What would it take for another boom period in wrestling to happen?

[Guest Kobe24KGold]

Storyline? Feud? Match? Change in office personnel?

 

I'm interested to read your insight.

[benn 0]

Vince would need to die and Steph would need to give up head of creative. Kevin Dunn and the rest of those useless fucks would also need to be out of a job.

[The Niggardly King 0]

One to four wrestlers that can have the support of the old guard and office... to where they can go say nay to stupid ideas, and can sort of have some creative control.

 

Or when Vince passes and Triple H retires and takes command of the ship.

[Guest Kobe24KGold]

Vince would need to die and Steph would need to give up head of creative. Kevin Dunn and the rest of those useless fucks would also need to be out of a job.

 

What kind of storyline and/or what kind of feud between which participants -- a la Hart Foundation vs. USA, Austin vs. Bret/Vince -- would propel WWE back superstardom?

[tominator89 0]

Competition.

[The Niggardly King 0]

And kids who remain fans up until they're in their late teens to early 20s.

[Art Sandusky 0]

If WWE would put its considerable resources towards promoting a wrestling product instead of "making movies," it would improve current conditions and invite competition in the theoretically more stable and profitable wrestling industry that would result.

[Mecca 0]

Vince would need to die and Steph would need to give up head of creative. Kevin Dunn and the rest of those useless fucks would also need to be out of a job.

 

Kevin Dunn......that dude has a massive overbite.

 

I don't think there's alot they can do to create another boom period. Even if their shows were good to all of us I doubt it would create a boom that attracted non wrestling fans right now to watch it.

 

The last boom happened because of 2 characters in the Rock and Steve Austin that connected with virtually everyone. Guys like that don't come around very often at all, getting a wrestler like that now would be how to recreate that but I don't see anyone just sitting out there that is going to connect with everyone even people that aren't fans of the business.

[Timmy8271 0]

If TNA gets the type of ratings or Higher ratings than raw, it can happen. Vince needs competition and By the looks of it, TNA will never get there.

[iggymcfly 0]

All this talk about needing a magical new wrestler that single-handedly gets themselves massively over is bullshit. All they really need is some better writing and booking.

 

The McMahon/Russo booking team would have pulled the trigger on the Cena heel turn at Summerslam last year. They would have had DX feuding with real main eventers by now, even if they were in Vince's employ. They also would have written at least a couple compelling feuds between main eventers. It's pretty sad when the only good feud this year was completely controlled by someone outside the company (Foley). Shit at this point, maybe they should just have Foley retire from active competition, and book Raw full-time. I'd bet he'd do a lot better than Stephanie and Kevin Dunn.

[Fro 0]

The right wrestlers and the right storylines.

 

WWE is still living in the past and rehashing stale storylines since they haven't pushed people properly to fill spots. The circlejerk booking they've been doing for the past 5-6 years is really catching up to them now.

 

When you look down the roster and see that Booker and Batista have nobody to feud with other than each other, and Cena/Edge only have HHH to feud with, you know the roster is in big trouble.

 

They had to rely on Flair, Foley, Hogan, and the McMahons to fill out Summerslam.

[King Cucaracha 0]

They can't 'make' a new boom period superstar. It doesn't work like that. Manufacturing stars just doesn't work. When it happens, they just have to take advantage of it.

 

Austin's popularity was somewhat accidental, in that he was put over in the King Of The Ring but really got over with one line in a promo. Rock's popularity was somewhat accidental, in that he was being rejected as the face the company wanted him to succeed at and joining The Nation was a reaction measure. When they got popular, the company weren't afraid to push them.

 

Right now, any time someone gets popular, instead of capitalising the company seems to freak out and/or do something stupid booking-wise that screws everything up. Best example I can think of being Orton, who may or may not have made it big after Summerslam '03 but was never given the chance to find out. The only time they've even come close in the past few years is Batista, who got over purely as a side character to HHH and was given a chance to succeed, although he didn't become the mega-star like a Hogan or an Austin.

[Guest Kobe24KGold]

They can't 'make' a new boom period superstar. It doesn't work like that. Manufacturing stars just doesn't work. When it happens, they just have to take advantage of it.

 

Austin's popularity was somewhat accidental, in that he was put over in the King Of The Ring but really got over with one line in a promo. Rock's popularity was somewhat accidental, in that he was being rejected as the face the company wanted him to succeed at and joining The Nation was a reaction measure. When they got popular, the company weren't afraid to push them.

 

Right now, any time someone gets popular, instead of capitalising the company seems to freak out and/or do something stupid booking-wise that screws everything up. Best example I can think of being Orton, who may or may not have made it big after Summerslam '03 but was never given the chance to find out. The only time they've even come close in the past few years is Batista, who got over purely as a side character to HHH and was given a chance to succeed, although he didn't become the mega-star like a Hogan or an Austin.

 

Good stuff.

 

Do you think that the right storyline using the current wrestlers on the roster can make a significant difference? And what would that storyline or feud be?

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

The only time they've even come close in the past few years is Batista, who got over purely as a side character to HHH and was given a chance to succeed, although he didn't become the mega-star like a Hogan or an Austin.

John Cena says "hi!" Got over & pushed to the top because of it, and is now arguably the #1 draw in the company,

[jester 0]

1. A couple of hot new characters who are not clones of the Rock or Steve Austin.

 

2. Good storyline and booking for the majority of the company, not just one or two feuds.

 

3. Stop allowing senior citizens to tap dance all over the young 'uns.

 

4. Allow different styles of wrestling suited to the wrestlers, not just punch punch punch spinebuster stomp stomp stomp.

 

5. Talent used for what they're good at. Talkers only talk, not wrestle. Workers only work, not talk, so they get talkers as managers. Nobody is forced to use a style that completely exposes their abilities.

 

6. Working with mainsteam media, not against it.

 

7. Legit competition sure wouldn't hurt.

[benn 0]

There may not ever be another wrestling boom, at least in the US. WWE is stagnating without competition but has such a stranglehold over the market that none is allowed to emerge. Its entirely possible that the pro wrestling mainstream popularity ship has already sailed for good.

[chaosrage 0]

Vince Russo would like to give his thoughts on the matter.

http://fileanchor.com/55072-d

http://fileanchor.com/55073-d

[Guest Princess Leena]

It probably will never happen again.

 

Wrestling doesn't have the ability to stretch their "shock value" anymore.

 

The only possible way I can see is by lucking out on another bundle of charisma with a great look, like Rock. And the only way that even came out was because WWE kept trying with him. Which won't happen today in the "throw another new guy in the upper midcard, and hope" strategy.

 

I disagree with people who think writing will fix things. Even in WWE's glory days of ~2000, there still was a lot of stupid writing and McMahonamania. And if you think anyone is capable of filling up 250+ hours of wrestling per year with mostly good stuff, you're kidding yourself. In order for there to be a wrestling "boom", wrestling has to be cool again... and that's just not going to happen where you're guaranteed at least one segment a week that makes you physically embarassed to be watching.

[naiwf 0]

Competent writers/bookers. So, they're doomed.

[NoCalMike 0]

A WWE boom merely requires the right superstar at the right time. If Austin or The Rock were brand new in 2006, trust me, business would be booming in 2006, Vince just needs to inadvertanly find the next superstar to fit the bill.

 

For a boom in Pro-wrestling overall, well that is less likely, because WWE would need a real competitor. Sadly, I think when ECW and WCW died, a lot of people just gave up on Wrestling, and nothing thus far has been able to bring them back, and the more time that goes by, the less likely they will ever come back.

[GODSON 0]

TNA gets a "LIVE" weekly show(notice I did not say two hours)

 

The right star at the right time. That could be anybody. For all we know, Val Venis or Bobby Roode could be the next mega star.

 

An amazing feud with the right main eventers.

 

Hell,for all we know the new MTV project might be a hit. You just can't tell with these things.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

They have to forget about getting the fans from the last boom back, and focus on getting new fans. That means not relying on guys like Hogan, Flair, and Foley to be draws anymore.

[Guest JustPassinBy]

WWE should cut back its product and PPV's.

Wrestling right now is over-exposed. I think more people would take an interest in it, if it wasnt on so much.

 

If you subtract some shows, it makes the shows they do telecast that much more important to see.

 

WCW being a 3-hour show was a factor in leading to their downfall IMO

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

A WWE boom merely requires the right superstar at the right time. If Austin or The Rock were brand new in 2006, trust me, business would be booming in 2006, Vince just needs to inadvertanly find the next superstar to fit the bill.

 

With the way things are I doubt they be superstars. I mean, of course, they would be way over with the crowd but, with Vince and HHH the way they are now they would have the legs cut from them and job to HHH.

[Guest DRH 502]

I don't really think anything can be done to "create" a boom, it just has to happen. I'd say if anything it can be jumpstarted with a very strong personality the 2006 youth can relate to...but even then its still all a matter of the incrowd deciding its cool. Americans have herding tendencies...

[Jingus 0]

It all relies on having a new red-hot crossover superstar.

 

Period. Nothing else.

 

Because, look back at the previous two boom periods. The first one in the 80s was purely due to Hulkamania. Yeah, having the quality supporting talent like Piper and Savage certainly helped, but without Hogan's massive popularity it wouldn't have happened.

 

Same thing in '98: Stone Cold Steve Austin. The company sold more Austin 3:16 shirts than every other t-shirt combined. This example also kills the whole "competent writing and good booking" idea: the writing and booking from fall of '97 to spring of '98 was TERRIBLE. Russo's crash-tv theory ruled the day. Feuds were started and then abruptly forgotten with almost WCW-like quickness. Characters were randomly turned babyface and heel on almost a daily basis. (Example: I dare anyone to give me a complete synopsis of the Taker/Kane feud from that time period.) Steve Austin put that company on his back and carried it from near-bankruptcy into billion-dollar success.

 

So, for a new mega-boom period, we need a new superstar. One who the WWE has NOT tried to push to the moon already. That eliminates guys like Cena, Orton, Edge, and Batista; the audience has already seen those guys, knows them well, and aren't willing to watch them in the kind of numbers that tuned in every Monday night in 1999.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Same thing in '98: Stone Cold Steve Austin. The company sold more Austin 3:16 shirts than every other t-shirt combined. This example also kills the whole "competent writing and good booking" idea: the writing and booking from fall of '97 to spring of '98 was TERRIBLE. Russo's crash-tv theory ruled the day. Feuds were started and then abruptly forgotten with almost WCW-like quickness. Characters were randomly turned babyface and heel on almost a daily basis. (Example: I dare anyone to give me a complete synopsis of the Taker/Kane feud from that time period.) Steve Austin put that company on his back and carried it from near-bankruptcy into billion-dollar success.

 

The spring of 1997 to the summer of 1998 was the absolute apex of writing/booking in a major promotion of the past twenty years. For about 18 months, the company shot amazing angles, developed great characters and feuds and put on a compelling product that changed the landscape of the industry. It became cool to hate on Russo by late 1999, but the stuff he was doing at first was innovative and immensely entertaining. The development of the Austin character has as much to do with the writing from that period as it does with the man himself.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

I still love 1998 WWF. Lots of good memories from that year with the AWESOME hype for SummerSlam 1998 (I still remember the Highway to Hell video package) and the great Dude Love-Austin match which is very underrated from Over the Edge 1998.

 

Of course looking back none of that stuff is shocking now since they have beaten nearly every angle they once used to death but I remember back in those days I couldn't wait to tune into Raw. Nowadays its just a chore to sit through.

[Jingus 0]

The spring of 1997 to the summer of 1998 was the absolute apex of writing/booking in a major promotion of the past twenty years. For about 18 months, the company shot amazing angles, developed great characters and feuds and put on a compelling product that changed the landscape of the industry. It became cool to hate on Russo by late 1999, but the stuff he was doing at first was innovative and immensely entertaining. The development of the Austin character has as much to do with the writing from that period as it does with the man himself.

 

Um. Are you kidding? I've never liked Russo, always thought he was one of the worst writers in wrestling history. The storylines from that era often made no sense whatsoever, contradicted themselves on a weekly basis, and had inane plot twists that existed for no reason other than to "swerve" us stupid marks.

 

And furthermore, Russo didn't write Austin's stuff. Vinnie Mac, JR, and Austin himself came up with most of it. (To prove this, just listen to any Russo interview where he brags about how great he used to be: he'll always take credit for Rock and Goldust, but never claims to have written Austin's material.)

[jester 0]

I do believe good writing/booking is essential. At the very least, it can't hurt and is part of the formula. Yes, there was lots of cracked-fueled story lines in WWE in 97/98, but remember, they were only one part of the wrestling boom. WCW hadn't fucked themselves totally by that point, and they had just about everything they needed to keep it going. It's one of the reasons their collapse is so tragic. They had a bunch of old guys that were made more interesting by... good booking and a kickass storyline to follow. They had some very promising up and comers. They had good booking and storylines. They had punch-stomp events, and they had cruisers tearing up the ring.

 

How did it all fall apart?

 

Shitty booking.

 

Shittier storylines.

 

Old guys squashing the new guys.

 

Raw is nowhere near this level yet, and hopefully never will be. But anybody backstage at WWE who knows how WCW really fell apart should be pulling a few alarms right now.