The Problem with....

[The Line]

in this thread, what you will do is either post what the problem is with a certain aspect of pro-wrestling, and how it could be fixed. It can be matches, companies, angles, etc. You can also go point/counter-point with others' opinions.

Just:

• Come up with good reasons why something doesn't work, and offer methods for fixing it. Don't just say "This sucks!" an d leave it at that.
  
• Please try and keep specific wrestlers out of this. This could easily become an anti-Cena, anti-HHH thread and I really would be quite upset if that did happen. So I'd rather just have all discussions about specific wrestlers out of it.
  
• If you are going "point/counter-point" with someone, don't flame them or their opinion(but thats just common sense). If it doesn't look like either side is going anywhere, just pull out the "agree to disagree" card and move on.
  

So, now that all that is out of the way, I'll start with my first.

The problem with best of Five/Seven series':

PROBLEM A:Most of the time, there isn't enough variation between the matches save for the finishes, and it seems live you're watching the same match 5/7 times.

SOLUTION:Switch the stipulations up one in a while! ROH did a great job of doing this during the Homicide/Danielson series. It would give a lot of series a breath of fresh air.


PROBLEM B:The company rarely puts enough importance on the matches, or rushes them. I remember for Booker/Cena, some of the matches weren't even on TV.

SOLUTION: I know that sometimes WWE likes to put on matches for live house-show crowds that are TV/PPV-quality, the "Best of #" series being one type that they like to. But, its kind of dissapointing to the millions at home who don't get to see this match in favor of the couple hundred who get to. But I guess if they don't fix PROBLEM A first, its not that big of a deal.

PROBLEM C:Every series goes the same two ways. Either, it stays neck and neck, or one guy gets a big lead, and the other guy makes a big comeback.

SOLUTION: It would make it look a lot more realistic if someone won 4-2 or 3-1 or whatever(depending on what length the series is).

[Goldenbane]

Problem with general wrestling

Problem: There is just way too much of it on anymore. With 3 shows on every week (Smackdown, Raw, ECW), each being from 2 to 3 hours long, and pay-per-views on constantly, a lot of the "special" moments are gone. Super stars seem to "age" 12 times faster than they ever did in the past, and fan favorites degenerate into hated seemingly within weeks instead of years.

Solution: Cut back on pay-per-views. Also, to perhaps keep stars from aging so quickly, drop their segments down to maybe one. Cena and Hunter might not be as hated as fast, if they didn't have forty thousand segements plus a match or two every single week.

[Tea & Crumpets]

The problem with ROH:
Problem: I do liek ROH, let me say that. But I feel there is far too much of an emphasis on strong style and puro nowadays. ROH used to be about technical based wrestling, but sitll giving other types of wrestling spotlight on the show. Danielson has switched from a mat style to strike heavy, McGuinness wrestles mat based in every promotion but ROH now, wehere he's the lariat man. The company is drifting away from being an indy with its own focus and style, and becoming another generic head-drops/stiff strikes oriented puro fed, like so many indies.
Solution: Cut way, way down on the puro. Leave it to the Japanese guys, or guys whose chaarcter/style it better suits. Increae the amount of other styles used. Put a bigger focus on technical stuff again, add in some more curiserweight stylings to give some variety. Keep the OTT angles and the hardcore brawling for only the biggest and most heated feuds. ROH, when it highlighted technical styles yet still had something for everyone, had a core fanbase of loyal fans but could still attract the casual viewer. The PPV deal struggled because they are now too focused on puro, which everyone does. Few promotions highlight mat wrestling now, put that back in the spotlight but keep other styles, including puro, around in the background, maybe taking over for 1 or 2 big matches if the storyline demands it, and ROH can still keep its very diehard fans, yet will have a more well roudned product that can appeal to casual fans, to better help a PPV deal.

[Mister Yummy]

PROBLEM
Lower card and mid-card wrestlers aren't over

SOLUTION
Slowly back away from the "Monday Night Wars" formula of PPV Quality matches every week on free TV. Bring back weekend morning syndicated shows that are mostly Jobber Squashes. This will make these mid-card and lower card guys seem like winners, so when they have a match against someone higher up, they look like a threat.

They could also bring back Prime Time Wrestling, and use it to build characters, and to shocase yet more jobber squashes, as well as an occasional feature bout between non-feuding mid-card guys and upper card guys. RAW and/or Smackdown would continue on, but they would be less hot-shotty. There would rarely, if ever, be world title matches, and absolutely no non-title matches. The show would be highlighted by main event guys in feud building matches. Face challenger vs. Heel Champion's stablemate, challenger and champion on seperate tag teams, etc. Alternatively, US and IC Title matches would frequently serve as main events, and a Tag Title match would on occasion.

PROBLEM
The titles don't seem as important as they used to.

SOLUTION
Make title reigns longer, with more title defenses on TV. On occasion, have a title change hands on a house show. GET RID OF NON-TITLE MATCHES! The World Titles should only very rarely be defended on free TV, but shoulkd be defended frequently at house shows, and on Pay Per Veiw. The lower-card titles should be defended often on free TV, as well as frequently at house shows and most of the time on PPV.

PROBLEM
WWECW isn't as good as ECW was in 1997.

PARTIAL SOLUTION[/b}
The main problem with ECW is that it's done in front of a Smackdown crowd. WWE Should completely spin them off as their own brand. They need to seperate the identity of ECW further from that of the WWE. This means no WWE bug in the corner, no WWE signs in the arena, and, most importantly, no WWE Ring. I'm fairly sure Vince got the ECW Rings as part of the bankrupacy. They could use those. Barring that, I'm absolutely sure the WWE owns WCW rings, wich could be given a new canvas, and pass for ECW rings fairly easily. The WWE Ring is too big, the wrong color, and uses ropes instead of steel cables, and canvas turnbuckle pads instead of leather. ECW should also have only Extreem Rules matches, but they don't have to play on that every time. Sometimes, the match could stay entirely within the ring, and not have any weapons at all, but you'd know they could become involved if necessary. Let Paul Heymen have creative input. Get more ECW Origionals back, and end the talent exchange.

[Stab Sword]

Problem:
Steel Cage matches aren't that important anymore

Why:
WWE has used cage matches as tools for advancing stories or just for the heck of it instead of using it to settle feuds. Plus others involved find their ways into the cage

Solution:
Cut back on elimination chamber matches only for title matches with many people and cut Hell in a Cell altogether. Cage matches should be used to settle feuds or be the payoff for big title matches. Every other gimmick match should come before this like falls count anywhere, street fight, first blood, etc. By settling feuds inside a cage, it'll bring meaning back to it.

[joeman]

Why should it cut Hell in a Cell altogether? If you ask me, HIAC match is much more of an intimidating match than a Steel Cage match. Steel Cage matches are about as obsolete as floppy disks these days.