s l i k : bold prediction about the future of WWE

[tna]

It seems every 10-15 years the business evolves and re-invents itself, so to speak. From the way the product is presented to the audience to the way the television shows and ppvs are produced, it changes.

Just look at an WWE/WWF show from the 1980's, 1990's and today to see a good example.

I predict, in the near future, WWE will re-invent professional wrestling once again, and that the next "era" will be heavily influenced by a combination of Pureso and Lucha Libre. I expect Japanese style spectacles (both in the storytelling and amazing techinal and special effects) and Lucha Libre style action (it's safer, less injury prone, but still exciting...though I don't think we'll see a reliance on masks). I think it would be a smart next step for business, especially the Lucha aspect, considering the growing Mexican-American population in the United States.

I have only my intuition, boredom and creativity to base this prediction on.

What do you think?

[B.A.]

Wwe won't be the major player anymore. That's a given

[tna]

gladiusofrome said:

Wwe won't be the major player anymore. That's a given

How so?

[Arturo Classico]

tna said:

It seems every 10-15 years the business evolves and re-invents itself, so to speak. From the way the product is presented to the audience to the way the television shows and ppvs are produced, it changes.

Just look at an WWE/WWF show from the 1980's, 1990's and today to see a good example.

I predict, in the near future, WWE will re-invent professional wrestling once again, and that the next "era" will be heavily influenced by a combination of Pureso and Lucha Libre. I expect Japanese style spectacles (both in the storytelling and amazing techinal and special effects) and Lucha Libre style action (it's safer, less injury prone, but still exciting...though I don't think we'll see a reliance on masks). I think it would be a smart next step for business, especially the Lucha aspect, considering the growing Mexican-American population in the United States.

I have only my intuition, boredom and creativity to base this prediction on.

What do you think?

That sounds pretty intresting. I like it and that would be awesome. I feel that this could happen and that bigger guys will become a thing of the past. People like Cena, Lashley, Umaga and Batista dominating will not last long uless they change they're styles. While guys like Carlito, MVP, Punk and Burke will become huge stars. See people already have killed the the huge big guy dominating feel. Thats over, now it's about mat wrestling combined with charsima of a superstar. Vince dosen't really get it yet but he will. I feel the combining of Pureso and Lucha Libre is already in it's infancy.

Look at the indies most companies are like that already for examples look at ROH and Chikara. However much like the attitude era this will be toned down but you already see it happening. The bigger wrestlers will adapt and wrestle smaller much like Edge and Orton to survive. Or maybe be like Great Bernard(albert) and combine power with mat wrestling.

This era were are now is the middle part of the end of the attitude era and the beginning of strong style meets lucha libre era and fans right now don't get it yet. But the crowds are becoming mor and more smarks and will embrace this style. But like I said the matches will have to be at most 25-30 minutes since most people will not sit through long drawn out matches, But I would love it to happen.

Although worse case scenario Vince dosen't get it. I feel that Stephanie, Triple H, and especially Shane McMahon will start to see that things will have to change and they will modify the wrestling style of WWE. I feel a return to smaller wrestlers would be the best thing to happen since wrestlers wouldn't have to bulk up as much anymore and wont have to take steriods and would lead to a much better product than it is now. Also I could see in the future WWE signing people like Human Tornado, Colt Cabana, Larry Sweeny and Claudio castagnoli that would fit this. I hope this does happen since really none of the bigger wrestlers since Batista has clicked with the fans and he is decreasing in popularity and people like Lashley, Snitsky,Masters, and Khali seem to have failed. I feel in the years to come there will be change since I feel H and Shane would perfer to see more MMA meets technical wrestling.

Thats what I think but I might be wrong and they might just get bigger and bigger. Although I hope I'm not since I can count on one hand the amount of huge muscular wrestlers that actually have entertained me.

[MichaelRBoh]

i don't see it changing much, maybe a little more realistic looking because of ufc with some more submission holds getting over.
its always going to be more about the entertainment part though then the wrestling. but you've got to have enough wrestling or else you enter the russo zone.

[Ragnal]

cowpee said:

i don't see it changing much, maybe a little more realistic looking because of ufc with some more submission holds getting over.
its always going to be more about the entertainment part though then the wrestling. but you've got to have enough wrestling or else you enter the russo zone.

Hence TNA's current state.

And while we're at it, Raw.

[Chris Decker-The Wild Rover]

i agree with kings than we are still at the VERY tale end of the attitude era, moreless cause things haven't really changed in wrestling, except a name. TNA used to be a very distinct brand, now its russorific. ROH is what ECW was of the attitude brand. but with that said ROH doesn't appeal like ECW because with that said, when ECW came out, everything was very clean cut at cutesy and good vs bad. ECW was Aggressive and raw. and nasty and blurred lines. ROH right now is a puratist view of wrestling. and lots of marks can't get into great actual wrestling, hell sometimes I can't. so its more rootsy, as opposed to different, which is what ECW was.

[Arturo Classico]

One thing I want to add to my thoughts is that it will be sports entertainment but with a japanese/mexican infused with MMA wrestling style. He will still have storylines sice marks tend to only get into that. But as I said the era of the big man wrestler in dying and the smaller wrestlers will dominate. It will go back to the era before the eighties. But with tons of storylines that we will like and hate as well. Sports entertainment is here to stay but it will be fused with the "strong" wrestling style.

[vaderbomb91]

kingsofwrestling said:

See people already have killed the the huge big guy dominating feel. Thats over, now it's about mat wrestling combined with charsima of a superstar. Vince dosen't really get it yet but he will...

But the crowds are becoming more and more smarks...

Although worse case scenario Vince dosen't get it. I feel that Stephanie, Triple H, and especially Shane McMahon will start to see that things will have to change and they will modify the wrestling style of WWE.

At this point, I find it very hard to believe that Vince ever will get it. The disasterpiece that is WWECW has proven more than anything else that Vince is too damned stubborn to listen to his own fanbase. It was touted as an alternative, and when he faced honest crowds that let him know how little of an alternative it actually was, he got all pissy and decided just not to go to those cities/arenas anymore. Because that's how to fix your product... ignore the message the consumer is shouting right in your face! I swear, sometimes I think that whenever Vince gets negative feedback about anything in WWE, he covers his ears and wails "LA LA LA LA" like the Vancome lady on Mad TV.

And with recent gimmicks like Umaga, Boogeyman, Spirit Squad and a Leprechaun, we're actually seeing an attempt (albeit a pathetically bad one) to return to the cartoony crap of the early 90's. What I see from this is Vince's product going in the EXACT OPPOSITE DIRECTION of what's needed to create another boom period.

For the WWE to be the top player in the next boom period, three things have to happen:

1.) Johnny "My name shouldn't be pronounced like the card" Ace must be taken out of any position of authority in the company PERIOD.

2.) Vince either has to step down as Chairman or come to the realization that appeasing his ego has led him to make MANY BAD DECISIONS, and has often been done at the expense of the fans as well as the company's drawing power.

3.) Safe style MUST be abandoned. It isn't 1987 anymore, and the days when a wrestler can get over on gimmick alone are OVER WITH. When your live TV crowds are chanting "We want wrestling," it doesn't get much more straightforward than that.

And it's a crime that when you have someone akin to a Benoit, that could get over on their mat work alone, they immediately have their movelist cut by 50% when entering the company, and then they're accused of "having the same match every week." Well, no s***, because EVERYONE in WWE has the same match every week; they're not even allowed to work the damn styles that made their names and play up to their strengths.

And when your matches are so cookie-cutter that you're not convincing most fans there's any athleticism or toughness required of what they're seeing, it only further hurts the industry and confirms the belief that "It's a fake sport, and anyone can do it." Although, with the majority of matches WWE is putting on nowadays, I'd have to agree: Many people COULD do it. And that's just the problem.

[Arturo Classico]

vaderbomb91 said:

kingsofwrestling said:

See people already have killed the the huge big guy dominating feel. Thats over, now it's about mat wrestling combined with charsima of a superstar. Vince dosen't really get it yet but he will...

But the crowds are becoming more and more smarks...

Although worse case scenario Vince dosen't get it. I feel that Stephanie, Triple H, and especially Shane McMahon will start to see that things will have to change and they will modify the wrestling style of WWE.

At this point, I find it very hard to believe that Vince ever will get it. The disasterpiece that is WWECW has proven more than anything else that Vince is too damned stubborn to listen to his own fanbase. It was touted as an alternative, and when he faced honest crowds that let him know how little of an alternative it actually was, he got all pissy and decided just not to go to those cities/arenas anymore. Because that's how to fix your product... ignore the message the consumer is shouting right in your face! I swear, sometimes I think that whenever Vince gets negative feedback about anything in WWE, he covers his ears and wails "LA LA LA LA" like the Vancome lady on Mad TV.

And with recent gimmicks like Umaga, Boogeyman, Spirit Squad and a Leprechaun, we're actually seeing an attempt (albeit a pathetically bad one) to return to the cartoony crap of the early 90's. What I see from this is Vince's product going in the EXACT OPPOSITE DIRECTION of what's needed to create another boom period.

For the WWE to be the top player in the next boom period, three things have to happen:

1.) Johnny "My name shouldn't be pronounced like the card" Ace must be taken out of any position of authority in the company PERIOD.

2.) Vince either has to step down as Chairman or come to the realization that appeasing his ego has led him to make MANY BAD DECISIONS, and has often been done at the expense of the fans as well as the company's drawing power.

3.) Safe style MUST be abandoned. It isn't 1987 anymore, and the days when a wrestler can get over on gimmick alone are OVER WITH. When your live TV crowds are chanting "We want wrestling," it doesn't get much more straightforward than that.

And it's a crime that when you have someone akin to a Benoit, that could get over on their mat work alone, they immediately have their movelist cut by 50% when entering the company, and then they're accused of "having the same match every week." Well, no s***, because EVERYONE in WWE has the same match every week; they're not even allowed to work the damn styles that made their names and play up to their strengths.

And when your matches are so cookie-cutter that you're not convincing most fans there's any athleticism or toughness required of what they're seeing, it only further hurts the industry and confirms the belief that "It's a fake sport, and anyone can do it." Although, with the majority of matches WWE is putting on nowadays, I'd have to agree: Many people COULD do it. And that's just the problem.

I totally agree with you. What I'm talking about is 10-15 years this will happen. Right now we are going backwards but I doubt this will late too long. Vince although is stbborn in a bout 5 years will see what he has done is not working and changes will be made. I don't see him stepping down though. Ace wont last long in my opinion and already is being made to look like the idiot he is. Lastly wrestling on WWE will come back but Sports Entertainment will have to exist as well that will never end.

Also remember very short time ago shorter guys like Stone Cold, The Rock and HHH (compared to guys like Cena,Lashley and Batista) were dominating and no of those really were overly muscular and would not be called big power guys. But I feel it will go more radical than that with the increase of popularity of MMA and Lucha Libre it will cause the strong style to take over, WWE will just have it in probaly 7-15 years from now unfortunately.

[tna]

I very much agree this is still the tale end of the "attitude era".

I do believe we are closer to a big change happening than further away from it.

[Legion]

I agree that Wrestling is due for a shake up, usually followed by a boom period, but i disagree strongly that safe style should be abandoned. It might make for more interesting wrestling with more intense looking matches, but the health and the well being of the wrestlers HAS to come before that

['Sweet n' Sour' A. A. Estrada]

legion said:

I agree that Wrestling is due for a shake up, usually followed by a boom period, but i disagree strongly that safe style should be abandoned. It might make for more interesting wrestling with more intense looking matches, but the health and the well being of the wrestlers HAS to come before that

I agree. You can wrestle a good match without having a bunch of unprotected head bumps.

[skskillz]

Can someone please provide some evidence when saying wrestling is cyclical? Just because two boom periods happened within 10-15 years of each other, it doesn't mean it's always going to be like that.

Now maybe there was a boom in the 1970's, I don't know, but certainly when talking about mainstream boom periods (when Vince took it national), you'd have to look at Hogan's time (1984) to now.

[Person With A Hat]

legion said:

I agree that Wrestling is due for a shake up, usually followed by a boom period, but i disagree strongly that safe style should be abandoned. It might make for more interesting wrestling with more intense looking matches, but the health and the well being of the wrestlers HAS to come before that

If not removed, it should get a serious check up on what can be allowed and WHO can do it/recieve the bump. That's the whole thing, right there.

[rrm15]

While I agree with you that this is where professional wrestling is headed, I do not believe WWE will be at the forfront of this movement.

Vince McMhaon, as seen by the last boom period, cannot come up with a fresh new idea entirely on his own. What I believe will happen is that ROH, or some as of now non-existent company in the same vein as ROH, will get huge. IMHO, what ROH needs to do is use the internet to its full advantage. Start broadcasting shows on the internet. Get your name out there.

The WWE's target audience right now is the casual fans who are just channel surfing. However, the audience that NEEDS to be catered to and the audience that is going to cause the next boom period is the MMA audience. Theres now so many of them the WWE is stupid for NOT trying to do something to get their attention.

As seen by the Attitude era, Vince needs competition to play off of and a smaller, cutting edge fed to rip off. Enter ROH and TNA. TNA will slowly become competition for WWE, and Ring of Honor will become more noticable. Eventually, we'll see a huge talent raid with WWE picking up guys like Samoa Joe. Only until the WWE starts changing stuff will we see a boom.

[Mr. Zombie]

With the growing hispanic population in the US......it could be likely, although I don't see a full scale swing to the style.

[Mr. Zombie]

rrm15 said:

While I agree with you that this is where professional wrestling is headed, I do not believe WWE will be at the forfront of this movement.

Vince McMhaon, as seen by the last boom period, cannot come up with a fresh new idea entirely on his own. What I believe will happen is that ROH, or some as of now non-existent company in the same vein as ROH, will get huge. IMHO, what ROH needs to do is use the internet to its full advantage. Start broadcasting shows on the internet. Get your name out there.

The WWE's target audience right now is the casual fans who are just channel surfing. However, the audience that NEEDS to be catered to and the audience that is going to cause the next boom period is the MMA audience. Theres now so many of them the WWE is stupid for NOT trying to do something to get their attention.

As seen by the Attitude era, Vince needs competition to play off of and a smaller, cutting edge fed to rip off. Enter ROH and TNA. TNA will slowly become competition for WWE, and Ring of Honor will become more noticable. Eventually, we'll see a huge talent raid with WWE picking up guys like Samoa Joe. Only until the WWE starts changing stuff will we see a boom.

I don't think TNA and ROH are exactly cutting edge.....they're more for the hardcore wrestling fans, and they will never grow to be a huge promotion. TNA does things that the WWE has already done....been there, seen it. They bring nothing nwew to the table, which is why I don't think they will ever grow out of a niche TV thing.

Not a lot of people can sit through a ROH match. To be honest, no one cares about the technicality of a match outside of Internet fans and the more hardcore wrestling fans. They also don't do anything cutting edge that reinvents wrestling in any way, shape, or form. The early 80s and the late 90s did, and thats why people tuned in. WSX, as much as I hate to say it, is more likely to trigger a boom than either of these companies, because at least their product is something different....people might tune in to check it out.

WWE has tried a few times to go after the MMA crowd. Their attempts have produced zero results. The problem is that most MMA fans look down upon the WWE. They're really not even the same product.

The MMA audience is very, very small. They can't fuel a boom period. The fact is that getting casual fans will fuel a boom. Casual channel surfers outnumber MMA fans by a lot. Thats why WWE goes after them so much. Thats why the attitude era blew up like it did.....casual fans were tuning in to check out the new product, and they stayed with it.

[Citizen Snips]

vaderbomb91 said:

3.) Safe style MUST be abandoned. It isn't 1987 anymore, and the days when a wrestler can get over on gimmick alone are OVER WITH. When your live TV crowds are chanting "We want wrestling," it doesn't get much more straightforward than that.

Outside of the ECW shows in the Hammerstein Ballroom (a building whose fans have been trying to get themselves over via chants since 1998), the ONE instance of an audible "We Want Wrestling" chant on live WWE TV was during Rosie/Donald. It had absolutely nothing to do with safe style. It had to do with arguably the worst segment in WWE history taking up 20 minutes of a wrestling show.

[Mr. Zombie]

"Safe style" probably actually requires more skill to work than any other style of wrestling, since it takes away a lot of high spots and power moves, and requires more psychology. This is why the wwe product has been lacking in the ring.....no t alot of guys with a good grasp of how to work a crowd in there.