Making Wrestlemania Important Again

[HMARK Center]

Ok, before you leap on the title, yes, I know WM is still a huge deal to many people; even if you're not interested in a single match on the card, even if the show winds up being God awful, many people get excited just over the notion of that many wrestling fans all jammed together in one place. They get excited over the fanfest stuff, the Hall of Fame being a relatively new tradition, etc. etc. etc.

That said, having seen the last couple of them courtesy of friends or family buying it, I can't help but feel that something is missing from it lately.

I've made this case before - something that hurts the WWE (and all of wrestling) right now is overexposure. When you're giving away PPV-level main events every week on free TV, when guys like Cena/Orton/Punk/whomever are on TV all the time, when every young guy this side of Jack Swagger has had a freaking WORLD TITLE REIGN, pay per views and WM specifically take a hit in their level of perceived importance, I feel.

That said, I know the toothpaste is out of the bottle in this regard: we're likely never going back to the days of jobber squashes, of top stars not being featured every week (so as to entice you to buy PPV's, watch prime time specials, go to house shows, etc.), of feuds that last ages but don't get stale quickly, etc.

So if we're not going to alter the current formula, how do we make a show like WM feel important again?

Back in the day it was easy: people would pay to see a card that included Texas Tornado vs. Dino Bravo, or the Hart Foundation vs. The Bolsheviks, simply because those matches almost never happened on free TV. It was a big deal that these featured names were all appearing on the same show together. It was like "only the best of the best make it to Wrestlemania!".

Again, since we can't use that same formula anymore, I suggest this: if WM is truly "wrestling's Super Bowl", make like a real sport and make people qualify for it.

Even in an era where every big star and their mother is on Raw and SD each week, you can still have a great yearly angle out of guys doing their damndest to qualify for a spot on the card at WM. Think about it: each title holder automatically qualifies, as do the #1 contenders, the Rumble winner qualifies, but the rest basically have to go through a playoff system of some kind to make the cut. Maybe there could be a "Wrestlemania Panel" that reviews wins-losses, reviews how heated a certain feud is ("this feud could only be settled on the biggest stage of them all!"), or sets up challenges for certain guys to earn their spot.

The biggest deal of it? NCAA fans know how exciting Selection Sunday can be for small-time schools that are just on the bubble of making the big dance. Now think about lower card/midcard guys who suddenly get a chance to compete at the biggest show of the year; fans could find themselves cheering a guy on as he scratches and claws to make it to his company's version of the Super Bowl. Even if he doesn't get a title match there, he still gets the prestige of making it, the pay day for being there, etc.

Basically, in a day and age where a lot of guys don't feel important anymore, since main roster guys are the new jobbers, and in a day and age where just giving a guy a title shot doesn't mean much since EVERYBODY'S had a title reign, you can still have your biggest show of the year and sell it as "only the best will be there". If this is your Super Bowl, your World Series, whatever, make it elite, make your characters work and sweat to make it.

Plus, it'd be a nice way to make wrestling "feel more like a real sport".

Anyone else have ideas?

[Deleted]

But Wrestlemania DOES feel important this year.

[HMARK Center]

I can't comment on whether or not it does (I've only been following Punk vs. Jericho), but it certainly doesn't every year.

[Marty McFry]

It feels important every year to me

[froggyfrog]

Mar 16, 2012 11:06:11 GMT -5 @therealoblivion said:

But Wrestlemania DOES feel important this year.

[Ben Wyatt]

Get rid of the Feb PPV thus making the Mania build longer allowing for better match build

[Greer]

The OP said nothing about this year. This year is being built up reasonably well.

He is talking about making EVERY year feel important.

I agree that Wrestlemania has lost a lot of it's luster with how diluted everything has become.

How to fix that is tough to say. Bringing back MITB would help as well as having a large tag division and an ESTABLISHED IC title division.

[Deleted]

It feels pretty meh this year.

Its all about compelling stories and not so much about whether or not you're giving away PPV quality matches on TV. This year the stories of the main events aren't that interesting, with Punk/Jericho being the only exception.

Rock/Cena - battle of "nuh-uh YOU'RE stupid" with nothing really on the line.
Taker/HHH II feat. HBK - battle of the repeat matches. 2009-10 HBK vs Taker. 2011-12 Taker vs HHH. I'm guessing 2013-14 will be 'Taker vs HBK vs HHH. And the "STREAK" has pretty much run its course at this point.

[derrtaysouth95]

Mar 16, 2012 11:26:05 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Get rid of the Feb PPV thus making the Mania build longer allowing for better match build

As much as I wish that format was still around....it will never happen again because of all of the contracts with the ppv providers and the money that would be lost across the board.

[HMARK Center]

Mar 16, 2012 11:38:00 GMT -5 Greer said:

The OP said nothing about this year. This year is being built up reasonably well.

He is talking about making EVERY year feel important.

I agree that Wrestlemania has lost a lot of it's luster with how diluted everything has become.

How to fix that is tough to say. Bringing back MITB would help as well as having a large tag division and an ESTABLISHED IC title division.

Plus, even if a few of the upper card matches this year are being built well (which is open for debate, apparently), I'm also discussing a way to make the entire card feel important, or at least as much of it as possible.

Again, in "ye olden dayes" you could open Wrestlemania VIII with a "throwaway" Tito Santana vs. Shawn Michaels match, and the fans would still be hyped for it. Today, you're likely giving that match away almost weekly on Raw or SD. Can't rely on that formula anymore, so I'm suggesting a new one (and would love to hear other people come up with new formulas, as well).

This is more about how the wrestling world has changed, but I don't think the building of important shows has worked to keep up with those changes.

[FinalGwen]

What would work is just making it a solid wrestling show, from start to finish. All the angles are well established, all that needs to be done in regards to talking is a short promo or two for the main events, maybe a guest appearance, and the feud vids. Beyond that, just some well-done long matches that take up the vast majority of the four hours.

[Wolf Hurricane]

They need so stop making matches weeks before Mania. Make some matches a month or more, then build the hell out of 'em! It doesn't even have to be a full-year's build; part of the reason the Punk/Jericho match has been good is because it's been teased since before Elimination Chamber.

Another thing they could do, which would really help towards building, is to let the wrestlers in question go at it without getting physical. Build tension with as little physical contact as possible; that helps to make it a big deal when they actually do lay hands on each other.

[xCompackx]

This year is probably the first in awhile to feel "bigger than wrestling", but having to qualify for matches would be an interesting dynamic.

[rapidfire187]

Mar 16, 2012 12:01:05 GMT -5 Wolf Hurricane said:

They need so stop making matches weeks before Mania. Make some matches a month or more, then build the hell out of 'em! It doesn't even have to be a full-year's build; part of the reason the Punk/Jericho match has been good is because it's been teased since before Elimination Chamber.

Another thing they could do, which would really help towards building, is to let the wrestlers in question go at it without getting physical. Build tension with as little physical contact as possible; that helps to make it a big deal when they actually do lay hands on each other.

I agree. It is very annoying how they refuse to make any matches set in stone until after Elimination Chamber. If nothing else, they should have had Sheamus announce which belt he was going after the night after the Rumble, but I do understand that would kind of spoil the outcome of the Smackdown chamber match. Still, it was never a problem in the past.

At least this year they had Rock and Cena set in stone a year ago.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Outside of maybe cancelling the Feburary PPV, I don't think there's much else they can do to increase Wrestlemania's already huge importance. Wrestlers scrambling and desperately trying to get to Wrestlemania is already a tried and true storyline, and I fear a playoff would just drive that into the ground.

And as for making it feel more like a real sport, I dunno. The cat's been out of the bag for a while, so I don't think that suspension of disbelief has been the primary allure of pro wrestling since the rise of Hulkamania. I know that over-the-top stuff like the Cena/Kane/Ryder affair doesn't make wrestling look very dignified, but that's not something it's ever going to be anyway.

To avoid having done-to-death matchups, I'd suggest a brand merger- and I still think the roster's a bit too big to implement that right now, Supershows or not.

Now I'm not saying that any change would necessarily be bad, but Wrestlemania is pretty much guaranteed to get superfight-level PPV buys just on name value alone, so it's not as if its current format is failing.

[kayfabulous]

Wrestlemania wasn't really ever a MUST SEE event for me. When I was consistently watching when I was a kid I was only allowed to get maybe 2 PPV a year. The only consistent one I wanted was SummerSlam. I've always had the feeling that Wrestlemania was important because everyone simply said it was, but that didn't make me invested in seeing it. If my favorites weren't being featured why waste the money on it?

[Bo Rida]

Have at least one fued that starts and Survivor Series builds at the Rumble and culmiates at WM (the rumble should also start more fueds that can finish at mania).

Getting rid of the Money In The Bank concept may help, it would put more focus back on the Rumble and the subsequent winners shot at glory. It may also reduce the amount of champions.

Of course while that should help WM there are many drawbacks.

[Rick Mad]

A few ideas, some already stated:

1. Either get rid of Elimination Chamber or change it - even if you have a February PPV, don't have one where a bunch of people got a shot at both World Titles, because it sure does devalue the Wrestlemania matches for those Titles! Avoid PPV World Title matches here as much as possible.

2. Either piss or get off the pot in regards to the brand split. When there were very few combined brand PPVs, Wrestlemania felt huge because it had stars from both shows, and only the best of the best got on.

3. I hate to say it, but bring back live bands to do an entrance song or two. I'm not talking Kid Rock concert during the Divas entrances, but whoever did the Dudleys entrance that one year.. I forget.. or Motorhead doing Trips', or etc., thats exciting.

4. It may suck for the boys, but less matches and more time. The top three or four matches depending on the year should each get thirty minutes each, including vignettes/entrances, if not more. So thats two hours right there. You have two more hours, and trying to cram as many guys as possible into there doesn't work well IMO. Try and get back to personal feuds with hype to them instead of MITB/huge tag style clusterfudges.

5. On that same note, make sure at least one match on the card can be seen as a "OMG TWO BIG NAMES!" and one can be "OMG AMAZING WRESTLERS!" This year actually has that going on in spades, with Rock/Cena and Taker/Trips filling the big names and Jericho/Punk giving IWC (forgive me for using that term but you know what I mean) something to be excited for.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

Mar 16, 2012 16:08:07 GMT -5 Rick Mad said:

A few ideas, some already stated:

1. Either get rid of Elimination Chamber or change it - even if you have a February PPV, don't have one where a bunch of people got a shot at both World Titles, because it sure does devalue the Wrestlemania matches for those Titles! Avoid PPV World Title matches here as much as possible.

2. Either piss or get off the pot in regards to the brand split. When there were very few combined brand PPVs, Wrestlemania felt huge because it had stars from both shows, and only the best of the best got on.

3. I hate to say it, but bring back live bands to do an entrance song or two. I'm not talking Kid Rock concert during the Divas entrances, but whoever did the Dudleys entrance that one year.. I forget.. or Motorhead doing Trips', or etc., thats exciting.

4. It may suck for the boys, but less matches and more time. The top three or four matches depending on the year should each get thirty minutes each, including vignettes/entrances, if not more. So thats two hours right there. You have two more hours, and trying to cram as many guys as possible into there doesn't work well IMO. Try and get back to personal feuds with hype to them instead of MITB/huge tag style clusterfudges.

5. On that same note, make sure at least one match on the card can be seen as a "OMG TWO BIG NAMES!" and one can be "OMG AMAZING WRESTLERS!" This year actually has that going on in spades, with Rock/Cena and Taker/Trips filling the big names and Jericho/Punk giving IWC (forgive me for using that term but you know what I mean) something to be excited for.

I like the Elimination Chamber concept. For the champions, it's about protecting their spot. For the challengers, it's like it's their "last chance" to be in the main event at Wrestlemania and for some to even make the card at all. For the likes of McIntyre, DiBiase, Santino, and other low card/midcard guys who have competed in the Chamber, it's like they HAVE to win the title just to even be at Mania. For the lower level guys, it's go big or go home; to the lower guys who make into the Chamber, that IS their playoff match.

Live bands would be a great idea. As much as we make fun of Downstait, I think that if Ziggler still had the U.S. Title it would've been great to have a Ziggler vs. Miz vs. Riley triple threat, with the band playing all of their themes.

I for one actually like that they try to put everyone on the card. Yes, time may be shortened for each of those matches, but I feel that a lot of talent deserves to showcase what they've got. In a big tag match, each wrestler can have thirty seconds in which the focus is on them, something that they can't really do in a dark match battle royal. Since the NXT/Superstars guys are hardly utilized, if you broke them out at Mania, they can be treated as the "hidden treasures" or "secret weapons" of the roster rather than "unworthy scrubs."

[xCompackx]

Mar 16, 2012 16:08:07 GMT -5 Rick Mad said:

A few ideas, some already stated:

1. Either get rid of Elimination Chamber or change it - even if you have a February PPV, don't have one where a bunch of people got a shot at both World Titles, because it sure does devalue the Wrestlemania matches for those Titles! Avoid PPV World Title matches here as much as possible.

2. Either piss or get off the pot in regards to the brand split. When there were very few combined brand PPVs, Wrestlemania felt huge because it had stars from both shows, and only the best of the best got on.

3. I hate to say it, but bring back live bands to do an entrance song or two. I'm not talking Kid Rock concert during the Divas entrances, but whoever did the Dudleys entrance that one year.. I forget.. or Motorhead doing Trips', or etc., thats exciting.

4. It may suck for the boys, but less matches and more time. The top three or four matches depending on the year should each get thirty minutes each, including vignettes/entrances, if not more. So thats two hours right there. You have two more hours, and trying to cram as many guys as possible into there doesn't work well IMO. Try and get back to personal feuds with hype to them instead of MITB/huge tag style clusterfudges.

5. On that same note, make sure at least one match on the card can be seen as a "OMG TWO BIG NAMES!" and one can be "OMG AMAZING WRESTLERS!" This year actually has that going on in spades, with Rock/Cena and Taker/Trips filling the big names and Jericho/Punk giving IWC (forgive me for using that term but you know what I mean) something to be excited for.

Agree completely. I think this year's EC has highlighted the problem with having a February PPV which is you knew exactly who was winning both Chamber matches. Both World Title feuds were set up before the event even took place, so it's silly to think that someone like Kofi or Santino would win it (Even though I genuinely thought he would).