Would WWE being a little more “old school” work?

[Corre.222]

I’d think it would be very good in permanent small doses, and that’s in the least. It would be welcomed by me.

I’d say:

1. replace Day One with Starrcade, as they may move PPV away from January 1st
2. Replace Extreme Rules with Halloween Havoc or Fall Brawl, with exact main logos.
3. I may be one of the few who liked the Ascension in main roster, with their yelling throwback promos and body paint, in the side window. Any other team like this could be treated as freaks by the Miz or other contemporary WWE talent. Down with this as a gimmick, like Deuce/Domino & Vaudevillains. Throw in a promo in a style & backdrop similar to the past.
4. I enjoyed when interviews were done by entrance stage. Believed they tried this with Kevin Patrick & Austin Theory, and Omos interviewed there.
5. Change Royal Rumble & Summer Slam logos to the oldest Purple/Yellow logos

Addendum 6: Make NXT resemble early Monday Night Raw with the tube lights, whether white/gold or rainbow
Addendum 7: On NXT, put the WCW Nitro gray barricades

Any other ideas? Maybe something here to be scrapped? Would a wistful old school aesthetic slightly make product better, do nothing, or take away? Any possible downsides?

[schma]

I think they could use more taped promos where it's just a two minute segment of whichever star hyping up their next big match. It would be a great way to figure out who could thrive on a live mic and who needs more than one take.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

I haven't slept so this is probably going to be a bit rambley.

I'd say bring Starrcade back for a PPV but a lot of the old school fans might complain if they don't make it an A+ show, and... well the WWE aren't going to.

but overall nah...

Wrestling is constantly evolving and wanting to go back to "The good old days" be it 1970,1980, 1990 or even 2000 does not work because time has passed and things that worked in those time periods are no longer the in style zeitgeist.

Nostalgia can work but it has to be used correctly and rarely does the nostalgia act legitimately replicate the time it's inspired by... but is a representation of a more idealized version of it, or has some twist or parody on it.

Like Kurt Angle's White-bread American Hero schtick would have been played completely straight in the 80's but in the 90's he was treated like a complete Dork.

It's also why Ascension got way more over when still kinda doing the Power and Paint gimmick but being portrayed as goofballs in the Fashion Files then them just doing straight Road Warrior tribute promos. (them getting immediately squashed by the legends also didn't help them)

If they wanted to bring back the Old logos they'd have to be updated somehow to fit the Nostalgia while also not looking 30 years out of date.

[King Devitt and the Woke Mob]

The OP made me realize that I unironically miss The Ascension.

I wish they'd come back.

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

A few 'old school' call backs would be cool. Enhancement matches here and there, taped promos, some actual gimmicks for wrestlers.

[Mozenrath]

I feel like "Halloween Havoc" works well enough as a TV special-type show. Like maybe it's coming from a place of missing how so many sitcoms, etc, would have Halloween episodes in the past, but I feel like it's something that works as that same sort of thing. Hell, have people brawl in a backstage area next to a punch bowl with dry ice in it, etc. Have someone lose a match and have to eat some Mary Janes, not fresh ones, either, but ones that have been in a jar so long they could crack a diamond.

In general, though, I don't mind some classic stuff sometimes as long as it's in the service of getting the here and now over. I don't mean, "Have the commentary team shit on something we're otherwise presenting in earnest", either. Actually try to organically work it in. Just don't rely too heavily on it.

[SneakMan]

If WWE was gonna do anything "old school" I'd prefer it be in the way their shows are presented - get rid of the LED boards and the CGI graphics. Everything is too bright now. 

[MiLB Fan]

If that includes cutting waaaay down on camera cuts and crowd reaction shots, absolutely.

[salz4life]

Oct 7, 2022 4:46:36 GMT -5 David-Arquette was in WCW 2000 said:

A few 'old school' call backs would be cool. Enhancement matches here and there, taped promos, some actual gimmicks for wrestlers.

Bring back vignettes introducing "new" talent. Maybe not for everyone, but some guys/ladies might benefit from a couple weeks of these to build up their debuts. Just an idea....

[sarkerpolseng]

I've always wanted the old PPV colors and logos back.

[Clutchhausen]

Haha

[dangerousdanpotato]

WWE: nothing that a lick a' paint won't fix

[MolotovMocktail]

Definitely. Things I’ve wanted back include vignettes for debuting wrestlers (not just video montages from NXT), and the use of local Indy guys to serve as enhancement talent. This last one keeps the same matches from happening again and again, allows certain guys to rack up wins heading into feuds, and can make even the lowest ranked guys on the roster seem like something of a threat since the losses won’t be pinned on them every time.

[Deleted]

Oct 7, 2022 3:52:07 GMT -5 King Devitt and the Woke Mob said:

The OP made me realize that I unironically miss The Ascension.

I wish they'd come back.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Oct 7, 2022 15:32:14 GMT -5 MolotovMocktail said:

Definitely. Things I’ve wanted back include vignettes for debuting wrestlers (not just video montages from NXT), and the use of local Indy guys to serve as enhancement talent. This last one keeps the same matches from happening again and again, allows certain guys to rack up wins heading into feuds, and can make even the lowest ranked guys on the roster seem like something of a threat since the losses won’t be pinned on them every time.

The problem with that is, as AEW Dark and Elevation are seemingly showing, those enhancement shows are seen as completely missable and ignorable because of the predictability. Fortunately for them it’s a YouTube thing, but you can’t expect WWE to turn their main weekly shows into that again.

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

Oct 7, 2022 17:56:29 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

Oct 7, 2022 15:32:14 GMT -5 MolotovMocktail said:

Definitely. Things I’ve wanted back include vignettes for debuting wrestlers (not just video montages from NXT), and the use of local Indy guys to serve as enhancement talent. This last one keeps the same matches from happening again and again, allows certain guys to rack up wins heading into feuds, and can make even the lowest ranked guys on the roster seem like something of a threat since the losses won’t be pinned on them every time.

The problem with that is, as AEW Dark and Elevation are seemingly showing, those enhancement shows are seen as completely missable and ignorable because of the predictability. Fortunately for them it’s a YouTube thing, but you can’t expect WWE to turn their main weekly shows into that again.

Doesn't have to be the whole show, just 2-3 matches on each, and they can still be fairly competitive at times. There's definitely a place for enhancement matches.

[sportatorium]

There's just little details that have been lost that I think would make the product stronger, and it isn't just WWE. Watching Smackdown tonight & the packages for Liv & Rousey, all I could hear in my own head was "who's the babyface?".

We could use managers, run ins without entrance themes, shows going off the air with a big brawl or beatdown in the ring. Heels being aligned with all the other heels & Vice versa with the faces.