For those who don't watch WWE ...

[saintpat]

I've posted this sentiment a time or three and never gotten an answer, really, so I thought I'd try a thread about it.

An amazingly large number of people who post on here -- not the majority, of course, but a considerable few -- claim they don't watch WWE anymore. They have a lot of thoughts and opinions on the current product, but say they don't follow it or hardly ever watch it.

My question is: why are you here? What makes someone who doesn't watch WWE want to make hundreds and even thousands of posts on a forum devoted to just that?

(And, yes, there is wrestling other than WWE -- but that is discussed on the Rest of Wrestling forum, not the WWE Attitude Era to Current forum. And I see plenty of people who post strong opinions on this forum about something they claim not to even watch.)

I've used the analogy that I used to be a very serious comic collector, had a lot of comics and some pretty valuable ones, but I don't read or collect comics anymore -- and I never visit comic book websites and cannot imagine doing so. I wouldn't pretend to be able to discuss the current comic scene even if I read up on storylines on the internet, and I'd rather spent my time online on forums about things that I do currently follow.

I simply cannot wrap my mind around it. I post on a college football forum or two, and no one ever says, 'I don't watch football anymore, but I think ...'

So help me understand. I'm not hating on you, I just don't get it.

(And if you do watch WWE, please let those who don't enlighten me rather than speculate.)

[Mozenrath]

A lot of them think that reading the spoilers is the same thing. To which I ask, read any good movies lately?

[YiHammer]

People like to complain

[Mayonnaise]

Cannot say for WWE but I have walked away from TNA a lot but continue to read and post in that board. It lets me keep up with shows and yeah I complain about what I read in the spoilers and reports but people usually respond with stuff that clarifies things for me or confirms what I think. I use that to decide if I want to watch again. I mean it's not hard to read about something and find it to be stupid as hell and question why when things are going south for them to wonder why they'd do something stupid.

I'll also say that there are a number of wrestlers that people like that are in WWE that people want to keep up with and hate seeing them used in a way that sucks. The company has a huge history behind it and a lot of their wrestlers do as well and people are going to want to talk about them and how they are used.

[Burst]

For me, who only recently stopped watching again, it's because...

A. Old habits die hard
B. I keep tabs to see if it gets good enough to START watching again.

[BiloxiParish]

I watch RAW, Main Event, and Saturday Morning Slam.. I don't watch Smackdown because it bores me to tears, but I still read spoilers for everything. I don't mind people who don't watch posting because it adds to the conversation. I have been a fan since 90 and there have been periods of it where I have falling ill towards the product. I'm that way with Impact now. I still read the spoilers and like to know what happened it just habit.

As for ROH I watch it in on cable and thoroughly enjoy it because I don't read spoilers for it.

[PKO]

I too find it a little baffling. Especially when you see someone who posts regularly and talks about a variety of topics (often in depth) and then it'll come up that "oh, I haven't watched a show since 2004". Huh?!?

[YeahYeahYeahYeahYeah]

What I've been doing recently is reading the spoilers and then watching the bits and pieces that I like after the shows air. Lately, I've been watching less than 20 minutes total of the shows.

I'm still on this forum because I still consider myself a WWE fan. I still have favourites on the roster that I keep up with, I'm excited about some of the NXT superstars and divas, and I love a lot of the past product. I might even still buy a ticket to go see a show.

I enjoy watching the wrestlers I like, simple as that. I'm just not interested in the main storylines or the main people they're pushing right now. Doesn't mean I never will be, though.

[Straight Edge Scrotum]

[Lila]

Nov 14, 2012 22:45:13 GMT -5 YeahYeahYeahYeahYeah said:

What I've been doing recently is reading the spoilers and then watching the bits and pieces that I like after the shows air. Lately, I've been watching less than 20 minutes total of the shows.

I'm still on this forum because I still consider myself a WWE fan. I still have favourites on the roster that I keep up with, I'm excited about some of the NXT superstars and divas, and I love a lot of the past product. I might even still buy a ticket to go see a show.

I enjoy watching the wrestlers I like, simple as that. I'm just not interested in the main storylines or the main people they're pushing right now. Doesn't mean I never will be, though.

Bingo!

[Cry Me a Wiggle]

The subtitle of this forum is "Attitude era thru current" and I'm sure some people just like to reminiscence about the good old days.

[HMARK Center]

Nov 14, 2012 22:37:54 GMT -5 PKO said:

I too find it a little baffling. Especially when you see someone who posts regularly and talks about a variety of topics (often in depth) and then it'll come up that "oh, I haven't watched a show since 2004". Huh?!?

That would be me, though I stopped in 2005 (outside of some shows here and there, and clips). I also regularly read Brandon Stroud's "Best and Worst of Raw" columns, since I appreciate the depth he goes into, and he gives me a really good idea of what's going on. Plus I speak to a number of fans and keep abreast of things, since I do enjoy discussing wrestling in general.

It depends what a particular thread is about, and how things can be spoken about. Frankly, you don't need to watch WWE, or really any single wrestling company, with any regularity to participate in a discussion of what qualifies as effective or ineffective booking concepts. This doesn't mean you're qualified to speak on all the specifics of a show you didn't see, but when topics of "does this constitute strong booking?" comes up, as long as a person recognizes where his/her perception will be limited, it really isn't a huge deal.

[BiloxiParish]

I haven't gone to a show since maybe 2006, or bought anything wrestling related besides a PPV twice a year.

I still consider myself a huge fan of wrestling, and love to follow certain wrestlers, I will watch my fav 5 each week

[ICBM]

Just speaking for me, I come in here less and less. When I first stopped watching I did keep following it online on the chance a hot angle would pull me back in. From time to time this has happend(Best Hart returning, WM run ups like Steamboat coming back, HOF ect.). Realistically though, I hit a wall with WWE with the reign of supermen John Cena, Randy Orion, Batista, Kalhi and Mark Henry. Then the ECW deal started falling apart...then the Benoit thing happend. I watched TNA exclusively for five yrs. Then little by little TNA turned me off. I still follow them online and occasionally on tv. But I got so used to using this site I can't stop coming here. Mostly off topic discussion now, but exhibit A in my casual following is this post in this thread.

I like CM Punk. When I flip to raw I watch him. I liked Brodus, he makes me smile and I am happy when I see children happy watching him. But I ain't coming back anytime soon. It isn't the PG deal, cause I understand. It isn't a lack of compelling action, cause they have it. I can't completely move on because I love wrestling. But I just don't have it in me to keep up with four or five shows. I have young kids and they keep me far better entertained than any wrestling show ever did or ever could.

[frogsplash45]

Totally agree, OP.


And while the whole "I read spoilers to find what I might like" thing is sorta kinda viable, I believe that many people who read spoilers are making the product worse for themselves. They are allowing somebody else's regurgitated mere words feed them something that's meant to be consumed by the eyes and ears.

[Chiral]

I haven't watched in a few months, but I check in here because I still like wrestling, I like the forum here, and this is a good place to check to see if the shows are getting better.

[Deleted]

I know at some point, though I'm guessing it won't be until at least next summer given the usual spring slump and nothing up through Mania looking too interesting, I will be watching again, and I'd rather keep in touch with what's going on for when that happens - other than when I click on spoiler threads out of boredom I don't check results or anything, but I do at least kind of keep with the basics of what's going on. Plus I enjoy the atmosphere here and there's plenty to talk about past and present wrestling-wise, to say nothing of the Off Topic board.

[zeez]

Nov 15, 2012 0:34:53 GMT -5 ICBM said:

Just speaking for me, I come in here less and less. When I first stopped watching I did keep following it online on the chance a hot angle would pull me back in. From time to time this has happend(Best Hart returning, WM run ups like Steamboat coming back, HOF ect.). Realistically though, I hit a wall with WWE with the reign of supermen John Cena, Randy Orion, Batista, Kalhi and Mark Henry. Then the ECW deal started falling apart...then the Benoit thing happend. I watched TNA exclusively for five yrs. Then little by little TNA turned me off. I still follow them online and occasionally on tv. But I got so used to using this site I can't stop coming here. Mostly off topic discussion now, but exhibit A in my casual following is this post in this thread.

I like CM Punk. When I flip to raw I watch him. I liked Brodus, he makes me smile and I am happy when I see children happy watching him. But I ain't coming back anytime soon. It isn't the PG deal, cause I understand. It isn't a lack of compelling action, cause they have it. I can't completely move on because I love wrestling. But I just don't have it in me to keep up with four or five shows. I have young kids and they keep me far better entertained than any wrestling show ever did or ever could.

So all you have to do is train them to become pro wrestlers and get them WWE contracts and you'll be good to go.

[Big L]

Nov 14, 2012 21:59:10 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

A lot of them think that reading the spoilers is the same thing. To which I ask, read any good movies lately?

Lol probably

[Shazam]

I think my reasons have been echoed for the most part, but...

A)To keep up with what's going on, in case it peak's my interest to watch again.
B)I still have an infatuation with 84-04 wrestling, which is prominently mentioned here.
C)Amazing photoshop threads that are worth it from time to time.