The solution to the WWE's problems...

[Guest TheSmarkzone]

Everybody on the Internet seems to think that the answer to the WWE's ratings and attendance problems is to push fresh, young talent that can really work. The idea is that two guys like Eddy Guerrero and Rob Van Dam go out on RAW, have a ****+ rocket-buster, and the next day everybody is talking about it around the water cooler. Unfortunately, this plan of attack only solves half the problem.

 

Ratings and attendance are down. They're not in the 1995 toilet yet, but they're down. So who do you think is still making up that 3.6 rating? Who do you think is still buying tickets to see the WWE live? The die-hards and the smarts. People like us.

 

My point is this: by pushing the young, fresh talent, you are only going to stabilize the business. You are only going to appease the loyal contingent of die-hards and smarts, who are going to watch no matter what anyway. That's why the ratings are kinda just hovering around that 3.5-4.0 mark, even when Eddy Guerrero and Rob Van Dam go out there and nearly kill themselves on free TV for us. They're not attracting new fans.

 

While the core of the WWE product is the in-ring product, that's only 50% of the solution. You're forgetting that fans aren't born smart. It takes time to appreciate a worker like a Rob Van Dam or a Chris Benoit. When you first start to watch wrestling, a "good" match is when your favorite wrestler wins and a "bad" match is when your favorite wrestler loses. It takes time to smarten up.

 

The WWE needs something revolutionary or ground-breaking in the sports entertainment department to get people talking. They need to strike creative gold, like they did with DX or Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Booker T and Goldust segments are funny, but they're not going to get new fans to tune in.

 

Don't believe me? It wasn't Stone Cold Steve Austin's ***** matches with Bret Hart that made new fans get turned on to the WWF product back in 1996-1997. It was what he was doing outside of the ring. It was his character. It was his obscenity-laced promos and bad attitude and vicious sneak attacks. Nobody had ever seen a wrestler quite like Stone Cold Steve Austin before.

 

Same for Shawn Michaels. It wasn't his ability in the ring that caught the attention of casual fans (at first), it was his degenerate antics.

 

That's the kinda stuff that had people talking about RAW the next day around the water cooler. That's what made them all that money.

 

So, in closing, while the in-ring product is an absolute must to keep the fans happy, it's going to take more -- much more -- to turn things around.

[Guest bob_barron]

Wow- thanks for pointing out the obvious

[Guest Austin3164life]

While I realize what you are saying is mostly true, there is however, some dissention to that theory. The Big Show is capable of having a comedic or a monstrous character, which he's done, and it hasn't gotten him anywhere because fans realize that he's a terrible wrestler and they all go and get drinks during his matches. The modern day casual fan is smarter than the old school one simply because all fans who watch are 18-24 (the guys who used to watch when they were 8-10). Now they are not as naive about wrestling as they were during the Hulk Hogan boom years. Fans today know the distinction between a good match and a shitty match. You used Eddie/RVD as an example. Yes, that was a great match, but you should also understand they aren't great in terms of the charisma department. Eddie can be but he has that Latino Heat moniker about him, and RVD is just stoned 24-7. People like Steve Austin or Ric Flair or The Rock or Shawn Michaels are hard to find because they have both intense charisma and good workrate to keep a match interesting, no mater who they're with. You're right on your points, but you are underestimating the marks' distinction between good and bad......

[Guest NoCalMike]

Well also, is the fact that WWE, rams "entertainment" down our throats until people like it. If they rammed good workrate down people's throats then that would be what even casual fans expected when they watch. Now, there is an occasional good match with 90 minutes of entertainment so people are more attuned to responding to what they see more of. Good workrate could matter in US wrestling, it is a slow process, but so was building the WWE empire.

[Guest TheSmarkzone]

We can nit-pick the argument all day, but when it comes right down to it, I think the solution is very simple.

 

They need somebody -- or a group of wrestlers -- to get people who do not watch wrestling interested in the product.

 

Who? How? You tell me.

 

I'll tell you what gets the job done in the wrestling business: controversy. If you look back at all of the gimmicks, angles, characters, etc. of the past 7-10 years that made a ton of money, they were controversial.

 

Steve Austin was controversial. Remember the gun angle? His language? Hell, these days we got guys fighting over shampoo. Steve Austin told Bret Hart that he was going to kill him. Literally. He said, and I quote, "One of these days I'm gonna look down at your grave, and it's gonna say, 'Here lies Bret 'The Hitman' Hart, the biggest piece of crap that ever walked the face of the earth, and the reason he's laying here is because Steve Austin whipped his pink and black ass, and that's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold said so!"

 

DX was controversial. The crotch chops, the language, the sexual innuendos, the dick jokes, Shawn parading around in spandex shorts with the crotch stuffed to the max with gauze, Shawn miming a blowjob...

 

The nWo was controversial.

 

The WWE needs something edgy.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Smarkzone, I think you are over estimating how many die-hards there actually is.

 

Raw, before the Attitude era kicked off, was doing high 2's in ratings. WCW was doing 3's. When WCW went down, x-amount of fans tuned out for good because they don't like McMahon's brand of wrestling. And you won't get them back either. Now WWE did probrably make some new fans with the Attitude era, but those fans are still marks. Smart fans still only comprise 5-7% of the wrestling audience. The key is to come up with a product that will appeal to smarts and marks. But if WWE were to choose, they would try to appeal to the casuals because they are the majority and the ones who pay for Titan towers.

[Guest TheSmarkzone]

I said die-hard fans...not smart marks.

 

I don't consider die-hard fans and smart marks to be the same thing.

 

There are die-hard marks and there are die-hard smart marks.

 

There are marks on the Internet and there are smarts who don't even own a computer.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Point taken.

 

 

But WWE needs to build new stars right now during the summer so when fall comes with the last season of "Friends", a new "Survivor" show, and whatever else the new tv season brings, they are ready for the onslaught. Or else they risk losing SD. Which if that were to happen, then they couldn't have the brand split?!?

 

 

Hmmmmmmmm..............

[Guest takapac]

I agree with your point that the casual fans - the masses - care more about character than they do about workrate. That's what makes them "casual." Anyone can be attracted to unique characters - such as SCSA or the Rock, whether one has any knowledge of wrestling or not. It's heretical to say this around here, but more sports entertainment is needed in the product to draw some of these people back. Smarks may clamor for five or six ten-minute matches per show, but the casual fan would be just as happy - or happier - to see an extra 30 to 45 minutes of skits. So, what's it going to be?

[Guest TheSmarkzone]

Oh, I agree 110% that they need to build new stars. BUT...like I said, that's only 50% of the solution. They got a roster full of great workers, and they are finally starting to push those guys, so that's Step 1.

 

Step 2 is finding that diamond in the rough, that one guy who can get people talking and shoot the ratings through the roof.

 

Step 3 is much harder. It's the hardest part. It's finding that diamond in the rough, and then giving him something to work with so that he can turn himself into a superstar that sets the Nielsen books on fire.

 

Part of it is what they give him. Steve Austin wouldn't have drawn jack-shit as The Ringmaster. They gave him a chance to run with his Stone Cold persona, a chance to cripple Brian Pillman (Jake's idea), a chance to feud with Bret Hart, a chance to take up a lot of TV time with his promos.

 

Part of it is luck, too.

 

Who knew that Austin would strike gold with the Austin 3:16 line? Who knew that the finish of his match at WrestleMania 13 with Bret Hart would have such an impact? They couldn't have possibly predicted how the fans would react to that stuff. Luck.

[Guest Dangerous A]

"Step 2 is finding that diamond in the rough, that one guy who can get people talking and shoot the ratings through the roof."

 

 

Unfortunately my friend that is the step that is going to take the longest. You can shove Lesnar's, Bautista's, and Cena's down our throats all day, but until someone comes along and connects with that illustrious "casual" audience, we are stuck in this wrestling limbo- A ton of talent that only a small amount of people care about.

[Guest TheSmarkzone]

If there is one guy on the roster who is connecting naturally with the fans, it's Rob Van Dam.

 

He's a grassroots fan favorite.

 

He wasn't shoved down our throats, we CHOSE to cheer him. And we cheered him so loud and so fast that the WWE had no choice but to stick him in the main event at Unforgiven.

 

The question is...what can they give him to work with?

[Guest TheSmarkzone]

(This message was left blank).

[Guest Dangerous A]

Another problem I have with the current product, as it pertains to RVD being the "chosen one" is this.

 

They have too many people working the exact same style. What gets RVD over isn't his loud personality or his promos, it's his unique ring style. WWE has this thing where if you are different, you have to conform to their brand of in ring or you are not doing it right. RVD connects with people because most of us can't do a split legged moonsault or sommersault senton. Or get THAT damn high for a frog splash. Same with Tajiri. WWE needs to see what some of these guys do and LET THEM DO IT.

 

 

As far as who can RVD work with? Benoit would be a good start. If HHH were to go heel and play ball (by that I mean don't bury the guy) there is a fresh program. Angle is always game, although I am not sure he has still forgiven RVD for all the bloody noses and mouths.