What do they need to do?

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

This question has been rolling around in my head so much lately, I now have a headache, but it was mostly brought on by comments regarding the announced Survivor Series match, and the apparent lack of "star power". It just seems like no matter what WWE try to do with their current roster, nothing seems to be working for them in the eyes of the fans (and FAN)...

• The new faces in the main event scene, like Punk and Sheamus, still feel like secondary talents compared to guys like Cena and Orton
  
• The midcard is stacked and is often having some of the best matches of the night, but still can't shake off the "filler" stigma because of little storyline direction
  
• The tag division is in the best shape it's been in years in terms of team numbers, yet has done nothing to build up the more tenured teams like The Usos and The Colon Cousins because it has been done off the back of upper midcard mashups
  
• The Divas division is making baby steps with a long-running storyline revolving around the belt and the improvement in wrestling skill of people like Eve and Kaitlyn, but they still play to silence and have lost more talent (stretching the term for some, admittedly, but roll with me here) this year than they ever have to my knowledge (ring generals Kharma and Phoenix, as well as pet projects Kelly and The Bellas)
  
• Crowds could run the full spectrum from wall-to-wall craziness (Miami, Sacramento) to muted apathy (Atlanta), often being the latter
  
• TV ratings are falling, with the 3 hour show apparently becoming RAW is CHORE to many, not to mention SmackDown, which is barely holding on to B-show status

So, what's not clicking for them? Is it storylines? Is it a seeming reluctance to really strap a rocket to someone, leaving everyone to flounder? Is it other things? The reality is, they can't rely on guys like Rock, Lesnar, Undertaker, Triple H and Austin to bail them out forever. Eventually, they may just have to suck up some bad ratings while they build some of these guys up.

The floor's open.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Well for starts, they need to kill the 3 hour Raw, like yesterday. Because aside from possible TV rights fees, I can't think of a single positive thing that is coming from that third hour, but can easily come up with a laundry list of negatives.

[miketenayssrsface]

Oct 30, 2012 4:27:47 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

So, what's not clicking for them? Is it storylines? Is it a seeming reluctance to really strap a rocket to someone, leaving everyone to flounder? Is it other things? The reality is, they can't rely on guys like Rock, Lesnar, Undertaker, Triple H and Austin to bail them out forever. Eventually, they may just have to suck up some bad ratings while they build some of these guys up.

The floor's open.

They need to throw out the scripts, let the guys talk as they talk, let them wrestle as they want to wrestle. Just bring some sort of level of unpredictability back to the shows.

I think the "PG" push combined with just a thinning line of talent has really stagnated their progress lately(and this reflects in the numbers) and coming from a fan of any and all wrestling it's almost becoming a chore to watch RAW anymore.

1. 3 hours is too much for an average show, much less when said show is virtually a total clone remash of the same show from the previous week, it's just total and complete overkill and rehashed s***

*10-15 minute Punk in ring promo, stating the same lines from previous week, end each line with best in the world
*music hits it's GM, uh oh guys we got a tag team main event, to which the finish will surely be clean
*Foe of punk music hits
*Ryback squash
*Hey its John Cena
*AJ
*jumbled tag match, no direction for any team with the exception of the champs(also going over in 6 minutes), whos combined thought process and freedom with promos allows them to shout yes and no at each other inbetween being mentored by a doctor name Shelby. Hey guys, remember when Kane was a murderous demonic killing machine? Yeah me neither. I like him way better as a big 7 foot goofball with bad sarcasm.
*Alberto Del Rio squash
*Hey its John Cena
*Backstage filler with GM shot the same way every single week
*Hey its John Cena
*AJ
*Recap of opening Punk promo
*Sheamus is a good person
*Big Show talking(the only thing that puts me to sleep quicker than his wrestling)
*recap of Hey its John Cena
*Tag team main event: Punk and Ziggler vs. Ryback and Sheamus, Ryback and Sheamus go over after Dolph takes every finisher and is cleanly pinned, all other combatants then piss on his briefcase
*Recap of recap
*Nothing announced or set for next week
*See you next week


In the year 2012 in WWE every single thing is scripted to a t(the wrestlers lines, moves, names, and personality are chosen for them, everything Cole or JR reads off is written for them(and not by them), when this happens a lot of times things come off as forced or just not there.(as those performings HEARTS are not in the actual material)

2. And more importantly they just need to run with things. And how about BUILDING on top of past events or attacks??? You know...storylines that follow a logical....storyline(how crazy right)

Great example: Can someone tell me why Rock wasn't the last guy in the Survivor Series team announced with his ex partner Foley against Punk(WHO LAID HIM OUT MONTHS AGO) or wait, we should save that for a bigger ppv and just do something meh until further notice? Yes! OK.

I was at King of the Ring 98 with Foley and Taker in the cell and was blown away, shocked at what I had seen. WWE at that time showed me something I had never seen before, and after watching last nights PPV(actually paid for it) and basically getting 5 filler matches that we've gotten on Raw or SD 200 times followed by an 8 minute garbage cell match(the s*** made Nash and Triple H look like Taker and Mankind) I must say it'll be at least til Mania that I bother to spring for a PPV show again. I mean you know the f***ing show sucked when BIG SHOW vs SHEAMUS is considered widely as match of the night.

That's all I got for now

/rant

*AJ music hits

*recap

*Cancer


Remember when ANYTHING could happen? Now the same old shit happens........always

Never forget!

[celticjobber]

Bringing an end to parity booking would be a great start.

Build up every debuting star, let the crowds know their character. Let them talk on the mic, and put a manager with those who can't talk.

Cut the writing staff down from 20 or however many are on it now, down to 3 or 4 people -- people who come from the wrestling industry or atleast were lifelong fans. Not Hollywood writers without a clue as to what works in pro wrestling.

And take Stephanie McMahon off the writing staff. (It'll never happen, but a guy can dream).

And 3-hour RAW's have to go.

[Snaptastic]

Back to basics.

Needs more edgy behaviour. I don't buy certain feuds because of what is being feuded over.

If you're going to bring in legends of the past; use them more wisely. Put Rock in a tag match teaming with a mid carder. Rock is the biggest star as far as today goes (yes he's surpassed Austin). Put him in their against the likes of Ziggler.

If you're onto something that gets good reactions, then stick with it for Christ sake.

Cut RAW back down to 2 hours.

Cut the storyline hypocrisy. My brain can't take it.

Creative should be void of Hollywood writers. They can't book a wrestling show. Get rid of Steph from creative also as its apparent she hasn't got a clue.

[Krimzon]

Watch things get better the instant they get the poll results showing Linda's loss.

[memphis25]

They need a total reboot of the creative department and for Vince to get a idea and stick with it. The massive amount of plan changing and rewriting lets too much detail slip through the cracks and you get hole after hole in the storylines.

That alone could fix a big chunk of the issues.

[Allie Kitsune]

I get why Vince doesn't want fans as writers (not wanting them to have 'favorite' wrestlers that they came in to push), but the trade-off is that they don't care about ANYBODY.