I feel from around the time Nitro started to around 2003, wrestling had a very contemporary vibe to it. Watching some mid 2002 Raws on the Network when WWE was loaded with talent. Everything from the way the characters dressed, the storylines, the graphics, the video montages, the music, etc seemed more up to date and mature, if that makes sense. Hell, WWF had a building in Times Square in 2000, they most likely couldn't do that today. But society has changed in 15 years, including the way people watch television and the way it's presented. WWE definitely does not give off a contemporary vibe currently. What could they do? Or does society just suck today? I feel like I pay more attention to this kind of stuff than the actual wrestling.
How could WWE be more contemporary in 2015?
- Thread starter Love Sosa
- Start date
Mantis Toboggan M.D.
I’m here for the scraps
For starters, they can stop being so damn corporate and trying to brand every single thing.
MightyHealthy
said what he said
Right.
Imagine Austin with pink lettering on his vest for the month of October.
Or if Hogan never turned, because he said that kids wouldn't eat vitamins if he wasn't a good guy anymore.
Okada (NJPW Champion) can leave a minimum 4-star match, sit down with an arrangement of Coors Light for a post-match press conference, and the wrestling and advertising somehow retain credibility.
He's not putting on shirts that the rest of the roster will also wear, giving interviews where he's clearly corporate asskissing with no backbone, or selling out as obviously or shamelessly.
You have to make money, but subtlety goes a long way.
Middle rope being pink is a fantastic idea, but parading a specific set of survivors in a segment, or hawking a Rise Above Cancer shirt?
For a publicly traded company, they have writers that don't understand basic booking, and a marketing and merchandising team that's tone deaf.
Stay carny.
Rayzah
I'm Everywhere you ain't never there
yea all of that.. to addRight.
Imagine Austin with pink lettering on his vest for the month of October.
Or if Hogan never turned, because he said that kids wouldn't eat vitamins if he wasn't a good guy anymore.
Okada (NJPW Champion) can leave a minimum 4-star match, sit down with an arrangement of Coors Light for a post-match press conference, and the wrestling and advertising somehow retain credibility.
He's not putting on shirts that the rest of the roster will also wear, giving interviews where he's clearly corporate asskissing with no backbone, or selling out as obviously or shamelessly.
You have to make money, but subtlety goes a long way.
Middle rope being pink is a fantastic idea, but parading a specific set of survivors in a segment, or hawking a Rise Above Cancer shirt?
For a publicly traded company, they have writers that don't understand basic booking, and a marketing and merchandising team that's tone deaf.
Stay carny.
quit having a full bottle of mountain dew sit on the announce table untouched all show
switch up the backstage interviews, show them being interviewed during their daily routine like leaving the gym or the divas leaving makeup.
show the authority in an actual office and not that same room with the posters
stop OD'ing on the susan g koman stuff, we get it yall support breast cancer but don't be so in your face about it like they need us to know what charities they donate too. The same goes for the make a wish stuff, save that info for the DVD's or network specials. when I watch raw I want to see wrestling related stuff only.
I know this is to kill time but the constant recaps and replays are a huge turnoff.
basically fire Kevin dunn
Last edited:
Branding/advertising is ok to me (all of the major sports do it to overkill as well look at UFC making everyone wear only reebok or the NFL only allowing BOSE headphones)
To me what would make it more contemporary is if they limited kayfabe (which should be easy once the undertaker retires) and try to have more realistic storylines. More on this in a second.
They need to also acknowledge wins and losses with some sort of standings or points system. No one cares that the matches are predetermined, but having some type of tracking system would definitely feel much more modern. (Imagine a heel like KO wanting a title shot and needing 3 more "points" to get there asking Stephanie and triple h for a gauntlet match on the raw before the PPV)
More backstage/locker room interviews and confrontations. Why do bray Wyatt and roman reigns have to meet in the ring to talk? It's more plausible that if they hate each other they would be brawling in the locker room or at least confronting each other back there. Ring should be for settling confrontations not for aimless chatter only for one side to run away.
You want to start a feud between two pointless or random people, it's easy. One person is higher in the rankings than the other and so one person is sabotaged in the match. It gives them a clear motivation as to why they are doing it, and some semblance of ending the feud when it needs to be ended. Show guys who are all losing matches pal around in the back and then take each other's side to help them start winning and now you have a new stable. Instead of random matches, have the superstars competing for something, acknowledge their win streaks and losses, and the feel would totally change.
And let the superstars be themselves. New Day was given some creative leash and they are on fire. The guys know what's appropriate and what isn't so let them be themselves or at least let them be their own character.
To me what would make it more contemporary is if they limited kayfabe (which should be easy once the undertaker retires) and try to have more realistic storylines. More on this in a second.
They need to also acknowledge wins and losses with some sort of standings or points system. No one cares that the matches are predetermined, but having some type of tracking system would definitely feel much more modern. (Imagine a heel like KO wanting a title shot and needing 3 more "points" to get there asking Stephanie and triple h for a gauntlet match on the raw before the PPV)
More backstage/locker room interviews and confrontations. Why do bray Wyatt and roman reigns have to meet in the ring to talk? It's more plausible that if they hate each other they would be brawling in the locker room or at least confronting each other back there. Ring should be for settling confrontations not for aimless chatter only for one side to run away.
You want to start a feud between two pointless or random people, it's easy. One person is higher in the rankings than the other and so one person is sabotaged in the match. It gives them a clear motivation as to why they are doing it, and some semblance of ending the feud when it needs to be ended. Show guys who are all losing matches pal around in the back and then take each other's side to help them start winning and now you have a new stable. Instead of random matches, have the superstars competing for something, acknowledge their win streaks and losses, and the feel would totally change.
And let the superstars be themselves. New Day was given some creative leash and they are on fire. The guys know what's appropriate and what isn't so let them be themselves or at least let them be their own character.
i was thinking about this the other day. why does EVERYTHING happen inside the ring? Even during the Ruthless Aggression era interviews would happen in the locker room, or somewhere randomly backstage. Not in front of a curtain/tv/[insert ad here] People were attacked backstage, wrestlers interacted in general backstage.
NXT has this same problem too where everything is in the ring, lately they shown a few things that happen backstage but hopefully the gradually start doing more.
edit...they actually do a lot of interviews backstage..the problem is those interviews are only viewable on the WWE app. I don't know about y'all but even though i have the WWE app. I'm not grabbing/holding my phone soon as Raw/Smackdown goes to commercial to see whats happening.
RammerJammer
#RollTide #TSC #RiseUp #BullsNation #RIPKobe
The part about the office is so true
They have mood lighting in the goddamn office, casting couch don't even have mood lighting in the office. The offices used to be much more realistic when Eric Biscoff and Steph were GMs
MightyHealthy
said what he said
Mountain Dew pays WWE to show you how easy it is to avoid drinking their product.
At least Sonic had some poor girl pretend the announce table was a customer.
Rayzah
I'm Everywhere you ain't never there
They should just put ads on the guys tights, they are already going down that road
Mountain Dew pays WWE to show you how easy it is to avoid drinking their product.
At least Sonic had some poor girl pretend the announce table was a customer.
A lot of it has already been said. The announcers are so corny and cartoony..it's like even if you want to take it seriously you couldn't because of them. There's no serious or realistic tone to what's going on from their perspective.
Vince's carny ass wouldn't allow that, that you mean the talent sans Lesnar would actually get paid by the advertisers for that
Have realistic black characters...
The Prince of All Saiyans
Formerly Jisoo Stan & @Twitter
get over it already
What do you guys mean? I saw a Draft Kings ad on WWE Network the other day. That's contemporary. 
but seriously, you can't be contemporary when ur overly-marketing to children.
You miss out on all the edgy stuff.
IMO, stuff like Sasha Banks making that little girl cry was GREAT and it required no profanity or anything beyond PG. They need to realize that while chair shots and blood(tho I think its needed in spaces), hardcore is in the past, there's still a TON of wiggle room to develop characters and tel stories in matches.
but seriously, you can't be contemporary when ur overly-marketing to children.
You miss out on all the edgy stuff.
IMO, stuff like Sasha Banks making that little girl cry was GREAT and it required no profanity or anything beyond PG. They need to realize that while chair shots and blood(tho I think its needed in spaces), hardcore is in the past, there's still a TON of wiggle room to develop characters and tel stories in matches.
WaveMolecules
Superstar
Remember what one of the BEST segments of the year was ? The lesnar undertaker brawl from a few weeks ago.
What made it special was the fact that they continued the brawl in the back! Felt relatively fresh and fun. Definitely made me interested in a match i wouldve otherwise not have much interest in.