Is wrestling about to enter another boom period?

[gdawg76]

It seems that wrestling is cyclical, as it gets hot for a few years, then kinda takes a back seat to other things for awhile, and comes back around a few years down the road.

I remember as a yound kid witnessing the first couple of Wrestlemanias, and it seemed wrestling was everywhere. Wrestlers were on talk shows, in commercials, and even had a Saturday morning cartoon.

Then we all know about the Monday Nights Wars and again how wrestling seemed to be the hottest thing going for awhile. Of course, it died off again slowly after WCW and ECW shut down.

It seems to me that we are set for another boom within the next couple of years. ECW has been reinstated. Granted, it's not the old ECW, but it is another wrestling show on tv. TNA got a major tv network to back it, and it's got some good momentum right now. I keep hearing more and more about ROH from people other than regular fans. And now, MTV is going to add Wrestling Society X to its lineup.

I can't help but feel that all this is leading up to something big. It may take another year or so, but I'd like to imagine that we could be seeing some really good stuff coming from our favorite sport soon.

Discuss.

[Deleted]

I am getting the same general feeling as well. And I've believed we've been due around '07/'08/'09 for some time now.

[sebulba]

In a word: No.

s long as it is booked in such a f***ing stupid way by the so-called market leaders, then fans
like me will be leaving in droves!

[Bub (BLM)]

They have the right wrestler to lead it in Cena, but they have the wrong version of his character. John Cena circa 2003 could have lead a new Attitude era. This fake Marine guy... not so much.

[The OP]

We don't need a new Attitude era. The anti-hero the fans had in Steve Austin, while different for it's time, has become the cliche. They need a babyface champion who is not goody two shoes like old school Hogan, but is not trying so hard to be a rebel.

Kurt Angle would've been a good choice.

[Deleted]

It's more to do witht he boom in media in general.

There's 5 trillion channels, internet, satalite radio etc.

Every aspect of the entertainment industry is "booming". Most a lot more than wrestling.

[nisi]

brentreznor said:

It's more to do with the boom in media in general.

There's 5 trillion channels, internet, satalite radio etc.

Every aspect of the entertainment industry is "booming". Most a lot more than wrestling.

Well said. The good news for wrestling is that it gives promoters the opportunity to do some pretty incredible audience targeting.

[davephlegmball]

Let's examine the boom periods:

Vince takes Hogan from the AWA
Vince takes Austin and attitude from ECW

What can he do now? There's no one to steal from. If he'd steal--not the wrestlers, but the concept--from ROH, i'd start watching again.

[Loki]

sebulba said:

In a word: No.

s long as it is booked in such a f***ing stupid way by the so-called market leaders, then fans
like me will be leaving in droves!

Boom periods aren't "made" by long-term, hardcore, smart fans (like you, I s'pose)...
We are those who keep the boat afloat during the downs, unless we get really sick of the whole thing.

It's casual fans flocking in because pro-wrestling has suddenly become "kewl" again who can grant a boom period.

And sadly, at least outside the USA, Cena's marketing strategy is working pretty well.

But I'd not expect a boom of the magnitude of the Attitude Era. WWE have to find/stumble into the next pop-culture fad, because just replicating an already used formula (Cena= Hogan+Austin) won't work...

[The Jeebus]

loki said:

And sadly, at least outside the USA, Cena's marketing strategy is working pretty well.

Stupid Europeans.

[sabu]

I don't see the compelling characters these days (like Austin, Rock, Hogan, Hart, nWo, etc.) that can create the same interest as there was in the mid 90's when the boom happened.

storylines and characters are too bland these days, imo

[skskillz]

Can someone explain to me how we concluded that wrestling is cyclical? What evidence is there to support that conclusion?

The '80's boom was due to Hogan + RockNWrestling. The '90's boom first showed signs of life with the nWo and Hogan's turn. Then 1997 happened, and it was the birth of Austin, Rock, DX, Foley, etc, and the rest is history. There was nothing cyclical about the two boom periods. The characters featured just started meshing with what mainstream and pop culture society was looking for at the time, and it clicked.

The biggest factor in both booms was Hulk Hogan. He was the main guy during the '80's boom, and his heel turn coupled with the nWo really started the kiss of death for a true babyface character, which eventually lead to Bret Hart's good guy character being phased out in favor of Steve Austin. There isn't a Hulk Hogan left that can turn heel and change the industry. Steve Austin and the Rock are both done as far as wrestling, so any impact they could have in a potential boom is minimal at best. It's left up to Cena, Batista, and TNA's stars (Joe). If they aren't drawing now, it's hard to imagine they'll be leading a boom any time soon.

Honestly, I don't forsee another boom comparable to the '80's or Attitude ever again. That might be a bold statement, but with Stephanie McMahon in power for the next few decades, it's not that bold a statement.

[AriadosMan]

WWE is kinda meh nowadays, most people act like they can take it or leave it (even a surprising amount of people on these boards)
Wrestling Society X is a 30 minute show on MTV starring guys who couldn't draw if their lives depended on it How can you have matches/angles in a 30 minute show if TNA can barely contain them in a 1-hour show? Then agagin, I'm biased because I'm totally sick of has beens like Waltman and never-weres like Vampiro, but neither of those guys can make a company.
ROH doesn't even seem to have a real TV deal, and its expansion will be incredibly limited until it does. TV is the gateway to massmarket pop culture (and a GOOD timeslot, not a 2am one).
TNA has lots of good wrestlers like Daniels, Joe, Angle, Styles, and Senshi, but they squander their very limited with dumb stuff like the Paparazzi Cam (GTV is sooooo 1998) and VKM's stupid skits. If TNA finally manages to go over a 2.0 rating, then I'd say its growing, but its ratings and PPV buys seem pretty stagnant.
ECW? We had a poll on it. The majority of the board wanted to cancel it.
The best thing that could happen to wrestling would be if there was real competition for Vince's product, but none of these companies look set to become a "new WCW" anytime soon.

[The"threadicidal"bristolspapa]

loki said:

sebulba said:

In a word: No.

s long as it is booked in such a f***ing stupid way by the so-called market leaders, then fans
like me will be leaving in droves!

Boom periods aren't "made" by long-term, hardcore, smart fans (like you, I s'pose)...
We are those who keep the boat afloat during the downs, unless we get really sick of the whole thing.

It's casual fans flocking in because pro-wrestling has suddenly become "kewl" again who can grant a boom period.

And sadly, at least outside the USA, Cena's marketing strategy is working pretty well.

But I'd not expect a boom of the magnitude of the Attitude Era. WWE have to find/stumble into the next pop-culture fad, because just replicating an already used formula (Cena= Hogan+Austin) won't work...

Well said as always. This is a topic every 3 months or so. I said last year when I joined here that 2007 would be an expansion period for the industry. I based this on history dictating that the expansions last four years, then the recessions go on for six years.

Something comes along that changes the formula, and the casual fan reacts to it. Whether it's Wrestlemania or the NWO, something big will happen. I naively said that the event would be Hogan getting a piece of TNA (naive because I later read that Hogan pretty much has a lifetime deal). We'll see if it's something along those lines though.

[Sawylent White]

I feel like if there were to be another boom it would be coincidental and circumstantial, rather than this cycle theory that it's just due to happen.

[Tyfo]

At some point in the not to distant future, there will be a time when wrestling becomes "in" again. I will guarentee it.

It's always a one thing leading to another type thing. In the 80's, outside stars like Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, etc. got involved in wrestling, bringing in non wrestling fans who then got hooked into wrestling for a good while.

In the 90's, people can credit the nWo, Austin, etc all they want, but they would only be partially right. Yes those guys and others help keep the boom going, BUT it was kicked into high gear by all the hype around Mike Tyson and the angle he was placed in. It was done in such a way that it sucked in non wrestling fans and they were then hooked by what was already there.

The next time something like this happens, I am 99.9% sure it will be due to some form of tie in with the UFC. With it's increasing popularity, it will only be a matter of time before it becomes wrestling 1998-1999 style popular(if its not already) and at some point, Vince will bring in someone big from the UFC, maybe someone who had recently retired, to do a Tyson type angle, possibly causing the same situation of bringing in new fans and hooking them with what else you've got.

Im not saying this is definatly how it will go down, just a theory I have. With TNA on Spike, they will naturally have a tie in with UFC, so they could easily be the ones to do it as well, who knows.

The wrestling scene is getting ripe for a boom. While in recent years, the WWE has been the only game in town, now we have 3 shows weekly from WWE, we have TNA(presumably with a 2 hour slot soon), WSX will be on national tv next week, ROH is out there to be the underground sensation. It's only a matter of time....

[amplifierWORSHIP!]

i think WSX could very potentially bring a lot of former wrestling fans back into the fray, just seeing action that the WWE could never deliver. plus, maybe some teenie-boppers will start to watch, cuz that Jack Evans is such a hottie

lolz

[Garee]

I hope so, it couldn't get much worse

[dorf]

davephlegmball said:

Let's examine the boom periods:

Vince takes Hogan from the AWA
Vince takes Austin and attitude from ECW

What can he do now? There's no one to steal from. If he'd steal--not the wrestlers, but the concept--from ROH, i'd start watching again.

Monty Brown?

CM Punk and the attempt of creating competition with TNA are stirring the pot for something good to come. The problem right now is the quality of each show on television. Smackdown is improving the best as they have newer, younger talents.

[JacopeX]

gdawg76 said:

It seems that wrestling is cyclical, as it gets hot for a few years, then kinda takes a back seat to other things for awhile, and comes back around a few years down the road.

I remember as a yound kid witnessing the first couple of Wrestlemanias, and it seemed wrestling was everywhere. Wrestlers were on talk shows, in commercials, and even had a Saturday morning cartoon.

Then we all know about the Monday Nights Wars and again how wrestling seemed to be the hottest thing going for awhile. Of course, it died off again slowly after WCW and ECW shut down.

It seems to me that we are set for another boom within the next couple of years. ECW has been reinstated. Granted, it's not the old ECW, but it is another wrestling show on tv. TNA got a major tv network to back it, and it's got some good momentum right now. I keep hearing more and more about ROH from people other than regular fans. And now, MTV is going to add Wrestling Society X to its lineup.

I can't help but feel that all this is leading up to something big. It may take another year or so, but I'd like to imagine that we could be seeing some really good stuff coming from our favorite sport soon.

Discuss.

ROH, WWE, TNA, WSX, and CZW will be the cause. And yes I belive ROh and CZW will end up on TV or pay per view one of these days. The ROH vs CZW storyline was awesome, WWE is not going well but hopefully The underrated wrestlers get titleshots. That way, they will get a huge pop from the crowd. As a TNA hater, I dont care about TNgAy. Im so excited to see WSX. It looks pretty good. Im gonna watch this tuesday!