RAW100023
Don Corleone
Glad to see that my love has returned.
Posts: 1,304
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Post by RAW100023 on Jan 26, 2007 19:25:39 GMT -5
ROH doesn't even seem to have a real TV deal, and its expansion will be incredibly limited until it does. TV is the gateway to massmarket pop culture (and a GOOD timeslot, not a 2am one). I totally understand what you're saying, but I think if ROH ever got a tv deal it would take some much away from what ROH is right now. I'm not saying Gabe won't ever give in, and put ROH on tv. I hope he doesn't at least. But the ROH product is fine the way it is right now. It's great that they don't have to answer to certain people to change their product to be what they want it too be. ROH can be ROH. But as far as another boom period to happen. I don't think we are any where near one. Unless TNA steps up, and becomes a real force. I mean one of the reasons that the Monday Night Wars was such a big hit is because there was competition. I remember when I was in high school, you would have some people that you thought would never ever be wrestling fans wearing rock shirts, and stone cold shirts. Then on the other side you would see NWO black & white shirts, followed by Monday night Jericho shirts. It's a shame that main stream wrestling is in the shape that's in currently consider what is was 10-11 years ago.
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HRH The KING
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
Posts: 15,079
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Post by HRH The KING on Jan 26, 2007 19:29:35 GMT -5
No, not with Vince approving the crappy ideas of Johnny Ace, Kevin Dunn and Stephanie.
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erik316wttn
Samurai Cop
Wrestlecrap's #1 SUNNY mark
Posts: 2,490
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Post by erik316wttn on Jan 26, 2007 19:30:40 GMT -5
Vince needs a fire lit under his ass to truly be effective.
Unless TNA can establish itself as a legit threat to WWE supremacy, no.
I really don't think we'll see another wrestling boom period unless/until the Monday Night Wars get restarted.
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Post by WHATAMANOOOVER on Jan 26, 2007 19:34:26 GMT -5
Since wrestling is cyclical, it should get better in a few years. With that said, pro wrestling is non-existant in the mainstream now.
Hopefully TNA improves but I don't see them doing much in the next 2 years.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Jan 26, 2007 20:38:55 GMT -5
If RAW was to get sorted out (I did enjoy monday's RAW) then maybe
We have some good talent coming up so the future looks bright (Talent wise, Booking/Storylines need work)
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Post by robferatu on Jan 26, 2007 20:40:56 GMT -5
Earlier last year I thought it was on the verge of booming again, I have since been proved wrong. It will "boom" again at some point, but I don't think it will be this year.
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Post by -Lithium- on Jan 26, 2007 20:42:21 GMT -5
Nah. Sucks, 10 years ago wrestling wasnt in a "boom" or whatever, but you could tell it was just building and building and it was really cool and entertaining...
Right now, there are no signs whatsoever of it getting big, no signs of any real huge future stars except for maybe Kennedy...
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Post by Bob Schlapowitz on Jan 26, 2007 21:40:07 GMT -5
At some point in the not to distant future, there will be a time when wrestling becomes "in" again. I will guarentee it. It's always a one thing leading to another type thing. In the 80's, outside stars like Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, etc. got involved in wrestling, bringing in non wrestling fans who then got hooked into wrestling for a good while. In the 90's, people can credit the nWo, Austin, etc all they want, but they would only be partially right. Yes those guys and others help keep the boom going, BUT it was kicked into high gear by all the hype around Mike Tyson and the angle he was placed in. It was done in such a way that it sucked in non wrestling fans and they were then hooked by what was already there. The next time something like this happens, I am 99.9% sure it will be due to some form of tie in with the UFC. With it's increasing popularity, it will only be a matter of time before it becomes wrestling 1998-1999 style popular(if its not already) and at some point, Vince will bring in someone big from the UFC, maybe someone who had recently retired, to do a Tyson type angle, possibly causing the same situation of bringing in new fans and hooking them with what else you've got. Im not saying this is definatly how it will go down, just a theory I have. With TNA on Spike, they will naturally have a tie in with UFC, so they could easily be the ones to do it as well, who knows. The wrestling scene is getting ripe for a boom. While in recent years, the WWE has been the only game in town, now we have 3 shows weekly from WWE, we have TNA(presumably with a 2 hour slot soon), WSX will be on national tv next week, ROH is out there to be the underground sensation. It's only a matter of time.... Ummmmm I think that's already happened. Ken Shamrock...remember?
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Post by carter 15 on Jan 27, 2007 9:05:11 GMT -5
At some point in the not to distant future, there will be a time when wrestling becomes "in" again. I will guarentee it. It's always a one thing leading to another type thing. In the 80's, outside stars like Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, etc. got involved in wrestling, bringing in non wrestling fans who then got hooked into wrestling for a good while. In the 90's, people can credit the nWo, Austin, etc all they want, but they would only be partially right. Yes those guys and others help keep the boom going, BUT it was kicked into high gear by all the hype around Mike Tyson and the angle he was placed in. It was done in such a way that it sucked in non wrestling fans and they were then hooked by what was already there. The next time something like this happens, I am 99.9% sure it will be due to some form of tie in with the UFC. With it's increasing popularity, it will only be a matter of time before it becomes wrestling 1998-1999 style popular(if its not already) and at some point, Vince will bring in someone big from the UFC, maybe someone who had recently retired, to do a Tyson type angle, possibly causing the same situation of bringing in new fans and hooking them with what else you've got. Im not saying this is definatly how it will go down, just a theory I have. With TNA on Spike, they will naturally have a tie in with UFC, so they could easily be the ones to do it as well, who knows. The wrestling scene is getting ripe for a boom. While in recent years, the WWE has been the only game in town, now we have 3 shows weekly from WWE, we have TNA(presumably with a 2 hour slot soon), WSX will be on national tv next week, ROH is out there to be the underground sensation. It's only a matter of time.... Ummmmm I think that's already happened. Ken Shamrock...remember? Errr.. MMA is about 100x more popular then back then. The whole Tyson thing is too far fetched also, it wasn't that single angle that made the industry "boom". If anything it was just the entire war between WWF/WCW, something TNA seems to be trying to recreate, but about 4-5 years to soon (since its not near the size WCW was).
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Mr Captain Falcon
Dennis Stamp
So I could write anything in here and it'll be posted?
Posts: 4,705
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Post by Mr Captain Falcon on Jan 27, 2007 9:20:12 GMT -5
....not even close.
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Post by Loki on Jan 27, 2007 9:29:47 GMT -5
I'm still not conviced that another Monday Night War is the answer.
Even if TNA manage to get higher ratings, if the GENERAL APPEAL of the product is low (and I'm talking about the appeal to the mainstream audience, not about quality and/or appeal to us "hardcore/loyal" fans), it won't lead to another boom.
In the 80s we didn't really have a war between WWF and NWA... It was just different takes on pro-wrestling, with different fanbase targets. In facts, many WWF fans didn't know about NWA (or had limited interest/knowledge). Then the Attitude Era was basically a competition based on who can come up with the most shocking and over-the-top ideas.
But as said before, if WWE and TNA stay around the 3.0-3.5 mark without really putting out something that can be intereting and enjoyable to the masses (i.e. some pop-culture fad, or some celebrity being involved), it doesn't matter how many companies are at war, nor how awesome the storylines and the in-ring action are.
A better product can eventually win some disgrunted fans back, but it won't "convert" the Reality Show Generation.
In a way, I see Wrestling Society X being the most promising thing currently available. And that's sad. But it's not like I hold the Attitude Era in such high esteem either, so meh... Whatever's good for the business...
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Post by EvilShadow76 on Jan 27, 2007 9:42:22 GMT -5
Nope. I just don't see it happening. I have a feeling that things are actually gonna get much worse before they get any better on the WWE side anyways
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Legion
Fry's dog Seymour
Amy Pond's #1 fan
Hail Hydra!
Posts: 23,374
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Post by Legion on Jan 27, 2007 9:49:03 GMT -5
I can see another Boom period happening.
It really does appear to be cyclical, think about it, 1988 was the start of the worldwide last boom. 1998 for the attitude era was when it went worldwide. Im predicting next year for another worldwide boom.
(I am also aware that WWF was big before 1988 in the US, but that's why i said worldwide).
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Post by #Classic Hi-Definition X on Jan 27, 2007 10:41:10 GMT -5
Just because wrestling was really popular in 1988 and 1998 doesn't mean it will be in 2008.
As for another boom, it'll probably happen. When, I don't know.
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Legion
Fry's dog Seymour
Amy Pond's #1 fan
Hail Hydra!
Posts: 23,374
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Post by Legion on Jan 27, 2007 10:55:23 GMT -5
Just because wrestling was really popular in 1988 and 1998 doesn't mean it will be in 2008. As for another boom, it'll probably happen. When, I don't know. No, but if you look at who the champion is, that being Cena he has the same superman thing going on that Hogan did and that Austin had for a bit. Kids love Cena just like they did Hogan and Austin. Vince is getting the celebs in, it does seem like the other two times.
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Mr. Zombie
Don Corleone
The Original Chris Farley
Posts: 1,526
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Post by Mr. Zombie on Jan 27, 2007 11:24:27 GMT -5
Absolutely not. The product is not creating any sort of buzz right now, and there are no stars that the fans can latch onto. The true nature of both booms were the fact that wrestling had reinvented itself into a product that people were generally interested in. When they tuned in, they found something that they hadn't seen before, and a cast of characters that was fairly strong from top to bottom. There was something for almost everyone. There was also strong booking that kept bringing up new stars into the main event, and this let the product sustain its boom. Examples: Look at the cast of characters in the 80s and who Hogan faces in main events (Perfect, Million Dollar man, Andre, Warrior, Earthquake, Piper, Tag Teams, Jake the Snake).......Look at the cast of characters in the late 90s and who Austin/Rock faces in the main events (Foley, HHH, Godfather, Shamrock, Kane, undertaker, Sable, Chyna, DX, Edge and Christian, Dudleyz, Hardys, Sting, Goldberg, WCW, NWO). The current product can't hold a torch to that.
So, really, there's no reason for casual viewers to tune in. Hell, right now, there's not even much reason for the more hardcore viewers to tune in. WSX was the first time I've watched in months. I know if I were to tune into RAW I would see Cena squashing people/beating the odds in the main event, something Shawn Micheals/DX related, and a midcard with guys I don't care about. Where's the appeal to watch?
Another problem: the product is overexposed. In the 80s, we knew the product was exclusive to pay per views and superstars of wrestling. In the 90s, the buzz was around monday night. Monday Night was pretty special. Now if we miss anything, its not a big deal because its on 3 or 4 days a week, and pay per views have gotten almost weekly. There's no incentive to tune it at any particular time.
Another problem: No competition. We've seen how complacent the WWE gets when they have no competition. The early 90s and now are an example of this. When Vince feels threatened, thats generally when things start to change. Right now they're complacent, and simply taking the safe route in everything that they do, instead of trying to shake things up. Therefore, nothing will ever change. Which is why we won't have another boom.
Anyone who considers TNA, ROH, and WSX legit competition should wake up. They're not even close.
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Post by DrBackflipsHoffman on Jan 27, 2007 11:27:26 GMT -5
Just because wrestling was really popular in 1988 and 1998 doesn't mean it will be in 2008. As for another boom, it'll probably happen. When, I don't know. No, but if you look at who the champion is, that being Cena he has the same superman thing going on that Hogan did and that Austin had for a bit. Kids love Cena just like they did Hogan and Austin. Vince is getting the celebs in, it does seem like the other two times. He's getting the wrong celebs in. In the 80's Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T were huge and credible people, same with Ali, in the 90's when Tyson came in he was riding on a massive streak of controversey and popularity and was considered a double bad motherf***er, he was barred from boxing and people wanted to see this enw venture of his. But K-Fed? the guys a joke, people aren't gonna tune in in their millions to see if K-Fed can overcome the odds because about 4 people really give a crap. Cena's had the superman thing going on since Wrestlemania 21 - and it's still completely ineffective in terms of driving the whole world nuts about wrestling on the scale of Rock n' Wrestling and Attitude.
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Mr. Zombie
Don Corleone
The Original Chris Farley
Posts: 1,526
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Post by Mr. Zombie on Jan 27, 2007 11:33:40 GMT -5
Cena couldn't even carry Austin's or Hogans' or Rock's jockstrap in terms of popularity. The thing is, if you were to even put him up against Shawn Micheals, HHH, or Undertaker within his own company, he might lose the popularity contest. I would compare Cena more to Mr. Perfect in terms of popularity, maybe even Bret Hart. Guys instantly recognizable in terms of popularity to people who watch wrestling, absolutely zero popularity outside of it. I say maybe Hart because he had a little bit.
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Post by The Jeebus on Jan 27, 2007 11:46:11 GMT -5
Cena couldn't even carry Austin's or Hogans' or Rock's jockstrap in terms of popularity. The thing is, if you were to even put him up against Shawn Micheals, HHH, or Undertaker within his own company, he might lose the popularity contest. I would compare Cena more to Mr. Perfect in terms of popularity, maybe even Bret Hart. Guys instantly recognizable in terms of popularity to people who watch wrestling, absolutely zero popularity outside of it. I say maybe Hart because he had a little bit. Bret Hart's the best comparison for Cena. Today, non-wrestling fans might know Cena because they have a friend who watches Raw. A decade ago, non-wrestling fans would catch that episode of The Simpsons with Bret Hart on it, and they'd either be oblivious to the fact that he's real or they'd be aware that he is because they had a friend who watched Raw. The similarities don't stop just there. Both were babyfaces for the younger audiences, and both were popular overseas, particularly in European countries. I don't know if these are just coincidences though. I suppose the difference between the two is that one's revered as a great wrestler, and the other turns everything he touches into crap.
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Mr. Zombie
Don Corleone
The Original Chris Farley
Posts: 1,526
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Post by Mr. Zombie on Jan 27, 2007 11:48:26 GMT -5
Eh, I wouldn't go that far with Cena, as far as the turning stuff to crap. He seems like a decent guy in real life, form everything that I've seen. I also don't think he's the abomination in the ring that people make him out to be.
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