Pro wrestling needs to evolve.

[Apex]

we need a wrestling company that has weight divisions (loosely) and rankings that directly affect contenders for a title. an HBO/Showtime wrestling company that would do PPV's would be sick.

press conferences after matches/before matches, cool cinematography, wrestlers coming out to real songs...

take elements from boxing/UFC and add to the nature of pro wrestling. someone needs to come around and invest in it. i'm just tired of wwe controlling the market. i like the wwe product, but i don't like how the business has not evolved. having wrestlers week 4 times a week makes them less of a draw. drake and the weeknd sell mad records, but if they were to release an album weekly, the fire would die out quick.

maybe i'll do it when i get that bread.



our sport needs that.

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

People want to make money from their investments and the wrestling business isn't one of those things you put big money into and expect a reward. It is a money pit.

Wrestling like battle rap is a niche market, with a hardcore fan base that will go to shows but it doesn't reflect in the casual consumer unless you have a name value celebrity and all that garners is a pop for about 30 secs and then it goes.

 

[T'Challa Trillmonger]

imo it needs to a blend of new presentation along with writing it like a tv show. subplots tying into the main storyline, continuity and long-term planning, character building segments and interactions outside of the arena and the building they are in, etc.

a show like game of thrones, or wire, or sopranos, etc wouldn't have worked if every character is in their own little world doing things that are irrelevant to the next's character's plot, much like how within wrestling talents in different spots of the card don't interact much (tho they are improving it that lowkey)

 

[TL15]

I feel like the more "serious" it tried to be, the more "scripted" it would come off.

What you are describing (to me) is like a scripted version of UFC. I don't think that would work in professional wrestling because the nature of professional wrestling is unbelievable feats and suspending disbelief and over the top moves etc.

I mean it would look really cheesy for a guy to give a great "after the match" promo in the guise of a boxer (looking at replays etc.) when he blatantly catches a man who does a diving crossbody at him from the top rope.

New camera angles and presentation - YES
New writers - absolutely
weight classes - in some cases we have this but probably not...I would prefer a "standings" type of system where matches mean things and wrestlers actually competed to be #1 contender and gained points toward titles etc.

 

[Apex]

People want to make money from their investments and the wrestling business isn't one of those things you put big money into and expect a reward. It is a money pit.

Wrestling like battle rap is a niche market, with a hardcore fan base that will go to shows but it doesn't reflect in the casual consumer unless you have a name value celebrity and all that garners is a pop for about 30 secs and then it goes.

Let's not oversatuate the market then. Let's build stars and have them fight 12 nights a year as opposed to 300.

 

[jadillac]

wrestling is, at it's core, a traveling circus.

It is what it is

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

Let's not oversatuate the market then. Let's build stars and have them fight 12 nights a year as opposed to 300.

To build stars, you need already made stars to put over the new/wannabe stars and remember this is the wrestling business, people don't put people over, like that.

Your idea, could of possibly worked between the 80's thru to mid 00's. As you had the terrorities slowly getting swallowed up and then the fall out from the sale of WCW and ECW, as you had talent to try and make it work. Also you have a generation that think and/or conditioned into thinking Vince/WWE = wrestling.

 

[Apex]

To build stars, you need already made stars to put them over the new/wannabe stars and remember this is the wrestling business, people don't put people over, like that.

Your idea, could of possibly worked between the 80's thru to mid 00's. As you had the terrorities slowly getting swallowed up and then the fall out from the sale of WCW and ECW, as you had talent to try and make it work. Also you have a generation that think and/or conditioned into thinking Vince/WWE = wrestling.

This is not true. Floyd Mayweather made himself a star by being dominant and being a marketing genius.

Muhammad Ali had big wins, but it was his courage and ability with the microphone that made him a star.

Yes, wins are important, but you don't need to go over John Cena to become a PPV draw. This is why press conferences would be needed and wrestlers would be allowed to say whatever they want. If they want to market themselves to be the #1 guy, they can. Nothing forced.

 

[Rack4K]

I agree, basically. The most important thing is having a ranked system, imo. If a lower ranked wrestler beat a higher ranked wrestler, he gets the higher spot. So every match on the card, something is being defended.

And less formulaic matches. More flash finishes. No more fans sitting around watching pretty moves until they feel the finish coming.

 

[Rack4K]

Let's not oversatuate the market then. Let's build stars and have them fight 12 nights a year as opposed to 300.

I don't think champions for instance should wrestle on free TV. They should be there every week in a storyline capacity but not wrestling in non title matches for no reason. Theoretically, they already at the top so what are they fighting for?

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

This is not true. Floyd Mayweather made himself a star by being dominant and being a marketing genius.

Muhammad Ali had big wins, but it was his courage and ability with the microphone that made him a star.

Yes, wins are important, but you don't need to go over John Cena to become a PPV draw. This is why press conferences would be needed and wrestlers would be allowed to say whatever they want. If they want to market themselves to be the #1 guy, they can. Nothing forced.

Floyd got over twice. Firstly by beating Gatti in a masterclass, that made people take notice, but even after that win, Floyd didn't crack even 400k buys. Now, Floyd got over as a PPV star by beating Oscar, the biggest PPV draw at the time. Then from after beating Oscar, Floyd didn't draw anything below 900k buys, until his last fight with Berto, which was closer to his numbers pre Oscar. It's that simple

 

[Apex]

I don't think champions for instance should wrestle on free TV. They should be there every week in a storyline capacity but not wrestling in non title matches for no reason. Theoretically, they already at the top so what are they fighting for?

Exactly. People wonder why wrestling doesn't have any stars anymore. It's because of overexposure. The face of your company should be in the news for talking trash and asking for more money if the company wants him to fight again. He shouldn't be in matches 4 times a week. It should be a gift to see the champ.

I keep comparing this to Conor/Floyd, because wrestling hasn't had a star as big as those two since the attitude era.

 

[Apex]

Floyd got over twice, once , by beating Gatti in a masterclass, that made people take notice, but even after that win, Floyd didn't crack even 400k buys. Now, Floyd got over as a PPV star by beating Oscar, the biggest PPV draw at the time. Then from after beating Oscar, Floyd didn't draw anything less than 900k buys, until his last fight with Berto, which was closer to his numbers pre Oscar. It's that simple

The general public doesn't know who Oscar De La Hoya is. They know who Floyd is. It's because Floyd is a great promoter. Conor is in the news for claiming the Irish are back and saying he's the king of New York, not for his win over Aldo.

 

[OnFleekTing]

WWE doesn't know how to sell PPVs anymore that's why the network came about. Its basically admitting that their old business model was unsustainable.
Also yeah champions should not be wrestling so much but then the live show fans get the stiff and ticket sales will be down. Lose/Lose scenario

 

[8WON6]

imo it needs to a blend of new presentation along with writing it like a tv show. subplots tying into the main storyline, continuity and long-term planning, character building segments and interactions outside of the arena and the building they are in, etc.

a show like game of thrones, or wire, or sopranos, etc wouldn't have worked if every character is in their own little world doing things that are irrelevant to the next's character's plot, much like how within wrestling talents in different spots of the card don't interact much (tho they are improving it that lowkey)

you just described Lucha Underground.