WOR- WWE down, but indies up

[Allie Kitsune]

May 31, 2017 14:48:23 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

May 31, 2017 12:17:31 GMT -5 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger said:

I really don't think if you put ROH on a similar TV outlet it'd do as well as a Raw.

Of course it wouldn't and I don't think anyone here is saying that. Raw has 20+ years and some of the biggest stars in wrestling. Same for SDL.

There is zero reason though that if/when ROH gets that outlet (and as their parent company is buying WGN that could happen soon) couldn't make WWE take notice and try to stop the slide.

I'm still kind of wondering if RoH doesn't just end up bought out by NJPW as part of their Global Expansion (assuming Sinclair is still trying to sell it off).

[Deleted]

There's nothing interesting going on in WWE. When was the last time they did a big angle and not just had the same dudes wrestle each other on every show?

[Crappler El 0 M]

You'd really have to hear it from him to get what he was saying.

[eJm]

I'll say this from the minimal I've seen of it lately;

There's been a lot more articles and news stories I've seen that involve independent promotions in the last few months then I have seen of WWE since WrestleMania at the very least.

I'm not even saying the indies are becoming mega big again, but as someone mentioned earlier, WWE's no longer reflecting the general US scene anymore, to the point where there are promotions that are regularly breaking records they wouldn't have a couple of years ago. It's only good for business overall, really.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

May 31, 2017 15:52:35 GMT -5 eJm said:

I'll say this from the minimal I've seen of it lately;

There's been a lot more articles and news stories I've seen that involve independent promotions in the last few months then I have seen of WWE since WrestleMania at the very least.

I'm not even saying the indies are becoming mega big again, but as someone mentioned earlier, WWE's no longer reflecting the general US scene anymore, to the point where there are promotions that are regularly breaking records they wouldn't have a couple of years ago. It's only good for business overall, really.

So much this.

There's plenty of stuff I do still enjoy in WWE, but- and yeah, the availability of wrestling today plays a big factor- there's so much great wrestling beyond them and I'm happy it's starting to really thrive. I think it's a pretty fun time to be a fan of the artform now, even with Raw and Smackdown being bad.

[eJm]

Let me throw this in, too.

If you said to me 10 years ago that British Wrestling would not only be able to recover from the Wrestling Channel farce, Alex Shane's stranglehold over the title scenes and 1PW turning into the industry's worst running gag to the point that not only are a lot of our talents seem as some of the best in the world but also that the WWE wants to do a weekly show here, I would have called you downright insane.

But here we are. And it's awesome.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

The wrestling game is weird as f*** right now. Like, wretling is ice-cold in terms of mainstream popularity right now but if you actually look at the industry by itself, this is actually a bit of a golden age for non-WWE alternatives. Largely because of how small and insular the wrestling fanbase has become but still.

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

Also: G's up, Hoes down

However, Hoes have been holding steady and may see an upturn in the next few months

[chrom]

May 31, 2017 13:34:52 GMT -5 Mecca said:

I'm a big fan and Lucha Underground has never done much to hook me, I try to watch it and I just don't find it entertaining. I think I'd like NJPW more if I knew what everyone was saying.

They have Kevin Kelly and Don Callis as English Commentary for the major shows and they broadcast Friday nights on AXS with J.R. and Josh Barnett

[jakes]

ROH's booking is the worse of any TV based company. They've haven't produced any quality storylines or developed any new stars. What have they done to make up for all their talent departures in the past 6 months? If they didn't have the New Japan connection and if they weren't one of the only companies in America booking the Young Bucks they'd be in a lot of trouble.

[benstudd]

I always think boy you have to really be a hardcore wrestling fan in an era of countless TV/Internet alternatives to go on house shows cold without storylines attached to it. I mean at times like when in the 80s house shows were the most important thing, companies like Midsouth, NWA/JCP and so forth at least had a 1 hour weekly show to create heated storylines to have people want to go the shows and want to see the result of these storylines coming together. You have to be a special kind of wrestling fan to pretty much make the house shows run of indy promotions without anything to support it.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Jun 1, 2017 0:59:25 GMT -5 benstudd said:

I always think boy you have to really be a hardcore wrestling fan in an era of countless TV/Internet alternatives to go on house shows cold without storylines attached to it. I mean at times like when in the 80s house shows were the most important thing, companies like Midsouth, NWA/JCP and so forth at least had a 1 hour weekly show to create heated storylines to have people want to go the shows and want to see the result of these storylines coming together. You have to be a special kind of wrestling fan to pretty much make the house shows run of indy promotions without anything to support it.

Thing is, these days it's easier to find out what's going on, so you're not going to cold house shows.

For example, PROGRESS only has it's monthly shows but it's getting some buzz, so before going to a show just because you've heard of it, and that it's good, you can head online and get a rough idea what's going on.

[benstudd]

Jun 1, 2017 1:10:11 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Jun 1, 2017 0:59:25 GMT -5 benstudd said:

I always think boy you have to really be a hardcore wrestling fan in an era of countless TV/Internet alternatives to go on house shows cold without storylines attached to it. I mean at times like when in the 80s house shows were the most important thing, companies like Midsouth, NWA/JCP and so forth at least had a 1 hour weekly show to create heated storylines to have people want to go the shows and want to see the result of these storylines coming together. You have to be a special kind of wrestling fan to pretty much make the house shows run of indy promotions without anything to support it.

Thing is, these days it's easier to find out what's going on, so you're not going to cold house shows.

For example, PROGRESS only has it's monthly shows but it's getting some buzz, so before going to a show just because you've heard of it, and that it's good, you can head online and get a rough idea what's going on.

Good point but to even know that Progress exist you have to be a decicated wrestling fan. 

[This Player Hating Mothman]

Jun 1, 2017 1:20:08 GMT -5 benstudd said:

Jun 1, 2017 1:10:11 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Thing is, these days it's easier to find out what's going on, so you're not going to cold house shows.

For example, PROGRESS only has it's monthly shows but it's getting some buzz, so before going to a show just because you've heard of it, and that it's good, you can head online and get a rough idea what's going on.

Good point but to even know that Progress exist you have to be a decicated wrestling fan. 

Maybe from buzz, but if you're local to where PROGRESS runs out of and you only know WWE, it's not difficult to catch yourself up enough to go to a show and see if you like the live experience of things. And it's like that for quite a number of companies right now. Companies need the core base of local support to be able to push into international support--because if you're not selling tickets and moving merch on the spot you don't make it to iPPVs and DVDs--and right now, it's very easy for that local base to grow outside of the realms of pure hardcores.

[________ has left the building]

Don't know why it got to be "Us vs Them" when it comes to WWE & the indies. Can I be happy that I can have super easy access to wrestling any time I want it of all varieties and styles?

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Jun 1, 2017 1:20:08 GMT -5 benstudd said:

Jun 1, 2017 1:10:11 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Thing is, these days it's easier to find out what's going on, so you're not going to cold house shows.

For example, PROGRESS only has it's monthly shows but it's getting some buzz, so before going to a show just because you've heard of it, and that it's good, you can head online and get a rough idea what's going on.

Good point but to even know that Progress exist you have to be a decicated wrestling fan. 

You kind of do.
Progress and ICW here have both been in local and national press, so that has gotten the word out more.

I can't say for the USA, but in the UK, wrestling is definitely at it's biggest since the Attitude era. There's those indys and their level of attention, been stopped by guys commenting on my wrestling tshirts, see other in them most weeks.

[BRAINFADE]

Jun 1, 2017 8:44:24 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Jun 1, 2017 1:20:08 GMT -5 benstudd said:

Good point but to even know that Progress exist you have to be a decicated wrestling fan. 

You kind of do.
Progress and ICW here have both been in local and national press, so that has gotten the word out more.

I can't say for the USA, but in the UK, wrestling is definitely at it's biggest since the Attitude era. There's those indys and their level of attention, been stopped by guys commenting on my wrestling tshirts, see other in them most weeks.

Yeah, wrestling is pretty damn huge over here right now. There's so many casuals who know about or at least have heard of indie guys like Marty Scurll and the Young Bucks as much as they do WWE guys.

[eJm]

Jun 1, 2017 5:12:41 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

Don't know why it got to be "Us vs Them" when it comes to WWE & the indies. Can I be happy that I can have super easy access to wrestling any time I want it of all varieties and styles?

No one in this thread is doing anything remotely near 'Us vs. Them', if anything, people are realising after being told they're moaning about Raw and Smackdown and that they should watch something else...well, people ARE watching something else. The options right now are ridiculous and the hunger from the crowds is there. There's a reason that NJPW can come to LA with barely any television and a streaming service that needs work and sell out both nights rapidly.

Never before now, probably not since the territories, have we seen so many companies get either more popular or showing signs of growth than right now.

If anything, outside of WWE, right now is the best time to be a wrestling fan probably since the Monday Night Wars and the hardcore fans (even some casuals) are realising it too.

[eJm]

Jun 1, 2017 9:50:39 GMT -5 BRAINFADE said:

Jun 1, 2017 8:44:24 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

You kind of do.
Progress and ICW here have both been in local and national press, so that has gotten the word out more.

I can't say for the USA, but in the UK, wrestling is definitely at it's biggest since the Attitude era. There's those indys and their level of attention, been stopped by guys commenting on my wrestling tshirts, see other in them most weeks.

Yeah, wrestling is pretty damn huge over here right now. There's so many casuals who know about or at least have heard of indie guys like Marty Scurll and the Young Bucks as much as they do WWE guys.

To add to this, UK wrestling is ridiculously easy to access. When I lived in London, there was York Hall, The Cockpit, The Electric Ballroom, The Dome, Alexandra Palace, Redchurch Brewery, all with a variety of promotions doing shows there. Probably more that I can't think of right now.

[________ has left the building]

Jun 1, 2017 11:32:34 GMT -5 eJm said:

Jun 1, 2017 5:12:41 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

Don't know why it got to be "Us vs Them" when it comes to WWE & the indies. Can I be happy that I can have super easy access to wrestling any time I want it of all varieties and styles?

No one in this thread is doing anything remotely near 'Us vs. Them', if anything, people are realising after being told they're moaning about Raw and Smackdown and that they should watch something else...well, people ARE watching something else. The options right now are ridiculous and the hunger from the crowds is there. There's a reason that NJPW can come to LA with barely any television and a streaming service that needs work and sell out both nights rapidly.

Never before now, probably not since the territories, have we seen so many companies get either more popular or showing signs of growth than right now.

If anything, outside of WWE, right now is the best time to be a wrestling fan probably since the Monday Night Wars and the hardcore fans (even some casuals) are realising it too.

There are wrestling companies and fans who look at themselves as in competition to WWE instead of considering themselves alternatives and catering to demographics craving something different. I'm not talking about FAN because they are plenty of places where diehards and supposed casuals go to talk about wrestling. Cannot name names without breaking rules but some are taking this story as " The downfall of WWE" when it's not.