How should WWE structure their weekly TV shows?

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

It's patently obvious that whatever... this is, isn't working for anyone, but there's always so much chat about the problems, yet we never seem to talk about the kinds of solutions that we would want. Either that or I'm completely blind to them.

So, what are YOUR expectations for weekly WWE television in the year 2022? Let's build the kind of show that you would want to watch as a genuine fan. Just to be clear, this isn't about how to present the wrestlers themselves, so there's nothing about "more wacky characters or more realistic characters" or stuff like that, just the general fishbone structure of the shows.

[Lizuka #BLM]

I think the biggest thing it boils down to is just that every single show shouldn't feel exactly the same. Not that you should have wildly different programs every week, it should be identifiable as a product and all, but for years now WWE shows have been so cookie-cutter that the scripts probably have premade templates that they just cycle names and change the wording on.

Also for the love of everything please f***ing stop with the year long title reigns, there've been like 15 of them in the past five years, they mean f***ing nothing anymore, stop it.

[Chiral]

-Have meaningful story content happen. They can get away with less matches if stories actually progressed and stuff happened. I'd make Raw the bombastic soap opera show again, and Smackdown the more sports oriented big fight feel show.

-Go full big and stupid because no one else is doing big and stupid, just make it fun

-Stop writing the shows as empty filler content machines to fulfill a quota (though this is likely by design)

-cut down on the bait and switches, the DQs, etc.

-Have a better take on faces and heels, cool it with the cool heels or just go all in on "everyone's at least somewhat a bastard in WWE" all heels alignment they're trending to

-Shorten some title reigns and make their changes unexpected instead of going a year+

-Stop making midcard champions goobers

-If you get Cody turn his show into the Codyverse

-cool it with misery booking

-nerf Roman, go back to his cracks in his armor facade mode from the early days of his heel run rather than the boring "I'm cool smash em god mode I face no threats whatsoever and never get beat up" mode

-on that note stop doing that thing with heel champs where a face beats them down and then they just get up and leave to pose with their belt on the ramp I hate it

[GuyOfOwnage]

I'm not hard to please. Even if they got rid of the "entrance, then another thing" trope, that'd be a massive improvement by itself.

[Muskrat]

Mar 28, 2022 23:00:14 GMT -5 GuyOfOwnage said:

I'm not hard to please. Even if they got rid of the "entrance, then another thing" trope, that'd be a massive improvement by itself.

That f***s up the pacing of the show so badly because it makes the bullshit that happens between the entrance at the match/promo/whatever feel like a slog

[thehottag]

Raw should be louder, angrier, & have access to a time machine

[Nosnorb]

Hats for Everyone.

[Bo Rida]

Form that list definitely the ones about doing promos or vignettes from different locations.
Imagine if we never saw Undertaker, Million dollar man or Mr Perfect outside the confines of the arena? Instead they watches TV at awkward angles and ended promos by staring blankly up the corridor.

But really their issues are long term, they need to win back trust that there will be a payoff in a storyline or story arc and that your favourite won't be released for no apparent reason.

[Ben Wyatt]

'Lil bit of everything above.

Bring in some enhancement talent to feed people like Omos/Veer etc (think how they did with Ryback/Braun)
Rotate out talent from week to week. American Alpha, for example doesn't need to wrestle every week. Do some short character driven vignettes/interviews with them instead. This would allow them to utilize different talent in-ring.
Cut down on "star vs star" matches. (see my first point)
*Less* wonky DQ/Roll-up finishes. Not every match can have shmozz endings. There's a happy medium to be had
The main event needs to be an actual match far more often.

[Deleted]

1. Actually have clean finishes, and I mean people use finishers, not this "roll them up with a small package" nonsense.
2. Use enhancement talent if you want to build your wrestlers.
3. Get rid of the 24/7 Championship.
4. Don't just book segments to fill time; try to find a reason to have something happen, or use it to justify building a match for next week to interest people to come back.
5. Every episode shouldn't start with a 20 minute promo or a 20 minute match that ends in a DQ; get the crowd excited with something brisk and exciting.

[fw91]

Controversial take because of who I’m referencing, but they need to go back to Vince Russo’s pacing and time structure. NOT HIS WRITING AND BOOKING, but his time structure.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Mar 29, 2022 10:46:21 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Controversial take because of who I’m referencing, but they need to go back to Vince Russo’s pacing and time structure. NOT HIS WRITING AND BOOKING, but his time structure.

I get what you mean, but I think it’s incompatible with the desire for clean finishes. Which I suppose wouldn’t be a issue if they had outside enhancement talents, but if it remains “star v star”, people aren’t suddenly gonna become OK with two-minute clean losses.

[Deleted]

MORE VINGETTES!

And I mean ones set on location ..you are a multi billion dollar company spend some f***ing money! (Nick Khan fury rising).

This way while some people may not wrestle every single week that way you can have still have something interesting for them to do.

Seriously take a few f***ing lessons from LU they were able to keep their top talent from having to wrestle every week because of the amazing vingettes that progressed characters and stories in amazing ways both story and visually.

[fw91]

Mar 29, 2022 10:54:06 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

Mar 29, 2022 10:46:21 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Controversial take because of who I’m referencing, but they need to go back to Vince Russo’s pacing and time structure. NOT HIS WRITING AND BOOKING, but his time structure.

I get what you mean, but I think it’s incompatible with the desire for clean finishes. Which I suppose wouldn’t be a issue if they had outside enhancement talents, but if it remains “star v star”, people aren’t suddenly gonna become OK with two-minute clean losses.

Yeah I wouldn’t do that for important matches

[Bang Bang Bart]

- First off, book better heroes. It's hard to get invested in babyfaces when almost 80% of them are ineffectual losers who seem to only exist to be the playthings of "cool" heels. Not saying that faces should be aggressive Attitude Era-style anti-heroes, but having them not be booked so stupid would be a big start.

- On that same note... it's okay if the heel gets laid out every once in a while.

- More out-of-ring/out-of-arena stuff. They help add some much needed character for people. Something like Roman and his crew arriving via private plane at an airport then pulling up into a limo.

- Enhancement talents, so we don't end up with scenarios like the Viking Raiders jobbing to Omos. In fact, I think some of the negative reception that Omos has received in his solo run would be somewhat alleviated if he was beating up on outside enhancement guys rather than established roster people.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

I think NXT talent should be more integrated into the show. And not just for enhancement matches although that's part of it. It will make the show feel more fresh with more talent to use and help get the NXT talent more experience. You don't want to burn through Sheamus and Kofi right now? They called in a favor from their friends and have Gunther here to take him for them.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

So, having let this thread sit for a few days, it seems like the core thing people want is to mix up the talents used on TV each week, a process that can be aided by the use of outside enhancement talents (after all, you take out the star(s) from the other side of the match). And also, mix up where you film the interviews and promos.

[Hit Girl]

1 hour of Wrestling Challenge

1 hour of Superstars of Wrestling

The big four PPV's

An occasional SNME

[thecrusherwi]

Above all else they need to stop shooting it like an action movie. The whole point of wrestling is that it’s a fight scene that still looks good live and up close. Stop shaking and zooming the damn camera every time something of impact is happening. And while some camera cuts are fine, they need to be reduced significantly. All this crap is just making it harder to see what’s going on.

[Chris the Bambikiller]

I hate how most shows start with endless promos. Just give us a match to make us excited for what's coming later.