Critique Pro Wrestling in the 2000s

[TMC1982]

The 2000s or '00s will be defininately remembered for several things, namely:

*The deaths of WCW (with WWE buying them out, and thus, winning the "war") and ECW (and it's subsequent resurrection as a WWE brand)

 

*Ric Flair presumably retiring for good

 

*The Chris Benoit tragedy

 

*WWE instituting a wellness program

 

*The birth of TNA

 

*WWE's brand extention

 

*The World Wrestling Federation changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment

 

*Hulk Hogan's return to WWE after nearly ten years

 

*The untimely death of Eddie Guerrero

 

*Names like Edge, John Cena, Batitisa, and Randy Orton becoming breakthrough stars for WWE

 

 

[CubbyBr]

*The World Wrestling Federation changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment

 

Not only the name but actually changing the company from a wrestling company to an entertainment/media company.

[Mos_Def]

Started out good, but pales in comparison to the best decade ever for professional wrestling: the '90s

 

[The Buzz]

The Birth of ROH and their various ups and downs. Few good comebacks by guys like Sting and Finlay. A few bad ones as well.

 

I think if anything 2000 has been more bland than the 80s or 90s were. It seems like wrestling was going uphill through the 80s, had a dip in the early 90s and then rocketed up even further by the end of the decade. 2000's seems to just be a bumpy road with no real personality to it. It's not edgy or hip like the 90s and it's not wholesome and so simple it's brilliant like the 80s. In my opinion the key to making a truly entertaining product again is simple. Make it old school and simple with promos, vignettes, lots of matches, and very few backstage angles. Or you go in the opposite direction and try something hip and edgy. If you want to make it a tv show like WWE seems to at times, why not go all the way and film it more like a tv show. Keep the live atmosphere for the tapings, but post produce and truly work at making something interesting out of it. I think of playmakers, any given sunday, the documentaries hbo does about boxing, even the UFC countdown shows.