with that division anymore?

 

And the Euro belt, that could be a HOT division! But no, they just throw that belt around without any reason, putting it on whoevers name they just seemingly pull out of a hat. Ok, DDP is now the Euro champ, that I LOVE! But why? What is he doing it with it now? Does it mean anything more other than "hey, DDP has a title now, cool"? Why did he beat Christian for it in the first place? Was it just because DDP won a non-title match on Heat ONCE, then as a result he gets a shot FOR the title? Oh yeah, that is just a WONDERFUl angle!

 

Ok, let's put the Hardcore title on Maven, yeah cool! But let's not make this out to help the Hardcore division, let's just do it simply to push our upper card that much more! Oh yeah, let's give the title to Maven, but then not hardly mention it anymore! We all know that ONLY the upper card matters! Now that Maven has it, we can just let him randomly face whoever, let's break out the hat! He doesn't need an actual *gasp* ANGLE.

 

Now must I even MENTION the Cruiser-Weight title? All I'll say here, is that it COULD be the best damn matches on the card if they just HAD matches over it. No, I'm not even going to bother complaining about them not having any ANGLES/FEUDS in this division...

 

...hell, I'd be happy if they just had some freaking Cruiser-Weight matches PERIOD!

 

The Tag-Team divison is another myster to me. I mean, the fact that Edge/Christian and The Hardyz broke up, does that mean that their Tag-Team divison must basicly fade away? Perhaps those teams meant more to the WWF than what we thought at the time...

 

...or MAYBE the WWF just has stopped carring about the once HOT division. Why are The Hardyz not back in the hunt now that they are "back", as shown in the Rumble? Or even a BETTER question...

 

...why in the HELL has the APA never been made out to have a TRUE title reign that meant anything? Hell, they are made out to look like the most devestating tag-team in the WWF, why not have them go after the titles? I swear, if they don't have the APA win the tag-titles soon, for THEM to be The Outsiders opponents, then something is truly wrong. What is the purpose of Spike/Tazz having the titles anyhow? Is is JUST to seemingly show that the "smaller guys" can indeed get over and win gold in the WWF?

 

Oh yeah, that makes sense, it shows they can get gold, but they STILL wont do sh*t with them in regards to an ANGLE or a FEUD.

 

Or hell, what happened to guys not having to feud over a title in the lower card? Why can't we see just two guys go at it for a SHOT for the Euro/Cruiser/IC title? We need to see that the wrestlers themselves care about the titles, etc... so we as FANS can care!

 

Ok, I'll stop now, I just felt like ranting about the WWF's seemingly non-caring for anything BUT the Upper card. I think it's about time that the WWF stands up, opens their eyes, look at their own shows...

 

...and realizes, that there is a LOT more to a good card, than simply their Upper card...

 

...hell, maybe the lack of anything BUT an Upper card is one of their problems ratings wise and maybe it's a cause of some fans simply not caring about anything on their show other than the Upper card.

 

Anyhow...

 

...what do you think about this situation over all? Hell, what would YOU do to improve it?

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

The WWF keeps spinning its wheels on the main event feuds.  Instead of just repeating the same thing with them, why not give the midcarders some time once the main feuds have been established.  (Rock/Taker is actually the best Main Event feud right now, in part because it is actually progressing).

 

Also does HHH need to be on five times a night.  Can't they just have him on once, and spend the other 4 slots on the midcard?  HHH accomplishes just as much, and the midcard is further pushed at the same time.

[Guest Kinetic]

This would be my main gripe with the WWF at this point.  It isn't enough to just HAVE matches, you've got to have them for a reason.  And while you're at it, why not make that a compelling reason that would encourage fans to pay to see you events?  There is absolutely no logic in having guys wrestle every night for no reason, when feuds are so easy to build up.  Arguably the best feud since the WWF began it's free fall last year is Rock and Jericho.  What led to that?  Jericho accidentaly hit Rock with a chair, Rock got angry, they had an altercation, and then proceeded to talk shit about each other on TV for the next several weeks.  And it all ruled!  What is so difficult about that?  Why can't they just do stuff like that with everyone?  Sure, leave the more complex, dramatic stuff with the main event guys.  That makes sense.  But at least give the mid-carders something to work with.

[Guest theWCWRaider]

I totally agree with the stale midcard right now. Unfortunately the reason the WWF spends all the time on the Main Event feuds, is because those matches are the ones that sell PPV's, and house show tickets.

 

I also agree that HHH does not need to be on my TV 7 times a Raw, like he was last night.

[Guest Downhome]

It isn't enough to just HAVE matches, you've got to have them for a reason.  And while you're at it, why not make that a compelling reason that would encourage fans to pay to see you events?  

Oh my God, I think you summed it up perfectly in two sentences, LOL. I wish the WWF could just under stand our logic.

 

On a side note, you signature makes me cringe, I HATE those damn Subway commercials and their annoying jingles! :-p

[Guest Downhome]

Unfortunately the reason the WWF spends all the time on the Main Event feuds, is because those matches are the ones that sell PPV's, and house show tickets.

Yes, that is the MAIN reason that people buy PPV's, but having a solid card top to bottom makes MORE people buy the PPV's! I don't know about you, but I don't buy PPV's simply based on the Upper card, and I know MANY people who doesn't.

 

I just don't understand why the WWF can't realize this.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Yes, but they have enough tv time a week to do both.  They didn't have any problem in 2000 finding time for the midcard, and 2000 has some of the best main event feuds of all time (ex. Cactus/HHH).

[Guest mastermind]

Another damn problem I can't understand why the wwf continues to do is actually YOU KNOW tell people and show people what they are paying for on the ppv. Hell, I didn't even know Billy and Chuck was goinig to face Tazz/Spike.

[Guest Some Guy]

HBK had great main event matches in '96 but no one bought the shows, remember how many "one match shows they had that year?  They need a midcard with actual storylines and feuds.

 

Why not Booker (he needs something to do) v Edge over the IC belt after NWO?

DDP v Christian over the Euro.

Trash the Hardcore belt.

Bring in the Cruisers from HWA after the split and there are solid matches galore.

find something meaning ful for Storm, Perfect, RVD until they can enter the IC hunt.

The tag division has really hit the shits and I can't think of anything to help beyond maybe Raven + Credibile coming back as a team.

[Guest artDDP]

Remember when we used to say the WWF was better than WCW?  Isn't it ironic that now we have to call for them to take measures that WCW once did?

[Guest imajackoff?]

With the pending split, I think the WWF creative team has basically forsaken the mid card. After WM, all of the undercard angles will be rendered moot.

 

They lost control of the mid card with the Invasion angle because of an overflowing roster and too many titles.  Hopefully, after the split more attention will be paid to the entire card and not just the ME.

[Guest Flair5000]

Luckily, it's Booker/Test vs Spike/Tazz at NWO, not Billy and Chuck. Ok, Test sucks but at least Booker's in there.

 

The WWF should devote specialist bookers to the midcard or something, there are some great matches and feuds in there if they looked hard enough. RVD vs Goldust is just so dull. Why not RVD vs Lance Storm? That would be great.

[Guest The Vanilla Midget]

i was thinking about this last night after watching the steph-fest that was raw.  half of those vignettes she featured in (all of hhh's were necessary) could have been done without.  thats 7 mins or so there.  then take the unnecessary 5 mins for wedding singers (dont they normally sing after the vows).  thats 12 minutes of unnecessary television right there.  now, if you had spent that 12 mins on backstage vignettes featuring edge-regal, rvd-goldust, and the other midcard fueds, they would have so much more heat and interest.  furthermore, steph having so much tv time doesnt even do anything except get herself even further over as a heel (if that was even possible), and that was a lot less necessary than the present state of the midcard.

[Guest snowfan]

i was thinking about this last night after watching the steph-fest that was raw.  half of those vignettes she featured in (all of hhh's were necessary) could have been done without.  thats 7 mins or so there.  then take the unnecessary 5 mins for wedding singers (dont they normally sing

What I love is the fact that the hortest vignette was longer than most guys get to put on a match.(you know the whole reason there supposedly is a d**n show?)

[Guest The Vanilla Midget]

soz, i clicked the wrong button on that last post and posted it too soon, its edited now for the full post.

[Guest Will Scarlet]

I agree about the lack of midcard.  The WWF seems to be caught in a trap where they believe that their only problem is they cannot find the right main event angle.  They feel that the only reason why they had great rating way back when was solely because of Austin-Vince.  They seem to forget about what else was going in the fed during that feud.  You had stuff like the DX-Nation feud, the Brood, the three faces of Mick Foley, Ken Shamrock, Goldust doing whatever, the Val Venis-Kaientai feud, Al Snow and head, the various Undertaker-Kane feuds, and a bunch of other stuff that kept the entire show interesting, and, at the same time, kept the Austin-Vince feud from getting too stale or overexposed because it did not have to carry the whole show like Triple H, Austin, or whoever has to now.  Sure they had crap like the Godwinns/DOA/whatever but their appearances were usually kept short, and they usually jobbed, so not much harm done.

 

The WWF seems to think now that nobody cares about anyone else on the roster that they are just watching to see HHH/Austin/Rock.  They are now going with the NWO, which I am not quite sure will do for ratings, as they seem to be a mode where "Hey!  People will order the PPV to see the NWO, so why waste time writing anything interesting?"

 

The WWF needs to find a way to fix the midcard, and make the show more solid and complete.  They should then have a big show where a lot of people are going to be tuning in to see what is going on, then, bam, once they see that the show is actually good, maybe they will watch next week.  One thing I hated about the Triple H return show was the fact that nothing really happened on it besides the Triple H return.  The only other thing I can remember from it was Tazz and Spike winning the Tag titles.  I felt the WWF should have used that show to start a bunch of new, interesting feuds, and perhaps putting a smaller return like Val Venis in there as well, sticking him something meaningful.  Basically, just start anew with a bunch of new things going on so that the new fans tuning in to see HHH return can follow what is going on, instead of coming in with bland feuds that they really do not understand.  I just hope the WWF fixes the midcard soon, or I may be stuck just watching Jakked and Heat for I can see Christian and the Hurricane, until the WWF fixes itself.