Competing with WWE

[dh86]

Well, there you go. TNA and other feds aren't as big as WCW. NJPW is on the rise, and hopefully they try to cater to their non-English fanbase. Thankfully I have a handle on Japanese and can read the names and parse the language, so I use NJPW as enhancing my language learning abilities. Most wrestling fans won't get that from NJPW. That being said, I think NJPW is a big niche. Any foreign product has the potential to be niche - and usually is - when it comes to media and entertainment aside from football (soccer). I think it'd be very hard to convince MOST people -WWE fans or not - to watch NJPW. They just are't that hardcore into the hobby. But if their favorites went to New Japan, I don't think it'd be that far away.

I still think that wrestling is a business driven not by company name, but star power. WWE just has all the relevant stars - in the English speaking world - right now. Let's say Punk went to NJPW. I bet you New Japan would have an increase in watchers.

I just don't think wrestling fans have much brand loyalty. In the Attitude Era, everyone I knew who watched wrestling watched BOTH feds and we flipped the channels during commercial breaks. The ratings for both indicate this was true for many people and not just my limited circle.

While you're right that WCW built a fanbase over time, think of the main factors as to why WCW blew up: star power. They got Hulk, they got Nash, Luger, Flair, they got Hall, they Rude, and Hart, and all these stars from WWF jumping ship. Of course they blew up - they stole WWF's fanbase. WWF started to get an edge when many WCW stars jumped ship to WWF. I stopped watching WCW by 2000 simply because all my faves had went to the F.

When Impact went to Monday Night, they indisputably had more star power than WWE.

 

[K-Apps]

What wrestling really needs the most is new bookers who are young and have fresh ideas or approaches to booking. Most of these promotions keep hiring the same people and they keep booking the same stuff that failed in another promotion. Also a lot of these old bookers have biases that end up doing more harm than good for a company.

 

[The Electric Lady]

I feel what you're saying, and maybe not to that extreme, but even the WWE used to do stuff like the Hell in a Cell matches with Undertaker and Mankind and Shawn Michaels had some matches.

You had Steve Austin and Savio Vega in a "Caribbean Strap" match.

You had lumberjack matches

You had a lot more ladder matches.

You could still do power bombs, pile drivers, the crazy aerial moves that the luchadores did.

Yeah, maybe let's leave thumbtacks and barbed wire out, but these bullshyt ass 5 minute divas matches and 10 minute superstar matches aint cutting it.

Point made.

When Impact went to Monday Night, they indisputably had more star power than WWE.

What was their roster again? I forgot.

 

[Nintendough]

When Impact went to Monday Night, they indisputably had more star power than WWE.

What? On what planet?

 

[dh86]

What? On what planet?

TNA had Hulk Hogan. Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy was the second biggest star WWE had and he jumped, and RVD. My point is that no matter what stars you have, there's a large segment of the audience that will never watch #2. WCW was a different dynamic because to their base audience, they were #1 because it's the successor to JCP & Mid South. The territory dynamic is over.

 

[El Cocodrilo]

What wrestling really needs the most is new bookers who are young and have fresh ideas or approaches to booking. Most of these promotions keep hiring the same people and they keep booking the same stuff that failed in another promotion. Also a lot of these old bookers have biases that end up doing more harm than good for a company.

Yeah and I hate to hear rumors and stories that writers are really limited with what they can suggest because Stephanie or whomever will tell them to "stop being marks".

It's like bytch it might help to empathize with what the fans want.

 

[Redguard]

Yeah and I hate to hear rumors and stories that writers are really limited with what they can suggest because Stephanie or whomever will tell them to "stop being marks".

It's like bytch it might help to empathize with what the fans want.

I don't see the creative direction for the WWE improving. Its obvious they are just coasting and relying on their brand and their past to carry them.
Also since their is no other major promotion out there they don't have any ideas to steal and they have to rely on their own creativity. Since WCW/ECW closure creativity the WWE has almost fallen back to 1995 levels.

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

What wrestling really needs the most is new bookers who are young and have fresh ideas or approaches to booking. Most of these promotions keep hiring the same people and they keep booking the same stuff that failed in another promotion. Also a lot of these old bookers have biases that end up doing more harm than good for a company.

What I keep hearing is that WWE has brought in like Hollywood writers to write their shows and shyt.

It might do them well to bring in some actual wrestling people who understand the business for real to be involved in creative.

 

[Redguard]

What I keep hearing is that WWE has brought in like Hollywood writers to write their shows and shyt.

It might do them well to bring in some actual wrestling people who understand the business for real to be involved in creative.

They have Paul Heyman, Dusty Rhodes, and various other people who definitely understand the business. They probably even could bring Jim Ross back. The reason why any of those guys won't get a shot is because they can book better than Vince, Triple H, and Stephanie. Those three do not want anybody better than them booking the show, especially Vince. They want to keep them in the WWE so they won't work for a potential rival company.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Yeah I don't see things changing anytime soon.

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

They have Paul Heyman, Dusty Rhodes, and various other people who definitely understand the business. They probably even could bring Jim Ross back. The reason why any of those guys won't get a shot is because they can book better than Vince, Triple H, and Stephanie. Those three do not want anybody better than them booking the show, especially Vince. They want to keep them in the WWE so they won't work for a potential rival company.

Damn, that's dirty

I hope that Jim Ross/Jeff Jarret/Toby Keith wrestling thing can provide some kind of competition to the WWE, to break the monotony of that shyt.