RAW rating below 3's

[bogart]

yeah the term wwe universe is starting to piss me off, they say it all the time. whats wrong with wwe fans? while i'm on the subject of things that grind my gears


Cole and king's FAKE SCHOOLGIRL LAUGHING AT CHARLIE HASS!! IT"S FUNNY BUT NOT THAT FUNNY!!!!! STOP IT YOU TWO IDIOTS!!!!

phew.....good to get that off the old chest.

[The Captain]

Oct 22, 2008 10:00:54 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Oct 22, 2008 9:58:44 GMT -5 The Captain said:

"DID YOU KNOW: That the WWE coined the term WWE Universe to just show how expansive the Universe of WWE fans is in the WWE Universe, who watch RAW more than shows on such well known channels as SpikeTV, G4, BET. CNN, FOX News, and the National Geographic Channel?"

You know, I think I just got what a lot of the point of the DID YOU KNOW stuff is.

They don't want fans to be embarrassed to watch wrestling, since they are 100% right. Wrestling fans are much more widespread than we get credit for.

Huh, you've actually got a good point there.

[The Peoples Elbow]

Oct 21, 2008 17:46:03 GMT -5 Steveweiser said:

No Mickie. Simple as that.

THIS.

[Professor Chaos]

I can't wait till they drop below 2.0.

[Mac]

"WWE Universe" bugs the hell out of me too, the same way "Sports Entertainment" did at the begininng. WWE is a brand now and they feel they can only make X amount of money doing Wrestling Only Programming. The idea is to get these "sports entertainers" into as many aspects of entertainment as possible. Luckily for fans of "wrestling" WWE has shown massive failure everytime they really try to do anything else.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 22, 2008 12:58:50 GMT -5 Professor Chaos said:

I can't wait till they drop below 2.0.

See you in a decade.

[Deleted]

Simple fact is that WWE is trying to appeal to an audience that are probably sleeping by the time Raw starts. Doesn't work.

What WWE need to do is to take a step back, and see what works on television at the moment and build from there. The old formula simply isn't working anymore.

[sloride]

Whilst I understand the money that has to be made from catering to kids due to them bugging their poor parents for merchandise the product itself is suffering because of it. Kids are tucked up in bed on 9pm on a Monday night. The 18-40 demographic is not and the declining ratings are proving that less and less of them want to watch what some might perceive to be a watered down product. I'm not pretending to know any more than the big wigs they hire but I am speaking from a fans perspective, I know what I want to see.

[Mac]

Oct 22, 2008 13:47:57 GMT -5 sloride said:

Whilst I understand the money that has to be made from catering to kids due to them bugging their poor parents for merchandise the product itself is suffering because of it. Kids are tucked up in bed on 9pm on a Monday night. The 18-40 demographic is not and the declining ratings are proving that less and less of them want to watch what some might perceive to be a watered down product. I'm not pretending to know any more than the big wigs they hire but I am speaking from a fans perspective, I know what I want to see.

Appealing to the kids in the 80s was more effective because WWE had 2 shows on Saturday mornings, one on Sunday Morning and PPVs at 4 pm. I think time alone makes it difficult to appeal to an under 12 demo.

[corndog]

There are several reasons why the product is failing. First of all, if it's not broke don't fix it, why did the WWE do away with the heel/face announcing team? Why the heck is Lawler a face, it is actually very annoying, especially when a heel does something illegal or questionable to win a match. It really got on my nerves when Miz/Morrison made the tag behind CM Punk's back to win the match and Lawler actually called it a "cheap win." They didn't even freaking cheat, yet he still hated on them!
Another problem with Raw is the lack of build up in feuds. Batista and Jericho are feuding because Batista is getting a title shot. Other than that the two couldn't care less about each other. What made Jericho/HBK so great was one they completely hated each other and two they stated reasons they hated each other. Look at every great fued in wrestling, they have reasons that it started and why they despise their nemisis.
The final reason isn't Jericho, it's the fact that there are no top faces on Raw. A great heel can make people hate them and cheer for their opponent. But usually it takes a great face to draw, look at all the top drawing periods in wrestling it always revolved around a Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin or Lou Thesz. I actually hate to say this, but maybe Cena coming back could really help Raw. I also think maybe Vince should try to bring a legend like Steve Austin back to do something( Raw GM possibly?) or even Piper(but as a heel that would be great).

[corndog]

There are several reasons why the product is failing. First of all, if it's not broke don't fix it, why did the WWE do away with the heel/face announcing team? Why the heck is Lawler a face, it is actually very annoying, especially when a heel does something illegal or questionable to win a match. It really got on my nerves when Miz/Morrison made the tag behind CM Punk's back to win the match and Lawler actually called it a "cheap win." They didn't even freaking cheat, yet he still hated on them!
Another problem with Raw is the lack of build up in feuds. Batista and Jericho are feuding because Batista is getting a title shot. Other than that the two couldn't care less about each other. What made Jericho/HBK so great was one they completely hated each other and two they stated reasons they hated each other. Look at every great fued in wrestling, they have reasons that it started and why they despise their nemisis.
The final reason isn't Jericho, it's the fact that there are no top faces on Raw. A great heel can make people hate them and cheer for their opponent. But usually it takes a great face to draw, look at all the top drawing periods in wrestling it always revolved around a Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin or Lou Thesz. I actually hate to say this, but maybe Cena coming back could really help Raw. I also think maybe Vince should try to bring a legend like Steve Austin back to do something( Raw GM possibly?) or even Piper(but as a heel that would be great).

[ICBM]

I love it sooooooooo much! Ahhh I feel the hate radiating thru the screen. I am not surprized by this at all. I stopped watching 2 yrs ago and I am glad for it. People trash TNA for getting a1.1 every week. Well getting the same rating every week is actually a good thing it means you have a strong core audiance who is loyal. Going from 3-4 million viewers a week to 2 1/2 a million week sjows decline. Vince needs something to kick him back into actually caring what is on his TV

[Aaron E. Dangerously]

1) Boricho
2) Same matches: (Miz and Morrison vs either Punk and Kofi or Cryme Tyme ain't cuttin it, no matter how good the matches)
3) Batista title shot number 4,000,000
4) No Cena

[Supersmark is a Troll]

WWE had a chance to get late-90's numbers with the anarchy storyline, I remember being glued to the set just a few months ago and then WWE finds a way to screw it up. The main event wasn't even a gauntlet match.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 22, 2008 17:25:48 GMT -5 ICBM said:

I love it sooooooooo much! Ahhh I feel the hate radiating thru the screen. I am not surprized by this at all. I stopped watching 2 yrs ago and I am glad for it. People trash TNA for getting a1.1 every week. Well getting the same rating every week is actually a good thing it means you have a strong core audiance who is loyal. Going from 3-4 million viewers a week to 2 1/2 a million week sjows decline. Vince needs something to kick him back into actually caring what is on his TV

So, by that logic, WWE's core audience is still about 2-3 times the size of TNA's, since it's always at LEAST 2 a week.

Seriously, if you don't even watch it, don't come in here to whine. TNA bashing isn't allowed, the assumption is the flipside is true.

[rydndirty]

Oct 22, 2008 18:03:15 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Oct 22, 2008 17:25:48 GMT -5 ICBM said:

I love it sooooooooo much! Ahhh I feel the hate radiating thru the screen. I am not surprized by this at all. I stopped watching 2 yrs ago and I am glad for it. People trash TNA for getting a1.1 every week. Well getting the same rating every week is actually a good thing it means you have a strong core audiance who is loyal. Going from 3-4 million viewers a week to 2 1/2 a million week sjows decline. Vince needs something to kick him back into actually caring what is on his TV

So, by that logic, WWE's core audience is still about 2-3 times the size of TNA's, since it's always at LEAST 2 a week.

Seriously, if you don't even watch it, don't come in here to whine. TNA bashing isn't allowed, the assumption is the flipside is true.

Absolutely, totally agree with you. How can you "love it soooooo much" and talk about how "bad" it is on a friggin' Wrestling Forum? Yet you stopped watching 2 years ago? Either you are one of those guys who thinks they know it all and can fix the WWE's problems or you have zero life and get on forums to talk about how bad a product is that you apparently don't watch.

[DanKirby]

Oct 22, 2008 17:56:09 GMT -5 Supersmark is a Troll said:

WWE had a chance to get late-90's numbers with the anarchy storyline, I remember being glued to the set just a few months ago and then WWE finds a way to screw it up. The main event wasn't even a gauntlet match.

The best part of the "anarchy" period was that there was way more emphasis on the characters, and used their interactions to set up matches.

Like Punk putting his title on the line when JBL questioned his legitimacy. Kane asking Punk for a match in the locker room. JBL recruiting Priceless for his battle with Cena. Kofi saving Mickie from Katie and Paul Burchill and putting his title on the line right there.

Now we're back to the authority figure throwing matches out there without much explanation, and that isn't really interesting.

[Johnny Flamingo]

Honestly, it just doesn't feel like can't miss right now.

I was really into RAW and watching it intently when CM Punk won the title. But I've probably only watched maybe 2 of the last 8 Raws. Just doesn't seem very important. If I miss it, I really haven't missed much.

And honestly, I don't feel as if they have anyone that comes across as a mega star like Cena did. I think Jericho and Punk can fill in that role if given the chance.

[Arturo Classico]

Simple answer is more Charlie Haas!

[Loki]

The Anarchy month was a lame and pathetic attempt to recapture the "magic" [puah] of the Shock TV at the highest point of the Attitude Era...

So for a lot of "smart fans", the answer to an almost non-existing problem [I'll get there later] is reverting to the very same format that worked ten years ago and then died down, leaving the business in the sorry state it is now?

The "post-Attitude Era Era" looks lame and uninspiring because the Attitude Era pushed the envelope in every possible way, and once there wasn't anything to push anywhere anymore, it was just fans flocking away and fans remaining out of bored habit.

So, the bored fans can be "unbored" with a poor men's rehash of what looked cool a decade ago?

Meh...

As I said so many times, getting no-sold often, I think the natural fanbase of WWE can't provide much more than high 3s-low 4s ratings.

An occasional 2.something for RAW isn't the end of the world.

The average low 3s are a normal consequence to the repetitive booking and to the inherent repetitiveness of the weekly shows. And of course of the "we've been watching for decades, we've seen it all several times" factor that can drive some long-time fans away

Why do kids and teens find Cena and Batista awesome, while many of us "older" fans are generally lukewarm to them?

Is it just because we know better? Or is it because we've seen other "Cena" and "Batista" before, going through more or less the same patterns?

Wrestling isn't like an NFL/NBA game, where every game/season is different, despite the core of the game being the same.
Wrestling is more like a sit-com. A sit-com that has been going on for decades, with different cast, but with a limited number of storylines and characters. No wonder it gets "boring" after a while.

How many times can you sit through a "mysterious pregnancy" or "disputed fatherhood" story in a soap?
How many times can you sit through a "I want your title!" or "you disrespected me, I'll tear you a new one..." storyline in wrestling?