What I don't get about the overly scripted promos...

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

Is that the main people behind the scenes, from Vince to Trips to agents to trainers, all came up in an era where wrestlers were allowed more freedom in what they were going to say.

Hell, Austin said his 3:16 promo was completely unscripted

So how did we get to the point where we have new guys acting like they are reading a book report in middle school?

Was it becoming a public company and being afraid of what is going to be said?

It just seems weird that people running a company all cut their teeth on being able to speak off the cuff insist on these types of promos.

[Allie Kitsune]

Apr 20, 2017 8:50:03 GMT -5 Confused Mark Wahlberg said:

It just seems weird that people running a company all cut their teeth on being able to speak off the cuff insist on these types of promos.

Because otherwise somebody might do a Good Lucha Thing.

GODDAMMIT WOO!

[This Player Hating Mothman]

Considering NXT is training people in actually giving promos--which leads to a lot of people coming up to the main roster and faltering because they're now reading scripted material and it's dire--and all the fringe side content Vince doesn't care to micromanage like Youtube interviews and Talking Smack, I feel like the whole "here is your promo read this verbatin" thing is probably a Vince idea that nobody can shake him from.

[Deleted]

I think it is pressure from being a public company and sponsors. I think it would be better if wrestlers have some input on the promos or at least write a rough draft and have Vince edit it. I can understand not saying certain things to upset the higher powers, but at the same time they need to sound natural.

[Fade]

It's probably the worst aspect of professional wrestling today.. it's the "entertainment" aspect eclipsing the "wrestling" part...ironically.

[Dub H]

I think it is because Vince doesn't want to be seen as "wrestling" and every single other stortytelling media uses scripts

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Some people need the scripts but the problem comes where a lot of the individuals who are given scripts can't deliver their lines. Once you get a certain amount of trust I believe you should only be given bullet points on the promo which could help with delivery

[Red Impact]

I'd imagine it has to do with them being a publicly traded company and wanting a death grip on their image, while knowing that the things mot wrestlers want them to say would get them fined by the FCC.

[thirteen3]

Justification for the stupidly huge writing teams. In their minds having them makes them "more legit" as an an "entertainment" company.

[Pushed to the Moon]

Apr 20, 2017 9:40:31 GMT -5 This Player Hating Mothman said:

Considering NXT is training people in actually giving promos--which leads to a lot of people coming up to the main roster and faltering because they're now reading scripted material and it's dire--and all the fringe side content Vince doesn't care to micromanage like Youtube interviews and Talking Smack, I feel like the whole "here is your promo read this verbatin" thing is probably a Vince idea that nobody can shake him from.

Yeah I've always thought this was weird. They apparently do exercises where they get a word/topic and have to cut promos instantly. On Breaking Ground they try out potential signings by putting them in front of a camera and saying "cut a promo now" with no prep time. Then they get called up and have to read scripts.

Then again scripts wouldn't be a problem if they were well written and everyone was a good actor.

[This Player Hating Mothman]

Apr 20, 2017 11:32:01 GMT -5 Pushed to the Moon said:

Then again scripts wouldn't be a problem if they were well written and everyone was a good actor.

I think on the whole scripts are still not great, because it's keeping anyone from every being spontaneous or putting anything of their own personality out there. Scripts should be something you can use if you need them, but they should also be trained to be a halfway competent speaker who can cut a halfway decent promo. The problem with some people isn't even that they can't talk, it's that they can't act off the cuff, and giving everyone stiff dialogue out of their voice is making everyone look worse than they are. It shouldn't be the default.

[carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army)]

Often when this topic comes up, someone will reference some promo they like as a grand example of unscripted promos, and in reality that very promo they mentioned was itself scripted. So one problem here is that fans have a heuristic that "I liked a promo, therefore it was unscripted."

Christ, you guys need to watch some 80s WWF if you want to know why promos are scripted now (and why it's a good thing promos are scripted). Very few people are Randy Savage or Road Warrior Hawk, and you can't have a company of people screaming coked-up nonsense, anyway.

[blake6905]

Apr 20, 2017 9:29:57 GMT -5 Allie Kitsune said:

Apr 20, 2017 8:50:03 GMT -5 Confused Mark Wahlberg said:

It just seems weird that people running a company all cut their teeth on being able to speak off the cuff insist on these types of promos.

Because otherwise somebody might do a Good Lucha Thing.

GODDAMMIT WOO!

Legit busted out laughing while working out in the oilfield

[Deleted]

Going off the tangent for a bit, here's a question for you all....

If the greatest wrestlers are the ones with the personality turned up to 11, then why is the Hulk Hogan the most popular wrestler of all time? Do you all seriously believe that he really meant it when he said "train,take your vitamins, say your prayers." I firmly believe that his promos are unscripted, but do you all really believe that this is the real Hulk Hogan dialed to 11? I'd imagine his real personality was a lot closer to his Hollywood Hogan persona, minus the cocaine.

[This Player Hating Mothman]

Apr 20, 2017 11:45:57 GMT -5 carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) said:

Christ, you guys need to watch some 80s WWF if you want to know why promos are scripted now (and why it's a good thing promos are scripted). Very few people are Randy Savage or Road Warrior Hawk, and you can't have a company of people screaming coked-up nonsense, anyway.

But wouldn't it be an easier solution if they had guys practice their promo and work out what to say in their own voice and their more natural way of doing things than to just hand someone something written by someone whose abysmal domcom pilot didn't get picked up by ABC last year. There's so much middle ground in "howl nonsense between key bumps like in the '80s" and "read out some unnatural and awkward dialogue that you have no hope of delivering properly". It really can't be a good thing promos are scripted if even other wrestlers are constantly saying that nobody can break through or do anything special because they have to follow unspectacular scripts to the letter and the most iconic promos in wrestling just wouldn't have happened if it had been like that back then. You wouldn't have guys like Dean who complain that what they're handed is garbage and who try to fight it as much as possible because the people who are doing their stuff have no idea how to write their character. Or guys like Corbin and Bayley who take a very clear step down on the mic when they go up to the main roster because they're suddenly reading garbage that doesn't suit them and it comes off badly.

[Red Impact]

Apr 20, 2017 11:45:57 GMT -5 carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) said:

Often when this topic comes up, someone will reference some promo they like as a grand example of unscripted promos, and in reality that very promo they mentioned was itself scripted. So one problem here is that fans have a heuristic that "I liked a promo, therefore it was unscripted."

Christ, you guys need to watch some 80s WWF if you want to know why promos are scripted now (and why it's a good thing promos are scripted). Very few people are Randy Savage or Road Warrior Hawk, and you can't have a company of people screaming coked-up nonsense, anyway.

I remember seeing an old video where they had some guy cutting cutting a promo against someone, then they had Ric Flair early in his career follow him up. The difference was so extreme that it was hilarious just how unnatural a lot of wrestlers are.

So yeah, I agree with you in a way, but I do think there's a middle ground. People who have actual charisma and the ability to speak well, like Ambrose, Owens, and Miz, might benefit from having more freedom, maybe just a run down of things to hit. While the majority of the roster would still be a lot more controlled with scripts.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Apr 20, 2017 11:09:20 GMT -5 Red Impact said:

I'd imagine it has to do with them being a publicly traded company and wanting a death grip on their image, while knowing that the things mot wrestlers want them to say would get them fined by the FCC.

They're on cable they wouldn't get fined by the FCC

[MAGGLE]

Apr 20, 2017 11:02:07 GMT -5 Dub H said:

I think it is because Vince doesn't want to be seen as "wrestling" and every single other stortytelling media uses scripts

This

Vince is legit out of his mind

[Deleted]

I just wish they do a bullet points formula. Like you must cut a promo, you have 2 mins to fill time, here are the things that must be said to advance the storyline, and this is the tone you must do it in. But I think they are trying to create magic out of the 20 min rambling promo because when all the stars are aligned it's f***ing magical. Like CM Punk in both of his pipebomb promos, Paul Heyman selling the shit out of Wrestlemania 31 by himself, The Miz's promo against MVP before The Royal Rumble, etc.

[thecrusherwi]

Apr 20, 2017 11:45:57 GMT -5 carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) said:

Often when this topic comes up, someone will reference some promo they like as a grand example of unscripted promos, and in reality that very promo they mentioned was itself scripted. So one problem here is that fans have a heuristic that "I liked a promo, therefore it was unscripted."

Christ, you guys need to watch some 80s WWF if you want to know why promos are scripted now (and why it's a good thing promos are scripted). Very few people are Randy Savage or Road Warrior Hawk, and you can't have a company of people screaming coked-up nonsense, anyway.

I get what you're saying. There are some stinkers, but that's part of the fun. A promo isn't about always being witty or clever. I prefer Nikita Koloff or Dr Death yelling some nonsense over a slow, wooden delivery of some simple cliches or clever wordplay. At least the former is genuine. Also, taking away the script gives the wrestlers more control over getting or not getting over. That's why Randy Savage went to the top and others fell to the bottom.