Real Life Issues in Fueds - Do You Like It?

[LiamMcDuggle]

I am re-watching old TNA and came across the Jarrett/Angle feud. 

I love both Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett, but my god did i dislike their TNA feud. It went on FOREVER, it was horribly uncomfortable to watch (Jeff's wife Karen is Kurt's ex-wife and was in the middle of the feud) and their matches constantly had way too many finisher kickouts. 


The goal of wrestling is to suspend disbelief, but this did the opposite, it just kept reminding the audience that Kurt's life was in a bad place because he was dealing with an addiction. 

I just don't think in the 2022 context this works anymore. All fans are "smart" now and are not really going to believe a real life issue is going to be solved in a staged sporting performance. Also, most of the time it just ends up blowing up and everyone just ends up hating one another.

For me, I just prefer when wrestling is a bit silly and theatrical. Things like 'Last Call' Scott Hall, or drunk Road Warrior Hawk are not fun to watch. 

 

[Lizuka #BLM]

I can't really think of any time ever I've actually enjoyed it. It always just comes off as either 1), forced and stupid, or 2), so inside baseball as to be utterly meaningless anyway.

[nobody]

Depends on the issue. Triple H/Punk was seemingly real as Punk genuinely felt he should’ve been pushed as the top guy and Triple H (I can only assume) genuinely felt Punk is an idiot and shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of the card. That I quite enjoyed.

On the other end, there’s Britt Baker giving Thunder Rosa a sandbag because of some online rumours about her wrestling. That was completely stupid.

So I think context matters.

[Mozenrath]

I am fine with it if everyone involved is cool with doing it and it doesn't mess with established continuity.

Now, if it's a, "everything else is fake, THIS is real!", then it's dreck.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Dec 27, 2022 4:41:22 GMT -5 nobody said:

Depends on the issue. Triple H/Punk was seemingly real as Punk genuinely felt he should’ve been pushed as the top guy and Triple H (I can only assume) genuinely felt Punk is an idiot and shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of the card. That I quite enjoyed.

On the other end, there’s Britt Baker giving Thunder Rosa a sandbag because of some online rumours about her wrestling. That was completely stupid.

So I think context matters.

I agree with this. It does depends on the context. I'm not a fan on airing the dirty laundry of a relationship or failed relationship. However when it was like HHH and Punk on a business standpoint, I'm fine.

[chrom]

No, I hate it when they decide to bring up things that happened outside a wrestler's life. It's classless.

[OGBoardPoster2005]

Dec 27, 2022 10:54:22 GMT -5 chrom said:

No, I hate it when they decide to bring up things that happened outside a wrestler's life. It's classless.

Any wrestler will tell you its a grey area, but more often than not its to the choice of the performer.

Theres 3 examples:

"Sunny Days" - JR had a great commentary on this. Sometimes the wrestler wants to make it real and in Shawn's case he brought it up because it was a way to slight Bret by alluding to a real life thing they both were going through. Bret didn't catch it til Stu asked about it and then that caused an uproar. JR had another great point, it puts everyone in a bad position.

Edge and Lita - As uncomfortable as it was, Edge and Matt Hardy both knew there was money to be made and ran with it and honestly it established the Edge character we would know as a Main Event Heel in the mid-late 2000s. Matt Hardy didn't benefit with the exception of being more over than he was from 2002-2004.

Vince Russo worked-shoots - These made wrestling look bad and just confused the audience. Especially when it would happen in important matches.

[The Thread Barbi]

Macho Man Randy Savage had two huge blood fueds in 1991 - Ultimate Warrior and Jake the Snake. Backstage he was friends with Warrior and cordial with Jake.

Other than exceptional circumstances that enhance TV, no need for real life issues.

[Venti]

I think wrestling rivalries work better if the wrestlers are actually friends backstage.

I rewatch a lot of 1997 WWF.

Anything involving Steve Austin vs Bret/Hart Foundation? Amazing, compelling TV.

But I can't stand any of the Bret vs Shawn stuff. Since there was legitimate heat by then, I feel like they took liberties on the promos, and would just go on and on about why the other guy sucks.

There's a looooong promo of HBK just venting about Bret that's so boring and full of insider stuff like "Bret didn't want to return the favor" and shit like that. Then there's the Bret promo that didn't end until after Raw went off the air, making HBK look stupid because the TV audience didn't see him superkick Bret until the next week.


Maybe it's because I'm watching with knowledge of their real life dislike for eachother, but I tend just have this feeling of "oh my God get over it already" rather than "I wanna see these guys wrestle eachother."


The few times guys can make it work in kayfabe, I don't mind. Like I'm pretty sure Rock and Triple H didn't care for eachother. But I love their long-running rivalry. Because they knew their roles(pun intended) and whoever was heel was ok with being the bad guy, rather than explaining to the fans why the other guy sucks irl.


Another example of real life heat messing up an angle, remember the infamous Matt Hardy promo wishing Edge would get hurt in a car crash or whatever? Instead of "I'm going to beat the hell out of you at the PPV"

[Milkman Norm]

Dec 27, 2022 17:49:52 GMT -5 Venti said:

I think wrestling rivalries work better if the wrestlers are actually friends backstage.

I rewatch a lot of 1997 WWF.

Anything involving Steve Austin vs Bret/Hart Foundation? Amazing, compelling TV.

But I can't stand any of the Bret vs Shawn stuff. Since there was legitimate heat by then, I feel like they took liberties on the promos, and would just go on and on about why the other guy sucks.

There's a looooong promo of HBK just venting about Bret that's so boring and full of insider stuff like "Bret didn't want to return the favor" and shit like that. Then there's the Bret promo that didn't end until after Raw went off the air, making HBK look stupid because the TV audience didn't see him superkick Bret until the next week.


Maybe it's because I'm watching with knowledge of their real life dislike for eachother, but I tend just have this feeling of "oh my God get over it already" rather than "I wanna see these guys wrestle eachother."


The few times guys can make it work in kayfabe, I don't mind. Like I'm pretty sure Rock and Triple H didn't care for eachother. But I love their long-running rivalry. Because they knew their roles(pun intended) and whoever was heel was ok with being the bad guy, rather than explaining to the fans why the other guy sucks irl.


Another example of real life heat messing up an angle, remember the infamous Matt Hardy promo wishing Edge would get hurt in a car crash or whatever? Instead of "I'm going to beat the hell out of you at the PPV"

Couldn't agree more. Also the whole Bret vs Shawn was a legendary feud is so post hoc. Yes Montreal lead to massive change but before that it wasn't like Shawn and Bret had spent years feuding back and forth.

[Venti]

Dec 27, 2022 18:01:11 GMT -5 Milkman Norm said:

Dec 27, 2022 17:49:52 GMT -5 Venti said:

I think wrestling rivalries work better if the wrestlers are actually friends backstage.

I rewatch a lot of 1997 WWF.

Anything involving Steve Austin vs Bret/Hart Foundation? Amazing, compelling TV.

But I can't stand any of the Bret vs Shawn stuff. Since there was legitimate heat by then, I feel like they took liberties on the promos, and would just go on and on about why the other guy sucks.

There's a looooong promo of HBK just venting about Bret that's so boring and full of insider stuff like "Bret didn't want to return the favor" and shit like that. Then there's the Bret promo that didn't end until after Raw went off the air, making HBK look stupid because the TV audience didn't see him superkick Bret until the next week.


Maybe it's because I'm watching with knowledge of their real life dislike for eachother, but I tend just have this feeling of "oh my God get over it already" rather than "I wanna see these guys wrestle eachother."


The few times guys can make it work in kayfabe, I don't mind. Like I'm pretty sure Rock and Triple H didn't care for eachother. But I love their long-running rivalry. Because they knew their roles(pun intended) and whoever was heel was ok with being the bad guy, rather than explaining to the fans why the other guy sucks irl.


Another example of real life heat messing up an angle, remember the infamous Matt Hardy promo wishing Edge would get hurt in a car crash or whatever? Instead of "I'm going to beat the hell out of you at the PPV"

Couldn't agree more. Also the whole Bret vs Shawn was a legendary feud is so post hoc. Yes Montreal lead to massive change but before that it wasn't like Shawn and Bret had spent years feuding back and forth.

Definitely. People(mainly WWE themselves) acted like it was this legendary rivalry full of gripping television. But honestly, during the 1996/1997 time period, I feel like Austin-Hart and Undertaker-Mankind rank way higher than HBK-Bret in terms of legendary rivalries.
Even the short Austin-HBK tag team champions feud leading up to KOTR was way better.

[Magnus the Magnificent]

Hate it.
Folks above me have touched upon the Matt Hardy/Edge "angle" in 2005.
If you want the original(?) is-a-bitch, look no farther than this:

Matt has his (not so) triumphant return, and is soundly beaten, by ref-stoppage no less, wins the return bout, but ultimately loses the loser-leaves and feud.

All of which he agreed to.
What a loser.
Loser!

[Mid-Carder]

I can't think of one single example where I've liked this. I also don't think people who dislike each other work particularly well together.

[agent817]

We've seen Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks feud on TV many times. A lot of fans know that the two don't like one another. I know their beef has cooled down, if had been squashed, but I am not sure if they would want to work together again.

When it comes to ones who are legitimate friends with one another, some have worked. Eddie Guerrero feuding with Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, etc. those feuds worked. I know some are mixed on this, but I didn't mind Roxanne Perez vs. Cora Jade. Given that the two are friends in real life, you could see that they liked working together.

[Deleted]

I don't care if they incorporate reality as long as it isn't that stupid kind of stuff like "This is Terry Bollea talking to you, not Hulk Hogan brother!!"

[tntchamp]

Depends. It can add a level of real intensity you can't get from a feud between two other guys who are cool and/or friends with each other in real life. On the other hand it their is always that risk of them going to far with each other or them intentionally trying to screw the other one over. I don't in theory have a issue with it so long as they can stat professional. I agree that when you have the insider talk like between Punk/Triple H or that stupid sandbag joke with Brit/Rosa then it becomes too much.