WWE Kick Off Matches

[SirLucas]

It has been a while since a premium live event has had one. It seems like a thing of the past for WWE. 

[UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm]

definitely.

they shouldn’t be used as a crutch for a last minute match but getting more people on a card is always good and most ppvs I’ve been to seem to have people STILL wondering if there are kickoff matches

[Hypnosis]

A Kickoff match beats having to watch Rosenberg, Sam Roberts, and/or JBL on a panel for a whole f***ing hour.

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

The preshow/kickoff matches had the added benefit of getting the live crowd pumped up for the show, as well as giving talents who work those matches a needed payday.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

I’m glad most of us are coming around with being fine with pre-show matches merely existing, if only because what takes up the time nowadays is ACTUALLY pointless. Like, I’d much rather just a match, even one with no real bearing on any storylines or pushes, than a bunch of old men f***ing around with Snapchat filters or some shit.

[nisidhe]

I'm old, and remember when the kickoff shows were primarily a systems check for venues showing the event on closed-circuit TV (yes, that old.)

They also worked by presenting the runups to the matches in one place (all those promos and highlight reels), and running down the final card for the event. This cut down on the time between matches while generating energy for the crowds.

If the match is good enough for the kickoff show, it can go onto the main show. Give the talent their payoff and make them part of Wrestlemania history.

[PrimeTyme]

I’ve always enjoyed the Free For All, Heat, Preshow, and Kickoff matches.

It doesn’t need to be some high stakes match just a nice opener to help get the crowd into it at the arena, and to give the fans at home a break from the monotonous panels and hype packages (which you’re going to get during the main show again anyways).

[darbus alan]

The Zero Hour/Buy In matches before AEW PPV's tend to be a lot of fun. They're also a good way to entice last minute buys for the event, though most people don't buy WWE events on their own anymore. Still, I'd love to see WWE bring them back.

[J is Justice]

I don't even watch kickoffs anymore since they stopped having matches.

[DZ: WF Legacy]

I like the idea of having a no-build "this would be exciting to watch" kind of opening match followed by a PPV-quality match with mid-card talent as the Kick-Off. The only way we got to see Ambrose vs RVD was through that Summerslam Kick-Off match. So sometimes you might get an intriguing match you'll never see again unless you hit the house shows.

[salz4life]

It would give me a reason to watch the kickoff shows. Did they not even have one for either day of Mania this year? I've stopped watching them for the past year or two at least.

[papagiorgio]

Sept 15, 2023 13:15:25 GMT -5 salz4life said:

It would give me a reason to watch the kickoff shows. Did they not even have one for either day of Mania this year? I've stopped watching them for the past year or two at least.

No, Wrestlemania 36 was the last Wrestlemania to have them. I remember for Wrestlemania 37, they made having Drew vs. Bobby being the first match in front of a live crowd after covid a big deal, so they basically couldn't do a night 1 pre-show match and they skipped night 2 as well.

They might be afraid of tiring the crowd out and taking heat away from the opening match, but I've always liked them having one around the half hour mark before the show starts.

[hbkid718]

Since 2022, there have only been 3 Kickoff Matches
Day 1: The Brawling Brutes defeated Cesaro & Ricochet
Elimination Chamber: Rey Mysterio defeated The Miz
Clash At The Castle: Madcap Moss & The Street Profits defeated The Alpha Academy & Austin Theory

I always liked the Kickoff Matches as it gave more wrestlers a spot on the card. The Kickoff shows have been such a waste of time. They either need to make it a half hour or if they keep it an hour, then they should add 2 matches. I don't mind the extra work in my records.

[HMARK Center]

Replace the hour long panel chats with a half hour of a reanimated Mean Gene talking up the card and cutting to quick promos and buildup reels, and another half hour of preliminary matches, easy peasy.

…what do you mean, “can’t reanimate”? The hell’s this merger good for if they don’t have the money for something like that?

[The Kevstaaa]

100%. The mentality some people have of "well it's on the Kick-off so it doesn't matter, therefore I won't watch" is weird.

Like, it's just an extension of the show. Some of my favorite recent matches are from Kickoff shows too like Usos/New Day at SummerSlam 17.

[Jindrak Mark]

Personally I liked them but it usually just resulted in a bunch of complaining from fans of the wrestlers involved about how the pre-show is a demotion and they should be on the main card.

3-4 hours is a long enough show to sit through anyway. I'm fine with not having to watch another hour beforehand. I just skip the pre-show video packages and tune in for the start of the actual PPV.

[ehead]

I feel like every match on a card, even on pre-shows, has their purpose so I'm definitely for the return of Kickoff matches. Like it was mentioned, a payday for some boys or girls that need it but also, more reps as well for younger talents.

[clifford]

100%. I can't believe they just have video packages and a panel for a whole hour before PPVs nowadays. Do people really watch that? Even a 10 minute match to break it up and fire up the crowd would be enough.

[Treklubj]

Sept 15, 2023 11:11:25 GMT -5 PrimeTyme said:

I’ve always enjoyed the Free For All, Heat, Preshow, and Kickoff matches.

It doesn’t need to be some high stakes match just a nice opener to help get the crowd into it at the arena, and to give the fans at home a break from the monotonous panels and hype packages (which you’re going to get during the main show again anyways).

I rarely watch the preshows since they have gone to the straight panel format. Legit, I would prefer an hour of 1985 TBS-style squash matches to what they do now.