Screw it

[Guest Special K]

I've watched wrestling since I was 15. Dilligently. I am now 21. I have never been so un-entertained. i mean, really, do they expect Mark henry to draw? This is the breaking point. can't really express my disgust with what they are putting out on television now. This so far has been an absolute bullshit show. I've entertained a lot of bullshit shows, but this is the last.

 

Even when things sucked, you could always count on the midcard to provide some entertainment. Now we're left with the greatest roster perhaps ever, doing absolutely jack.

 

I have been watching wrestling with a group of 4 guys steadily. And steadily, we have all lost interest. It's gone from fun social time, to the point where, for the first time, I am embarassed to watch wrestling. I will no longer watch WWF wrestling until if/when it can shape up to some extent.

[Guest Cataclysm911]

It would be easier to just quit reading the net. Afterall, if we were all marks again, we would all like the shows better.

 

For the record, I have been watching since I was 4-5 and I'm 20 now.. so..

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I've ben watching wrestling for as long as I can remember, and I'm going on 21.

 

I usually watch it with my dad and two friends...and it seems like now we just watch the show and wait for it to get over so we can get to other shit.

 

It's just routine now...I'd like to say I watch it cause I enjoy the shows, but with few exceptions I just watch out of habbit now.

 

I do agree...a smark is just a mark with a computer and we all think we can run a better show...but some nights I think it's true though.

[Guest Special K]

I know, and I'm not the typical, 'my guy didn't get pushed, I hate the promotion' guy. I'm saying, there's really just nothing there that can appeal.

 

    I'm not a workrate freak, I like storylines to be built up,

But right now a $10 japanese PPV off of tradders does me much better than a $35 PPV from the WWF. I... just have been ambivalent to both ME and Mid-card feuds, because, IMO they have presented absolutely nothing compelling.

 

   I never bothered w/ conspiracy theories. I focus on the effect of what I am seeing, not the cause. But, really, a Booker T comedy sketch has been the sole thing to grab my attention lately, and I think I have better things to do (ie JOB) than sitting around for two hours waiting to be entertained for 10 minutes.

 

    So here's what I'm doing. I am waiting till a recap sounds entertaining to watch the program. Otherwise, I think my time is better spent. And that's sorta sad, I think, considering I followed for so long.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Ok, you've been watching since 1996/97 right?  Which was basically the beginning of the beginning.  Austin/Hart was the precursor for things to come, it was a pretty good time to be a wrestling fan in that regard.  Is it safe to say that you have never really experienced a ‘down’ period?

 

Depending on how long you have been a fan, you may or may not have had a down period.  Which is basically a time when your loyalty/endurance is tested.  I have been watching since 89 which was peak time for the Wwf.  Then we had the recession/trough of the mid-90s.  This is where boys became men (if you will), this was when we were tested.  You often hear of fans who left at that time and came back when attitude rolled around, if you leave now, you might come back later.  (With this said, the recession of wrestling was ended with Wcw.  There is no Wcw now, so who is to say that the Wwf can bring themselves out of the funk...)

 

Some really good wrestling (and really bad wrestling) transpired in that down period.  This was mainly because Vince had to portray a goodie good image for public opinion, and his talent was at an all time low.  Now is different.  His talent is at an all time high and Vince really has no barriers on him.  I am hoping that during this recession (or it might very well be a depression, with no WWII to dig us out) will bring the wrestling, being that Vince will be trying to please the ‘hardcore’ component that is still left rather than trying to be cool and getting the casuals back.  This is hope.  This is what keeps me watching.  Benoit, Jericho, Angle are all ready to be elevated to the Bret Hart/HBK spot of 95.96.97, all they need now is for Taker, Rock, and Austin to leave.  When that happens some of the best wrestling will most likely happen, the question now is...are you willing to miss it?  are you willing to take all the bad right now in order for the possibility of good in the future?

 

I have many-a-time contemplated leaving the Wwf, but due to habit and this hope I stick with it.  I also don’t think about it, I put it out of my mind.  I still complain about the Wwf, but I try not to get to the point where I put it all together and realize that they truly are fucking us and that they don’t care... Shit, now you got me thinkin about it...STOP!

 

This post ends now..

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I think a smark has to commit one way or the other.

 

A:  I'm going to let the entertainment enterain (which it really hasn't in a while)

 

OR

 

B:  I'm gonna watch and bitch about every detail that doesn't sit right with me...while making up conspiracy theories to explain why my unproven favorite isn't in the main event (of which I am happily a part of).

 

The latter may seem wrong on many levels...but it sure is fun.

 

If you're going to expose yourself to the net and its rumors, spoilers and jaded opinions...its more fun to join into it than to try point A.

 

If you want point A...I don't know what to tell you...watch old tapes.

[Guest chirs3]

I started watching in '89, stopped watching altogether around 95, and started again the night after 'Mania 14.

 

I think I might have to stop again for a while...

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I don't like when people put down the internet.

 

As a wrestling fan growing up I had always wanted to talk about wrestling but my friends were never that into it.  I wanted a place to discuss and to learn more about the thing I loved.

 

The internet was a saving grace for this wrestling fan.  My interest dwindled after WM 10, I still stuck with it but the passion that I once had was gone.  A few years ago I finally decided to enter the 90s and go online where I found boards like these, where I could focus my opinion and think 'outside' the box and gather other peoples thoughts on the state and history and love of wrestling. Suffice it to say, my love for WRESTLING has surpassed that of the young fan I was in the late 80s early 90s, and I can know appreciate more aspects this great 'sport' has to offer.

 

Internet fans are negative, but only because the product warrants negative criticism (a few circumstance may have some dick being negative for negative sakes, but those are rare in my experiences).  They do not say they hate wrestling, but they say they hate certain aspects that they have been presented.  As hard as it is to believe there is love for wrestling in every hateful post.  What we want it to be, what we know it can be, what it should be... Our desire for the best possible wrestling product is reflected here.  We know how good wrestling can be, and when we don't see it, whether it be because of politics or just stupidity, we get angry.

 

We, as fans, have the right to critique, comment, fantasy book, mock, love and hate what ever we want to.  It is just easier to find the bad in a generally bad product than to find the good... And yes..It is also our right to ramble

[Guest EQ]

I'll admit, I haven't been watching for very long at all, but I am finding that I'm starting to get bored.  For example, I very easily could have watched the PPV for free, but I just didn't feel like it.

[Guest]

I've watched wrestling since I was 15. Dilligently. I am now 21. I have never been so un-entertained. i mean, really, do they expect Mark henry to draw? This is the breaking point. can't really express my disgust with what they are putting out on television now. This so far has been an absolute bullshit show. I've entertained a lot of bullshit shows, but this is the last.

 

Even when things sucked, you could always count on the midcard to provide some entertainment. Now we're left with the greatest roster perhaps ever, doing absolutely jack.

 

I have been watching wrestling with a group of 4 guys steadily. And steadily, we have all lost interest. It's gone from fun social time, to the point where, for the first time, I am embarassed to watch wrestling. I will no longer watch WWF wrestling until if/when it can shape up to some extent.

I'm 24. Been watching since I was about 2-3, and I have to say that I feel the exact same way. That's all.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I disagree with you bps.

 

While watching the Wwf shows I can easily turn my brain off and enjoy the entertainment.  I suggest that everyone should try it.  It doesn't make you any less of a smark or any more of a mark, since you can go on-line after the show and then think about it.

[Guest EQ]

I don't know if it's the WWF's fault... maybe it's just me.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

It IS the WWF's fault...

 

Wasn't that 4 and 1/2 hour segment with Guerrero and Austin pure gold...didn't drag one bit...and the NWO bit wasn't near long enough, it just flew by...in a painfully long way. I'm sure that's murder for a live crowd to sit though...if it was entertaining it'd be one thing.

 

The ratings are in the pooper cause that's what they're giving fans. If the show was the good the ratings would be to...it's as simple as that...they've lost the casual fan and now it's just us die hards hanging on.

 

I personaly wouldn't pay to see a RAW or Smackdown when 50% or more of the show is promos and long segments.

[Guest Special K]

I understand the objections. The argument to 'sit back and enjoy the show', and that's what I've been doing for a while now. And, occasionally, I AM entertained, but being entertained for maybe 15 minutes out of 2 hours is just sort of sad, and that's what I'm faced with now.

Let me clarify. The guys I've watched wrestling with have been watching wrestling as long as me or longer, and I'M the one who tries to stick up for the promotion, and honestly, I don't have much of a ground to stand on anymore. When guys who have been wrestling fans since their teens, just don't give a shit and would rather go bowling or whatnot, it becomes apparent that wrestling is just not fun anymore. I would love to 'sit back and enjoy the show'. The fact that I don't, I think speaks to the crapulence that is WWF right now.

 

P.S. Bowling and playing WM2K. Must be a mark after all.

[Guest Special K]

Just wanted to add: don't exactly remember when I started watching wrestling (not that it really matters) but even during the era of Doink, there were still guys in solid storylines in solid matches that you could root for (no matter how many times Rude got beat down, i always felt good being a Rude mark.)

 

Nowadays, I can't think of many wrestlers that people can sollidly root for, markishly, just because the midcard feuds are null.

 

I'm not hypercrytical. I just want ONE feud that captures my imagination, or at least builds a character I can enjoy. Otherwise my time is better spent on the SHIELD (I love that show.)

 

P.S. how much does it day that I enjoy posting on the message board than watching? I like the opinions of the people here, but during any other WWF WCW ECW period I'd rather be watching the matches.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

You know what, I couldn't agree more.

 

Just ONE feud.  That's all we really ask isn't it?

 

And do you know what I HATE.  The Wwf doesn't even TRY it.  We could have Angle vs. Edge in somesort of strong psychological drama where we have Edge wanting to take Kurt Angles spot because Angle had failed to hold onto his main event position, and Angle striving to hold everyone that comes at him down so that one day he can get back that top spot.  Can Edge ascend beyond the mid-card?  Can Kurt Angle recapture his 2000 year run?

 

There could have been other subtexts to it: the previous easy going friendship the two had becoming destroyed and 180'd when both men become obsessed with destroying each other. They could have made this thing SO INTENSE.

 

But what did they do?

 

Photos with arrows and insults on the back?

T-Shirt manipulation?

Hair cuts?

 

COME ON!  You had two men who brought out the best in each other, who were top conditioned athletes; the new model for a wrestler if you will in a feud and the best they could do is HAIR?

 

Ditto with Taker and Hogan.  Sure, the match sucked, but the story could have been SO MUCH BETTER.  It could have brought back the 91 feud, it could have had Taker saying he saw the death of hulkamania, and while hhh and rock may be kissing his ass and have said things like Hogan was their childhood hero, Taker was knows the truth.  Taker never looked up to hogan, he looked down on him as he tombstoned him on a chair.

 

Then you could have Hogan talking about how the Taker has been saying the Wwf is his yard, but in reality, hulkamania built the house.  They could have had the loyalty subtext involved as well, not to mention Taker hadn't won the belt in a LONG time,

 

But what did they feud over?  A motorcycle?  

 

What the Wwf writers are missing is the classic wrestling archetypes.  Every feud nowadays seems to be started the same way, miscommunication.  It's unoriginal.

[Guest TheHulkster]

I'll never stop liking wrestling. It may disappoint me sometimes, but I try to watch every show with an open mind. If youre watching every show to be overly critical about it, you can't really enjoy it as much. Every show always finds a way to captivate me, be it the in ring action or a skit I might find humorous. I just enjoy the little things more than why they are booking a certain way or why is this guy higher on the card than this other guy. I just put on  another face when I come into the board so I can shoot the shit about wrestling with fellow fans. Im a mark in smark's clothing (hell, Hulk Hogan is my favorite professional wrestler lol).

[Guest TheHulkster]

I couldn't agree with you guys more about the captivating feud thing. I typed my opinion about that very topic, but instead of re-typing it, i'm going to do the old copy and paste job.

The thing is, in 2000 there was a gentle mix of comedy and serious competition, and it worked. It seems like they thought it was the comedy that was the star of the show and proceeded to turn all their stars into goofy cartoon characters. The bitter, heartless heel Triple H turned into the fun loving, a dick joke every 3 seconds, Triple H. Jericho was always kind of a joke, but it worked for him as a face. When they turned him heel and kept him a goofy character, nobody took him seriously. Edge seems to be going down that road being fun loving and mischievous and when he tries to get serious, you don't take him seriously. Taker and Rvd seem to have avoided the stigma thus far, but booker T and the NWO are almost too far gone to make serious anymore. You can say Stephanie or Hogan or Vince or whoever is ruining the WWF, but the fact of the matter is, the comedy shit has ruined the WWF.

[Guest Special K]

(Sorry to be posting so much on my topic)

 

That's the thing, I am easily pleased. However, they seem to only be dedicated to the Main Event. I'm not going to comment on the ME scene, it's just that, people, even the markiest of marks, like different wrestlers. Even back when the clique was in control, you still had a single storyline that was well built up, and you could root for. Nowadays, (it may be a symptom of the start.stop pushes evidenced), it feels like the ME is everything, and everything else is an afterthought.

 

For example. I really like both RVD and Eddie Guerrero. They're good in the ring, and you think there could be something, SOMETHING to draw you into the feud. Instead it's just an RVD half-assed beatdown a week before the PPV.

 

I watched with a stalwart hogan fan, who didn't like Hogan anymore. So, I say big deal. We would've had fun if there rest of the show was at least decent. Yet myself and my friend could not find anything redeemable about the show.

 

And these are the guys who laughed at a winded Flair 'Whooooo' for half an hour.

[Guest caboose]

I won't stop watching altogether, but my need to watch evey RAW and Smackdown is dead.

I could miss a show and not care.

This is bad considering I use to stay up until 3am for the re-run here in England.

[Guest]

I think this is how some puro fans got their start.  I know it may turn me that way.  I need SOME wrestling.  I would rather get 3-4 tapes for 35 bucks instead of the PPV's lately.  And I agree that apparently the writing team doesn't want to use any classic ways to build a feud.  Do I mind something different here and there?  No.  Like in my article on the site (SHAMELESS PLUG) I think Vince and Co. should stick to building a better mousetrap instead of re-inventing the wheel.(SHAMELESS PLUG #2)

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Bah, not another one of these "Im a disgruntled WWE fan that isn't being entertained like I was X number of years ago and bah humbug if I, Mr. Insignificant Fan that I am, will ever watch WWE programing again as long as I live" posts.  You'll be back..you'll all be back sooner or later muhahaha...

[Guest]

Last year, I convinced a few of my friends who loved wrestling as kids to watch it again. I explained things like fueds heels and faces, which sent them on their way to wrasslin' fandom. they all watched til about three weeks ago. Thee WWE is killing the WWf...

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Bah, not another one of these "Im a disgruntled WWE fan that isn't being entertained like I was X number of years ago and bah humbug if I, Mr. Insignificant Fan that I am, will ever watch WWE programing again as long as I live" posts.  You'll be back..you'll all be back sooner or later muhahaha...

Well...considering that WCW Nitro and WWF Raw used to draw a combined number in the double digits...and now Raw is drawing in the 3s...

 

...alot of people have been gone for a while.

[Guest y2jailbait]

ya know, i dont see anything that is sooooooooo wrong with the product that cant be fixed sometime soon. With this whole King Of The Ring New Blood Vs. Old Guard thing possibly going down, the "fans" who say there not watching WWE anymore are just at the point where most are when storylines suck and they want to vent out there frustrations. Well, by saying that you wont watch ever and even on a regular basis is absurd. Once Goldberg or Steiner or Hell even Lex F'N Luger came back, most would be back on the bandwagon. I will stay loyal as usual, which will make the product to me seem better than it actually is, but in the end when i hear of most saying "oh man, i knew they would turn it around" and such, ill know whos been there and who hasnt! Thats the end of my lil rant, kill me if ya like.

[Guest dreamer420]

You need competition to survive.  It is a well known fact that the viewers will start to get bored without the competition to switch the channel to for a minute.

[Guest]

It's the BS in the back that hurts the Storylines. God Damn Politics and it's Vince's dumbass fault for dealing with it.

 

Also, Vince needs to wake up and get that "paying your dues first" crap out of his system. If someone has good heat, use them! If the Crowd absolutely hates or Absolutely loves the person, use em!

 

Years ago when "outsiders" like Flair, Vader, Sid, Luger, etc, came in they would work one mid-card feud, and then be shot up to the main event scene if they got over.

 

Screw Vince and his Family atmosphere backstage. This is a Business, not one big orgy where everyone sits down together and has one big Circle Jerk!

 

Also, I'm almost 27 now. I started watching when I was 10. I've seen a lot of crap come out of the 80's and 90's. This So-Called "Slump" isn't chasing me away.

[Guest]

Give me a break everyone, I have been watching wrestling since I was 6, and am now almost 22, ive sat through it all, The Berzerker, Saba Simba, TL Hopper, various incarnations of Steve Lombardi, and if some of you are threatening to quit because of the product being put on now, then I question your dedication in the first place, and you most likely never sat through 1995.  Any true WWE fan was around before the boom, sat through some horrible gimmicks and storylines, and will continue to sit through this mildly boring part, where we are still getting lots of better wrestling then we used to get, so relax and just wait for things to turn around, the wheels are in motion.

[Guest Cataclysm911]

Give me a break everyone, I have been watching wrestling since I was 6, and am now almost 22, ive sat through it all, The Berzerker, Saba Simba, TL Hopper, various incarnations of Steve Lombardi, and if some of you are threatening to quit because of the product being put on now, then I question your dedication in the first place, and you most likely never sat through 1995.  Any true WWE fan was around before the boom, sat through some horrible gimmicks and storylines, and will continue to sit through this mildly boring part, where we are still getting lots of better wrestling then we used to get, so relax and just wait for things to turn around, the wheels are in motion.

Exactly.

[Guest dreamer420]

That's how I look at it too.  I still love to watch the WWE although it just wasn't what it used to be.  Routine in the WWE is what will kill it as people are sick and tired of see Rock, HHH, Taker, Austin as champion and until someone else gets elevated into the main event.