Are We in a Boom Period Now?

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

If so when did it start?

If not than WWE seems more popular than it has ever been without being in a boom period. You see it pop up in non-wrestling stuff all the time. Like when I bought my smart TV a few years ago there were a couple dozen apps or so shown the box and the WWE one was prominently featured. This wasn’t a smart TV aimed at wrestling fans, this was a standard Samsung one that thousands and thousands of non-fans buy.

Cross promotional movies made by the company, former world champ being the biggest star alive and still popping up (very rarely), the news even covers some bigger storylines like when Cena proposed. Even non-WWE stuff with a lot less history and resources has gotten mainstream attention. For example, Rolling Stone or some similar magazine named Kenny Omega their wrestler of the year.

[Mister Pigwell]

Nope.

We may have to revisit this some day after the FOX move and AEW gets up and running, who knows after those events.
But until then we're in that "feels like we should be but something somewhere is very, very wrong" mode that we've been in for a number of years now. On the bright side, indies and international are thriving. WWE is the missing piece in the wrestling boom puzzle right now and hopefully all of these internal moves and the new tv deal can get some interest going.

[Deleted]

Nah. They are making money with tv deals. So to them I’m sure they are partying like it’s 1999. But a lot of that is from the rise of streaming, and channels looking for content that’s DVR proof. There’s bright spots every couple of weeks but this the most creatively dead the product has been in years. In an age of fandom and pop culture you think WWE would be able to grow from that. But if anything it feels like WWE: The New Class and only Schret and Mr. Belding are still around.

[The 1Watcher Experience]

Definitely not. Pro wrestling has been mainstream for a while. WWE has gotten lucky with some big money deals but other than that this is not a boom period at all. That would imply growth from an influx of fans which there hasn’t been. Raw and Smackdown are as monotonous as ever.

[Deleted]

One would argue that we've been in a boom period for a while now...

[Sicho100]

...No.

[mcmahonfan85]

no. fans have a wider variety of promotions to follow, but the promotions aren't creating new fans. all the people hyped up about AEW already follow WWE, New Japan, ROH, etc. they aren't getting non-wrestling fans to start watching like Hogan did in the mid-80s or Austin, Rock and nWo did in the late 90s

[Perd]

Yeah, this is the kind of question where, if you have to ask, the answer is probably no.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

WWE seems to have gotten a lot better at making money in the last few years, but that's not what an audience boom is about.

[sportatorium]

In a vertical, mainstream sense, no. In a pro wrestling as an industry being very strong and expanding the fan base, yes.

[The Legend of Groose]

We are seeing better days but I would not go as far as to say we're in a new boom period. If Smackdown on FOX ends up being a total success, then that might be a different story.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

No. A boom generally refers to interest in the product.

And while WWE are making more money from other deals but the fanbase is still shrinking.

[Mozenrath]

I feel like we might be on the cusp of a big boom for wrestling, one which WWE may or may not benefit from, but it's not here at this moment in time, no.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

The independent scene is in a boom period. WWE definitely isn't.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

A boom period is when your grandparents know who Austin or Hogan is or when you see multiple wrestling shirts when you go to the supermarket or school.

Cena drew a shit ton of money but he’s no more famous thanks to his acting than being a wrestler.

I don’t think the mainstream knows or cares who Seth Rollins is unfortunately.

[corndog]

Feb 25, 2019 3:14:45 GMT -5 "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay said:

The independent scene is in a boom period. WWE definitely isn't.

Everything outside of the WWE is doing very well right now. Really the WWE is what is preventing wrestling being considered in a boom period in the US. But I feel like if AEW can get it right, in a year or two that might change things here.

Not only are the indies in the US doing well, but Japan is showing massive growth in their wrestling fan base that I would say is on the cusp, if not an actual boom period. The UK has been in one for a few years after having almost nothing in the 90s. Australia is also showing a lot of growth in local product as well.

[Deleted]

A Boom period because it Blows, yes.

If you had told me back in 2005 when I was paying $55 for survivor series and leaving work early (lost wages=$100+ ppv) that I could have an internet subscription to every ppv from multiple brands, original content and the ppv as they air for $10/Mo...and that I would be so bored with the product I'd not even subscribe- I wouldn't even begin to believe you.

As mentioned above, they are making huge contracts but it's not mainstream and their actual fans are leaving.

Jaded cynicism aside, a boom period to me is the fabled water cooler talk where you could go in next day to school or work and 3/5 people would be able or wanting to chime in on discussion. People discuss(ed) GoT, True Detective, Breaking Bad etc. As far as wrestling,all i get is (is _____ still around? *if yes* wow he must be old now!).

For me personally, I've enjoyed wwe through bad and good, but i cant tolerate this boring pseudo realistic sport where everyone's just a normal person.

[Eunös ✈]

Not even close.

[chazraps]

Feb 25, 2019 0:32:19 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

If not than WWE seems more popular than it has ever been without being in a boom period. .

I think this could be accurate, but we aren't at boom period ubiquity.

[Ryushinku]

Nope, but it does almost feel like the line of gunpowder is there ready to be lit.